Please stop with all these critical takes, each more boring than the last. The show is not a stand in for whatever lousy political or social moment you pulled out of thin air. If fans are upset, they should grow up and get a life. If they don't like the ending, watch something different. Read a good book. Or go outside and take a walk.
45
Cutting back dialogue scenes to concentrate upon big battles is never a good idea - if you want to keep the intelligent portion of your audience, who wants to know why events occur, and who is driving them, and are not content to sit back and drool over scenes of slaughter and mayhem.
10
First was Lord of the Rings. Then was Harry Potter. Just now is Game of Thrones. Two questions: what is next? An obvious career path for some obsessive undergrad somewhere. Second, why are these things successful? What is missing in the rest of our culture that we need these things?
7
Seems like I'm only person on the face of this earth who has absolutely no clue what this whole GOT thing is about.
9
The one sure thing we know about the last episode of "Game of Thrones" is that most people will be disappointed.
This season has been a nightmare for most viewers because the quality of writing has declined sharply. There have been so many unresolved issues and nonsensical plot twists that many folks have given up on the series or even petitioned for a redo. This situation has been compounded by cinematography and lighting so poor that one longs for the simpler days of SD or even color by Technicolor. Just watch a movie from the 1960s and tell me if I'm wrong.
So, what to do? Root for your hero or heroine tonight, and then move on. "Game of Thrones" may be full of terrors, to paraphrase Melisandre, but the real world is even more terrifying, and needs our undivided attention.
25
Maybe overthinking this.. but the penultimate episode left the door open to the perverse notion of “good people on both sides”...because now Jon and Tyrion, two clear heroes of GoT, know that they’ve backed the wrong ruler. Which sets up the finale for what do they do about that? Of course, here it was not the good vs evil fight we perceived it to be; it turned out to be an evil vs evil fight.
5
Excellent article. I wish the epic violence and sex were not so yawn worthy often times in the show. That being said, it is excellent and had me thoroughly addicted after avoiding it for years. I think of last week's episode as more realistic than any heroic ending. It speaks to how within us we have a balance that is easily upended when hurt and whether we control it or burn it all down.
11
Oh how I wish my greatest concern in life was the ending of a fictional television show! It must be so nice to live a life as carefree as that of some of these fans. Talk about an upsetting fantasy world...
6
Right,lets get this out of the way; I'm a non-watcher. Not a fan of dragons, and all the silliness that comes with that.
That said, can a fan please explain exactly what added value to your life did GOT give you? Im serious. I get the like of a good show feelings, the desire to watch it every week, or to record a few then binge. But once watched, or no longer produced, I never felt a gaping wound left behind.
I've always been fascinated by those fans who develop their obsession, and then how it seems to monopolize their lives.
What is that? What added value to your life is the result? Not the silly conversations, or the arguments about a story line, or a character, etc. That can be fun, kill time in the workplace break-room. Create impromptu alliances where there were none. Break the ice at a party.
Same thing music, sports and at one time the reading of real books once did...
But this GOT fetish is bumfuzzling. Its a TV show, they come, they catch our attention...then as is necessary they go...
Look back at all the dead ones. Surprise...we all lived long past their passing...
Remember when The Sopranos was the IT show?
Happy Days? MASH? Various iterations of Star Trek...
We all survived their final seasons.
6
I never took The Game of Thrones as more than a string of summer blockbuster, slash-em-up segments, with great production and highly trained British (most) actors. The absurd is inherent in the blockbuster genre.
Having said that - Sansa will become Queen. Arya will support and protect her. Jon will go North, Dany south. Peter Dinklage will find out his true heritage and remarry Sansa for love.
Thus the Lannister and Stark families reunite, so to speak, and the dragon disappears into the sunset. The End
11
I am fascinated - and somewhat appalled - by the petition for a re-do of the final season. To my knowledge, the writer who originated the universe of Game of Thrones is intimately involved in the story as it unfolds. While I have not loved every turn of the story, it's not my story to tell nor to re-shape to my whim.
This may be a function of social media making everyone a critic who can publish. A massive chorus of people rise and clamor about a world that they did not create. My advice to them is as follows: Make something.
Their sense of entitlement to the story they want...from the perch of their couches...is amazing. Apparently, "there is no cure for being.....entitled."
24
Re fan dissatisfaction/calls to reshoot:
I think there are multiple problems, the most significant of which is that audience expectations are contradictory, sometimes self-contradictory. They want an ending, but they don't want it to be over. They want their personal pet theories to be true, but they want to be totally surprised. They want every lose thread to be tied up, but they don't want it to feel like things are being checked off a list.
Some other problems are that the nature of the story is sprawling and expansive. That can be worked around in a television format when Big Things are hinted at down the road. But when everything has to be wrapped up on a budget with time constraints (of any kind) and you have to deliver on the Big Things hinted at, our imaginations and the limitless "budget" of a series of 1000+ page books that can take years to craft will always be better in some way (or have the potential to be better...just so long as it doesn't end).
Demanding a different ending will not change any of this, even if they did shoot another ending. The alternative ending would still be on a budget, audiences would still want their pet theories to be correct but also be surprised, want all loose ends tied up but not feel like they are being tied up, and have the pace slow down at the end while speeding up all of this somehow. And finally, they will want it to feel like it ends without losing the satisfaction of anticipating a new episode next week.
18
> even a petition to remake the season
Please. It’s ‘titled “Remake ‘Game of Thrones’ season 8 with competent writers”.’ Over a million signatures in favor of good writing; _that’s_ the buried lede.
7
Just don't give me an unclear ending like The Sopranos.
8
Pretty good analysis but the author failed to take into account that the writers are ONLY interested in getting the heck out of GoT to go write the next three Star Wars movies and obliterated all the carefully crafted character arcs that were developed over six years.
HBO should have moved them out instead of having them “lay waste” to the show, as they did. They threw the baby out with the bath water with cheap lazy no-thought plotting, cheap, lazy non-character development- this is the thing most GoT fans hate on...
Burning King’s Landing encapsulates what D&D did to GoT itself, mindless kill-off...
9
Interesting that the NYTs chooses to ignore the over 1,000,000 fans who signed a petition in frustration over the hack job the writers did to the plot of this show.
8
The Fugitive is not even close to being a half century old.
@Ted The series’ final episode was in 1967.
12
If you want to know how it ends, I got hold of the script. Here you go (highly improbably spoilers ensue):
https://gameofthrones.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Dave_T_from_Louisville/HOW_GAME_OF_THRONES_ENDS_(HINT:_BADLY)
Have you ever looked out the window of a 60 story building and seen the tiny people below? Can you imagine shooting arrows at the with any accuracy? In the book, men do that to guard a 700-foot wall from invaders. And the invaders shoot back up. The books/show utterly mock scale and distance and time. They mock their readers' intelligence. It's little surprise then that they would eventually mock themselves.
4
Chilling last line....
1
As someone who (pleas note the proper use of the cliche) couldn't care less about the Game of Thrones, I personally hope it disappoints everyone. That would be the fitting finally for the obnoxious fans who thing that G.O.T. is the greatest thing since the Sopranos, yet another dog with fleas. I hope they're as dissapointed watching the show as I've had to be hearing about it.
3
Who cares?
This country has real issues to resolve.
I guess now we know how Romans felt while Rome burned
5
@Jeff Jeff, could ya lighten up and get a grip? All of us need diversions; “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” -Thoreau. And then Monday morning it’s back to work.
8
re: post 5/19 - ..."Like much else about this show, even in this occasionally disappointing season, I will miss having it in my life."...quote from JP @ NYT...
4
My fascination with GOT is due to its dependable unpredictability. You think you know where it's all going and then suddenly you don't - just like in real life. As for the final episode, I'm holding to the Tyrion Targaryen theory (that Tyrion is the issue of an affair between the Mad King Aerys II and Joanna Lannister). What if Daenerys uses her pet blow torch to execute Tyrion for treason (as she warns she will do in Episode 5) and he doesn't burn? It would explain Tywin Lannister's life long antagonism towards him, and as the son of Aerys and not his grandson (Jon Snow) it would give Tyrion a higher claim to the Iron Throne than either Jon or Daenerys. I will be wrong of course. I usually am.
7
Sorry, tried to watch this but was an un enjoyable dark cold weird and bloody version of minnesota in February
2
Dang::the best
She locked up the guy in Tarth in a vault, watch her brother burn without any regret, burnt the Dothrakis in temple, killed Sams parents in battle,
Etc etch.
She has always been the real deal.
3
I guess we will all have to watch the golf channel now.
4
The problem with characterizing the divided fandom as "people can't agree on the ending because thats what Game of Thrones does." is this: people used to at least agree, no matter who they were rooting for or whatever, that it was a great show. This is no longer the case.
Entire plotlines that would've taken 3 or 4 episodes to show are now condensed into a single line of dialogue (new Prince in Dorne?) Character and plot developments that would've taken place over a season now happen over 15 seconds of eyebrow acting (Daenerys?) Overall this finale feels like a couple of fan fiction writers got a hold of George Martin's end plans, and made up their own silly ways to get it. It is extremely rushed and the writing is below what we've come to expect from the show.
