27 Things "Game Of Thrones" Season 8 Really, Seriously Needs To Deliver

I pray to the old gods and the new that my wishlist comes true.

1. A Gendry and Arya reunion.

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Arya was devastated when Gendry wanted to join the Brotherhood Without Banners, and then when he was sold to Melisandre. She hasn't seen him since and likely doesn't yet know he's still alive. When Gendry finally returned to the plot in Season 7 and joined up with Jon Snow, it was disappointing that the pair didn't discuss their mutual fondness for Arya – here's hoping the writers remember how important Gendry and Arya are to each other in Season 8. She always wanted him to come to Winterfell and be her family, after all – now he finally can.

2. A Jon Snow and Arya reunion.

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Equally (or probably even more) important as Arya's reunion with Gendry is Arya's reunion with Jon Snow. Even though we only got to see them in two episodes together at the very start of Season 1, their bond is extremely strong and has carried through all the series. Jon gave Arya Needle, and it's one of the reasons she treasures the sword. Even Sansa acknowledged in Season 7 that while Jon was happy to see her, he'd be especially excited to see Arya again. With Arya currently at Winterfell and Jon heading there in Episode 1 of Season 8, it's sure to be a touching moment when they finally meet again.

3. A Jon and Bran reunion.

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Jon and Bran were really close, and the last time Jon saw Bran he was unconscious after his fall (you know, when Jaime pushed him out of the tower window). Bran has seen Jon a couple of times since then from a distance, but has never been able to talk to him. Now he will be able to finally speak to him – and OH, the things he has to tell him! Jon will have to process that Bran isn't Bran anymore...and that he himself isn't who he thought he is.

4. Enough time for Jon Snow to process the truth about who he is.

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Season 7 finally had Bran and Sam comfirm a long-held fan theory that Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark were in love and eloped, and that their baby – that'd be Jon – is actually a legitimate Targaryen. Jon will learn the truth probably in the first or second episode of Season 8, but with the Night King approaching it doesn't leave a lot of time to deal with the implications which, for Jon, are world-shaking. Not only is his identity tied up in Ned Stark, he has also just fallen in love with Daenerys, his biological aunt. After so many seasons of build up, it's important the story allows enough breathing room for the consequences of this reveal to really be felt. It can't all be battles, right?

5. Jon visiting Lyanna Stark's statue in the crypts at Winterfell.

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Part of Jon processing the truth has to be confronting the fact that the mysterious aunt he's heard about his whole life was actually his mother. The trailer for Season 8 does feature a clip of him in the crypts (see below) but it doesn't reveal whether he's visiting Ned or Lyanna's statue (here's hoping BOTH).

6. Jon and Dany working through the truth and emerging stronger ~together~.

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Yeah, yeah, I know it's incest, but this is Game of Thrones. It's ruined us all. Anyway! Dany will either see Jon's Targaryen status as a threat or as an even stronger reason why she should be with him – and I hope/think it will be the latter (the Targs love incest, after all). It's much more uncertain how Jon will feel about the whole thing, but frankly I think Dany is already knocked up so that will probably take precedence over concerns she's his aunt.

7. Dany NOT dying in childbirth.

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Look, I think there's a good chance that Dany is going to die. But if she does, it BETTER be in a blaze of glory, taking out the Night King. If she's gone through everything she's gone through just to die in childbirth I will RIOT.

8. The survival of at least one dragon.

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I don't have high hopes any of them will live, to be honest, but gee it sure would be nice. I don't think I'll cope if they're all wiped out. They're the last dragons, after all.

9. Screentime for Ghost.

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Ghost is as important to Jon Snow as the dragons are to Dany. Their relationship is so essential to the story, and yet Ghost has disappeared from the past couple of seasons of the show. I get that it's expensive to include the direwolves, but it's disappointing to see his role so reduced. We have been told he WILL be in this season, though, which is great – just as long as he survives! (Please, please, please, let him live.)

10. Nymeria and her wolf pack taking out some wights.

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There has to be a reason she appeared in Season 7 beyond running away from Arya, right? Imagine how much damage she and her wolves could do. And it would be wonderful revenge after the wights took down her brother Summer. Just as long as she doesn't die, too. I just can't handle any more animal deaths on this show!!

11. An Arya and The Hound reunion.

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Even though Arya left The Hound to die after his fight with Brienne, we know she really cares about him deep down – and he cares about her. It was lovely to see his joy when Brienne told him Arya was alive (and lethal) at the end of Season 7. It would be even more amazing to see them actually reuniting. Hopefully The Hound is heading to Winterfell along with Jon Snow and Dany.

