Why Are People Upset?

May 22nd, 2019 by

BEING HONEST: I have yet to watch an episode of season 8. Everything I have written in previous posts (here & here), and in this one is based on what I have read from those dreaded spoilers, and other stuff on the internet.

A lot of people were upset with the last two episodes of Game of Thrones season 8. From everything I have read, the most common complaints are, the season felt rushed, and the writers sucked.

The first complaint is due to HBO’s decision not to just end Game of Thrones with a full season 7, which makes more sense considering how season 7 was a bunch of knuckleheads wandering about, trying to muster forces to fight the Night King. Seems like the entire season 7 was a build up to give the Night King a dragon to tear down the wall and march south. Season 8 had it’s ups and downs, ending with down. If HBO had decided not to split the final season into two seasons, seven and eight, allowed for more time to pass between season 6 and 7, so writers could engross themselves fully into the final, things might have been different. But, it is what it is, and all the fans crying, protesting, and petitioning will not change anything. Yes, everything was rushed.

Since the writers did not have any source material for the final two seasons from George, they should have reviewed the first six seasons carefully, and built on that. If the writers were competent, Arya might have ended up killing Cersi disguised as Jamie. Then she would have had to escape the wrath of the Mountain, and the Hound would have fought his brother to the death to save Arya.

Daenerys Targaryen was not a nice person, and you could see the bloodlust from the moment she married Kahl Drogo. Once she realized people loved her because she was an authority figure, she built upon the cult of personality. She used her immunity from fire to incinerate the witch, hatch her dragons, and rise from the ashes. The Dothraki who followed her after that spectacle were bewitched. At Qarth she seduced rich men, and used her baby dragons as a sort of bargaining chip.

After leaving Qarth she raised an army through ruthlessness. The Unsullied were stolen from their masters. Dany bargained with a dragon, and when she had control of the Unsullied, used her motherhood to kill the master. Then the dragons flew around roasting anyone who could protest. Next Dany conquered city after city. She secured the Second Sons by seducing one of their leaders.

Eventually Dany faced rebellion, and after flying off on Drogo, she was captured by the Dothraki. Knowing she was immune to flame, she burned all the chiefs to death, and exited the building naked but now a goddess to the Dothraki. With the Dothraki and Second Sons, she reconquered the cities. Now she had a partial fleet. When Yara arrived, Dany seduced Yara, and had the Iron Fleet added to her fleet. Now Dany could conquer Westoros.

Why did Dany just not stay in the east and enjoy her empire? She was insane and felt entitled to rule Westoros. Like any power mad dictator, Dany felt she knew better, and could use power to change things. Conquer the Conquerors, Hate the Haters, yadda-yadda.

Like any child of abuse, and Dany was abused by her brother, probably raped as well, Dany subdued her anger, but carried it around, waiting for the right time to let it all out. Once Dany was no longer viewed as weak, she just kept letting out her rage. It manifested in Season 8, episode 5. When she felt the unlimited power she had, and waged a total war on King’s Landing. War is an absolute. You win or lose. You win, you write the history books. Dany had more level headed advisors, whom realized she was going to be the worst dictator the world ever faced. So, Dany had to die. There is still a Dragon the size of a 747 flying around the world. No one discussed how to handle Drogo?

There was also the whole God From a Box, in the form of Arya killing the Night King. After most of the show was building up to this big bad undead versus living battle, we have one episode, and it is over. If the writers had handled the final six episodes in a three act concept, the first two episodes could have been build up for a two episode battle against the Night King. Most of your second tier characters, like Hound, Theon, etc. could have a moment in the spotlight, die dramatically, and a final confrontation with Arya killing the Night King could have been a satisfying dramatic end. The third act could have been the battle for the throne, and Dany going nuts could have been more satisfying in the fact that the conflict with the Night King could have caused her to do so.

Ultimately all the spoilers I have read, and all the chatter has made me really want to watch season 8. I will follow my normal procedure, wait for the DVD or Blu-Ray set to come out, and bing watch the season.

Thanks for stopping by.