Thoughts on Game of Thrones Season 7, Ep. 4 — Burn, baby burn!

Hey fellow Game of Thrones fans! It’s been one long summer, but now winter is here and I couldn’t be more ready. This week’s episode got me all hot and bothered. How about you?

I’d like to use this space to speculate on some things for the upcoming season. I hope you’ll join me and comment below or on Facebook with your own speculations. Remember, this blog is dark and full of spoilers, so read on at your own risk!

1. Why isn’t Bronn dead?

A poetic death for Bronn would have been well-deserved at this week’s battle, but it didn’t happen. When he spilled that big ol’ sack of money, I thought he was going to fall to his original vice (greed) and gather it up and run. But no such luck. Bronn, using his extreme good luck, survived this one. I’m happy about it– I love Bronn. But what’s next for the old boy?

A reunion with Tyrion is most likely the case. Bronn’s loyalty is going to be easily bought by Dany, should she offer something for it.

2. What does Littlefinger want Bran to do?


Littlefinger “wouldn’t give you anything unless he thought he was getting something back.” 

Littlefinger was nice enough to give Bran a sweet little knife this episode– a knife, you may recall, that almost once took Bran’s own life. Sansa warned her brother that he was given the blade for a reason– for when does Littlefinger just o[ and do things for others? That dagger is made of Valyriab steel, which means it’s strong, expensive– and that it can kill White Walkers. Oh yeah. That’s pretty important.

So, what is the plot Bran is falling into with Littlefinger? Probably nothing. You see, Bran doesn’t care about plots and plannings anymore. He’s way beyond that. My guess is that Littlefinger was trying to get him to turn the knife against Jon Snow when he returns– Littlefinger really doesn’t like Jon but he’s certianly afraid of him and he knows what happens when you challenge Starks to combat. He’s smarter than that. Why not turn Ned Stark’s trueborn son against his bastard?

Except Bran could NOT give a fuck. He knows he can’t be in charge of Winterfell. He can’t have kids. He can’t protect his home with his body. Instead, he gives that blade to Arya– who is definitely not going to turn it on her beloved Jon Snow– the sibling with whom she always felt closest to.

And to do Littlefinger an even harder blow, Bran quoted something the man himself said waaaaaay back: “Chaos is a ladder.” This is the first time we see Littlefinger frightened in such a way– and it harkens back to Melisandre’s warning to Varys. Vary and Littlefinger have both been told by the new generation of leaders in Westeros that there is no place for them in this new, maddened world. What do you think will happen with them?

3. Did Jon Snow make those paintings?

Honest to goodness, I saw this question posed by another GOT blogger this week and it blew my mind. For the record, I don’t think that’s the case. There are symbols in those petroglyphs that Jon probably doesn’t know of (such as that one spiral that was seen by Will, the poor dude who got his head loped up by Ned Stark in the very first episode). And he didn’t have the time to stop back off at Castle Black and make drawings before he deserted.

Also, Jon doesn’t know what the Children of the Forest look like. We do, because Bran saw them. But Jon? No. And he hasn’t had any contact with Bran yet.

So, I don’t think it’s very likely that Jon did those paintings himself. But will they have a greater significance? Only time will tell.

4. Seriously, when are Jon and Dany gonna do it?

There was some real sexual tension in that cave scene– a sexy kind of struggle for power was taking place. We as the viewers are meant to love both our Dragon Queen and the King in the North, so this choice is meant to be difficult. Should Jon Snow bend the knee? Should our Khaleesi give him what he’s asking for without asking anything in return?

No. Jon was right. They need to band together, and the best way to make that happen is through holy matrimony. You know it. I know it. Let’s hope those two get it figured out. My bet’s on it being Tyrion’s idea, though. He always has good ideas like that.


Image via Entertainment Weekly

But what will Westeros look like under those two? What sort of power will they have? And their kids (presuming they have some, despite Dany’s infertility curse)? What will they rule? Will it be everything? Will it once more be the Seven Kingdoms with the ruler in the Red Keep in King’s Landing? We know that that doesn’t work. The worries of the North are far different from the worries of King’s Landing. And I don’t think that Jon could continue straying further south– he did say, bad things happen when Starks go south.

Who knows? Maybe they’ll take a leaf from the Dothraki boat and travel from keep to keep. If that happens… you heard it here first.

Featured header image: Mother of Dragons – Game of Thrones Art by Yama Orce


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Thoughts on Game of Thrones Season 7, Ep. 4 — Burn, baby burn!