This post has Game of Thrones **spoilers** EVERY GOD-DAMN-WHERE! Ok? Ok.
It's best to get the spoiler warnings outta the way. 😉
Also, y'know this is Game of Thrones, so general WARNING for potentially distressing content.
The thing about hype is that you can't please all of the people all of the time.
When those people are Game of Thrones fans, they're gonna be pi**ed regardless.
Actually, they'll probably be pi**ed if you don't do things that upset them.
(I say it with love! 😘)
So what do you do when you have (arguably) the BIGGEST FREAKING SHOW on the planet, in its final season?!
You're not gonna please everyone.
In fact, it's gonna be difficult to please ANYONE entirely - because everyone has their own individual idea of how it 'should' end.
Add into that that no-one expects Game of Thrones to do expected things?
...Which means that people expect the unexpected, which means it's expected...
...Which just makes it all a goddamn headache!
So, what do you do?
Quite plainly, you do whatever you want. But with caveats.
(I don't do simple answers, dearest nerdlets, you probably know this if you've been here before.)
Some things are out - you can't pick Daenerys or Jon Snow.
(Did you know my blog's spellcheck recognises the word Daenerys?! That's some cultural impact right there!)
Why not either of those two?
Because the Team Daenerys vs Team Jon Snow fandom wars would never end and would make what we currently have pi**ed-off-fan-wise look like a kid's birthday party.
Also because it's too expected for Game of Thrones. Let's be honest.
Pick one of the two people with a right to the throne to be monarch?! What on Westeros were you thinking!
You also can't marry them to each other - which on the surface is an easy solution.
Why not that?
Well a) incest - not the worst case in GoT history, but still there.
But aside from that, it's too neat and tidy plot-wise - which GoT doesn't do, and it would never work character-wise.
Dany wasn't gonna be an equal co-monarch with anyone.
And Jon would've struggled to rein in her more stabby tendencies.
Are you thinking the homicidal part of her character was only a season 8 thing?
I'ma have to politely disagree. It's not the first time she committed what is essentially a war-crime.
I'm not saying Jon Snow never did bad sh**.
I'm saying it's not the first time Daenerys got a little bit massacre-y.
And what Tyrion said to Jon in that final episode made so much sense: people let it slide, because the people she was killing were 'bad' people.
It's only when she decides that her version of 'bad' is the only version - and that version covers anyone who didn't leave King's Landing before she got there - that we see the side of Daenerys that we didn't want to see.
Before that, it suited both the characters and the audience to ignore her atrocities.
Even in a society which accepts the death penalty (which I don't) her executions were particularly brutal and bloody.
You let people do that without question? They kind of lose what sense of perspective they had, dude.
So what do you do? You compromise. You come up with an ending that most people can accept, even if they're not overly-happy with it.
Which is what we got.
Add into that that no-one expects Game of Thrones to do expected things?
...Which means that people expect the unexpected, which means it's expected...
...Which just makes it all a goddamn headache!
So, what do you do?
Quite plainly, you do whatever you want. But with caveats.
(I don't do simple answers, dearest nerdlets, you probably know this if you've been here before.)
Some things are out - you can't pick Daenerys or Jon Snow.
(Did you know my blog's spellcheck recognises the word Daenerys?! That's some cultural impact right there!)
 |
| Via Giphy |
Why not either of those two?
Because the Team Daenerys vs Team Jon Snow fandom wars would never end and would make what we currently have pi**ed-off-fan-wise look like a kid's birthday party.
Also because it's too expected for Game of Thrones. Let's be honest.
Pick one of the two people with a right to the throne to be monarch?! What on Westeros were you thinking!
You also can't marry them to each other - which on the surface is an easy solution.
Why not that?
Well a) incest - not the worst case in GoT history, but still there.
But aside from that, it's too neat and tidy plot-wise - which GoT doesn't do, and it would never work character-wise.
Dany wasn't gonna be an equal co-monarch with anyone.
And Jon would've struggled to rein in her more stabby tendencies.
 |
| Via Giphy |
Are you thinking the homicidal part of her character was only a season 8 thing?
I'ma have to politely disagree. It's not the first time she committed what is essentially a war-crime.
