17 Things That Might Happen In The Last 5 Episodes Of "Game Of Thrones"

Now we're halfway through the season it feels like the right time to make some mostly unsubstantiated shots in the dark.

1. Sansa, Jon, and Davos go on a road trip.

HBO

HBO

Towards the end of Episode 5 we saw Ser Davos doing some important army-based calculations – he couldn't read until a couple of seasons ago, but luckily his maths game is strong.

The trailer tells us that Ramsay vs Jon (or "Bastardbowl" as it has come to be known) is happening, so expect to see Team Stark going from house to house over the next two episodes in order to gain as much support as possible.

The above shots from the pre-season trailers seem to show Davos and Sansa at House Mormont, and it's a safe bet to assume the Hornwoods, the Manderlys, and maybe a few others are also on their shopping list. By the look on Sansa's face, she's not someone you want to say no to right now.

2. Rickon probably won't make it through the season. Sorry.

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Like a few other predictions in this post, this is one that I really hope I'm wrong about. But hear me out.

Before this season started there were many who thought we'd never see Rickon again, with "what would be the point?" being cited as the main argument. And these people kind of had a point. Jon is the military leader. Sansa is now the badass politician. Arya is a face-swapping ninja. Bran can pretty much see the entirety of space and time. And Rickon is...Rickon.

Even before he went AWOL for two and a half seasons, he'd only ever had a handful of lines, so it would be weird for him to rock up now and suddenly turn into a major player. Where he would have value, however, is as one of Ramsay's playthings – as another reason for Sansa and Jon to want to kill the new Lord Bolton. I mean, they already have a few reasons, but you can never have too many...

3. After the biggest battle we've seen so far the Starks will reclaim Winterfell, and Ramsay will die. About fucking time.

HBO

HBO

Before you get too happy, it's important to remember that NOTHING good that happens in Westeros comes without a cost. Yes, we'll once again see the Starks in Winterfell. Yes, the most evil character in TV history will be dead. But if you think you won't lose things you love along the way, then you haven't been paying attention.

Expect an episode-long battle (like Season 4's "Watchers on the Wall"), during which it'll look like the Starks are about to lose, before something happens that turns the whole thing on its head – such as Littlefinger turning up with the Knights of the Vale. Expect deaths that will haunt you for years – Tormund seems like a suitably heartbreaking candidate. Expect one of the best battle scenes the small screen has ever seen.

This will basically be the Battle of Hogwarts. Good people will die. It will seem like all hope is lost. But somehow the boy who lived will end up on top.

As a bonus prediction, seeing as Ramsay is always so keen to feed his victims to the hounds, wouldn't it be splendid if Ghost was the one who finally brought his reign of terror to an end?

4. Brienne and Jaime will reunite at Riverrun, but they'll be on opposing sides.

HBO

HBO

Until Tormund came along, there was only one ship that Brienne fans wanted to sail in – Jaime and Brienne are pretty much the Ross and Rachel of Westeros, and it looks like we're finally we're going to see them back in the same place.

In Episode 5 Sansa sent Brienne to Riverrun to convince her great uncle – the Blackfish – to help the Stark cause. And as you can see on the right, it looks like the Lannisters (led by Jaime) are planning to end the Tully rebellion before it can begin. Unfortunately this puts our favourite odd couple on opposing sides. They're basically going to be Romeo and Juliet. But without the unnecessary double suicide.

Instead, after an episode or two of tension, I'm hoping that something happens that finally causes Jaime to see that his sister is batshit crazy and that he is – as much as he's tried to hide it by pushing small children out of windows – in fact, a good guy.

5. On her way to Riverrun, Brienne will find she did a really shit job of killing the Hound.

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For various book-based reasons, and the fact that Ian McShane (who will appear in a single episode later this season) practically confirmed it, it's now widely accepted that the youngest Clegane brother will be returning to our screens.

In fact, we'd go so far as to say it'll probably happen in Episode 7. Last week it was confirmed that this will be titled "The Broken Man", which would fit with the suggested theory that the Hound was found by a member of the Faith, who nursed him back to health.

Chances are we won't see the same angry, chicken-eating, c-bomb-dropping Hound we know and love – he'll almost certainly come back as a "reformed", quiet man who is deeply pious. Hmm. Sounds kind of dull, to be honest.

6. Jorah will do as he's told and find a cure for his greyscale.

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Because Jorah always does as he's told.