These are the point that are causing people to argue, not who should rule Westoros.
6
Hey All... Sorry but all this just shows me why Amy Klobuchar must must must not be President. Oh My Goodness... Jon doesn’t go all out Lovey Dovey and Dany makes all the nice law abiding people of Winterfell toast. Really... I just don’t see us aspiring to no file throwing sweet thing running the big show...
The New York Times' critics openly savaged this show during its first four seasons. Curious how Mr. Poniewozik overlooks this fact in his retrospective. Instead, he presents a false narrative where The Times "rooted" for the show all along. Yeah right.
5
@Sándor I don't recall the reviews from the first 4 seasons, my friend, but NYTimes has definitely exploited the last season for its own purposes. Look no further than its daily (?) postings of summaries from the last seasons leading up to final season, and all the interviews with nearly every actor/character since, however minor these characters may be. Ultimately, NYTimes won, however (good move!) because the readers and commentators here ate it all up.
3
I’ve decided not to get too worked up about a show where people ride around on fire-breathing dragons.
5
I don't get the objections to Dany's Drogon attack. She said that's exactly what she was going to do, and she did it. She also had Sam's dad and brother burned to death, she crucified hundreds, she burned many others alive. She was only held back by her advisors. Once she got to Westeros, no one was worshipping her anymore, so she got freaked out. She destroyed Cersei and King's Landing just as she said she would, and now she's going to try to destroy Sansa. She's the dragon queen.... although in that picture she's looking more like the Night King.
8
If you think GoT has wild story arcs that end up being squished like a Lannister duo, then perhaps you NEED to read "Malazan Book of the Fallen" by Steven Erikson. After MBotF you will never complain again about not being spoon fed point to point stories.
Shows like this seem like such a waste of time. Why not just watch a front-loading washing machine.
3
Did the dragon fire melt the iron throne?
2
I read the books as they came out and have enjoyed the show. No sense carping about what might or might not have been. BTW are you sure that Jamie and Cersei are dead?
4
Too brutal for me. I stopped watching after Season Three. Republican America is too similar.
6
Does the author even watch the show? Yes there were controversies related to some previous episodes. Some people stopped watching after the Red Wedding. Many disliked the way Sasna's rape was depicted. Some people felt the burning of Shireen was too cruel. But the fans of the show always loved it, and that's because the characters felt real and the events, even when they were utterly surprising, always made sense. In the earlier episodes, shocks were delivered because: 1) audience didn't imagine that particular sequence of events, and 2) audience didn't believe that this show really has no "plot armor".
In contrast, this season's shocks were because 1) audience learned that plot armor does in fact exist, and 2) decisions of key characters were completely irrational given that we've learned so much about these characters over many hours of TV and, for some of us, reading many books about them.
The author tries to depict this disappointment as business-as-usual for GoT. It's not! This is truly a very disappointing season and a disgrace for an otherwise historical project.
5
I know individuals who have mastered the minutiae of this epic tale; its characters, storyline, and even the fictional language.
Yet when the conversation circled onto the trade war with China and I mentioned the TPP all I received were blank stares. One friend thought it was some sort of hallucinogenic drug. Most Americans can’t name a single member of the Supreme Court or what party affiliation their 2 State Senators hold.
The “bread and circuses” of these fictional worlds, sports rivalries, reality shows, etc...succeed in keeping the masses dumb, distracted, and helpless in securing a quality of life that will always fall beyond their reach.
12
Why couldn’t Dany and John Snow just get married. BOOM! They loved each other, would share the crown and live happily ever after.
Would avoided mass murder and they need to destroy everything as symbolism for the end of the show.
This season’s writing was created by the producers, as opposed to the original author, and it shows
5
There's barely anything left of Westeros. Many, if not most, of the houses are decimated.
To me, it was a story of what happens in war and when there is a lust for power. Such idiocy and thirst has caused so many deaths, so much destruction.
There is no hero, no true villain, just...nothing. Nothing will be left. There's nothing to rule over, very few of the ruling class even survive.
This was a water cooler show in an age when very few of us watch the same things at the same time. Whatever your view of the story was, it was a spectacular production and one that will be talked about in years to come.
11
After the fiery destruction of their city and the death of thousands of men, women and children, whether they get “Pax Targaryen,” “Pax Stark” or Pax Lannister” is probably now rather a moot point for the remaining citizens.
1
I only started watching this so-called megahit several weeks ago. Not only do the special effects look phony, but I can’t stop wondering about the incredible body odor the characters take for granted.
And don't forget, not only are the fans arguing endlessly about whether Daenerys torching King's Landing was in character, or whether Cersei should have had a more humiliating death, but this entire time, every commentary on GoT has included dozens of people who staunchly do not watch it, hate it, and think we're all terrible people if we do watch it.
Seriously, every time there's a comment section in an article about GoT, there are dozens of comments saying it's absolute garbage and the critic has never seen it, or only saw one episode and hated it forever after. And for some reason, these people are driven to return to comments sections over and over, for years, to insist that the show is an abomination.
It's very weird to me, like I didn't care for the show Downton Abbey, but never felt compelled to complain about it in articles on it. Nor do I think most people did. Something about GoT draws in people who despise it, and they can't let it go.
At any rate, we'll all have to accept that it's over tomorrow, and I doubt another show will hypnotize and outrage people in such massive numbers anytime soon. It's been a blast, despite it falling to pieces in this final season. And if Daenerys somehow manages to survive and hang onto the throne, then we'll just be left with a narcissistic tyrant in charge, just like real life in America.
13
@Dan Stackhouse. Those who offer rebuke for something they have never or barely watched are taking a moment to share with us their cynicism that is likely a reflection of their overwhelming cynical lives. I suspect a majority of them offer cynical opinions on numerous other issues that seem to only bother them because they don’t grasp what the majority gets. The above is also light cynicism.
7
I've never watched Game of Thrones; don't have cable, satellite or any other pay-to-see home entertainment. But...I cannot imagine a television show has co-opted people's brains to the point where a TV show has continued to become a feature on the NYT front page: Someone tell me- what am I missing here?
I understand cultural phenomena, but is this really one of those?
1
If Game of Thrones fans are so angry about this last season that they swear they will boycott the Star Wars movie being released in three years by the Game of Thrones showrunners, this longtime Star Wars fan would like to remind them that time heals all wounds, especially three years' time, and that they should give the movie a chance. Ignorance is bliss, after all.
5
I tried to watch, I really did, until finally I hit on a successful strategy. I rented the DVDs, muted the sound, turned on English subtitles and then fast forwarded through the battles, chases and pontifications. One episode, minus the sword fights, was only 10 minutes. The talented and hard working actors and the amazing settings and special effects make a viewer want to like this story. But there is no story. Game of Thrones is a house but on sand. Even the professionals like Poniewozik who review movies can't keep a straight face.
3
@mary bardmess
I do not understand why people feel the need to comment on an article about a show that they don't like. For millions of us, Game of Thrones has been one of the best television shows of our time.
11
@Mo why shouldn't they comment? She speaks my mind. I'm Kind of interested in what my friend are talking about, but can't handle the gratuitous violence and oversexuality. so here's a way to get a peak without suffering too much
1
@Mo
Really? You're life is made better how?
Explain how GOT, enhanced your life in any meaningful way? Beyond the down time, and the incessant conversations about its characters, etc...detail the extra value it added to your life...
In anticipation of the finale, I watched the next to last episode. That was quite enough to know that I was right to not waste time on this utter nonsense, and that I don't need to see any more.
8
@rich And you probably got the gist of the entire Mueller Report by reading the Barr summary, right?
13
Your loss.
8
Have been a limited viewer of GOT until this year... A group of mostly retired friends spontaneously got together each Sunday to watch the series. It was almost like a movie theater experience ( except smaller) but gave us a lot to talk about and read about following the episode. This event takes place at a time while watching our president play games with the rule of law. I won’t make any predictions about the outcome of either. I will have great memories about an HBO’s finale watching with friends and discussing outcomes. I know that our current leadership’s lack of adherence to our Constitutional system will takes much longer to determine than eight weeks but with no lethal methods.
7
I’ve only watched bits and pieces of GOT on YouTube, but have kept up with a lot of the characters and plot. I’ve also enjoyed reading the commentaries in NYT and the NYer. But one of the things I’ve found almost most riveting of all are the video productions that explicate the behind the scenes production work. The astounding architectural feats, the management of enormous casts, the weather they were dealing with, makeup, protheses, continuity, etc.,etc. Absolutely breathtaking! I was fascinated, too, by the craftsmanship that went into making, for instance, piles of dead bodies or burning buildings. Just can’t imagine how it was all managed from the top. Or paid for.
Huge congratulations to all the behind the scene workers!
22
@Nancy
Great technology and special effects propping up unbelievable nonsense.
