The last season of “Game of Thrones” ended with quite the dramatic climax, leaving viewers not only shocked by the events that transpired, but also devastated by them.
Before we can get into what viewers can expect in the upcoming season, here is a brief recap of some of the major plot reveals that aired in late 2017.
Jon Snow’s Heritage
Season 7 revealed to fans of the acclaimed fantasy drama that Robert Baratheon’s rebellion was a lie. And, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) was never Ned Stark’s bastard son, which means Ned never cheated on his wife.
Indeed, Ned didn’t lie to Jon when he said he had his blood; it just turns out that Jon’s Stark blood comes from Ned’s younger sister, Lyanna, who gave birth to him after becoming pregnant with her eloped lover Rhaegar Targaryen.
As a result, Jon’s real name is Aegon Targaryen, and he is rightful heir to the much sought-after Iron Throne. So, what exactly does this mean for Jon? And better yet, will he ride a dragon?
Tear Down That Wall
That wasn’t the only crazy thing to happen on the show. Near the end of the “The Dragon and the Wolf” episode, the Wall that kept the White Walkers at bay came crumbling down thanks to the Night King (Vladimir Furdik) riding in on Viserion.
The reanimated dragon was seen spitting blue flames onto the 8,000-year-old magic wall, bringing the Night King’s army of wights and White Walkers into Westeros, along with an everlasting winter.
Meanwhile, Back in King’s Landing
Although those were the wildest things to occur in “Game of Thrones” last season, there were other happenings all over Westeros.
Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) walked out on his insane twin sister/lover, Queen Cersei (Lena Headey) after she threatened his life. Cersei also told Jamie of her plans not to assist in the upcoming war against the undead, despite Jon and his band of misfits’ heroic efforts to yank one from beyond the Wall.
Cersei goes as far as bragging about having the biggest army in Essos, as if that would entail her victory. Maybe time apart will do them some good, or perhaps not.
In Season 5 of “Game of Thrones,” a fortuneteller, Maggy the Frog, predicted a young Cersei’s future, saying her children would all die before she would, which has since proven true.
However, in a lesser-known prophesy only mentioned in the book “A Feast of Crows,” Maggy tells Cersei, “And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.” Valonqar in Valyrian translates to “little brother,” which has led fans to speculate that Cersei will finally meet her end in Season 8. The big question is: Which one of her little brothers will kill her? Honestly, it’s surprising she’s made it this long.
Although the last season of “Game of Thrones” filled in some answers and revealed some key points, fans were still left with a ton of questions. Not much can be found on the final season however, mostly because HBO is doing their due diligence and keeping the plot a secret. Plus, given that George R.R. Martin still hasn’t finished wrapping up the book series, fans have been left to their imaginations, theories and pieced-together clues from previous seasons to try and predict how the final episodes will unfold.
What to Expect in Season 8
Although they’re not as important or popular as the Starks, Lannister or Targaryens, there is still the question of the Greyjoys, namely Theon. In the Season 7 finale, he appears to have finally grown a backbone after losing his frontbone. After brawling with a particularly insubordinate Ironborn, Theon orders the crew to save his sister, Yara, from their maniacal uncle, Euron. Expect Theon Greyjoy, an Ironborn, to be a completely different person this coming season.
The last time Jon and the Queen of Dragons were seen, they were sailing north toward Winterfell. There’s a chance that when they do arrive, there won’t be much of a warm welcome.
From the trailer, it looks as if Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) doesn’t look quite pleased with the events that took place outside of Winterfell between Jon and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). The fact that Jon bent the knee to the Queen of Dragons without consulting his family might lead to some squabbling, because Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) won’t be bending the knee.
We also know that Tarly and Jon’s not-brother-but-cousin Bran Stark drop the biggest bomb on his lap: that he’s a Targaryen. With knowledge like this comes great power and, of course, more questions.
What exactly does this mean for Jon? For one, he finally gets an answer to the question of who his mother was. Since the start of “Game of Thrones,” Jon had always wondered and even asked his supposed father who she was. With Ned gone, it was unclear how or if Jon would find out. This is actually great news on his end.
Then there’s Daenerys, who is technically his aunt, and also his lover. Will they stop what they’re doing, or will they stay true to the Targaryen nature of incest and get married?
Should the Starks begin to squabble like siblings — and cousins — do, will they set aside their family drama for what’s really at stake? The Great War between the Night King and his massive army of the dead is coming, and no one can stop it. It’s certain that the dead will attack Winterfell, since it’s so close to the Wall, and the rest of Westeros afterward.
Fans can rejoice, as the final season of “Game of Thrones” is almost upon us. With a release date of April 14 and six episodes that are practically full-length movies with no current titles (to avoid spoilers), fans can expect the final battle, dragons and, of course, answers to their questions. And if you really want to watch the series but don’t have access to HBO, you can always elect to watch “Game of Thrones” Season 8 streaming online.
Who will survive? Who will sit upon the Iron Throne? Unless there are leaks, nobody will know until April.
