I felt compelled to write a review to counter all the negativity surrounding this episode and the season as a whole. Now that is not to say I am oblivious to some of the major flaws of the season. It's hard to deny the sense that the story has been fast-forwarded and really rushed for most of the last two seasons. It's also obvious that the writing hasn't been nearly as tight as the first few seasons, when they followed the books and reality more closely. This is a trend that has been going on since season 5 (and even parts of 4), so it hardly comes out of nowhere.
I think a big part of your enjoyment of this last season depends on your willingness to accept this fact. It's undoubtedly a shame that the show has moved into more standard tv territory, but I'm also of the opinion that the characters are still as compelling as ever, and what the show lacks in tight writing, it makes up for in production and visual design. These last two episodes in particular have been absolutely breathtaking from a visual point of view. Episode 8.5 is an absolute masterpiece in pacing and set-up, followed by the gorgeous and brutal destruction of King's Landing. It's honestly one of my favorite episodes of the entire series, certainly one of the best made episodes in television history (again, from a production point of view).
Which brings me to the next point on which your enjoyment depends: your willingness to accept the fact that Daenerys may not be the good guy of the story after all. People seem to think that Daenerys transformation into the Mad Queen seems very sudden and uncharacteristic of the character. This is a point of criticism that I find much harder to swallow, because I strongly feel that Daenerys' turn into madness has been massively hinted at since season 1. Unlike many people who seem to be a fan of Daenerys, I have never bought into Dany's savior complex and have been skeptical of her intentions from the start, or at least certainly from season 3 onwards. She's always had an unhealthy obsession with conquering the throne, and an overblown sense of entitlement all throughout. Tyrion's conversation with Jon is almost a conversation of Tyrion with the fans, trying to remind us of how much we all rejoiced when she was burning and crucifying people alive, simply because we taught of them as the bad guys. The madness was clearly always there, and definitely more front and center in season 7 and 8. Yet when she finally snaps and gives into her worst instincts towards people less deserving (after losing almost everyone she cared about, including Jorah, Missandei, and another one of her dragons, and feeling betrayed by her closest friends/advisors) it's somehow uncharacteristic? Sure, maybe the moment in episode 8.5 itself was a little sudden, and the idea needed a little more time to breathe, but the storyline itself is an entirely valid one, even despite the hastiness of the story. It's a beautifully nihilistic storyline, that we can't always truly overcome the worst parts of our selves. I even view it as a mental illness issue, that our destructive side nests inside us and can come out of every one of us if we had the power to do so, which Dany has.
As a continuation of this Mad Queen storyline, I thought the finale was completely satisfying. For the first time in years, Tyrion was actually his clever and useful self again and key into shaping the ending. Tyrion seeing the dead bodies of his siblings was heartwrenching. Jon and Dany's visually stunning throne room scene was emotionally satisfying, not in small part due to Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke's amazing acting. And I loved the way they actually wrapped up the show. It may not be the most realistic and believable ending, but it paid great hommage to all these characters we came to love over the seasons. My favorite was Brienne finishing Jaime's entry into the Lord Commanders' White Book, but I'm also pleased with the Stark children's send off. They have always been the emotional core of the show, and I think they have suffered enough throughout the story to be given a positive ending, even if that may not be the most realistic one.
Overall, despite its rushed story, I was very satisfied with the final season. A show like this was always gonna end on a divisive note, with so many fan theories never coming to fruition. I do think the show would have benefit from a few more episodes, or maybe just a small restructuring of the last two seasons. After having given it some thought, I would have like to have seen season 7 in its entirety being about the battle against the White Walkers, while season 8 would have been about the final game of thrones. I think that would have given the story a bit more focus, and feel less rushed. But I'm also willing to accept that the makers decided to go a different route, and gave us the story we were given. It's damn hard making a good tv-show, and I appreciate all the love and effort from everyone involved that has gone into making this. And hey, there are always the books for those who are so angered by the show. If they ever get made that is...
I think a big part of your enjoyment of this last season depends on your willingness to accept this fact. It's undoubtedly a shame that the show has moved into more standard tv territory, but I'm also of the opinion that the characters are still as compelling as ever, and what the show lacks in tight writing, it makes up for in production and visual design. These last two episodes in particular have been absolutely breathtaking from a visual point of view. Episode 8.5 is an absolute masterpiece in pacing and set-up, followed by the gorgeous and brutal destruction of King's Landing. It's honestly one of my favorite episodes of the entire series, certainly one of the best made episodes in television history (again, from a production point of view).
Which brings me to the next point on which your enjoyment depends: your willingness to accept the fact that Daenerys may not be the good guy of the story after all. People seem to think that Daenerys transformation into the Mad Queen seems very sudden and uncharacteristic of the character. This is a point of criticism that I find much harder to swallow, because I strongly feel that Daenerys' turn into madness has been massively hinted at since season 1. Unlike many people who seem to be a fan of Daenerys, I have never bought into Dany's savior complex and have been skeptical of her intentions from the start, or at least certainly from season 3 onwards. She's always had an unhealthy obsession with conquering the throne, and an overblown sense of entitlement all throughout. Tyrion's conversation with Jon is almost a conversation of Tyrion with the fans, trying to remind us of how much we all rejoiced when she was burning and crucifying people alive, simply because we taught of them as the bad guys. The madness was clearly always there, and definitely more front and center in season 7 and 8. Yet when she finally snaps and gives into her worst instincts towards people less deserving (after losing almost everyone she cared about, including Jorah, Missandei, and another one of her dragons, and feeling betrayed by her closest friends/advisors) it's somehow uncharacteristic? Sure, maybe the moment in episode 8.5 itself was a little sudden, and the idea needed a little more time to breathe, but the storyline itself is an entirely valid one, even despite the hastiness of the story. It's a beautifully nihilistic storyline, that we can't always truly overcome the worst parts of our selves. I even view it as a mental illness issue, that our destructive side nests inside us and can come out of every one of us if we had the power to do so, which Dany has.
As a continuation of this Mad Queen storyline, I thought the finale was completely satisfying. For the first time in years, Tyrion was actually his clever and useful self again and key into shaping the ending. Tyrion seeing the dead bodies of his siblings was heartwrenching. Jon and Dany's visually stunning throne room scene was emotionally satisfying, not in small part due to Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke's amazing acting. And I loved the way they actually wrapped up the show. It may not be the most realistic and believable ending, but it paid great hommage to all these characters we came to love over the seasons. My favorite was Brienne finishing Jaime's entry into the Lord Commanders' White Book, but I'm also pleased with the Stark children's send off. They have always been the emotional core of the show, and I think they have suffered enough throughout the story to be given a positive ending, even if that may not be the most realistic one.
Overall, despite its rushed story, I was very satisfied with the final season. A show like this was always gonna end on a divisive note, with so many fan theories never coming to fruition. I do think the show would have benefit from a few more episodes, or maybe just a small restructuring of the last two seasons. After having given it some thought, I would have like to have seen season 7 in its entirety being about the battle against the White Walkers, while season 8 would have been about the final game of thrones. I think that would have given the story a bit more focus, and feel less rushed. But I'm also willing to accept that the makers decided to go a different route, and gave us the story we were given. It's damn hard making a good tv-show, and I appreciate all the love and effort from everyone involved that has gone into making this. And hey, there are always the books for those who are so angered by the show. If they ever get made that is...