The Game of Thrones Fantasy League – 8.02 – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Game of Thrones – 8.02 – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

There is a disagreement in Thrones fandom about what the show should be, people talking in rooms or ice zombies and dragons. I personally enjoy a healthy dose of both and it’s wonderful that before we’re hit with the inevitable spectacle of next week, we’re served with this elegant and wistful episode that focuses on these characters’ complexities. However, this doesn’t transfer so healthily in terms of fantasy league points as this episode scraped just over half of what the first episode got.

It’s quite nice that this episode is titled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”, referring to Brienne, as that is also the name of GRRM’s chronicles about Ser Duncan the Tall, who has been hinted in the books as an ancestor of Brienne’s. Everyone keeps saying that people will be safe in the crypt: please, if you’re about to face off with someone who can bring people back from the dead, sheltering alongside a bunch of skeletons is definitely not the place to be, no matter how brave Davos’ Shireen substitute is.

Death predictions for next week: I think the only safe person is the Hound as it would be narrative blue balls if he didn’t get to kill his brother. Perhaps he will also learn to overcome his fear of fire as it’s going to save his life against various wights. Other than him, I kinda think everyone else is fair game, it is the final season after all. The show’s arguably been pretty toothless since resurrecting Jon, now’s the time to get ruthless. I’m most worried about Theon, Brienne and Jaime, though. I’m fairly sure the show will want to break our hearts so I can easily picture some of these fallen warriors getting reanimated as wights.

Possible points of contention

Jaime and Tyrion do not get points for encountering each other as they both knew where each other were since they last saw each other. You may be wondering why Sansa, Lyanna and Jon gained these points last week as Jon would have known Sansa and Lyanna to be at Winterfell. Since he last saw them he’d been involved in a battle elsewhere, facing uncertain death, which automatically updates his status to “lost”. As Jaime and Tyrion hadn’t fought any battles and knew where they were, they do not count as lost relatives.

Although Bran is seated away from the map of armies, he can be seen looking at it during the scene.

Jaime’s invocation of some of the Holy Seven while knighting Brienne counts as communicating with a deity.

During Jorah and Lyanna’s argument, neither of them refute what the other is saying, so they do not gain points for disagreeing with each other.

Jorah partially withdraws Heartsbane from its scabbard, which is enough to gain him points for doing so.

Neither “Aegon Targaryen” nor “Jon Snow” count for false name points.

None of the characters so far qualify for encountering the white walkers at the end of the episode as they’re too far away.

Character Scores

Here is a full list of the characters and their awarded points. If one of your characters does not appear in the following lists, this is due to their absence from the episode, for which you shall be deducted five points per character:

Group A

Bran Stark – 20 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15),

Daenerys Targaryen – 135 points: appears (+5), first line (+10), 4xmentions Iron Throne (+15), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), mentions Rhaegar (+25), disagrees with relative (+10), last line (+10)

Jon Snow – 90 points: appears (+5), mentions dragonglass (+10), mentions Valyrian steel (+10), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), mentions Lyanna (+25), mentions Rhaegar (+25)

Group B

Arya Stark – 78 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), drinks wine (+8), has kiss (+15), gets naked (+15), has sex (+20)

Jaime Lannister – 88 points: appears (+5), first on screen (+15), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), drinks wine (+8), disagrees with relative (+10), unsheafs sword (+10), communicates with deity (+15), says episode title (+10)

Sansa Stark – 27 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), eats (+7)

Tyrion Lannister – 73 points: appears (+5), 3xdisagrees with relative (+10), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), drinks wine (+8), last on screen (+15)

Group C

Brienne of Tarth – 38 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), turns down wine (+10), drinks wine (+8)

Samwell Tarly – 30 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), mentions Valyrian steel (+10)

Ser Davos Seaworth – 38 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), turns down wine (+10), drinks wine (+8)

Ser Jorah Mormont – 40 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), unsheafs sword (+10), rides horse (+10)

Theon Greyjoy – 27 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), eats (+7)

Varys – 20 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15)

Group D

Gendry – 55 points: appears (+5), has kiss (+15), gets naked (+15), has sex (+20)

