Our Watch Has Ended. A Commentary on the Game of Thrones Criticism.
Similarly enough to the characters on the greatest show of all time, there’s an air of entitlement going around. They say it’s a millennial trait, to which I completely disagree, but I’m currently seeing this energy travel through watchers of all ages. Something in the water is causing men and women to forget that life does not always give you what you want, sometimes it gives you exactly what it’s been telling you for nine years that it’s going to give you. No one had to spend millions of dollars on end to entertain you for the past eight seasons, but they did, and in my humble opinion, they did it well. Similarly to our lives, that end when they end, not when we tell them to end, and end how they end, not how we tell them to end, we should find connected pieces, how the puzzle aligned, and most of all, contentment, at the end of the journey.
Finales aren’t meant to answer every question, satisfy every longing, or even tie up every loose end. They are meant to bring you to where the story lead. And, if you, like I, have seen every episode of Game of Thrones, nothing about this final season, nor finale, should seem out of place - other than the coffee cup, of course.
“If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.”
- Ramsay Snow (Bolton), Season 3, Episode 6
Let’s start with the most “disappointing” part of this season: Cersei’s death. She died in the arms of her brother-lover, under a California king sized bed of giant falling rocks, at the hands of a newly crazy lady on a dragon. First of all, I don’t think you’d love to die like that. It wasn’t rubble, they were boulders, I doubt you’d try it. Yes, she was one of the most ruthless characters on the show, but somehow y’all thought she was going to get the death she “deserved.”
Lest you all forget this is the SAME show that beheaded the most honorable Eddard Stark, burned an innocent child alive and made us witness Hodor hold the door. Yes, it would’ve been satisfying to see Cersei get what Joffrey or Ramsay got! More than satisfying actually, but lest you all forget, and we’re you nought satisfied enough when she lost, not one, not two, but three of her incestuous children, her climactic post-modern Walk of Shame, and us watching her watch her beloved city burn to the ground like she never thought it would. Her death wasn’t the worst thing ever, but she died. I doubt you’d try that too.
"Any man who must say 'I am the King' is no true King."
- Tywin Lannister, Season 3, Episode 10.
You do remember Joffrey, right? If you don’t, stop reading. The Madder King? This was a line from his grandfather, Tywin, to him in the midst of one of his tirades.
Introducing: Queen Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, Lady of Dragonstone, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons.
Queen. Queen. Queen. Queen. Queen. Queen. Queen.
This was LONG before she ever even saw what the Iron Throne looked like y’all. And NO ONE saw it coming that the daughter of the Mad King, Dragon rider, god’s flip a coin when a Targaryen is born Daenerys was going to lose it?! Sansa has been around enough crazy for you all to have caught the drift when she wasn’t getting with her. Sis survived Cersei, Joffrey, Ramsay and Littlefinger, she KNOWS a crazy person from miles away on a dragon.
Daenerys’ character arc did not start out as great and end in disaster. She’s always had good intentions consistently wrapped in death and fire. Don’t believe me?
“I am Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, of the blood of Old Valyria. I am the dragon’s daughter, and I swear to you that those who would harm you will die screaming. ”
“When my dragons are grown, we will take back what was stolen from me and destroy those who wronged me! We will lay waste to armies and burn cities to the ground!”
“I will take what is mine with fire and blood. ”
“You counseled me against rashness once in Qarth. I didn’t listen. It all worked out well.”
“They can live in my new world, or they can die in their old one.”
“We both want to help people. We can only help them from a position of strength. Sometimes strength is terrible. ”
I can go on, but I’ll leave you with my personal favorite, “Dracarys.”
Yes, we got behind her when she was killing everyone to free the slaves and break the wheel and create this happy peaceful world, but she was killing people then…and we were with her then. It’s hard to see our own twisted proclivities sometimes, today is one of those days, it’s okay. Her going crazy was not a writers decision, it was her destiny. They told you that anyone who wants all this power, doesn’t deserve it and won’t get it, nor keep it. I’m glad Jon killed her, it was necessary. I’m glad Drogon burned the Throne, it was the cause of her death. He probably took her back to Valyria or to where Drogo is still veggitating. Either way, the end.
“Let me give you some advice bastard: Never forget what you are, the rest
of the world will not. Wear it like armor, it can never be used to hurt you.”