I'm not saying Jon Snow never did bad sh**.
I'm saying it's not the first time Daenerys got a little bit massacre-y.
And what Tyrion said to Jon in that final episode made so much sense: people let it slide, because the people she was killing were 'bad' people.
It's only when she decides that her version of 'bad' is the only version - and that version covers anyone who didn't leave King's Landing before she got there - that we see the side of Daenerys that we didn't want to see.
Before that, it suited both the characters and the audience to ignore her atrocities.
Even in a society which accepts the death penalty (which I don't) her executions were particularly brutal and bloody.
You let people do that without question? They kind of lose what sense of perspective they had, dude.
So what do you do? You compromise. You come up with an ending that most people can accept, even if they're not overly-happy with it.
Which is what we got.
Not the ending most people would've wanted... but then, Game of Thrones was never gonna give us exactly what we wanted, was it? It never has.
What do you think?
Was it inevitable that the finale would disappoint people?
Talk to me! 😎💬
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Last updated: 8th June 2019
I completely with you on this one! It's so big that how on earth do you actually come up with a satisfying ending that will please anyone? Likewise with Tyrion's speech at the end, it makes you realise her more violent side stems all the way back, from shutting what's-her-name in the vault to starve to death because she felt betrayed? She's always had that side of her, it's just worked to not be a big thing before. I love this post. I'm hoping to write up my review later which could be challenging, so this helped!
ReplyDeleteThank you! And I don't even remember the shutting what's-her-name in the vault thing! Like, soooo much happens in Game of Thrones! Lol. And I think when it comes to Daenerys in particular it was purposefully moved on from because of that symbol people wanted her to be.
DeleteGood luck writing your review! :)
I really liked the ending, and I think that the people complaining should just let it go and worry about bigger problems. Dany was never a perfectly moral character, she did some violent things. She was power hungry from day 1. It did not surprise me at all how she ended up.
ReplyDeleteI didn't *love* the ending, but neither did I expect them to end it the way *I* wanted (which was with Jon Snow as king, b/c he's my personal fave, lol.) I think this was a realistic ending - which is probably why people are so annoyed! And let's face it, no-one in this series was 100% clear on the moral front! XD
DeleteAs I settled down to watch the finale with my partner, I admitted I was nervous. I didn't know what ending would make me happy but I still didn't think I'd like it. Many a time I've spent years getting emotionally invested in a show only to be disappointed by the finale. While I didn't hate it, I was somewhat underwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteI think it was realistic, though (well, as realistic as a show with dragons and ice zombies ever is,) and sometimes in reality things aren't big and dramatic... they're just... worked out. And people get on with things, y'know? :) <3
DeleteHa, just eight seasons of sex and violence. Nothin' to see here! ;)
ReplyDeleteNo matter how the show finished, people were going to be mad. You can’t please everybody. I’m fine with where all of the characters ended up, but I wish they’d gotten there more slowly. We really needed 10 episodes!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Ha, I know a lotta people would've liked it longer. But then, some episodes seemed to go quite slowly as it was, like the one where they were all waiting around Winterfell. <3
DeleteI have never watched any of game of thrones. But I know the ending for example people have gone off on social media about. I found this interesting to read though and the comments with other people also! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteLauren | www.bournemouthgirl.com
Thanks! And yeah - people get very passionate, which is a good thing, but sometimes they can lose perspective a li'l bit!
DeleteI fortunately don't go here although I keep up with what's happening via recaps, but it does sound like the pacing was all askew in these last few seasons, and that does leave a feeling of un-satisfaction. I dunno! I have just been taking the opportunity to recommend Black Sails to all the Game of Thrones-likers out there. I believe in striking while the iron's hot. :p
ReplyDeleteHa, I love your mercenary attitude ;) On those grounds, I recommend The Borgias and Da Vinci's Demons. <3
DeleteThis has been a really polarizing end to Game of Thrones and I think that is exactly what the writers wanted! They wanted there to be outcry and verbal battles and blog posts and drama. So its all worked out for them! It's just the fans that are so cut up. ❤️
ReplyDeleteThere's no such thing as bad publicity ;) and yeah, they were always gonna try to stir the pot a li'l bit - it's Game of Thrones, after all! <3
Delete