Gilly – 5 points: appears (+5)

Missandei – 20 points: appears (+5), has kiss (+15)

Sandor Clegane – 13 points: appears (+5), drinks wine (+8)

Tormund Giantsbane – 30 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), turns down wine (+10)

Group E

Beric Dondarrion – 28 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), drinks wine (+8)

Dolorus Edd – 5 points: appears (+5)

Grey Worm – 35 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), has kiss (+15)

Lyanna Mormont – 20 points: appears (+5), grimly surveys map of armies (+15)

Podrick Payne – 31 points: appears (+5), drinks wine (+8), sings (+18)

Group F

Ghost – 5 points: appears (+5)

Group G

Lyanna Stark – 5 points: appears (+5)

The Leaderboard

Congratulations to AP who is this week’s points champion, gaining 1038 points, which pushes him up to first place with a total of 1550! That was his Joker at work, quite a gamble to use it so early on, but chances are any later on in the season, quite a few characters might be already dead.

Check back here next week for the results of the as yet unnamed episode 8.03, which surely must be titled “The Long Night”?

The Game of Thrones Fantasy League – 8.01 – Winterfell

Game of Thrones – 8.01 – Winterfell

Yaaaaay, the show has returned! A huge thank you the whopping 49 players who’ve chosen to compete in the last ever Game of Thrones fantasy league. Brace yourselves for a dramatic season! The premiere had a really strong showing for points, 1326 gained in total, thanks to all those reunions!

So much happened in this premiere, there’s a lot to chew on. First and foremost, I’m most troubled at how Cersei is back on the wine. She had been abstaining during season 7 as she was pregnant. However she only volunteered that information to her brothers, was that just a manipulative lie? Or is she actually pregnant and just pretending to Euron that she’s not in order to pass the parentage of her new incest-borne child off as someone who’s not her brother? Having new opening titles makes sense, I like that we now have some scale of how many stairs are in the Tower of the Hand at the Red Keep. Who knew Theon’s rescue mission would resolve so quickly? All the quicker to get him to Winterfell but I hope this is not the last of Yara! Theon going to Winterfell makes it look like he is in for a redemptive and heroic death. Bit of an underwhelming non-reaction about the news that Viserion is undead and under dominion of the Night King from Dany. You could probably chalk it up to having no idea who Bran is but it’s a shame this isn’t further discussed in the episode. The scene at Last Hearth was petrifying, especially as I was watching with a crowd on a big screen, I’m still haunted by the screams. I love the messiness of Samwell’s situation, I didn’t see that coming. I’m pleased that finally someone other than Sansa is challenging Jon now. Terrific steps forward in the narrative with Jon learning to ride a dragon and who his parents are, I’m very hungry for next week’s episode!

It’s disappointing to see that Jon is making the same mistakes that got him killed the first time. He doesn’t seem to have learned that in this war torn world, when your leadership is not supported, your followers will abandon you, no fucks given. When he invited the wildlings south of the wall, he expected the brothers of the Night’s Watch to accept it because the clear alternative is death at the hands of the Night King and his army. He overestimated the obedience and future-planning of his followers and they killed him. Here he is again, now resurrected and presenting his new followers with a parallel situation and employing the same method. He’s so certain that his people will abandon their entrenched prejudices and self-interests because that’s the only way they can survive this war. That’s never the case, as history shows. Unfortunately, despite being given a strong lesson that disillusioned and prejudiced people are blind to thinking about the future, he’s heading for another harsh lesson. He’ll be lucky to survive past the first half of this season. For this reason, despite all the Chosen One narrative swirling around him, I believe Jon would be a poor ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. I think the easiest way out of this knot is if he were to fall in battle if/when the Army of the Dead reach Winterfell.

Possible points of contention

Despite Jon’s newfound Targaryen lineage, the Stark siblings count as his blood relatives as they are now his cousins. Daenerys is the Stark siblings’ aunt by marriage so they do not gain points for interacting with each other.

Sansa and Arya gain points for encountering the two dragons but they are the only two to gain points as we do not see anyone else at Winterfell react to them. Everyone in Daenerys’ retinue does not gain points as it’s clear the dragons have been travelling with them.

