Television Game of Thrones

[Marla1976]

*slowly peeks head around corner*

So.....

I'm actually really okay with this ending. It's not a hero's ending in any way. The whole series has pointed to this happening and anyone who expected a happy ending was delusional. This is probably more of a controversial opinion but I'm so glad there was no Arya killing Dany scene or Bran warging into a dragon. I've always disliked the more magical and fantasy parts of the show (including the white walkers). So i'm glad that there wasn't some deus ex machina kind of way to save Jon.The first parts of the episode with Dany giving her speech and Jon killing her were great imo. Simple and to the point, very heart felt and generally a good tragic end to that story, Very beautifully shot too. I actually really like the Stark's endings. Jon being king felt really cliche to me and while it would technically be a "good" ending it still felt to generic for me. I like the idea that he goes north and he is with Tormond and Ghost. Arya sailing off made perfect sense and the north being independent was great. It had a great sense of closure and I did feel it really captured that Bittersweet feeling.
It would of been so much better had season 7 and 8 just been 10 episodes a piece. Just a little more time to flesh out the story points and make them feel earned. The Bad:

That "trial" scene was just really forced and weird. It went from Jon killing Dany to everyone seemingly chummy and sitting around the dragon pit. I just had to guess that a lot of time had past. It felt really out of place and didn't convey the gravity of the situation. I would of much preferred it if they had at least shown that the Unsullied still held the city and that there were armies waiting outside. Make the tension of the situation more known.

Bran being king is technically a good idea. But it just really feels out of nowhere. Why was anyone else okay with this? Sansa said she wanted to be independent, why the didn't the iron islands and Dorne say the same thing? My personal vote would be that no one is king. It just doesn't make sense anymore.

That council scene was pretty silly. I mean Sam practically winks at the camera when he says "its called a Song of Ice and fire" then they started making jokes. Idk some of it was good, anything with Davos is good, but man it just felt forced.

Speaking of which Tyrion should of died. His "punishment" is dumb and Grey Worm should of known that. Jon's death would of started a war so that makes sense. But Tyrion being hand of the king felt really cliche and dumb. I love Tyrion but he should of died. Pod is now a kings guard? Why? Give him knighthood let him get married and have kids, why does he need to be in the kings guard. for that matter why the hell is Brienne in the kings guard? Shouldn't she be serving with Sansa? Not bad just odd.

Bronn being at the council felt like that whole Q rating meme. On one hand I get it and kind of like it. He was a cut throat just like all the other houses and its very thronesy to put him there. But I don't think the season earned that.

 

[CoastTwoCoast]

The shot where Drogon's wings are seen behind Dany was cool.

It was a very odd episode. The pacing was strange and it did seem forced in parts. I really didn't like how Dany got killed so quickly. I remember shouting "THAT WAS SOME BULLSHIT!" lol It was way too fast and then it was over like it was nothing.

Bran being king is a sensible choice I guess, but I'm not too pleased with it. I just don't see him as a king.

My favorite part was seeing Jon reunited with Ghost and Tormund, that's about it.

If you think about all the years spent watching this series just for it to end like that? It was disappointing IMO. They made it too goofy with the jokes. I'm just glad it's over at this point.

 

[mal3volent]

I didn't mean to give the impression that I didn't like it. I actually loved it....surprise, surprise.

I don't think most people are evaluating the Bran thing correctly. Bran is King, but he has given his small council basically free reign on all the decisions that need made. As it was said, future leaders will be chosen. I took the whole thing last night to be: Bran is holding the spot for whoever comes after him, during what will be an era of relative peace. That's about it.

Making him King ensures another part of the wheel is broken. He can't father children, so by the time he dies, there will be a new tradition of choosing rulers. And in my mind, that system is one step closer to democracy.

I agree, all the Drogon shots were awesome. I fucking loved the throne melting scene. And Drogon flying Dany back to Volantis. Drogon would have destroyed Jon if he weren't a Targaryen. That was a great scene.

The comedy bit with everyone sitting around the table, I thought that was a good way to leave those characters. Happy and hopeful for the future of the realm. After all their efforts.

