What does Tyrion's long face at the end of Game of Thrones have to do with Cersei?

Get ready for some epic spoilerific musings

Words by Jadie Troy-Pryde

So the penultimate season is over and we're eagerly awaiting Game of Thrones season 8. It has been seven weeks, hundreds of spoilers, and a whole lot of Jon Snow's man bun. Delicious.

Most of the predictions surrounding the King of the North's storylines came to fruition - his true parentage was completely and indisputably confirmed, our suspicions about who would play his daddy, Rhaegar, were correct, and we called it that his real name would be Aegon Targaryen.

And what of his burgeoning romance with the Mother of Dragons? We all put aside our personal beliefs about incest to ship a Jon and Daenerys union, but their hook-up was completely ruined by - surprise, surprise - Bran the fun-sucker, who decided to narrate their entire sex scene with reminders that they're actually related.

Thanks, Bran. You might have taken away any semblance of romance, but you'll never take the memory of Jon's peachy behind.

But while Jon and Dany were getting frisky Targaryen-style behind that big wooden door, there was a third character hovering around in the corridor. Littlefinger might be gone (hurrah!) but his ability to lurk appears to live on in Tyrion Lannister.

The question on everyone's lips is - why? Why was Tyrion listening in on their incestuous romp with a strange look on his face? Is he concerned? Scheming? As eager as we were to see Jaenerys finally happen?

Maybe not the latter.

Some are taking his creeping to be the result of jealousy. Actor Peter Dinklage admitted in an interview that Tyrion's feelings for Dany could be affecting his ability to advise her clearly, which would explain why he looked sort of hurt as he hid under the stairs. While any affection on his part hasn't been made blindingly obvious this season, there have been moments that could suggest he has fallen for Khalessi.

Firstly, he has managed to convince her to ditch every lover she's had since Khal Drogo died. When he finally reached her alongside Ser Jorah, he convinced her to give Jorah the heave-ho. What happened to soppy old Daario? Oh, yes - Tyrion advised Dany to leave him behind in Mereen, stating 'He wasn't the first to love you, and he won't be the last.' And when Jon Snow and his gang were freezing to death/battling off thousands of wights north of the wall, Dany was eager to ride over and save them while Tyrion was all for leaving them there.

On top of his apparent ability to get rid of her suitors, there's the possibility that one of George R. R. Martin's original plotlines is being applied here. In a letter that Martin wrote in 1993, he outlined a love triangle between Jon, Arya and Tyrion (erm, yes - wtf).

He wrote: 'Exiled, Tyrion will change sides, making common cause with the surviving Starks to bring his brother down, and falling helplessly in love with Arya Stark while he’s at it. His passion is, alas, unreciprocated, but no less intense for that, and it will lead to a deadly rivalry between Tyrion and Jon Snow.'

While that's definitely not happening (thank God), it could be that Daenerys is simply replacing Arya in this storyline, meaning that we could see the two men battling it out for her love.

But, while it's completely plausible, it makes more sense that Tyrion's look of concern at the end of the season finale has more to do with his sister, Cersei.

During the episode, we saw Tyrion come face to face with Cersei while trying to convince her to call a truce with Jon and Daenerys. During their chat, Tyrion apologised for murdering their father and then made a point of saying how much he loved his now-deceased niece and nephew (sorry, Joffrey - don't think he was talking about you, mate).

When Tyrion gauges that Cersei is pregnant, the scene is over. The next thing we know, Cersei is swanning back into the Dragonpit and pledging to send her army north to fight the wights, seemingly after coming to an arrangement with Tyrion. Of course, it soon becomes clear that she has no intention of helping them with their war against the undead - but we still don't know what was said between Tyrion and Cersei during the off-screen part of their meeting.

Could Tyrion have betrayed Daenerys? It would fulfil the final part of the prophecy that she would be betrayed once for blood (the witch who killed her unborn child), once for gold (Jorah) and once for love. He might have spent years despising his manipulative sister, but he did stress that he loved her kids.

Tyrion also made a point of chastising Jon for not lying to Cersei about staying out of the war, telling him: 'Have you ever considered learning how to lie every now and then?' which many have taken to mean that he is a fan of fibbing to get what he wants. Hmmm.

Speculation is mounting over what Tyrion could have potentially promised Cersei, with many fans believing it to be that her unborn child will take the throne after Daenerys. Tyrion has been vocal about his wish to find an heir for Dany - a promise to give the throne to baby Lannister would ensure that his family remains in power, and that there is a ruler after the Mother of Dragons.

If he has made this pact with Cersei, it would explain why he is looking so concerned at Jon popping over to Dany's cabin for a bootycall - they could potentially end up with a child together, throwing a huge spanner in the works.

However, it could literally just be that Tyrion is concerned that the two leaders in love would cause divides between their armies - but considering we might have to wait a whole two years before we find out, it's much more fun to speculate.