Game of Thrones Archives - DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

When You Do Not Belong to Fandoms

By Kartik Chauhan July 2, 2019

While everyone was going crazy over Avengers: Endgame being the last film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current phase, others were signing petitions demanding a new ending to Game of Thrones season 8, and then there you were not caring 3000.

Before I am mistaken for someone who is against fandoms, let me clarify that I am not. One of the biggest obstacles that people belonging to this community that follows or likes the same entity of pop culture face is the tag of being “childish” or “mainstream”. These labels, I believe, are extremely unfair and slightly hypocritical. I, for one, am in the This Is Us fandom.

Fandoms arise because a book, movie, tv series or comic had something with which people could connect and relate. Marvel and DC comics or films gave that little 10-year-old hope, that good can defeat the evil or how superheroes exist, maybe inside all of us. F.R.I.E.N.D.S. was able to make many people laugh and happy after they had hit a low. Harry Potter series was more than just Wizardry and Witchcraft, for it was as much about courage, goodness and friendship. The memes on adults surrounded by children in movie halls for Toy Story 4 is a testament to how these are a connect with our childhood.

The most popular ones suffer because they are always seen as mainstream, people doubting them for only “trying to be cool” and accusing them of following it because “everyone is watching this nowadays”.

But when Hannah Gatsby said, “I identify as tired”, we could all relate.

Not belonging to these fandoms does not make you a bad person or a person with lesser taste, in any way.

Some people simply watch these shows or films for the mere pleasure that comes out of it. Not knowing plot lines or details is not considered to be the biggest sin for us. I will reiterate, we all have our fangirling/ fanboying elements activated by different stimuli, but our passions vary in intensity. While legendary shows went on for many years, non-fandom people tend to find starting such shows daunting. The level of commitment and energy that is involved in watching 14 seasons of Supernatural, the whole Star Wars series, 15 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy among many, many more of “this is amazing, you should watch it”: very intimidating.

On speaking to such people, I realised, these group of people are simply Legen-wait for it-LAZY. On seeing that passionate friend of yours reiterating and trying to express how amazing something is, on the inside non-fandomers feel sorry for the effort wasted. It is not the absence of awareness or even questioning of the abilities of what writers can create. But simply having full insight and realising what does not appeal to you.

Maitreyi Pandey of Kamala Nehru College, who has never watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S. commented, “So, I believe a show or an association with a fandom is a very personal thing. Though, at times, I do feel annoyed when people keep on discussing about the one show over and over again and keep on pushing you to watch it. However, I never have felt the need to join the bandwagon, because if I don’t connect to the show, no matter how good it might be, I will not watch it.”

Whether it is F.R.I.E.N.D.S. versus How I Met Your Mother, Marvel vs DC, Hunger Games vs Divergent—for these people, the debate goes on. Unless someone brings up Brooklyn Nine-Nine, in which case there is no competition.

With the good comes the evil. Similarly, this new idea of “real” fan and “fake” fan has arisen. For those who have never seen or experienced this, you have been very privileged because the level of social bashing one can receive over the smallest of errors is on an all-time high. I remember how someone I know had mistakenly written John Snow, instead of Jon Snow. A wave of social bashing hit her before she even understood where she went wrong. Similarly, despite my really enjoying GoT (Game of Thrones), this statement will always be seen with suspicion till I can name the whole family tree correctly. So, when someone says to me, “You know nothing…”, I am okay with it.

If you binge every show on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Hulu and whichever new platform has come up, or even if you simply are too lazy or uninterested, either path is okay. With these platforms having left television far behind, we can see that the quality of story lines, plot twists, character developments and other tricks up a writer’s sleeve are endless.

I can only reflect on a time when GoT was to me the best show ever made, but This Is Us changed my mind, and frankly tomorrow night Chernobyl might. Each story competing with the others, and writers, creators and directors being challenged, we can learn to appreciate where we have come from only Sciences and STEM being applauded, as now even the artistic capabilities are seen with awe. All is well till we remember that compulsion is an illusion.

So, while some people googled which house the Sorting Hat will put them in, others chose not to, does that not sound like a fandom of its own?

Feature Image Credits: Geeks on Coffee

Shivani Dadhwal

[email protected]

Keep Reading

Fandom

A Two Year Long Winter?

By DU Beat September 5, 2017

The Game of Thrones season 7 finale has left us intrigued and wanting for more. The wait for season 8 seems too long as the show, most probably, is not going to return before 2019. However many theories and speculations have been floating around about the fate of the characters. The finale has raised many questions which have been left unanswered. While the winter seems to be two years long, I, have tried to deconstruct some of the most popular theories. Hopefully, they will provide you with a warmth while you bide your time.

