TV Views - Magnificent seventh season

THIS seventh season of the Game of Thrones has been eagerly anticipated by fans of this medieval fantasy epic series, based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling book series A Song of Ice and Fire.
As the army of White Walkers approaches, Jon Snow and his army in the North might have to wait a while before reinforcements come from the rest of Westeros.
This seven-episode season will also feature two of the longest episodes in the series’ history, according to showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss.
In the first episode on July 17, we see alliances being made and new characters introduced.
The crown now sits on Queen Cersei (Lena Heady)’s head, as she inherited the coveted Iron Throne after the death of her children.
Hungry for vengeance against those she holds responsible, and with a seemingly endless supply of wildfire at her disposal, Cersei can unleash hell as and when she likes.
While an old prediction that she will outlive her children has come true, the other prediction –that she will be killed by a ‘younger brother’ – has not.
She may think it will be Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), but most fans have their money on Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), her twin, and father of her now-dead children.
Jaime may be a simpering weakling when it comes to his sister, but he is a good man who has killed a king in the past for the greater good.
Meanwhile, Cersei’s much-reviled younger brother Tyrion has joined forces with another queen, the Mother of Dragons Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), who has finally arrived at Dragonstone. Only a bay separates her from Cersei.
Daenerys has her own formidable army and three dragons, but Cersei is now friendly with Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek), king of the Iron Islands.
We have yet to see any action from Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg), the matriach of house Tyrell, and Ellaria Sand, the lover of the now-dead Prince Oberyn Martell.
Ellaria and her Sand Snakes have already poisoned Cersei and Jaime’s daughter Myrcella, so a battle is imminent.
But as we saw in season six, Ellaria has a new BFF in Olenna, who is angry over the death of her own family members at the hands of Cersei.
Let’s not forget Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), the assassin on her way to King’s Landing, who is also out for Cersei’s head.
Over in the North, Jon’s great danger might be in his own backyard, as sister Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) always fancied herself queen.
In fact, in earlier seasons (and the books) Sansa loved the idea of being queen, and put up with a lot of abuse from her bethrothed Joffrey Baratheon.
Reality dealt a few blows to her giddy head, but she is a very different girl today.
It was her negotiating skills that got Littlefinger (Aiden Gillen) to bring his army to the North, which helped turn the tide of a battle that almost saw Ramsey Bolton (Iwan Rheon)’s forces on the verge of crushing Jon’s army.
Back then, Sansa looked poised to be Queen of the North. However, that plan was dashed by Lady Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey), the young leader of Bear Island (whom many fans nicknamed Little Bear), who proclaimed Jon as the king of the North.
With Littlefinger still around, Sansa might be plotting her revenge.
Finally, Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) discovers that Dragonstone is key to defeating the White Walkers, and the arrival of Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) at Castle Black will eventually bring Jon to Dragonstone, and promises a much-awaited family reunion.
As fans, we wait with bated breath.