# Game of Thrones 8.06 "The Iron Throne" 5/19/2019 Show Discussion **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 19, 2019, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204 "2019-05-19T21:21:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/201 "2019-05-20T13:34:29Z")
I thought it was probably the least disappointing way to end it. On Brandon Stark being Tha King: Tyrion centered his argument on the premise a knower of history and storyteller would be the best sort of leader. Which makes sense. When it comes to settling disputes Bran can look back through each party’s story/perspective, correct some erroneous information possibly complicating the discord, and explain ALL of this to all the involved parties and then dispense a little justice. Sort of a forced empathy. Stories have roots, and the roots have roots (like a tree, get it?), so to fully understand what’s up you kneed to know what’s happened, and Bran knows the truth of ALL the roots. As far as ending the series like they did, a story also has branches that are constantly growing. What we’ve seen so far has been a glimpse of the roots, and a trunk composed of numerous interconnected stories, which is a nice start but at some point the trunk forms branches that have only their origin in common. And of course it helps that Tyrion recognized that those least fit for power are the ones who seek it. I’m still not sure if he secretly wanted The Hand job even while saying he didn’t. What were his options anyway? And I’m glad Jon fucked off to The Real North, but I didn’t much care for the two shady characters who were following him around in KL. I was waiting for someone to slip a blade between his ribs. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/202 "2019-05-20T13:41:53Z")
I still don’t see how any of the episode titles were in any way spoilery while out of context. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/203 "2019-05-20T13:42:29Z")
Another argument for Bran is that, as he said, he doesn’t _want_ anything any longer. So someone not motivated by personal greed might look to what’s best for the people. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_McQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Steve\_McQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_McQwark)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/204 "2019-05-20T13:43:34Z")
Tyrion is definitely the de facto king now. I feel kind of bad for him running the small council meetings: Bronn, Brienne, King Bran. They just need to find a Brian and a Bruno to fill out the last two seats and they’ll have the whole set. Speaking of Brienne, I was really happy with where she ended up. I would have been really ticked off if the last we saw of her was standing in the rain bawling about Jaime. Now she’s in a respected position and she’s still honoring her oath to Catelyn by watching over one of her children. When we saw Tyrion adjusting the chairs in the rebuilt small council chamber, I told my son that I hoped as they were rebuilding the Red Keep that they made it more ADA-compliant\*. I was amused by Sansa’s declaration that the North would not bend a knee to anyone and then we see her coronation ceremony where everyone else in the North bends their knees to her. I guess what she really meant was _she_ wouldn’t bend the knee to anyone. I’m assuming that was Nuevo Castle Black Jon arrived at? The topography of the Wall scenes didn’t make sense to me. The wall was destroyed down to the ground, right? So now, there is apparently a fort built across the gap with walls and gates and so forth. It’s just 20-feet high instead of 1000-feet high. So why did they have to travel some distance away to a still intact part of the wall to cross? I assume it was a thematic thing tying back to the beginning of the show, but from an architectural point of view it doesn’t make any sense. I’m also assuming Jon is going north with the Wildlings and never coming back. As someone else said, becoming the new Mance Rayder. When Tormund and Jon are saying goodbye in episode 4, didn’t Jon say he wished he could go with Tormund? Now he is. Also, with the Dothraki and Unsullied leaving Westeros, why does anyone care about the Jon compromise? If he wants to go back south and travel around, who’s going to care? I think the default assumption is that when King Bran dies there will be a lot of political manuevering and perhaps even another civil war to replace him. However, my personal belief, with nothing from the show to really back it up, is that a small council with Tyrion, Sam, Brienne and Davos will move towards giving a voice to the common people. I don’t think the next leader will be democratically elected, but maybe there will be a representative of the merchant class on that platform for the next election. The wheel cannot be broken in one fell swoop, but maybe they can knock out a spoke or two and subsequent generations can continue with the breaking. \*) I guess that should be WDA: Westerosi with Disabilities Act. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/205 "2019-05-20T13:48:04Z")
