(This post contains potential SPOILERS for Game of Thrones season 8)
In Game of Thrones season 7, we saw that Cersei Lannister had had a giant map of Westeros painted on the floor of a courtyard in the Red Keep. It was one of the most striking new sets of the year. When discussing the map room on one of the season 7 Blu-ray commentaries, the producers revealed that they were specifically instructed to build it in such a way that we could see the sky from inside it. Why? “I can’t tell you,” said visual effects producer Steve Kullback. But apparently it’ll pay off in “an upcoming episode.”
When we heard this, we assumed that someone — probably Cersei — is going to be in the map room at some point in season 8, look up at the sky, and see a dragon flying overhead. Redditor cepsGOT pointed out that the show may have foreshadowed this years ago.
Way back in season 4’s “The Lion and the Rose,” when Bran is still on his way north to find the Three-Eyed Raven’s Cave, he stops by a weirwood tree and has a vision. In it, he sees many things, including his father in a dungeon, a White Walker riding a dead horse, and the Winterfell crypts. But one image always stuck out: a glimpse of a dragon flying over King’s Landing and casting a long shadow.
You can also see a flash of this image when Bran and Meera are escaping the Three-Eyed Raven’s cave in season 6.
At the time, it was hard to tell if this image was something the show was foreshadowing on purpose or if they just threw it in because it looked cool. But with the new information about the Red Keep map room — according to visual effects supervisor Joe Bauer, there will be “a need to see the sky” from inside of it — we’re starting to think that this shot was intentional. We can see it now: at some point in season 8, the shadow of a dragon falls over the city, Cersei looks up from her map room, sees it in the sky, and seriously regrets her life choices.
As cepsGOT points out, the producers could have snuck this shot into the season 7 finale, when Daenerys rode Drogon to the Dragonpit, but they didn’t, which makes us think they’re saving it for season 8. It’s even possible that the shot could appear after the White Walkers have been defeated — there doesn’t look to be any snow on that city, after all — but we’re not that optimistic.
One important unanswered question: Is the dragon living or dead? Is this the Night King or Daenerys visiting King’s Landing? If it’s the Night King, the people of the city will probably be zombies by the end of the day. If it’s Daenerys, they may also be in trouble. Yes, she hasn’t torched King’s Landing up to this point, but only because Tyrion and Jon have talked her out of it. Who knows might could change in the final episodes?
And if Bran’s vision of a dragon flying over King’s Landing turns out to be true, the other parts may, too. In that same vision from “The Lion and the Rose,” Bran also sees an image of the Red Keep throne room, covered in snow.
That ties into the vision Daenerys had during her visit to the House of the Undying in the season 2 finale, where she sees much the same thing.
Will this come to pass? And if it does, who will have caused it? Our money’s on the Night King, but then again, destroying the Red Keep and all it represents would certainly qualify as “breaking the wheel,” one of Daenerys’ longterm goals. Either way, it sucks for Cersei.
Or the visions could mean nothing, or represent futures that are preventable. Visions are tricky buggers. What do you think?
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