Jon kisses Bran’s forehead upon seeing him, giving them both kissing points.

I looked very hard but couldn’t find any shot where Davos was arriving at Winterfell on a horse, so he misses out on those points.

Although they do not interact, Ser Jorah and Lyanna Mormont gain points for encountering each other.

Lyanna’s criticism of Jon provokes a fritter of murmurs from the other lords, but that’s not enough to give her points for making an inspiring speech.

Jon goes to the godswood but as he’s not explicitly praying, he does not gain points for communing with a deity.

As the Golden Company are from Essos, we can assume that Euron has crossed the Narrow Sea to come back with them. As Yara is on the boat with him, we can also assume that she also accompanied him on his journey.

I can’t tell for sure, but I believe that is a brothel, not Bronn’s house, giving him and Qyburn brothel points.

The prostitute pulls down Bronn’s trousers which is sufficient for nudity points.

Although it is callously interrupted after a few cursory thrusts, Bronn gains points for having sex.

Cersei and Euron gain sex points but not nudity as we can’t tell if they were naked when doing so.

Euron’s boat being moored in Blackwater Bay means that Yara and Theon gain points for visiting Kings Landing.

Yara’s headbutt is so powerful that Theon is knocked to his feet, docking them both for injuries.

Although they’re technically in a courtyard, Tyrion Davos and Varys gain points for walking around a garden plotting.

Sansa, Jon and Arya miss out on disagree with relative points, as they don’t technically refute each other’s statements.

When Daenerys meets Sam, she interrupts him as his head is over a book, giving him “studies book” points

Jon gains relative points for visiting Eddard’s bones. Lyanna’s tomb is featured too, so they gain appearance points and points for encountering Jon too.

Tormund, Edd and Beric gain witnesses magic points for witnessing Beric’s sword light up. They do not get witnesses magic points for seeing the wight come back to life as the boy had been reanimated before they arrived.

Jaime’s sigh as he gets off his horse at the end of the episode is not sufficiently audible for him to gain last line points. This instead goes to Tormund.

Character Scores

Here is a full list of the characters and their awarded points. If one of your characters does not appear in the following lists, this is due to their absence from the episode, for which you shall be deducted five points per character:

Group A

Bran Stark – 65 points: appears (+5), encounters previously lost blood relative (+30), has kiss (+15), last on screen (+15)

Daenerys Targaryen – 55 points: appears (+5), rides horse (+10), rides dragon (+25), has kiss (+15)

Jon Snow – 240 points: appears (+5), rides horse (+10), 5x encounters previously lost blood relative (+30), 2x has kiss (+15), mentions episode title (+10), unsheaves sword (+10), rides dragon (+25)

Group B

Arya Stark – 125 points: appears (+5), first on screen of premiere (+30), 2x encounters dragon (+20), encounters previously lost blood relative (+30), unsheaves sword (+10), mentions Valyrian steel (+10)

Cersei Lannister – 32 points: appears (+5), has sex (+20), drinks wine (+8)

Jaime Lannister – 15 points: appears (+5), rides horse (+10)

Sansa Stark – 85 points: appears (+5), 2x encounters dragon (+20), encounters previously lost blood relative (+30), mentions episode title (+10)

Tyrion Lannister – 50 points: appears (+5), first line of premiere (+20), mentions episode title (+10), walks around a garden plotting (+15)

Group C

Brienne of Tarth – 5 points: appears (+5)

Samwell Tarly – 83 points: appears (+5), studies a book (+13), mentions lyanna (+25), mentions Rhaegar (+25), mentions Iron Throne (+15)

Ser Davos Seaworth – 20 points: appears (+5), walks around a garden plotting (+15)

Ser Jorah Mormont – 45 points: appears (+5), rides horse (+10), encounters previously lost blood relative (+30)

Theon Greyjoy – 50 points: appears (+5), kills someone (-10), travels by boat (+15), visits Kings Landing (+15), encounters previously lost blood relative (+30), gets injured (-5)

Varys – 20 points: appears (+5), walks around a garden plotting (+15)

Group D

Gendry – 35 points: appears (+5), rides horse (+10), mentions dragonglass (+10), mentions Valyrian steel (+10)