1) The mysterious look of Tyrion Lannister
George R. Martin sent a three-page letter to Harper Collins in 1993 in which he outlined his plans for the series. The letter hinted about a romantic interest between Tyrion and Arya which would result in a rivalry between the former and Jon Snow. This letter recently surfaced on the internet and has left the fans speculating whether Tyrion instead of being in love with Arya is in love with Daenerys. If yes, this would lead to conflict between Tyrion and Jon Snow.
Another theory suggests that maybe Tyrion has betrayed Danny and has formed a secret alliance with his sister because the audience was not made privy to the entire conversation that took place between Cersei and him. We are well aware of Tyrion’s love for his sister’s children and as Cersei is pregnant, this theory certainly seems plausible.
Are any of these theories reasonable or is Tyrion just concerned about what will happen if two most powerful people come together? It is true that the power dynamics are going to change in future and, thus, his concern over their relationship seems genuine. However, these questions are going to be left unanswered at least for now.

2) Is Bran Stark the Night King?
Many Game of Thrones fans are convinced that Bran Stark is the Night King. According to this theory, Bran continuously travelled to the past to warn the mankind about White Walkers. In one of this attempt, he ends up getting stuck inside the Night King.
After many failed attempts, Bran went way back into the past to inhabit the body of the First Man who was turned into a White Walker by the Children of the Forest. But Bran was continuously warned by Three Eyed Raven that if he remained in past for too long he might get trapped there. Thus, Bran is stuck inside Night King. Many people have tried to find proof to support this claim. However, if this is true one can only wonder why the show has sidelined such an important claim as he does not get enough screen space.

3) Is Daenerys going to die?
George R. Martin has said that the ending of the show is going to be bittersweet. Almost everyone is sure that Daenerys is going to capture the throne. Her immense strength and the power of dragons make it seem that the alternative is impossible. But if nothing else Game of Thrones is notorious to kill its popular and main characters. No sooner the audience gets attached to a character that he or she gets killed. Moreover, the uni-dimensional arc that Daenerys’s story follows puts her at grave risk. However one can only speculate.

Image credits: HBO

Anukriti Mishra
[email protected]

Keep Reading

Arts & Culture

GoT Season 7 Finale: All That You Were Waiting For, Is Now Real

By Saumya Kalia August 28, 2017

It’s a Monday ritual to gloss over the dynamics of Westeros. After almost eight weeks, it’s time to put the ritual to a cold bed, for Winter is finally at our doorsteps and the wait for the long night begins.

The last two rounds of Game of Thrones weekly offerings certainly met with unscrupulous practices. Naturally, the release of the last batch of the episodes of Season 7 was shrouded in rumours of leaks and spoilers. Speculations and conjectures were being spread like wildfire, being subjected to all permutations and combinations. No theory (well, one), no foreboding (well, more than one), and no experience of watching 66 episodes could have prepared us for the aftermath of The Dragon and The Wolf. Here’s what the eventful episode proffered to its viewers, leaving us yearning for more.

Reunion at the Dragonpit

King’s Landing has been home to treason, lies, betrayals, and an underlying social injustice which seems to be plaguing that reality ever since the beginning. This episode saw the tremulous union of the two Queens, the King in the North, and their respective entourages in the historically rich Dragonpit. It was a convention of comedy plays to unify all characters on the stage when it neared its culmination, and one couldn’t help equating those happy, conflict-resolution reunions with one which only set the stage for tragedy and deceit. The negotiations at hand were aimed at driving a truce between Cersei and Daenerys, and Jaime Lannister’s poignant epiphany that “Maybe it is all cocks in the end” might not be reeling with verity. Besides Jon Snow’s first visit to King’s Landing, it was also the providential wight who entered the Westerosi realms for the first time and died in ‘combat’. The wight did manage to serve its purpose, breaking the wavering amorous chord between Jaime and Cersei and perhaps, fuelling Cersei’s malevolent tricks up a notch. Tyrion’s brutal parley with his sister at the forefront presented an idealistic picture – with the Lannister bannermen fighting alongside Jon and Daenerys’ armies against the Army of the Dead. It is later we realise that all’s not simple with Cersei, and the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms’ word reeked of deceit and uninhibited, fearsome ambitions.

