Game Of Thrones Series Finale: What I Loved And What I Hated

Game of Thrones series finale

After watching the Game of Thrones series finale, I felt it was only fair to let it breathe for a few days before I made my final judgment. It’s been five days and after thinking it through, I’m mostly satisfied with the ending. I have no problem with how the show ended. However, I have a lot of problems with how the show got to its ending. Here is what I loved and what I hated from the series finale of Game of Thrones.

Loved: Tyrion, Jon, and Davos Walking The Desolate Streets Of King’s Landing

This was a very powerful opening scene. Tyrion, Jon, and Davos walking the streets of a desolate King’s Landing emphasized the destruction caused by Daenerys and Drogon. Everything in King’s Landing was destroyed. The streets were lined with dead men, women, and children. The ash, not snow, blowing in the wind was the perfect ode to the Queen of the Ashes. The horrors on the faces of Tyrion, Jon, and Davos said it all. At that moment, they knew that their Queen was not who she said she was. The merciful Queen who wanted to liberate people died and the Queen of fire and ash was born.

Loved: Daenerys Speech To Her Army

First of all, the imagery in this scene was incredible. When Daenerys walked to the top of the steps, Drogon flapped his wings and it gave the illusion that Daenerys spawned dragon wings. Daenerys became a dragon, who rules by fire and terror. It’s like she became a demon.

HBO

Then, Daenerys gave a truly spine-tingling and chilling speech about the future of the world to the Unsullied and Dothraki. Jon, Tyrion, and Arya no longer believed that Daenerys was going to stop the destruction. Daenerys preached about liberating the world and breaking the wheel. Not once did she say that she would give innocent people a chance to live. With an army and Drogon by her side, Daenerys would destroy every city in the world until there were no more cities left to liberate. Also, her speech was similar to one a fascist leader like Hitler used to give to his Nazi army. It reminded me of General Hux’s speech to The First Order in The Force Awakens.

Loved: Jon And Tyrion’s Meeting

“Love is the death of duty. Sometimes, duty is the death of love.” The theme of the series finale revolved around duty. The idea of duty and love dates all the way back to Season 1 when Maester Aemon’s conversation with Jon at Castle Black. When the time comes to make a decision, will you choose duty or love? That is the concept that both Tyrion and Jon debated while Tyrion was in captivity. Tyrion realized that Daenerys was a lost cause. Tyrion believed she would not stop the fire and destruction. The more cities she conquers, the more innocent people die. For the second time of the episode, someone suggests that Jon has to make a decision to kill Daenerys. Arya implied this as well when Jon spoke with her earlier in the day. This scene set the groundwork for what Jon was about to do next.

Loved: Jon Kills Daenerys

With all of the foreshadowing taken into account in Season 8, Jon killing Daenerys was the logical move. From “love is the death of duty” to both Arya and Tyrion’s warning about Daenerys, Jon killing Daenerys makes sense. Jon Snow is Azor Ahai aka the Prince That Was Promised. Time and time again, Jon thought that killing the white walkers would save the world, but it turned out that killing Daenerys and her version of the Iron Throne was how the world needed to be saved. Daenerys showed Jon her true colors in their final moments. As Jon is in tears thinking about the destruction of King’s Landing, Daenerys is smiling and reliving her childhood about how she always dreamed of this moment. Daenerys always stated that she wanted to break the wheel, but in actuality, she wanted to control the wheel by herself and conquer foreign lands. Even if she tried to be a merciful Queen, she has Targaryen blood and couldn’t fit her urge to rule by fire and fear. Jon brought up a good point by saying what if they’re not the only people who know what’s right for the world. What if there are other people who believe they know what’s good just like Daenerys? Daenerys said that she would be the judge of that. Daenerys became an all-powerful and ruthless ruler, which is the opposite of what she promised to be.

GOT Season 8

In the battle of love and duty, Jon was always going to choose duty. No matter how much he loved Daenerys, he would always choose his family and his duty over Daenerys. Jon always tried to do the right thing. Jon is a Targaryen and in the end, he chose to be a Stark. He was similar to his adopted father, Ned Stark, when he chose duty over love. Ned chose to pretend Jon was a bastard and jeopardize his relationship with his wife, Catelyn, in order to honor the wishes of his sister. Jon killed the woman he loves in order to protect the world and in particular, his sisters and brother, from Daenerys’s destruction.