Summer is coming. It will be a very long time until a world wide audience, for years, will have as much fun in the bright light of a tv screen. For its entertaining value, GOT set a mark that no series has even come close to. Millions of people can’t even agree who to cheer for. Remarkable.
31
I have been a fan from the beginning and have read all 5 very long books. I feel very let down by this season.
The books were excellent. I think the downfall of the show is that the books have run out and the show runners have strayed without that to a departure from all the character development. At one point, Dani was so upset when her dragons ate a child that she chained them all up, and this episode she randomly killed soldiers, women, and children. Tyrion who was the clever one has given nothing but bad advice. Arya who was always driven by revenge, turned back at the last moment, and so on.
I think someone will assassinate Dani in the final episode, and I don't know who. And sad to say, I no longer care who, or how it will end.
10
The entire point of GoT is that life isn't fair and people are unpredictable.
15
I can’t think of any other time where I’ve seen an audience demand a work of art to be remade - and I wonder what that says about all of us right now.
If you looked at most of the paintings in a gallery or watched most of an opera and then imagined what you wanted the last installment to be and then it wasn’t that thing you imagined, would you actually demand that the artist remake the ending - as if you were robbed of what you’d been entitled to and demand that it be made right? You may hate it, but have respect for the artists. Not all art exists to satisfy us, but it often exists to challenge us.
17
@philip
Yeah, but the problems aren't that it failed to challenge us but that the final season just wasn't well executed. It felt rushed,like it was ticking off plot points instead of letting the story breath.
11
@philip
I, and everyone who has been watching HBO specifically for GOT since 2011, has paid for it. It's essentially a commissioned work, and viewers/buyers are justified in asking for a remake of the last season, or perhaps even a refund of some sort. Now, a remake or refund is a very unrealistic request, but still justifiable.
Unless the last episode tonight can miracle-of-miracles ingeniously turn the ending around to match the tone and story craft of previous seasons, whether the ending be a tragedy or comedy, my recommendation to people who haven't yet watched GOT will be, "The ending is horrible and makes the whole series a complete waste of time." Dany burning down an entire city that had surrendered? No way. Burning the Red Keep, sure. But the entire city? It's as if the writers got tired and bored, and finished the series only because their contract obligated them to write some sort of ending.
I have no issue with walking out in the middle of a movie that is absolutely terrible and asking for a refund, which I have done a few times. Or booing a chronically boring musician off the stage. Asking for a remake of GOT's last season is in the same spirit of such expectations, though I haven't (yet) signed that petition for a remake. HBO is ultimately a paid entertainer, not an artist.
3
Yes. Talk about the "Me,me,me generation". I thought that was supposed to be going away with the dying off of My generation. Who, I always thought were the most entitled & selfish generation to have ever come down the pike.
Guess I was wrong ...
*upon finally getting to see the Mona Lisa in person, I was so disappointed to learn how small it was. It should be remade - at a Much larger size. Along with some of the color palate which seems to have ... (ya ya ya) ...
5
Danearys is now a symbol of a messianic and charismatic cult figure who indiscriminately wields the equivalent of a weapon of mass destruction. She has decisively won “the game of thrones”. I was one of her enablers, but how I ever thought a ruler on a dragon was going to be benevolent in the end now thoroughly escapes me. We now have one episode to learn how and if a measure of humanity survives. Draw any analogies you wish to the rise of super powers. I will miss the rush of anticipation on Sunday nights and drowning in the rich and gorgeous world of GOT brought to life by superb performances and production.
24
I only know one person watching this show. On the other hand, a number of friends can't afford HBO, me included.
11
@Myrtle Markle
We subscribed to HBO only after we cut the cut the cable. of course with all the streaming services--- netflix, amazon, HBO, Hulu -on-spotify, sling (for Cnn) and roku as a platform - we are spending almost the same i think.
Amazon for Prime and the cable bill should be factored over 12 months.
My husband is not convinced :)
4
Thank you. This is an awesome critique. My sons have been so amazingly critical of this season - they have joined the choir. I have not. I agree so much with what you say. I look forward to tonight to see how they end it.
I have enjoyed the visual display - the costumes, the sets, the effects - while recoiling at some of the violence. I have cheered and I have been disgusted. Game of Thrones has done what the entertainment industry is supposed to do - it has given me escape.
26
@Cat London, MD
We all already know exactly how it ends, down to most details. It will be quite ugly...
2
I get the sense that the article is suggesting that people are unhappy because the ending is either not what they expected, or what they hoped it would be. I don't think that is the case at all. Having the unexpected happen or having your favourite characters killed off has been part and parcel of this series. What the majority of people are unhappy about, is how so many things don't make sense this last season; to the extent that viewers can't help but be jolted out from their enjoyment of the episodes.
35
GoT is mesmerizing allegory. It's a parallel universe we get to watch from a comfy seat. It's metaphor, its entertainment. It's also a reminder for me that everything is theater. We all watch from the center of our head. GoT reminds me that this world is no more 'real' than it is. It's so much more fun to sit back and watch the show without getting too egotistically involved. After all, we have the created the Show. We are watching our own morality play. None of it will last. It's not supposed to. When it's done, move on to watch your own inner world, which is just as interesting, and from which all 'out there' arises. See what you can truly create using your inner guidance system. Here's the key to it; what you give is what you receive. What you receive is what you give. And you must give to receive anything at all.
11
I've never watched "Game of Thrones," but the the endless references, discussions, and arguments made me look up the 1975 SNL skit in which William Shatner tells a group of Trekkies, "For crying out loud, it's just a TV show!"
GoT fans are the new Trekkies, and would benefit from hearing Shatner's message. Perhaps SNL can update the skit with a GoT star to deliver it.
5
Its a good story more like it. And it's also books, not just a TV show. The hubbub around it currently isn't about what happens in the TV show, it's more about it's overall drop in quality. Simply put: despite what I said at first, we can longer agree that it's a good story.
5
@NIcky V
Part of the enjoyment of the show is the knowledge that millions of other people are watching the show, too. There is a thrill about the collective anticipation and agony.
Yet here you are reading and commenting a story about a show you never watched. Hmmm
2
The characters in thrones are such ciphers that they provide excellent and easy fodder for opinion writers. Reading this overview I felt I was at a leadership seminar in silicon valley, with characters providing useful lessons on business ethics and gender in the work place.
That's how the show differs from say the Sopranos or the Wire which created real , inexorable, social systems to whose logic the characters conformed or idiosyncratically didn't. Daenarys on the other hand is a kind of free floating symbol of American idealism and other characters represent different, banal qualities as in a mediocre medieval allegory play.
3
I see more space has been wasted pandering to those who think what happened on a TV show is the most important thing in the world.
I’m glad it is ending so we can more on.
4
ore@Ira
I think the cultural importance of the show is evidenced by the fact that so many people who claim disinterest in the show need to post comments about their disinterest in the show - still feeling a need to be a part of it.
Move on indeed.....
20
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a TV show and that show generating a lot of discussion. Entertainment is created for a reason. And it doesn’t mean we think it’s the most important thing in the world. You can look down your nose at us while you sanctimoniously think your Important Thoughts if you like. As for me, I’ll be enjoying the last episode of this amazing show tonight with millions of others while you feel superior.
16
But it is okay for me to quote Orwell endlessly (which I do) because somehow the comparison of the world between that masterwork of fiction is acceptable and this other one is not? Relax, will you? I know that dragons burning cities and narcissistic despots are no metaphor for say, Iran and our current government. Oh, wait.
2
That the show was so extraordinary for so long explains the disappointment many of us feel with the last two seasons. If the showrunners didn't set the bar so high, season 7 and 8 would be otherwise ground-breaking television. They just had the misfortune of following seasons 1-6.
The show had an impossible task - how do you conclude a story that was intentionally designed to be inconclusive? Because Game of Thrones was about an entire world and not just about a few characters, trying to "end" this show is like writing the final chapter of history - it just doesn't work.
Yes, I think the last seasons were a letdown. Season 7's ridiculous plot of capturing a Walker to bring to Cersei's show and tell in King's Landing? And this season has so many unrealistic moments - Rhaegal flies right over a fleet of ships without seeing them and is taken down, but Drogon torches that same fleet, plus a whole city, without taking on a shot? Cerei not killing Dany and Tyrion outside the city gates? Arya jumping out of nowhere to kill the Night King after Bran woke up from his still-unexplained dream? So many moments done for plot expediency that seemed so out of left field. A few may be forgiven, but sadly, they came to be the rule and not the exception of this season.
The fact that many of us are disappointed with this season is undeniable, but I am trying to see it as a huge 'bravo' to the show for raising the bar - and our expectations - so high in the first place.
23
I must admit I’ve never been as invested in a tv show as this one. After the first season with the shocking killing of its main character, I rushed to buy and read the books to find out what happened next. Of course the books were far richer but the series did a fabulous job developing the characters in the books and the production was the best I’ve ever seen on television. Who will ever forget the Hardhome or BoB episodes! They were absolutely spellbinding. There were too many wonderfully satisfying moments in the show and numerous important themes about the complexity of human interaction and society brought to life that I won’t quibble about an admittedly less than adequate final season. Plus it was just refreshingly fun to talk to so many friends equally invested in a tv show. Game of Thrones was a treat!
