Spoiler warning: if you haven’t seen the season six finale of Game of Thrones yet, don’t read!!!
Cersei Blows Up Everybody She Doesn’t Like
The finale finally gave Cersei the revenge that she’s been after since the end of season 5. After getting backed against the wall by the Sparrow, his followers, Margery, and even her own son King Tommen, it seemed like there wasn’t much more Cersei could possibly do to circumvent the Faith and take her kingdom back.
That is, if she didn’t have one more desperate ace up her sleeve. Book readers are well aware of the caches of Wildfire the Mad King kept hidden in the depths of King’s Landing, but the show has reminded us of this fact for several times this season, and now we know why. In one fell swoop, Cersei killed the Sparrow, Margery, Loras, Mace Tyrell, and pretty much everybody else in King’s Landing that she doesn’t like. This drastic move that killed many innocent citizens and even drove her own son to kill himself has also earned her kingdom back, and has thus left her the only eligible candidate for the crown (that the world knows of).
What’s this mean for season 7?
Cersei has an uphill battle to gain the support of the people of Westeros and King’s Landing. In a time of uncertainty in the kingdom as a whole, blowing up the biggest building in the city and taking power for yourself doesn’t exactly instill confidence in the people. It’ll be interesting to see how Cersei does as a ruler now devoid of her children. There’s also Jaime, who got back to King’s Landing just in time to see a blown-up Sept, a dead son, and a newly-crowned Cersei. Who know’s how he’ll react to all of this.
R + L = J Was Essentially Confirmed
After one of the worst kept secrets in the world, a load of contextual clues in the lead up to this episode, and the increased importance of Jon Snow as a character, the finale finally gave us the confirmation to the R + L = J theory that fans have been waiting for. In the second half of the Tower of Joy flashback, we learn that Lyanna Stark was not dying of an inflicted wound, but of the difficulties following child birth. The birth that, we now can finally confirm, was of Jon Snow. The producers played around with the editing and Lyanna’s whispering to Ned to get around blatantly stating the obvious, but it’s safe to say that Cersei and Dany aren’t the only ones with solid claims to the throne.
What does this mean for season 7?
Jon Snow, now declared “King in the North” by his supporters, will likely hear this news from Bran, the only one who knows Jon’s true origin, as he ventures past the Wall and back to Winterfell. And after that, we could be in store for a three-way clash between Jon, Dany, and Cersei for the Iron Throne, if the White Walkers don’t kill everyone and everything first.
Littlefinger wants the Iron Throne…and Sansa at his side
It wasn’t the most significant scene of the episode, but this interaction with Littlefinger and Sansa could possibly be setting up some strife between Sansa and Jon in the future. Littlefinger expressed to Sansa that he very much wants the Iron Throne for himself, and he’d like Sansa to be his queen. Sansa is quick to deny him that pleasure, but he replies with a sentiment of contempt for Jon. He says that Sansa should be the one to rule Winterfell and be the queen in the North, not Jon the bastard.
What does this mean for season 7?
It seems that Sansa doesn’t think much of this, until later in the episode when Jon’s supporters publicly pledge themselves to house Stark under his rule, and chant his name as “King in the North.” We can visibly see Sansa irked by this and share a look with Littlefinger, assuring the audience that this story isn’t over yet.
Arya exacts her revenge on house Frey
This was a surprisingly brief part of the episode, but we see Walder Frey brought a meat pie meal by a house wench. The wench removes her face to reveal that it’s truly Arya, and the pie that she has served him is made up of his chopped-up sons. Arya then slices his throat, and creepily smiles before cutting away. What’s most disturbing here is the ease with which we now see Arya conducting these killings, and how surprisingly sadistic she can be.
What does this mean for season 7?
Arya is officially back in Westeros, and it seems like she’s on a spree. If the threat of Dany and her armies and dragons won’t be enough, it looks like Cersei will also have to worry about Arya, as she is one of the last living souls on her list. Other than that, it’s hard to predict what else she’ll be after, but we can most likely expect a proper Stark family reunion down the line.
Daenerys and co. are headed to Westeros
The final shot of the episode that depicts Dany and her fleet sailing the Narrow Sea to Westeros is one of particularly satisfying wish fulfillment. This is something that not only the character herself, but everyone watching has been waiting to see for 5 years, and much longer if you’re a book reader. This is where the metaphorical “game of thrones” will truly be coming to a head. And not to mention, the shot was truly gorgeous and the perfect way to bookend what has been a pretty great season of television.
What does this mean for Game of Thrones season 7?
Dany sailing to Westeros finally places her pieces on the same game board as the rest of the world. This episode, above all else, has given us a glimpse at who the real players are in the show now. The old generation is dead, in more ways than one, and the young are inheriting the world. Westeros will now be the theater of a struggle between Daenerys, Jon, Cersei, and the White Walkers themselves. Whether or not there even is a throne by the end of this show, it’s clear that one of these parties will come out on top. Now it’s just a game of wait until we get more Game of Thrones next year.
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