SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT READ IF YOU AREN’T COMPLETELY CAUGHT UP ON GOT.
As they say in Game of Thrones, Valar Morghulis!
All men must die! So was the case with the show’s much anticipated season finale.
The Bastard Jon Snow is dead, betrayed by his own brothers of the Night’s Watch, and Stannis Baratheon’s claim to the iron throne has ultimately been undone.
Needless to say, with season five drawing to a dramatic close, fans will have to remain patient to see what’s next to come in the land of Westeros.
Jon’s death was likely the more heartbreaking, albeit not all that surprising.
His demise was one that is all to familiar with hardcore G-O-T fans, a death resulting from his allegiance being misplaced in the wrong allies.
Thrones fan, Viktor Espinosa says he feels that Jon’s death shouldn’t have come as a shock when you consider the history of the show.
“Having his own men kill him towards the end was not all that surprising,” Espinosa said.
“A lot of people were shocked, but let’s be real here. He did exactly what Ned Stark did, exactly what Robb did – they all placed their allegiances in the wrong places and got screwed for it.”
Although Jon’s death might have been foreseen by some, the illusion that is Game of Thrones did leave us wondering: Is Jon actually dead? Is Stannis dead?
After all you didn’t get that typical closure of death for either character, especially Stannis.
With Stannis, all we know is that he was near death and collapsed on a tree before being confronted by the mighty Brienne. We don’t actually see Stannis being killed, and that leaves us a little confused about the closure.
Thrones did the very same thing last season, after Brienne defeated the Hound in an epic battle, which seemed to be the demise of the Hound, but fans will remember that he never actually dies – he is only LEFT for dead.
And while viewers are probably still mourning the death of Jon Snow, and to a lesser extent Stannis Baratheon, we may not have quite seen the end of either of them.
Ryan Gibson is an avid G-O-T fan who’s read every book, and seen every episode. He feels there may be more to the deaths of Jon and Stannis than meets the eye.
“It doesn’t show that he (Jon) dies per se, it just shows him bleeding out, and they’ve actually done that with a number of characters,” Gibson said.
“We don’t know if Jon is gonna die, we don’t know if Stannis is dead, we only assume that they’re dead.”
Gibson thinks this ultimately leads to fan speculation of an unexpected return from either character.
In tragic circumstances like with Jon’s death, it’s never healthy to speculate as a G-O-T fan.
The entirety of the finale would have been more or less tragic were it not for the Queen Mother Cersei Lannister finally getting a taste of her own medicine, much to fan delight.
For Thrones fan Piers Van Beers, all is seemingly right in the world of Westeros.
“Exactly what happened to Stannis, should have happened to Stannis, and what should have happened to Cersei, definitely happened and she deserved everthing that happened to her,” Van Beers said.
Van Beers did however show some sympathy for the humiliated queen.
“I felt bad for her, but at the same time you have to think about all the people she screwed over in her reign as Queen Mother. To just have to walk through town naked – I’d say she got off pretty light.”
With the books still incomplete, and another year until next season, there’s really no telling what the future of Westeros holds.
Who’s next to die would be the ultimate question, but the fates of most character were left cliffhanging and unfortunately all we have is speculation until Spring of 2016 when season six finally debuts.
After all, it’s only just under a year a way.
