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Let's talk about the end of GOT

  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    May 19, 2019 8:43 PM EDT

    In your reply to this thread, please paste this at the top of your comment before writing your actual reply:

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

    This is it.

    What did you think of it?

    Did you enjoy it?

    What was the most interesting thing to you?

    What are your predictions for how these events will play out in the books?

    Talk about anything you want. But remember, NO LEAKS.

    • 321 posts
    May 19, 2019 10:56 PM EDT

    In your reply to this thread, please paste this at the top of your comment before writing your actual reply:

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

    Honestly, it ended pretty okay. Wasn't disappointed or happy, just... okay. I guess maybe because all the cringe-worthy characters are all dead or have less screen time that my viewing enjoyment wasn't ruined compared to the other three episodes.

    I'd say Danaerys got what she deserved, but the execution was just poor. They should've spent an episode or two showcasing her downward spiral to madness. Instead, what I got was "Girl lost two of her best friends, so she takes it out on the world like an angsty teenager and gets killed by her boyfriend". Dany should listen to herself when she made that speech. She's talking about liberating the rest of the world after she just destroyed a whole city and most of its civilian population. Ugh...

    Also... damn you, Ilani! I practically groaned the moment they elected Bran as King of the Six (yes, it's now six) Kingdoms. I was like "What? Seriously?!". I can understand the reasons, but I just tend to see crucial things like this from a long-term perspective. Just how long will Bran's peaceful reign last before a next mad king takes his throne? (Hopefully it'll be centuries later.)

    Jon goes back to the Night Watch; I'd say that's fitting considering he doesn't want to rule in the first place and has always considered the Night's Watch as his home. Sansa becomes Queen in the North; I don't have any objections with that. And Arya proceeds to go on a Journey to the West adventure for uh... reasons. I don't know, I guess maybe she thinks she has no reason to be in Westeros anymore. 

    Side notes:

    1. Sam gets shut down for his propasal of a democracy. Hah, democracy... in Westoros.
    2. Davos using Stannis' habit of correcting words. "Anymore" > "No more".
    3. I'm rather skeptical of Bronn being Master of Coin. Also, why the hell is he still there.
    4. Almost forgot about the Tully guy (the Starks' uncle), and Robin Arryn.
    • 197 posts
    May 19, 2019 11:14 PM EDT

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

     

    I haven’t seen it yet, I just like spoilers! They did NOT bring Robin Arryn back did they? Ew. The most annoying kid on earth. Best birth control ever, that kid. 

    • 197 posts
    May 19, 2019 11:15 PM EDT

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

     

    Also, re Bran. Really? Did he actually DO something to make this make sense, or just “well, he’s a Stark and has a penis, so...”

    • 321 posts
    May 19, 2019 11:56 PM EDT

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

    Robin only appears near the end where all the Lords of Westoros vote for Bran to be King. If it helps, his only dialogue was "Aye,". Yes, only "Aye,".

    Apparently, they've chosen Bran because he knows the history and stories of the world, and "the people of Westoros love their history and stories" so says Tyrion. My only gripe with their choice is that being knowledgeable about history doesn't equate to being a great ruler. Sure it may allow him to avoid repeating past mistakes, but what about governing Westoros? Also, Sansa said that Bran can't father children.

    This is just me speculating, but he'll probably be the most inactive king in the history of Westoros. I just can't think of him doing anything but sit there on his Wheelthrone, staring...

    Hell, I'd rather have Doran Martell from the books than him as King. At least he's been secretly plotting to get revenge on the Lannisters for years while stuck in a wheelchair, while Bran spent most of his time up in the far North without being thought anything about ruling.

    • 67 posts
    May 20, 2019 12:46 AM EDT
    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

    This is it.

    What did you think of it?

    Did you enjoy it?

    What was the most interesting thing to you?

    What are your predictions for how these events will play out in the books?

    Lol when you predict the ending by thinking of the dumbest and most illogical way to end it. Good job D&D way to ruin a great show.
    • 197 posts
    May 20, 2019 1:41 AM EDT

     

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

     

     

    Aaaand, here we go. Thanks to Pocky, I know some things, and I’m glad. I like spoilers, not going to lie. 

     

    Gonna miss the music and the artistry, I know that for sure. Ramin Djawadi is the real winner from this show. 

     

    Queen of Ash. What a victory, eh? I’m almost surprised this episode doesn’t take place a couple of days after and KL is entirely rebuilt. It would match all the other time squishing they do on this show. 

     

    Jon is taking the kind of stand I’d expect from him. Not great from a self-preservation standpoint, but...expected. 

     

    Interesting. There was a fan theory that Jaime was alive based on statistics. What’s Tyrion going to find? Golden hand. Funny how few rocks are still on top of them. It looked like the whole keep was coming down when Jaime and Cersei were down there. Tyrion is still my favorite. 