Missandei – 15 points: appears (+5), rides horse (+10)

Sandor Clegane – 15 points: appears (+5), rides horse (+10)

Ser Bronn – 63 points: appears (+5), visits brothel (+15), gets naked (+15), has sex (+20), drinks wine (+8)

Tormund Giantsbane – 85 points: appears (+5), unsheaves sword (+10), witnesses magic (+30), mentions episode title (+10), encounters wight (+20), last line of episode (+10)

Group E

Beric Dondarrion – 70 points: appears (+5), unsheaves sword (+10), witnesses magic (+30), encounters wight (+20), kills wight (+15)

Dolorus Edd – 55 points: appears (+5), witnesses magic (+30), encounters wight (+20)

Euron Greyjoy – 105 points: appears (+5), crosses Narrow Sea (+50), travels by boat (+15), visits Kings Landing (+15), has sex (+20)

Grey Worm – 15 points: appears (+5), rides horse (+10)

Lyanna Mormont – 45 points: appears (+5), encounters previously lost blood relative (+30), mentions episode title (+10)

Podrick Payne – 5 points: appears (+5)

Qyburn – 20 points: appears (+5), visits brothel (+15)

Ser Gregor Clegane – 5 points: appears (+5)

Yara Greyjoy – 120 points: appears (+5), crosses Narrow Sea (+50), travels by boat (+15), visits Kings Landing (+15), encounters previously lost blood relative (+30), inflicts harm (-5), mentions episode title (+10)

Group F

Drogon – 12 points: appears (+5), eats (+7)

Rhaegal – 12 points: appears (+5), eats (+7)

Group G

Eddard Stark – 35 points: appears (+5), encounters previously lost blood relative (+30)

Lyanna Stark – 35 points: appears (+5), encounters previously lost blood relative (+30)

The Leaderboard

Congratulations to SV who hits first place this week with 680 points! She finished season 7 in second place and it looks like once again she has made some wise choices.

It will be interesting to see if this lead can hold next week when we start getting into the Joker episodes. See you back here next week for episode 8.02!

The Game of Thrones Fantasy League 2019

The GAME OF THRONES Fantasy League – Season 8 is finally here!

In just over three months, for six unifying weeks, we will all experience the final season of the last TV show to require immediate viewing. Streaming has changed the game. There’s such a proliferation of content that everyone experiences television at different speeds in their own time. Not many TV shows command that everyone has to watch it the night it comes out, that you experience each dramatic episode week to week on the same timeline as your friends and family. As the landscape of television evolves this will become more of a thing of the past. Until then, let’s celebrate this last hurrah with my favourite game! The Game of Thrones Fantasy League!

For one final time, here’s how to play:

Create a team of 9 characters. Once Season 8 begins, I will award points to each character. The aim is to finish the season with the most points. The winner shall get several Game of Thrones goodies!

Points are awarded to characters if they are seen to perform certain tasks on screen, e.g. killing a White Walker or drinking wine. Points can be given but can also be taken away, mostly for incompetence or violence, e.g. getting injured or killing someone. 5 points are given just for appearing in an episode, conversely 5 points are taken away if your character does not appear in the episode.

Regard the points system carefully before choosing your team of characters.

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There will be a capping system in place in the event your character kills more than two people in a single episode. A character like Bronn who killed thousands of people with a single arrow in the episode 'Blackwater' would never be able to gain those points back if not for a capping system in place, so you would never lose more than 20 points if your character killed over two people in a single episode. Capping is also in place for encountering wights, killing wights, and encountering wight walkers (all capped at 3 times)

Now that is out of the way, on to the Character Groups!

The Characters are sorted into seven groups:

Group A: High-Scoring Main Characters – Choose ONE character from this group. In the past, these characters have proved incredible points earners so this year teams are limited to just one.

Group B: Low-Scoring Main Characters – Choose TWO characters from this group. These are the central characters of the show who haven’t earned many points in the past. In order to beef up earnings, you can select two characters.

