Now, my watch has ended. After 73 episodes, Game of Thrones is over. My mind is racing with so many thoughts. Let’s jump into the review for the series finale for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 6: The Iron Throne.
Game Of Thrones Season 8, Episode 6 Review: The Iron Throne
-The episode opens with Tyrion walking through the streets of King’s Landing, or what’s left of it. Daenerys’ destruction was catastrophic. She didn’t just kill a few thousand people. She slaughtered an entire city. Tyrion, Jon, and Davos all realize that Dany went against everything she said she was going to do.
-The ash falling down in the city as Tyrion, Jon, and Davos walk the streets was astonishing. Storylines aside, the visuals in Season 8 have been spectacular. In the very first episode, we learn that winter is coming and that winter represents the true enemy of the show, which we thought was the white walkers. However, the last episode symbolized that the true enemy was one who caused the ash, Daenerys.
-Grey Worm went awol! Despite pleas from Jon and Davos, Grey Worm continued slaughtering survivors in the street. Grey Worm killing the Lannister soldiers brings up an idea that Jorah Mormont brought up in Season 3. The Unsullied’s strength is their ability to follow orders. Daenerys ordered her army to kill everyone. The Unsullied do not think for themselves. As harsh as it was, Grey Worm was following orders by killing the soldiers who surrendered.
Tyrion Lannister
-As Tyrion explored the Red Keep, we knew where he was going. Tyrion needed to see if Jamie and Cersei made it out of the city. Once Tyrion saw the golden hand, it was a wrap on the idea that they survived. I still have my problems with how Jamie and Cersei died. I did not like how their character arcs ended nor did I like how they died. However, the haunting look that Tyrion had on his face after seeing his dead brother and sister was powerful and devastating. Peter Dinklage will be the favorite to win supporting actor at the Emmys.
-The Mother of Dragons did the damn thing.
-If I was a member of the Unsullied or the Dothraki, I would follow Daenerys into battle any day of the week. Her speech was both motivating and chilling. It’s clear that Daenerys is not going to stop liberating cities. She is going to travel far and wide, destroying everything in her path until every city is deemed liberated in her eyes. King’s Landing was only the beginning. At this moment, a choice had to be made and that choice belonged to only two people, Tyrion and Jon.
Tyrion emphatically resigned as Hand of the Queen and became Daenerys’s prisoner. After Tyrion and Dany left, Jon conversed with Arya, who tells him that Daenerys will always view Jon as a threat because of his lineage. According to Arya, Daenerys is a murderer and she will take Jon out at the right time. Arya is the first one to plant the seed of murdering Daenerys.
Favorite Scene of GOT Season 8 Episode 6
-My favorite scene of the night occurred when Jon visited Tyrion in captivity. Tyrion is direct with his approach. He messed up, regretted believing in Daenerys, and realized she can never truly be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. On the other hand, Jon is more subtle with his concerns because of his love for Daenerys. Jon knows deep down that Daenerys shouldn’t be the Queen, but he’s too loyal or proud to go back on his oath. When Tyrion presses Jon as to if he would have done what Daenerys did to King’s Landing, Jon hesitates, but we know he would never burn innocent people to death. Jon recited a quote that Maester Aemon (more on him later) once said. “Love is the death of duty.”
Tyrion responds with “Sometimes, duty is the death of love.” In other words, love and duty don’t mix. You have to make a choice. Tyrion has made his choice. He wants Jon to kill Daenerys. Would he listen?
-He listened!
-Before Jon made this fatal decision, Daenerys had a moment in the throne room by herself. All her life, Daenerys had one goal, which was to take back the seven kingdoms, sit on the throne, and bring back honor to the Targaryen name. Daenerys was finally able to touch the Iron Throne, which she couldn’t do in her vision back in season 2. She finally did it. Despite achieving this through destruction and murder, Daenerys lets off a smile. At this moment, Daenerys forgets about the millions of lives she took. Daenerys got what she wanted, but not once has she ever thought about how she would govern as queen. All Dany cared about was breaking the wheel and liberating those in shackles. Daenerys proved she can be a liberator, but she never proved she could govern a nation.
You Know Nothing Jon Snow
And that’s where Jon comes in. Daenerys is oblivious as to what she did. Jon cries about how Grey Worm is murdering innocent soldiers in the street and Daenerys responds by playfully sharing childhood stories. THIS is supposed to be the Queen? Jon begs her to forgive Daenerys, but she states that she cannot grant small mercies. All Daenerys cares about is breaking the wheel. She has no interest in governing a nation. This is when I believe Jon knew what he had to do.
“You are my queen, now and always.” Jon kisses Daenerys and kills her. Goodbye, Dany!
-Instead of barbecuing Jon to death, Drogon burns the Iron Throne, picks up his mother, and flies away. Did a dragon really just solve humanity’s problems by eliminating a throne?
