GoT s7: What do I hope for?
Jul. 5th, 2017 01:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beer_good_foamySo I've been rewatching some Game of Thrones leading up to s7 in two weeks, and I started thinking. We know that they're wrapping the show up in the next two (shortish) seasons, so... what would I like to see happen in those two seasons? Well, hopefully season 7 will change what can happen in season 8, but here's some thoughts in no particular order. Others' thoughts more than welcome.
- Someone needs to try to impregnate the bitch. Ie take The Vale. The fact that Littlefinger currently holds it works out nicely. As does the fact that Bron is still around to make good on his boast in s1.
- A hint that Jeor Mormont knew about Jon's real parents, and that's the reason he explicitly tried to set him up as the future Lord Commander rather than letting him become just another ranger. I also want more Lady Lyanna Mormont, so that works out nicely too. And I'm going to regret saying that, aren't I?
- The return of Nymeria. Doesn't have to be a huge part, just have her show up at some point and help Arya out of a pickle, exchange a Look Of Respect and go on her way to do wolfy things off-screen.
- What the hell is up with the Brotherhood Without Banners? How will they reconcile their version of the Red God with Melisandre's? The trailer seems to indicate that we'll find out in s7... Also, if it comes to The Will Of God vs Humanity again (which it would be weird if it didn't) I hope to see The Hound on the latter's side. Come on, dude, you may have died and been reborn, but it was entirely down to human acts.
- Tormund/Brienne. Of course.
- Some actual well-written conflict between Sansa and Jon. By which I don't mean Sansa simply forgetting to tell Jon things. They have both grown a lot as characters, they've learnt a lot, and while I want the Starks to get along, I also want them to both have their own ideas on how to move forward.
- A major political shake-up has to come, since the feudal system will be in really bad shape once the smoke clears. Hell, this system that promotes incompetent idiots by virtue of bloodlines and leaves no lasting power base (no "deep state", if you will) is half the reason they're in this mess to begin with. They basically have a blank slate with most major houses really not doing too well from a traditional standpoint, whether in complete disarray (Lannister, Frey, Tully, Arryn) lacking legitimate male heirs (Stark, Targaryen, Martell, Baratheon) or all but wiped out (Tyrell (assuming Granny Tyrell isn't still fertile, which I wouldn't put past her, because she's just that awesome) and Bolton). I'm not complaining about female primogeniture. Sansa, Daenerys, Yara and Lyanna as leaders of the Seven Kingdoms would be pretty awesome. But it would be nice to see the show do something more with the political system other than replace lords with ladies. If nothing else, Dany's plot over the past two seasons seems like setup for that. Westeros has to move from mediaeval to early modern society sometime and you can only have all those women, bastards and just plain folks play understudy or be exceptions to the rule for so long. #breakthewheel
- More dragon riding. And no, I have no idea who will be riding the other two. If he were still around I'd love to see Maester Eamon ride one. Of course, once Jon finds out he's a Targaryen, you could easily solve the question of who'd ride the third one by having one of the dragons get killed... Not saying I want that, but how many direwolves are left again? It'd be weird for the show to start NOT killing beloved characters at the end.
- Minimum Sandsnake content. Like, 0.003% or so. Or at least, for someone to release a fan edit after every episode replacing every sandsnake scene with Granny Tyrell telling them to STFU.
- TEAM WHITE WALKER, Y'ALL. I no longer want to see everyone die a frosty death (though I still think it's a perfectly valid ending), but GET TO IT. They've been marching in circles north of the Wall for six bloody seasons, hand them a fucking compass and get them down here already. Though I expect that'll have to wait until s8 - they seem to be able to afford one megabattle per season, and I'm betting this year's will be for King's Landing. Assuming Cersei can get anyone to fight for her.
- Speaking of, a good end for Cersei. I don't really think there's any good ending possible for her at this point, given how much she's lost, but at least have it be one that suits her story. She's been a brilliant villain for six seasons, she deserves a proper sendoff. (Assuming she does die.) But I don't see Arya finishing her, there are people much closer to her who could get much more of an emotional payoff out of it. Having Jaime being forced to kill her wouldn't suck, except that it'd be a bit predictable, wouldn't it?
- Plus a bunch of other things I want but also want to be surprised by. I guess what I want most of all is for Benioff and Weiss to show that they're able to move fully off-book and wrap this up while keeping the feel of the book seasons - Martin's ability to surprise, that blunt realism and cynicism that often looks a lot like cruelty. GoT was never about wish fulfillment, and as much as I want things to go well for some people and less so for others, it'd feel cheap to end GoT on a note of Good Triumphs Over Evil, or to lean too heavily on tropes that the first 4-5 seasons spent all their time pulling apart.