Revenge finally reaches Winterfell

Littlefinger’s sharp voice is fresh in our ears as he begged for mercy. So is the vision of Arya’s Needle fatally poking him with blood soiling the wet snow. Lord Baelish’s fate was long time coming, and in a series of events which would serve just for this connoisseur of manipulation. Fear lingered as we saw Sansa saunter towards the Hall after giving instructions to bring her sister, one of the Faceless Men. Maybe the former Master of Coin’s schemes had borne fruit to fallacious assumptions in Lady Stark’s mind? However, when Sansa turns her head and calls Lord Baelish to respond to the charges of murder and accusation, a pleasurable smile collectively dawns our faces. Every ounce of dirt spewed by Littlefinger was brought to an accentuated spotlight, and the murders of Lord Eddard Stark, Lord Arryn, Lysa Arryn, and the rivalry between the Starks and Lannisters were masterfully avenged with satiation. The raw power of sisterhood, a scheme which was brewing around the walls of Winterfell, granted validity to Sansa’s words in the end, “When the snow falls and the white wind blows, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.” Sansa is a slow learner, but the lesson we’ll remember is that she learnt.

The History and Ancestry Unveil

The theory which we all knew of and prized has at last unravelled itself gloriously. All those fandom articles alluding to R+L=J have finally found merit in this beautiful unveiling of history.

Samwell Tarly arrives at Winterfell to aid his Nightwatch associate in the war which has managed to unsettle every ruler. The heir of the Tarly House rendezvous with Bran Stark, who pulls the aesthetic covers on the lineage truth which possess the power to change claims to the disputed Iron Throne. Bran narrates how Jon is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, and bears the last name of ‘Sand’ instead of ‘Snow’ as it is the rightful nomenclature for a Dornish bastard. The words ‘Robert’s rebellion was built on a lie’ manage to grant velocity to a truth that was already raved about; Rhaegar and Lyanna were in love, and the war which brought the Baratheon house to power was based on the allegation that Rhaegar had kidnapped and raped Lyanna. Jon’s parentage is elucidated upon fully as Bran hears Jon’s real name. Thus, the rightful heir to the Iron Throne stands to be Aegon Targaryen (since Season 1 known as Jon Snow). It is interesting to note that Aegon the Conqueror was the first ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, and to bestow the honour of that name on Jon is bound to prove its legitimacy. The irony here rings in the backdrop, as Bran’s narration is complemented with the love-making of Jon and Daenerys – a relationship the netizens have been cheering on since their fates intertwined. The contention which thus presents itself is simple yet increasingly knotted: Jon’s claim to the Iron Throne has been authenticated by his parentage and would overpower Daenerys’ vision of ruling the Seven Kingdoms. Also, the love which is brewing between the last-surviving Targaryens oozes of a political and personal incestuous relationship, doesn’t it?

Knock, knock on the Wall?

While we recover from the ancestral snippets of Jon’s parentage, Bran’s vision foresees the great threat to the Westerosi mankind and the arrival of the storm which had been the source of nightmares for them. The majestic Wall stands tall with its icy shields and magical ways. It’s a grand and beautiful sight to witness. And in seconds, the Army of the Dead comes propping from the trees and stands in anticipation in front of the Wall. The penultimate episode’s dreadful outcome emerges into a full-blown reality, with the Night King arriving on an undead Viserion and abolishing a part of the Wall. It’s a deeply tormenting thought that the Wall, which boasted of ensuring the safety of Westeros, now stands destroyed, and a dragon which was believed to be a remnant of the past spews unrestrained death.

Season 1 was embroiled in inching closer towards the truth but anticipating the deceitful ways at work. Seasons 2 to 4 removed all masquerades from noble intentions and honourable alliances. Season 5 witnessed struggle at every front, from the Dragon Queen advocating against slavery, Lannisters countering the High Sparrow, Baratheon endeavouring to be the Promised Prince, and the Starks waging their discovery of home and the distant truth. Season 6 unleashed cruelties at its peak and robbed Cersei of all fathomable inhibitions. Season 7 orchestrated the truth and discomfiture which lurked in anticipation in our minds, and has finally been conjured to a spine-chilling reality.

Perhaps, Jon Snow does know something. It is as the Wolf said, “There is only one war that matters – the Great War – and it is here.”

Feature Image Credits: Metro

Saumya Kalia
[email protected]

Keep Reading

DUB Speak

Two new Game of Thrones books rumoured to be released in 2018

By Bhavya Banerjee July 26, 2017

While the largely popular T.V series Game of Thrones has charged forward, the next instalment in the book series titled ‘The Winds of Winter’ has been much delayed. The book is supposed to be the sixth addition to the epic fantasy series ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’. George R.R Martin originally wanted it to be released before the sixth season of the T.V show aired in 2016.