23
@Chiquifru. I agree, except I’ve loved this last season the most.
I remember when fans were whining about “why does Dany have to wander in the desert, again, for another season? Hurry up and get to Westeros.” Well, the producers had to bring it all to an end at some point.
They haven’t left many loose ends (see: Lost), and the series has never lacked suspense (see: LOTR), and so it has risen above those by a couple of order of magnitude.
It is the new standard for epic story telling.
8
I loved the sweeping rousing music scores especially when dynerys and her army attack another fortified city. So satisfying
5
The Books WERE far richer but also extremely Tedious at various spots. Way more than should be in such a successful series of books. I learned early on to skim right through any chapter devoted to the Iron Islands. An extremely useless and vile group of folk there ever were.
Also skim-worthy was the lavish devotion to Theon's various tortures.
3
One last comment with regard to this column. James Poniewozik, as of season 8, episode 5, has written the best analysis of Game of Thrones' current status that I have ever seen. This is the most thoughtful, completely valid summary, prior to the series' last episode, that I can imagine.
16
After pontificating about premature judgements earlier, I am still compelled to disclose a critical judgement on a 2nd tier character. I am mystified by viewers who find Sansa's conduct worthy of praise or reward. From season one episode one forward, Sansa has revealed a cold nihlist's heart and a rapidly intensifying ambition that defies any recognizable moral code or family loyalty. It seems unlikely that she will suffer for her duplicity with regard to Jon, Daenerys, Tyrion or any of the others that actually ventured forth, weapon in hand and actually fought for something. Sansa is about the only unblooded player in the Game of Thrones. She has no claim on innocence or moral superiority when sending others to their doom while cowering in a dark corner, which is her usual strategy. As Sansa is almost always passive, her conduct does not draw attention. But she is discreetly vile, nonetheless.
18
Thank you SO much, for pointing that out. Bravo
3
So true! But no one seems to mention this ——
3
Danny went mad for no reason. That was s—-. Endings are supposed to be surprising, but they are also supposed to feel inevitable.
12
@Andrew Nielsen, I don't think it was unexpected. You could see her growing isolation and insecurity, as well as her cruelty.
5
@Andrew Nielsen
She didn't go mad. She wasn't lashing out emotioally, she was sending a political message that it doesn't matter if Jon Snow has a better claim to the throne, it doesn't matter if he's a man or if he's more popular. SHE has the weapon of mass destruction, and SHE will sit the throne. That was the message that she was sending to everyone in Westeros.
2
I love GOT but I have been disappointed by the last season. After all the build up about the existential threat of the Night King, the battle of Winterfell seemed too easily won. I really wanted to see a retreat through Westeros to King’s Landing with Whitewalkers in pursuit. I wanted to see some real losses of smaller battles as the Whitewalkers gained momentum. I wanted to see Cersei come face to face with the Night King and realise she made the wrong call. To force her choose to align herself with the others for that last devastating battle where life battled tooth and nail stave off death. There could have been disagreements about strategy and changing alliances as the would-be rulers compete to show their leadership mettle. Then once the battle was won for those who are left to present a new vision for the future. I also agree that Dany’s ‘mad turn’ seemed very stereotypical and rushed. However, although the writing has been lacking, I have enjoyed the breathtaking visual spectacle.
10
Your vision calls for atleast 2 more full seasons. The producers on the other hand wanted this over and done with so they make Star Wars movies , sorry.
6
Game of Thrones is clearly the most compelling premium cable drama ever produced, attracting a large, deeply engaged audience. The precise demographic dimensions of the current viewership has yet to be finalized, as are numerous plot and character developments. As the show's creative team has proven repetitively over the last 8 years, they are master's at manipulating their audience's emotions and defying their expectations. Thus, any conclusive prediction, analysis or judgements will prove premature until 10:30 PM Sunday night. So stop the foolishness, keep your cortisol levels down in a more healthy range and enjoy your Sunday. Pour yourself a glass of wine after dinner & have another full glass in hand at 9:00 PM. Then enjoy the wild ride to follow. That's the only worthwhile predictionfor now. Here's hoping (sincerely) that the phenomenon of a spike in domestic violence, that is frequently seen with adverse outcomes in sporting broadcasts, does not occur with the conclusion of Game of Thrones. It would be a shame if the ground-breaking portrayals are overshadowed by bad behavior on the part of emotionally over-invested fans.
6
@mike4vfr —what about the spike in alcoholism, after all those full glasses of wine you recommend?
1
The old adage: if it’s clearly something, you shouldn’t have to say it. Many people, myself amongst them, would say The Wire was much better and more thoroughly developed. HBO has tremendous creative power, power which a lot of people feel they’ve squirted away on subpar plot twists this season. That anyone would actually sign a petition to “do over” a massive, multi-million dollar enterprise like the filming of a season of television is about as idiotic as it gets, but people still have room to disagree.
@Larry, reckless of me to suggest 2 glasses of wine on a Sunday evening. If my recommendation seems self-indulgent, pour yourself a solo cup of tepid bath water, minimal risk of promoting addiction, unlikely to earn another restraining order.
1
As anyone who has ever loved a particular book can tell you, adaptations are hard. I’ve read and re-read all the Ice and Fire GoT books, which are wonderful and hard to compare. The series has actually been a very well adapted one. Sure, there’s characters that haven’t appeared (Lady Stoneheart), but that’s because it’s darned expensive to film an epic tv show. Some cuts must be made. However unpopular they may be.
As to the characters turning against themselves (Dany), I would say “nope”.
She has always shown a bit of messianic passion coupled with her solitary purpose. She has shown herself to be fairly cruel, of course in response to other cruelty, but it’s still there, just tempered by Jorah, Tyrion, Varys, Missandei and Jon. Now that they’re all gone, or “untrustworthy”, she has no check upon herself.
Lastly, all the diehards are doing a lot of blaming of D&D for “rushing” the writing. You all do realize that George RR Martin himself has sketched out and written teleplays for them, right? He is the one that should be getting flack (where is the next book, already?!), not the show runners, who have done an excellent job. I’ll be interested to see when/if the books do come out, how closely the story actually is. I suspect quite close.
Mr Martin: get to work!
19
Actually, GRRM only sketched out the ending several years ago and hasn’t written a single “teleplay”. In fact, he has hinted that he had major disagreements with D&D about the specifics of the show after Season 5 and has stated that he has had very little involvement since then.
10
Wow. How in the world did you get such inside, coveted, 1st hand knowledge of the show ? ;-]
2
One thing is for sure, the committed viewers and fans of Martin’s work certainly didn’t win.
The terrible and easily improved writing of the past two seasons has wrecked an eight year -for some of us twenty year - saga.
At this point I just want it to end. The worst of it is I no longer care who wins the throne.
13
@Josh Wilson I am both of those things, and I feel like I am winning. I don't understand why people can be so surprised and unsatisfied that this show isn't just going to end with the good guys winning and everyone living happily ever after. That was NEVER going to happen, so why did everyone seem to expect it?
5
Worst mistake was calling this series Game of Thrones, instead of A Song of Ice and Fire.
“Why your saga is called A Song of Ice and Fire, because of the Wall and the dragons or is something more beyond that?
Oh! That’s the obvious thing but yes, there’s more. People say I was influenced by Robert Frost’s poem, and of course I was, I mean... Fire is love, fire is passion, fire is sexual ardor and all of these things. Ice is betrayal, ice is revenge, ice is… you know, that kind of cold inhumanity and all that stuff is being played out in the books.”
Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
With the original name framing the thing, maybe the hordes of inattentive people who didn’t see Dany’s “mad” turn coming would have seen that the paramount question of this tale is not “Who will occupy the Iron Throne, in the end?” but the question, "Can both Ice and Fire be defeated?"
That Ice was a threat was clear and obvious. It was a threat from outside the human world. But the threat of Fire was a threat from within the human world, but a threat to the human world all the same, a more insidious threat precisely because the enemy is us and not the alien other who cares nothing for us.
Dany is the Fire. This makes her arc of utmost importance.
17
@Kenneth
What utter and complete nonsense!
We knew, of course, that Dany would turn mad because the "crazy" background music (hint, hint) playing behind her furrowed brow in Episode 4—background music we've NEVER HEARD BEFORE—told us so.
It's now been leaked that Jon Snow will kill Dany and be banished to The Wall. Benioff and Weiss should be fired from STAR WARS and reassigned to writing daytime soaps.
2
It is not about getting the ending you want. It is much more than that. Where to begin? Maybe because at the end of something like this, there is no hope left, but only cynicism. About a lack of perception about how human beings with a strong moral core and sense of justice operate. About how tyranny operates. About the harmful effects of playing into stereotypes and prejudices, not just a few, but many – about heredity and mental health, broken homes, women and so on. And no, a final narrative of ‘power corrupts’ is not enough to compensate for all these gaping flaws. Especially since the lady in question had power for about 5 seconds before she became all corrupted. And yes it is just a TV show, but it would be naive to assume it'll have negligible impact on popular culture or some people will not be gullible enough to draw all kinds of harmful conclusions from it given the show's immense popularity.
