Game of Thrones, Season 7: Excitement, Disappointment and Epic Fails

Now that we’ve had some time to mentally process Game of Thrones and actually breathe from experiencing this roller coaster ride of a show, let’s take a moment to analyze what the hell we just watched.

**SPOILER ALERT** DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED SEASON 7. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!

Game of Thrones came in with a BANG this season. No stone was left unturned and a lot of our burning questions were finally answered. Granted, there is still A LOT we don’t know and I expect Season 8 to be jaw-dropping good with an ending we won’t see coming — I  hope.

Before the season started, I had a number of predictions that I — 100% — thought would occur (well…actually…maybe it was more like 85%, if I come to think of it). I based most of my predictions off the books and hoped the directors would not forsake George R. R. Martin’s artistic genius in Season 7. Boy, was I wrong.

I was highly disappointed with the season’s overall film direction. The pace was extremely off and incredibly distracting. How the hell did Jon Snow get to Dragonstone from Winterfell overnight — and by boat nonetheless?? Ain’t no way, Jose! In prior seasons, we were definitely more aware of travel times because you understood it through character dialogue and interactions encountered on the journey. This season we got none of that. It felt like the characters were jumping in and out of invisible teleportation portals to get to their destinations. It was so utterly frustrating, especially when you’re an avid fan and know that to go ANYWHERE from Winterfell it can take a few weeks to a month or more. So, technically, the war and various interactions must have occurred over the course of 6 – 10 months, yet the show makes it seem like a matter of weeks. Oh, the insanity! *Said in my nerdiest of nerd voices*

In addition to the pace being super annoying, the character depth was lacking and the plot had several loop holes in a number of the story lines. The entire Sansa/Arya beef, for instance, didn’t really make sense. I understand the directors were trying to throw off the audience by making us believe Sansa and Arya felt some type of way towards each other, but this attempt to guise the resulting plot twist was poorly setup.

Their disagreement never felt authentic and true to character. Why would Arya threaten Sansa if Littlefinger wasn’t in the room to watch them? To show her how much of a badass she’s become? (…she is badass, though, isn’t she!) I also don’t believe for a second that Sansa would be afraid of Arya — especially to the point of killing her. That entire scene in Arya’s bedroom (the part when Sansa finds the faces and Arya pulls out the knife on her) should have been deleted.

Individually, the Starks have been through too much to doubt each other that easily. And because their dad was the ever righteous and honest, Ned Stark (Bless his name), you know they believe wholeheartedly that family is EVERYTHING. I never believed for a second the sisters would turn on each other. Their values have always been rooted in the strength and togetherness of family since Season 1. And those values never faltered, even after Sansa was tricked by Cersei into outing her father, and when Arya was forced to neglect who she was in the House of Black and White.

Also, with Bran in the picture and his all-seeing third-eye, there was no way the Starks were going to turn against each other. Bran was bound to tell them the truth of Littlefinger’s betrayal  — and most likely what Littlefinger was up to. So, yea, this whole setup by directors didn’t trick anyone. Starks for life. Try again.

Another story line that just made no sense was Jorah Mormont’s. I could be over thinking this, but it felt like he’s only back on the show as a fan favorite. What’s his real purpose here? We know he’s there to support Daeny and what not, but really??? His greyscale is cured??? Give me a break. It feels too easy. I don’t think George was anywhere near the HBO writing room because he definitely would not have let this go down. GRRM usually has a plan for all the characters still left in play and Jorah’s story continues to be significantly unclear. Very much like another character I hate to love, Bronn. Other than to appease fans and provide comic relief, I don’t think the directors really have much of a reason for keeping them on the show. Their stories don’t seem to heavily impact or influence anyone else’s (except for that one time Bronn miraculously saved Jaime — I’ll never forgive him for that). Again, I could be wrong, but it’s annoying when characters pop up out of nowhere for no rhyme or reason other than to just exist.

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Disappointment aside, Game of Thrones had several notable moments that ignited my excitement for the show. I could mention over 100, but I’ll settle for my top five.

Top 5 Game of Thrones Season 7 Moments

1. Viserion dying then reawakening as a white-walker-ice-breathing dragon
2. Jon’s real name is Aegon Targaryen 
3. The Night King and his white walkers break through The Wall
4. Drogon saves the day by destroying the Lannister army but almost dies
   
5. Cersei announces she’s pregnant

All of these heart-stopping moments had me on the edge of my seat and pining for more. C’mon, son! It was crazy! I need to know which of these were part of GRRM’s literary plot vs. the story line put together from show writers. Is there really supposed to be a white-walker-ice-breathing-dragon?? Does Cersei really get pregnant…again? Do Jon and Daeny actually fall in love? I’m not completely sure if GRRM had these twists and turns in mind for his books, so it’s going to be interesting to see how all of this ends in Season 8 — and how GRRM’s story will differ.

