{"id":55846,"date":"2017-08-28T18:20:37","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T22:20:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/meanwhile-in-westeros-plans-partnerships-and-more-come-crumbling-down-on-game-of-thrones-finale-recap\/"},"modified":"2017-08-28T18:20:37","modified_gmt":"2017-08-28T22:20:37","slug":"meanwhile-in-westeros-plans-partnerships-and-more-come-crumbling-down-on-game-of-thrones-finale-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/meanwhile-in-westeros-plans-partnerships-and-more-come-crumbling-down-on-game-of-thrones-finale-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"Meanwhile, In Westeros: Plans, Partnerships and More Come Crumbling Down on \u2018Game of Thrones\u2019 Finale [RECAP]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meanwhile, In Westeros: Plans, Partnerships and More Come Crumbling Down on \u2018Game of Thrones\u2019 Finale [RECAP]<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Game<\/p>\n

There will be plenty of people that bemoan this season of\u00a0Game of Thrones<\/em> for losing some of its nuance, some of its patience. The travel time between destinations has been laughably inconsistent, and plot advancement feel more like fan-service than logical characters making decisions.<\/p>\n

The reality is we\u2019re in the show\u2019s final act. Granted we\u2019re stretching it into two mini-seasons spaced maddeningly more than a year apart, but it\u2019s the final act nonetheless. Plots need to be resolved, pay-offs must be made, and I, for one, have been (mostly) satisfied by the choices made.<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s any consolation to\u00a0Game of Thrones<\/em> purists, last nights\u2019 season seven finale, \u201cThe Dragon and the Wolf,\u201d packed in plenty of moving parts, while also indulging in some juicy character moments for the Lannister siblings.<\/p>\n

This needs to hold us over until 2019, so let\u2019s try to savor what we can in our recap below.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in King\u2019s Landing \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everyone\u2019s arriving for the great Westeros Leadership Summit, and you should see the red carpet! Jaime and Bronn are doing the Joan and Melissa schtick, commenting on whether Theon or the Unsullied are wearing the whole eunuch thing best.<\/p>\n

Dany\u2019s squad arrival sets up some nice reunions, including Pod and Tyrion, Bronn and Tyrion and, my favorite, Brienne and the Hound. Despite how their last meeting ended, this one ha a lot less bloodshed. Instead, they mostly just chat<\/a> a bit about Arya, and they almost seem to share a sense of parental pride.<\/p>\n

The leadership teams reserved the Dragonpit conference room for this meeting, even though it doesn\u2019t have a whiteboard and no one remembered to get everyone\u2019s Panera order beforehand. The Northern contingent \u2014 Brienne, Jon Snow, Davos \u2014\u00a0take their seats. Tyrion, Jorah and Dany\u2019s folks take theirs. Cersei enters with her Queensguard looking fierce as hell. Seriously, she was serving lewk for the Seven GAWDS, mama.<\/p>\n

All they\u2019re missing now is Daenerys. Cersei came in here thinking Category Is: Dark Glamour Realness, but it turns out, Category Is: Dramatic Entrance. Dany snatches the title by landing on the back of Drogon. Slay, Khaleesi! Slay!<\/p>\n

With everyone present and accounted for, it\u2019s time to kick off this WWDC (Westeros-Wide Dragonpit Conference) demo.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Before they start launching into their presentation, Euron interrupts to mock Tyrion. \u201cOh, you wanna talk about reading? Let\u2019s talk about reading!\u201d Tyrion shuts down Euron\u2019s weak dwarf jokes until even Cersei is like take a seat, Euron, the library is now closed.<\/p>\n

The Hound brings out a crate containing the wight they captured and kicks it over. The zombie lurches toward Cersei before the Hound yanks it back and slices it in pieces, immobilizing but not killing it.<\/p>\n

Then, Jon Snow comes out to demonstrate the features: You can kill it with fire or dragonstone, it connects wirelessly to your Apple TV and has a 12 megapixel camera<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And one more thing, they can\u2019t swim!<\/p>\n

Armed with that piece of information, Euron is like, peace out, I\u2019m hunkering down safely on the Iron Islands until this is all over.<\/p>\n

Cersei tells those remaining that she will honor the requested truce on the condition that Jon Snow does not join Daenerys in the fight against the Lannisters. Jon wastes no time confessing that he can\u2019t honor that pledge because he already bent the knee to Dany last week. He can\u2019t serve two queens.<\/p>\n

Without that part of the bargain, Cersei withdraws her support and makes an exit. Way to go, Jon Snow, you truly know nothing.<\/p>\n

