First things first. The series finale happened. It happened. It wasn’t fulfilling or underwhelming, it just was. Leaving me with a feeling of indifference, it felt like another Marvel’s “Defenders” situation: a huge buildup, with great characters and actors, but a rushed story and too few episodes that left no room for the story development and telling that it needed.

Jon steadfastly holding onto his love for Dany at the beginning was fine; although, I was expecting more assertion that she was horrible, more complexity. It would have fit his character much more if he had acknowledged he loves her but that he abhors what she did, what she’s becoming. Greyworm’s lack of compassion following Missandei’s death is warranted; however, she would’ve wanted compassion far more than the hatred he is expelling. In that respect, it would have done to have another episode to develop Greyworm one last time following Missandei’s death, maybe with a scene of Tyrion talking to him, telling him what Missandei would’ve wanted.

Dany is… literally Hitler in this episode. With her vast army filled with bloodlust and believing that what they are doing is right, and her sharply dressed and talking of “liberation” — it was alarming. It didn’t hold with her craziness that was building in the last couple episodes, either. This Dany, however misled and self righteous, seemed rational in her own way, not mad.

Then the Throne Room scene, when Jon stabs Dany, killing her with little to no effort. I understand the emotional damage that must have caused; however, we barely got to see that. And the scene didn’t carry as much weight as it could’ve, given Dany dracarys-ed her fanbase in the second to last episode. It would have done to have an episode in between the penultimate and the finale, to acknowledge the “battle” and the deaths and the damage, and maybe attempt to show Dany is a more sympathetic light in some way to garner some last minute support for her and giving her death the impact it desperately needed.

Drogon melting the Iron Throne wasn’t unexpected, but it was kind of… it lacked impact, again. I was fully expecting him to eat Dany too, which would have fit in with the show and maybe would’ve given some of the impact, even if it was just from shock value.

One thing I did really like was how they twisted Dany’s past triumphs to show how easily she fell into this belief that she was right, and just, and good. She used murder and destruction to liberate the subjugated, and followed it up with totalitarianism to give order. But because it was not only morally evil people being killed, as well as not in Westeros, it was fine. It was right. Not only did we view the freeing of the subjugated as good, but the Dothraki sea and Slaver’s Bay feel separate from our world; and Westeros, the great expanse of land, is similar to our own as well as made the center piece of the story, making the audience identify with it.

Tyrion nominating Bran as King was predicted by many fans. Honestly, it makes sense. But it would have been nice to see Sansa be nominated, and Bran as an advisor. Her want of the North to be a free state was also expected.

I think that’s the main issue with this episode. All of it makes sense; that doesn’t make it good. The season definitely needed at least four more episodes littered throughout, with better pacing and story telling. (One of those episodes would, of course, be given to the Battle of Winterfell so the battle has the weight and story it should’ve had.)

Eight years wrapped up with Arya leaving to journey into unknown lands, Jon returning North, Sansa representing the North, Bran as King, Tyrion as the Hand (with Sam, Bronn, and Brienne as advisors), and the story lacking, in the end. Spin offs are planned, and I hope to see Arya’s journey and more world building that the show has always lacked, purely because it’s impossible to fit all of the world building that’s in the books into a show. Left with “what now?” but also hope that the spin offs will return to the quality of writing that Game of Thrones has always been known for.