Group C: Supporting Main Characters - these are characters who have enough screen presence that they can carry storylines and scenes on their own, but are not key points of view in the song of Ice and Fire

Group D: Rest of the Main Characters - all the other characters whose actors have their names in the opening credits as of season 7

Group E: Side Characters - important characters but not important enough to have their names in the opening credits

Group F: Animals - you need an animal on your team, take your pick!

Group G: Gone but might Return - these are characters that are dead or presumed dead but there is a chance they may appear in visions or flashbacks

Group H: Are these fuckers ever coming back? - characters who will probably never be seen on the show again, but are alive as of season 7

Finally, there is one more way to maximise points for your team: your Joker episode. The season premiere and season finale are excluded, but choose any episode from 2 to 5 to multiply the points gained in that episode. Your options are:

Episode 2: triple points

Episode 3: triple points

Episode 4: triple points

Episode 5: double points

Here's an example of a submitted entry:

"Episode 4, Daenerys, Cersei, Sansa, Jorah, Missandei, Grey Worm, Rhaegal, Lyanna Stark, Jaqen H'ghar"

Assemble your team of nine, choose your Joker episode and we will see you back here in Spring 2019 to see who has won the last ever Game of Thrones Fantasy League!

The Game of Thrones Fantasy League - Congratulations Marko!

Massive congratulations to Marko, the winner of last year's fantasy league, seen here posing with his prizes.

A well deserved victory

Last year the prize pot contained a colour sketch of the winner with their team of champions, Season 6 on DVD, a Lannister key ring and a Stark coaster.

This year Marko was awarded his champion picture, a map of Westeros and Essos, the Song of Ice and Fire Encyclopedia and a personalised direwolf mug.

Marko's winnings

Next year's prize promises to be different once again, although guaranteed to be included in the jackpot will once again be a unique picture of the victor with their winning team.

Clockwise from Iron Throne: Marko, Lord Beric Dondarrion, Gendry, Sandor Clegane, The Night King, Lady Lyanna Mormont, Ghost, King Aerys II Targaryen, Lord Varys, King Jon Snow, Queen Daenerys Targaryen

2019 brings the final season and therefore the final Game of Thrones Fantasy League. Details of The Game of Thrones Fantasy League Season 8 are soon to come. It's going to be something special, you won't want to miss it!

The Game of Thrones Fantasy League – 7.07 – The Dragon and the Wolf

Game of Thrones – 7.07 – The Dragon and the Wolf

Ah! We’re over just as we’ve starting to get going!

This was the longest episode of the show, and the second most fruitful for gaining points. I loved everything in King’s Landing. Particularly everything Nikolaj Coster-Waldau did. In my finale blog post last year, I gleefully imagined the look on Cersei’s face when she would be reunited with Tyrion. I was not disappointed. In fact, speaking of predictions, let’s see how I did!

I guessed I didn’t need to add Septa Unella – correct.

Arya went to Winterfell but did not reunite with The Hound – half

I predicted Melisandre would meet up with the Brotherhood – wrong

The Winterfell weirwood tree was used this year – correct

I thought Bran would have told Jon by now about his parentage – wrong

I guessed that Bran crossing the Wall would not allow the undead to cross it – correct

I predicted scenes with the Dornish would be fleshed out now they weren’t filming in Seville – wrong

And I predicted a sea battle with Euron where one dragon would die – basically correct

Not too bad!

For Season Eight, I expect an explosive first episode where the Undead army descends on Winterfell, maybe before Bran even has a chance to tell Jon.

I don’t know how Tormund and Beric will be able to get to Winterfell to warn of the oncoming onslaught before the wights get there but I expect they will. (Maybe they’ll steal some horses.) Although Bran can probably take care of all the warnings.

As Daario was a prominent member of the Golden Company, it’s unlikely that they will take arms against Daenerys. However as Cersei mentions them having 20,000 men, horses and elephants, I expect that was to whet our excitement for a battle episode next year.

Arya and Melisandre and prophesised to meet again. Considering her banishment from Winterfell, I expect the Starks may have to flee their home again.

The Clegane brothers are going to face off. I expect Sandor will kill Gregor with fire. Poetic justice.

Jon will ride Rhaegal. I am crossing my fingers in the hope that Bran will be able to warg into Viserion.

