Everything to remember from ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 1

Beware, for this post is dark and full of spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 1-7

Valar morghulis, friends. You’ve just entered Mashable’s Citadel, where we are Rewatching the Throne, dissecting Game of Thrones season by season to prepare for the final six episodes beginning on April 14. 

Here are all the theories, unanswered questions, unresolved plots, and forgotten tidbits you need to remember before winter comes for the endgame in Season 8, beginning today with all the small moments that began in Season 1 that we think might be making a reappearance.   

1. What does the spiral pattern mean?

This reoccurring mystery happened right under our noses in the very first scene of the very first episode. The White Walkers leave the dead wildlings’ body parts arranged in an odd pattern, which crops up again in Episode 3, Season 3 when Mance points out that the dead horses are arranged similarly. “Always the artist,” he jokes about the White Walkers.

But it’s not just the Walkers using this spiral pattern. In one of Bran’s visions in Season 6, a similar symbol is prominent in the shot of the weirwood tree where the Children of the Forest created the first ever White Walker and again in Season 7’s Dragonstone cave paintings presumed to be created by the Children as well.

We’ve never gotten a straight answer about their significance. Showrunner David Benieoff has explained over many Inside the Episodes that these ancient symbols were created by the Children for ritualistic purposes. 

Some speculate the Walkers are using it to mock their creators by debasing these holy symbols. Others believe it’s more practical, and used for ritualistic magic. There’s precedent for it being  associated with the Isle of Faces, an important, mysterious, ancient location where the Children of the Forest and First Men made a peace pact during Westeros’ prehistory.

Generally, spirals represent cycles of repetition. That makes sense to our story, since the White Walkers rising again is a parallel to when they first rose during the Long Night thousands of years ago. 

Perhaps the White Walkers see this pattern as a reminder to man of another pact they made thousands of years ago, but have since forgotten. Maybe it’s an indication that their return is simply part of the universe’s natural cycle, and potentially even tied to its strange seasonal patterns.

2. Believe every word that came out of Old Nan’s mouth

In Season 1 everyone made fun of Old Nan’s whacky stories — until almost every single one of them came true. Here’s a scene where she basically lays out everything that will likely happen now that the White Walkers have fully risen again:

We should give credence to the pieces of Old Nan wisdoms that haven’t come true yet.

She claims White Walkers marched on dead horses and pale spiders as big as hounds. In the show, we’ve seen the undead horses and even a bear. But spiders? That could be a final season surprise.

Some even think a passage in the books about Old Nan seeing all Brandon Starks as the same person foreshadows that our Bran will become a time traveler who truly does become all the Brandon Starks from history (including the one of legend who built the Wall).

Also Old Nan says, “All crows are liars.” Is there another Night’s Watch betrayal to come, or was that a warning to Jon Snow about what’s already happened?

3. How will Nymeria come back?

After Nymeria bit Joffrey’s arm to defend Arya in Episode 2 (the goodest girl), she was the first direworlf to disappear from the story. But unlike almost all the other direwolves since, she and Ghost are now the last remaining survivors.

In her brief reunion with Arya in Season 7 Arya revealed that’d she’d become the leader of a wolf pack. But it’s hard to believe that’s the last we’ll ever see of this powerful she-wolf.

In the books, Nymeria’s deadly wolf pack is causing all sorts of mayhem in the Riverlands, and it’s speculated she’ll either come back to fight alongside Arya in the battle against the dead or even fight in battle against a different conqueror, Daenerys Targaryen.

4. Mirri Maz Duur curses Daenerys

After her betrayal, the witch Mirri Maz Duur says the following infamous words once Dany asks when Drogo will return to her:

“When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. When the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child. Then he will return, and not before.”

Now, you can interpret this straightforwardly, and as a really poetic way of saying, “Never.” But others see it as something of a prophecy or even a curse. And in terms of book lore, nearly every one of her predictions has already come true except for the living child and Khal Drogo’s return.