6
@tomorrow, sharp analysis. Monday, I'm going to take an informal survey of my executive staff, to see who the Sansa Stark advocates are. Then I'm going to figure out how I can fire them all. For the Watch!!
8
@tomorrow Daenerys has had power in varying degrees, since the second season. And since the second season, she has been threatening to burn cities to the ground, and to "take what is mine, with fire and blood." How anyone could be surprised or shocked that she actually followed through on that threat just boggles my mind.
She didn't "go mad". She's been a cruel tyrant since day 1, it's just that until now her violence has been directed at other cruel tyrants, so everyone cheered her along.
3
The lady in question has been burning things with her dragons, aka weapons of mass destruction, for quite awhile now.
3
Great drama inspires intense debate. But we're ultimately all bystanders in Westeros, and the show and its plot developments belong completely to the makers of the show. (Fans petitioning for a do-over are being ridiculous.) However it ends this weekend will stand as its final, devastating statement. One thing I've noticed: those who have watched the entire series in a condensed amount of time to catch up are far less surprised by the dark turn taken by the Dragon Queen. Perhaps her missteps and misdeeds over the seasons are still fresh in their minds? I personally would have liked a longer season to fully show and explain her final descent into ruthlessness and madness, but I can't honestly say that it came out of nowhere. Many fans no doubt wished for a happy ending with Daenerys and Jon as lovebirds ruling together, happily ever after. Whatever unfolds, it's been a great run of darkness and light, action and excruciating drama.
21
Daenyrus may be the Mother of Dragons and the Breaker of Chains. She is also the Subjugator of Humanity.
She is not mad, but neither is she deeply compassionate, as many seem to believe. Nor is she a true liberator.
She is utterly single-minded, infinitely ruthless, willing to burn anybody at all who stands in her way, without hesitation or regret.
She may "break chains," but she does not "free" anyone from bondage.
Instead of inviting the Unsullied to go and live their lives as free men among other free men, she seduces them into her messianic cause, inviting them to turn themselves into an army of conquerors, prepared to march into distant lands, not their own, and subdue them by violence, in the name of a tyrannical project not originally their own.
They are no different from the willing henchmen of every Tyrant who has ever marauded over some part of humanity, in the name of the Tyrant's self-given, transformative project. Be it Lebensraum or the international communist revolution or the cultural revolution.
Though they are the henchmen of a charismatic Tyrant, they are also fully realized human beings, with love and passion and needs and motivations we recognize even in ourselves.
What makes the story powerful is that it recognizes that the many movers of history, even its darkest episodes, are not inhuman monsters, but mere humans, just like us.
Dany is the Fire of "A Song of Ice and Fire." She MUST be defeated or the world will burn.
4
@Hardbull
You must work for Benifoff and Weiss.
They, not Daenerys, burned down the show they created and in doing so, destroyed HBO as a premium brand.
2
GOT became famous and liked by more than half the population in the world for the storyline and the way it was narrated from the beginning. Just to mention both were missing in the last episodes. It actually felt like a comedy show. Toooooo bad
7
"GOT became famous and liked by more than half the population in the world"
Sorry, but that is overstating the number of interested viewers ever so slightly. Like Vastly (by many many Billions) let us say ?
And this kind of thinking is why so much of this sweating & hand wringing is so amusing. So many actually believe because it is important to them or it is something they love, that Everybody must also. Like the alcoholic or drug addict on becoming sober - who, suddenly realizes that No, everyone in the world is Not a drunk like themselves.
Is it popular ? Yes. Has is conquered the greater portion of Humanity ? No.
2
What is so cool about GOT is that we all have any idea of what is going to happen in the finale. Just that alone is already awesome. This and all the artistry that people has put into making this show - actors, costumes designers, FX crew, cinematography, props, sets, etc etc, etc... everything top notch. Awesome season, awesome series.
13
Fans are in complete agreement in what they think about the ending of GoT: That it's butchered. Because DnD have made caricatures of story arcs that lasted years, if they even remembered them. People aren't upset about the story direction, they're upset about the story telling direction.
31
@disquieted
Creators turned destroyers Benioff and Weiss have devolved Game of Thrones into a caricature version of itself—The REAL Crazy Queens of Westeros.
5
I am expecting the following final outcomes:
1. The average citizen sick of the shenanigans of kings, queens, lords, ladies, lobbyists, councillors, priests ... declare a democratic secular federal republic.
2. Iron Bank goes bust and appeals for a bailout.
3. Royal lands are distributed to the landless peasantry and agricultural productivity shoots up.
4. Monopolies are dismantled and competitive markets established .
5. Iron throne is used as scrap to make steel kitchen utensils.
6. Statues of kings and queens and other worldly creatures are broken down and used to make concrete for an interstate highway system.
20
10 points for Gryffindor
1
What makes you think that a winner will be decided. That’s a big assumption.
10
@Brad
It's been leaked (by a guy who's always been accurate):
Jon stabs Dany and her body is picked up and carried off to who knows where by her last remaining dragon. Jon is then arrested by Grey Worm and, after some determination, banished to The Wall where he re-unites with Ghost and Tormund.
Bran is voted king by the council & keeps Tyrion on as the hand. Sansa rules Winterfell; Arya goes off to explore the world; Grey Worm sets off to free more slaves in Dany's name. THE (Dreary Dull) END
Seriously, THAT is all, folks!
Looking forward to the prequel in 2020
Naomi Watts as the pre Cersei version of Cersei - that will be worth wathcing
3
"it is the signature show of an era when no one agrees on anything." What a beautiful paradox! If the statement is true, some people agree on something, namely this statement. And if the statement is false, some people also agree on something. How gratifying to find out that we agree on something after all!
I confessed that I have not watched a single episode of this show. I prefer to read Borges, Kafka and others.
5
@J. Parula
For those who enjoy paradoxes:
Russell’s Paradox
First published Fri Dec 8, 1995; substantive revision Sun Oct 9, 2016
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/russell-paradox/
@J. Parula
Yes, I read books too. AND watch Game of Thrones. It is possible to do both!
You are bragging that you've never watched the show, but here you are reading a whole column about it, and not only that, composing a comment so all and sundry can know about what a non-Game of Thrones watcher you are. Huh.
5
@J. Parula
"I confessed that I have not watched a single episode of this show. I prefer to read Borges, Kafka and others."
Good for you. I've enjoyed the show far more than the tedious virtue signaling that appears here.
2
Game of Thrones HBO was good. The GoT books are great. I hope two things.
That I live long enough to read the completed series, and that after the series is completed, HBO (or somebody) does a remake starting where the series diverged from the books.
17
@ridgeguy
The first four books were great, the fifth not so much. It was a bit of a slog.
Game of Thrones illustrates a problem of story telling without any clear thesis and plotting that follows a path that can be related simply. Each episode is engaging and entertaining enough to satisfy or astound and the characters are interesting and the the next episode follows from it. It is like a sitcom or a soap opera in that respect. But as a larger story, it does not seem to make much sense.
The plot gives a story it’s pathos, it’s comedy and tragedy. The plotting of this series is different for each story line without any unifying storyline and plotting that makes one see how it all had to result as it does. Look at any epic work, there are plots and subplots, stories and stories with stories, but they all come together in the end. When the don’t, it’s always a disappointment. Fixes are used when the writer’s plot leads to no resolution, the storyteller may use a deus ex machina to make a sensible conclusion, but they always look silly.
I am afraid that Game of Thrones will end with most of it never having contributed to what ever the ending will be.
10
Great article. Last episode of GOT was all about perception. And our capacity to react positively after being pushed out of our comforts zones. Expecting Dany to ultimately act as an hero, even after she was left grieving for the second time in a small périod of time, alone, rejected by Jon, vengeance, fear and rage consumed her, compassion and mercy died in the same time as her beloved companions and friends. Arya and Cersei were probably the strongest characters so far , and in that episode, they were both so vulnerable, the idea of dying, and being ready to die is not the same thing. Awaiting the last chapter, i'm curious, i'm excited, i'm disturbed, and i love it.
47
@Awle
I agree. And for the people who cannot understand Dany's rage massacre or find it "out of character" - this felt entirely unavoidable after Jon rejected her "fear vs. love" plea in the night before. I was actually shocked, not about Dany but Jon. He messed it up, he ignored or rejected a call for help from somebody bereaved and ready to lose it. "It's fear, then" - that was the moment when the destruction of King's Landing was sealed. Jon did not seem to get this at all. So definitely not Jon but probably Tyrion should rather be King.