For all the talk of incest being hideous from Emilia Clarke, lest we forget, Daenerys is herself a product of incest. Any denigration from her of her and Jon fucking is only an indictment of her own birth. I’m not bothered by incest in Game of Thrones, it’s produced Rhaegar, Dany, Myrcella and Tommen, all pretty sweet people. Tyrion and Jaime had parents that were cousins. If it now becomes a significant issue on the show that seems a little disingenuous. I feel like Jon and Daenerys as we’ve been shown in the show so far would not be turned off each other.

I would like to see Varys’ reaction to Littlefinger’s death.

I would love to see Jon and Arya reunite and discuss swords.

Can we get some direwolves back?

Theon will rescue Yara and both will defeat Euron.

Cersei will die before the birth of her baby, I’m not sure how. Maybe strangled by Jaime, though a death by Wildfire seems more poetic, all things considered.

I don’t know where Gendry is. He’s unlikely to still be at Eastwatch otherwise we’d have seen him die under the collapsed wall. Hopefully he’s making his way to Winterfell for a reunion with Arya. If he wasn’t getting killed off in Beyond the Wall, they must be keeping him around for some reason.

I do not know what will happen to Sansa next year, but it’s likely if Jon takes the Throne with Daenerys, Sansa will be the Lady of Winterfell. No idea who her Lord will be. Hopefully not Robin Arryn! Is she still technically Tyrion’s wife? I’d like this addressed if they Tyrion arrives at Winterfell next year.

I’m hopeful that Grey Worm and Missandei will get back together, though the odds are against them having a happy ending.

I’m certain Tormund and Beric are fine, they’re seen running west while the Wall falls.

I hope Ser Jorah makes it through Season Eight alive, he’s been through too much to die now! Maybe he could meet Lyanna.

I am a bit bored of battle episodes where we have clear heroes who are basically getting fucked until someone comes up to save them. I want to see people win with ingenuity, not luck. The Lord of the Rings has influenced battle scenes for too long. As much as I love Gandalf/Rohirrim/Ghost Army/Knights of the Vale/Dragons coming in stage left just when you think All is Lost, it’s really overdone. Let’s see some strategy next year.

Who will sit on the Throne next year? I feel that Daenerys and Jon ruling together with Tyrion as an advisor is too simple an ending. One of them’s got to die, right? I would not be happy if Tyrion died, he deserves to be Lord of Casterly Rock with Jaime. I would not like to see the Lannister bloodline die, Tyrion and Jaime need an heir. While it would be massively fanservicey for Jaime and Brienne to make kids, I don’t think Brienne is there. I also get the sense that Jaime and Cersei will kill each other, it’s the poetry of how they came into the world together, they leave if together. I don’t know who Tyrion will end up with but I hope he gets what he wants. If after all the battles, Jon dies leaving a pregnant Daenerys on the Throne, it would match up well to what the show has set up. If the Lord of Light brought him back for a reason and that reason is to defeat the Night King, he’s got to die once he does. That ending is a bit Pirates of the Caribbean. As much as the show terrified me this year that Daenerys might die, I don’t think she will. The show is her story. In the War of the Roses, the Lancasters and Yorks fought each other until Henry Tudor came over from France to defeat Richard II and take the Throne. Dany has been the Henry Tudor of the show. But after all that, the show hasn’t really endorsed having a monarch as giving a stable land. I feel that ending isn’t GRRM enough. It would work in the show, Dany being queen happily ever after. The writing of the books has never been that interested in good people being good rulers.

I don’t know. I’m excited to find out.

Speaking of finding things out – let’s tell you your scores! But first, here’s why some points were given:

Possible points of contention

Euron gains points for visiting King’s Landing as he was last seen at Casterly Rock.

Tyrion gets points for reuniting with Cersei but not Jaime. He and Jaime reunited recently and at no point in each other’s absence was there doubt about their whereabouts.

Everyone in the Dragonpit gets points for encountering a wight, even the Hound as although he’s been at the wight’s side since their first encounter, he leaves the Wight for a brief period.

Jon and Tyrion get points for making an inspiring speech with their plea to Cersei. Although she isn’t won over, Jaime and everyone else is.

