By now, everyone in Westeros knows to ignore a dinner invite to House Frey... well, except Jaime Lannister apparently. A new photo for the Game of Thrones Season 6 finale reveals Jaime and Walder Frey dining together. This could be bad news for Jaime Lannister — and Cersei, who is not likely to get her twin's help before she stands trial before the Seven.
Now that the Bolton family has been dealt with, only the Freys still need to pay for the events that happened at The Red Wedding, and no one should forget The Red Wedding was carried out in the Lannisters' name. In Season 3, Roose Bolton hissed, "the Lannisters send their regards" before murdering Robb, and now that the North is once again in the hands of the Starks, retribution is coming. While fans are most likely looking forward to Walder's comeuppance, Jaime getting caught in the crossfire is a terrifying prospect, and not just because he and Brienne still need to make out.
While it seems unlikely Jaime will be unceremoniously killed off in the season finale, his presence at the Frey table almost guarantees he will not be making it back to King's Landing anytime soon. The big question is, who will crash the party and what will they do with Jaime when they find him there?
My suspicion is Jaime is going to be taken captive in the Riverlands once more, because Season 6 has been all about taking characters back to where they began. Dany returned to the Dothraki Sea and was reborn once more, Jon found his purpose again by returning to Winterfell, and Arya reclaimed her identity and booked passage out of Braavos. Jaime's journey truly began in the Riverlands. It was his time with Brienne that led to him becoming a changed man, but in Season 6 he has succumbed to bad habits once more by blindly following Cersei and not forming a strong enough bond with Tommen to prevent his alliance with The Faith.
Like Jon, Dany, and Arya, Jaime needs to find himself again, but the road back to redemption could be a bloody one. Whether it is Arya who slips into House Frey, the Brotherhood Without Banners, or the still missing in action Lady Stoneheart, the Frey dinner party is doomed. I cannot imagine a scenario where Walder makes it out alive, and there is no guarantee Jaime will leave unscathed.
While there is some speculation Jaime will switch sides and kill Walder himself, his desire to return to Cersei makes the idea seem unlikely. Killing Walder would land him in a dungeon far, far away from King's Landing, and that is the last thing he wants. Jaime may not like the man, but his peaceful resolution to the Riverrun situation suggests he is not choosing violence to resolve conflicts as hastily as he used to. Besides, unless the Freys are thinking of switching sides, they are Lannister allies, and Jaime is nothing if not loyal to his House.
Interestingly, Brienne could very well still be in the Riverlands too, and book readers know Brienne and Jaime have a second encounter there that leaves Jaime's fate hanging in the balance. The show appeared to have scrapped Brienne getting kidnapped by the Brotherhood Without Banners and forced to choose between Podrick's life and luring Jaime into a trap, but given where the two characters are currently positioned, the show could be resurrecting the storyline in some form.
One thing is for certain, Jaime should have headed home after reclaiming Riverrun for the Frey family. This one dinner could change the entire course of his story. The North has a long memory, and no one has forgotten The Red Wedding. Having the Lannister and Fey armies in one location makes them an easy target for anyone looking for vengeance.
Nothing good can come of this dinner for Jaime, and fans should probably brace themselves for the Kingslayer to start Season 7 off in a precarious situation — if the show doesn't completely upend expectations and bid Jaime farewell in the finale.
Image: Helen Sloan/HBO (3)
