‘Game of Thrones’ Finale ‘The Iron Throne’ Review: A Peaceful Disarray

Finally, there’s lasting peace in Westeros. Decades of tyranny and injustice ended tonight—but it wasn’t enough to save Game of Thrones from a Dragonfire-burnt last season. The series finale, aptly titled “The Iron Throne,” puts the bookend to the eight-season long struggle and buildup (as if there was any) that aimed to pontificate the value of the throne.

It tried, and it almost made the mark.

Demanding four more episodes is wishful thinking, but it could have evened the playing field at the very least. The past weeks have been very divisive among Game of Thrones fans given the victory at Winterfell and the path to slave freedom. But with a show in a hurry to wrap itself up, it proved to be disastrous. Following the recent turn of grim events is the chance for Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) to take over the Iron Throne. It was at hands reach, but the gravity of a poorly-written narrative prevented her from doing so (nope, I know ya’ll wanna bitch out against Jon Snow, but hear me out).

We could’ve seen a glorious exit from a beloved show so massive that it has built a certain kind of culture around itself, but the road to the finale was riddled with major bumps ala-dark and bleak days of The Walking Dead. The weirdest thing about the Game of Thrones finale, though, was how it nailed that landing. It was a good resolution to a decade-long journey—but that doesn’t make it an excuse for what the show could have done better in terms of character arc and strengthening the story.

Adding to that is the length of the episodes—you don’t have to drag out a scene to hit your 1-hour 30-minute mark. Episodes in season 8, sans “The Long Night,” could have had a tighter and faster pace if they stuck with the standard 45-50 minute length. Most of the scenes that we got in “The Iron Throne” were extended cutaways that may or may not be included in the final cut.

Spoilers below. You’re treading on thin ice here.

The Weakest Game of Thrones Cop-out Death Ever

“The Bells” saw the underwhelming slaughter of Cersei Lannister, one of Game of Thrones‘ long-standing villains. It was a death so poorly executed that you almost wanted to go back in time and root for her while she walks in naked shame. But one thing that didn’t make sense in terms of building the hype and establishing a strong persona is the way Daenerys’ death was haphazardly shoved into everyone’s faces.

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King’s Landing is in turmoil, and it seemed like Dany was gearing up to rule with an iron fist. Her armies are relishing in victory and in the death of her enemies. The Lannisters are no more, and Tyrion just backed off of the deal to serve her as the Hand. It was the perfect setup for a death that could have honored Dany’s 8-year journey to the Iron Throne. Instead, Dany died in a criminally drab fashion at the hands of Jon Snow. This is not how you make a major character have a graceful exit. Sure, her character was also butchered after “The Long Night,” but things would have been a lot easier to accept had Dany gone out honorably. In a sea of the Game of Thrones dead, Dany’s is where one could only look on in dismay. This shouldn’t have happened had her arc angled towards a sinister but noble death.

Unlikely Assumptions: Bran the Broken as King

Just when everyone thought of having a swellin’ time mystified at who will take the Iron Throne, all hope was crushed and melted when Drogon breathed fire on the throne, as if saying, “this has been the source of major disputes that led to thousands dying and families biting each other’s backs. No more!”

With the throne in limbo, the fate of the seven realms remained a mystery—for a couple of short minutes, that is. We fast forward to a few months after Dany’s siege and suddenly Bran is “elected” as King (thanks to Tyrion’s lobbying powers). This is what we can call as the grandest “fuck you” gesture to everyone who ever hoped for their theories to come true, especially those backed up by dissecting various chapters of the Song of Ice and Fire books.

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Bran Stark, after everything that he’s been through in the war and as the Three-eyed Raven, is the King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Six (Sansa maintained her desire to keep Winterfell an independent kingdom) Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm. Many fans never saw this coming, and it was a hit in the balls for many. Of course, this has always been where Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss wanted Bran to end up, but it’s still a crazy case of lowballing.

Strongest Points

Despite the nuances that “The Iron Throne” failed to address as a finale for Game of Thrones, it did come with various highs that still made the finale a good ending to a great show.

Helen Sloan/HBO

It showed us how effective the writing behind the Stark siblings’ growth was both as a family and individuals. Arya (Maisie Williams) resolved to explore undocumented realms outside of Westeros, Sansa (Sophie Turner) maintained her stance on an independent Winterfell and is now leading the kingdom as its Queen, and Jon Snow, exiled for killing Daenerys, now leads the Night’s Watch and the Wildlings—bringing them back to their home to start a new beginning. It’s a simple resolution for the various trials that the siblings have gone through and an appropriate farewell to their characters.

Westeros also seems to be at a point where peace and justice are finally achieved. With the end of the Lannister tyranny comes an unprecedented leadership governed by the choices of the lords of each major house. The ruler will now have to answer to a Council of Lords from the six kingdoms. It’s a small step for democracy, and a welcome one not too late.

Helen Sloan/HBO

Game of Thrones wraps up on a light note. Despite the shoddy last three episodes, it nailed the landing pretty well and made up for the many flaws that make it hard to see how it all connects to the prophesies and predictions that were uttered in the past.

But therein lies the problem—you cannot let the “safe landing” defend its rocky last straws.

‘Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne’ Series Finale Overall Verdict

It hurts to say goodbye to show so powerful that days are defined by it. But what hurts, even more, is the fact that it kind of lost its way somewhere in the nooks and crannies of season 8, making it a very divisive matter (which didn’t have to be the case in the first place). Game of Thrones went out in a flashing light of hope, but it got there no thanks to a conscious choice to ignore plot threads and source materials.

Despite this, “The Iron Throne” is the perfect last note to a song that’s been sung for eight long seasons. We battled through the muck and overcame the biggest icy enemy that the world has ever seen. We’ve seen heroes mount dragons, Kingdoms take over sovereign territories, friendships made, and lives lost. It’s not a glorious crescendo, but it is a fitting goodbye.

The only thing we can do is to take Game of Thrones‘ ending for what it is—a peaceful disarray.