Remember earlier this year when I made my pre-show predictions? Yea. Epic fail. 1 out of 5 of my predictions came true. Shame! But, honestly, I’m not psychic. Sorry. Hopefully some of them will come true in Season 8. Read my earlier predictions here.

So instead of predictions for this go-around, let’s talk about what I hope to see happen next season. Season 8 will be the series finale, so I expect A LOT to go down.

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1. I hope none of the remaining Starks die

This is actually my prayer. I don’t think I can take another Stark death. Jon, almost, dying practically sent me over the edge! In spite of everything, I do think the Starks have a better chance at staying alive. They’re all held up in Winterfell and we no longer have to worry about Littlefinger’s snake-like activity — at least I hope not.

At this point, their only enemy is Cersei and she’s far too concerned with Daeny at the moment to care about what the Stark kids are up to. We know the Starks are only safe when they’re in Winterfell, so if they stay put, we should be ok. It’s just hard for the Starks to do just that. Arya most likely will find her way to King’s Landing and Bran will end up somewhere in the mist of the white walker war. Sansa bet’ not leave until she gets some warrior training. She’d be the first to die after stepping outside Winterfell’s walls. And since Jon already died, death no longer applies, right? Melisandre needs to be under lock and key at the Winterfell household, stat!

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2. I hope Daeny takes the Iron Throne

I’m Team Daeny all the way. The thing is…Jon is a Targaryen and presumably heir to the Iron Throne. My girl has been through too much to let Jon swoop in at the last minute to take this throne from her. Sorry, Jon, but you’re not worthy. Daeny has the strength, the compassion, the dignity and the prowess to rule. Don’t get me wrong, Jon is a good leader and he’s also been through a lot too,  but look at what happened to him as Lord Commander. He lacks the charm and charisma to be the people’s leader. Everyone might think he’s “The prince that was promised”, but I just can’t see it. Jon is literally done with life. He’s so over everything. He would rather be chilling off in Winterfell, petting Ghost, remembering the good’ole days of when he knew nothing. Ever since Jon woke from the dead, the world around him goes deeper and deeper to shit (Battle of the Bastards is a prime example) and he always finds some way to be at the center of it all.

That said, if Jon must rule according to law, it would be great — and probably weird because of the incest — if both Daeny and Jon ruled together. Since Jon is technically a Targaryen and in love with Daeny, it would probably be the best setup. Ice and fire.

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3. I hope Jaime kills Cersei

We all know Cersei Lannister is bound to die. There is absolutely no way she survives after all the BS she’s pulled. I refuse to believe she stays on the throne after the war. She’s a horrible strategist and an even worse ruler. I think of her and it reminds me of the current state of our American government. King Trump?  The thought alone is as frightening as an episode of AHS. Thank God for “democracy” — or what’s left of it.

I hope Jaime comes to his senses and eventually sees her as the monster she is. It only makes sense for the King Slayer to kill Cersei since he’s the only one she allows to get close to her. I think if she mercilessly kills Brienne during the war, this would rile him enough to give the final blow. He’d be fueled with rage. Brienne is his only real friend and at this point, the last person he truly loves.

I’m just praying Tyrion doesn’t somehow enter the mix and betray Daeny to remain loyal to his family. After seeing his and Cersei’s interaction last season, I’m starting to doubt his allegiance. I didn’t like the surprised and empathetic look on his face when he found out about Cersei’s pregnancy.

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4. I hope Bran becomes a dragon

This season, Bran took a backseat to some of the major story lines, but every time he was in the picture, he dropped some serious knowledge or hints about the past and future. Remember when he gave Arya Littlefinger’s dagger? And of course, let’s not forget the epic scene with Samwell explaining Jon’s parentage. Bran knows his role and how relevant he is for the war with the Night King. He didn’t come back to Winterfell to play games. Bran is in 3017 while his family is still in 1517. The whims of Cersei and Daeny fighting over King’s Landing is child’s play compared to his elevated responsibility of  balancing (and saving) the past, present and future. They’re nowhere near his level. He’s not even on the same plane — dimensional plane, that is.

I have a strong feeling that Bran will either take back Viserion or become Drogon to defeat the Night King. Can you imagine Bran being a hell-fire-breathing-dragon? BADASS! The three-eyed raven predicted that he was meant to fly, and I really hope this is what he had in mind.

I also hope that by being in Winterfell, he’ll be protected and will live long enough to finally relay his important message to Jon. With the way the writing is going, this seems likely, but you never know.

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Here’s to hoping that my hopes come true. It will be awhile before we find out. From what I hear, Game of Thrones: Season 8 is slated for release in late 2018. It may even get pushed to 2019 depending on how production goes. It’s tough being a Game of Thrones fan. Another year (and maybe more) of desperately waiting for answers. And to add more salt to our open wounds, after next season, our “watch will be ended” …literally.

*Goes into corner and ugly cries*