While most contenders are still in the game, let’s discuss who’s got the hottest claim. Each week, we’ll break down the front-runner for the Iron Throne.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Game of Thrones‘ most recent episode, “The Long Night”.
With the Battle of Winterfell seemingly done and dusted, the focus of Game of Thrones has once again shifted toward who will end up seated on the Iron Throne.
“The Long Night” was one of the most divisive in the series for a host of different reasons, one being the lack of consequences for some of our main characters. No one with a reasonable shot at the throne fell in last week’s battle, but that does not mean there weren’t serious implications for the contention to come. After “The Long Night“, here are my takes on the favorite for the throne this week, and a scrappy underdog you should keep you eye on.
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister. Photo: Helen Sloane/HBO
FAVORITE: Cersei Lannister
At the end of last season, I thought we’d see Cersei’s betrayal backfire in a massive way. Her deception of Jon Snow was incredibly selfish, and I don’t think anyone expected her withholding of troops to bode well for anyone, least of all Cersei herself. In seasons past, characters have been punished for much less, and I thought if there were to be serious consequences for any selfish choice in this show, it would be this blatant lack of integrity and foresight.
Boy oh boy was I wrong. Not only were there zero consequences for Cersei’s literal abandonment of humanity, but it ended up being the most tactically savvy move in the series to date. She was correct to believe the White Walkers were not actually a threat (at least to her), and put herself in the favorite slot by doing so. Daenerys’ armies are decimated. The Unsullied and Dothraki foot-soldiers took the hardest hits in the battle against the dead, and now it seems there will be no one to match up in the field with the Golden Company. With plenty of Wildfire, scorpion bolts, and Euron’s fleet, it’s hard to imagine Cersei losing any straight up battles against an opposing army with no infantry.
This season has already seen certain character arcs and prophecies completely ignored, so I would not be surprised if the “Valonquar” prophecy (that Cersei will be killed by her little brother) also went by the wayside. If she is technically a greater villain than the Night King and the true final boss of Game of Thrones, then I am positive we will see some absolutely deplorable orders come from Cersei in the coming weeks. If they want to knock her off her throne, they’ll have to do it without an army.
(L to R) Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen and Kit Harington as Jon Snow – Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
UNDERDOG(S): Jon and Danaerys
Last week’s episode irked a lot of fans, and has a lot of faithful show-watchers and book-readers alike worried that we may see a more sanitized outcome than we’d originally hoped. The writers seemed scared to kill off characters in “The Long Night” and there is a distinct possibility that the ending will have more “kumbaya” than kills. Game of Thrones‘ finale episode could very well be an epilogue showing the happily-ever-afters of some of our favorite characters, settled down and happy with kids as close of friends as they’ve grown to be. That being the case, we have a relationship in the underdog slot this week.
We cannot discount an ending in which the “ideal” works out: Dany and Jon married out of love and peacefully ruling together. Again, this would ignore the prophecy of the “prince that was promised” who is meant to kill their love to save the world (many think Jon will kill Dany by the end), and sweep Daenerys’ recent tendencies toward tyranny under the rug for something much simpler. Unfortunately, the recent past only inspires me to believe that the ending will have a good bit of the nuance and weight sucked out of it. Let’s hope the one we get is more complex than it is crowd-pleasing.
Only three weeks left to go, and I think we are more sure than ever before that the wheel will stay intact. If we do still have an Iron Throne when all of this is over, then I am of the same belief as George R.R. Martin when he spoke with Rolling Stone.
"“Tolkien can say that Aragorn became king and reigned for a hundred years, and he was wise and good. But Tolkien doesn’t ask the question: What was Aragorn’s tax policy? Did he maintain a standing army? What did he do in times of flood and famine? And what about all these orcs…?”"
I am sure I speak for many when I say, we hope this series’ bow is frayed, stained, and burnt. Tightly wrapped up sure, but certainly not pristine, happy, and sanitized.
If you missed last weeks edition of this series, give it a read here.
Do you think someone else could take the Iron Throne? What would be your dream ending? I’ll be in the comments to discuss it all, so please join us. Your groundbreaking theory just might bust it open!