6
A lot of fans who apparently have not paid much attention to how the structure of the previous 7 seasons unfolded are expecting a lot from tomorrow’s series finale. Yes, season 7 and 8 have been rushed, but the basic structure has been maintained up to now. In GoT, the second to last episode has served the same role as the season finale in more traditional series. The big event, the big revelation, always happens in the second to last episode. The final episodes of GoT seasons reaffirm the new reality created by the previous episodes. Perhaps they give the new reality a positive or negative spin, but they have never upended what happened before.
My prediction is that Daenerys will sit on the ash-covered Iron Throne and a new rebellion will rise in the north. Perhaps Drogon will die or disobey her in favor of Jon and this will leave us with some hope for the rebellion. But I seriously doubt a different character will end up as the ruler of Westeros after the last 120 minutes.
29
I remember feeling bereft after the Harry Potter series ended too.
Good byes are deliciously difficult when love is involved.
19
Daenerys "A Dragon bombing perhaps?" Jon, "Well it'll save hundreds of thousands of lives on our side. Tyrion, "We can execute the Sansa Plan for recovery of whatever is left."
5
I fear I am the only person in America who looks at Game of Thrones and sees it an exercise in perversion and more a snuff movie than anything else.
All this daily violence in our real culture is nurtured by the steady diet of an acceptance of gore and hatred in our media.
Oh well, I guess one could point to the Old Testament as an example of what media we should admire, and that certainly included what GOT has.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
24
Sam Tarly will become king. He'll be the only one left.
11
Game of Thrones is possibl the least important, least interesting thing that has captured popular culture in a long time. It is a slickly produced poorly written soap opera. If you like it that's fine, but to imagine it has some sort of cultural significance is ridiculous.
23
@Jeff Thanks for logging in to provide us with your withering criticism. When I started the books, I couldn't see the point -- it was just another coming-of-age story -- until the author started killing off the good guys. Then I got very interested.
The show has raised widespread, ongoing discussions about the role of sex and violence in creating popular media, misogyny, race, and the source and appropriate use of power, especially force. Not bad for something you're dismissing out of hand. I would suggest actually watching most any of Tyrion's serious discussions, with Varys, Jaime, Sansa, Littlefinger, Cersei, and then coming back and explaining why you think it resembles a "poorly written soap opera."
52
@Jeff Sounds like you haven't watched it. The books are far better, but the show is worthy of them (at least until seasons seven and eight). Soap operas are popular for a reason -- people love to watch the plotting of those who grasp for power (Macbeth!), while Game of Thrones is no Shakespeare, at its best it entrances by hitting us with the reality of our own crassness.
11
I disagree. It’s been a welcome escape for this old Berkeley liberal.
3
I thought it was like a self fulfilling prophecy. Her father/ the mad king got skewered by Jaime Lannister for trying to burn down Kings Landing and despite all her efforts towards benevolence she gave in to rage and finished the job. Good tie in.
I mean, what could they possibly throw at us at this point that would shock and scandalize us after the last 7 seasons.
14
The Iron Throne, the Iron Throne, who ever or what ever wins it deserves it. Chances are not much will be left of the kingdom. Too bad so sad, please pass the potatoes!
3
Somehow the final choice is between empathizing with Cersei or hating Dany. Take that, and work with it.
5
All this talk about seasons 7 & 8 being rushed and no character development - give me a break! The show had 6 previous seasons. I think we can say the characters are well established. And if the season seems rushed, I can still recall episodes from prior seasons in which the narrative needle barely moved at all: A lot of talk, a lot of melodrama. But little forward movement of the overall plot.
18
I disagree. They’ve abandoned the characters’ true natures to wrap this up quickly, forever tarnishing what could have otherwise been a great legacy.
54
All I hear all day is how great Sansa is at this, or how wonderful Sansa did that! Sansa, Sansa, Sansa! I'm tired of hearing about Sansa all time!
28
@Mike B Sansa is awful. She has had a tough marriage, but other than that, she is awful. If she sits on the iron throne, that will just be a waste of my time.
16
@Mike B Thank you. How I wish I could post a Jan Brady gif here.
3
@Mike B She's good at betraying people - that's about it.
3
Both season 7 and 8 are poor. You can tell the writers are rushing to wrap things up after having created so many individual stories. The author's lack of involvement shows and the writing does not nearly compare to what we experienced those first 5 seasons. Yes, grateful for a fun and entertaining ride but it does not end with a bang.
37
It was the same with the Wheel of Time books. Lots of character development, lots of lead up to the big battle, then a rush to finish it off. At least WofT had the excuse of its original author died before finishing.
9
The key to GoT was its casting. It was clear to me from the first episode they got that part correct. The next major hurdle was writing, and during the seasons that were part of George R.R. Martin's canon, that was good, too. It's really only been this season that felt too compressed. Sets, wardrobes, props - all -perfect. Staging and cinematography were perfect, too, until the too dark Battle of Winterfell.
That said, it was a great ride. Thanks to the GoT team and HBO. Great job, folks.
88
Okay, I have two scenarios:
1. Daenerys publicly abdicates in favor of Jon Snow. We learn later that something has happened to Daenerys (she’s dead) and it was Arya using Danenerys’ face to make the public abdication.
2. There is no Iron Throne. The monarchy is tossed out in favor of something more egalitarian.
6
@Emmy
Gotta say, Danenerys is a goner. Maybe Jon kills her, or Tyrion, or Arya, or Sansa in a surprise pop-up, but she's gotta go. Jon Snow might also get killed.
I'd like to see Tyrion on the Iron Throne, but he's too advanced for such a brutal age. Probably Jon ends up on the throne, I hope with Tyrion as his Hand. In the ideal situation, I'd like to see a humane and democratic ruler take the East, but who would it be?
5
Dear Emmy,
Sorry but there is no possible way Dany will abdicate. She believes she owns the throne by divine right, she won't get it only because she'll be killed.
And there won't be an egalitarian solution either. One thing GoT has been clear on throughout is that the peasants cannot be trusted to have a say in governance, because they're too ignorant. The 2016 election proved this as well.
1
Martin said it was about climate change in interviews.
31
Now all we need is a face-changing assassin girl to leap in out of the night and stab climate change with a magic dagger.
2
Besides - I thought winter was coming....
5
Winter arrived and Arya stabbed it in the pancreas. Problem solved.
26
This show, based only in part on the author’s written work, is a horrifying sign of our times ; young adults who grew up with 9/11, the illegal Iraq War and Trump; all equally traumatic and the latter two not legitimized by our Constitution - that is, voted on by the People of the United Staes with full knowledge of the facts.
Incest and unfettered violence is the Director’s theme. Any sane person is asking why. They call it “Dragon Money” in HBO world. This season, HBO executives have decided to force record Barry, a dark comedy about an assassin who wants to be an actor.
That says it all. When I returned to America recently on Jordanian Airlines, I was surrounded by men, many in fatigues, watching the most violent American Movies on their laptops I have never seen. It was a nine hour flight.
Maybe we underestimated The Jeffersons and should find a way back.
23
@H.A.Hyde
Television is a degenerate force. La belle dame sans merci.
1
Hilarious!
O, the oppressed consumer!
8
Dany had no choice but to obliterate Kings Landing with fire. It was her Hiroshima and Nagasaki as she recognized that the world needed an example of the awful and absolute power of Dragon fire.
12
@Roget T People already knew what dragons could do. All she proved is that she needs to be locked in a mental asylum, and that the last dragon needs to be put to sleep.
1
I will miss the good looking British guys.
37
Thank you for the beautifully written column. Last Sunday's episode was epic, in the true sense of the word. Messiahs do turn into mass murderers. "Our army" can slaughter too. In fact it's quite often the case in recent history: think about Hitler, Mao Zedong, My Lai, Dresden, Hiroshima, the drone war. Unfortunately the victor's justice never tells the true or the full story. Now the most popular series in TV history decides to take historian's task into its own hands. Kudos to the team!
75
You have it precisely right, Emily. There is a school of thought that, once the Manhattan Project was a success, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were inevitable. Or, in this case, the dragons become their own logic. Many who committed such atrocities had noble visions. Unfortunately, based on how fans of the show have reacted to the last episode (fans who previously forgave Dany for actions that they never would have forgiven had they been committed by Tywin or Cersei), you are one of about six people who understand human nature and the lessons of human history.
39
Really? Violence and mass murder wins over not only compassion and morality but any reasonable survival instinct?
As mega fans, why not use your own name when commenting? Afraid of your own worst instincts
1
GoT fans have some serious un-managed boundary issues here.
Protip to fans: YOU DON"T OWN the series or it's production.
You can choose to like the final season or not, you can choose to watch it or not. What you cannot do is demand a do-over.
97
Sure they can - and they are. Why not?
11
@JJ Of course they can try to demand, but it is a worthless action - it isn't their property to manage.
10
My point simply is that they can demand it. Whether it is pointless is another question.
4
When I read the recent Times story about Venezuela, I immediately thought, okay, Venezuela may be ruled by a tyrant like Cersei. But that is no reason for the US to impose collective punishment and create an economic collapse. That's as bad as Daenerys destroying the innocent inhabitants of King's Landing just to take family revenge against the Lannisters. Such has the show seeped into our everday consciousness!
