GAME OF THRONES: THE FINAL EPISODE. Monday 20th May. Spoilers after 2am.

[OneInAMillionYou]

It's here.

Eight seasons of love, hate, family, battles, history, mystery, myth and legend.

After laying waste to Kings' Landing, what next for Daenerys? Does destiny feel good when you kill thousands of innocents to reach it?

I will really miss these characters and their stories. Epic, must-watch television is rare. Will we ever see its like again?

And now our watch is ended.

I don't see it as Jon being banished. I see it as him having been set free to follow his heart and return to the North. All he ever wanted was to be like Benjen and be a Ranger north of the wall. He wasn't suited to the South with all its intrigue and shifting politics. He is of the North and belongs in the North, where life is simple and straightforward and everything is black & white, including the landscape. I see him becoming the wildings' Chieftain (they don't have kings) and ruling long and wisely and never returning to the 6 kingdoms again.

What was most terrifying about Dany is how she switched from blood crazed destroyer to contentedly reminiscing about her childhood. It showed how she was both sides of the Targaryen coin and, as such, was just too unpredictable with too much power to be allowed to rule.

I've just finished rewatching and I have decided that the ending is rather beautiful. Some of it is nonsense but it is only a story after all. I think our protagonists were taken so far out of their usual locations that it all started to feel strange and unusual in S7 and S8. So it was nice to see everyone in their homes at the end - Tyrion in KL, Jon at Castle Black and Sansa at Winterfell. Arya off on a jaunt. Bran as the King can just sit around being as odd as he likes and nobody can say anything about it. Daenerys never really had a home so best that she just flew off with her dragon. Poor old Drogon.

I enjoyed a comment on YouTube, where Arya sailing away into a possible spin off could be entitled “Stark Trek”.

I see him becoming the wildings' Chieftain (they don't have kings) and ruling long and wisely and never returning to the 6 kingdoms again.

I could see him being a respected leader - not a king - not sure if he was restarting the watch of not.

The watch and the wall aren’t as needed – no white walkers and wildling numbers are low and relations pretty good with north at the minute - and while the Watch is useful place to put trouble makers and criminals they have to go through the north to get there which is now independent.

I could see Tormund persuading him to stay a bit longer again and again. I think he’d be a lot older if he fell in love again and very wary though it’s possible.

I think he’d be a lot older if he fell in love again and very wary though it’s possible.

No, I think one thing done very subtly and well is that Rhaegar was essentially a romantic, and so is Jon. He’ll be in love again by next winter.

I agree he's a romantic - still think having two lovers die in his arms and having to kill the last one will leave a mark.

Though a strong wilding woman and a few adventures together and yes - but I think he'll avoid that situation for as long a possible and it does mean him not going back to rebuild the Watch - I don't know if he'd feel honour bound to try to do that or not.

Still there's hope for his future.

where Arya sailing away into a possible spin off could be entitled “Stark Trek”.

Yes, as I hinted earlier on: "Arya to boldly go."

I read a review that said that basically without Tyrion The Spindoctor, everything would be different.

He persuaded Jon to kill Dany and then he persuaded the Council (out of nowhere!) to elect Bran.

If anyone is really showing the power of spinning a story, it's him.

I have been musing on the series generally and have come to the conclusion that while I don't think it is 'perfect' and I have major problems with the pacing of the last 2 seasons, I have enjoyed it (especially once they cut back on sexposition and got rid of Ramsay who I think was too sadistic - could have dialled him back for the same impact) and season 6 is my favour of I had to pick one whole seasons.

I also realised that they managed to make me interested in two of my least favourite characters even if I don't like them. I always skimmed the Dany and Sansa chapters but I have been enjoying the discussion here about Dany: was her madness paced right, when were the signs that she wasn't going to be the heroine first evident etc. And I respect the character Sansa has become - she did learn about politics and intrigue and the importance of a dream but also about the practicalities of rulership ie: having enough food and drink for your army and keeping on top of managing your household and followers. Cersie, Dany and Margery all had different ways of 'being a queen' but I think Sansa's is the way that will actually succeed. So credit to the showmakers for getting me interested in them! (I realise that other people have like them/found them interesting from the start so may not to relate to me on this)

No, I think one thing done very subtly and well is that Rhaegar was essentially a romantic, and so is Jon. He’ll be in love again by next winter.

I never really thought about Jon being Rhaegar's son, but it makes sense. I love these little details.

The Blackfish died when Jaime brought his army to take back Riverrun after the Freys lost it. Edmure - the twerp lord of Riverrun told his men to stand down and the Lannister's came in. The Blackfish helped Brienne and Podrick to escape then went back to fight. It happened off screen but he's definitely dead.