Tyrion goes to talk some sense into his sister, and what unfolds in one of the series\u2019 best scenes. Both actors truly go for it as they unpack all the complications of their relationship. Cersei reminds him that although he didn\u2019t kill Joffrey, by killing their father Tywin, he left the family vulnerable. That opening allowed for the deaths of Tommen and Myrcella.<\/p>\n

Her younger brother throws himself at her mercy, apologizing profusely for whatever role he played in the deaths of his niece and nephew. Given the chance to have the Mountain crush Tyrion into a ball, dribble him like a cartoon basketball and tossing him in a trashcan, Cersei relents.<\/p>\n

She explains to Tyrion that when she saw the wight, she didn\u2019t think about saving the lives of the kingdom, she only thought of saving those that matter to her. She places an obvious hand over her womb. That\u2019s when Tyrion realizes she\u2019s pregnant.<\/p>\n

(It\u2019s here, again, that I reassert my belief that Cersei is not pregnant. She used that manipulate Jaime, and now she\u2019s using it to convince Tyrion she has an interest in a brighter future.)<\/p>\n

Tyrion\u2019s pleas appear to work. Cersei rejoins the Dany squad back at the Dragonpit and announces that she will support their fight against the Night King without expecting anything in return. How kind and very un-Cersei like.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Her enemies leave, and Cersei grabs her brother for some one-on-one time. (Not like that! Get your minds out of the incest gutter! For now!) He\u2019s getting ready to march North when she confesses it was all a ruse. She\u2019s not planning on helping them fight the Night King. She wants all of them distracted so she can reclaim her lands.<\/p>\n

\u2018Oh yeah? You and what army?\u2019 Jaime wonders. That\u2019s when she reveals Euron is not actually retiring to the Iron Islands with a condo and rattan furniture. He\u2019s actually sailing to Essos to pick up the mercenary army Cersei ordered on Amazon Prime.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a ruthless plan, it\u2019s a heartless plan, (it\u2019s also not a very good plan), but it\u2019s a plan that Jaime simply cannot go along with. Cerse accuses him of treason, but he storms off before she can have the Mountain hack him to bits.<\/p>\n

Even though this is a man<\/a> that stabbed a king in the back and pushed a child out a window, he cannot break a promise. He mounts his horse, covers his golden hand and heads North as the snow begins to fall.<\/p>\n

Winter is here.<\/p>\n

\"Game<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in Dragonstone \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Assuming Cersei has their backs, Daenerys and company plot their journey North. Jorah points out that the Targaryens are not very popular up North, so maybe Daenerys should consider taking a direct flight on Drogon Airlines. Jon counters that it\u2019s important for him and Dany to travel together \u2026 for reasons \u2026 and Dany agrees. They should see that she\u2019s coming North to save them, not conquer them.<\/p>\n

On their way out, Theon grabs Jon for a quick chat<\/a>. He\u2019s real sorry about double-crossing the family that raised him, pretending to flay his two younger brothers, standing by for too long while Sansa was brutalized and all the other myriad nasty stuff he\u2019s guilty of. Jon forgives him for what he can, and he assures Theon that he is still both a Greyjoy and a Stark.<\/p>\n

This bit of confidence boost fuels Theon to go out to the remaining Ironborn loading their ships. With Yara out of the picture, the guys<\/a> are planning to find their own island, kill the men<\/a>, steal the women<\/a> and basically kick off a Westerosi reboot of Pirates of the Caribbean<\/em>. Theon floats the idea of going to break out Yara, but the guys<\/a> still would rather yo-ho-ho and drink a bottle of rum.<\/p>\n

The leader of the men<\/a> starts swinging at Theon, giving him a good thrashing along the way. Theon gets knocked down, but he gets up again, you\u2019re never gonna keep him down. His attacker repeatedly tries to knee him in the crotch, which I think we can all agree is always hilarious \u2014 how else do you explain the continued success of America\u2019s Funniest Home Videos<\/em>? \u2014 but it\u2019s obviously an ineffective move on ol\u2019 castrated Theon.<\/p>\n

Realizing how something he\u2019s lost can actually be asset seems to energize him, and he overcomes the attacker. Then he rallies the men<\/a> to go save Yara.<\/p>\n

My prediction: Yara will be freed, at the expense of Theon\u2019s life, and the Ironborn fleet will return to help Daenerys at a crucial moment.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in Winterfell \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sansa is miffed to learn Jon Snow bent the knee to Dany without consulting her first. Littlefinger seizes this opportunity to encourage Sansa to overthrow her step-brother, but she\u2019s worried Arya would never allow it. Littlefinger digs in deeper, encouraging Sansa to think about why exactly her sister came back, leading down a cynical rabbit hole that eventually leads Sansa to conclude Arya returned to kill her and become the Lady of Winterfell.<\/p>\n