27
The show should have been nine seasons not eight. Adding 6 or 7 episodes would have allowed the slow burn to continue and character flaws and strengths come to their conclusions at the right pace.
Oh well, nothing in this world is perfect.
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@A Common Man Of course there are those who would say that there should have been six seasons instead of eight.
6
The state of American culture can be summed up by the fact that the only thing that could intrude upon the rhapsodic commotion created by The Avengers is this video-game epigone of Lord of the Rings. The day a film studio or TV production company comes up with an original dramatic idea that doesn't feature a surfeit of CGI is the day that a cow wins the Triple Crown of racing.
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@stu freeman
Which could be any year now, given that horses are dropping like flies.
Yes, CGI is as omnipresent now as social media. And GoT made good use of it, as well as cinematography, music and sound. As for story, well, there really isn’t that large an audience for complex, multi-charactered historical fantasy.
Without SSVDS — sex, sadism, violence, depravity, and surprise (we never knew who was going to die or be resurrected next) — the show might never have attracted the viewership it finally achieved.
Showrunners Benioff and Weiss knew what they were doing. See “Game of Thrones Stumbles Into Rape,” Christopher Orr’s article in The Atlantic printed five (!) years ago on 4/22/14.
@stu freeman Game of Thrones is far superior to the cliche-ridden Lord of the Rings.
is everyone ignoring that Jon is a Targaryen? madness in his genes as well, not good for him to be king?
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@dr paul
When a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin. It seems (to now) to have landed for good in Jon
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@dr paul What CJR said. Also, he's half-Stark and was raised as a Stark, not a Targaryen. Dany was fed the stories about how the Targaryen's were wronged. Jon doesn't have any of that.
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When a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin. In Jon's case, it rolled under the couch.
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I think most people agreed on everything that was done on the show until they ran out of source material.
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"It took the easy part out of the way first — the Tolkienesque quest we could all agree on — and focused us on the trickier problem of what comes after."
That's the sly genius of this series: a fantasy world that's just as messy and unsatisfying as real life. Even if everyone had joined in to defeat the White Walkers (even Cersei!), then what? Once you defeat a common enemy, you still have to figure out how to run the place.
You could make (yet another) allegory to the post-WW2 world: the good guys banded together to win, then spent the next 50 years maintaining the peace with strained alliances and mutually-assured-destruction threats.
Our current reality on Earth: these messy alliances are crumbling, and old superpowers are gasping and chafing under the weight of their responsibilities.
Sadly, winter IS coming now...and we are badly positioned to deal with it.
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It’s been a wonderful ride, a great story and a jaw dropping production. While the ending is unlikely to satisfy many, plenty of good stories end awkwardly. I look forward to following many of the actors as they continue their careers.
However it ends, it’s been stellar entertainment and a delight in an otherwise dark world full of terrors.
ps: Providing the Iron Throne is extracted from the rubble, my money’s on Sansa. But Arya will always be my favorite character.
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I don’t disagree with most of these comments, but have people forgotten about “Lost”? We were assured for years that they weren’t dead, and in the end...they were dead. Not to mention the dozens of unresolved riddles. “The Sopranos” writers just gave up in the middle of a scene and acted like they were oh so clever. Only “Breaking Bad” had the great ending we hoped for. In the end, it’s just a TV show. I’m surprised at how many people have seemingly taken the last twist as a personal affront. I am just thankful for the 10 years of fun. Thanks to all involved in the making of this vast and satisfying entertainment.
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@Tim
Another great series that had a satisfying ending, consistent with its characters as we had come to know them, was "Mad Men". Maybe not quite up there with BB, but close, and surely better than what I expect from GoT.
Happily for me, I never watched "Lost".
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@Tim You misunderstood the end of Lost. Indeed they were dead in the end and were existing in an afterlife., but after they lived their full, long lives. What happened on the island, in the present, actually happened. The last season was split between the present reality and a future after life. So, thus, they weren't dead during 95% of the show's run.
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Breaking Bad was the best ended show ever. Mad Men’s ending was just ok - didn’t satisfy but didn’t entirely disappoint. Breaking Bad nailed it.
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As the author aptly notes, the most compelling connection of GOT to the zeitgeist is that so many find it difficult to enjoy - wait for it - a fantasy, without conflating it with modern politics. It seems nobody can relax anymore. Well, except waiting for the final two books - now that is worth some anxiety.
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@LTJ thank you, very well stated.
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I have thoroughly enjoyed the show despite the (sometimes gratuitous) sex and violence. I have also read all the books.
Honestly, the problem with resolving something like GOT lies in the source material, IMO. Martin creates amazing and detailed worlds and fascinating and exotic (not just on the show) characters, but he has very little narrative discipline. I'm not sure he had a clear idea of how to end his books (or, at least, he may have changed his mind about to end them). He wanders around his alien world observing the meaningless suffering and violence inflicted on the powerless by the powerful. They, at times, read like Japanese impressionist literature to me.
The criticism of the show's final season is valid, IMO, but not because of what will happen, but the shortcuts they took to get there (Arya's abrupt decision to let go vengeance on a dime, e.g.).
All that said I have two different endings I would like to see:
With Varys dead, there is only one person who has some moral center AND an understanding of power and how to wield it: Sansa Stark. She should sit on the Iron Throne.
If, that is, there must be an Iron Throne.
I personally would prefer an ending that is nihilistic. There can be no justice in The Game of Thrones as it is solely about power. Bran, the keeper of history, should erase it.
What rises out of the ashes could be another saga.
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@Christopher
I agree with just about all that you write - except I loved the sex and violence.
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The destruction of Knights Landing was a metaphor for the Allied destruction of Dresden: against an evil, a noble cause did an evil and horrific act. The Allies rained incendiaries on dozens of large metropolises, all in the belief that they were “ending the war.” It was only after analysis that they discovered that nothing of the kind was achieved, that it just killed hundreds of thousands of innocents.
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Whatever is the conclusion, (original picked-Sansa Stark) for the final series ending episode, I believe now, it will be something no one anticipates. After all it’s a fantasy, not set in real life or it’s history. On that front, get set for perhaps, a end to life as we know it. Who knows? A viewer can’t get wrap up in all the drama if their conclusion don’t pan out. So I have enjoyed the ride and I thank Games of Thrones cast and crew for it. Bravo!
Besides, looking at the promo’s for upcoming HBO new series, I’ll think I will pass. Again that’s just me;) Happy viewing!
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Drogon's hour long fire-breathing wasn't believable, unless it was pure magic (as in Puff the Magic Dragon). How could he possibly consume that much energy from food?
It also isn't believable that Dany's army has re-spawned after the Battle of Winterfell, as indicated in Episode 6 previews. Nor was it believable that Cersei didn't simply unleash all her ballistas at Dany and her (pre-re-spawned) army during their parley in front of the newly-terraformed King's Landing.
In fact, wasn't it a little odd that Euron's tongueless crew not only spoke and shouted during Dany's dive bombing, but yelled "FIRE!". When was gunpowder invented in Westeros?
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@Observer
Uh... Fantasy? But I agree, very little about this last season has been believable. In fact, I stopped watching after episode 4.
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@Observer I agree. It's fantasy, but things still have to make sense within the cosmology of the show. If Dany knew one dragon could incinerate an entire city, why didn't she just fly over on her dragon from Dragonstone last season and torch King's Landing--or at least the Red Keep (making sure Cersei was in it first)--rather than bothering to amass and train two armies? In fact, what have the last eight years been adding up to with building armies and alliances and fighting white walkers if all along she had a WMD (dragon) that she could use to claim the throne?
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@Observer i wondered about the dragon's energy source too, and i wonder about their wing loading, are the wings big enough to hold them up at low speed, or even while they hover. then i remembered they are made-up fantasy dragons. they can do anything.
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This article overlooks the main point of disagreement of the last half-season of the show, which is the overwhelming sense of many fans that the plot has been cheapened through bad writing that got worse as George RR Martin‘s material dropped away. The debates do not center on whether Dany should have become a Mad Queen, for example, but the absurdly rushed plot structure and focus on fooling and shocking the audience in a way that made all character arcs, including hers, seem laughable. This angered people because they invested a lot in the show as diehard fans, and felt cheated. There is actually a petition signed already by close to a million fans to remake season 8 with good writers because it was so bad! It was a great show, but the ending is a catastrophe!
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@Mr Xtian Many of your points are agreeable, but there is Zero chance an online petition will do anything besides express people's disappointment. It's laughable that people actually think HBO will remake the season because they have rejected the final season.
I completely agree that this season is garbage, because of the writing/plot development, as well as the rush to finish, and it is a shame since the build-up was such fun.
Perhaps fans should take it into their own hands and remake the ending themselves.
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@slowgringo You who are giving the petition a chance of "zero" in being successful: what was your prediction for the 2016 presidential election?
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@Mr Xtian I have signed this petition. I have no belief that they will actually remake the season. I just appreciate the message it sends to the show's creators.
