To the Old Gods and the New, we Pray...
Oh Stranger, how art thou fallen?
Stranger, we pray that the Night King immediately starts flying his army across the Wall, turning the graveyards of Westeros into his recruitment offices and the living into pitiful masses fleeing before his ICE DRAGON. We hope all the protagonists feel very silly before being overrun, because that’s what you get when you break your worldbuilding this badly —
Ahem. No, no. Let’s try this again.
Stranger, for you, we pray for characterization beyond sociopathy. We sincerely hope that your behavior, and threats are somehow justified. And that there was a plan all along. We pray for peace and affection between the long-suffering Starks, because WINTER IS HERE. The lone wolf will die and the pack will survive. Barring that, we pray for reduced screen time.
May both queens refrain from burning everything to the ground. May someone listen to Davos. May Gendry make it through one more episode, because that would be rather surprising. May someone surprising actually kick the bucket — preferably by falling in a lake. Third time’s the charm. May Jaime and Brienne continue to have a relationship that evolves in a reasonable and human way. And may the inevitable cliffhanger be one that makes us excited for next season.
But mostly, Stranger, we pray for a true moment — for something heartbreaking, but not gratuitous — for something touching, without being saccharine or forced. We seek, we humble (and sometimes angry) pilgrims to the lands of dreams and nightmares, a moment of resonance that increases our resilience, that shows us something beautiful, aspirational, cathartic and true. We all of us want to believe in dragons, and we pray — dear Stranger — for one worth believing in.