Sansa assembles everyone in the Great Hall, including guardsmen, Bran and Littlefinger. Arya stands before her, and Sansa reads off charges: murder, treason, etc. How do you plead \u2026 LORD BAELISH?<\/p>\n

SWISH, SWISH, BAELISH!<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right! Sansa is trying Littlefinger for murder and treason. She explains how he conspired to kill Jon Arryn, how it was his knife that went after Bran, how he pushed crazy Aunt Lysa out the moon door. Littlefinger tries to tell Sansa that he loved her mother and her, but to no avail. (Sansa counters that he betrayed both). Sansa then lays out some excellent lines about being a slow learner, but she does learn. She thanks him for the lessons he taught her, and then Arya slits his throat!<\/p>\n

With Littlefinger out of the way, Arya and Sansa share some sisterly bonding. They reminisce about their father and how he\u2019d talk about how the lone wolf dies alone, but the pack survives.<\/p>\n

Finally, here\u2019s the sweet Stark reunion we\u2019ve been waiting for.<\/p>\n

\"Game<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Bran is warming by the fire when Sam Tarly comes in for a visit. Bran finally confirms on-screen, once and for all, that Jon is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Since he was born in Dorne, he is really Jon Sand (Sand being the surname of bastards born in Dorne). Sam realizes that woman<\/a> Rhaegar married in secret in Dorne must\u2019ve been Lyanna, and, therefore, Jon is not a bastard. He is a legit Targaryen and the true heir to the Iron Throne (a fact Bran confirms with a quick search on the Warg Wide Web). His real name is Aegon Targaryen (which is weird because Rhaegar already had a son named Aegon, but, honestly, that isn\u2019t even in the Top 5 weirdest things about this).<\/p>\n

Now, we knew all of this already, mostly, but this is the first time it\u2019s all been spelled out on screen and presented as fact.<\/p>\n

And what a time for it to be confirmed, because \u2026<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, en route North \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jon and Dany are on the same ship. Jon pays a visit to HIS AUNT\u2019S quarters.<\/p>\n

They do it.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, at Eastwatch \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tormund and Beric are taking a stroll along the Wall when the Night King\u2019s army approaches: White Walkers, wights, wight giants, the whole lot.<\/p>\n

They stop just ahead of the wall, and the Night King comes soaring in on the back of reanimated Viserion. The dragon breathes some kind of blue fire. (There\u2019s debate if he\u2019s breathing ice or fire or icefire, which is definitely not a thing. My thought is it\u2019s just blue fire, since typically blue is the hottest part of a flame anyway. How that works scientifically with the Night King\u2019s ice magic, who knows!)<\/p>\n

Anyway, Viserion destroys the wall, creating an opening for the Night King\u2019s army of the dead to make their way into the kingdom.<\/p>\n

Where does that leave us for next season? Well, for starters, I don\u2019t think Tormund is dead. It\u2019d be weird to lose him off-camera<\/a> in such a chaotic scene. I imagine we start next season with him emerging from the rubble to warn Jon Snow.<\/p>\n

Dany and her crew are going to start the season fighting a war on two fronts: the Night King in the North, and Cersei and the Godlen Company to the south. Eventually the Night King is going to force everyone at Winterfell south, so my money\u2019s on Sansa, Arya, the Hound, Brienne, etc. heading to King\u2019s Landing.<\/p>\n

Assuming they have Jaime to aid them, it wouldn\u2019t be surprising to see them create quite a headache for Cersei. Now, it\u2019s been widely speculated that the valonqar destined to kill Cersei (as per Maggy\u2019s prophecy) is going to be Jaime. However, now that we know that High Valyrian nouns are gender-neutral, could it be that instead of a younger brother, it\u2019s a younger sister that kills Cersei? Because she is on the list of one younger sister, Arya. Jaime will have a hand in defeating Cersei, but I\u2019m not convinced he\u2019ll be the one to end her.<\/p>\n

Also, getting that crew to King\u2019s Landing would allows us to finally see the Clegane brothers battle once for and all.<\/p>\n

And finally, there ain\u2019t no way Jon and Dany aren\u2019t making a baby. Be grossed out by the incest, but that\u2019s a thing we\u2019ve had to deal with on the show from the beginning. It\u2019s also something the Targaryens (and actual, non-fiction royal families) are all about already. I\u2019m not condoning it or anything, but I wasn\u2019t shocked by it either.<\/p>\n

What are your theories as the series makes it way to its dramatic conclusion?<\/p>\n

The post Meanwhile, In Westeros: Plans, Partnerships and More Come Crumbling Down on \u2018Game of Thrones\u2019 Finale [RECAP]<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Meanwhile, In Westeros: Plans, Partnerships and More Come Crumbling Down on ‘Game of Thrones’ Finale [RECAP]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n