Daenerys' Game Of Thrones Arc Is Even Less Satisfying


And then comes the finale. It's impossible not to have heard that Daenerys is going to be twisted out of character, and yet, for all that's the case, her journey to the Iron Throne is incredibly compelling, making the heel turn just as frustrating. Game of Thrones season 8 attempts to justify Daenerys' portrayal, with a scene in which members of her court remind viewers of the atrocities she's committed before she arrived on the shores of Westeros, but ironically that serves instead to remind you she was once a complex and nuanced woman, and she has been turned into a rampaging force of nature simply because - it feels - the show wanted a spectacular conclusion. Everything that happens in the episode "The Iron Throne" is dictated by the requirements of the plot, with character-work sidelined. Daenerys suffers the worst, but her actions at King's Landing aren't the only disappointment here; even the destruction of the Iron Throne, and the random shift to something beginning to resemble a democratic process rather than a traditionally feudal society, is remarkably forced.

To be fair to Benoiff and Weiss, they were faced with something of an impossible situation; Martin had not finished his books, meaning they had to figure out how the story was going to come to a conclusion themselves, and it's worth noting even a literary genius like Martin seems to be struggling to work out his own ending - the Game of Thrones books remain unfinished at time of writing. It is entirely possible there is no entirely satisfying conclusion to Game of Thrones, simply because the world of Westeros is too well-realized, and the characters are too compelling, meaning any viewer - original or new to the franchise - is too invested.

Game Of Thrones' Poor Ending Doesn't Make The Show Bad


There are two ways to approach Game of Thrones. On the one hand, someone who has been invested in the story from the beginning has spent years wondering how the story will end, speculating who will ultimately be seated on the Iron Throne; that audience is likely to be especially unhappy with season 8. But as a new viewer, it all plays out differently. Game of Thrones isn't about the destination, but rather the journey. And make no mistake, the journey is a good one; the heroes and villains are compelling (and some villains become heroes, and vice versa), the world is wonderfully immersive, the special effects are increasingly remarkable, and the stakes sometimes feel incredibly high. However poor season 8 may be, it cannot detract from the experience of watching Game of Thrones - especially not for the first time.