The author has chosen not to make hard estimates for its final release date yet. But in a blog post, he gave fans a very small update about the status of the long-awaited sixth novel in the series confirming that despite some reports in the media, he is still in the process of writing and revising the book.

He said “Both ‘reports’ are equally false and equally moronic. I am still working on it, I am still months away (how many? good question), I still have good days and bad days, and that’s all I care to say. Whether WINDS or the first volume of FIRE AND BLOOD will be the first to hit the bookstores is hard to say at this juncture, but I do think you will have a Westeros book from me in 2018… and who knows, maybe two. A boy can dream…” You can read about his views here.

The author also wrote about his plans to assemble a book focusing on a detailed history of the Targaryen family called “Fire and Blood”. He stated that due to the surplus of material, the book will be divided into two volumes. The first volume will cover the history of Westeros from Aegon’s conquest till the regency of the boy-king Aegon the third. This book is said to include for the first time, a detailed history of the Targaryen civil war.

Even though this is not solid confirmation that two books will absolutely be released in 2018, many online media websites came out with reports that wrongly lead fans to believe that the release dates for the upcoming novels have been released.

Image Credits: www.youtube.com

Bhavya Banerjee

[email protected]

Keep Reading

Features

Game of Thrones: Season 7, Episode 1 Review

By DU Beat July 17, 2017

This post contains spoilers. Please read at your own discretion.

After a long, long, long time, the penultimate season of Game of Thrones is finally here. I’m sure a few of my hair strands have turned white. This season brings a lot of loose ends to a definite end – at least, that’s what everyone’s hoping. With only seven episodes this season, it’s shorter than the typical 10-episode seasons in the past. Season 7 will primarily focus on the battle between the living and the dead: the Great War is here.

The King in the North is busy gathering men, women (proto feminist Jon Snow), and children to fight against the ghastly Night King. This is one of the few times where Jon Snow knows something. The tension between Jon and Sansa is very palpable, predictive of massive disagreements between the siblings. Littlefinger continues to irk Brienne. He’s like a woodpecker that will keep pecking onto Sansa’s head unless he achieves what he wants. However, Sansa, who is seen subtly admiring the Mad Queen, Cersei, has learnt her tricks from the best manipulator in Westeros. It’s the least to say that she’s no longer a 14-year-old naïve dove. Amidst this brewing tension, Tormund is occupied with attempts to land a date with Brienne of Tarth.

From across the sea, Daenerys with her enormous armada, three fire-breathing dragons, and a witty Hand, Tryion, has crossed the narrow sea. Anchored at Dragonstone, Daenerys Stomborn has finally reached home. Khaleesi is now back in the game, and hopefully she’s to stick around for more than a minute. Back in King’s Landing, Cersei resumes to necking wine at an admirable rate and military plotting. Standing in the middle of the freshly painted map of all the kingdoms, she’s shown emphasising to Jaime the allegiance of Daenerys with Tryion, her younger brother whom she despises with all her heart. This conversation obviously leaves Jaime in an awkward situation and you can already see the possibility in which he would have to make a choice between his sister and his brother. Later in the episode, Cersei shocks Jaime with a prospective allegiance with Euron Greyjoy, who proposes marriage to Cersei in exchange of his fleet. This makes Jaime uncomfortable, leading to an overall not-so-great day for Jaime, to be honest.

Arya Stark after removing Walder Frey’s name from her list poisons the remaining Freys in their own castle. There’s one thing for sure – let the host gulp his wine before you sip it. Ed Sheeran makes an unsubtle cameo and Arya shares a roasted rabbit with him, and that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. Oh wait! There was also blackberry wine and a couple of other soldiers. The Hound finally witnesses the Lord of the Light and cracks up jokes.

At the Citadel, Sam is bored with his monotonous routine and is curious to find substantial information about the white walkers. And Little Sam has learnt to say ‘Mom’, how cute! In one of the cells is an anxious Jorah who is desperately waiting for Khaleesi. The grayscale has gotten drastically worse.

