Over the last few seasons the sped-up timeline has increasingly been the norm, and that was true in the final season to a much greater degree. Part of the problem was that it was so inconsistently done, to the point where an episode might spend half of its story on the events of a single evening, and the other half charting events that happened over the course of several months. Other things were also maddeningly inconsistent - how strong the dragons are, how smart certain characters are, and how good anyone is at fighting. The fourth episode, where we move from the aftermath of "The Long Night" to Missandei's death, is an absolute mess. Jaime and Brienne's relationship seems to last a few days at most. Euron downs a dragon like it's nothing, right before the episode where Drogon fries King's Landing to a crisp.
I'm seriously considering writing up an entirely separate post about Daenerys Targaryen, who went from heroine to final boss far too quickly. I'm very sympathetic to the idea that they were trying to make her a tragic anti-hero in the vein of Walter White, but how the creators chose to do it left a lot to be desired. Dany's descent into madness didn't necessarily need a whole season to set up, but it had to be more obvious and given more attention. An extra scene or two with Missandei and Jorah to hammer home their loss might have done it. Instead, Dany snaps with seemingly very little provocation, and her mind and mental state remain a mystery for far too long. There weren't even have any close-ups of her on Drogon during the attack, which might have given Emilia Clarke a chance to fill in some gaps with her performance.
And it was the same, though to a lesser extent, with Jaime, with Cersei, with Varys and Bronn and Melisandre and many others. I'm perfectly happy that Jon Snow didn't end up on the throne, and that he had a relatively miserable ending. Bran and Sansa becoming the rulers of Westeros feels perfectly acceptable, as does Arya's decision to quit the continent entirely. Part of me was hoping that the show would do a "Veep" and end in a much darker place, but these weren't bad choices. However, there was so much that felt arbitrary, so much that felt unearned. Peter Dinklage's Tyrion spent most of the finale talking, convincing other characters (and the audience) to go with Dany's death and Bran's ascension.
And thank heavens for the cast, who helped a lot of the really moronic material go down easier. I can be upset that Sam somehow survived the Night King's forces despite essentially lying on the floor and waving a sword around, but I'm so grateful that John Bradley got to be in the finale and set up the best joke in the show. Bronn ending up with Highgarden and all the money was outrageous, but I love how Jerome Flynn played it. And then there was Cleganebowl, which had several media watchers discussing the concept of fanservice in non-ironic terms. Frankly, I was never sold on the hype for Cleganebowl, but seeing it actually play out was pretty satisfying.
The part of me that loves spectacle thoroughly enjoyed the last season. This is without a doubt the most gorgeous piece of media of the past several years. The insane size and scale of the conflict, the quality of the production, and the artistry of so many talented people involved in "Game of Thrones" went a long way toward making me forget about my issues with the plotting. Miguel Sapochnik's razing of King's Landing was a highlight. I suspect that "The Long Night" would have also been viewed much more kindly if the contrast had just been turned up a few notches.
So, overall the ending was massively flawed, but I had a good time watching it. I'm sure someone will remake the series and improve on the finale someday.
But for now, our watch has ended.
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