Game Of Thrones Season 8: 7 Last-Minute Predictions For Episode 4

5. There's A Betrayal At Winterfell

The strange ominous feeling can only mean one thing: something badly wrong is going to happen at Winterfell.

There are two possibilities here: either that the theory that Dany becomes the "Mad Queen" and burns down Winterfell to deal with the friction between herself and Sansa Stark (and also Jon) and the rising awareness in the North that Jon is the real heir or that someone else betrays them as soon as Jon leaves and Winterfell is attacked from within.

If it's the latter, fingers would point towards Tyrion, of course, because of the conversation with Cersei that we didn't fully witness, but there are other possibilities too. Varys is always under suspicion, Bronn is on his way North, apparently, and then there's Jaime too. None of them would fit completely, but then that's how shocking twists present themselves. There could even be something to the idea of the Northern bannermen turning on Dany - since the "North remembers" and we've seen LOTS of hints of malcontent. Yes, we see them celebrating and sharing a drink, but again, any celebration in Game Of Thrones should be considered an opportunity for the show to mess with fans.

Either way, if this happens, expect Dany to deal with the issues in the only way she knows - with supreme force.

The idea of Dany orchestrating something in Jon's absence is as compelling as it is confusing at this stage, but it's not something that has been absent from fan theorising. And there's rarely any smoke without fire in those communities.

So, to indulge somewhat, let's consider why Dany might turn against the North. Firstly, it makes no sense that she would willingly allow Jon to go to King's Landing when she has no interest in peace. The trailer ends with her saying she will rip Cersei out "root and stem," and yet her greatest, closest ally is in the South talking? It doesn't fit.

What if Dany allows what she sees as Jon's betrayal (he does have a habit of defying his leaders in the name of what is right and it backfiring) as an escalation of the North's malcontent, which is also fed into by her increased tensions with Sansa now that Jon isn't there to distract her. The North resented Dany and what she represents - they also resent all notion of outsider and it's unlikely Arya's slaying of the Night King does anything but cement the fact that they don't need this conquering invader.

The tension at Winterfell could very very easily boil over catastrophically.