Jon was happiest in the true north. He's going back there to be with the free folk. He needs room to wander. He's got Tormond and Ghost. So happy for him, that he has a life now where he can breath and not feel burdened by responsibility or expectation.

Yeah it sucks Dany had to die. But she really did have to die. You could never have a respected government built on what she done. And top of all that, an aunt and a nephew, lovers ruling the seven kingdoms. That wouldn't have been breaking the wheel. That would have been more of the same. In a way, Dany needed to die to accomplish her primary goal. And she did.

Visually, the episode was amazing as always. The ending montage was unbelievable. I love where they all ended up.

Thanks Benioff and Weiss for 8 years of your life and for giving us this show! I will miss the characters, but rest easier knowing they are off to bigger and better things.

 

[alasdairm]

^ great summary @mal3volent

jon finding the strength to kill dany was great. it was a very optimistic ending which left so many paths open.

i'll rewatch it again in a day or so but i thought it was all pretty satisfying.

alasdair

 

[Foreigner]

Over all I am OK with this ending. Everyone got what they deserved, more or less, and it didn't wrap up in an overly cliche way. It all just felt so rushed and hamfisted, which made it harder to stomach. The transition between the emotional impact of the destruction of King's Landing, to Danny being the new scary ruler, to her assassination, was just too forced. We could've easily spent a whole episode just to digest the ruined city, the loss of life, and the political perception of it. The thing that made the show unique - the character intrigues - was totally missing from season 8. In past seasons when a major character died you wouldn't be expecting it, but because everything was so scrammed into season 8, you knew what was coming.

Greyworm's abdication did not make sense. Even with his historical obedience to the ruler du jour, the Unsullied were indoctrinated by Danny in previous seasons to be prepared to take down the stone buildings and the iron men, the very kingdom that ended up killing her and his lover Missandei. That he would just let the westerosi choose a new ruler and then kowtow out was a bit of a cop out in the writing, IMO. He turned just as bitter as Danny in the end and relished unleashing vengeance on the capital. That he would not leverage his army for the death of Jon snow was poor writing.

My biggest character critique of this entire season is that Cersei barely got any real air time. Just a lot of standing around looking constipated. It was a waste of Lena Hedley's talents, as well as a poor follow up on the depth of Cersei's character. She really was one of the most complex characters of the show and the final episodes didn't reflect that. She became very one dimensional this season. Given how much valued content had to be fit into such a short time, they really wasted a lot of air time on relatively worthless scenes. It made for inconsistent pacing. I would've liked to see a few drinking scenes cut, or even the 10 minutes wasted showing Tyrion and Arya running around King's Landing uselessly, and have that air time put into Cersei.

The producers made a huge career blunder by not accepting a 10 episode season. We could've really used an extra 5 hours of air time to let the situation mature. I can accept everything that happened, but the pace at which it happened made it less believable. It's really a shame that they invested so much mastery into the previous seasons, only to skimp at the last stretch. That said, I got enough closure in episode 6 that I don't need to drag this on. It's been a great show and a good legacy for TV drama.

P.S. I don't need my post picked apart or trolled. I am just giving my wrap up opinion about the ending and I would rather not get dragged into a back and forth about it. Thanks.

 

[Marla1976]

The shot where Drogon's wings are seen behind Dany was cool.

It was a very odd episode. The pacing was strange and it did seem forced in parts. I really didn't like how Dany got killed so quickly. I remember shouting "THAT WAS SOME BULLSHIT!" lol It was way too fast and then it was over like it was nothing.

Bran being king is a sensible choice I guess, but I'm not too pleased with it. I just don't see him as a king.

My favorite part was seeing Jon reunited with Ghost and Tormund, that's about it.

If you think about all the years spent watching this series just for it to end like that? It was disappointing IMO. They made it too goofy with the jokes. I'm just glad it's over at this point.

