And The Hound, presumably.

"And gold will be their shrouds…"

Out of newbie fear from the very beginning, I've never ventured anywhere else with comments about the show. I started here for the spoiler-free part, and was surprised by the high signal to noise ratio. That's what keeps me coming back each season.

I think we'll come to find out the LoL has real power, but was using Melissandre to take Stannis off the board. Not so much that she's a false prophet, but a pawn in a bigger game.

On the other hand, they'll have all that slavers/slaves business sorted, an invasion plan ready, a fleet of ships waiting in the harbor, and a stockpile of wildfire, just in case.

I suspect next season they'll show that it was just that small group of conspirators; the guys who stayed behind with Thorne when Jon went to Hardhome.

Yes. See also: Khal Drogo. Just because in that instance he came back as a zombified version of his former self doesn't mean that's the only way. Was that the limit of the hedge witch's magic, or purposeful as part of her revenge?

I wonder, though, if the mutineers will even bother/think to burn him? They seem to be the White Walkers Are Bullshit faction of the Watch (despite what they've either seen or been told). Wondering if this gives the writers a way to keep Jon in the show, but now fighting for the other side? If he comes back as an ice…

| I like to see sharp, focused story-telling.
I get the desire for that, really I do. But, especially considering how it's based on a massive, sprawling book series (or so they tell me), a certain amount of wandering about and exploring both the world and the genre doesn't seem out of place.

I like that image of the throne room so much that I forget about the sorcerers who were likely behind or causing the visions. That factor makes it less likely to actually happen, I guess.

Of course, she also saw a happy Drogo snuggling an adorable baby in that vision, so it might all be bullshit/wishful thinking/projection/misdirection.

Or Jon "don't call me dead" Snow.

Yeah, good point about the hand holding. I think that means they'll be one of the buddy pairs hitting the road next season for more highjinks and occasional homicide.

This seems like the inevitable downside to the writers' willingness to kill off any character: after a while, a lot of the great characters are dead. Which is better, I guess, if the show were to proceed with less ("fewer") characters, but instead we're introduced to a bunch of second or third-tier folks to fill the…

Unless, somehow, his parentage mystery still matters despite his death. With Melissandre right there, and that final shot of his blood pouring out, and the way Brienne specifically called what killed Renly "blood magic"— maybe they make the pieces still go together in a way makes it less trolling and more like…

For as much as I enjoy the show, I like coming here afterwards to read and talk about it almost as much. All in all, you guys are great, and I'm grateful to the AV Club for maintaining this 99% spoiler-free place for us. Waiting ten months to do it again will suck.

Yeah, I could see it being Sansa and Theon (not Reek anymore, I'd argue) laughing at their luck of landing in a snow bank and hauling ass towards the Wall.

Also, given all the various magic and identity swapping thus far, is there any reason "Jon Snow" can't come back in some form that doesn't require Kit Harrington?

I keep thinking about Dany's vision of the Red Keep in ruins, with snow coming in through the roof. If it ends with everyone dead and the white haze of the WW horde coming into King's Landing, I might be disappointed but I won't really be surprised.

I was surprised we didn't see Littlefinger again this season. His stated plan to swoop in after the Stannis/Bolton fight will happen next season, I guess, if at all. But I was hoping he'd get added to the mix again this episode.