With about nine million characters, and literally thousands of years of mythology to keep track of, Game of Thrones can be exhausting to follow. That’s what we’re here for: this post should hopefully answer some of your most burning season four finale questions. I tried to keep it as spoiler-free for season five as possible, but there are hints at what’s to come.
1. Why does Arya want to go to Braavos?
Braavos is the home of Syrio Forel (Arya’s “dancing” instructor) and Jaqen H’ghar, as well as the Iron Bank, which Stannis and Davos visited earlier this season. It’s considered the most powerful of the Free Cities, and Arya receives passage there because of the coin she received from H’ghar. Before he shifts faces in the season two finale, he tells Arya that if she goes to Braavos, she must show the coin to a Braavosi and say “valar morghulis.” All men must die, though not before helping Arya go east. (As for why she’s heading there, and not the Wall: it’s as simple as, that’s where the boat’s going.)
2. Where is Tyrion off to?
Unfortunately that’s not something that can be discussed yet. There’s an answer, but that would be a pretty big spoiler for next season (all you need to know right now is he’s on the Narrow Sea). But the show added a nice wrinkle by having Varys tag along. That should result in some fun #TrueDetectiveSeason2 adventures on the high seas.
3. Where the heck is Myrcella?
Remember Myrcella? Me neither, but even though she was shipped off to Dorne to marry Trystane Martell forever ago, she still plays an important role in the future of the show. She’s a Baratheon (at least in name — she’s actually Jaime’s daughter), and she’s also the one person who makes Cersei seem human — she genuinely cares about Myrcella, so her being thousands of miles away is pure torture, and it’s only going to get worse now that Oberyn’s dead…
4. Also, where the heck is Gendry?
Good question. Anya’s childhood idol was also away all season, which is a big deal considering how some people believe HE’s the rightful heir to the Throne. Last we saw Gendry, Davos was helping him escape Dragonstone on a rowboat. He’s on his way to King’s Landing, but considering how off-book his entire story has been (for instance, in the novel, he’s second-cousin related to Dany, but the show got rid of Jaehaerys II, so it’s unknown if they’re still family; plus, he never leaves the Brotherhood without Banners), it’s impossible to know exactly where he is now. So there’s your answer: who knows.
5. Why did Melisandre look so fascinated by Jon Snow?
The thing to remember about Jon Snow is that even though he kind of sucks, and way too many attractive women are interested in him, he still has royal blood flowing through his veins, which explains why Melisandre was peering so intensely at him through the fire in the finale. This will probably be touched upon next season, but up to this point, Melisandre is convinced Stannis is Azor Ahai reborn (he’s the Game of Thrones version of Dayman, fighter of the Nightman). There are reasons to believe Jon Snow might play a role in her visions, however. But they’ll get to that.
6. Is the Hound dead?
Probably not. There’s a lot of book reader speculation as to what happened to the Hound after Arya refuses to grant him the gift of mercy — some people think he died from his wounds, while others believe he’s not only alive but now works as a gravedigger on Quiet Isle. There’s a whole bunch of theories, many of which you can read about here, but for the purposes of the show, let’s just assume he dead.
7. Why was this picture considered a spoiler? Did I miss something?
No, you didn’t. For some reason, the show didn’t get around to what Lena Headey’s Instagram tease is referring to, so I won’t spoil anything. Hopefully he/she/it will be in the season five premiere, otherwise book readers might revolt and burn HBO headquarters down.
8. Who was the little girl shooting fireballs at those skeletons?
Explaining what the hell is going on with Bran’s story is exhausting, so I’ll try to simplify as much as possible. The old man: a three-eyed raven. The little girl: she’s one of the last remaining Children of the Forest. Old Nan used to tell the Stark children about the Children, and how they were original inhabitants of Westeros, some thousands of years before the First Men got there. They played an important role in helping Bran the Builder with the construction of the Wall, and for centuries, they fought the White Walkers, suffering many casualties in the process. Most everyone, including Maester Luwin, thinks the Children (who planted the shiny red Weirwood trees) are all gone, but clearly, there are still some around, and they’re ready to kick Wight butt (that’s not as racist as it sounds).
9. Why does Stannis care about the Wall?
His motivation is a little unclear in the books, but I believe it’s because he’s desperate for support, and he figures that if he does something good at the Wall, the North is more likely to back his claim for the Throne, especially if he plays nice with Winterfell’s own Jon Snow. Plus, if he can work out something with Mance Rayder, he’s got thousands of Free Folk soldiers at his disposal.
10. Is it going to be torture until Game of Thrones is back?