Ultimately, I like how the show was wrapped up. But i agree with you. It needed more time for the execution. More focus on dialog and character moments. Apart from it being squeezed, i think it works out for the best. A period of calm, of rebuilding, and knowing that the next monarch will be chosen not born eliminates a bunch of shit. Thing that ticks me off the most about season 8 is how so many beloved characters seem to lose their intelligence. They seemed to be less thinking, planning individuals with their own hopes and desires, and more plot devices. Cersei was the worst. Sansa maybe came off the best, as she was actively engaging the world and looking out for her and her people's interests in every circumstance, and learned her lessons well from Littlefinger.

 

[mal3volent]

The producers made a huge career blunder by not accepting a 10 episode season.

I'm sure they'll cry themselves to sleep every night while they work on the next Star Wars trilogy...

Btw, Grey Worm had weeks to cool down and consider his thoughts. In the back of his mind, he knows Dany done wrong. The dishonorable things he done was because of Missandei's execution. So instead of staying in Kings Landing and causing more violence and unrest, he chose to walk away (much like Arya) and sail to Naath.

Leave the Westeros politics to the lords of Westeros. Made perfect sense. Brilliant piece of writing!

 

[Jibult]

Fuck you, mal3volent!

just kidding! but for real though, I hated this finale. Bran the fucking broken.... some bullshit, that's what that is....

Everything just felt so rushed... not just the finale but this entire season. The only things I liked was that Jon Snow reunited with Ghost, and that the finale left open the possibility for multiple spin-offs. Other than that it felt like I was watching a completely different show.

 

[swilow]

Ffs guys, come on.

So, on topic, we had 8 seasons of battling for the throne...when all it really takes to make a king is an awkward meeting of the Great Powers. Someone should really have suggested that to Ned Stark.

I liked the story's end, not so much the telling of it...

 

[mal3volent]

@Jibult i totally agree it felt a little rushed. And I loved Jon/Ghost's moment too. I love dogs so that made me feel awesome.

 

[Jibult]

Ffs guys, come on.

So, on topic, we had 8 seasons of battling for the throne...when all it really takes to make a king is an awkward meeting of the Great Powers. Someone should really have suggested that to Ned Stark.

I liked the story's end, not so much the telling of it...

I can't stand Bran after that shit, man. It's like.... he knew everything was going to go down that way, and said fuck it, it has to be. I wanted to throw the remote at the tv when he hits us with that "Why do you think I came all this way?" line. Like.... fuck you, Bran, for real. Just... fuck you, dude.

 

[mal3volent]

So, on topic, we had 8 seasons of battling for the throne...when all it really takes to make a king is an awkward meeting of the Great Powers. Someone should really have suggested that to Ned Stark.

I liked the story's end, not so much the telling of it...

Well I mean the city had just been sacked. What remained of Danys forces made a deal with the North and the other Kingdoms. I'd say the general public just wants peace at the moment. The events that built up to that meeting were pretty extraordinary. You couldn't apply that back in season 1. The situation was just different.

 

[mal3volent]

I can't stand Bran after that shit, man. It's like.... he knew everything was going to go down that way, and said fuck it, it has to be. I wanted to throw the remote at the tv when he hits us with that "Why do you think I came all this way?" line. Like.... fuck you, Bran, for real. Just... fuck you, dude.

This is an interesting point. I was talking earlier to someone about it.
Are you an MCU fan? Did you like Endgame?

What about the part when Dr. Strange sees the future and purposely starts a chain of events that ultimately lead to the extinction of half the universe? Yeah, they came back, but they may not have. Not to mention all the permanent deaths that happened in the process.

I see it as pretty much the same thing with Bran. He found a path to a hopeful future and helped it to play out. Horrible things happened but it was all for the greater good. That's what I have worked out so far, anyway.

 

[swilow]

Why do you think I came all this way?"

"You knew???"

"Fuck you Bran".

What about the Dothraki? They just went home did they? That sounds like the mindless barbarians we know so well.

Is gendry a Lord because Daenaerys made him one? But she, um...

Jon upon realising Arya has been in Kings Landing and not Winterfell "Hey, what's happening?"

Also what was the point if her going to Kings Landing anyway? What did she do with that stupid horse?

Why the fuck did Rickon exist?

