Throne Room

Now that Season Six of Game Of Thrones is over, and we've all had time to decompress, let's look at where we'll be going in the final thirteen or so episodes left.

It's doubtful there'll be a triumphant ending.  George R. R. Martin has said it'll be bittersweet.  Perhaps the showrunners think differently, but GOT is simply not a show that offers normal rewards, by and large.

So who will be doing what?

Dany will finally cross the Narrow Sea, with quite a few people on her side.  It's not clear if she's going straight to King's Landing, or will stop somewhere first, like Dorne.  But she's going to try to take the Iron Throne and it won't be easy to defeat her.

Cersei will try to hold the Throne, of course--she knows in this game you win or die.  The question is will she be able to consolidate or even spread her power, especially since just about everyone opposes her. (Some have suggested a marriage to Euron--okay, but getting half the power of the Iron Islands doesn't seem to be worth too much.) But as for her lover/brother, it's not clear what Jaime's play is.  He doesn't seem to like what she's doing, but it's hard to believe the Kingslayer could be the Queenslayer.

Then there's Jon and Sansa.  Once again, anything goes her.  Jon, we now know, is of the highest birth.  Is he fit to be on the Iron Throne?  Perhaps, but he's also aware that the real threat comes from north of the Wall.  No matter where he ends up, that'll be the first thing on his mind.

Meanwhile, Sansa and Littlefinger seem ready to plot something, but what?  Would they dare go against Snow?  And could Littlefinger not only take the Throne, but hold it?  With Sansa at his side?

And what about the other Starks?  Eventually (soon, actually), Bran has to go south of the Wall, and eventually tell Snow about his parentage, if nothing else. But there are so many other things he can do now that he's the Three-Eyed Raven.  Arya is also a free agent, and she could probably kill anyone she sets her mind to, up to and including Cersei.  But it would seem, sooner or later, she's got to have a reunion with the other Starks.

Also, we've got Sam in the Citadel.  He seems safely out of the action, but he's been sent there for a dramatic reason.  He'll find something in all those books that'll give Jon, or whomever is fighting the Night King, the knowledge necessary.

And the biggest sooner or later is fire versus ice. Dany's bringing back dragons the Westeros, and the Night King is bringing back winter.  Don't they have to clash at some point. There'll probably be tremendous destruction. Maybe the Iron Throne itself will go away, or at least not seem quite so important.

So there it is.  The pieces are in place for the endgame.  Alas, we're going to have to wait a long time--maybe more than a year--for the next move.