Looking Forward, Game of Thrones Ep. 608: Olenna, She Sent Me a Raven

Because Sansa wasn’t the only one writing a letter.

Oh yes. Hit the intro music…

Damn right. Your favorite Unsullied, unversed, nonbook-reading village idiot is baaaaacckkk (damn right) with another edition of the critically acclaimed “what the hell might happen next” series of Game of Thrones speculative rubbish (also known as, potentially reading too much into an action that could be completely meaningless).

Assuming we know for sure to whom Sansa’s letter was officially addressed (WARNING: SPOILERS… it was confirmed here, but I haven’t read it), we should probably tackle that other letter. You know, the one that was overshadowed by Olenna ripping Cersei to shreds with discourse.

To whom was she writing you ask? A man offers conjecture…

Weekend speculation requested. Weekend speculation delivered.

“She wrote me a letter, said she couldn’t live without me no mo’.”

First things first…

A man got in a little trouble with a few of the locals for including a tidbit from the upcoming episode preview in the Unsullied recap of The Broken Man (looking at you, 20th Man and the more eloquent Wilson).

So, for those reasons, and for the respect of all involved, behold… a disclaimer:

Disclaimer: The following, poor excuse for a discussion topic may contain spoilers (did I just say that?), but only if the speculation is correct. Otherwise, it is just a man that leads an incredibly busy lifestyle venting his thoughts surrounding an obsession with a television show. First world problems.

Oh, and it may also include some thoughts surrounding the preview in question as well. So plan accordingly. Leaving the party early is completely acceptable.

Throughout the course of the show, D&D have attempted to use the ambiguous “busy at your desk” misdirection scenes leading some fans to ignore that the person writing is actually doing something important. And at times, it has worked.

But by now, most of us have caught onto this game and realized that if characters are depicted in an action, that it most likely means something of importance. They’re not just filing those damn TPS reports.

The letter authored by Sansa was an obvious act of importance by how it was depicted on screen. No dialogue to deemphasize the action.

But in almost every other sequence of letter writing in Game of Thrones, the action itself is covered by important dialogue that tends to steal the scene. Tywin Lannister probably had the majority of these type scenes, as he always had his quill and paper handy and was masterful at having us believe he was simply taking care of realm business in his writings.

The importance cannot be denied anymore. Paper and raven is the only form of long-distance communication. Apparently, the AT&T service sucks in Westeros too.

And Grannie Flowers is most likely not filling out paperwork to claim her social security benefits.

So, to whom was she writing? I will venture two guesses (while keeping in mind that QoT is supposedly getting the hell out of Dodge).

The first is Littlefinger.

Lysakiller has been more of an afterthought in Season 6 than anything else. He was rightfully dismissed by Sansa for throwing her to Ramsay and the dogs and has shown up in only two episodes this season thus far. His appearances have been brief as well, leading many to believe that his significance is waning.

Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark and Aidan Gillen as Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish. Credit: Helen Sloan/HBO

Compared to other seasons, this is also a downward trend for Gillen. He has appeared in as many as 8 episodes (Season One) and as little as 4 episodes (Season Three) during any given ten-episode run.

However, his importance is still grossly understated. Baelish controls the Vale as long as he controls Robyn. And as long as he is gifting Robyn with rare birds of prey, he will likely remain in control of the Knights of the Vale.

Littlefinger also has an alliance with the Tyrells that began with the murder of a King orchestrated by himself and Olenna; an act that if discovered could land both parties in some very hot wildfire (assuming there’s anything left of the parties who would give a damn).

But the two have met and continued to conspire as late as Episode 7 of Season 5’s The Gift, where Baelish gave Olenna a young man (presumably Lancel) that led to Cersei’s walk of atonement. Granted, that was over a year ago. But in TV land, this is considered a relatively current event.

If the Queen of Thorns is, in fact, summoning Baelish for help, it would mean that LF will now have two powers requesting his assistance (assuming Sansa’s letter is for him), which seems to be the exact position in which he would want to be. If you rewatch the scene, Olenna seems to be overly pissed that she is having to write a letter at all, possibly suggesting that although she doesn’t want to ask for LF’s help, she is in a desperate situation. Olenna mentions the potential collapse of both of their great houses to Cersei. Cersei even seems to stare at the letter at one point, perhaps emphasizing its significance. But hell, maybe not.

Regardless, many are speculating that Littlefinger will meet his end by the end of this season. I would respectfully disagree.

Guesstimate #2: Dorne

There is little to no evidence to suggest that Olenna has any love for Ellaria Sand or the Sand Snakes, or anyone else in Dorne for that matter (on the show, at least). What they DO have is a common disdain of the Lannisters.

If this were to be the case, it would make at least some sense of the inclusion of the Dorne escapades featured at the beginning of the Season and would bring some compatibility of it into the overall picture.

Granted, this is somewhat of a stretch. But if we are only getting abbreviated seasons in 7 and 8, then some of these loose ends are going to have to start materializing into meaningful relation. And the last thing I want is for the conclusion of this epic tale to feel rushed.

Now, if we assume guesstimate #1 is correct, and Sansa’s letter is intended for who we think it was, it would likely mean that LF would not get to KL (or anywhere else south of the Twins) this season, assuming he goes to Winterfell first. This could mean that the Faith Militant persists into season 7 (oh, the damnation) if the Knights of the Vale end up having anything to do with the dumpster fire in King’s Landing. The idea of the militant potentially surviving the duration of this Season is also (somewhat) supported with my guesstimations about the brothers Clegane.

The fact is that for all I know, Littlefinger could be conspiring with Ramsay. And if that is the case, please dispose of this editorial altogether and let’s pretend it didn’t happen. Deal?

If guesstimate #2 is correct, well, it could mean more of this…

But at least there would be some sort of resolution as it related to the importance of Dorne.

Guesstimate #3 (Bonus):  After all of this, Lady Olenna may simply be leaving someone a goodbye note on her way out of town. And this post, in all its glory, may prove to be 1,400 words of pure insignificance.

I am convinced of one thing: either Tommen or Cersei will be dead by the end of the S6, if not both, and will most certainly happen while Jaime is playing tug-of-war with the Blackfish. This will leave Jaime leading a Lannister army contemplating where to go and what to do next. And (SPOILER ALERT), Brienne has found her man in the newest preview.

How much you want? I can do this for hours.

The picture should be much clearer after No One, because in terms of where it goes beyond here, no one really knows.

Am I way off? Most likely. A man remains a true Unsullied with no knowledge of leaks or otherwise. So please spew your thoughts like seasick Sam below.

Speculation welcome. Official preview thoughts welcome. LEAK SPOILERS UNWELCOME!

See you good-looking guys and gals Monday morning for the Ep. 8 recap. Until then, be nice to each other, and may there always be peace in your realm. -Oz

Find Oz on Twitter.

**SPOILER NOTE: The Management of this fine site would like to remind you that spoilers (book or leak) are not allowed in Unsullied posts. This includes spoilers that may be covered by code or otherwise. Personally, I appreciate feedback from Sullied and Unsullied alike, so long as they do not include any type of hinting or conversation related to the written verse. However, spoiler coded comments do tend to lead to further Sullied conversation and for that reason, we ask that you please refrain from posting any SPOILERY content whatsoever in Unsullied posts. Thank you for the coop. -Oz

The post Looking Forward, Game of Thrones Ep. 608: Olenna, She Sent Me a Raven appeared first on Watchers on the Wall.

Via http://watchersonthewall.com