12. A Sansa and The Hound reunion.

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The Hound cares a lot about Sansa. In their time in King's Landing he was very protective of her. He saw her as a delicate and fragile "little bird", so it would be wonderful for him to see how much she's grown and changed – and how strong she is.

13. Cleganebowl.

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GET HYPE.

Fans have wanted to see the Clegane brothers reunited for a fight to the death for a long time. Promo shots released for Season 8 show the two of them together, so it seems likely it's actually going to happen.

14. Sansa and Dany getting along.

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One of the worst parts of Season 7 was the ridiculous and petty competition between Sansa and Arya (that made absolutely NO sense). It'll be really disappointing if Sansa gets insecure and defensive around Dany – especially, you know, with the end of the world incoming and all. Hopefully any wariness is dispatched quickly and Sansa feels safe enough in her own power not to feel threatened by Dany. It's just going to be boring and tiresome otherwise.

15. Tyrion not being jealous of Jon/in love with Dany.

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With Tyrion's worried (and creepy) lurk outside Dany and Jon's boatsex love nest in the Season 7 finale, a lot of people theorised he must be secretly in love with Dany. I just think this plot is really boring, and they haven't done a good job of establishing it if that's the way they want to go. There are already so many plots that need to be resolved, not to mention the END OF THE WORLD to prevent, so I don't see how they can effectively go down this path.

16. A Tyrion and Sansa reunion.

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Remember how they're married?! Lol. Tyrion was one of the few people in King's Landing to show Sansa kindness, and he was also the first to recognise her strength and survival instincts. It'd be great to see his reaction to Sansa as Lady of Winterfell.

17. Bran being a little more, well, Bran.

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Three Eyed Raven Robot Bran is so disconcerting. It's almost more heartbreaking than him dying, because he's there, but he's also really not. Seeing his lack of emotions last season, even after returning home and being reunited with his family, was truly awful. I hope he gets a bit more of his old personality back.

18. Bran confronting Jaime.

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Jaime is heading to Winterfell – last time he was there, he pushed Bran out of a tower window. He's a very different character than he was then, but it would be great to get some closure to this storyline. Which is why it's even more important Bran not be a total robot.

19. A Jaime and Brienne reunion.

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We got a brief Jaime and Brienne reunion in the Season 7 finale – and it basically took two words from Brienne to send Jaime off on the right path and regain all the character development he'd had before he returned to Cersei. It'll be incredible to see Jaime and Brienne fighting on the same side and, hopefully, reconnecting on a personal level stronger than ever.

20. A conclusion to the valonqar prophecy.

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Thanks to Maggy the Frog's prophecy, Cersei has long feared that the valonqar ("little brother") will kill her. She believes it's Tyrion, but there's a popular fan theory that it's actually about Jaime. He was born after her, and it would be a somewhat fitting ending to their twisted relationship. They'll probably end up killing each other tbh.

21. The completion of Theon's redemption arc.

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It's been an incredibly bumpy road for Theon, but he's finally beginning to reclaim his identity. Before the end of the show, we need to see him truly be Theon again, and make up for his past transgressions. He NEEDS and DESERVES this.

22. Yara being free and alive.

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I was so mad when Euron captured Yara. Either Theon should rescue her, or she should somehow escape on her own. Either way, she better make it out of this alive – or at least going down fighting someone other than her own family members.

23. The death of Euron Greyjoy.

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He was introduced way too late for me to care about his character AT ALL. He's not an effective villain, imo, and he mostly just gets in the way of more interesting characters and plot. I'm really hoping he dies this season, either at the hands of Theon or Yara. Even better if it happens early on.

24. Missandei and Grey Worm surviving and thriving together.

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Their romance is one of the sweetest and most refreshing parts of the show. It's going to absolutely BREAK me if anything happens to either of them (and it probably will, lbr). If anyone deserves a happy ending, it's these two.

25. A scene with the Stark children – including Jon – reminiscing.

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Is a nice, nostalgic moment with all the remaining Starks together, before everything really goes to shit again, really too much to ask? I need to see them talk about Ned and share laughter and tears and hugs. I NEED IT.

26. SOMETHING left of Winterfell.

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Winterfell, like the Starks themselves, has been through A LOT. It's been burned and stolen and won back and rebuilt. It's such an important location in the show, and so symbolic. We know there's going to be a huge battle there between the living and the dead, and we know that will mean a lot of losses – not just of life, but probably of Winterfell too. Or parts of it, at least. But it will be too devastating if it gets destroyed altogether. Some of it needs to live on.

27. The Night King's defeat and death.

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ENOUGH SAID.