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Game of Thrones S8E6 5/19/2019 "The Iron Throne" Series Finale

31K views 505 replies 89 participants last post by  MacThor 
#1 · (Edited)
And that's how you end a series! Bittersweet indeed.

Thanks to all involved--actors, writers, crew, etc. Especially George R.R. Martin for giving us this world. It's been a long time since a TV show captured the public imagination like Game of Thrones, maybe since Lost (this week, nine years ago). Love it or not, it was a hell of a ride!

Ghost!
 
#2 ·
For a show that has stumbled so much during this season, it’s impressive how satisfying the finalé was. It’s like they got all of the missteps out of the way the past few episodes. King Bran works for me, as does Queen Sansa. And Lord Commander Jon Snow as well, although now the Night’s Watch will actually be what everybody always erroneously assumed it was...busy-work to keep the bastards and broken people occupied. Even Tyrion found a place in the New World Order. It’s all much...happier than I would have thought for Game of Thrones, but grimmer than I would expect for just about any other show.

I figured it had to be Jon who killed Dany...the Rule of the Most Tragic Outcome is too deeply ingrained in this show for it to be anybody else. Wasn’t sure at all what would happen next, though.

Interesting that Drogon decided nobody would succeed Dany on the Iron Throne!

For a building that collapsed into the basement, it’s amazing how intact the Red Keep is.
 
#315 ·
I guess I'm in the minority, because I liked it. I just don't think it approaches the terribleness that was the Dexter series Finale. Taking a look at IMDB, the GoT Finale is rated as bad as the Dexter finale. Comon.... A few observations, I read all the replies in here and some of this have already been said, oh well. lol.

Ser Brienne: I feel like once the threat to the realms of men and to the Starks were over, she had fulfilled her oath to Sansa and Arya, who are now, both adults. Arya is a skilled assassin, Sansa Queen of the North. They don't need Brienne's protection anymore and besides, she can't protect them both at the same time. She is originally from the south, so it makes sense that she could become part of the kingsguard. Not to mention the new King is a Stark, so maybe on the other hand, she can continue to fulfil her oath? When Cersei became Queen didn't she choose her Queensguard as well? (Though eventually all she needed was The Mountain). So I had no issue with this, though I'm not sure she really had a vote as the Island of Tarth was part of the Stormlands and thus serving Gendry as the new Lord of the Stormlands. Also, Sansa and Arya know Brienne, I have no doubt they told her stay to serve Bran.

Drogon not killing Jon: Drogon didn't see John kill Dany, Jon has Targaryen blood and Drogon figured he was a friend. I laughed when Drogon destroyed the throne, kinda felt like Drogon was saying, enough of this throne business, Mom was gonna break the wheel, so I melted the throne, good luck silly humans, I'm done with this stupidity <mic drop>. It was sad seeing Drogon nudge Dany, no different than a loyal dog, sad when their human dies.

Bronn: A Lannister always pays his debts. Tyrion kept his word, throughout this whole story he has Kept his word. High Garden provides a lot of the food for the 7 Kingdoms, it makes sense to let him be master of coin. (at least of any of the characters that are left). Also as secondary, the round table at the end I didn't have a problem with. Bronn and Tyrion together were always knuckleheads. I also saw it as a way to lighten the mood. Politics are just so serious sometimes.

Grey Worm not killing Jon: I agree with others that he's used to taking orders. He broke from that when he decided to kill the surrendering Lannister forces in s08E5, however, once his Queen and Drogon were gone, I don't think there was much keeping the Unsullied and Dothraki together. Dany was that glue. Had he killed Jon it would just continue the war and bloodshed. You know the Northman and Sansa would not have stood idle. Also, I think Grey Worm, as we saw at the end, wanted to honor his promise with Missandei by going to Naath. I think he was tired of the bloodshed and had he killed Jon there was no chance of that happening. With Dany now gone, he could do that. Had Dany lived, he be spending the rest of his life "liberating" the rest of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms. Who knows if he would survive.