-Up until now, I had very few problems with the episode. However, after Drogon flies away and the next shot is Tyrion in his cell, this is where my problems begin. Why did Game of Thrones save a time jump for their last episode? I’m supposed to believe that Grey Worm just escorted Jon Snow into prison after he killed his Queen? All of the leaders were able to sail to King’s Landing within a few days/weeks and no major problems occurred? Not enough time has been the biggest flaw of Season 8. All of the major storyline decisions, from Daenerys burning down King’s Landing to Jon killing Daenerys, needed more time to develop over the course of a few episodes. It all felt rushed. A time jump hurt, not helped, the story.
Grey Worm to the Dragonpit
-Back to Tyrion. Grey Worm marches Tyrion into the Dragonpit where every senior lord and lady are sitting together. Sansa, Arya, Bran, Gendry, Davos, Brienne, Yara, Gendry, Sam, one of the Martells, Edmure Tully, and Robin Arryn are all present. Tyrion states that Jon’s fate is to be decided by the new King or Queen. It’s decision time. Who should be the next King or Queen? After Edmure and Sam make different claims, Tyrion suggests that the next person to be King should be…
Bran Stark! If you had Bran in your gambling pools, congratulations! The Three-Eyed Raven himself knew he would be king all along and he said nothing. Bran holds the key to all of the past, present, and future memories of Westeros. That’s why Tyrion wants him to be King. Bran accepts and every lord and lady agrees except for Sansa, who tells Bran that the North will remain an independent kingdom. Sansa completed the mission that her brother, Robb, could not do. As for Tyrion, what is the punishment for a man that commits treason and convinces the top warrior on the planet to murder the Queen? Tyrion gets to become the Hand of the King! Bran makes Tyrion his hand in order to make up for all of his previous mistakes.
-Tonight’s winner: Breast milk.
-Jon’s punishment is to rejoin the Night’s Watch. As Tyrion explains his punishment, Jon is still questioning if killing Daenerys was the right decision. Tyrion says to ask him in 10 years. Maybe Game of Thrones: The Sequel can be Jon and Tyrion in a buddy comedy as they are co-commanders of the Night’s Watch.
Time to Say Goodbye
-It was time to say goodbye. Grey Worm and the Unsullied decided to sail to Naath aka Missandei’s home. Brienne finished writing Jamie’s story. And with that, the Stark children once again had to go their separate ways. Sansa is headed back to Winterfell as the Queen in the North. Arya is sailing to the unchartered territory outside of Westeros. Bran is staying in King’s Landing and Jon is headed to the Night’s Watch. In the end, the backbone of Game of Thrones was the Starks. This family drove the show both figuratively and narratively and each member received a somewhat happy ending.
-I appreciated the ode to George R.R. Martin when Sam presented Tyrion with the history book titled, “A Song of Ice and Fire.” If you were to tell me that the final meeting of the minds in King’s Landing would be between Bran, Tyrion, Davos, Brienne, Bronn, Sam, and Podrick, I would’ve questioned your mental health.
-The series ends with a final montage involving Sansa, Arya, and Jon. Sansa becomes the Queen in the North. Ned Stark. Arya sails outside Westeros. Jon arrives at Castle Black to rejoin the Night’s Watch. In a way, these three characters mirror the lives of their elders. Sansa is Ned Stark, Arya is now Benjen Stark, and Jon is Maester Aemon. Upon his arrival at Castle Black, Jon is greeted by Tormund and Ghost (!!!). Then, Jon, Ghost, and Tormund, followed by a large group of wildlings, leave The Wall. Tormund always said that Jon belonged North of the Wall and when the gate closes as Jon exits the Wall, he smiles, knowing that he will be able to start a new life with the Wildlings.
Game of Thrones is Over
Wow. That’s a lot to process. Game of Thrones is over. I enjoyed the first half of the episode. I had problems with the second half especially when it comes to the time jump. Let’s all take a day or two to think about what we just witnessed and reconvene midweek. Sounds good? See you then.
What were your thoughts on the series finale of Game of Thrones? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow.
3 Comments
The ending could have been better if it had been thought through more. Bran should have been offered the crown as shown but he should have refused it on the obvious grounds that he had no experience at ruling, and must defer to those more qualified for the role. He should then have nominated his sister Sansa, and she should then have been acclaimed perhaps over her objection that as representative of the North she couldn’t sanction also becoming Queen of the seven kingdoms. However the twist should be that Bran consequence of his sisters promotion, should then be nominated by Sansa to replace her as King of the north, only then to have Bran refuse to swear allegiance to his sister, on the very grounds his sister gave. It might be that he even rejected her nomination, on the grounds that this was his birth right, and so non-negotiable. Sansa could then be left twisting and turning, conscious of the conflict between her new role and her old ultimately accepting that she was Queen of all except the North. And it could then be she who asks her former husband if he would be her hand. The two of them together would have been a team to cheer for. Bran and Tyrion far less so.
All this opportunity for an ending that would make more logical and emotive sense was wasted.
The reason for Jon’s treason was to end the season.
The reason for Jon’s treason was to end the season.