Warning: Contains spoilers for Game Of Thrones season eight.
The next episode of Game Of Thrones looks primed to be one of the most devastating yet, but a battle plan flaw could make it even worse than we imagined.
The latest episode saw residents at Winterfell make last-minute preparations for their fight against the White Walkers, building weapons with dragonglass, moving children to safety, while squeezing in a blacksmith romp before potential death for good measure.
One key reoccurring theme everyone wouldn’t stop emphasising is how the crypts are the safest place in Winterfell, stashing minors, key characters, and those unable to fight beneath the ground away from the battle overhead.
The fact this was reinforced on numerous occasions has led many to believe this was not-so-subtle foreshadowing Winterfell’s crypts aren’t actually safe at all – considering they’ve forgotten one key skill of the Night King and the White Walkers. They can, you know, raise the dead.
As Reddit user SpiralOut2112 points out, it’s looking very likely the army of the dead could revive the corpses of dead Starks – including the likes of Ned (Sean Bean return?) and Lyanna, aka Jon Snow’s mother.
It also makes sense considering how much the crypts have served as a backdrop for major events in recent episodes, with Samwell Tarly telling Jon Snow about his true parentage down there, and then Jon later telling Daenerys the same information in front of Lyanna Stark’s statute.
Early teasers for season eight also showed characters wandering through the crypts, while the first trailer showed Arya Stark running away from something through Winterfell castle – could this be from her father’s White Walker corpse wandering through the halls?
Similarly, the Night King’s message in season eight showed the Umber child plastered on a wall with severed limbs. So could this foreshadow a horrendous child massacre at Winterfell?
Interestingly, there’s also some key characters down there. Most notably, Tyrion Lannister was ordered down there by Daenerys herself, so could this point to his demise or his redemption if he manages to save the innocent lives down there?
Either way, all signs are pointing to some significant event in the crypts – we’ll just have to see if it will be as devastating as the show’s reputation leads us to believe.
Game Of Thrones continues on HBO and Sky Atlantic next Sunday. Seasons one to seven are available to stream on NOW TV.
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