I'm going to ask y'all to hear me out on this one.
Like most everyone, I've read some theories and whatnot, mostly concerning the books. I've also spent more time than I care to admit exploring the history of the world and people that GRRM created. It is both outstanding and astounding how far his imagination runs. There are only a few that I buy into due to a few things:
1. GRRM has gone on record with how he lik3s to plant clues about something that is going to happen later. Hardly anything in the lore or the books are there for no reason and much relate directly to the events in the books or in the show, despite it's deviations mostly.
2. The theories make sense for to the preponderance of evidence stated in the theory and based on clues from the source material, and sometimes the lore.
One theory that I bought into almost immediately once I got into the materials was the parentage of Jon Snow. That Rhaegar and Lyanna eloped and made him just made sense based on what we knew from the material.
Anyway, there is one that I'm starting to like more and more. I've always thought this story is about Jon Snow. The series of books is titled "A Song of Ice and Fire." That is literally Jon. He is Targaryen (fire) and Stark (ice). However, the events so far the session have me thinking that this is really about Bran, or at the very least he is the true protagonist or antagonist depending on your view. This is interesting given that he was absent an entire season... But I don't think it is too much to assume that this story will end like it started, from Bran's point of view.
What really tipped me off was how masterfully he manipulated everything leading up to and during the war with the dead. He said just enough to get everyone right where they needed to be. He even manipulated Theon into charging towards the Night King to buy just enough time for Arya to jump from a tree and get the kill. Isaac Wright said as much in an interview. Bran had not been relational with anyone, even his own family. Yet, he takes the time to tell Theon of all people, "you're a good man." This gave Theon just enough juice to make that charge.
It made me think back to last season and all the things he saw from the past and all the supposed fuck ups he made. What if they weren't? What if he did some of those things on purpose to get to whatever outcome he desire? We learned that he can manipulate the past. What if he is the one who caused Aerys to descent into complete madness and start screaming "burn them all?" What if he manipulated the meeting between Rhaegar and Lyanna at Harenhall? Did he give us a great clue by stating in the last episode, "I stay mostly in the past," or whatever he said to that end?
As the three eyed Raven who is able to go back and forth from past to present, and possibly even the future, what if he is the true mastermind being these events we are seeing play out presently? We don't know all that he has been able to see, but if imagine he had seen the best if things and the worst and if he believes his family is the best thing for Westeros he could have manipulated things to rid Westeros of those who would stand in his family's way, down to making sure Jon's true parent was revealed which is causing strife in Dany's camp and escalating her descent into madness, which may lead to her own dismissal. I believe part of why she is so eager to take KL is so she can establish herself as queen before Jon's secret is widely known and it's too late for anyone to do anything. She doesn't know that largely because of Bran, it's already out.
Will this series end the way it began, with Bran?
