Warning: Contains Spoilers
So there we have it – the last ever episode of Game of Thrones has been and gone, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake and countless fans to pick up the pieces, trying to decipher what it all means, and wondering whether it was a satisfactory ending or just a bit ‘wait, what?’
If you’ve not seen episode six of season eight, there are MAJOR spoilers ahead…
I supposed all the death and destruction actually happened in the previous episode, as the Battle of King’s Landing played out and Daenerys left pretty much everyone in King’s Landing very, very dead.
So episode six, titled The Iron Throne, was inevitably going to be an episode full of pieces being picked up, loose ends being tied off and the last few questions finally being answered. A bit like the last day of school – all the work is done, most of your mates have left and you’re just waiting to be picked up.
Feeling like a headteacher after another successful school term, Daenerys Targaryen had assumed everything was good, her army was chilling after their victory and – when needed – ready to follow their queen to the next battle. She had the Iron Throne and almost, almost sat on it.
But then Jon Snow sauntered in, lulled her into a false sense of security and swept the rug out from under her feet. Except he didn’t just sweep the rug out or stab her in the back metaphorically, he literally stabbed her in the chest while kissing her.
If The Bells had the highest death toll, The Iron Throne needed just the one (and a couple of Lannister army men) to remind us how favourite characters aren’t always safe in Game of Thrones – especially when it comes to a fierce, dragon-riding queen whose whole character arc has been building to this moment. Jon knew he could never be safe while Dany knew the truth about his heritage, and – after seeing Grey Worm executing prisoners under her orders, and imprisoning Tyrion – in the end Daenerys was just another tyrant who had to be defeated.
So, naturally, Daenerys’ death has divided fans, some thinking it was inevitable, some saying it was a huge disservice to such an iconic character.
As some people pointed out:
While others saw it another way:
One thing it seems everyone has agreed on though, is that the final season made a fair few missteps. But then again, you can’t please all the people all the time, just ask Jon Snow.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.