- Tyrion Lannister - Season 1, Episode 1
In the pilot episode, we get to stare into Jon Snow’s dreamy dark brown eyes and overhear his conversation with Tyrion. At this point we think Tryion is a mean mess and Jon is just hot, we later find out they are actually pure mastermind and full heart.
We also later discover that Jon has legitimate parents, a married Targaryen and Stark, making him no bastard at all. But, he is a bastard to this world. He’d always been and felt out of place because of his unsure lineage, but even after finding out, his place still never seemed to be Westeros proper. He’s the most honorable person we’ve seen, correctly aligned with his uncle/dad, he’s just, he’s fearless, he’s resurrected from the dead and people like that normally don’t stick around too long - but he did, and then did again. He’s Aegon Targaryen, the first noble dragon to live in centuries. Why would he be king of Westeros? And even further, why would he stay there? It’s not a place for him, power isn’t his thing and he’s said it OVER AND OVER again. He actually wants what we all thought we wanted, peace. (Because I know now, y’all really wanted chaos at the end of all this.)
And beyond the wall, that’s what he got, peace. It was the choice he made in season 1, episode 1, and it was an ending he was still content with in season 8, episode 6. Plus, he’s with Tormund, nothing ever goes wrong with Tormund by your side!
To answer all your questions about what’s the Night’s Watch watching: Who cares? Obviously the show is trying to tell us the threats aren’t over and honestly I’d hope not. Jon is still in his prime, there’s fight left. And luckily, whatever is over there, Bran can see it coming.
Speaking of Bran…
“A man with no motives is a man no one suspects.”
- Petyr Baelish, Season 4, Episode 4
Many people say they don’t or can’t get into Game of Thrones because it’s fantasy, it’s medieval, it’s bloody etc. etc. etc.
Game of Thrones is a story. A GREAT STORY. A story of men, women, power, struggle, family, life, death and love - that just has a few dragons. In the words of the master of words, Tyrion, “There’s nothing in this world more powerful than a good story.” Bran holds the story, past, present and future.
Bran also represents a shift in the power structure in Westeros. Since he’s unable to have children, Kingship will no longer be passed through lineage, but simply chosen by the rulers of the (six) kingdoms. It’s no longer about power via heritage, it’s about power where it belongs, in the hands of men and women proven to deserve it.
Sure, Bran has never ruled anything other than his wheelchair, but he has vision, he’s levelheaded, and he lacks the desire for power for the sake of himself. He knows the story of the world and I believe he wants what’s best for it and can figure out how to get to that end without considering himself. Absolutely unlike, everyone else in the show. Sure, this wasn’t super foreshadowed like the rest, but I certainly think it makes the most sense. Again, there may not be elation, but there’s certainly contentment. There will be peace in the realm.
The final wrap up. More goodness, that left me with a smile:
Greyworm boats up and rides his way to Missandei’s home like he promised. He went quite nuts, but that was sweet.
The New and Improved Small Council:
Tyrion - Hand of the King, perfect.
Ser Davos - Master of Ships, duh.
Ser Brienne - Kingsguard, naturally.
Samwell - Grand Maester, of course.
Bronn - Master of Coin, yup.
“When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.” - Sansa, who knew way back in the day if no one else was going to survive, and thrive, she, and her family, would. Queen in the North!
“No one knows, it’s where all the maps stop.” - Arya on her way West of Westeros. She’s the goat. She’s the one and no one. She tells the god of death, not today. Killed the Night King, wants to see what’s left to kill and conquer. I don’t mind - she hasn’t failed me yet, and she didn’t start last night.
I’m satisfied. Seriously, life can surely give it’s share of lemons, but this was not one of those cases. The Game of Thrones cast, crew, writers, production, editors, stuntmen and all gave us cold, fresh, sweet lemonade on the hottest of days year after year - except for season five. We don’t, and we’ll never, get everything we want out of everything in this life. Very often, we’ve seen horrible endings, on screen and in reality. I think when a show can provide exactly what it’s been foreshadowing, that can give us pleasure we usually aren’t accustomed to.
Maybe if we paid more attention to the background happenings in our own life, we wouldn’t be so shocked as it unfolds either.
