Ok. I really don’t even know where to start. Most of you will probably not know this, but I LOVE Game of Thrones. I have always been a huge fan of the show and just recently, as in like last weekend, the show came to an end. Now that my emotions have calmed down, I feel like I am ready to share how I feel about Game of Thrones season 8. For those of you who are interested in the show and haven’t started it yet or are just now working your way through the seasons, I would like to warn you that spoilers will be in this post. Feel free to click away and come back later. 🙂
Alrighty, first off. The music was FANTASTIC, as always. Ramin Djawadi is a musical god. The music is just breathtaking and intense and exciting and beautiful all in one. I listen to the soundtrack for the entire show on a regular basis.
Onto the actual plot of season 8 now. Leading up to the Great War, everything was a bit slow for me. When episode 3 (The Great War) came around, WOW WAS THAT INTENSE. I was sad to see Theon go, but I do believe that his character was redeemed. It was sad to Theon die but I truly wasn’t as upset by his death in comparison to Jorah’s death. Personally, I was more traumatized to see Daenerys’s most faithful and loyal advisor go down. He died protecting her and that whole thing was just so so so sad. With the Great War, I also feel like the Night King deserved a more epic death. I was glad to see Arya get the kill but I still feel like he was worthy of a more interesting death considering that the entire show had practically led up to winter coming. I feel like Melisandre was an unsung hero of the episode. Her fire powers were incredibly helpful to the Dothraki, Unsullied, and the entire army fighting to protect Wintefell. The scene where she kit the Dothrakis’ swords on fire gave me CHILLS.
Episode 4… This was a big one for me. First of all, seeing Rhaegal die was heartbreaking. Literally heartbreaking for me. You could ask my sister and she would tell you that I was a mess. And then to see Missandei die was traumatizing too. That set Daenerys up to become the “Mad Queen”, so to say, for sure. Greyworm did not deserve to see Missandei die and honestly I was so excited for the life the two characters could have had together. This episode was probably the most frustrating for me because it was clear that Daenerys had snapped and the morally good and truly only morally good character in the show had taken a dark turn.
Episode 5 was just a disaster in my opinion. Jamie leaving Brienne was wrong. He should have stayed with her. Considering that he had redeemed himself and come so far as a character, I thought it was pathetic to see him return to his sister Cersei. While I do believe that Cersei deserved a death better than being crushed by falling rocks, I was still pleased to see her dead. She had caused a lot of heartache in the show. Jamie, not so much. Poor Brienne. Poor, poor Brienne. Looking at Daenerys, she had lost everything. I believe her actions were extreme in that she definitely didn’t need to burn down King’s Landing but I do believe that she really had no choice. Cersei and Euron Greyjoy had taken the last few people (and dragon!) away from her life. She had truly slipped into insanity. SO SAD!
And then with the final episode… Oh boy, let’s try not to cry thinking about it. The shot of Daenerys with Drogon’s wings behind her… breathtaking. Some of the best cinematography and editing I’ve ever seen. Jon Snow killing her. NOT SO BREATHTAKING. I feel that Dany’s death was meant to occur based on what happened in episode 5 but I completely stand by my opinion in that she did not deserve to die. That was so wrong. And then to see the last of her dragons burn down the Iron Throne and fly away with her body was so sad too. To think that Drogon would have to live the rest of his 200-year life alone was so sad, and is so sad to think about (even though I know he’s not a real dragon). To see Bran as the king of the six kingdoms was underwhelming, in my opinion too. I’ve never been a huge fan of Bran as a character and his journey to King’s Landing and journey to the throne reaffirm my opinions. His demeanor and deep, monotone voice just don’t sit well with me.
In the end, I was glad to see Jon go beyond the wall. I was happy to see Sansa become the cunning, clever, strong young lady she had become. I was extremely happy for her to declare Winterfell as its own kingdom, making Sansa the queen of Winterfell. To see Arya leave to explore beyond Westeros was exciting too. Could there be a Game of Thrones spin-off from this? The things that made me upset: Dany’s death, the death of the dragons minus Drogon, Tyrion’s betrayal to Dany, Missandei’s death, and Bran’s rise to power. Honestly the whole season was upsetting! In a good or bad way though? It’s hard to tell…
Some of you may disagree and some of you may not. Overall, the season seemed rushed to me. It was still an incredible, unforgettable ending to an incredible show though. It’s so sad to let go of the characters and the story and the amazing world of Westeros but I am excited to see what legacy Game of Thrones leaves behind. I stand by my girl Daenerys til the end, House Targaryen: Fire and Blood.
Have a good week everyone.