Game of Thrones: the last series [SPOILERS]

[Leigh S]

I am always suspicious of Chosen Ones, be they Skywalkers, Potters or Targareyans.

That said, I don't think showing her with her hair all witchy and no make up was enough to sell me on her being mad, but you know, women, ey? - Hell hath no Fury and all that - It's true the sense of her being obsessed with getting the throne was set up, but becoming the thing she has fought against WHEN SHE HAS GOT IT was the step too far  more than anything, tied in with the level of intended destruction - having her go for the keep and setting off the Wildfire would have been a great moment and acheived much the same thing - a wonderful irony of the daughter finishing what the father began. 

Of course, all of this could have been avoided by John Snow not being an enormous prat and waving his birth certificate in everybody's face whilst going "but I don't care who gets the house in the will"

[Richard]

Best summary of Jon Snow ever.

[Jim_Campbell]

Stark men… fucking idiots, the lot of them. Ned Stark: dead because he chose honour without considering the political repercussions. Robb Stark: dead because he chose love without considering the political repercussions. Jon Snow: dead because he chose to the right thing without considering the political repercussions. Admittedly, he got better… but still dead. Rickon Stark: dead because he was too stupid to run in a zig-zag. Bran Stark: not dead, but happy to let literally everyone else die because he’s too busy fucking about with ravens to do anything useful.

[wedgeski]

Intense. Quite the viewing experience. I mean, how often is TV going to put us in the middle of a city being WMD'd by a fire-breathing dragon? Pretty stunning stuff.

Structurally amd narratively it has similar problems to other recent episodes. They're really going to have to pull something special out of the bag next week, but with nothing left to resolve except Jon vs. Dany and who takes the throne, if anyone, I don't see how they can. I'd love to be schooled on that though.

Over the years I've learned not to let disappointing sequels tarnish my love for earlier films in the series (Alien 3 taught me that), but it's a little sad the writers felt they had to resort to narrative tricks that would be beneath a show of much less importance than Thrones.

[Tiplodocus]

I've had a think about this a bit more and I am coming round to the thinking that actually more was more in this case.

It did need to be absolutely clear that this was the work of a mad tyrant. This was not accidental or even accepted collateral damage from one attack run at the Red Keep.

This was intense and prolonged genocide from a person who, if you didn't get it from the Mereen crucifixations or burning the Tarley's is capable of any cruel act.

And keeping reaction shots of her out of it keeps us in the same frame of reference as the characters on the ground. "Why is she doing this? And why? And what choice am I going to make?"

[Funt Solo]

Half a million people throw organized hissy fit.  No doubt they could all have done a better job with the script. 

I read that 18.4 million watched the last episode through official platforms, and an estimated 55.2 million through space piracy.

So the half a million on that petition makes up a stonking 0.7% of the viewers.

[moogie101]

Half a million people throw organized hissy fit.  No doubt they could all have done a better job with the script. 

I read that 18.4 million watched the last episode through official platforms, and an estimated 55.2 million through space piracy.

So the half a million on that petition makes up a stonking 0.7% of the viewers.

Lol, that is amazing. What a world we live in.

My only concern with this and the last season is they've been cut short to save money so a lot of things are being rushed.

The writers might not have the source material anymore, but they have George's notes and surely they seek his input especially for anything major.

[JOE SOAP]

I read that 18.4 million watched the last episode through official platforms.

That would probably only account for the US audience. GoT is available in 170 countries.

[sheridan]

My only concern with this and the last season is they've been cut short to save money so a lot of things are being rushed.

The writers might not have the source material anymore, but they have George's notes and surely they seek his input especially for anything major.

They've not been cut short - other than the extra year between series, the network offered them 10 episodes per series.  Though D & D are on their way on to Star Wars next, so were more interested in the next gig than the current one...

[moogie101]

My only concern with this and the last season is they've been cut short to save money so a lot of things are being rushed.

The writers might not have the source material anymore, but they have George's notes and surely they seek his input especially for anything major.

They've not been cut short - other than the extra year between series, the network offered them 10 episodes per series.  Though D & D are on their way on to Star Wars next, so were more interested in the next gig than the current one...

I didn't say who was responsible for the fewer episodes just that this and last series have less than the usual ten episodes which has clearly resulted in things being rushed.

[radiator]

The writers might not have the source material anymore, but they have George's notes and surely they seek his input especially for anything major.

I could be wrong, but the way I understand it is that Martin has had very little to do with the show in recent years (as opposed to the first 4 seasons when he would contribute scripts and presumably spend time in the writers room), and as far as I know his last direct input was a meeting with the show writers 5-6 years ago where he basically gave them a list of loose plot points that make up the ending. Remember that he hasn't actually finished the 6th book in the series yet, so probably only has a relatively loose sketch of how all of the climactic events fit together himself.

I'm guessing that one of the points on that list was 'Danaerys destroys King's Landing', and the last episode was the show writers own interpretation of that. I'm still very much of the opinion that the circumstances of that event in the books will be drastically different to how it goes down in the TV show - likewise with Stannis burning Shireen.

[wedgeski]

The writers might not have the source material anymore, but they have George's notes and surely they seek his input especially for anything major.

I could be wrong, but the way I understand it is that Martin has had very little to do with the show in recent years (as opposed to the first 4 seasons when he would contribute scripts and presumably spend time in the writers room), and as far as I know his last direct input was a meeting with the show writers 5-6 years ago where he basically gave them a list of loose plot points that make up the ending. Remember that he hasn't actually finished the 6th book in the series yet, so probably only has a relatively loose sketch of how all of the climactic events fit together himself.

I'm guessing that one of the points on that list was 'Danaerys destroys King's Landing', and the last episode was the show writers own interpretation of that. I'm still very much of the opinion that the circumstances of that event in the books will be drastically different to how it goes down in the TV show - likewise with Stannis burning Shireen.

Well disclaimer, I haven't read the books, but GRRM's story will have exactly the same problems to solve as the TV show-runners, i.e. how to smash all these massive armies together in any way that is satisfying on a character level? I plan to read the books when they're all done, so I look forward to discovering his solution.

[Jim_Campbell]

Well disclaimer, I haven't read the books, but GRRM's story will have exactly the same problems to solve as the TV show-runners, i.e. how to smash all these massive armies together in any way that is satisfying on a character level? I plan to read the books when they're all done, so I look forward to discovering his solution.

I have a feeling that if it was easy, it wouldn't have taken him eight years (and counting) to write a book (or books) wrapping it all up. The TV producers didn't have the luxury of saying "it'll be ready when it's ready".

[radiator]

I can't justify the expense - especially when you factor in what the entire series would cost - but holy shit this is just gorgeous:

https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/a-game-of-thrones.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIubW66Kuh4gIViP5kCh3FugwxEAAYASAAEgIdmvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Funt Solo]

Well disclaimer, I haven't read the books, but GRRM's story will have exactly the same problems to solve as the TV show-runners, i.e. how to smash all these massive armies together in any way that is satisfying on a character level? I plan to read the books when they're all done, so I look forward to discovering his solution.

I have a feeling that if it was easy, it wouldn't have taken him eight years (and counting) to write a book (or books) wrapping it all up. The TV producers didn't have the luxury of saying "it'll be ready when it's ready".

I've probably mentioned this already but the delay has taken so long that I've had to go to my happy place of assuming that he'll never publish another GOT book.  He'll die or go senile or just never break through the writer's block.  (Man, my happy place is pretty depressing.)