@costacoffeecup I did wonder who had stabbed who. I wasn't sure if Jon was so upset because he knew she was going to kill him, or he knew what he had to do but loved her as she was.

I felt happy at the end of that final episode. I wasn't sure at the start as it was quite slow, and I was worried it would all be a jumble at the end, but it wasn't.
There were some stunning scenes, esp Drogon opening his wings when Dany walked towards the steps.
I felt for Tyrion when he saw Jamie dead. I loved that he threw his hand of the queen pin down the steps.
I wondered who might be listening in to Jon and Tyrions conversation.
Drogon getting up out of the ashes to smell Jon. Stunning.
Jon & Dany, her trying to convince him what she was doing was right. The moment he knew was when he asked her about the other cities they would get under her control, what if they feel they are doing good, and her answer (mind blank right now. It'll come to me when I hit post.)
Drogon nudging Dany was so sad. I really thought he was going to kill Jon. Then I thought she was going to be engulfed in the molten metal.
I thought how personal Danys death was, was how Cersei should have died.
It was good seeing all the houses there waiting to talk to Tyrion.
I feel GW would have only been happy if everyone was dead, esp Jon. I was surprised he wasn't killed straight away after killing Dany.
I like that Bran is king of the seven kingdoms, Sansa is queen of Winterfell and Ayra is going exploring.
I loved it was Brienne writing about the good Jamie had done in the book.
I think Jon is a bittersweet end. On one hand he will miss his sisters, esp Ayra, and Bran, but he was at home in the north, esp with the Wildfolk. It was lovely seeing him hug Ghost. I cried a lot at the end with the saying goodbyes (very LOTR) and seeing Ghost. I think him going through the woods with the Wildfolk was a perfect way to end it. Still stories to be told, but happy enough where they are now.

The moment he knew was when he asked her about the other cities they would get under her control, what if they feel they are doing good, and her answer (mind blank right now. It'll come to me when I hit post.)

I think she said 'They won't have a choice'.

I like that Bran is king of the seven kingdoms

To be pedantic, six kingdoms now. The North being a separate kingdom.

The moment he knew was when he asked her about the other cities they would get under her control, what if they feel they are doing good, and her answer (mind blank right now. It'll come to me when I hit post.)

We I thought it was after that he said something like how do we know what is good or right and Danny said I know what is good. Or something like that with all seriousness after choosing to burn a city she still thought she knew what was right or wrong better than anyone. At that point I think jon knew it wasn't grief or anger or bad advice it was her and she would do it again in a heartbeat if that's what it took.

She said- "I know what is good."
He said- "what about all the other people who think they know what's good?"
She said- "They don't get to choose."

I actually think one of the things they did right was that scene, upto the point he killed her. I liked that they showed Dani in a state of denial, still believing she was right and good and her destiny to be a liberator was fully intact. She just seemed like regular Dani, the young girl we started out with, I'm glad she wasn't outwardly, obviously deranged.

Jon was fantastic too, loved when he told her to go and look at what she'd done.

I believe Jon was desperately hoping against hope, up until the last moment, that Dany would come up with a blinder of a reason to justify what she has done. But, she doesn't. She just tells him that she will do whatever she seems is necessary because only she "knows what is good" and sod whatever anyone else knows.

Yes, I don't think he had decided to kill her until that conversation.

BTW, what was that dagger? Anyone? Any significance?

BTW, what was that dagger? Anyone? Any significance?

Ooh, maybe dragonglass

Dany hasn't changed. She has always been both sides of the Targaryen coin. She has always been completely ruthless when she is threatened.

She looked on, dispassionately, when her brother was horribly executed. She didn't just execute the slavers, she had them crucified. She had the Unsullied training camp destroyed, so she would have the only trained Unsullied in Essos and Westeros.

BTW, what was that dagger?

Lightbringer...

No, seriously, it was just a dagger.

It would have been significant if it was Longclaw, but he wouldn’t have been able to ‘stealth’ that move.

I do think it was very unlikely that Dany would have been wandering about the Red Keep alone.

There were no enemies left...

I'm a bit upset Ice will stay in KL. I wish Brienne had made Jaime leave his sword before he left winterfell, or she had left Oathkeeper there, with Sansa.

I do think it was very unlikely that Dany would have been wandering about the Red Keep alone

She did have Drogon sitting outside as a guard. However, he recognised Jon as ‘not an enemy’ so let him past.

More fool him.