 

[tathra]

@mal3volent the difference is that bran is barely even a person anymore after taking over from the previous 3 eyed raven, and literally his whole story arc from the very beginning is about fighting against the great evil in the far north beyond the wall, which he didn't even do that! its completely out of character for him to accept the throne

and sending jon to the wall when there's no need for the night's watch anymore with the others dead and wildlings settled in the gift (land south of the wall)? jon accepting being king beyond the wall after asserting all season he didn't want to rule? everything about this season and especially the ending was trash

 

[mal3volent]

@swilow

I'm guessing the Dothraki were given land. But yeah, theoretically they could be taken home. Wildlings went home. Unsullied went to Naath.

Dany made Gendry a lord and Bran had no reason to undo it. He kept her Hand as well.

Arya was in Kings Landing because she wanted to kill Cersei. When she turned back after saying goodbye to the Hound, she began to retreat from the city. Got caught in the crossfire. Got knocked out. She rode the horse to safety and then probably tied it up somewhere.

Idk about rickon. He definitely made the battle of the bastards more intense. He should've been taught how to strafe though.

 

[mal3volent]

@mal3volent the difference is that bran is barely even a person anymore after taking over from the previous 3 eyed raven, and literally his whole story arc from the very beginning is about fighting against the great evil in the far north beyond the wall, which he didn't even do that! its completely out of character for him to accept the throne

and sending jon to the wall when there's no need for the night's watch anymore with the others dead and wildlings settled in the gift (land south of the wall)? jon accepting being king beyond the wall after asserting all season he didn't want to rule? everything about this season and especially the ending was trash

Did I miss Jon accepting to rule beyond the wall? I mean if that's what you want to read into it. I just took it as he was going to stay with them.

I don't think Bran ever intended on sending Jon to the nights watch, or whatever's left of it. I think that was just to somewhat appease grey worm. It's all open for interpretation though. And who knows which of these things we are talking about were part of GRRMs bullet points he gave to DB&W and which were all their doing.

I disagree with your overall assessment, but I respect your opinion. I think it was rushed but definitely not trash.

 

[CoastTwoCoast]

I can't stand Bran after that shit, man. It's like.... he knew everything was going to go down that way, and said fuck it, it has to be. I wanted to throw the remote at the tv when he hits us with that "Why do you think I came all this way?" line. Like.... fuck you, Bran, for real. Just... fuck you, dude.

Fuck you, mal3volent!

just kidding! but for real though, I hated this finale. Bran the fucking broken.... some bullshit, that's what that is....

Everything just felt so rushed... not just the finale but this entire season. The only things I liked was that Jon Snow reunited with Ghost, and that the finale left open the possibility for multiple spin-offs. Other than that it felt like I was watching a completely different show.

LOL! Bran hardly said anything this season and he has absolutely no personality. Bran the Bullshit Artist.

And I know Dany had to die, but I'm complaining about how it was done. She was one of the strongest characters, one of my favorites to watch even though I would have preferred she kept getting naked. Anyway, for such a major force to be snuffed out so quickly was lame.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Idk about rickon. He definitely made the battle of the bastards more intense. He should've been taught how to strafe though.

Glad you appreciated Jon reuniting with Ghost as well Mal, their whole psychic goodbye after the long nite just didn't seem fitting after all they went through, from saving Lord Commander Mormont to Craster's keep and beyond. Then again I'm a big softy for canines also.. or a Canis dirus.

So is Jon going to become like a Mance Rayder v2.0? Just without the conflict against the Night's Watch or having to unite the Hornfoots, Cave People and Ice River Clans? He should be free now, forget holding no lands, wives or kids. It's not like Grey Worm is going to drop by the Fist of the First Men or anything to check in on him. Regardless of the rushed ending I can live with a Stark, albeit a sorta robotic one, ruling over the six kingdoms, a hard Lady Stark ruling the North and Arya playing Magellan.

Anyways excellent summations Mal, I'm over being critical and Grateful for an Epic decade of entertainment with unmatched production value.

 

[mal3volent]

Exactly Jekyl. The thought of a Targaryen who could have been ruler of the Seven Kingdoms chilling in a hut up north with Ghost and a few kids running around...pretty cool. I think he will be much happier there