     

    I’m sort of surprised Arya was still there. I half expected her to be riding off, just done with all the shit. 

     

    Neat, making Danerys look like she has wings. But I”m calling shenanigans on the sheer amount of troops left. No...just no. You know, her first real place where she belonged was the Dothraki Sea. And we know how they fought and how they dealt with survivors. They weren’t merciful; it was their way, always. So in that sense, I definitely should not be surprised. She is absolutely the tyrant she has always SAYS she doesn’t want to be. But she does. Sure, she wanted people to love her, to choose her. But she chose tyranny. She still says she didn’t, but she did. 

     

    How can Danerys know Tyrion freed Jaime? That one guard was still alive to tell the tale? And had the chance to in all this mayhem? Nope. 

     

    How is Jon going to do this? Use his charms to his advantage, finally? Well, he is a Targaryen as well as a Stark, so he has brains AND honor. 

     

    Good lord, Tyrion is STILL my favorite. Although he would be have been more much favorite had he tried to kill Dany instead of guilt-tripping Jon into doing it. I guess, maybe, he knew Jon had a better chance of getting close to her? 

     

    I can see what Tyrion was talking about though. I mean, she could see, in her mind, that everyone she’s lost up to this point was in service of this destiny. Her child, Drogo, even, although that was really before she’d made up her mind that she wanted the Iron Throne. But this is her, now. Of course that’s in her mind. Everything she’s lost. I mean, she’s absolutely mad. A good world isn’t made through invoking paralyzing fear. It never is. They’ll only fear her as long as she’s fearful. When that dragon’s gone, so is she. Maybe even before.  I know what’s good, and they don’t get to choose. That only goes so far. 

     

    Damn, that was the fastest stabby death I’ve ever seen. He must have completely dissected her aorta. And Drogon melts the throne and doesn’t touch Jon? It understands that the quest for the throne was what killed her, but doesn’t know that Jon actually did? Seriously? Why would he not kill Jon? Some Targaryen woo-woo? 

     

    Is Jon going to have to kill GreyWorm now? Fuck. He just can’t have a simple life, can he? 

     

    Damn, how much time has passed here? And why would Grey Worm just accept that? Why would he go from “thousands of unsullied” to “ok, lol, whatever.”

     

    And why would Sansa do that? Why not let her uncle speak and then argue? And oh god, fuck those bastards. Those shitty people laughing and comparing people to dogs. I might have changed my mind about Dany being wrong in burning everyone - she just burned the wrong damned people. 

     

    This way Bran becomes king is incredibly unsatisfying. It could have been interesting, but it’s just not. Like I said last week, there’s so much mystery and mysticism that just got shut out of the story, and it’s all the worse for it. Unless that was just his plan all the time, but there wasn’t enough story there. Just not enough. I mean, what was all that warging for during the battle? Where did he keep going? There should have been some sort of, I don’t know...plot? This could have been cool, but it’s not, and that’s a shame. 

     

    What’s the Night’s Watch for now? The walkers are gone. The wildlings are friends, for the most part. I’m sorry, it’s just a shame for Jon Snow’s DNA not to pass to future generations. Those CURLS, man. 

     

    But in a way this parallels what Dany said. I know what’s right, no one else gets to choose. These two people admit they don’t know, and only time will tell if what they did was right or good. Interesting. I did like that. 

     

    Buuuuttt...if Grey Worm and those guys are leaving, who’s going to know if Jon Snow stays on the wall? Sorry, I’m not a Stark. My honor’s not intact. 

     

    Arya’s going to be a cartographer! Good for her. 

     

    I don’t know, man. I guess this ended as well as it could have, given everything. It just could have been so much more. So damn much more. Arya never wore another face. No more magic, no more mystery. 

     

    Oh thank the old gods, there’s something else about Brienne. I was afraid they were going to leave her story just crying for Jaime in the courtyard. Annnd, this might be worse. Dammit, you assholes. 

     

    Yeah...why IS Bronn still here? I guess Tyrion knows exactly where he stands with Bronn, that’s the only thing I can think. 

     

    Well, that was ok, Tormund. I always liked him. And Ghost!!! So is Jon staying at the Wall or going north? If it’s the latter, I think Jon got the best end of all the deals, honestly. I mean, was his “sentence” just a ploy because they know the Night’s Watch doesn’t exist anymore? Because I saw nothing but wildlings there. The way they ended it with the surviving Starks going on their ways was cool, I’ll admit, but it was sort of unclear whether everyone knew what was going on, or just Jon and the wildlings. 