So what does everyone else want?
- Someone needs to try to impregnate the bitch. Ie take The Vale. The fact that Littlefinger currently holds it works out nicely. As does the fact that Bron is still around to make good on his boast in s1.
- A hint that Jeor Mormont knew about Jon's real parents, and that's the reason he explicitly tried to set him up as the future Lord Commander rather than letting him become just another ranger. I also want more Lady Lyanna Mormont, so that works out nicely too. And I'm going to regret saying that, aren't I?
- The return of Nymeria. Doesn't have to be a huge part, just have her show up at some point and help Arya out of a pickle, exchange a Look Of Respect and go on her way to do wolfy things off-screen.
- What the hell is up with the Brotherhood Without Banners? How will they reconcile their version of the Red God with Melisandre's? The trailer seems to indicate that we'll find out in s7... Also, if it comes to The Will Of God vs Humanity again (which it would be weird if it didn't) I hope to see The Hound on the latter's side. Come on, dude, you may have died and been reborn, but it was entirely down to human acts.
- Tormund/Brienne. Of course.
- Some actual well-written conflict between Sansa and Jon. By which I don't mean Sansa simply forgetting to tell Jon things. They have both grown a lot as characters, they've learnt a lot, and while I want the Starks to get along, I also want them to both have their own ideas on how to move forward.
- A major political shake-up has to come, since the feudal system will be in really bad shape once the smoke clears. Hell, this system that promotes incompetent idiots by virtue of bloodlines and leaves no lasting power base (no "deep state", if you will) is half the reason they're in this mess to begin with. They basically have a blank slate with most major houses really not doing too well from a traditional standpoint, whether in complete disarray (Lannister, Frey, Tully, Arryn) lacking legitimate male heirs (Stark, Targaryen, Martell, Baratheon) or all but wiped out (Tyrell (assuming Granny Tyrell isn't still fertile, which I wouldn't put past her, because she's just that awesome) and Bolton). I'm not complaining about female primogeniture. Sansa, Daenerys, Yara and Lyanna as leaders of the Seven Kingdoms would be pretty awesome. But it would be nice to see the show do something more with the political system other than replace lords with ladies. If nothing else, Dany's plot over the past two seasons seems like setup for that. Westeros has to move from mediaeval to early modern society sometime and you can only have all those women, bastards and just plain folks play understudy or be exceptions to the rule for so long. #breakthewheel
- More dragon riding. And no, I have no idea who will be riding the other two. If he were still around I'd love to see Maester Eamon ride one. Of course, once Jon finds out he's a Targaryen, you could easily solve the question of who'd ride the third one by having one of the dragons get killed... Not saying I want that, but how many direwolves are left again? It'd be weird for the show to start NOT killing beloved characters at the end.
- Minimum Sandsnake content. Like, 0.003% or so. Or at least, for someone to release a fan edit after every episode replacing every sandsnake scene with Granny Tyrell telling them to STFU.
- TEAM WHITE WALKER, Y'ALL. I no longer want to see everyone die a frosty death (though I still think it's a perfectly valid ending), but GET TO IT. They've been marching in circles north of the Wall for six bloody seasons, hand them a fucking compass and get them down here already. Though I expect that'll have to wait until s8 - they seem to be able to afford one megabattle per season, and I'm betting this year's will be for King's Landing. Assuming Cersei can get anyone to fight for her.
- Speaking of, a good end for Cersei. I don't really think there's any good ending possible for her at this point, given how much she's lost, but at least have it be one that suits her story. She's been a brilliant villain for six seasons, she deserves a proper sendoff. (Assuming she does die.) But I don't see Arya finishing her, there are people much closer to her who could get much more of an emotional payoff out of it. Having Jaime being forced to kill her wouldn't suck, except that it'd be a bit predictable, wouldn't it?
- Plus a bunch of other things I want but also want to be surprised by. I guess what I want most of all is for Benioff and Weiss to show that they're able to move fully off-book and wrap this up while keeping the feel of the book seasons - Martin's ability to surprise, that blunt realism and cynicism that often looks a lot like cruelty. GoT was never about wish fulfillment, and as much as I want things to go well for some people and less so for others, it'd feel cheap to end GoT on a note of Good Triumphs Over Evil, or to lean too heavily on tropes that the first 4-5 seasons spent all their time pulling apart.
So what does everyone else want?
