Nobody ever mentions Essos preparing for winter, so I'm guessing it's not expected. Although I suppose cities like Braavos get enough of their calories from the ocean that the winter means relatively little to them (unless the ocean freezes, which they definitely don't seem to be expecting. . .although that doesn't…

True, although the Maesters of the Citadel might have preserved enough ancient knowledge to know the truth when they hear it. . .and persuasion is one of Sam's strengths.

That's the only reason the High Sparrow is still alive, and he's in danger of overplaying his hand. The Lady of Thorns has no intention of allowing her heirs to be executed or even humiliated in public like Cersei was. She'll see King's landing starve and die first, and she has the will and the means to carry through…

Regarding Tommen, the outside world has its doubts. I don't know if everyone believes the stories about Cersei and Jaime, but Stannis spared no effort to raise suspicions. The Freys were never technically a Great House by law (although Cersei might choose to keep her father's promise and make them Lords Paramount of…

What's amusing is that just about nobody, even in Westeros, has much of an interest in the looming Armies of the Dead. For that matter, even the Boltons seem only marginally concerned about them, and they'll be the very first to go. It makes you wonder what the Others have to do to actually frighten some people.

You may yet get to see that. The secret of forging Valyrian blades has been lost, but one of the main ingredients is dragon fire. If someone shows up with the rest of the recipe (which I'm guessing is royal blood) that could easily happen.

The wheel is doing a spectacular job of breaking itself into splinters without her help. House Stark has fallen; House Tully has fallen; House Baratheon is extinct; House Lannister, House Arryn and House Greyjoy are down to one heir apiece, all of them endangered; House Martell isn't really even a House anymore. . . .…

Actually. . . . why can't Essos just sit it out? There's no indication that the Others pose any threat to them at all. The Children of the Forest were kind enough to call down the Hammer of the Waters to destroy the only land bridge linking Westeros and Essos.

She might. The Dosh Khaleen aren't just an order of nuns. They're a council of advisors who even the Khals have to make a yearly pilgrimage to pay their respects to. If Dany manages to win them over somehow, and can speak for the Dosh Khaleen, it's possible that she'll be able to give orders to the whole Dothraki…

Other than taking a match to Mereen, I don't see a particularly expedient or narratively involving way out of it.

Those dogs were trained for hunting, not for war. And Brienne killed their handlers. I think they might have done the sensible thing and run for their lives.

The High Sparrow is more ruthless and cunning than he appeared to be. . . but is he really that cynical? Murder and regicide are presumably frowned upon by the Seven.

I can't remember if that was in the show either. It's been too long. But as far as I can recall, that's the only prophecy in the story that never came true.

The widows of Khals do indeed go to Vaes Dothrak, to become part of the Dosh Khaleen. If I remember correctly, the Dosh Khaleen is more than just a convent. Collectively, the widows wield real power. They settle disputes between the Khals, and may even have the authority to command the Dothraki nation as a whole.

How long can Jon stay dead, though? At some point, presumably, he'll be past Mellisandre's ability to bring him back. . . and once the Others arrive (which we're given to expect will be soon), he'll rise anyway.

I think Davos might be wrong. Thorne's control of the Watch doesn't strike me as especially stable, and there's probably an upper limit on how many Brothers he can treacherously murder.

I haven't read the comics, but it strikes me that perhaps there IS a way for Rick to destroy the Saviors. . .by choosing the greater evil.

Honestly, I watched it again, and I kind of feel that - if this was the last sequence of the season, it would have possibly been more effective to end it as soon as they busted through the clearing and were caught.

Exactly.

C'mon, now. Do you really think we're all annoyed because we hoping to see someone's head get smashed in with a bat, and then we didn't?