Matt in KC

Great tricks! I wish the camera had stayed on Simon for the next minute or so. He was dumbstruck.

No problem at all. I wanted to make sure you knew there was more than just the next abbreviated season. I don't care at all about nitpicking the episode numbers. Hell, I think they might well change their minds and add a few, especially if the next book comes out this year.

I agree. I hope to see Sansa string Littlefinger along. I don't think she is as good at the "chess game" as LF, but she has learned to do what needs to be done, and to trust sparingly. I strongly suspect she will be LF's demise. Maybe she should ask for a wedding next to the Moon Door at the Vale on a windy day. . . . I didn't mind Sansa not telling Jon about the forces of the Vale. I don't think she got a response; she likely just sent an urgent message, doubting herself. Regardless, I think theyu adress this directly in the finale, talking it out. They have said there are 13 episodes left after this season. I think they will call them seasons 7 and 8, versus the first and second half of the final season.

Tidbits Run in a zig-zag Rickon! I was surprised none of the northern houses turned on Ramsey. I think this marks a significant departure from the books. Shireen's little wooden stag didn't burn in her pyre (but all of her bones did)? Speaking of which, are they really going to burn Wun Wun's body? (Can giants be re-animated?) Iwan Rheon's acting, as Ramsey, will be missed, but I am beyond done watching his sadism. Melissandre really just sat on the sidelines moping? wth? This smacks of the show runners having no idea what GRRM will do with her. Daenerys can't just pull out and leave all of the slave cities behind, to fall back into chaos. Who do you think is left behind? Is a dragon left behind?

I agree, great episode! It was a long-building release and relief to see Ramsey get his due. They stretched it enough to realize most GOT fan fantasies about his demise: John beat him to death, Sana killed him, and his hounds ate him. After following John through the episode, his beating Ramsey was very visceral; it was like we the audience finally got to do what we have wanted for a long time. The battle itself was unbelievably realistic and chaotic, a medieval Saving private Ryan. I have never seen anything like that. How many horses did we see collide at full speed? How did they pull that off? Where the !@#$ was Ghost? The real answer I think is that they were over budget. Story-wise though, that was unforgivable to just omit him.

Game of Thrones' Director Confirms Season 7 Will Be Shorter Confirmed: only 7 episodes in season 7

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. -Teddy Roosevelt

Yes, I think that's a real possibility. I had to re-read to see if I typed that earlier. I did temporarily then erased it before posting because I am all over the place thinking about the possibilities. After Cersei's suicide I could see Jaimie redeeming himself by sacrificing himself for honor/Brienne. I think Denaerys. the Dothraki etc. don't belong in Westeros. I could see her setting up final reign in Valyria or Volantis if she survives. Other characters' final destinations Missandei seems right to rule/govern Mureen long-term. Tyrion = King's Landing or Casterly Rock Sansa = Winterfell I don't think Rickon has a chance given his complete lack of character development) John = dead or off in a cave with Denaerys somewhere? Yara / Asha = Iron Islands Bran = under a small tree somewhere, with room to grow I wonder who ends up reigning over the twins. Maybe a more benevolent Frey since there are so many?

I think the recent confirmation Cersei received is that they found a long-lost cache of wildfire, likely below the Red Keep / throne room.

I definitely think Cersei is going to cause the wildfire to explode. There have been so many clues. http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/06/game-of-thrones-cersei-plan-qyburn-plot-wildfire I think the surprise is that she accidentally kills Tommen too.

I didn't mind the story arc either. She changed her face in the brothel scene (though not in the book equivalent). That would be a great skill to have as the larger story wraps up. It is likely to have a big emotional payoff later. ~~~~~~~~~Contrivance~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Littlefinger has somehow managed to convince the world that Sansa is dead, but instead holds her hostage somewhere very secluded. He reveals his "real" self as he hits the old woman on his staff. Finally coming clean, we see he is a total sociopath, who plans to Sansa for years. We see Sansa is again in hell. The old woman stabs him in his little finger and finishes him off, then peels off her face to reveal Arya, who jumps into Sansa's embrace.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was fun just writing that. More likely though the recipient is Cersei or someone else on Arya's list (Ilyn Paine?). Arya is a survivor. We have watched her voyage from being a weak little girl in a cruel world, to having the strength and skill to navigate and go get what she wants. I agree the lack of clear motives for the waif and Jaqen and details of Arya's escape were annoying and seemed like lazy writing for the show.