> [@Steve\_McQwark](#): > > I’m assuming that was Nuevo Castle Black Jon arrived at? The topography of the Wall scenes didn’t make sense to me. The wall was destroyed down to the ground, right? So now, there is apparently a fort built across the gap with walls and gates and so forth. It’s just 20-feet high instead of 1000-feet high. So why did they have to travel some distance away to a still intact part of the wall to cross? I assume it was a thematic thing tying back to the beginning of the show, but from an architectural point of view it doesn’t make any sense. A very small portion of the Wall was destroyed near Eastwatch by the Sea, not near Castle Black. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/206 "2019-05-20T13:49:15Z")
I am wondering what happens to what’s left of the Dothraki in Wetseros. Grey Worm leads the Unsullied but they only saw Dany as their leader and would not take kindly to her being killed. I also wonder what is the fate of Dany’s empire in Essos. Dario was running the store there and loved her. Ether he i in charge and is pissed or he will be overthrown and it will be Slaver’s Bay again. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/207 "2019-05-20T13:53:44Z")
Any else surprised the writers resisted the urge to make Ayra or Brienne pregnant? Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/208 "2019-05-20T13:55:09Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Hmm… Did Jamie ever sit on the small council? If he didn’t, it was because he was off at war or held prisoner throughout the entirety of Joffrey and Tommen’s reigns. I’m not sure if he was ever officially part of Cersei’s Queensguard. I don’t think Cersei really had a small council, either. > [@Acsenray](#): > > I believe someone addressed him as “Grand Maester.” That was after Bran became King. Sam was dressed in black during the Witangamot, but I can’t imagine he was there representing the Night’s Watch? Maybe he just hadn’t had a chance to change into his Lord Tarly duds? He voted, so he wasn’t just there as Jon’s supportive friend. I do wonder what Davos’s role was in that group? He’s a lord, made so by Stannis, but a fairly minor one, if I recall. “Grandmaester” is, I believe, just the title of the maester assigned to King’s Landing to advise the King. The actual leader of the maesters is the Archmaester at the Citadel, who Sam mentioned several times during the small council. I’m honestly surprised they let him back into the Citadel after he stole a bunch of books and dropped out. And he didn’t die, so what about his Night’s Watch vows? ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/209 "2019-05-20T13:55:37Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Another who doesn’t make sense is Jon. He looks like a complete idiot, is on the verge of following Dany just because she’s the queen, and needed a lot of convincing. Wasn’t he supposed to be aleader of men with a strong moral character? He doesn’t appear like this at all. Also, it’s too bad that they didn’t manage to depict him as deeply in love with Danaerys. He supposedly was, but it really never seemed so. If he had appeared to be torn between the horror of what Danny had done and his love for her, it would have been more dramatic. I assume that what we have been shown is supposed to be something like that, but it seemed more like “You really think that it’s that bad? But, but…shouldn’t we obey her anyway? Well, if you say so, maybe I should kill her. Or maybe not. Is it really right?” He seemed to have an IQ of 80, the moral sense of a turnip, and to be ready to follow whoever spoke last. I agree completely with respect to Jon and said so in post #122. I think the show runners wanted to finish up and move on quickly and didn’t spend the time or energy on the scripts to develop the characters’ motivations properly. I think they should have hired additional writers to work from their broad outlines to complete the story in two seasons instead of one. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/210 "2019-05-20T13:56:20Z")
> [@Steve\_McQwark](#): > > I think the default assumption is that when King Bran dies there will be a lot of political manuevering and perhaps even another civil war to replace him. I think they’re in for an unpleasant surprise–isn’t the Raven given Tolkien elf immortality? They’d be waiting a long time. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/211 "2019-05-20T13:58:25Z")
Critical reaction is decidedly mixed: [Reviews for the Game of Thrones Series Finale - Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/feature/game-of-thrones-series-finale-review) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/212 "2019-05-20T14:01:35Z")
