lunabee34

I think to a certain extent, there's nothing the show could do to satisfy people who've been waiting more than twenty years for the book series to be finished or even people who've been watching the show for ten. I think it was always going to be anticlimactic to a certain extent because of the time frame.

I said in my review of the last episode that I'm upset about the decision to go with Mad Dany as endgame; I just think the execution is rushed. That being said, I accepted that premise for my viewing of the finale, and for the most part was not disappointed in what I saw. I wasn't super stoked or psyched and didn't have a big attack of the feels like I did for Endgame, but I was mostly satisfied which is pretty much what I was going for at this point.

I will also say that over the course of the ten years of the show, I've seen a lot of criticisms about the acting thrown about, but I gotta admit, I don't see it. I think all the actors are really great, and they all really brought it in this final episode.

Tyrion is amazing in this episode. He is so guilty. He blames himself for all the destruction he sees; he blames himself for Varys's death. He blames himself for Cersei and Jaime's deaths. (In an aside, I interpreted his guilt and grief at their deaths as an oblique way of coming at the valonquar prophecy; I know it's not even in the show, but for fic writing purposes, Tyrion could fulfill that role even if only in his own head since Dany is clearly to blame for all the deaths).

I love that Tyrion's bravery has been a consistent theme in the last few seasons. When he rejects Dany publicly, there's a moment where I see in her face that she knows what she's done is unforgivable and then I can see her recognize what an affront to her power his rejection is and that hurt sneer comes over her face.

Tyrion providing the meta commentary is nice: everywhere she goes, evil men die and we cheer. I'm glad the show gives a least a nod to her descent happening so rapidly.

I also love that Tyrion won't let Jon take sole responsibility for her assassination (what WE did).

I'm not bothered by Tyrion admitting that he was in love with Dany, too. That seems obvious to me in the show, and I don't think he loved her in any sort of truly romantic way but more as a symbol and an ideal kind of way.

I love Bran naming him Hand. Tyrion will finally be in a position of power with full endorsement by people who genuinely trust him. I think he's going to excel.

Dany is amazing in this episode. Once I just accept that Dany is mad (and I don't think mad in the traditional sense is really even applicable here, more power-hungry and delusional), I enjoy the hell out of the way that Emilia plays her. Her speech to the Unsullied and Dothraki shows exactly the kind of tyrant she intends to be (and all will love me and despair, yes?). She is incredibly frightening in that scene; she is unable to see the irony in what she's saying. Every word is a threat, every place she intends to liberate a site of future carnage. Wow. Also that outfit is on point OMG. Her rationalization to Jon also underscores that she just intends to burn anyone who disagrees with her ever.

The scene with her in the throne room is one of the best in the whole show IMHO. She's completely destroyed the room; it's open to the sky. The throne is the only object left intact. She should be able to look around and see that she's cut off her nose to spite her own face here in destroying the kingdom she's supposedly there to liberate. But all she can see is that throne, and when she reaches out to touch, she has such a look on her face--like maybe it's all been worth it, like maybe she can be happy, and there's also a glee and a wistfulness there. It's a really complicated look. I like it.

Very happy the Iron Throne is melted down. I really wanted that to happen.

Jon's arc is pretty satisfying for me, too. He is Ned Stark's son through and through. He wants to keep his promise to Dany even when doing so makes no sense because his honor is all he's had his whole life. He tries to justify what she did to King's Landing even though the expression on his face reveals he knows that slaughter can't be justified, ever.

I love that he gets sent to the Wall where it all started for him (and I love that Tyrion intimates that they'll see each other again). I love that Ghost and Tormund are waiting, and I love that rather than taking the black, Jon sets out into the North with the Wildlings where nobody bends the knee and nobody gives a shit who his daddy was or wasn't. That is a pretty sweet ending for him.

I'm not upset that Bran is king, mostly just confused. LOL I never saw him as an actual contender, mostly because I expected him to be too busy melding into a tree somewhere. It's useful that he can't be lied to; much less palace intrigue. I wonder if he'll have a longer life span since he's the Three Eyed Raven or if he'll be king for a few decades and then bugger off somewhere to become one with the tree. He clearly doesn't know everything because he doesn't know where the dragon is (and I want to read something sinister into that although it's probably just supposed to indicate that no one knows where Drogo is and maybe they should find him before kiddos start going missing, but then I have a hard time not reading something sinister into Bran's, "Why do you think I came all this way?").

Sansa is Queen in the North! Fuck yes! I am all in on this episode for that alone to be honest. :)

I really liked Brienne writing Jaime's entry in the book; those last words were very poignant and apt, and I love that she's the Captain of the Kingsguard with Podrick as a Kingsguard as well!

Everyone I really wanted to live except Jaime lived! Sam gets to be Grand Maester! Bronn is alive and cockroaching it up at Highgarden!

I enjoyed the bits of humor (Tyrion asking Jon if he brought wine, Sam trying to introduce democracy, Edmure attempting to throw his hat in the ring, the book A Song of Ice and Fire in which Tyrion plays no part LOL).

And finally, I love that split second shot of a blade of grass pushing through snow north of the wall. That is very nicely done.

The stuff I like less is mostly logistics plus a little bit of emotional disappointment. On the logistics front, I don't believe the Unsullied and Dothraki would just leave (although maybe the Dothraki would welcome the chance to get back to the grassy sea now that Dany is dead). I also don't believe Grey Worm would just take Jon hostage instead of killing him immediately. I do love that Davos offers them land in the Reach; Davos is just a good egg all around.

In terms of emotional disappointment, while I love the Stark montage at the end, and I am happy for each of them in their individual fates, I really don't like the implication that with the exception of Sansa and Bran, none of them are going to see each other again. That makes me really sad.

Questions:

1. Is it actually snowing in King's Landing, or is it ash? Or a mixture?