A character died in the latest episode of Game of Thrones that has been a major player since the show began - but it may not be the last we see of them.
Spoilers for Game of Thrones S07E07 follow.
In the seventh and final episode of season seven, 'The Dragon and the Wolf', featured the execution of Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish by Arya Stark, as ordered by her sister Sansa.
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Before he had his throat slit in the Great Hall of Winterfell, Littlefinger had much of his Game of Thrones history recounted by Sansa - including the hugely consequential murder of Jon and Lysa Arryn.
The first of those murders happened (off-screen) in the first episode of the first season - setting in motion almost all of the war and tragedy which has come after it.
Littlefinger spent most of season seven pitting the Stark sisters against each other in what was a highly criticised storyline - but it turns out the Game of Thrones showrunners were tricking viewers into underestimating Sansa and Arya's intelligence.
Or maybe Bran just applied his superpowers in the nick of time and brought them to their senses.
Whatever the case, Littlefinger himself had a good idea his demise was coming - but enjoyed the danger, according to Aidan Gillen, the actor who portrays him.
"With carefully laid plans there's always a bit of risk involved. He's put himself in a situation that could backfire on him. I think he likes it. [His plans] are never fail-safe. But he puts himself on the line like a good gambler," Gillen told Entertainment Weekly.
"As soon as he walks in that room and Arya produces the dagger, he knows the game is up. He at least suspected the game was up back in episode four when Bran told him, 'Chaos is a ladder'.
"That's when the ground started to shift beneath my feet. At that point, I knew the things I've done in private are not necessarily private."
But is this the last we'll ever see of Littlefinger, the master schemer?
Arya is a 'Faceless Man' and may very well take on the guise of Littlefinger - as she did with Walder Frey, whom she killed in last year's season finale.
Back in season five, Littlefinger had a scene with Cersei Lannister which probably means she still trusts him enough to at least have a meeting with him - which would put Arya within assassination range of her.
There's other characters throughout Westeros who could fall victim to Arya wearing the face of Littlefinger, meaning we may well see him return in the eighth and final season.
At least until she pulls his dead face off her own.
Newshub.