The episode, Dragonstone, isn’t a very fast-paced episode with nerve-wracking tension. It serves the purpose of sketching out what’s to come later this season. It definitely prepares the viewer to witness colossal and interesting battles. As Game of Thrones lurks closer to the end, it’s becoming more and more difficult to wait for every episode. With all the hype that has been created around this season, and a huge filming budget, the viewers are definitely expecting a fantastic two months. Pretty much all the characters are at the peak of their journey and the show is inching closer towards the climax. The lingering question of who – or, as Ser Davos said, whose skeleton – will sit on the Iron Throne is yet to be answered.
Feature Image Credits: YouTube

Rashim Bagga
[email protected]

Keep Reading

Arts & Culture

Game of Thrones: At its grandest peak

By DU Beat July 4, 2016

*Spoiler Alert*

Most of us, the ardent followers of Game of Thrones, every week, had a routine of finding the most apt torrent to download the latest episode, avoiding the social media till this episode can be devoured and then pervading the social media with expert comments or reactions about the same. But, now as all of us are struggling to finally accept the end of the dynamic season, let’s look at season 6 for the last time, to try to evaluate what all led to the season getting the sort of love and attention that it did.

Cinematically Pleasing
May it be the attack of the eerie yet interesting White-walkers, flashbacks of Bran, dragons flying above Meereen or the Battle of the Bastards, all of these scenes have been shot and presented on screen in a way that leaves its viewers awe-struck with the show’s glamour and grandiosity.

The Surprise Quotient
Season 6 has surprised the audience in many ways and has also solved a lot of mysteries which were left unsolved before. We were given a hint about Melisandre’s past (and that image in the mirror is something none of us are getting out of our heads soon enough), then there was the heartbreaking ‘Hold-the-door: Hodor’ reveal. Also, the last episode confirmed the long-floating theory by fans of Jon Snow really being a Targaryen.

Many (rather, Most) deaths in a season
Almost all the characters which people didn’t like or were coming in the way of the so-called main characters were killed off in bulk this season. ‘Battle of Bastards’ saw the most on-screen deaths with a huge number of military men dropping like flies and also the most vicious character Ramsay dying because of his own hounds. But, ‘The Winds of Winter’ killed far more named characters. Because of Cersei’s plan of using the wildfire bombs, she was able to get rid of her enemies’ like Margaery, The High Septon, and her cousin, Lancel Lannister. This episode also saw the death of the last living child of Cersei and Jaime, King Tommen; a sequence that kept up with the tradition of the death of a king in each season.

Winds of Winter, Season 6 Episode 10

Faster jumps between story-line
There was a lot of action and plot development in the season. We saw Jon’s resurrection which led to the resurrection of the Starks in the North, Sansa and Jon finally re-uniting, Arya striking off an important name in her list, Walder Frey and taking the revenge for the skin-crawling Red-Wedding, and Daenerys finally moving to Westeros to contest for power.

Oathbreaker, Season 6 Episode 3
Game of Thrones has now come down to a full circle
We know that a Stark (yes we can finally call him that) is now the King in the North after three painful seasons. We know that Daenerys has managed to unite the houses beyond the sea through a common motive of seeking vengeance against the Lannisters. We also see Tyrion rising to the position of the Hand to the Queen and Cersei finally sees herself where she dreamt to be at as a child which has also sent shudders down Jaime’s spine. Game of Thrones is back to the power being in the Hands of the Lannister Queen, Cersei and all hopes are being placed on Daenerys and Jon (Snow? Stark? Targaryen?). Arya has avenged her brother’s death and as brief as Benjen’s appearance was, we know Winter is coming and it shall be stronger than ever.

Nishita Agarwal and Arushi Pathak
[email protected]
[email protected]

Keep Reading

Small Screen

10 things you didn’t know about Game of Thrones

By Tamanna Goel April 24, 2016

It’s that time of the year again when you just can’t keep up with anything and even a miniscule piece of information regarding your favorite TV show becomes a treasure, especially when it comes to Game Of Thrones! Following are some facts that might help you in calm your nerves down for this night and all the nights to come:

1. Peter Dinklage was the only person who auditioned for the role of Tyrion Lannister. After the producer David Benioff read the book , he immediately contacted Peter for the role.

2. Aemon Targaryen is blind in real life. Peter Vaughan, who played Maester Aemon on the Night’s watch, is not only blind in real life but he’s also 93 years old and still working hard.

3. Robb stark’s wife Talisa, played by Oona Chaplin is Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter, and Harry Lloyd (Viserys Targaryen) is Charles Dickens’ great-great-great-grandson!

4. There are nine GOT cast members that have previously appeared in the Harry Potter films.

5. There are 70 different ways to ‘Hodor’. How many ways must a man “Hodor” before you can call him a Hodor? According to Vulture Nairn, “There’s angry Hodor, happy Hodor, sad Hodor, frightened Hodor, curious Hodor, bashful Hodor, sheepish Hodor…and naked Hodor.”

