Winter is upon us and it’s not just Arya who is keeping a list. Viewers have racked up a long list of their own with all the unresolved mysteries and unanswered questions. Many closures are awaited before we are delivered, as GRR Martin himself called it, a ‘bittersweet ending’. Let’s dive into some of the most pressing loose ends –

What is Bran’s endgame?

Bran returns to Winterfell in season seven and his only major contribution seems to be the discovery of Jon Snow’s origin story (We knew nothing about Jon Snow!). Barring a few enigmatic conversations, he has been mostly MIA. All signs indicate that he will play a crucial role in deciding the fate of the war for the Iron Throne and the war with the White Walkers. Bran may find out how White Walkers were defeated earlier by the alliance of the First Men of Night’s Watch and the Children of the Forest. The deep connection between Bran aka Three-Eyed Raven and the Night King is perhaps the biggest mystery. One of the theories predict that Bran is the Night King himself but both are rivals and their war goes back centuries.

Will Jaime kill Cersei?

“And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.” – Maggy the Frog.

In season five, Cersei and Melara visited the maegi Maggy in the woods hoping to learn about their futures. To Cersei, Maggy predicted that she would die at the hands of “the valonqar” which is High Valyrian for “little brother”. The usual suspect is Tyrion but Jaime’s disillusionment makes a case for him doing the unthinkable. Towards the end of season seven, Jaime is disgusted by Cersei’s selfishness and shortsightedness and decides to abandon her finally and head north. If Jaime finds her in a situation where she is at her enemy’s mercy, and if the shove comes to push, Jaime may give her a painless death by doing one of the “things he does for love”.

Will Tyrion betray Daenerys?

Going by the acts of backstabbing on the show, it seems right to imagine a few betrayals and this one particularly sounds very interesting. Tyrion is not the one who switches sides easily but he doesn’t seem too happy with Daenerys burning people alive. He may see her as no better than her father the Mad King. One of the prophecies hint at three betrayals in Dany’s story: Once for love, once for blood, and once for gold. What could be the three betrayals? The first traitor was Mirri Maz Duur, who killed Khal Drogo and their unborn son to avenge her people. Another possibility for the second treason could be Jorah Mormont, who was hired by Varys to spy on Daenerys and her brother. Jorah, an exiled Westerosi knight, was hoping that his crimes would be forgiven and he would return to his homeland. Tyrion is a Lannister and the Lannister color is gold. It can only be befitting if the last betrayal involves Tyrion. Queerly, he wore a worried look as Jon and Dany consummated their relationship on the boat.

Will the Night King win?

Night King is perhaps the most mysterious character and his objectives are unknown. His power has only been growing, and when the entire Westeros is engulfed in power struggle, he seems most prepared and focused on winning the battle. The Night King triggering an interminable ice age and leaving the Iron Throne deserted forever sounds like an apt end. Symbolically, it’s like environmental calamity wiping out humanity; proving all politics, power struggle and material greed pointless. Now that the wall has fallen and the Night King is airborne, it’s a race against time for Westeros.

Could Littlefinger be alive?

A lot of fans might be rooting for Petyr ‘Littlefinger’ Baelish’s return but the possibility seems just unfeasible. At a time of major battles between Starks & Lannisters and the Living & the Dead, Littlefinger’s return may just complicate the storyline. It’s hard to stomach Littlefinger’s pitiful departure; and his meeting with the blonde lady in the dark alley where she whispers “Your time’s up” indicate that Littlefinger knew what was coming. He has always been a move ahead of everybody and might have just faked his own death with the help of a Faceless Man. It would be interesting to see him returning and adding to the ‘chaos’.

The countdown has begun, and we expect nothing less than the ending… That Was Promised.

Photo: HBO