Jon going back to Night's Watch: I think everyone involved (except Grey Worm) knew that Jon wasn't going to stay at the Wall. I think Grey worm accepted this because of what I mentioned above. We got our much deserved reunion with Ghost, making up for the departure after the Battle of Winterfell. Jon gets to go back to North of the wall where I think he truly wanted to be. I actually compare this to Grey Worm going to Naath, though he hadn't been there before, it's where Missandei was from. Jon met his first true love North of the Wall (Ygritte) and he was returning there. It's the only place he truly felt where he belonged. As he continually said, he never wanted the throne and I think north of the wall is the only place where he wouldn't be constantly reminded that he was the last true heir to the throne and/or treated as such. The Wildings don't care about that and neither did Jon.

Happy Ending: I keep hearing everyone say this was your typical Hollywood happy ending. I don't see it as that at all. Jon had to kill his Aunt, his second love, until he found out Dany was his Aunt. To save the realm of men. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't consider having to kill a family member a Happy Ending. Drogon lost his mom, not happy. The only living Starks, who were separated for much of this series, end the series separated again. Yes, they may be alive, but they are unlikely to see each other ever again. Sansa, Queen in the North, Bran the Broken, King of the 6 Kingdoms. Arya, going on a walk-about (or sail-about) and Jon back North of the Wall. I don't see where not being able to be with family you love as a Happy Ending.

Finally, this series started with the Starks and it ended with the Starks and I'm not sure it could have ended any other way.

I do hope that GRRM finishes the books because I still want to read them despite the tv series being over.
 
#5 ·
I feel pretty satisfied with that. My only gripe is why would Sansa still be insisting the North be free when her own brother is now the King. I also got some Cercei vibes from her in that final scene where she sits and they all start chanting "queen in the north".

GHOST THE GOODEST BOY REUNITED. That was what we deserved! That alone makes me love the finale.
 
#12 ·
I feel pretty satisfied with that. My only gripe is why would Sansa still be insisting the North be free when her own brother is now the King. I also got some Cercei vibes from her in that final scene where she sits and they all start chanting "queen in the north".
Bran won't be King forever, and the next ruler probably won't be a Stark. It'd be a lot harder to then make the North free, than right now.

-smak-
 
#97 ·
Clearly I'm in the minority, but I thought it was an awful ending.

Bran the Broken? King? John banished with no mention of his legal claim to the throne (regardless of whether or not he wanted it)? The Northmen bowing down to Sansa as she walks by? No impactful role whatsoever for Arya in the last two episodes? Grey Worm's absolutely ridiculous stance re Tyrian ("you don't talk" - well okay, go ahead and give a speech)? And then Tyrian being the one to identify Bran as the new ruler? Tyrian unilaterally deciding future rulers would be selected by committee?

Nah - didn't work for me at all.
 
#100 ·
Grey Worm's absolutely ridiculous stance re Tyrian ("you don't talk" - well okay, go ahead and give a speech)? And then Tyrian being the one to identify Bran as the new ruler? Tyrian unilaterally deciding future rulers would be selected by committee?
Grey Worm saying that Tyrian is a traitor to the realm, brings him in chains to participate in the council meeting to pick the King, but they don't allow Jon, the rightful heir to the throne to even listen in?
 
#230 ·
What I didn't like is Brienne leaving Sansa. THAT was fan service. She had sworn her allegiance to Sansa. No way she would break that promise. If Sansa relieved her of it, her character owed us a scene where this was done.
 
#244 ·
I said the same thing last night. Brienne would never have left Sansa's service, especially knowing that she would be named Queen of the North. It would have been better to see her as the head of the Queensguard for Sansa than head fo the Kingsguard for Bran. (But, I guess that would be the only way for her to write in the Kingsguard history book.)
 
#81 ·
I disagree it was a Hollywood happy ending. That would have been if Jon and Dany figured out how to sit on the throne together or even Jon being able to take the throne after killing Dany. This ending also wasn't early GoT either but I don't think that type of ending would have been satisfying either. This was about the best compromise between those extremes.
 
#147 ·
My biggest disappointment is that all this buildup about Jon's true identity (I believe it's been reported that D&D only got the gig after correctly identifying his parents to GRRM) had ZERO payoff. I was under the impression that this was the biggest plot point of the entire series. In the end, the only living people who know are the Starks and Tyrion and Sam (possibly Howland Reed)?

