I trust the plot lines of subversion more than I trust what everybody knows.
Game of Thrones is about a lot of things. Power, family, politics, war, magic, religion, gender roles, love, etc. But the thing that made the show exceptional and unique from the very beginning is the surprise of the truly unexpected. Ned’s death in season one is the main plot point that skyrocketed this story to another level. And this hasn’t changed.
We want to know how the stories come together and how everyone’s arch ends. But mostly, we want our minds blown. We expect it now, even if we don’t know it. So without needing ANY evidence, I find myself most skeptical of anything that the general audience takes as a given. Here are the biggest examples going into Season 8.
- Aside from the fact that people have been doubting her every step of the way, this is something I find really interesting. When the High Sparrow arrested her, people said she was finally getting her due. Then, when she blew up the Sept, people said she had created too many enemies to last much longer. Then, when Dany came across the sea with her armies and allies and dragons, people said Cersei’s done. Even the prophecy (which wasn’t in the show) predicts her death. But I think Cersei’s always been her own worst enemy, and a lot of that has to do with her being so afraid of this prophecy that she’s manifested it instead of preventing it. I hope her arc results in her overcoming that notion, and defying prophecy to create her own destiny. She’s a survivor and she hasn’t lost yet, despite what Ollena said. You remember Ollena? She’s dead now and Cersei’s still alive.
- This one was just simply thrown in our face too often. We expect this “surprise” subversion, since we’ve been told she can’t have children and told Jon has resigned himself to never having any. So, naturally, the GA thinks they are on to GoT’s tricks and expects this plot twist. It’s too obvious. I don’t buy it. The big twists are not going to be ones “everyone” sees coming, and this was just hyped beyond reason.
3.) Jon is the ultimate hero.
- Ned 2.0, Robb 2.0. I’m not saying he isn’t a hero, but he isn’t going to be the lone wolf savior. His journey is not about becoming a godly force who defeats all evil and saves everyone single-handedly. It might seem like it has been, but really it hasn’t. He lost at Hardhome, it was a massacre. He lost the Battle at Castle Black. He lost the Battle of the Bastards. He lost the fight during the Wight hunt. Each of those plot lines resulted in what seemed like another heroic victory for Jon because he had help, he was rescued, or he got lucky. Now, that doesn’t mean nothing for Jon’s story. What it means is that his power does not lie in his sword skills and seeming immortality. His power lies in the people around him loving him, needing him to be their leader, and believing in him enough to risk everything to keep him alive. He inspires devotion and trust. These things will be challenged in Season 8, but ultimately come back around once it is revealed that his decisions were always based on protecting the people. He is the shield that guards the realms of men. Period. Jon won’t single-handedly save the world, but because of him there will be enough unity for it to happen. The Starks are the heart of the story. It will take Jon, Sansa, Arya, and BRAN all working together as a pack, along with all those who support them, to defeat the evil in whatever form that comes.
4.) Tyrion is brilliant and good.
- Tyrion is Tywin’s son. He has always been Tywin’s son. He cares about his family and the legacy he will leave behind. He joined Dany’s forces DIRECTLY after suffering trauma and committing crimes of passion for which he believed there was no coming back. But things have changed. One bad night (killing Shae and Tywin) does not erase a lifetime of history, especially when it comes to family. Tyrion is smart, but also arrogant. His arrogance has cost him just as much as Cersei’s has. He has blindspots born of his own childhood abuse and insecurities. He suffered torment for his dwarfism (and his mother’s death) from those more powerful than him (his father and sister) and took it out on Joffrey because he was an outlet he felt he had power over. This backfired on him once Joffrey took the crown, and he set himself up nicely to be framed for the murder of the King. Before that, he put himself in a position to be murdered by Joffrey at the Battle of Blackwater Bay. The attempt failed, but if Tyrion had learned to keep his mouth shut and manipulate Joffrey instead of constantly goading him, he might have gained more influence and power, rather than become a target. He was also making progress in his relationship with Cersei, but then schemed to find out who he could trust by using Myrcella as a pawn. If he were smart, he wouldn’t have crossed Cersei when it came to her children. Tyrion is good at schemes. He likes power, and he likes the thrill of the game. He might try and tell himself he wants to make the world a better place, but does he? “I saved all your worthless lives. I should have let Stannis kill all of you.” His story isn’t about being a great leader, it’s about him getting the credit and validation he’s been denied his whole life. It’s about proving his worth to himself and those who’ve hurt him. Also, in the scene where Varys tells him the story of how he was cut he says, “I have no doubt the revenge you seek will be yours in time, IF you have the stomach for it.” Tyrion turns away every time there is violence in front of him. He barely has the stomach for violence against terrible people he cares nothing about (the warriors in the fighting pits, the masters, Randyll Tarly) and he even says he hates himself for killing his father. Do you think he’s going to just be cool with Cersei’s destruction? Especially if he is starting to fear Dany’s power or senses his influence over her waning? Think again.
5.) The Night King is the biggest threat.
- Sure, it’s a supernatural power that seems unparalleled. But, again, too obvious. It will be a big deal, don’t get me wrong. But we are not nearly invested enough in the story of the White Walkers for it to be the Ultimate Baddie. I believe we will get more investment in Season 8. Maybe we will find out more about their purpose, and I really feel like we might get some beloved characters raised as Wights. But if this were supposed to be the emotional crux, we would have had more by now. So far, the only experience we have had with true stakes for the audience has been seeing the wildling Karsi being raised, a character we spent one episode with, and the death of Viserion, a dragon we barely saw. There is no “heart in conflict with itself” part of the White Walker storyline. And that is what makes this story what it is at the core. After Ramsay was defeated in Season 6, everyone wondered who the next big villain was. Cersei seemed obvious, but not intriguing as we’d all been used to her as a foe for years. Euron? Meh. Ohhhh, right. The Night King. People forgot about that. Makes sense, sure, but is that really what the last season is about? Tying up the loose ends that are already there? Or could it be there is another villain, the GREATEST villain yet? It couldn’t be a new character, there is no time to invest enough in someone new. But if it is someone we already know, someone who has been there all along, and it is their villainy that we are shocked by once it occurs, well… that sure sounds like Game of Thrones to me.
Subversion and Shock are the bread and butter of the series.
Through 7 seasons we’ve learned to love characters we thought we hated (Jaime, Theon) and we’ve continuously underestimated characters that are still here and more powerful than ever (Cersei, Sansa). We’ve paid less attention to stories that are boring than stories that are intriguing, and this has afforded the writers a key method of hiding important information in places we are less focused on. Honestly, for me anyway, I was rooting so hard for the Sept explosion when it came about, and not because of the injustice of the High Sparrow’s actions, but because I had become SO BORED with his long-ass lectures that I vilified him based simply on that. I even forgot about any investment I ever had in Margaery and Loras because they’d been locked away for a season and then their stories became boring as well. Tommen? Um… who? The most interesting thing about him was when he killed himself, and not because I think he deserved to die or anything, but because it was a SHOCK. I enjoy rewatching and rooting for a scene that is literally the epitome of our first DEFINED and UNCHALLENGED evil - burning them all.
At the end of the day, we want surprise. Therefore, the less likely the general audience is to predict an outcome, the more willing I am to consider it.
TL:DR - EVERYTHING that EVERYBODY knows is suspect.
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