Well, the final episode of the final season of Game of Thrones has finally aired — and everyone has an opinion, including me.
I wasn’t introduced to the Starks and the Lannisters until I watched Season One of the HBO series, but I was hooked even before Ned Stark was beheaded. I immediately dove into the books and was pleasantly surprised to see how close the television series was to the novels (that is until Season Four) and I was grateful to see that George R. R. Martin was involved (credited as writer on all 73 episodes).
As a writer I understand that when each book in the series is roughly between 800 to 1200 pages, and the first six seasons are only ten episodes long, something must give. Chapters or scenes that are not absolutely necessary for the viewers to understand the plot or prophecies must go and characters need to be deleted or combined.
In Season Three, we lost one of my favorite characters from the books, Catelyn Stark or Lady Stoneheart. Catelyn was killed at the Red Wedding and her body was stripped and dumped into the river, and that’s where Catelyn’s story ends in the television series. In the books, Arya warged, had an out-of-body experience, into her direwolf Nymeria, and dragged Catelyn’s body from the Trident. The Brotherhood Without Banners came across them and Thoros refused to raise Catelyn from the dead, explaining that she had been dead too long. Beric Dondarrion breathed life into Catelyn instead and Lady Stoneheart was born. Each season, I hoped that Catelyn would somehow reappear, but had my hopes dashed.
Once the HBO series exhausted the written word, the stories were left to the imagination of the writers for HBO, with George R. R. Martin’s guidance. So, while many are screaming about how they want the final season rewritten, I can’t help but think that the basics of Season Eight are as George R. R. Martin envisioned them. However, I believe both Season Seven and Eight had the same major issue – they were too short!
Seasons Six and Seven did not give enough airtime to the Iron Born. Daenerys wasn’t the only woman trying to take a throne. Yara Greyjoy believed she was destined to be the first woman to lead the Iron Born and her fight with her uncle Euron for that throne wasn’t as short-lived as it appeared to be on screen. Those extra three episodes in Season Seven, could have been used to show us more of this struggle.
Also, Seasons Seven and Eight both lacked one significant story, the Night King. Yes, we know that he was the leader of the Wight Walkers and could raise the dead, but who was he before he was the Night King? I have read many stories that have suggested that either Bran Stark or Jon Snow are the Night King. We know the Night King can raise and control the dead. We also know that the dragons can sense who is a Targaryen and who isn’t. So, when the Night King killed and reanimated Viserion, was he able to control and ride Viserion because he was reanimated or because the Night King is a Targaryen. I had also wished that this had been answered by the time the series ended but was left wanting.
The entire series about how Winter is coming, and the battle for the Iron Throne; however, the shortness of Season Eight made it seem defeating the Night King wasn’t as difficult as they thought it would. The eventual descent of Daenerys into rage and possible madness seemed to quick, although I believe that it made sense. She lost Jorah Mormont, one of her most trusted advisors in the Battle of Winterfell. The wildlings professed Jon was the hero of Winterfell, as if Daenerys and her army had nothing to do with the victory. She learned that Jon was the true heir to the Iron Throne, regardless if he wanted it or not, and because of this begged him not to tell anyone. Daenerys knew that Sansa didn’t like or trust her, and she knew the value of keeping secrets. Jon told his family, Sansa told Tyrion and he told Lord Varys, which led to his treason. Missandei her trusted friend and one of the first slaves she freed is executed by the Mountain. Finally, Tyrion went behind her back to try and broker a peaceful surrender of Kings Landing by freeing Jamie. The losses and betrayals would be enough to break anyone.
Before the final episode aired, I had predicted that either Jon or possibly Tyrion would be the one to have to assassinate Daenerys. Would it have been a happier ending if Daenerys had won the throne without becoming a mass murderer? Yes. Would the fans have loved it if Daenerys and Jon had married, even though she was his aunt, and ruled the Seven Kingdoms together? Probably. Would everyone have cheered if Jon Snow ruled the Seven Kingdoms and Daenerys decided to go back to Meereen with the Unsullied and the Dothraki? Possibly. We all know that Jon Snow wouldn’t have been happy as either King in the North or King of the Seven Kingdoms. He had been a reluctant leader at the Wall and the only time he really seemed happy was when he had been living with the Wildlings north of the Wall. It never occurred to me that Bran would be King of the Six Kingdoms. I had thought maybe Tyrion or Gendry would end up as monarch if Jon or Daenerys didn’t, but the fact that Tyrion was once again the unwilling Hand of the King was appropriate. I wished that Gendry had joined Arya on her travels to the ends of Westeros, but maybe he will in the future. In the end, Sansa finally got what she always wanted. She was Queen.
I have read about the rumors that there are possible spin-offs being bandied about, either sequels or prequels to Song of Ice and Fire, and that George R. R. Martin will be involved. While I am happy that we will see these clans in some way again in the future, I just have one request, and I believe I speak for all the fans….
GEORGE, PLEASE FINISH THE NOVELS!!
Everything & Nothing 