Hated: The Time Jump

In general, I enjoyed the first half of the episode while having little to no problems. It all made sense. However, after Drogon flew away with Daenerys’s body, my major problems began and it all started with the time jump. A time jump occurred when Tyrion was brought in front of the lords and ladies of Westeros in order to determine his fate. Since when did Game of Thrones jump forward in time without any explanation? Instead, Tyrion’s beard length gave it away that a few weeks had passed since Daenerys’s death. Here’s where I also have a problem. What happened when Grey Worm walked into the Throne Room and learned that Jon killed Dany? I’m expected to believe that Grey Worm, a man who slit the throats of soldiers who surrendered and would do anything for Daenerys, took Jon into custody peacefully as his prisoner? That’s not believable.

Hated: The Entire Scene Where Bran Became The New King

Where do I even begin? Let’s start with Tyrion. Tyrion, who was in shackles the entire time, convinced an entire panel of lords and ladies that BRAN STARK should be the new King because people love stories and nobody has a better story than Bran the Broken. First of all, Tyrion, who once again was in shackles because he was a PRISONER WHO BETRAYED THE PREVIOUS QUEEN, ended up being the person to convince the panel to elect Bran as King. How does that make sense? Why should anyone trust Tryion at that point? Tyrion should be dead, not alive with political influence.

GOT Season 8 Episode 6 Review: The Iron Throne

Then, there’s Bran Stark. He would not have been my first choice for King. If Tyrion only mentioned that Bran should be King because he was the Three-Eyed Raven and the only person who contained the past and future memories of Westeros, I’ll buy that explanation. I don’t particularly like it, but I can at least rationalize that thought process. However, to say that Bran should be King because he had the best story is not entirely true. Bran has a better story than Arya, who traveled all throughout Westeros and became an assassin? He has a better story than Sansa, who went from a meek girl to a powerful, impactful female leader in the North? Bran has a better story than Jon Snow, who died and was resurrected (!!!) and went toe-to-toe with the Army of the Dead? You can’t say that Bran had the best story when all of these other stories are just as good, if not better.

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Finally, Tyrion’s punishment for his crimes was to serve as Bran’s hand. So Jon was shipped to the Night’s Watch for his punishment while Tyrion gets to live in King’s Landing with all of the wine and women in the world? Seems like a fair trade.

Hated: Jon Was Banished To The North Instead Of Choosing To Live There

I am fine with Jon heading North to live out the rest of his life. Ever since Tormund told Jon that he would enjoy the North just like Ghost in “The Last of the Starks,” the show was leaning towards Jon ending up in the North to end the series. Jon said countless times that he never wanted to take the throne so living his remaining years in the North made complete sense. However, Jon needed to make the choice for himself to live in the North. If Jon had the chance to turn down the crown and choose to live in the North, this would have been much more powerful and impactful to his storyline than what transpired onscreen. Jon’s entire life can be summed up in two words: choices and identity. Jon never felt like he belonged because he never knew his true identity. However, Jon consistently made choices to do what he felt was right despite not knowing he truly was. (Letting the Wildlings pass through the wall, showing mercy towards his enemies, etc.) These two themes collided when Jon made the choice to side with the Starks and choose duty over love when he killed Daenerys. This is why Jon needed to decide his own fate. Tyrion was able to bargain his way out of a true punishment in front of the council. Why didn’t Jon get that same opportunity? In a perfect world, Jon should have turned down the throne and to prove how much he didn’t want to be King, Jon would move North and stay there. That is how I wanted Jon to end up North.

Loved: Jon, Arya, and Sansa’s endings
Hated: Bran’s ending

Jon living in the North, Arya exploring the world, and Sansa as Queen in the North all made sense. Bran as the King of Westeros did not.

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Hated: Sacrificing Storytelling For Time

This is by far my biggest complaint about not only the series finale but the last two seasons of Game of Thrones. Storytelling was sacrificed for time due to the shortened seasons. Here’s a perfect example. Daenerys burned down all of King’s Landing, killing most of its inhabitants. After this destruction, do you want to know how many scenes Daenerys was in after that? Two. Two scenes for her character arc to end after burning down an entire city and becoming a fascist Queen that leads by fear. Two scenes are not enough time to explain why one, Daenerys snapped and went scorched Earth on King’s Landing and two, the consequences of her actions and how it affects those around her. The last two seasons felt sped up because of the lack of episodes. Had Daenerys’s actions to become the Mad Queen been given time to simmer over a few episodes, Jon’s decision to kill Daenerys would have made more sense than how it transpired in the show. I firmly believe that if both seasons 7 and 8 had 10 episodes each, there would have been less complaints from the fans about the ending.

There you have it. That’s what I loved and what I hated from the Game of Thrones Series Finale. Do you agree, disagree, or have anything to add? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 6 Review: The Iron Throne

GOT Season 8 Episode 6 Review: The Iron Throne series finale

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.