I thought it was all pretty stupid save the Brotherhood part. At least the Bastard Bowl is next week. Predictions: Tommen will die Cersei will burn KL to the ground with Wildfire BwB will head north to aid Jon and the Starks R+L=J will be confirmed in episode 10 with a sort of cliffhanger and cut scene that finishes the TOJ scene then cut to Jon and end. It will show Lyanna die in childbirth and say promise me Ned, then show the baby then cut to Jon. Jon will beat Ramsay but not kill him and will imprison him. Rickon is toast. Greyjoys will destroy the Masters and give Dany her ships. Jaime will kill Cersei for doing what he killed Aerys for trying to do and then kill himself. They came into the world together, they leave the world together and Maggy the Frog's prophecy will be fulfilled.
Thinking Tommen offs himself and Rickon is the dangling carrot before the battle and killed by Ramsey.
Yep...I don't think Arya had any doubt that they were coming for her hence her telling Lady Crane you are not safe with me. Arya setup her little dungeon to lure the Waif too when the time came.
So, was Lyanna in love with Rhaegar too or was it unrequited? I've read different opinions, but I'm not sure how the book portrays their relationship. Since Robert won the war, he gets to write the history and say she was kidnapped and raped. But I've seen other theories that say that Lyanna was just as in love with RT as he was with her. Rhaegar even won a champion's tournament and rode past his own wife to give a bouquet of flowers to Lyanna - in front of everyone. I know she was promised to Robert, but imagine if the alternate theory of them being in love with each other is true. Since her kidnapping was the event that kickstarted Robert's Rebellion, it may not have even been a kidnapping at all? That single event changed the entire course of their history; not to mention that thousands on both sides that died (including Lyanna, her father and brother). So basically, if she just ran off with a man she loved, then all of it was for nothing.
In the books, Arya is 10 years old. All of the child actors have aged 6 years in a one-year storyline. Bran is only 8 in the books which explains why he is so over whelmed by power. The stabbing must have been superficial. Lots of blood but no penetration into the chest or abdomen, or there is no way she would be leaping and running after a few hours rest and no way she could be patched up by an actress. Arya knew that killing the Waif was her graduation. She set it all up in the back streets that she knew, where she always had a getaway, a refuge, and finally a lair. She was just not expecting the ambush stabbing. I think she expected the Waif to come at her straight on like the Terminator as she did during the chase. And now Arya goes back to Westeros to work on her list. Everything is proceeding as Jaqen H'ghar intends. He has an even better nymphet assassin in the field and the other Faceless Men are jealous.
I believe they both loved each other, and I think that is an underlying message throughout this series. Lyanna and Rhaegar get many people including both of their fathers killed in the name of love. Robb Stark gets a bunch of his bannermen, and his mother killed in the name of love, how many people have died by the hands of Lannisters in the name of love? Plus if you remember the conversation (in the show) between Littlefinger and Sansa in the Winterfell crypt, he pretty much confirmed it anyway.
Thoughts on tonight's episode? Spoiler I thought the way they killed off Ramsay was brilliant, even though I kind of guessed it when he said he hadn't fed them in 7 days. I thought Ghost would play a role in the battle, but now I'm glad he didn't because they would have just killed him off. I also like the way Dany reclaimed Meereen.
Ramsay needed to die hard, and I found it very satisfying. My daughter and I were standing and cheering as John beat his face. Wish I could have seen more of the dogs chewing on him, but Sansa's smile was a nice ending.
