Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2: Who will live and who will die?

Game of Thrones is back for its eighth season and we have so many questions –not least, who will win and who will die?

There are just a few days left now until the second episode and so like the diligent Thronians we are, we’ve been reviewing the trailer and zooming in on the preview pics like actual spies, trying to work out what’s going to happen and who might go beyond the veil.

And yes, we know it’s only the second episode, but all faves must die, and the life expectancy in Westeros is… not ideal. Anything could happen, anyone could meet their makers, even at this early stage.

Okay, probably not Jon. But everyone else…look out. Behold our Game of Thrones death pool below.

(L to R) Hannah Murray as Gilly and John Bradley as Samwell Tarly – Photo: Courtesy of HBO

Gilly and baby Sam

We might have said that Gilly and baby Sam would be safe at the moment, but as our very own Cheryl Wassenaar has pointed out, she has been very prominent in the preview photos which makes us fear for her life and that of her not-so-baby son (seriously, all this drama has aged him).

That, and the fact that one of the photos seems to be a happy family moment between her and Sam — well, as Cheryl again pointed out, it can only mean at least one of them is in severe danger. We’ve said before we’d like Gilly to have her hero moment and it would bring her and Sam’s relationship fairly full circle. Could her heroism end badly? Obviously, yes.

Chance of survival: Worringly meh.

John Bradley as Samwell Tarly. Photo: Helen Sloan/Courtesy of HBO

Samwell Tarly

We might be wrong and it might be Sam we lose from our unlikely found family (please don’t let it be both of them) but the idea of Sam having to bring up not-so-baby Sam alone is a bit too tempting in the name of drama.

However, Sam isn’t averse to heroics — let us not forget that it was him who discovered that Dragonglass is the Westerosi Kryptonite to the White Walkers. So Sam is definitely not safe either — especially now that he’s divulged the incredibly important and plotty knowledge he’s been sitting on, meaning that really… his purpose is.. .done?

Fortunately, for this episode, we don’t think that’s necessarily true. We expect there to be some repercussions from Dany’s revelations that she killed his dad and brother, at the very least. But even if he doesn’t die in this episode, that doesn’t mean he’s out of the woods. His fall would definitely hit us where it hurts and wow, Game of Thrones definitely likes to do that. Pow.

Chance of survival: Borrowed time as well as books. Give that man a library fine!

(L to R) Kristofer Hivju as Tormund and Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion – Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO

Tormund Giantsbane

We know from the trailer that he’s made it safely from Last Hearth (and the scary, sad, screaming baby Ned Umber encounter) to Winterfell, somehow avoiding the White Walkers as they make their merry way to destroy mankind. So it’s safe to say he probably survives at least half of the episode, depending when and how the Walkers arrive.

Will there be a Helms Deep-style breaking of the calm at the end of the episode? If so, both him and Grey Worm, who too is likely to be at the head of the anti-Wight army, will surely be in the firing line.

But we hope not.  He needs to be reunited with Brienne first.

Chance of survival: Plenty of men have tried to put their sword through his heart. He lives.