It’s no secret that a majority of fans were disappointed in the final season of Game of Thrones, arguably one of the best HBO shows of all time. Between the cast, storylines, and epic battle sequences, the series made its mark on fans, so much so that when the final season aired, those same fans felt betrayed by their beloved show. Between making Daenerys follow in the footsteps of her father to feeling like the battles were rushed, fans have actually petitioned for season eight to be remade. In fact, the original petition to remake season 8 of Game of Thrones is still active on Change, having obtained over a million signatures as of this writing. Of course, HBO has responded that no such change will occur.
Where most felt Game of Thrones fell off at the end, some fans, and even most of the cast, believe the show ended as it should have. If you are one of those fans who are on the fence regarding how you feel about season 8 or even one who hated it, we implore you to give the season another watch. Rewatch the whole series if you have the time, and you’ll notice that Daenerys’ end has been hinted at for some time, each main character was given some kind of ending to their story (some of them being memorable character deaths), and the battle scenes may have been short, but they were epic. Indeed, here’s why Game of Thrones season wasn’t that bad.
The Main Characters Got an Ending of Some Kind
While some Game of Thrones storylines have been criticized for being left without an ending, by the season 8 finale, the main cast received some kind of ending for their character. Whether that ending resulted in death or a path toward a new future, each member of the large main cast’s future was set. Every major house in Westeros was given an ending, which is something not every show is able to boast about. Just because you may not be a fan of how the cast’s time ended, it doesn’t mean it deserves a re-shoot. Let’s talk about the cast and their ending.
True to Game of Thrones fashion, most of the main cast died during season eight. Favorites like Daenerys, Cersei, Jaime, Theon, and even the Night King all perished at some point during the final season, while others were given a brighter future. Even though there were deaths, the characters who died mostly had happy endings in death. For example, Theon died embracing that he could be both a Greyjoy and a Stark, an internal battle he faced that completed his character arc. Likewise, Cersei and Jamie died in each other’s arms. The Night King and Daenerys’ deaths were perhaps the only deaths that were rushed and seemed out of place — Daenerys’ death especially.
Those who lived, lived well. Arya left Winterfell again to explore whatever is west of Westeros, Sansa became Queen in the North, and Jon was able to live out his days with the free folk, something he expressed an interest in doing early on in the show. Brienne and Jaime finally got to be together even though he left to go back to Cersei, and Bran became King with Tyrion at his side.
The Battles Were Epic
Game of Thrones season 8 had two epic battles: the Long Night and the Battle for King’s Landing. The final season aired in two parts, with each featuring one of the battles. The Long Night happened during the first half, while the Battle for King’s Landing served as the final of the entire series. When comparing the battles to each other, the Long Night was more of a traditional Game of Thrones battle in the sense that there were two sides fighting one another for control over Winterfell. In the Battle for King’s Landing, Daenerys basically went rogue and burned down most of the city. Those her dragon’s fire didn’t kill, the remaining men in her army mostly killed.
The Long Night was the long-anticipated battle between the undead and the living. After eight seasons’ worth of hype, the battle itself was beautifully done. Besides claims of the picture being too dark, the battle, which indeed took place in the dark, featured dragons, popular character deaths, and an hour and 20 minutes of edge-of-your-seat action. The end of the battle was also epic in the sense that it surprised viewers. Most expected Jon Snow to kill the Night King, but the writers switched things up and allowed Arya to kill the undead King after they had foreshadowed her fate in earlier seasons.
In contrast to The Long Night, the Battle for King’s Landing was less of a traditional battle and more of a massacre. Out of revenge for Cersei killing Missandei, Daenerys mounted Drogon and set fire to King’s Landing, killing most of the city’s inhabitants. Grey Worm and the rest of her army, including Jon, started the battle with her, but by the end, Jon realized Daenerys had officially gone mad, like her father.
Daenerys’ Turn Into a Villain Was Forthcoming
Perhaps the biggest complaint about the final season of Game of Thrones was Daenerys’ character arc. Fans criticized that, despite several instances of foreshadowing that was where her character was headed (as outlined by Screen Rant), Daenerys did not deserve to become a Mad Queen, nor did she deserve to die once she finally won her place on the Iron Throne.
Once Daenerys started winning her battles in Slaver’s Bay (or the Bay of Dragons), she got a taste of conquering. The number of times she insisted and had others remind her of her father’s reign of terror should have also alerted fans to her possible demise. If those signs didn’t warn you, then her insistence on those bending the knee, or even when her children and friends started dying, should have been enough to foreshadow that her generosity couldn’t hold out forever.
When Missandei was beheaded right in front of Daenerys, she snapped — understandably so — but still, she acted out of emotion rather than logic. It was this rage that filled her and would fill her if she had been able to sit on the Iron Throne. It had to be Jon to kill her and end another possible reign of terror before it began. As of late, the Targaryens were not a favorite of Westeros. By having Jon, a Targaryen, kill Daenerys, he put an end to the family’s claim on the throne and allowed for a brighter future for Westeros.
