Could Brynden "Blackfish" Tully Return To 'GoT'?

When Game of Thrones character Brynden "Blackfish" Tully reappeared in Season 6, casual fans were probably thinking "who?" while dedicated obsessives were thrilled to see the return of Catelyn Stark's uncle and Red Wedding survivor. But, after just a few appearances throughout the season, the Blackfish was killed offscreen, which felt like an incomplete way to say goodbye to such a dynamic character. But could the Blackfish come back as "Lord Stoneheart?" That's a reference to George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire book canon, to the reanimated dead body of Catelyn Stark, who becomes a mute assassin working with the Brotherhood Without Banners to avenge the Red Wedding. It would be undeniably awesome to see the Blackfish return as an undead warrior, but I have to admit, I'm skeptical, since so many other awesome things, like the possibility of Cleganebowl, haven't happened.

The appearance of Lady Stoneheart seemed like it could happen during Season 6 of GoT. There was a renewed interest in the Riverlands, both Catelyn's childhood home and where the Brotherhood was rumored to be. Walder Frey, the host of the massacre, appeared, rather overconfidently bragging about his triumph over the Tullys. Jon Snow was resurrected, proving that characters can come back from the dead. Brienne, whose arc overlaps with Lady Stoneheart's in the books, traveled down to meet the Blackfish. Everything seemed set up for her to make an unexpected appearance, like the Hound and the Brotherhood, other characters who'd disappeared for a long time only to make a surprise return.

However, in the process of throwing out so many Lady Stroneheart hints, Game of Thrones may have actually given away all of her major story points. Back from the dead? There's Jon Snow. Arya just avenged the Red Wedding, paying back Walder Frey and his sons for their betrayal with brutal deaths. The Brotherhood Without Banners have already gone from a somewhat peaceful group of Lord of Light worshippers to dispensing cold, cruel hanging executions. And Brienne already met the Blackfish and seemingly earned his respect, while Lady Stoneheart was angry at her in the books for failing to find Sansa and Arya the way she'd promised, so their relationship would have to be very different.

But, even if he won't have a mission of vengeance, it still feels like Blackfish deserves more time. I think the main reason why it feels like the Blackfish should return is that, otherwise, his attempt to take back Riverrun feels like it didn't really get the time it deserved. Jaime went all the way to the battlefield to meet with the rebellion leader, only to decimate him with a single move, sending actual Tully heir Edmure back into the castle as a Trojan horse.

So, in the end, it doesn't seem like Jaime's relationship to the Blackfish ever really went anywhere, and without seeing his death onscreen, it feels hard to believe that the warrior went down with such little fanfare. But as Game of Thrones starts careening towards its ultimate finale, I think fans have to expect that some threads just have to be dropped. And I think it's possible that both the Blackfish and Lady/Lord Stoneheart could be no more.

Image: Helen Sloan/Courtesy of HBO (2); Giphy