Arya Stark lives... and she's going home!

On Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 8, Arya finally had her fight with the Waif and made it clear that she's returning home!

TV Fanatics Jim Garner, Meg Bonney and Caralynn Lippo discuss the big fight, Bryden's fate and Tommen taking the trials by combat away.

What did you think of Arya's deadly fight?

Jim: I'm glad she won, but it would have been cool to see the expression on the waif's face as she realized she was losing.

Meg: I thought the lead up was really cool, and I liked the idea of Arya using the dark as her weapon. Like Jim, I wish we could have seen more. Or even just heard it, that would have been cool too.

Caralynn: I loved that foot chase scene immediately before the fight-- it was so visceral and intense and action movie-ish. I would agree with Jim and Meg that I wanted to see Arya actually kill the waif. That girl was so incredibly annoying and inexplicably out to get Arya from the beginning – I so wanted to see her end onscreen. That said, Arya's final line declaring her identity and that she was going home and the slight smile Jaqen gave in response was an excellent end to the episode. Loved it.

Is the Blackfish really dead?

Jim: I'd be surprised if he wasn't. Given that he was rusty at sword fighting and was mostly trying to buy time for Pod and Bri to get away.

Meg: They didn't show it, so I don't think so. I feel like there must be some folks who are loyal to the BlackFish so maybe they covered for him so he could flee. It would be super cool to see him show up and help Sansa and Jon. Or even better, maybe those houses that didn't listen to Jon and Sansa will listen to the Blackfish and that's how he will help them. He's still alive, and I think he will be important in the last two episodes.

Caralynn: I'm with Meg. I feel like they wouldn't have dedicated all that screen time to showing the soldiers being so uncertain about defying orders and then horrified when they let Edmure in and he ordered hen to let Jaime's men in. I have a vague feeling (/hope) that the Blackfish made it away safely and his men covered it up, realizing they'd erred in defying him and allowing Edmure back in. Fingers crossed that, like Meg says, the Blackfish will rally the troops and bring them to Jon and Sansa for the battle against Ramsay.

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Did you find Daenerys' return predictable?

Jim: I knew she would be back, but I was kind of hoping she would be doing some strafing runs on the ships on the back of Drago.

Meg: A little, but I think it was still super cool. I don't think she should burn the boats. I think she should use them to get her and her folks to Westeros. If they kill all of the masters, that would end her mission of freeing the slaves. No masters, no slavery struggle and she will be free to go to King's Landing.

Caralynn: I literally could care less about Daenerys at this point. I know she's a fan favorite or whatever, but I've always found her storyline to be the most predictable and therefore boring. Shes been on a slow march towards Westeros for the entire run of the show, basically, and we all know she's going to get there so dragging it out like this is excruciating. She's got "plot armor" so you know she's never in any REAL danger. And OF COURSE she'd show up in the nick of time, dragon in tow, to save everyone. So yeah, predictable.

React to the end of trials by combat in the seven kingdoms.

Jim: Uh Oh, Cersei is in deep s@#t now. She had planned to have zombie Mountain fight for her and now he won't. I feel like Margaery is manipulating Tommen in such a way as to destroy Cersei.

Meg: Oh, I love that Jim! I like the idea that Margaery is behind all of this, but I also hate that I am starting to feel for Cersei. My TV watching life was much easier when I just hated her guts.

Caralynn: Lena Headey is so wonderful in this role that I'm also starting to feel for Cersei, despite all the terrible things she's done. She is definitely in trouble now. I suppose her only hope will be if Jaime returns and forcibly stops the trial.

Will the Hound stay with the red priest for long?

Jim: There is no telling with him. If their interest continue to align, I could see him staying a while.

Meg: I am all about the Hound redemption tour. I would love to see him and Arya reunite. I know they had a rocky time together, but I think that after all of their time together, they would be great back as a team. My other thought would be that the Hound could be Bran's right hand man. I am not sure how that would happen, but it would be cool to see Bran with the Hound.

Caralynn: I'm really liking the Hound's return. He's so damn funny and his actions and decisions are unpredictable, like Jim said. It seems like they're setting him up to stay with the Brotherhood, but who knows what he'll actually do. I'm enjoying his tentative truce with Beric.

What did you think of the episode? Who will die on Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 9? Hit the comments!

Here's your first look at the episode!