Urban Ag said:

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aTmAg said:

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I haven't been reading this thread, but anybody else wonder how the hell they can wrap this whole thing up in only 6 episodes? They spent 7 long seasons warning that winter is coming, and now that winter is here, they only dedicate 6 episodes to it. I'm afraid it will be like the last season of Rome all over again.

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Honestly there is not much left to cover.

Littlefinger started the Game of Thrones. He's dead.

Varis and Tyrion have essentially played out their hands. There is pretty much nothing left for them to contribute to the plot.

The Wight Walkers are south of the wall. Dany/Jon and what armies they can muster will engage. I give it a 99% certainty that they win but at a huge cost.

They will then march south and Jamie will kill his sister, and die in the process.

Jon Targaryeon will sit the Iron Throne.

The End.

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While everything you said makes sense, it's way too predictable for Game of Thrones.

I definitely think most will die and Westeros will splinter. Kings Landing will burn, so too will Winterfell. Each major region will move on autonomously.

Urban Ag said:

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Brian Earl Spilner said:

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Quote:

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Jon Targaryeon will sit the Iron Throne.

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No chance.

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We shall see Spilner.

One thing I have learned about GRRM over the years is that while his writings (especially GOT) are very complex, they also tend to make readers (and viewers) believe there is more to it than there is.

Dany will not rule Westeros. She is the prince(princess) that was promised. Long Claw is Lightbringer. But we won't know that until Dany wields it. Dany's entire character was always to right the wrongs the Targaryeon's brought upon Westeros. Dany came to Westeros to save it, not conquer it.

Jon is literally Fire and Ice. He will become the unwilling king. Sansa will remain the Lady of Winterfell. Brienne will become the Regent of Casterly Rock carrying Jamie's child. Varys, Missandie, and Davos will be Jon's trusted advisors. It's gonna happen.

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I think the story does have a happy ending but definitely not one in which Jon and Dany go riding off into the sunset together. I believe Cersei will be killed and that the WWs will be 'assuaged.' Essentially, the 'good guys' win.

But I don't think it will even end that simplistically. Alt Shift X did a terrific video about GRRM and his personal motivations for writing the story. Apparently GRRM was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War and Alt Shift postulated that Game of Thrones was a fable about the futility/wickedness of war. There's some pretty compelling evidence to support that notion when you consider all the examples of how good people resort to violence that is emotionally satisfying -- and even morally justified -- but are then met with catastrophic results. Basically driving home the point that 'blood begets blood.'

If the 'good guys' are to win, I don't think GRRM will resolve the story with violence, because so far violence hasn't resolved anything. And I used the phrase 'assuage the WWs' on purpose to support that notion. I don't think they will be slain or destroyed. I think they'll be understood and reasoned with (potentially by Bran?). (There's a whole slew of theories that the WWs actually built the wall to keep the humans out and all they want is to drive them back to their side)

Which Alt Shift X video is this? Not seeing it on Youtube and definitely interested.

Humans already are back on their side of the wall though...or what's left of the wall.

Of course there won't be a perfectly happy ending, this isn't a Disney interpretation of a fairy tale. I don't think he leaves the world completely torn asunder either.

What if Bran and or Sam figure out a way to covert the WW back into humans as they are waltzing it to King's Landing?

Teddy Perkins said:

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Which Alt Shift X video is this? Not seeing it on Youtube and definitely interested.

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It's been a while since I've seen it but I believe it's the one about the Others.

Sarduakar said:

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If GRR Martin thinks Blood begets Blood and and no violence to resolve it, how does he finish it? Does Bran and or Sam figure out a way to covert the WW back into humans as they are waltzing it to King's Landing?

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How it ends iss obviously anyone's guess, but like I said, I could see Bran being a peacekeeper/negotiator.

Fenrir said:

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Humans already are back on their side of the wall though...or what's left of the wall.

Of course there won't be a perfectly happy ending, this isn't a Disney interpretation of a fairy tale. I don't think he leaves the world completely torn asunder either.

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I'm not saying there will be a 'completely happy ending.' I've said all along that if Jon Snow is Azor Ahai then Dany is probably toast (as the original AA had to kill his own wife to 'fight back the night.'). Suffice to say, the odds of both Dany and Jon living through S8 are pretty slim imo.

As for the wall thing, again the WW could be driving the humans back. Encrouch on anyone's territory for too long and they'll eventually resort to violence. Anyways, it's just a theory that I enjoy and doesn't get nearly enough run.

Urban Ag said:

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Just a thought, but is Dany really an underdog?

Dany had powerful people hiding and protecting her and her brother. She was greatly elevated by Khal Drogo. She was given her dragons (as eggs) as a gift. She's impervious to fire. She's fantastically beautiful. Loyal and highly useful people such as Barristan Selmy, Jorah, Daario, Varys, Tyrion, etc, pledge themselves to her. Rich dudes were constantly money whipping her. She has a nice round ass. I could go on.