Tyrion pours Cersei wine but she does not drink, giving her points for turning down wine.

I’m giving points to Cersei’s false proclamation about the Lannisters joining forces with Daenerys as making an inspiring speech. It wins the crowd over, even though she’s lying.

Theon’s cheer that is taken up by the rest of the Ironborn counts as an inspiring speech.

Bran has two visions plus a flashback and gets points for all three. In order, he has a vision of the wedding between Rhaegar and Lyanna, then has a flashback to his vision of Jon’s birth, then has a vision of Wall collapsing.

Bran gets points for reuniting with Ned, Lyanna and Jon. Lyanna, Ned and Jon do not get points for encountering him. Lyanna and Ned do not also get points for encountering each other as the scene takes place after they’ve encountered.

Jon gets points for being naked twice, first for his sex scene and second for his birth scene.

Jon and Tyrion are the only characters to get points for travelling by boat three times (to King’s Landing, to Dragonstone and to Winterfell). On the final boat journey, only Jon, Tyrion and Daenerys are shown. It is uncertain if Davos, Melisandre et al are with them so the others only gain points for travelling by boat to King’s Landing and Dragonstone. Daenerys gets points for travelling by boat only once as it’s not certain how she travelled from King’s Landing to Dragonstone.

Tormund, Beric, Viserion and The Night King get points for appearing in Bran’s vision.

Tormund and Beric continue to be capped at a maximum of 5 wight encounters, despite the intimidating army beneath them.

We only see two White Walkers, the one of the horse and the Night King, so Tormund and Beric only receive points twice.

Character Scores

Here is a full list of the characters and their awarded points. If one of your characters does not appear in the following lists, this is due to their absence from the episode, for which you shall be deducted five points per character:

Group A – Main Characters

Arya Stark – -5 points: appears (+5), kills (-10)

Bran Stark – 270 points: appears (+5), mentions Rhaegar (+25), mentions Lyanna (+25), 2x has vision (+40), has onscreen flashback (+50), 3x reunites with previously lost blood relative (+30), mentions Iron Throne (+15)

Cersei Lannister – 125 points: appears (+5), reunites with previously lost blood relative (+30), 2 x encounters dragon (+20), encounters wight (+20), turns down wine (+10), makes inspiring speech (+20)

Daenerys Targaryen – 120 points: appears (+5), visits King’s Landing (+15), encounters wight (+20), visits Dragonstone (+15), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), travels by boat (+15), gets naked (+15), has sex (+20)

Jaime Lannister – 90 points: appears (+5), 2 x encounters dragon (+20), encounters wight (+20), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), rides horse (+10)

Jon Snow – 250 points: appears (+5), 3 x travels by boat (+15), visits King’s Landing (+15), makes inspiring speech (+20), encounters wight (+20), mentions dragonglass (+10), kills a wight (+15), visits Dragonstone (+15), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), appears in vision (+40), 2x gets naked (+15), has sex (+20)

Sansa Stark – 5 points: appears (+5)

Tyrion Lannister – 183 points: appears (+5), 3x travels by boat (+15), visits King’s Landing (+15), says C word (+10), reunites with previously lost blood relative (+30), makes inspiring speech (+20), encounters wight (+20), drinks wine (+8), visits Dragonstone (+15), grimly surveys map of armies (+15),

Group B – Supporting Mains

Brienne of Tarth – 80 points: appears (+5), visits King’s Landing (+15), 2 x encounters dragon (+20), encounters wight (+20)

Petyr Baelish – -25 points: appears (+5), dies (-30)

Samwell Tarly – 55 points: appears (+5), mentions Rhaegar (+25), mentions Lyanna (+25)

Ser Davos Seaworth – 100 points: appears (+5), 2x travels by boat (+15), visits King’s Landing (+15), encounters wight (+20), visits Dragonstone (+15), grimly surveys map of armies (+15)

Theon Greyjoy – 140 points: appears (+5), 2x travels by boat (+15), visits King’s Landing (+15), reunites with previously lost blood relative (+30), encounters wight (+20), visits Dragonstone (+15), grimly surveys map of armies (+15), gets injured (-5), inflicts harm (-5), makes inspiring speech (+20)