But in all seriousness, earlier this year I included Jorah on a list of characters I thought would die this season. We know that Shireen's greyscale was cured, but we're told that was the exception rather than the rule – so as far as I was concerned, the most moody man is Essos was a dead man walking.

However, that all changed with Dany's little speech. In sending him off to find a cure, Dany (and the writers) have now made us all think that's exactly what he'll do. It would be weird to give us false hope, only for his condition to worsen.

If I was a betting man (OK, I am, I just lose a lot), I'd guess that Jorah may even disappear from our screens for the rest of this season – and into next – before turning up, cured, offering his services to Daenerys, just as she instructed him to.

7. Benjen Stark will return (like, for real – this isn't like the time Olly told us he was back and Jon got all murdered and stuff).

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It looks rather likely that this shot from the pre-season trailer is from the next episode, entitled "Blood of my Blood". On the right you can see Meera cowering behind what appears to be the sled she dragged Bran away in at the end of "The Door", while a hooded chap on a horse takes out a wight with some sort of flaming mace-type thing.

There's no way of knowing who it is, but the smart money is on good old Uncle Benjen. He was last seen heading north from Castle Black in Season 1, and it was starting to look like he was going to be another passenger on the SS Abandoned Plotlines – but this shot has caused fans to be understandably excited.

In Hodor, Summer, and the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran lost three of his carers within a few short minutes (rather careless if you ask me), so it would be the perfect time for the long-lost Benjen to make a rather overdue reappearance.

8. Yara and Theon will head to Essos to try to get to Dany before Euron can.

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Between Theon's emotional speech in support of his sister (during which the last remnants of Reek seemed to fade away), and Euron's seemingly crazy plan to marry Daenerys, the whole Greyjoy Kingsmoot scene in Episode 5 was actually seriously enjoyable. But with Euron winning the vote, what's next for his niece and nephew?

This shot from the pre-season trailer shows Yara kissing a prostitute – we know this because if you watch closely you can see that the woman in question has a teardrop tattoo on her face. As we learnt from Varys, this is the mark of prostitutes in Volantis.

So why would Yara and Theon head to Volantis? One theory is that they'll try to get to Daenerys before Euron can. Yara would undoubtedly be a useful ally for Dany, especially if she ever gets off her arse and plans an actual invasion rather than just talking about it for another six seasons...

9. Karma pays a visit to Walder Frey.

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So much has been going on lately that it's important to remember who the real dicks of Westeros are. Just three short years ago our hearts were irreparably broken as the Freys and Boltons killed Catelyn, Robb, Talisa, her unborn child, AND Grey Wind in a matter of moments.

Those who were of the opinion that they'd gotten away with it should think again. This shot from the trailer shows that we are once again back at the Twins, and for me this can only mean one thing – revenge.

The Starks are busy trying to make friends in the North. So who? Personally I think this may be part of the Tully resurgence that Littlefinger told Sansa about in Episode 5. As far as we're aware, the Freys still have Edmure Tully (Catelyn's brother), so it's not impossible that the Tullys attack the Twins in order to rescue him/right some wrongs.

This show of power from the Tullys could also be the trigger that causes Jaime and the Lannisters to ride north. If I'm right about all this you owe me a drink. 🍻

10. Gendry comes back. (Lol, I know, but hear me out...)

HBO

HBO

Since he rowed away from Dragonstone in Season 3, Gendry has become the patron saint of forgotten characters. People have decided that this is what happens when you try to condense George R.R. Martin's universe into 10 hour-long episodes per year – some characters have to "do a Gendry" and disappear, never to be seen again.

But if that were the case, it would be a sizeable stick with which fans could and would beat the showrunners. They created an interesting, complex, and seemingly important character, only to pretend he never existed. This is why I think he's coming back, and soon.

On the run from the crown (who'd have him killed if he were to ever reappear) Gendry truly is a brother without a banner. An outlaw. So surely there's only one place he could go. It's already been announced that Thoros of Myr will return in Season 6, so I'm going out on a limb and saying that when he does he'll have been rejoined by everyone's favourite blacksmith.

It really is the hope that kills you.

11. And if that wasn't enough, Nymeria will turn up as well.

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After losing two direwolves in the last three episodes, there's a decent chance this is just wishful thinking – but the alternative is sobbing in the corner while thinking about Summer and Shaggydog, so let's run with it.

In the books it's strongly hinted that Nymeria is leading a sizeable wolf pack in the Riverlands (where Arya left her in Season 1 in order to save her life). As we've already mentioned, it seems like a big chunk of the next five episodes will be set here, so that's clue number one.