I predict after lining up for what appears to a one-on-one showdown, Ramsey whistles for his dogs and smirks. As they approach, Ghost intercedes, and the dogs all whimper and cower. That is the moment Ramsey knows he is done.

I would think the battle for Winterfell would be the perfect event for little Robert Aryn to lose his life through a freak accident, even though he was far from the fighting. How about one/some of Tyrion's Mountain Clan friends? Shagga? Timett, son of Timett?

I think GRRM will do a much better job of making it work in the books, though it might take him 200 pages. . .

I agree. They at least showed some help getting Arya patched up, and a long night's rest. I am willing to chalk up amazing actions to a burst of adrenaline, but hope they show a little more help/medicine/magic for those abdominal wounds. Maybe a long boat ride to Westeros with a Maester a red priest?

I take it to mean Jaqen H'ghar is not the original name of the person Arya met, just a persona, perhaps the name that was originally associated with that face. In both the book and show he says Jaqen is dead and then immediately changes his face. I think he more means "retired." If Arya hadn't gone to the house of black and white, I doubt that faceless man (himself now "nobody") would have been wearing that face. I think that has been done for Arya's sake, the same as the choice for the waif. The only question I have is if the waif is also actually in training like Arya, or just playing the role as a part of the training. Given the waif/Jaqen substitutions we have seen (e.g. when she went blind), I assume the later. Then again, all that smirking by the waif makes me think she is in training and might not ever finish.

In the show she says she will unname him if he helps her escape, but then does not revisit the point when they meet up for one last time in Season 2, when he says Jaqen H'ghar is dead. In the book she asks Jaqen to help her help the ~100 Northmen that were just imprisoned at Harrenhall to escape. They accomplish this by dowsing the guards with boiling-hot soup and attacking them before they can recover. At the end of that, is this passage:

Quick follow up: Arya DID explicitly un-name Jaqen in A Clash of Kings. They agreed he had repaid the debt. *Darn!* (Not that GOT will definitely follow the books....)

All of Jaqen's Season 2 scenes: ... JH: 3 lives I will give you. No more, no less ... 7:20 A: You promised you'd help me JH: That wasn't the promise, lovely girl, only death. There must be others. Give a name, any name. A: And you'll kill them. . . anybody? JH: By the seven new gods, and the old gods beyond counting, I swear it. A: Alright. . . <leaning in> Jaqen H'gar ... His final words in Season 2: JH: Jaqen H'gar is dead. <changes face> Farewell Arya Stark. I noticed watching again that she never un-names Jaqen. She just said earlier, when threatening, that she would unname him. This paired with him saying the act is certain, but the timing of the death is not makes me think he may well have finally given his life up for Arya in season 6. That's one reason to tell the waif to make sure she (Arya) doesn't suffer!

Thanks. It is interesting in the clip Jaqen talks about the Red God. <Great scene starting at about 2:40!> JH: A man pay his debts. A man owes 3. A: 3 what? JH: The Red God takes what is his, lovely girl, and only death may pay for life. You saved me and the 2 I was with. You stole 3 deaths from the Red God. We have to give them back.

Holy crap, I think you're on to something. Not just that, but she named him as the third name on her wish list, and used that as leverage to have him help her escape Harrenhall. She saved 3 lives and so could name 3 to give to the many-faced god. In the book there was a large fire whre she helped them escape the wagon; I don't remember the show as well. The other two were Biter and Vargo Hoat.

The more I think about it, the more I agree some trickery is at work. While I agree the actress Lady Crane would help her, I don't really buy it. How would Arya know she wasn't going to get her throat slashed, get poisoned, or whatever? And there's no way the waif wouldn't realize her blade wasn't actually sinking into her flesh. I think it is more likely someone else was wearing Arya's face. Has Arya stolen a few faces on her way out?

I agree in general, SDS. I can forgive the Hound's recovery, given so much time has passed. How explicit where they with his wounds? I remember the normal brutal hand-to-hand with Brienne, and a fall that largely did him in. But for Arya, that was 3(?) stab wounds to the mid-section. She should be dead soon, and certainly not running, jumping, fighting again anytime soon. Unless there is a Bran/Lord of Light/3-eyed Raven intervention, her "walking it off" is a huge distraction and problem for me. Perhaps Arya is going to become the TV version of Lady Stoneheart? Of course it doesn't look like she is going too lay dead for a long period, which is what made Lady Stoneheart what she is; she was too far gone to bring back whole.

Much better. Thanks!

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