The Nights Watch: GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8 EPISODE 3. April 29 UK. Spoilers after 2 am.

[OneInAMillionYou]

Come gather brothers and sisters of The Nights Watch. The Battle of Winterfell will soon be upon us.

Valar morghulis

Not likely.

@Tilikum that's a good point about book Alys, I had forgotten that in all the switching up they did with the northern storylines for the show.

I got sucked into a YouTube hole of looking at past Theon scenes. I hadn't been entirely sold in Sansa's fond welcome for him but going back to their parting in season 6 when he is all broken but would have died to get her to the wall, it does make sense. And then getting sucked into going back to how he was in the first season, I had genuinely forgotten how much his character has changed. I honestly think his is one the most well-developed characters who has grown and changed the most (even if his rescue of Yara was a bit unexplained). And kudos to Alfie Allen for pulling it off especially as he wasn't that established an actor at the start - I tend to forget about him compared with the actors playing the main characters or the already established actors playing secondary characters but I felt genuine loss at his death and I think that is down to both the story arc for Theon and the acting.

Haven't they only got something like 37 people left to fight Cersei now?

Almost, 38.

In the books Sansa really did see that Tyrion was, as the son of the Lord of the Flowers told her at her own wedding, 'A far superior husband than my brother would have been' (or, as Tyrion put it, 'He would have bored you spitless'), so there is some precedent for their getting back together. Their marriage, though unconsummated, had never been annulled by a High Septon.

That's what I'm rooting for at the end, but is it likely in a Medieval type setting?
I think it's doubtful it would work long term. Fine for the wall and the wildlings, but in a culture with deep rooted tradition and monarchy, I don't think it would be long till the next King with some vague or distant claim to the throne decides they want it.
I'm rooting for it too though and I think Tyrion cares enough about it not to sit back and let it happen if Dani is pregnant.

Their marriage, though unconsummated, had never been annulled by a High Septon.

Exactly!

And they may only have 38 people left, but they also have two dragons and a direwolf.
They just need to pick up a wheelbarrow along the way:

More seriously, it will have to be whoever they can get from the Iron Islands, isn't it? Anyone else?

Speaking of Sansa and pregnancies, Ramsey did his worst to get her pregnant, didn't he? But she never was. I wonder if she is also sterile, although it could be on his part.

So she is still, in fact, married to Tyrion and the whole episode with Ramsay was nothing but the rape it was. If she has sex with Tyrion, the marriage is entirely valid.

In the books what first Lysa and then Littlefinger were banking on is that Tyrion would die and thus leave Sansa free to marry in a sept or by a septon without having to reveal her marriage so it could be set aside. But this never happened.

Talking of their 38 people. How are they getting south? Could they all fit on a dragon... Will Yara send boats? Or will they go overland now that journey seems to be done a lot quicker than in the first season who controls the twins now the Freys are dead? Cos apparently that was a really important river crossing or something... And where is Edmure? Does he live? Is he in charge of the Twins? In which case maybe he will provide some extra men. And did the Knights of the Vale all get wiped out? Don't think I particularly noticed them last night. Who is charge of the Reach now? And what about Dorne? They don't like the Targaryens or the Lannisters.

So many questions, which could actually make a difference to how many men Jon/Dany could field against the Golden Company and to whether there is another big battle or some kind of betrayal/assassination plot.

And will they end up at the Inn at the Crossroads (again) for pie?

It's worth remembering that Daenarys left the Seven Sons in Mereen. She could always call them to come over.

TBH, they don't need another war. Just a well timed dragon strike to the Red Keep, plus Euron's fleet. Or Arya finishing her list. A lot less costly than another staged battle. The Golden Company are mercenaries who will quite happily take the gold and march off without a backwards glance if their contract with Cersai is ended by her death.

At this stage, despite the difference in numbers, Daenarys has more allies and that may be the key difference between them. If I were Cersai, I would have an escape plan.

Re Dorne, the Martells were all killed, but the other Houses have stayed out of all of this. So by now have probably found a new ruler, and under them have more firepower than everyone else put together, except possibly Euron. And Dorne will side with Dany/Jon over Cersei.

Too long spent watching dragons fly rather aimlessly round in clouds

I liked the contrast. It was catastrophic on land waiting for and needing the help of the dragons whilst they were basically blinded and lost and unable to help.

Presumably the Reach have done similar in replacing the Tyrells/Tarlys but having suffered more destruction from fighting than Dorne.

Did we learn what happened to Houses Manderly and Cerwyn? They didn't abandon Jon like the Glovers but not sure I spotted them.

To be honest though, if this is intended to still be like the wars of the roses then we should be reaching the stage where the large noble families are fatigued and fewer of them are turning out to fight on either side.

WTF is Jaime going to do now?
In the inevitable battle that will now take place between Jon/Dany/etc and Cersei, is he really going to run back to Cersei and fight for her? It doesn't seem consistent with his recent actions. And if he did want to go, would they let him?

One thing that keeps coming at me are the cycles. Everything turns full circle, from the dragons bring born and bringing the Targaryan house back to power to the Starks fleeing, surviving and regrouping. Even the Night King is just the end of another, very old conflict.

For a bittersweet ending, we would need the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. Best guess? Jon and Danearys will both die, either leaving a child or nominating a successor. Tyrion and Sansa look likely to be the War of Roses couple (Lancaster + York) that actually rule Westeros or at least setting up a new type of government. Cersai could have a dozen satisfying endings, but it will be the one we don't expect.

How are they getting south?

Ep 4 preview shows a number of ships with the Targaryan sigil. I imagine they will travel south in the same way that they went north - by boat. Maybe time for attempt 2 at #boatsexbaby.

JasperRising agree with everything you say about Theon’s arc in the show. It has been written well and Alfie has been perfect. I would have liked to see Jaime’s and Sandor’s redemption arcs more closely match their book ones, but I guess the fans really need to see Cleganebowl so the gravedigger had to be dragged out of retirement.

Edmure Tully is alive, he's a prisoner of the Lannisters, or he was a couple of seasons ago when Jaime threatened to launch his honeymoon baby into Riverrun with a catapult. The Manderleys were secretly building new ships for the North (but I can't remember if that was in the books only).

The episode 4 trailer shows loads of ships with Targaryan sigils on the sails so they could be either Yara's remaining iron born or the Manderleys secret ships.

There were some knights of the Vale in the opening scenes last night but I never saw them again after that. Is Sansa's Lord of the Vale friend (the one she discusses everything with) Bronze Yohn Royce? I didn't see him at all in Monday's episode.

There is no way Bronn is going to try to kill Tyrion or Jaime. He is not the cutthroat sellsword he used to be, not where those two are concerned anyway.

Has Cersei got an army? Has she got the Golden company on her side-presumably she does have the money to pay them? And Euron’s fleet?

Tilikum yes, that’s Bronze Yohn. I don’t think he was in the battle.

Who knows what the rest of Westeros is doing at this point. It seems that we are now looking at a war between Team Good and Team Bad. Other houses and regions have ceased to matter.

I wouldn’t bet money on Bronn staying ‘nice’. The showrunners seem to like ‘surprises’ so they may pull something shocking out of the bag. Book Bronn would definitely do it, but show Bronn is....... entirely what they need him to be to fulfill the plot.

Cersei has green eyes....

Arya has got to wear some ones face in the final scenes. Maybe it’s Jamie’s or the pirates!

Jamie’s is my hope!