Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5: Who will live and who will die?
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister – Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
The inhabitants of King’s Landing
With Cersei on the throne, we wouldn’t hold out much hope. She has already shown contempt for them — inviting them into the Red Keep only to hold them over Dany, plus burning many of them to a crisp mere seasons ago. (I am surprised many of them want to go into the Red Keep, to be frank. I’d risk the dragon.)
But with Dany recently tipped over the edge by the death of her beloved assistant, her increasing isolation as those she trusts defect to her nephew-lover (again, truly putting the ew in nephew), things don’t look so good on that side of the fence either.
They are stuck between a Casterly Rock and a Dragonstone.
Chance of survival: Queens take pawns.
Grey Worm
We were decidedly more optimistic about Grey Worm’s fate last week, before they killed off his beloved Missandei in front of his very sweet and gentle eyes. Now we fear he may throw himself too deeply into revenge and get himself killed too, thus serving to isolate his queen more, as she would lose her last unconditional ally.
It would make horrible, heinous sense to the story. But it wouldn’t make sense to our hearts. Let at least one half of Essos’ greatest power couple live to tell the tale! There is room for people of color in Westeros!
Chance of survival: We’re not ready to talk about it.
Jaime Lannister
Look, we’re mad with Jaime right now. Seething. After quite clearly falling in love with Ser Brienne, and urging her to open her heart to him too, he just ups and leaves to go back to the toxic hold of his sister? Jaime, please.
But here’s the thing: We don’t think he’s returning to Cersei because he still loves her like that. His tone was not one of a man who wanted to return to Cersei’s side, but rather the tone of a man who feels compelled to do so. The reason — be it murder, salvation or just a deeply unhealthy incestuous quickie — is yet to be seen.
His survival likely depends on this intent. The Mountain will make it hard for him to kill Cersei and has shown before his willingness to crack open The Lion Kingslayer’s beautiful head. Then there’s Bronn, his still-active assassin, and the fact he is returning to a place he deserted in order to fight for the living. The odds certainly seem stacked against him.
Add to this the notion that his greatest, best deeds (known only by his true love Brienne, whom he abandoned because he’s not a bad guy, he’s just trying so hard to be) have gone unrecorded — well, his demise would be pretty tragic after all that wouldn’t it?
Especially if he ends up killing big bad Cersei and dying afterwards, without so much as a thanks whilst he was alive, so surely not even that arc can save him from the cruel writers’ whims.
Honestly, it’s a thankless job being Jaime Lannister. We hope we’re right about him.
Chance of survival: Jaime? Come on. Get up. We gotta go home. HELP! Somebody! Anybody! Help.