The More Things Change the More they Really Don’t

So Game of Thrones has ended and yeah, I have some thoughts 🙂

Disclaimer: Spoilers obviously.

Other disclaimer: I read the spoilers when they were released so I think by the time it aired I was more resigned than anything else. My biggest problem with this show has always been the writing and it didn’t let me down here.

I do want to start with the good. Emilia Clarke killed it this season. I do wonder how people can say this wasn’t a heel turn when the actress was surprised by this seasons scripts and seemed really upset by them.

But either way she gave it her all and the scene with Drogon nudging his mum was legit the first time in this show I teared up since Cat begged for her sons life and lost in the Red Wedding. (Not so big on him ignoring Jon to burn the throne. But he was probably thinking nah, even dragon fire can’t melt your plot armor.)

Jon and Tyrion’s plot armor was strong in this one. I especially loved how Tyrion told them no one wanted to hear from him anymore and then proceeded, without irony it seemed, to tell them exactly what they were going to do and who was going to be King.

I’m also wondering if Jon hasn’t just been brain dead since his actual death. Maybe Melisandre wasn’t specific when she brought him back? Like we just need him to brood, have great hair and be able to have sex.

I have all kinds of issues with how fast this story moved but honestly Emilia winning will be the Emmy that’s most deserved this year. Drogon taking off with her was a beautiful shot as well.

Winter is Really Just a State of Mind in Westeros.

It was snowing in King’s Landing when Jaime left at the end of 7. Winter has never been that bad even up North. I mean burn one kid alive and it just melts overnight. All hail Melisandre’s Lord of Light. Circle back to Cersei in episode four and it seems nice enough in King’s Landing.

Then we were trying to decide if it was ash or snow in the beginning of this episode. It looks quiet stormy over the sea when Drogon flew away but then boom a couple weeks later and we’re fine.

Ned was super overblowing this winter thing. I mean even the physical manifestation of it in the Long Night lasted… one night. Obviously Old Nan was full of shit. I’ve had worse winters in Palm Springs.

King Fucking Bran 

Not Bran

Brandon Stark is dead. King 3 Eyed Raven.

Mister I Don’t Want Anything Anymore…

Tyrion: I know you don’t want it…

Not a Bran: Why do you think I came all this way?

Okay even if you don’t subscribe to the theory that Not a Bran is straight-up evil the shows doing absolutely nothing with this character and his powers leads to quite a few implications that I don’t think they mean to.

I mean if nothing else Bran can be said to have let all this happen. Dropping the truth bomb on Jon when he did (literally because he said Jon had to know) did nothing in the story- nothing- except further push and isolate Dany. Did he maneuver everything? If a qualification to be King to Tyrion and Varys and the rest is that the person doesn’t want it Bran, in the end, seemed to not just want it but feel entitled to it.

Also he is completely by his own account lacking in compassion and empathy. What a great fucking King.

I think the problem with Bran goes back longer. They were never really interested in him and the magic elements of the story so when they did bring him back he was little more than a plot device so him now being the endgame to a part of the story his character never touched didn’t work. And if Bran is really now just a body for Brynden Rivers (boy can he play a long game if that’s the case) the show never really touched that though so I have to think he’s just the 3-Eyed Raven and everything else is fan’s trying to fill in the blanks.

Putting aside all of that it means at best he’s a checked out puppet King for Tyrion I Fail Upward Lannister…

Fucking Bronn on the Council just killed it for me. Not just on the Council but apparently Mister Good Guy’s first act as basically de facto King was to reward his sell sword, murdering, blackmailing buddy with perhaps the most prosperous and important piece of Land in Westeros in Highgarden.

And he made him the Master of Coin! The Master of Coin. Cue the brothel jokes. Literally it was part of our first council to have him fighting with Davos about rebuilding brothels versus rebuilding ships.

My head fan fiction is that Oleanna and Margery are going to haunt his ass and also that they’re going to make sure he’s impotent until someone shoves a knife in his gut.

Oh I also loved how Sam wasn’t just a Maester but Tyrion referred too him as Grand Maester. I guess it’s good to know the right people. I haven’t liked show Sam since he’s stated reason for leaving the Wall was to keep banging Gilly. Cause what are vows in this world? The more things change the more they fucking stay the same. But hey Brienne was there. She didn’t really contribute anything except writing a bullshit ending to Jaime’s page in the White Book which didn’t matter a lick to show Jaime.

Queen I Am Out of Here

I had no doubt Sansa was going to be Queen of the apparently Respawned People of the North but the way it was done and the timing just killed it for me. It simply was not believable that the King would immediately let his big sister peace out with one of the largest parts of his Kingdom and everyone else would be like, “Cool.”

I mean yeah maybe they don’t want to deal with her either. But they want to deal with Not a Bran and a Lannister?

Yara actually brought up independence with Dany when they meet in season six. Dorne in the books is one of the most independent areas already and they have a long history of standing against the Iron Throne. I think it wasn’t believable that those two were just fine with that.

There’s long term political stupidity to the idea anyway but it’s Sansa the Golden so we’ll just let those things fall to the wayside but the idea that it wouldn’t immediately led to the other Kingdoms doing the exact same thing was just to unbelievable. I think they should have broken up completely- closest thing to breaking the wheel. Seven kingdoms again and a Council with No King at all.

But then who would rebuild the brothels?

For better or worse this season Game of Thrones provided us with a lot to talk about not the least of which how we see our stories and our heroes, whether subversion of expectations is really as great as some writers seem to think and how social media has changed our interaction with our entertainment and it’s creators.

But as to the story itself?

It feels hollow and empty. The War Against the Dead certainly didn’t unite anyone. Nothing about Jon really mattered (so Ned could have told his poor wife the truth!), Drogon destroyed the throne, another Queen is dead and it was all immediately replaced by an all powerful King and his council of friends.

I don’t have much hope for the future of Westeros.