And now our watch is ended
[SPOILER ALERT! Careful for spoilers from the episode]
Game of Thrones has finally come to an end, and as a friend of mine noted, everyone actually got what they deserved. A lot of predictions came to pass, but seeing as everyone had theirs, it was great fun watching how it would all turn out. I won't lie though, I did have a lot of 'just like that?!' moments during the episode, especially when Jon klled Dany. But there were loads of anticipatory ones to make up.
For this review, I won't be doing a scene by scene rundown of the episode. Instead, I'll just touch on each character and where they ended up, and add a few of my favorite moments.
First up is Daenerys, filled as she is with a sense of justice and righteousness. She did fulfill her destiny, and the episode made sure we knew it, citing phrases from the Dothraki prophesy and taking us back into her vision of the Red Keep destroyed. It was fitting that this was where she met her end, just after she touched the Iron Throne, signaling the completion of that journey she began so many years ago. But to her, nothing had ended. After taking Westerosi, she now intended to conquer the known world, to liberate them of course. This was why she had to die... Not for what she had done but for what she would do, because they couldn't unleash this Daenerys on other cities of the world. That Jon was the one to do it was also fitting, in retrospect. He was really the only one who could. As she died, Drogon blasted the Iron Throne, melting it entirely, and thus signaling the end of Targaryen rule.
Next up, the killer Jon. Poor Jon went through a real roller coaster of emotions this episode. First, he's a Stark and has been raised to keep his word, which he gave when he bent the knee to Daenerys. Second, he loves her, even though he knows in his heart what she has become. Third, he is a member of the Night's Watch, and has sworn to be the shield that guards the realm of men, which she will utterly decimate. It takes Tyrion to make him see that he has to do it, although in the end, neither even pretends to acknowledge the rightness of the act. They have had too much experience in seeing what they thought was right transform into poison right before their eyes. He is taken prisoner, of course, by Grey Worm and the unsullied, but they don't take his head immediately. When the new king is chose, he exiles Jon back to the Night's Watch, the only option that would keep the peace between the Unsullied and the Northmen.
That Tyrion himself doesn't end up dead in this episode is somewhat of a miracle, considering he threw Dany's hand emblem in her face. Well, not in her face, but still. The only reason he wasn't executed, of course, is that Jon killed her first. In the end, he is the one who proposes how the new realm should be run. Not completely democratic as Sam proposed, but not completely monarchic either. And he is the one who nominates the next king, after which he is once more appointed Hand.
Bran is the next king, unanimously accepted. Bran the Broken, first of his name, king of the six kingdoms, lord of the andals and protector of the realm, and the three eyed raven. We don't get to see him fly as Drogon, but that is deliciously hinted at.
Yes, six kingdoms, because Sansa absolutely puts her foot down on joining the North to the kingdom. Bran, as the new king agrees, and Sansa becomes the Queen in the North.
Arya, on the other hand leaves Westerosi forever. While many saw that coming, what they didn't see was whete she would be going: to the West of Westerosi beyond the reach of all maps. With this, I won't be surprised if her adventures are included as one of the upcoming shows.
All in all, though scattered across the world, the Starks come out on top, having saved the realm from not one, but two threats.
As for the others...
Greyworm takes his Unsullied and sails to the Isle of Narth to keep his promise to Missandei.
Ser Davos becomes Master of ships in Bran's new administration.
Ser Bronn of the Blackwater might be said to be the one who gained the most, ending up as Lord of Highgarden and Master of coin to boot.
Samwell is appointed Grand Maester, and it turns out, named the book from which all the stories come: A Song of Ice and Fire. Except Tyrion is not mentioned. That has to be the most painful thing ever.
Ser Brianne is head of the king's Kingguard and fills Jamie's acts in the White book.
And finally, Tornund shows up to take Jon and Ghost to where they belong in the Real North.
Others are seen. Gendry, though he doesn't say a word except 'Aye'. Robyn Arryn, now grown and apparently no longer as sickly. Ser Yonn Royce, Yara, who remains loyal to Daenerys. Even Edmund Tully, who gives us a bit of a laugh when he tries to pitch for the position of the King. Ser Podrick (yup, ser) is also a member of the Kingguard.
And for now, it seems the realm is safe.
The Game of thrones is over.
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