Over on Reddit, in the Game of Thrones subreddit, there is a ballot you can cast, for the question of who do you want to see on the Iron Throne? (It may be for who do you expect to see on the Iron Throne at the end?)
I’ve cast my ballot, but the thought occurred to me: what if George R.R. Martin wanted to screw with us?
It’s no secret that he is willing to kill off beloved characters. It’s also not a secret that the television series outpaced the books. The producers of the show had to arrange to meet with GRRM, and spent a weekend with him in a hotel room, getting him to write the ending of the story: A Song of Ice and Fire. In some sense, they needed him to play his hand before the real books come out. What if George felt a little mischievous? Or maybe he wants to create a crisis of emotional loss, in the audience of people who think there are heroes in the Game of Thrones?
At the time of this writing, there is only one more episode yet un-aired.
What if GRRM fed the producers a plot line that won’t be anything like the real books he is writing?
Cersei was killed off in a way that left me quite unsatisfied. I, and I imagine many people, wanted the people she oppressed to get their vengeance in her death. Vengeance denied!
What if GRRM wanted to deliver that same emotional impact with all the television viewers? What if he wanted to have the last laugh by tormenting us all? What if the good ending to the stories is going to be in the book (“buy the books for the real ending!!!”)?
In this vein, I think Sansa Stark will win the Games of Throne. Here’s how I could see it happening.
- Tyrion is killed off immediately, as soon as Daenerys learns that Tyrion released Jaime.
- Daenerys, fearing plotting by Sansa, orders Jon Snow to kill Sansa.
- Jon Snow refuses.
- Daenerys has Jon Snow killed. Likely, Grey Worm does this.
- Arya kills Daenerys as revenge for killing Jon.
- Drogon (the remaining dragon) seeing his mother killed, kills Arya.
This would leave Sansa, Samwell, Bran, and Grey Worm remaining.
Grey Worm could take over, and through sheer might with his army, seize the Iron Throne. That wouldn’t really be such a bad ending, so under the theory that GRRM wants to make you have to think about your emotions about the ending – yeah, that’s right out.
Bran wouldn’t get it, because of his infirmity, and Sansa wants it.
Samwell could want it (but so far, he doesn’t really). The nerds in the audience (and I fit that bill) would be happy if a nerd won the Iron Throne – so that’s right out. It would be kind of a happy ending, but it wouldn’t hit you in the gut, really.
Which leaves Sansa.
The sister who agreed to marry Joffrey, who suffered a little, but by appearances got to live the plush life (in fact, she was later raped by Ramsay Boulton, but not many people know that), who felt bad, but never much helped as her family were hunted and killed. “Well, I felt bad, while you all died; but you’re all dead now, so I might as well take the Iron Throne and live the good life.”
That would be an emotional kick in the gut. I could see GRRM doing it.
Of course, a super twist would be Tormund and Brienne getting married and taking over the North; letting the South burn and war and starve, and the Iron Throne become a curse to anyone dumb enough to fight for it.
So that’s my silly idea. One more week to find out. 🙂