One thing I also hope it accomplishes in this message, besides just simple outrage, is that it sets a higher standard for any Game of Thrones content they produce. I want to avoid a scenario where any GoT content is acceptable by the people making them and by the audience, all because its GoT and not because it's good fiction.
I'd argue this happened to Star Wars, to be honest.
6
In the game of thrones, you win or you die.
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@ERS - an oldie but goodie:
http://www.quickmeme.com/img/5c/5c49252859b0daedf287e1109a207a013018c392dd1a2d3f993dbafc7c1a4f9b.jpg
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The destruction of King’s Landing was shocking but no surprise to keen watchers of the show. It has been foreshadowed for many seasons.
Dany does burn places and things and people. She has a streak of madness like many other Targaryens. She was pushed over the edge to blind rage / a psychotic episode (take your pick) by her losses and paranoia. She has no real friends left.
After the burning of the city she can only rule Westeros by fear. She should take her warriors & dragon and return to Meereen.
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@Tapani Keen observers do seem to enjoy congratulating themselves. But doesn't make up for the fact that the writers are out of their league (relative to GRRM) and the last two seasons have leaned heavily on deus ex machina etc, more shock and awe than believable story/character-building, and also have rushed to finish (why? probably because it's been ten years..). It's a sorry finish to this show.
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Why are so many people bent out of shape this season? Dany is no Disney princess, and you should have waited before naming your daughter Khaleesi.
Sansa has gone from Naif to victim to Kissinger, I mean Littlefinger protege.
The ride is almost over and whatever happens, let's hope it doesn't fade to black. I can live with it.
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Not being into sword fights and napalm dragons, I’ve just watched GOT because I like some of the actors and actresses. It made me feel good when I’d see them onscreen, including Catelyn Stark, Tyrion, Samwell, Brienne, Grey Worm, Arya, and, of course, Ghost.
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@JackRussell Finally, a fan without pretense. Thank you. (Is it a Texan thing?)
6
I admittedly watched the first episode because of Sean Bean playing Ned Stark. I kept watching because of people playing Tyrion, Catelyn, Jaime, Cersei... and then added Arya, Robb, Jon, Theon, Dany and so on. Some brilliant acting, imho, and it was AMAZING to watch the kids grow up over the years.
The Sansa character was sooo annoying at the beginning, only to break your heart later, before fiercely claiming her rightful place. No wonder so many want her to win the GoT.
Personally, I’ve enjoyed the ride and will miss this show—whatever the conclusion.
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@Nancy Moon, It seems you may have missed several episodes or perhaps turned a blind eye to Sansa's typical behavior. While she may have earned some sympathy as a victim of Joffery's & Ramsey Bolton's sadistic impulses, she chose to enter & maintain both those relationships in pursuit of her political ambitions. She has not been loyal to her family ever but has always demanded loyalty from them when it served her ambition. I would suggest that Sansa's rightful place is a sky cell at the Erye. A small one with a steep floor.
4
If one has read much about the Medieval age in Europe, Game of Thrones makes sense. Life was brutal, people were base who seldom had the mental energy to follow any principles, and even the nobility died young. So as the good and the bad characters die like files in the series, it makes some sense, as well as the outcomes rarely following from the intentions of the principal characters.
But the kind of moral struggles which give emotional energy to nearly all popular cinema and literature are concerned, this show has offered none of it beyond the drive for vengeance. In the end, the story is about how those survive, do. That does seem to be by accident or magic.
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"It aired internationally, in places whose national mythologies didn’t necessarily mesh with America’s to begin with."
Which American mythology would you be talking about? The only true American mythology is that of the native Americans', which have been trampled, strangled and neglected and hidden in reservations.
A few hundreds years of history does not make 'mythology'.
Anyway, the mythology 'Game of Thrones' heavily borrows from is distinctly European.
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@Amaresh Datta Your definition of mythology is at odds with that of the dictionary.
8
Hey @Amaresh Datta
George RR Martin is American. That makes this a truly American myth. Some of us, and much of our culture (including our language), derives from Europe. Indians don’t have a monopoly on American-ness. Neither do you. Nor does any one. That’s exactly the point. Enjoy the melting pot! I know I do
14
After bingeing the show over the last few months, I’ve concluded that was exceptionally good television but not at the very top. It had exceptional production values, strong actors, at times outstanding directing and editing, and good stories. But, lest I sound prudish, I found much of its sex and extreme violence — and it was extreme — gratuitous and done primarily to shock. It makes Mel Gibson’s The Passion seems almost tame by comparison. All in all, though, worth watching.
13
Everyone's complaining about how the show is winding down. But there's no good way to wind down any show that's been written to carry on indefinitely. That was the problem with Lost and so many series like these: there is no central protagonist, so there can be no real conclusion.
If any character can be seen as a central protagonist in Game of Thrones, it's Tyrion. So I'm predicting that Tyrion will take the throne along with Sansa. The "we'd never work out" line a couple of episodes ago, and his kiss on her hand, said it all. He'd found his courage; she found her purpose. They shared a moment together than binds them.
Jon can't carry on with Dany now. We know that. It's obvious that's all over, and pretty obvious that Arya will kill "the queen" as predicted.
Jon will go North to live beyond The Wall, with his friends and the direwolf.
I can see no other way this series can resolve.
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@Jack Lee Of course there are good ways to resolve a story, even this one. Many fans have already written such endings which are far superior to the one we will see on Sunday night (according to credible leaks).
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The Fire and Ice books reveal the difficulties with this series. The author never was able to complete the overall story and some story lines just lead into cul de sacs. The screen writers and the author ended up continuing the story independently of the books.
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@Jack Lee
No, Jon said goodbye to his wolf. I think he will stay and rule.
I think Jon will then banish Dany for frying the city, and she will fly off with a tear in her eye and into a new HBO prequel.
Political correctness as TV criticism: "advisers anticipating objections to elevating a callow man (Jon) over an experienced woman (Daenerys)"
Callow? In the show, Jon Snow wins an election as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Has Daenerys ever won an election?
Snow pursues the Watch's agenda while dealing with an aggressive king (Stannis) who wants something completely different. Remind me of Daenerys' political achievements.
Snow makes a pact with the wildlings and instead of fighting them, gets them to fight with them.
Snow makes the sensible and self-sacrificing decision to bend the knee to Daenerys because she has dragons and an army and he wants to defend humanity at all costs. She has power -- no doubting that -- but he has both good vision and (unlike his uncle Ned) good sense.
It's just a fictional show, but it also is something of a mirror of our own biases. Your critic seems to think mens' achievements aren't worthy.
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Uh, she spent several years building a massive army of force, grew an overwhelming following of supporters throughout as she freed enslaved cities and regions, offered up her forces to defend the north, while others made tactical errors, lost battles, and key regions.
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@Wolf You seem to overlook or ignore women's achievements. How do you think Danaerys ever got to her lofty position to begin with? Commanding armies--what, you think someone just gave an army to her because she's cute?
20
@Wolf I agree with Beth and Layla - but also with you. I think you don't see Danaerys's myriad achievements delineated by Beth and Layla - but I think you are spot on about the ludicrousness of referring to Jon Snow as "callow." Jon is in many ways the one moral touchstone in the show: the one character whose heart remains firmly in the right place. And he _does_ have myriad experiences leading and making deals, moving the locus of power, convincing enemies to join him.
It's not an either/or. That's where the writer is benighted (with all puns intended).
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Uh I dislike the Daenersy Mad Queen storyline as much as anyone else...but Jon Snow is not "callow". This section is silly.
A callow person is a "a young person, inexperienced and immature"..
Jon Snow served was trained as a warrior in Winterfell, served as the right hand man of the Lord Commander of the Nights Watch, survived beyond the wall with the wildings, helped command the defense of the Wall, served as Lord Commander, conquered winterfell from the boltons (aided by sansa), forged alliances with northern houses, was acclaimed king of the north, and bent the knee to Daenerys to forge a key strategic alliance. I mean...he is not exactly inexperienced with regards to ruling and kingship.
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@GradStudent69 Aided by Sansa? Littlefinger orchestrated, at great risk of his life, getting the army of the Vale to intervene in the Battle of the Bastards. Sansa's impulse was imply to kill Littlefinger. Sansa came close to ruining the only chance Jon had to win that battle.
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@Observer Sansa sent a raven to Littlefinger at the Vale asking for help. Don't think the cavalry would have arrived in the nick of time otherwise.
8
Part of Tolkien's message was power always corrupts and destroys... maybe Daenarys is who Galadriel would have been, had Galadriel accepted the ring. Only those who refuse power (Galadriel said she "passed the test" when she refused the ring after Frodo offered it) can be good.
And the good who fight hard against the evils of power are irreparably harmed, like Frodo. The harder you fight and the more you accomplish stopping the evils of power, the more damaged you become, but those who accomplish less (but not zero) can remain sufficiently undamaged to carry on.
So there is still Brienne of Tarth, pretty pure still. Jon Snow too. But they can't accomplish what Daenarys has with her dragon, and they don't achieve Daenarys power nor evil.
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