Varys – 100 points: appears (+5), 2x travels by boat (+15), visits King’s Landing (+15), encounters wight (+20), visits Dragonstone (+15), grimly surveys map of armies (+15)

Group C – Rest of the Mains

Gilly – 5 points: appears (+5)

Missandei – 100 points: appears (+5), 2x travels by boat (+15), visits King’s Landing (+15), encounters wight (+20), visits Dragonstone (+15), grimly surveys map of armies (+15)

Sandor Clegane – 105 points: appears (+5), travels by boat (+15), visits King’s Landing (+15), says C word (+10), reunites with previously lost blood relative (+30), encounters wight (+20), unsheathes sword (+10)

Ser Bronn – 15 points: appears (+5), first line (+10)

Tormund Giantsbane – 255 points: appears (+5), appears in vision (+40), 5x encounters wight (+20), 2x encounters White Walker (+40), encounters dragon (+20), last line (+20), last on screen (+30)

Group D – Side Characters

Beric Dondarrion – 275 points: appears (+5), appears in vision (+40), 5x encounters wight (+20), 2x encounters White Walker (+40), encounters dragon (+20), last on screen (+30)

Grey Worm – 65 points: appears (+5), first on screen (+15), visits King’s Landing (+15), visits Dragonstone (+15), grimly surveys map of armies (+15)

Podrick Payne – 20 points: appears (+5), visits King’s Landing (+15)

Group E – Side Characters to the Side Characters

Euron Greyjoy – 125 points: appears (+5), travels by boat (+15), visits King’s Landing (+15), reunites with previously lost blood relative (+30), 2 x encounters dragon (+20), encounters wight (+20)

Yohn Royce – 5 points: appears (+5)

Group F – Weirdos

Qyburn – 65 points: appears (+5), 2 x encounters dragon (+20), encounters wight (+20)

Ser Gregor Clegane – 105 points: appears (+5), reunites with previously lost blood relative (+30), 2 x encounters dragon (+20), encounters wight (+20), unsheathes sword (+10)

The Night King – 125 points: appears (+5), appears in vision (+40), crosses the Wall (+50), last on screen (+30)

Group G – Animals

Drogon – 20 points: appears (+5), visits King’s Landing (+15)

Rhaegal – 20 points: appears (+5), visits King’s Landing (+15)

Viserion – 125 points: appears (+5), appears in vision (+40), 2x kills someone (-10), crosses the Wall (+50), last line (+20), last on screen (+30)

Group H – Dead but not Forgotten

Lord Eddard Stark – 45 points: appears (+5), appears in vision (+40)

Lyanna Stark – 95 points: appears (+5), appears in vision (+40), gets married (+35), has kiss (+15)

Group I – Are these fuckers coming back?

Ser Jorah Mormont – 100 points: appears (+5), 2x travels by boat (+15), visits King’s Landing (+15), encounters wight (+20), visits Dragonstone (+15), grimly surveys map of armies (+15)

The Leaderboard

Players can see their scores by consulting their initials in the table below.

This week’s points champion is FS, well done for gaining the most points this episode!

This year’s wooden spoon goes to SP. Unfortunately two of her team members didn’t make an appearance this season, Brienne let her down by barely doing anything, as did Gilly, Lyanna Mormont and Nymeria. It was a struggle but she gained over 1500 points anyway (which would have placed her 6^th last year) so well done!

Congratulations to MH, KAK, RCB and SV for making the top five this year! Special props to me, MH, by clinging onto fifth place by a single point.

…and the winner of the Game of Thrones Fantasy League Season Six is…MP! Bravo! He trailed at the bottom for five weeks, climbing up to second last week and snatching victory this week. What an exciting race! Six members of his team fought in the Frozen Lake Battle and that was his Joker episode. Outstanding work, and he managed to come first despite not having a dragon on his team. A magical achievement. I will be in touch about your prizes soon!

Well done, everyone! I loved doing the league this year, and I am reassembling the groups for Season Eight. The Joker episodes were an exciting addition to league play this year and I will be switching up the formula again.

Thanks for playing, it’s been a blast!