Season 6 General Speculation v10

That makes sense. They also toned down Ramsay's history by omitting the first Reek and Ramsay's first marriage. It'd actually be odd imo if Domeric was kept while so much else was changed.

Although abhorrent to us (and is certainly rape to me), keep in mind that from Westeros's point of view, Ramsay didn't rape Sansa. She is his wife. The worse he did was beat her around a bit, and I would be shocked if he was the first abusive husband. Plus he could claim he was doing what Roose told him to do.

The Rickon issue is trickier. Let's say Ramsay does what I think he will do and betrays Roose to the Northern lords. Everybody gathers on the battlefield ready to kill the Wildlings and whoever else joined Jon "The Oathbreaker." Right before the battle starts Ramsay has Rickon killed and reveals Roose's and Walda's (she's a Frey, Northerners don't like Freys) bodies.

What happens now? Does the Bolton army really turn on the last surviving person with Bolton blood? Do the Northerners on Ramsay's side turn on him? Bran and Arya have been gone so long that they are presumed dead, and Jon is a bastard that abandoned the Wall with some flimsy resurrection lie leading an invading Wildling army. The only other Stark is Sansa, who is married to Ramsay. Is a soldier eager to turn on his own people when an enemy army is just across the field. After all, no matter what they do, that Wildling army will still be there. The armies themselves show that there is no unified North, with houses on both sides. Would the Bolton army protect Ramsay? Would the Karstarks? Would you risk having your side rip itself apart while the Wildlings mop up? I think Ramsay will play on people's hatreds and fears to push the car down a hill before he reveals that the breaks are cut. It will be too far gone to go back.

As for Ramsay's long term goals, he weakens the North enough so nobody can oppose him. Maybe Walda gave birth and he holds the child as a hostage to ensure Bolton army loyalty. Maybe the Karstarks just hate the Starks now because of what Robb did. It is important to note that in my scenario Ramsay feels that he must betray Roose in order to survive. He will also probably feel the need to eliminate Rickon because the Northern lords could use him to rally around after the Wildlings are dead. I think some of the Northern lords that join the Boltons will just be doing it to defeat the Wildlings and then plan on betraying the weakened Boltons. Without Rickon though, betraying the Boltons is a terrible idea because it would just create a power vacuum. Kind of like if you got rid of Tommen in King's Landing. Ramsay might realize this and give him motivation to off Rickon. If they kill Ramsay at that point, then they are just stuck will Sansa, which again would probably lead to infighting among the lords on who gets to marry her.

Problem is, Ramsay is not expecting LF and the Vale, or he is but is expecting them to be on his side.

I rewatched ep. 202 today btw (which incidentally is probably my least-favourite episode in the show) and realized that Euron's return to Pyke will probably be paralleled quite a bit with Theon's, albeit with very different power dynamics at play. But if indeed he's greeted by Yara



and then meets Balon inside Pyke itself



in the second episode of a season, I can imagine a number of other parallels cropping up too in the writing and staging of the scene.

Fine, but again, this is not about Jon and/vs Dany. And if you agree there are greater things at stake than the throne, then your focus on Varys vs. Littlefinger makes no sense since both of them are about political power, ie. the throne and controlling who is on it. I agree they are important. I fundamentally disagree they are more important than Bloodraven and the FM.

It is the same interview Archie linked a few pages back, right? That one with the Britney translation issues?
They would likely look for Sansa and Theon there but I don't know how that'll fit into our timeline, so I'll wait for your speculations.

I can't see those two having pre-battle discussion without trying to kill each other. Would Ramsay just show up to yell at Jon and then ride away?

In the book , tho it's hard to remember, there are hints that Euron had Balon assassinated, seems the show may have dispensed with the assassin and he does it himself. Tho the show has not introduced Balon's brothers yet. I suppose Theon makes it back before the Kingsmoot? So in a way Theon might pose a threat as a pretender, tho me thinks Theon would decline. Still may be the reason Theon and Yara have to escape?
Without Victarion a whole swath of story narrative has to be re-manufactured. How Theon and Yara play into the Ironborn story by going to Essos is a big puzzle.

Gendry will be back

I can't see the Bolton's going to Castle Black. Unless they just mean Bolton Bannermen, as that would make sense. But Roose or Ramsay actually going there? No way.