I expect Martin to be asked about the ending so it will be interesting what he says.
And I assume he’s not stupid enough to criticize it.
BTW I suppose that the small(er) council did get to allow Tyrion to finish the jackass and honeycomb joke…
It’s Bran as king that ruins it for me. For one thing, based on his actions to this point, he would seem to be almost completely immersed in “greater concerns”. He sits about staring into space, seeing all things, and thinking great thoughts. The story does not support his interest in the role or provide any evidence that he would be good at it.
Ignoring all that - let’s say Bran saw all of this coming (all seeing, blah, blah, blah). What does that imply? Was he maneuvering everything to get to the point where he is on the throne?
It doesn’t make sense in the story. It doesn’t make sense politically.
I actually don’t mind the rest of it too much. That one shot of Dany with the wings behind her was amazing. I just can’t get over the nonsensical nature of Bran as the winner and new champeen.
Right before the show started, HBO ran a long promo on its new and upcoming series. They’re really hoping that some of them achieve a fraction of the popularity of Game of Thrones.
Who would you choose? Who is most likely not to start a war or piss off factions?
This.
In the 8.05 thread posted this heady analysis published in Scientific American of all places that posits that the “storytelling style changed from sociological to psychological”.
What the article doesn’t go as far to venture an opinion on is why fiction that has the potential for sociological commentary attracts massive followings, and why having attracted massive viewership TV fiction then invariably shies away from any further sociological commentary and morphs into a show about emotions. The writer of the article seems to suggest it’s an artistic choice (and that showrunners in fact have a choice) rather than a crass business decision or a political cop out and that’s where we differ.
After 8 years of strife to settle the line of succession for the Iron Throne, one of the Starks unable to have children is chosen. Directly afterwards his homelands secede from his Kingdom, making the other a queen. Their soon-to-be ended lifetimes mark the interim between this series and the next, assuming we can suspend disbelief and accept the next round of the Game doesn’t commence right there on the dais.
Defiantly didn’t see that coming. :eek:
No one is very happy. 
Yes and the rest of the nobles laughing at his suggestion of democracy was hilarious. It was odd that he was still dressed as a member of the Night’s Watch when presumably he was present either as a de facto maester or de facto Lord of Horn Hill. Also what happened to Gilly, Little Sam, & the new baby now that he’s Grand Maester? Did he actually get dispensation to marry her or are they just off in a villa somewhere like a papal mistress?
That was very cool, and as others have pointed out it made her look like a female Lucifer.
It’s a penal colony; the Australia of Westeros, but colder and without women.
The fate of the Dothrhaki wasn’t addressed at all, not even a mention in passing like Drogon got.
I do wonder if Westeros is still going to have randomly long seasons now that the Night King is gone; we never at a revelation as to what causes them in the first place.
Yes, that make more sense than Grey Worm starting his own house with the rest of the Unsullied as his bannerman. They’ll have be dead within a few decades and then no more Unsullied ever.
Assuming “Planentos” is an actual planet like Earth then either there’s a previously “undiscovered” continent or just a vast expanse of ocean until you get to Essos. And it wouldn’t surprise me there is a new world to the west of Westeros (or to the south for that matter) there actually has been contact of some sort, but nothing lasting ever came of it. Hell there’s probably some long forgot book or scroll sitting in the Citadel about it.
And Bran being incapable of siring an heir is a huge plus if that’s there plan; it givens them a generation to build up that norm with no risk of him subverting it (not that he’d want to).
That’s exactly what I picture Jon doing, and yes the Unsullieds’ first instinct would be to kill him, but I can believe Grey Worm seeing enough of the bigger picture to restrain them.
That’s the whole point.
Good point.
Well Dorne was never really part of the Seven Kingdoms like the others were; they just pay lip service to whoever’s in Kings Landing and do whatever the hell they want so doesn’t make any difference. Also there’s probably some economic benefits.
Maybe instead of an Iron Throne in the Red Keep they wind up with a Bran Tree in the Red Garden.
More examples please, if you want to say “invariably”. Just trying to get at what you mean here, thanks.
Westeros has no federal army, and not all the houses have recovered from Robbs rebellion, Renlys rebellion, Stannis Rebellion. Bran is a safe bet, can’t sire and the next king has to be by acclamation of the house of lords, so that gives everyone enough time to regenerate their power bases. Give it fifty years and it will be back to normal.
Missed the too-short edit window, but credit to Biffster who posted the linked article:
In the 8.05 thread Biffster posted this heady analysis published in Scientific American of all places that posits that the “storytelling style changed from sociological to psychological”.
Geez it was bad… plot holes galore, bad storytelling, overall just bad imo.
Disapointed how this comes to be…
When Tyrion said he was now the Lord of Winterfell, he saw Bran’s expression and said “you don’t want it”. Bran said “I don’t really want anymore”. And at the meeting when asked if he wanted to be king, he said “why do you think I came here?”. So he knew what was going to happen. He doesn’t necessarily want it, it just is.
That article cited The Wire as another example, and The Wire neither attracted a massive audience nor did it shy away from social commentary or morph into a show about emotions.
For the Bran=king selection, I’m being generous in assuming that Bran made his magical powers known to the other lords at some point, otherwise I don’t see their instant support making sense. Of course, if he flashed his powers to them, it could also come with a threat. Bran could know all their dirty laundry, and they’d want to remain on his good side.
But… such things are overlooked when you solve the ultimate question of the fight over the throne out of nowhere in a 5 minute scene at the end of your 8 year series.
BTW…apparently a Westworld Season 3 promo for 2020 aired. Hype!!
Even if he had no powers at all, he’s the last male Stark. Given that the Starks saved all of humanity in the battle for Winterfell, that would seem to be a natural choice. Who’s a better choice; Edmure?
The fact that he can’t have children makes him even more appealing to the other houses, who could conceivably get a shot at the throne next time.
Dorne is most definitely a part of the Seven Kingdoms. It may have joined later than the others, but it definitely is part of the realm. (Heck Elia Martell was Rhaegar Targaryen’s first wife)
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I think copying this from previous OPs was a mistake. This is the one show thread where book “spoilers” should be welcome, to help give book context for non-book readers.
Because there is no longer any such concept as a “spoiler” for the tv show. It’s literally not possible to spoil anything.