For many years, George R.R. Martin‘s A Song of Ice and Fire novels have been building towards the ultimate battle between the living and the dead. The TV adaptation long ago jumped past the books and into the endgame for the story. And on Sunday night, Game of Thrones finally arrived at the first major confrontation between the champions of life and the White Walkers’ army of the dead…and it was not pretty. In fact, that ill-fated excursion to the other side of the Wall could mean some very bad things for the future of Westeros. Today’s Nerdist News is starring into the fire and sharing the dark visions to come!
There are massive spoilers ahead for last night’s Game of Thrones, and possibly for future episodes as well. You’ve been warned!
Join host and the mother of two dragons, Jessica Chobot, as we mourn the loss of Viserion, one of the last of his kind. Daenerys named her surrogate child after her late brother, but his new master, the Night’s King, may simply use Viserion as his own weapon of mass destruction. To escape from beyond the Wall with their captive wight, the forces of the living lost one dragon, possibly Benjen “Coldhands” Stark, and Thoros of Myr — the only person other than Melisandre to successfully resurrect someone in the name of the Lord of Light. No matter how you look at the mission’s success, it was a very costly trade.
Martin has teased the existence of ice dragons as far back as a children’s novel that he wrote in 1980, and within the text of his novels. Now that Viserion has fallen and risen again as a Wight, we have to wonder if his fiery breath will now be an icy blue. He may not look like the ice dragons of legend, but Viserion’s transformation almost certainly means that he will once again meet his brothers in the sky…and it won’t be a happy reunion!
But there may yet be hope for Viserion. Within the novels, warging into dragons is thought to be impossible. But Bran is the new Three-Eyed Raven, and Viserion’s mind may not be what it used to be. Alternately, some fans believe that Jon Snow has some unseen abilities from his time as a dead man that may allow him to reclaim Viserion’s allegiance. That last theory is a bit of a stretch, but it would allow the prophecy of the three dragon riders to once again have a viable outcome.
What do you think about Viserion’s fate on the show? Ignite the fires of your thoughts in the comment section below!
Images: HBO
