Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5: Who will live and who will die?

Kit Harington as Jon Snow and Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO

Varys

We think Varys might be in trouble this episode. After not-so-subtly failing to heed Tyrion’s many warnings about treason, and doubting Daenerys to her very own angry face, we think Dany won’t hesitate to silence him forever if she finds out about his planned betrayal. It seems likely that she will.

Plus, as Melisandre prophesied, Varys is going to die in Westeros. It would make sense for it to happen now, as he’s about to jump ship. He wouldn’t work well with Jon anyway, but his death at Dany’s hand might be enough for Tyrion to defect himself.

Chance of survival: You better call Aegon with the good hair.

Daenerys Targaryen

Daenerys is looking a little…worse for wear in the pictures for the next episode. That’s to be expected, given that she’s two for two in losing trustworthy allies who have been with her since the very early days of her journey.

It seems she is unraveling. There has been the long-standing theory that she will go mad in her desire for power over the Seven Kingdoms, but now it’s personal. She has a very particular set of skills, skills that she has acquired over a very long journey. Skills that make her a nightmare for people (especially Tarlys).

Unraveling never works well for anyone in Game of Thrones. Could this be the beginning of the end for our Dragon Queen?

Chance of survival: Welcome to the eye of the Stormborn.

Jon Snow

Jon Snow did the very Ned Stark thing of telling his family that he’s a Targaryen with a good claim to the throne. This could go one of two ways. It could get him killed — Dany was very clear that it would be easier for her if he didn’t say anything — or it could get him crowned.

We honestly don’t know which he’d prefer.

We’d like to remind you that the Azor Ahai prophecy is still technically in play. Why mention specifically Beric’s reincarnation purpose if you didn’t want to subtly remind us of Jon’s? Also, Jon does have support, the best claim to the throne, and Varys is right — not about him being a man (that was so stupid), but about his being a good reluctant leader. We could see a boy of ice and fire on the Iron Throne.

Again, this is a show that thrives on defying expectation (The North Remembers!) so we really have no clue where any of this is going. Dany could kill him, or she could let the Golden Company do it. Our gut feels uneasy but, if we’re allowed to hope, we’d like him to survive this one.

Chance of survival: Footage not found.

Arya Stark

As we said last week, we can’t imagine Arya being killed off so soon after she handled the Night King. Maybe it’s just our little shipper hearts, bent but not broken by years of Game of Thrones, but doesn’t her business with Gendry feel unfinished?

Unless that’s how the Game of Thrones writers want us to feel? Arya isn’t immortal after all, and she’s got her eyes on a well-guarded Cersei. We can’t imagine the show will let her take out both the big bads.

We know Arya herself doesn’t plan to return to Winterfell – whatever that means. It could mean a trip across the Narrow Sea, a plan to become a Knight in King’s Landing, or — okay, yes, we’ll take our heads out of the sand — it could mean sacrifice.

We really, really hope not though. (As if that’s ever worked before.)

Chance of survival: Do not go gently into that Red Keep.

Tyrion Lannister

You can’t kill Tyrion Lannister off yet. Surely not. He is spotted alongside Jon as Jon surveys King’s Landing for the first time (and presumably gets horrendously sunburned because he’s not at all used to even the smallest amount of heat) which could just be a standard welcome to a worthy ally. Or has he joined the Stark side?

It’s a moot point. We think he’ll live for now. We’re not sure why, and don’t trust us too much, because we also thought that about Jorah. If anything, you should probably be more worried than we are. We’ve not learnt our lesson.

Chance of survival: We drink and we don’t know things. At all.

Game of Thrones airs Sundays on HBO.

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