Shouldn't the assembled nobles have this information before making any important decisions? How would the Unsullied/Dothraki react if they knew Jon was really Aegon Targaryen?

There were some beautiful shots throughout this season - some of the best you'll ever see on television. When Drogon came up out of the snow, and they went out to the wide shot of him staring down Jon - absolutely breathtaking.
 
#150 ·
My biggest disappointment is that all this buildup about Jon's true identity (I believe it's been reported that D&D only got the gig after correctly identifying his parents to GRRM) had ZERO payoff. I was under the impression that this was the biggest plot point of the entire series. In the end, the only living people who know are the Starks and Tyrion and Sam (possibly Howland Reed)?

Shouldn't the assembled nobles have this information before making any important decisions? How would the Unsullied/Dothraki react if they knew Jon was really Aegon Targaryen?
The Dothraki and the Unsullied woulkdn't have cared. They were on Dany's side, not the Targaryans. Given Jon's insistence on not being king, that would have introduced a completely unnecessary level of chaos among the Westerosi to the proceedings...

Which makes me a little surprised Sansa didn't bring it up. :D
 
#89 ·
It was ok. It wasn't the ending I would have written but I'm not the author. But if I was...

Jon should have been dead as soon as Grey Worm found out about his queen's death but this show has kept a Kingslayer around for years so I can understand that. Dany's loyal forces should have been a LOT more angry.

Drogon nudging Dany's body, trying to get her to wake up was sad.

I grew to not like Sansa as the season progressed. I was astounded that the leaders of the other kingdoms just sat their and took it when Sansa essentially said "Bleep ya'll subservient clowns. The North will be independent. Because I said so."

I'd have put my money on the Unsullied and Dothraki against the North's armies since wars on this show seem to last only one day but they'd pretty much have no supply lines to wage a real war.

This story was essentially anchored around the Stark family so them being the show's "winners" makes sense but Bran the Broken being King of the Seven Kingdoms makes little sense to me. I get the symbolism of an iron throne being replaced by a simple wooden wheelchair. I just don't think that the show established his back story enough in context with the other major subplots so that everyone's reaction when Tyrion nominated him wouldn't be "Huh? Him?"

I kept wondering when Bronn would show up. I'm not sure the slapstick routine at the end is how I would have done it.

If this were my story, Dany would be ruling the known world being benevolent when needed and being tyrannical when she had to be. But it's not my story so I'm ok with how it ended. I don't think any ending would have satisfied the people who are determined to be pissed off.
 
#130 ·
My biggest problem with the series as a whole is that he Night King turned out to essentially be just a scene stealing nothingburger. Every other character had a reason, a motivation for their actions. The Night King was essentially just a personification of cancer. He just killed and destroyed because that's what he does. No reasoning or goal behind it. All Arya got out of killing him was a couple of "Hip, hip hoorays!" and he was pretty much forgotten twenty minutes after he evaporated with three episodes to go.

Dany walking around without bodyguards was pretty stupid. There's no way Jon should have been allowed near her with a weapon at that point of their deteriorating relationship. Even the Night King kept his boys around him. They sucked at their job but they were there.
 
#233 ·
Jon’s survival really was ludicrous. You have thousands of warriors all hoorah about their awesome queen. You have her assigned Master of War. And then she’s killed, and it’s no secret who killed her. Both the Unsullied and the Dothraki would have gone nuts.
 
#238 ·
Jon's survival really was ludicrous. You have thousands of warriors all hoorah about their awesome queen. You have her assigned Master of War. And then she's killed, and it's no secret who killed her. Both the Unsullied and the Dothraki would have gone nuts.
Yep, really crazy.

And who was guarding the cell Jon was imprisoned in? Who had the key? The Unsullied, right? Didn't they let Jon in to see Tyrion?
 
#439 ·
Agreed...I just wasn't sure...still, Captain of the King or Captain of the Queen she had originally pledged her loyalty to...

I made this point hundreds of posts ago, I don't mind that she left; I do mind that they didn't show us the conversation where this happened. Given the time we invested in her quest and eventual pledging to Sansa (a scene that is one of the more powerful scenes in the entire show...and that's saying something!), I feel we were owed a scene where the release from her vows happened.
 
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