     

    Again, it could have been better. They didn’t have time or enthusiasm, maybe? I don’t know. I’m just still surprised, and I’m not sure why.  RIP Game of Thrones. I still declare the winner Ramin Djawadi. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    • 197 posts
    May 20, 2019 1:47 AM EDT

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

     

    I’m shocked there wasn’t any commentary after. Sick of the fans criticism maybe and just wanted it all to be over? Maybe. I don’t know. 

     

    I have a little more: after Sansa did what she did, what’s stopping everyone else from doing it as well? Hell, Dorne’s been largely on their own for a long time. And the Iron Islands? why would they just sit there and let Sansa do that and not speak up? I don’t think that would happen. Maybe at first, possibly, maybe, because she’s the king’s sister. But you know there’s plotting going on. There’s a lot of stuff in this series that the writers just plugged in and said “there,” without thinking of the realism of it or rationality of it. It just doesn’t make much sense. And Grey Worm just backed down? No, he was ready to fight another war for the deaths of Tyrion and Jon, and he just sails away? Everyone else might have been sick of war, but he wasn’t. It doesn’t make sense. 

    • 1441 posts
    May 20, 2019 10:47 AM EDT
    Apparently a prequel show, set 1K years prior to the series, is in the works, will come out in 2021/2022
    • 7 posts
    May 20, 2019 11:03 AM EDT

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

     

    Well, I found the writing to be pretty bad which par course for most of the season but as usual, the production and the acting are top-notch.

     

    On the bright side, I'm think GoT is going to be great material on how NOT to write.

    • 1441 posts
    May 20, 2019 12:21 PM EDT
    And George is behind the prequel series
    • 1441 posts
    May 20, 2019 6:41 PM EDT
    You know, Bran being king makes sense. Not only was he one of the ones many wrote off as not being king material, but he is, yet is not Bran. He can see the future, but also houses the memories of countless people. In Deep Geek is doing a vid on how Bran may not be as pure as we think
    • 321 posts
    May 20, 2019 6:50 PM EDT
    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

    When you think about it, Bran is essentially an omnipotent supercomputer, capable of exposing everyone's deepest and darkest secrets. He can be his own Master of Whispers if he wants too.

    Also, The House (Stark) Always Wins.
    This post was edited by A-Pocky-Hah! at May 20, 2019 6:51 PM EDT
    • 197 posts
    May 20, 2019 6:52 PM EDT
    Ok, there, Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo. Spoilers, sweeties.
    • 321 posts
    May 20, 2019 6:56 PM EDT
    Sorry about that. See, this is what happens when the first thing you do when waking up is replying to comments. :/
    • 197 posts
    May 20, 2019 7:48 PM EDT

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

     

    Lol. 

     

    I thought that, about the Master of Whisperers, when Bran mentioned it. Isn’t that what Bran’s ravens are for? No, wait, I remember; they’re pretty damn useless. But yeah, I was hoping they’d get deep into the history of the Children of the Forest and the First Men. And when Bran became the 3 eyed raven, he’d put the plot in motion that’s basically the First Men/Childrens’ slowest ever play - winning back their land. Weirwoods growing back all over Westeros, and the old places shrouded in mystery once more. So Bran on the throne becomes so much more meaningful. For me, at least, since yeah, he’s absolutely not Bran. Bran’s memories, yes, but I see very little of the boy who was Bran there. Ugh. Could have been so much more. 

  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    May 20, 2019 10:42 PM EDT

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

    I liked the major plot points of this season, because I'm confident most of them are from George (i.e Dany embracing "Fire and Blood", Sansa being Queen, Westeros adopting some kind of Parliamentarism and even the unexpected Bran being king. The series starts with him, it is fitting that it will end with him). Of course it will and it already has been done in a much better way in the books. For instance, Dany torching King's Landing will be even worse, since it's extremely likely that it'll be fake Aegon (the mummers dragon cheered by the people Dany sees in her visions at the House of the Undying in the books. Fun fact: Varys' was once a mummer. See the facts behind the symbolism of her visions?). Not only that, but given the bells of Episode 5, I think we know at least one of the the POVs from which Dany's attack will be shown in the books: Jon Connington. Connington is traumatized by bells ever since he "lost" the Battle of the Bells, didn't manage to capture Robert Baratheon and Robert then proceeded to kill the (secret) love of Connington's life, Rhaegar Targaryen. Source: https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Battle_of_the_Bells

    From Connington's chapter in A Dance with Dragon:

    Last night he'd dreamt of Stoney Sept again. Alone, with sword in hand, he ran from house to house, smashing down doors, racing up stairs, leaping from roof to roof, as his ears rang to the sound of distant bells. Deep bronze booms and silver chiming pounded through his skull, a maddening cacophony of noise that grew ever louder until it seemed as if his head would explode.