6. Sean Bean played Soccer with his artificial head after dying. Even though, Eddard Stark couldn’t make it through the first season and was a bit creeped out by his prosthetic head, he got over it all right. “We just kicked it around like a football” he said during one of his interviews.

7. The writers put in fake death scenes to trick the actors. Sophie Turner once spoke about the writers making fake scripts to trick actors into thinking that they’re going to be killed off. “Then about three weeks later they’ll end up telling you that it was a joke.” said the actress.

8. The horse heart Khaleesi ate is actually seven pounds of gummy bear-like mass. “It was similar to congealed jam with fake blood-sugar and dried pasta”

9. The producers asked the Language Creation Society to construct the Dothraki language. Linguist David Peterson started with the culture of the Dothraki people and created almost 2000 words of Dothraki language.

10. George R. R. Martin has taken an insurance of Game Of Thrones. The author still has two book left in The Song of Ice and Fire. He told David Benioff and D.B. Weiss the ending of the books, in case he dies before he finishes writing them.

Tamanna Goel

[email protected]

Keep Reading

Features

Spoilers: Things that may happen in the sixth season of Game of Thrones

By Ishaan Sengupta November 17, 2015

Game of Thrones has been ranked as one of the most successful HBO shows of all time. It also has the record for the largest number of illegal downloads on the internet. The show that is based on a book series called the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George R.R. Martin, has recently caught up with the books. We are hence left at a cliffhanger as the show producers need to fabricate their own story for the upcoming sixth season. Apart from having strong characters living in a feudalistic age in an imaginary world called Westeros, the show also incorporates the use of magic, treachery, murder, nudity that keeps everyone hooked on to it. Here are some predictions and spoilers for the sixth season of Game of Thrones:

Jon’s Resurrection – In the books, when Jon Snow is betrayed and murdered by Olly (who isn’t in the books), Ser Alister Thorne and his fellow men of the Night’s Watch, the last words that Jon speaks before dying is ‘Ghost’ (that is the name of Jon Snow’s Direwolf). Some believe that Jon wargs into Ghost (as wargs often enter their pets bodies when they die, and live a second life) and when the time comes Melissandre will resurrect him like Thoros of Myr often brought Berric Dondarion back from the dead with the assistance of R’llor (The red God). However the show does not show Jon saying Ghost’s name. This can mean the show will take a different approach and that approach is based on the next theory.
The Tower of Joy Flashback – It has been confirmed that there will be a scene that will cast young Ned Stark, Howland Reed, Ser Arthur Dayne and a few other characters in an epic battle. This scene is believed to be the Tower of Joy Scene where Ned and his companions confront Aeris Targaryen’s King’s Guards . The King’s Gaurds are defeated and Ned is finally reunited with Lyanna Stark, Ned’s sister, who was presumably kidnapped and raped by Rhaegar Targaryen. Ned finds her in a pool of blood. However it is believed that in this scene, Lyanna will say that she loved Rhaegar and that she escaped with him willingly. The blood would be from child birth, and the child would be none other than Jon. If this theory is complete then Jon is a Targaryen and with the use of magic a Targaryen cannot be burnt, much like Daenerys. This also means that the show might project Jon still alive when they burn his body. Melissandre sees Jon in the fire and uses magic to keep him alive.
The Battle of the North – There have been confirmations of a scene where all of Stark’s bannermen are fighting a battle against the Boltons. It is believed that Rickon and Osha are at The Last Hearth under the protection of Lord Umber. They are reunited with Sansa somehow. On this reunion there is a plan to win back the North. So Stark loyalists gather their armies and march on Winterfell to defeat the Boltons. In the middle of the battle they are surprised by the entry of Jon Snow who with an army of Wildlings joins the Stark’s in the battle. There have also been rumours of the Knights of the Vale joining this battle under the command of Lord Petyr Baelish.
Arya returns to Westeros – Arya will face a couple of tests given by the Faceless Men. She is blind but she manages to pass all the tests.She regains her eye sight and she is given a misson in Westeros to rid a village off bandits. She does so successfully and she is reunited with Nymeria , whom she had been dreaming about when she was blind.
The Kingsmoot in the Iron Islands – Euron Greyjoy, Theon’s uncle, has been cast this season. IN the books he is chosen the ruler of the Iron Islands after Balon Greyjoy mysteriously dies by falling off a bridge.