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NONE of that happened before the series started. When we meet her:

she was second to her brother, she was not married to Drogo, she did not have the eggs, most of the people that pledged themselves to her did so only after she demonstrated her power, she did not necessarily know although she believed she was impervious to fire, jorah was the only one pledged to her and he was secretly spying on her, she was being traded for an army to a ruthless foreign (to her) brute, etc.

Lots of good arguments here and of course this is just my take and aint worth the paper you could print it on.

That said, I don't think GRRM knew how to end this or exactly how it would end regardless of what he has said in the past. This is HBO's baby and has been for a couple of years now. Look at how Littlefinger ended. The master of the GOT's simply got outed and had his throat slashed. It almost felt cheap for such a mastermind to go down that way. But that is how HBO ended it.

I think we've been conditioned to believe that it's all going to have some crazy twists we don't seem coming, but I don't think that is how it ends. I think we're out of runway for something like that.

My prediction:

The White Walkers are defeated at Winterfell at the end of Ep 4. The dragons and Dany die in the process. There was a huge reveal last season when Jon killed the WW and almost all the wights were returned to corpses. Kill The Nights King and it all ends. The rest of the Wall crumbles when the NK dies.

Kings Landing is surrounded but there is no siege. Jamie enters the city to find Cercei and Qyburn about to burn it to the ground with wildfire ala the Mad King. History repeats itself. Jamie kills Cercei and Qyburn but is mortally wounded by the Mountain and dies with Brienne at his side. Bronn opens the city gates to Jon. Jon begrudgingly assumes the throne. The Dothraki are returned to Essos by Yara/Asha's fleet (after Theon dies rescuing her). As king Jon declares the seven kingdoms will have independent rule (or something like that).

who knows

Zombie Jon Snow said:

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deja vu

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It's like poetry. It rhymes.

"What's west of Westeros?" - Arya

What if everyone hauls ass West and establishes a new kingdom in the new land.

That would be lame.

Urban Ag said:

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Lots of good arguments here and of course this is just my take and aint worth the paper you could print it on.

That said, I don't think GRRM knew how to end this or exactly how it would end regardless of what he has said in the past. This is HBO's baby and has been for a couple of years now. Look at how Littlefinger ended. The master of the GOT's simply got outed and had his throat slashed. It almost felt cheap for such a mastermind to go down that way. But that is how HBO ended it.

I think we've been conditioned to believe that it's all going to have some crazy twists we don't seem coming, but I don't think that is how it ends. I think we're out of runway for something like that.

My prediction:

The White Walkers are defeated at Winterfell at the end of Ep 4. The dragons and Dany die in the process. There was a huge reveal last season when Jon killed the WW and almost all the wights were returned to corpses. Kill The Nights King and it all ends. The rest of the Wall crumbles when the NK dies.

Kings Landing is surrounded but there is no siege. Jamie enters the city to find Cercei and Qyburn about to burn it to the ground with wildfire ala the Mad King. History repeats itself. Jamie kills Cercei and Qyburn but is mortally wounded by the Mountain and dies with Brienne at his side. Bronn opens the city gates to Jon. Jon begrudgingly assumes the throne. The Dothraki are returned to Essos by Yara/Asha's fleet (after Theon dies rescuing her). As king Jon declares the seven kingdoms will have independent rule (or something like that).

who knows

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Imagine how useful a sniper rifle with a dragon glass bullet would be.

there hasn't been a truly blind twist since they writers have moved off of the book material. They are going down a very linear line of thinking. It will end with a showdown at the kings landing corral between the living and the dead. The Earp brothers. errrr Tangaryen family and their buddies versus Ice 'Clanton' Other and his gang in a good ol'fashioned shootout for the Iron throne.

Quote:

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Night King invasion resolved in 3-4 episodes, then everyone turns and heads south for the final battle at King's Landing?

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Martin's a huge Tolkien fan. I think the Night King isn't resolved until the next to last episode or so in a great siege at King's Landing with all houses & sides banded together. Jon Snow (aka Aragorn) leads the final charge & reluctantly takes the crown. There may be a side mission for Samwell Tarly (aka Samwise Gamgee) and Frodo (Tyrion? Small but both important) to retrieve/destroy something that ends up ultimately proving to be the end of the Night King.

How about a new version of the Monty Python and the Holy Grail ending? Or maybe another Sopranos style ending since this is HBO after all?

Urban Ag said:

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Varys, Missandie, and Davos will be Jon's trusted advisors. It's gonna happen.

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Remember Melisandre's parting words to Varys in season seven?

C@LAg said:

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So what are the bets?

Night King invasion resolved in 3-4 episodes, then everyone turns and heads south for the final battle at King's Landing?

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I think this will be the case. GOT is in overdrive now with the WW's south of the Wall. Many arcs have been closed. It will finish rapidly. Maybe something like....