Dany brings this curse back up in the Season 7 finale with Jon, interpreting it as a curse that left her barren. But Jon wisely says she shouldn’t believe the words of a scorned witch, leading many to speculate that they’ll have a baby (whether human or dragon) next season.

But here’s the twist: if the prophecy come true, that means Khal Drogo will be returned to Dany. Or more probably, it means Daenerys will die and reunite with him in the afterlife. This would also align with a vision she has in the House of the Undying in Season 2 (which we’ll get to later). 

5. The significance of the Valyrian dagger

Wen we first watched Season 1, none of us understood why a Valyrian dagger, used in the assassination attempt on Bran, was so special. We still don’t either, because that specific dagger came back up many times, indicating it’ll play a bigger role in Season 8.

What fans refer to as the “Catspaw Dagger” comes from unknown origins, which is very odd for any Valyrian weapon. Baelish claimed he lost it to Tyrion in a bet, but that’s total bullshit (Why would a man from a no-name family possess such a rare weapon? Also we now know Baelish had been scheming for a fight between the Starks and Lannisters back then).

More importantly, in Season 7 Littlefinger gives it to Bran and the all-knowing Three-Eyed-Raven asks, “Do you know who this belonged to?” 

A weird question from someone who knows everything, and likely an indication that its origins and history matter (our bet is an important Targaryen). 

That’s supported by the fact that Bran (who, again, knows everything) then very pointedly gives it to Arya. Just to bring things full circle, Arya later uses it to slit Baelish’s throat.

But it goes ever deeper. Earlier in the season, we saw an identical-looking Valyrian dagger in a book Sam was reading at the Citadel. The text around it explains how Targaryens often decorated they Valyrian weapons with dragonglass — you know, the only thing that kills White Walkers. 

In the latest Season 8 images, we see the dagger still with Arya and, boy, are we glad it’s in the hands of a killing machine since the White Walkers are now barreling toward Winterfell.

6. Cleganbowl HYPE

By far one of the most beloved and believed theories in the Game of Thrones fandom, Cleganebowl refers to the epic duel predicted to happen between Sandor Clegane (the Hound) and Gregor Clegane (the Mountain).

We saw our first glimpse of it in Season 1, when the Hound steps in to protect Ser Loras from the Mountain when a tourney match gets too hot. But if they do meet again in Season 8, it will be to the death. And the Hound will have his work cut out for him since the Mountain is now an undead, unfeeling monster.

7. Is Syrio still alive?

Ok so at this point, this one is more wish fulfillment rather than anything likely.

But the love for Arya’s “dancing teacher” (AKA the extremely badass First Sword of Braavos) Syrio Forrel remains strong. And many believe he escaped death back in Season 1 and is either hiding out or even secretly Jaqen H’ghar.

After all, when it comes to Game of Thrones, you should never trust a death that happens off screen. Then again, we also only have six episodes left for him to come back.

8. What are Illyrio and Varys plotting?

When we first meet Dany and Viserys, they’ve been the guests of Illyrio for a full year. He’s also the man who gives Dany her dragon eggs. Later in the season, Arya overhears him and Varys plotting in the dungeons of the Red Keep. In Season 5, he houses known fugitive Tyrion so that Varys can bring him to Daenerys.

Illyrio is low-key one of the most influential schemers. We’re not sure if he wants much more other than what he tells everyone: more gold and wealth. But we do know he’s part of the larger conspiracy Varys is plotting — and that will for sure be a huge reveal in Season 8.

By now it’s all but confirmed that these schemes were all to get a Targaryen back on the throne. Why? Well, because he just might be a secret Targaryen (or Blackfyre, a line of Targaryen bastards in Essos who have plotted multiple times to reclaim control of the throne). Check out the video above for more on that theory.

However, even that kind of twist seems too obvious for Varys, since there’s hints of an even grander scheme that we’ll address in the later seasons. We’d do well to not forget or underestimate these pair of puppet masters, though.