The Final Stretch
Game of Thrones' Season 7 finale, "The Dragon and the Wolf," was one of the show's best episodes yet--despite some issues nagging the season that led up to it. And with Season 7 done, there are only six episodes of Game of Thrones remaining. Let that sink in! It's crazy!
Luckily there are plenty of questions left for Game of Thrones to answer. We may finally know Jon Snow's true identity, where the White Walkers came from, and what can bring down the Wall. But Game of Thrones Season 7 left some questions hanging in the air.
Click through the following slides for our best guesses at their answers.
When Did The Starks Start Working Together?
One of the big questions going into Game of Thrones' Season 7 finale was whether the Stark siblings in Winterfell were secretly working together against Littlefinger. It seemed through most of the season that Bran was sitting alone in the woods, Arya was holding a grudge against Sansa, and Sansa still trusted Littlefinger. Turns out they were really working together by the end, but when did that actually happen?
A deleted scene that likely would have been in the finale actually answered this question: In it, actor Isaac Hempstead-Wright said, Sansa came to Bran's chambers to ask for his help untangling the whole mess. Instead, it happened off-screen, leaving the question in viewers' minds.
What Are The Rules Of Bran's Power?
We still have some questions regarding Bran's powers on Game of Thrones. In the books, his "Greensight" has so far been mostly limited to looking through the eyes of Weirwood trees, but the show has fewer rules.
Bran seems able to see basically anything that's ever taken place, somehow, although he does need to know where to look, as we saw in the finale. He has also long been able to "warg" into other creatures and control their bodies, from ravens to Hodor (RIP). But can Bran see the future, beyond brief glimpses and prophecy-like flashes here and there? Can he warg into fully intelligent humans, or even undead creatures? What about a dragon? Hopefully we'll find out in Game of Thrones Season 8.
Where Is Ghost?
Remember when this scene from the pilot seemed important? We haven't seen Ghost since Season 6, and even then barely. So just where is Jon Aegon's direwolf?
Apparently he almost made it into Season 7, Episode 2, "Stormborn," according to Game of Thrones Co-Executive Producer Bryan Cogman. "FYI... We shot a Jon/Ghost scene. Didn't make it in. I tried!" he reportedly tweeted (before deleting his Twitter account some time later). "Thx for watching, everybody."
Ghost was likely a casualty of the massive amount of CGI budget that had to go into the dragons this year, which, yeah. That's fair. Hopefully we see him again in Season 8.
Can His Name Be Aegon In The Books?
There's been some debate over whether Jon Snow's real name, which was revealed in the Season 7 finale to be Aegon Targaryen, can be the same in the Song of Ice and Fire books. The biggest problem is that Jon had a half brother who was also named Aegon--son of Jon's father, Rhaegar Targaryen, and Elia Martell. (That character, Aegon VI, is more important in the books, but a storyline involving him has apparently been cut from the show.)
The big question is whether Lyanna Stark would have really named her son Aegon when his half brother was already named Aegon. She might have known already that Rhaegar's son with Elia was dead when she had Jon--the war was over by the time Ned Stark reached her. Aegon being probably the most popular Targaryen name, thanks to Aegon the Conqueror, she might have seen it fitting to keep the name alive, making Jon really Aegon VII.
Or, his real name might be something completely different in the books. Unfortunately, we won't find out until George R.R. Martin finishes writing one.
What Was The Night King's Plan Before He Got A Dragon?
One big question throughout the series has been what could possibly bring down the massive, magic Wall dividing Westeros from the frigid lands of the North. That was answered in the Season 7 finale: Fire from an undead dragon.
That was great and dramatic and fun to watch, but what exactly was the Night King's plan before he killed one of Dany's dragons and revived it for himself to ride? That's a fair question, but the answer is likely simple: He was going to storm the Wall and have his re-animated giants open the gates by force. There's supposedly magic in the Wall preventing them from passing it, but just because people believe that doesn't make it true.
On the other hand, some fans have speculated that the Night King has his own sight-like abilities. Maybe he knew Dany would bring him a dragon eventually, and that was his plan all along. Hopefully we'll learn more about the silent antagonist in Game of Thrones Season 8.
Are Tormund And Beric Dead?
The last we saw of everyone's favorite wildling and his sidekick Beric, they were gawking at the top of the Wall as it came crashing down underneath them. So one of the biggest questions coming out of Game of Thrones Season 7 is whether they survived.
Based on the episode itself, that seems unlikely, since a massive chunk of the Wall disintegrated right where they appeared to be standing. However, we didn't see them die, so they could still be alive. And HBO's official episode synopsis states that "Tormund and his wildings rush to safety." So who knows? We'll find out in Season 8.
Why Did Tyrion Look So Mad About Jon And Dany?
Since the finale aired, Game of Thrones viewers have speculated about why Tyrion looked so concerned when he witnessed Jon entering Dany's chambers. The simplest theory is he's worried their relationship will complicate things. We also know he's been thinking about Dany's successor recently, and one theory is that he's trying to push Dany to establish a democracy in place of the current monarchy. If Dany pops out a full Targ baby, that probably won't happen.
Then there are actor Peter Dinklage's own words, in this video from HBO: "It's dangerous for everybody involved. I'm sure it's good for both of them in the moment, but you don't even get the relief of how beautiful it could be or should be. It's 'No!' Just it's not good. But it should be! But it's not. It's Game of Thrones. There's a long history of romance not ending well on this show."
We'll find out if he's right to be concerned next season.
Who Is The Heir To The Iron Throne?
Perhaps the most important question for Game of Thrones--ever since "Where is Rickon?" got answered, anyway--is who's the real heir to the Iron Throne? The reveal that Jon is a trueborn Targaryen had some fans declaring him the rightful king, but that's not necessarily the case, depending how you interpret Westeros's rules of succession.
It's important to note the order in which Targaryens died: First Robert Baratheon killed Prince Rhaegar at the Trident, then Jaime Lannister stabbed King Aerys in the throne room, and then Jon was born. Dany came months later, as she was conceived while the rebellion was still happening. So, Jon was born first.
But technically, Viserys (Dany's douchebag brother from Season 1) had the right to kingship while he was alive, since his older brother, Rhaegar, was already dead when their father, the Mad King, was killed by Jaime Lannister. So when Viserys died, would the throne pass to his younger sister, or to his dead older brother's son? That's a question Season 8 will have to address, and until then we can only debate and wonder.
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