     

    I'm not sure about Jon leaving for the North, I hope he gets to do that in the books too, but I also hope he won't fall for Daenerys like he did in the show. I can't believe he was making excuses for her after she just murdered almost a million innocents. And I hope he ends up with Val, true to his "Wildling" heart (a cut character from the show).

    I really liked Brienne becoming the new Lady Commander of the King's Guard. I just love Brienne so much as a character, and I think this is the perfect ending for her: the Lord (now Lady) Commander of the King's Guard is supposed to be the epitome of what a true Knight should be, and there is no better Knight throughout the entire series than Brienne of Tarth.

    I'm happy Davos made it, and I'm happy they have such a simple, humble and honest man in the Small Council (Bran's cabinet?).

    I think Bronn being there is just fan service (both to us and from D&D, who seem to really like Bronn). It doesn't make any sense, a couple of seasons ago he didn't even know what a loan was... and he's now Lord Paramount of the Reach?! What?!

    Jaime Lannister is one of my favorite characters in the entire show/series. I hope he has left the toxicity of his relationship with Cersei for good in the books...

    And what about the Dothraki? I can understand the Unsullied, but wouldn't the Dothraki go absolutely crazy on Westeros when they heard their queen had been murdered? Are the barbarian rapists suddenly just going to settle down and farm the land now?


    This post was edited by Mr. at May 20, 2019 10:44 PM EDT
    • 197 posts
    May 20, 2019 10:47 PM EDT

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

     

    Re the Dothraki, I had this convo with a friend this morning. There’s no way they wouldn’t already be raping and pillaging all over Westeros by now. No way. 

    • 67 posts
    May 20, 2019 10:55 PM EDT
    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

    In the end it is not necessarily how the show ended that annoyed me but more how it got there. Characters behaving in unfamiliar ways just to move plot, lots of foreshadowing that never got paid off. But mostly how severely rushed and poorly written the plot was.

    And why is there even a Nights watch? There's apparently no WW, and the free folk are friends now. What exactly are the Nights Watch supposed to be watching? Lol and Bran essentially admitted he knew he would be king. Does that make him at least a little bit evil considering the whole KL drama could have been avoided since he clearly knew it would happen.
  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    May 20, 2019 11:13 PM EDT

    SPOILER WARNING! Do not click on "more" if you don't want to be spoiled! This discussion contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, previous seasons of the show, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series and related works by George R. R. Martin. If you haven't watched this episode yet, leave now, for the discussion is dark, and full of spoilers...

    I'm not sure yet, but I think my favorite "character scene" this entire season was Jaime knighting Brienne. It's so beautiful and well acted by both Nikolaj and Gwendoline.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rJCQ7VCzBM

    I also liked Tyrion saying goodbye to Jaime, Tyrion finding Jaime's body, Tyrion dropping his position as Hand of the Queen, the Dothraki charge (even if it was dumb), the "Jenny of Old Stones" scene, Drogon and Rhaegal flying over the clouds with a beautiful sky and moon in the background during the Battle of Winterfell, Sansa's coronation (third time's the charm, or so the North would hope!) and Jon leaving for the North, even if Jon was a dumb fool this season up until he killed Daenerys (and even then he was having second thoughts, for some reason). I also enjoyed Tyrion and Daenerys talking at the beginning of episode 5: Peter Dinklage is such an amazing actor, you could feel the fear and hope at the same time while he was talking with Dany.

     

    @Furrion I agree it wasn't well executed, but at least now we have the key aspects of the ending, in case GRRM never gets to A Dream of Spring (I'm confident we'll get The Winds of Winter).

    I believe the NW will have a new purpose now, probably to keep the "frontier" between the two Norths, but also to keep its function as a "penal/exile colony". Maybe they'll dissolve over time and assimilate into Wildling society.

    Bran is amoral, but I don't think he knows exactly how the future will play out. He sees broad scenes of the future (Drogon flying over King's Landing, the Iron Throne covered in ashes), while his visions of the past seem to be a lot more coherent and complete. But still, should he have known what would happen... would anyone believe him or move against Daenerys? Jon defended her to the very last minute and even after, and only decided to do something about it after she burned down an entire city and Tyrion showed Jon how she was probably going after Sansa and Arya next. Perhaps Bran all of this had to happen to achieve the better future he saw, kind of like (Avengers spoilers) Dr. Strange saw the only chance the heroes had at defeating Thanos.


    This post was edited by Mr. at May 20, 2019 11:16 PM EDT
    • 1441 posts
    May 21, 2019 7:19 PM EDT
    https://io9.gizmodo.com/game-of-thrones-author-george-r-r-martin-has-a-lot-to-1834919859/amp
    • 1441 posts
    May 24, 2019 10:54 AM EDT
    SPOILERS

    https://youtu.be/vKhh9pSDdck So, apparently there was an alternate ending