Imagine if Stannis is on the verge of defeat and about to be killed and then Littlefinger and the Knights of the Vale show up to kill the victor but then Jon Snow and his army of thousands of wildlings show up to save the day and defeat the evil Littlefinger and the Boltons and some of the good guys actually live. I know in any other show this would be a standard TV trope and predictable and expected but because we are so used to the bad guys winning and the good guys dying this would actually be surprising and an unexpected change of events.
People thought the cliche good guy being saved at the last moment would happen with Ned, but it didn't. Then there was the Red Wedding and Oberyn, so maybe since everyone expects Stannis to win in the show and so obviously you'd think he wouldn't as a viewer since it's too obvious for Stannis to win but it turns out the writers knew you were thinking that so decided to have Stannis win since it wasn't expected or predictable.and would be a shocking twist since we thought it was too obvious in the show he'd win so of course the Boltons would seem like the victors.
I'd like to see a four way battle between Stannis,The Boltons, The Vale and Litllefinger, and Jon Snow and the Wildlings since people are saying they saved the budget for episode 9 and the inevitable battle of Winterfell since people seem to think other places and parts of the season had a low production value.
I think the Boltons have a plan. Even though they have less men, Roose told Ramsey to help him win this battle and Ramsey had that knowing, evil grin and said yes like they had some evil plan like the wildfire to stop Stannis and compensate for their fewer men. But Melissendre (sic?) is there and she made an emphasis on making sure Stannis took her this time and he said yes and brought her along so I think that will have some importance and she can use her magic to save the day and stop whatever plan the Boltons have. It would be a twist if their evil sabotage plan was something like wildfire that could be discovered and stopped before they even used it by the Red Woman, and pleasantly surprising.
The Boltons are screwed either way. It wouldn't make sense for them to make it out of this alive, it would be a pointless Miracle for the bad guys when everyone hates them and wants them dead. The entire North hates him. The people in Winterfell loyal to the Starks that want to help Sansa hate him. Brienne hates him for killing Cat. Jon Snow hates him and his wildlings may help him fight them if they join him. Stannis is coming to put his head on a pike according to Stannis himself. Cersei hates him and Littlefinger hates him for killing Cat so she's letting him take the knights of the vale come and kill whoever's left. If Arya finds out they helped Walder Frey kill her family she'll add them to her list of names. Since the North hates him they will turn on him when he's weak and vulnerable and if he tries to flee Winterfell he has no one to turn to. Seeing as Brienne and people in Winterfell loyal to the Starks will help Sansa the moment she lights the candle, I don't see any feasible way the Boltons make it out of this alive with so many enemies and everyone hating them, it wouldn't make sense and would be cheap, bad writing and unsatisfying because the bad guys always winning trope is getting old on this show.
As long as Roose and his son die and the Boltons lose the battle and their power, I'll be happy. I hope Stannis and his daughter live too. Stannis would make a much better ruler than Dany.
imo
