‘A remarkable achievement in TV’
That was a beautiful ending. For all the misgivings about this season’s pacing, I thought it was a confident, extremely moving episode. The tragedy of Dany being so close to the Throne and yet not being able to see the person she had become; that shot of her being carried away into the distance was heartbreaking. Each character also felt like they ended up in a place true to the person they had become. It was a generous, fitting end to what overall has been a remarkable achievement in television. summerbabe
‘Stories are the winner’
That was an author’s ending if ever there was one. Stories are the winner!
I enjoyed Jon going back to the only place he ever made sense. I was very much convinced by the scene of him and Dany. The little look of shock, realisation and betrayal on her face was magnificent. And her house of the undying vision came true!
Some nice callbacks throughout, as well, not least the jackass and the honeycomb and Davos harking back to Stannis’s dictation skills. pdmalcolm
‘Possibly the worst death on the show’
I did feel genuine sadness when Dany was killed. For all that happened in King’s Landing, she thought she was doing right. Not something evil. But more than that, she embraced the man she loved, and he stuck a knife in her heart. Literally. Figuratively. Possibly the worst death on the show, killed by the person they loved the most and so unexpectedly. She was alone in the world but for the man who killed her. Yellowballs
‘It’s been a great journey’
And so it ends. I got up at 6am to watch the final episode with my son. Eight years on from when we watched the first one when he was at the time still in secondary school. It’s been a great journey. I will miss it.
Bran the Broken as king does open up a lot of questions, particularly the garden scene awaiting the Night King. Poor Jon, the Bastard Son, back where he started. Not even a gold watch. Arya, a great adventure awaits and Sansa as Queen of the North. There was a sense of the old GoT with the pace of this finale, and I like the makeup of the privy council. I always felt that Drogon would have a big part to play; destroying the Iron Throne was a nice move.
Awaiting the new spin-offs in 2020. However, it would be fun if they revisited Westeros in 10 years, to see what they are all up to. I feel a bit empty now. Paul Butler
‘Tyrion, you were the show’s MVP’
For me, bearing in mind the disappointment of the last two seasons, that last episode was a positive surprise. Some really emotional moments, especially between Jon and Arya, some laughs (Davos stole every scene he was in, as he has done since he debuted), and (for me at least) a surprise pick for King after a lovely bait-and-switch with Sam’s “how about democracy” speech. I thought the Dany death was well done. My own criticism would be that the Night’s Watch is surely a bit pointless now that there is no more Night King.
Tyrion, you were the series’ MVP – Peter Dinklage’s performance will go down as one of the best in TV history. Long may he reign as Hand of the King, although he might want to rethink Bronn as Master of Coin – that seems about as sensible and plausible as making Boris Johnson Foreign Secretary. Oh, wait ... Shauny79
‘The wheel is not broken, but stuck in the mud’
It was a very long journey to not get very far. Has the wheel been broken, or is it merely stuck in the mud? The system they fought to replace still exists and it will be business as usual in 100 years, when everyone involved in the Song of Ice and Fire has died. The same people who were in power at the beginning of the story remain in power at the end of the story, albeit in slightly different roles.
With all the talk of liberation and freedom, it’s almost as if they were afraid to show us one system being utterly destroyed and replaced with a completely different system. Instead, they replaced “baddies” with “goodies” and expect us to believe that power will no longer corrupt. JeremyToulalan
‘Incredibly rushed, but I was happy with the outcome’
Like a lot of people I wanted Jon on the Throne, but in the end I think it turned out for the best. He would have stayed dead but for the task he was brought back to fulfil – to kill Dany. It’s a bonus for him he still gets to live a life. He never wanted the Throne, he said it so many times, and I think he’ll be happy up north with his Wildlings and Tormund, his great friend. I’ll have to rewatch it, but I think it was Tyrion who said “give it time and he’ll be free again”. I think the last season was incredibly rushed, but I was happy with the outcome. Yay, Starks: after all the crap they copped through the years, they came out on top. MademoiselleRose
‘Maybe nothing would have lived up to the expectations’
End of an era. Maybe nothing would have lived up to the expectations. It’s like finally dating your crush or getting back with an ex you pined for. Nothing will match the scenarios of your overactive mind. At least showrunners brought this to TV, and they did a very good job of it. I also got to read the books and meet so many people around the world who love the show and wanted to chat about it. As with the Euros and World Cups, Game of Thrones has became my milestone marker for a stage of my life. I will miss it, and it has been brilliant overall. Rahul_Madiraju
‘The majestic moment was Drogon burning the Iron Throne’
Sorry for all the little girls who were named “Khaleesi” by their parents, but whoever still thinks that Daenerys made a “handbrake turn” hasn’t been paying attention over the last, well, eight years.
But what a wonderful finale that was. I loved Arya setting out for distant seas. I liked the showrunners not pulling off some last-minute surprise twist, like Bronn shooting Tyrion because he didn’t get his castle, but instead we left King’s Landing with a Lannister paying his debts. I liked having been right (like so many others) about Jon Snow reuniting with Ghost, seeing the first signs of spring and disappearing into the Nothern woods being the last shot of the series.
But the truly majestic moment was Drogon burning down the Iron Throne. For all the seasons, the dragons have been no more than terrifying beasts, nuclear devices at the hand of a troubled woman. Yet Drogon is one who, in a decisive moment, turns all his grief and anger into an action of true wisdom and catharsis that Westeros so desperately needs.
Thanks a million to all the people who over the last 10 years have been working so hard to make this wonderful ride possible. Ladegast
‘Good endings, even if they weren’t very well told’
The highlight was the beginning, with Tyrion and Jon having to walk through the atrocities and see the impact, all the way up to Dany’s deluded dictator speech which was brilliant. Everything up to Dany’s death and Drogon flying away was superb.
Then things get a little shaky. Tyrion effectively deciding the fate of Westeros as a prisoner was odd. The decision to make Bran king is fine, but it would feel like more of a big deal if they’d made Bran feel like more of a big deal this series.
Jon going north and deciding to live with the free folk is the perfect ending for him but again, I don’t like how they did it. He’s happier and more at home there anyway so sending him there as a punishment feels off. It would have been better if he’d been declared king but declined and headed north of his own accord.
Overall, one of the better episodes from this series. Good endings, even if they weren’t very well told. GhostWiper
