Game Of Thrones: How The Battle Of Winterfell Should Have Gone

It’s at this point that Jon, atop the cliff, sees the White Walkers and, as he’s looking at them, the shadow of a dragon flying over them. Knowing now where the Night King is he mounts Rhaegal and sets off after him. But, just like in the show, he’s swept away by this immense storm and loses his bearings.

From there we get our nice little character moments in the crypts. Tyrion Sansa, bit more of Varys and I would also have had Melisandre down here as well having arrived in the last episode, have her just starting into the flames asking the Lord of Light what to do.

Back to the battle though and things are getting pretty grim. Even with Dany torching the undead the numbers are still piling in thick and fast. Just like the episode they cry fall back, make it over the trench into Winterfell with the unsullied protecting the retreat.

Except this is where I’d have Dany land Drogon, to shield everyone as they head through the gates. The exact same scene with the dead clambering over his back and him taking off to shake them off. Jorah about to head through the gates sees this, heads back and saves her, all the freefolk, northmen, all of them run straight past her but Jorah doubles back.

This costs him his life. He dies protecting her as she is the last one through the gates. You still get this great payoff to their story but you put Dany in actual peril and because Jorah was the only person who went back to save her you hammer home this idea that she is not winning the north over.

So from here we’re all inside Winterfell and, just like in the episode, they’re starting to pile up the walls and the few archers they have are not repelling them all that well. They’re starting to pour over the sides and nobody is able to light the trench. This is where I’d have Melisandre come in not to light the trench, but to light the walls of Winterfell.