Since some of you think this is too specific, I'll spoiler tag it. But I haven't seen any leaks on season 8. Just the musings of a fan

Ep 1
Bran follows the movement of the WW's via ravens but there is otherwise little news on that front.
Dany and Jon continue north, screw a lot
Beric and Tormund arrive at Winterfell and give first hand account of the Wall breaking
Theon sets out to find Asha
Jamie continues north
Arya leaves Winterfell

Ep 2
WW continue advance south, Winterfell prepares for siege
Dany, Jon, the Unsullied, the Dothraki, and the rest arrive at Winterfell.
Jamie arrives at Winterfell and is taken prisoner. Bran becomes his advocate and convinces Jon and Sansa that his intentions are noble.
Theon finds Asha
Cercei is shown progressing in her pregnancy
Remnants of the Nights Watch arrive at Winterfell

Ep 3
Brienne and Jamie get it on
Theon is captured by Euron after he tracks him down on the coast of Essos in the process of picking up the Golden Company.
Melisandre returns only to be killed by Arya. In her last breaths she tells Arya she has returned to inform them she was wrong about Stannis and wrong about Jon. Dany is Azor Ahai reborn.
Sam and Bran conclude that WW army can be defeated by killing the Night King, contemplate telling Jon who he really is.
Cercei loses the baby and falls in to a deep state of despair.
Closing scene is WW army emerging outside Winterfell as a guard gives three long blasts of the horn.

Ep 4
Entire episode is the siege of Winterfell.
Jamie, Brienne, Jorah, Beric, Davos, the Hound, Greyworm, and Tormund lead the troops/defense of Winterfell on the front line.
Jon and Dany stay back from the battle until the timing is right to engage. Dany rides Drogon, Jon rides Rhaegal in to battle (not knowing the dragon is named after his father).
Rhaegal is killed and Jon injured. Dany is thrown from Drogon trying to rescue him. Jorah is killed trying to save Dany. Dany in a desperate attempt to defend Jon, draws Long Claw which becomes Lightbringer and it is revealed she is Azor Ahai. She slays zombie Viserion and Nights King but is mortally wounded. Beric and Greyworm also die.
Episode ends in silence.

Ep 5
Aftermath of the battle. Dead are mourned. Plans are made to deal with Cercei. Arya plans to infiltrate Kings Landing and kill her but Jamie, not knowing she has lost the baby, argues that he must be given a last chance to persuade her to step down. Jon agrees that if she'll step down she can remain exiled at Casterly Rock.
Theon somehow frees Asha and attempts to escape. Dies in process. Theon or Asha kill Euron. The Ironborn then flip for Asha and take her as their queen.
Qyburn brings a raven delivered message to Cercei that the WW's are defeated. She knows her time is up. Also is informed Euron is dead and the Golden Company is not coming.
Bran and Sam reveal that Jon is the child of Rhaegar Targaryeon and Lianna Stark and the rightful heir to the throne.
Jamie leaves Winterfell alone. Jon and what remains of the troops, Unsullied, and Dothraki, head south.
Bronn figures out that Cercei and Qyburn plan to burn Kings Landing with wildfire ala the Mad King,
Asha and the Ironborn fleet head towards Kings Landing.

Ep 6
Jamie enters Kings Landing and tries to reason with her, finds out she lost the baby, and realizes that Cercei has gone completely mad.
Jon arrives at Kings Landing on Drogon and their army assembles outside the city walls. Tormund stays in the North.
Brienne finds out she's pregnant with Jamie's child.
Jamie kills Cercei to stop her from burning the city but is mortally wounded by Ser Gregor. (reaching here) the Hound and Arya have snuck in to KL and with Bronn's help, kill Ser Gregor and Qyburn.
Brienne informs a dying Jamie she is carrying her child.
Jon reluctantly takes the Iron Throne. Names Sansa the Lady of Winterfell. Names Brienne the Regent of Casterly Rock and that her child is the heir to the Lannisters.
Varys, Missandie, and Davos remain with Jon (although Davos returns to his wife).
The Dothraki are given a huge gift (think Tyrell gold) and depart to for Essos via the Ironborn fleet commanded by Asha.
Final couple of scenes. Pod helps a pregnant Brienne on to a horse, calls her ser, then my lady, escorts her to Casterly Rock. Arya leaves KL alone and moments later is joined by Gendry who rides off with her. Bran is flying, having warged in to a raven, far, far north of what was the Wall. He spies a lone child in tattered clothes walking slowing through the snow. The child looks up at the passing raven, opens its eyes, and they turn shining blue.

Also, I fully expect Winterfell to fall

I bet I get close on about 50% of it.

We'll know soon enough. Winter is here, but spring is coming.

I admit the Hound sneaking in to KL is pretty cheesy but he's gotta meet up again with his brother before this is all over.

Put me in the boat of Cersei going full mad Queen and blowing up King's Landing. Also doubt she is pregnant and that it was a ruse

I had to look up 80% of the names in your post. I binge watched all of the seasons in a few weeks time, so it's not firm in my head. Clearly you have read the books. Otherwise you have savant level memory.

ChipFTAC01 said:

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There were literally about three minor characters in his post. I can see not knowing maybe Qyburn, Beric and....that's all I can come up with.

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80% was too high. Still, it was impressive, IMO.

Did you read the books?

No. Well not more than about the first 20 pages on a flight several years ago before I fell asleep and never went back to it. And I don't think I've watched any episodes more than once.

Dude, you left out one HUGE (pun intended) character. What about Tyrion?