But the biggest hint – in my optimistic mind, at least – is the fact that the direwolves have had such a terrible time of it so far this season. Killing off two of her siblings means that if/when the Nymeria reveal happens, we'll be even more excited than we would have been.

12. And talking of Arya, she'll refuse to kill the actress and leave the Faceless Men.

HBO

Ever since she refused to let go of Needle, we've known Arya was never capable of truly becoming no one. Seeing the crowd laugh as she watched her father lose his head for the second time (sort of) was enough to bring it all back. At that moment she knew exactly who she was.

Later we saw her question Jaqen on why Lady Crane deserved to die, in a way that suggested she was less than comfortable with the idea. Ser Meryn Trant deserved everything he got, and more – but not Lady Crane.

She's learnt some pretty useful skills in the House of Black and White, but her return to Westeros is long overdue, and being reminded of what her family's been through may just be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

13. We'll see a flashback of what went down between Jaime and the Mad King.

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This was a shot that was included in the second pre-season trailer, and if you adjust the light levels you're left with a rather exciting proposition.

There's no doubt that the shadow on the right is that of the Iron Throne, and to the left there's a very Jaime-shaped chap stabbing a bearded guy in the back – surely this has to be a Bran flashback of the moment the Kingslayer earned his unwanted nickname.

At the start of the season I'd have said this was unlikely, but since we saw the origin of the White Walkers in Episode 5 – something I genuinely never thought they'd explain this early, let alone in such a short scene – then it would seem any event in Westerosi history is fair game.

14. War comes to King's Landing. As does snow.

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After being ignored in "The Door" (we didn't miss it, tbh) it looks like King's Landing will be at the heart of Episode 6. This shot from the preview shows Jaime and the Tyrell army facing off against the Faith, with an absolute shit-ton of common folk hanging around to see what's going on.

This storyline has been something of a slow burner thus far (too slow for some – Joffrey would have ended the High Sparrow's reign in an instant) but surely something has to give soon.

With the crown having very little public support (remember Cersei's shame walk?) it's looking more and more like the capital could descend into civil war. Even zombie Mountain couldn't take on that many people, could he?

Also, if winter truly is coming, then before long it has to reach King's Landing. A solitary snow flake landing on the Red Keep would be an appropriately foreboding final scene of the season...

15. Daenerys will FINALLY look west.

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In the books Quaithe tells Dany "to go forward you must go back". Well, she's certainly done that. Five seasons later and she's more or less where she started – convincing the Dothraki to follow her by walking out of a fire without so much as a singed eyebrow.

If there really are (as we're led to believe) just two seasons left, then the Breaker of Chains needs to get a wriggle on. Tyrion is slowly creating some semblance of peace in Slaver's Bay, so surely Dany can now start doing what she's always threatened to do and take back her birthright.

Also we're five episodes in and Drogon is still nowhere to be seen. Lazy fucker. Expect him – and maybe his siblings – to turn up very soon. 🐲🐲🐲

16. Sam does...err, something useful. Though we're not entirely sure what just yet.

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This is a weird one. In five episodes we've only seen Sam and Gilly once, and that was just the former struggling through a bout of seasickness. Why send Sam away from the Wall if not for a good reason? Having him there when Jon died would have been heartbreaking, but it would have made for great TV.

This suggests there are big things ahead for the wannabe maester. The most likely option is that, assuming he does indeed end up in the Citadel, he learns some vital information that will help Jon and co. in the wars to come.

Another theory, though less likely, is that Sam could convince his father – Randyll Tarly, a great warrior – to throw his support behind Jon and his growing northern coalition. Earlier in the show we were told that he'd supported Renley Baratheon, so he's clearly not a fan of the Lannisters. Stranger things have happened.

17. The White Walkers reach the Wall, but it doesn't come down just yet.

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Episode 5 was clearly particularly White Walker-heavy, so for reasons of budget, but also so we don't get bored of them, they probably won't appear again for another few episodes.

Having said that, there has to be at least one more big White Walker scene before the season comes to an end, and now that the Three-Eyed Raven has kicked the bucket, you'd think they'll head south – to find Bran, but also just to fuck up the living.

The White Walkers reaching Castle Black has been inevitable since the very first scene of the very first episode, and personally I'll be very surprised if it doesn't happen in Season 6.

Having said that, I'm almost always wrong about this stuff.