Jon has always been about protecting innocent people. He was never going to be okay with the torching of King’s Landing. To the extent he resenting King’s Landing, it was the people in power he hated, not the general populace. Jon executed those people for murder. He didn’t blow away thousands of people in the manner and with the motivation of Danaerys. And he, like Tyrion, was ultimately horrified by the prospect of doing this in Winterfell and Dorne and then everywhere beyond Westeros. Yes Jon has traits like loyalty but he’s not an automaton. He and Tyrion and Varys all realized at some point that Daenerys was a disaster and they had choices to make. Jon took a little bit longer because of his feelings for Daenerys but ultimately he couldn’t weigh that against continuing blood and fire and the destruction of millions. Jon is a creature of duty but in the end he had to decide to whom he owed the greater duty. And it was completely in character for him to decide that it wasn’t to Daenerys. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/213 "2019-05-20T14:04:07Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I am wondering what happens to what’s left of the Dothraki in Wetseros. Grey Worm leads the Unsullied but they only saw Dany as their leader and would not take kindly to her being killed. > > I also wonder what is the fate of Dany’s empire in Essos. Dario was running the store there and loved her. Ether he i in charge and is pissed or he will be overthrown and it will be Slaver’s Bay again. The Unsullied were sailing away in ships. I assume the Dothraki left also. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/214 "2019-05-20T14:04:32Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It still seems out of place because, even granting that in George R.R. Martin’s mad-up world things might get invented at different times, you don’t have technology like that existing in a vacuum. Nobody in the books or the TV series, for instance, has eyeglasses, or uses a magnifier, or anyone of the other precursors to telescopes we’ve seen in real history. The check in dude at the citidel who met with Sam and Gilly had a crude pair of glasses. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/215 "2019-05-20T14:06:24Z")
I felt very little emotion from the finale. But mostly I’m sad that Varys didn’t get to the end. This was his goal all along, to see the country governed for the benefit of the people. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/216 "2019-05-20T14:06:28Z")
Last night’s cameo beverage appearance was a plastic water bottle: :smack: > **[A Song of Coffee and Water: 'Game of Thrones' leaves plastic bottle in shot...](https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/20/tv-shows/game-of-thrones-water-bottle-scli-intl/index.html)** > > The convenience stores of Westeros have done good business in recent weeks. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/217 "2019-05-20T14:10:06Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > And of course it helps that Tyrion recognized that those least fit for power are the ones who seek it. I’m still not sure if he secretly wanted The Hand job even while saying he didn’t. What were his options anyway? They didn’t come out and say it, but I guess Tyrion is Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West now? Everyone always said he was the Lannister most like his father. I’m glad that “Tyrion is secretly a Targaryen” theory didn’t pan out. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/218 "2019-05-20T14:12:51Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Jon Snow didn’t appear to be joining the Night’s Watch, but heading north with the freefolk to live as a sort of Mance Rayder character. Do, I have that right? My take was that politically it was agreed he would join the Nights Watch. He was being escorted by two members to the wall, just as we’ve seen in past episodes when someone is being sent to the wall. Upon arrival however, Tormund and the free folk were there. With the context of Arya telling him she won’t be returning to Westeros and Sansa in control of The North, my take is Jon decided to head north of the wall to live out his days with the free folk instead. And it’s not like the remnants of the Night Watch could stop that from happening if they even wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/219 "2019-05-20T14:15:13Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > Last night’s cameo beverage appearance was a plastic water bottle: :smack: > [https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/20/tv-shows/game-of-thrones-water-bottle-scli-intl/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/20/tv-shows/game-of-thrones-water-bottle-scli-intl/index.html) that stuff happens all time time not sure why people are so upset. Braveheart had a guy in jeans under his tunic. And a van was in a scene too. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204/220 "2019-05-20T14:19:28Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > that stuff happens all time time not sure why people are so upset. Braveheart had a guy in jeans under his tunic. And a van was in a scene too. Lord of the Rings had a car driving by in the background. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-8-06-the-iron-throne-5-19-2019-show-discussion/834204.md?page=12)