Why I Don't Hate The Last Season of Game Of Thrones

Be wary of spoilers! (For the very few who haven't watched GOT)

Right off the bat, I know I’m not going to get a lot of support for this one. But honestly, I’ve watched the whole show twice now, and in neither of those watchings was I bummed about how it progressed. Yes, I will agree that the last season was not the finest, but that in itself is not a good enough reason for me to hate it.

And I know at this point many people might be questioning my craze for this show or my relevancy as a ‘true’ or ‘die-hard’ fan (as if that even matters); wondering if I was as invested as they were in the series to take the last season’s supposed disappointing nature to heart. To assuage those of you, just know this, I woke up early in the mornings to watch the last season’s episodes as they came out to ensure I wasn’t hit with spoilers. And my heart cried when Dany went bonkers. I was fuming when I realized that Bran didn’t have a bigger input to the storyline. And I grieved for Drogon as he flew away from sight, all alone in the world that had rejected his kin and kind.

But still, I never hated the show. And here are my reasons for it.

Human Threat > White Walkers

To be honest, at first, I always assumed the White Walkers would return. Who didn’t, right?! After 7 seasons of build-up, that couldn’t be all! It seemed impossible back then. But it soon became clear: humans were worse. And looking back, the show always seemed to hint at that statement. Even when everyone thought the worst stood beyond the wall, we could all see that Westeros had started falling apart long before the icy rumblings made their way to the south of the wall.

And I loved it! Would it have been epic to see the White Walkers reach the sunny and golden lanes of King’s Landing? Hell ya! But it was just as awesome (and horrific) to watch Dany ride over those very same lanes, laying them to waste.

Plus, the Arya Stark scene was pretty rad!

History Repeats Itself - The Mad Queen

Talking about Dany, the show makers made sure we got to witness the Targaryen madness. And while it was very disheartening to see our beloved Khaleesi give a new meaning to the term liberation, it made sense to me – her motivations that is, not the act itself.

First of all, she had time and time again shown that she considered herself to be the one true ruler. She felt it her right to treat people the way she saw fit. No matter who counseled her, in the end, she did what she wanted to. And for the most part, it worked out. She knew compassion and she knew how to wage wars. But over time, like most dictators, she had started to digress from the path of forgiveness, empathy, and understanding, and had instead taken the route of swords and bones, or rather, that of fire (she was born into it, duh!). What started as a beacon of hope had by the end of 8 seasons transformed into raging wildfire (get the reference?). And no one could stop it, Dany had made it so.

Honestly, I love her agency. I love her story. I love the spirit she was. But we have to admit. She was on a power trip and no one could convince her that she was on the wrong.

But there is another reason why what she did felt kind of apt. Because at that point of the show, she had lost it all. Varys was a dead traitor. Jorah had died valiantly in her arms. Missandei, her closest aide and confidante had been killed in front of her eyes while she had been able to do nothing. Tyrion, her hand, her most trusted and wisest advisor was failing her at every stead. She had lost two of her babies to two of the greatest threats she had seen to date. And her love, the only one for her after Khal Drogo, her nephew, had betrayed her. Rejected her love. Of course she was broken, hurting, and pissed! As for the icing on the cake, the people she felt her own, the ones she was coming to save and liberate were running away from her, directly into the arms of her worst enemy! That had to be the last straw, right?

I’m not saying what she did was right, but with a personality that bloated and a scenario that bleak, history and madness repeating itself made sense. At least to me.

I know many people questioned her transformation into a madwoman, who in a fit of rage and vengeance made an impulsive decision, thereby feeding the stereotype many women are trying to fight in the real world. But considering the show’s alphas were all women, if someone had to go mad while leaving a lasting impact on the show’s direction, it had to be one of them. And GOT had seen several madmen before that point (Joffrey, Ramsay). Dany losing it was just an addition to the state and extent of madness that had become the norm in the show.

Jon’s Arc

For me, his arc was very unique. Jon Snow (Targaryen) for the most part remained exactly who he was from start to finish: moral, upright, brave, worthy, strong, handsome, clueless, and boring. You’ve got to admit, as lovely as Kit Harrington was and as well made the character, he had to be the most boring and predictable one in the show. But his arc was not that of redemption or glory or growth or fall or transformation, it surrounded his identity. This one’s a two-parter.

There were two aspects of his identity, both of which he had always been but were shrouded from either others’ or his own awareness.

The first is all about who he was as a person and a leader: good and great. Without a doubt. From the get-go, he had always been that person. It’s just over time everyone ended up realizing that too. And that was a major driving point in his story.

The other part of his identity? You guessed it! It was the one tied with Targaryen blood. And to me, this had more relevance as we neared the end of the show. If he hadn’t been a Targaryen, Dany would never have questioned his loyalty to her, Varys and Tyrion would maybe not consider anyone else viable for the throne, Sansa wouldn’t have opposed Dany as openly and vehemently (this one’s a long shot), and maybe King’s Landing wouldn’t have burned.

Many people say him being a Targaryen was a waste and the show did nothing worthwhile with that information. But I think the opposite. That part of his identity was what laid the foundation for the devastation that unfolded (ironic!). And it played out beautifully!

One more thing about Jon’s story that I saw many complaints about was him ending up back in the Night’s Watch. But it seemed poetic to me, like Hound’s storyline. It was a complete circle. And seeing how Jon was more reactive and his agency was always linked with upcoming doom, the whole ending seemed accurate. Also, it seemed like his punishment to himself for killing the woman he loved. It just fit.

Lions’ Transformation

As much as I loved the Starks, the Lannisters stole my heart! The trio represented the most complex, convoluted, and emotional aspects of the show. They were grey, smart, cocky, ravenous, and yet had so much heart!

Jamie had to be the purest. His love for his siblings, Cersei specifically was so… real?! I know it sounds insane but those relationships were written so convincingly. His returning to Cersei didn’t seem wrong or unbelievable to me. He loved her so; he could betray her, leave her but never for the dead. And while that never changed, his growth was the most satisfactory to see. He wasn’t the same man who had pushed a kid off a tower, but his dedication to Cersei stood throughout.

As for Tyrion, I for one enjoyed that the smartest, most strategic person in the show was the most inaccurate in the last season. He had to falter at one point. And with so much going down at once, so many moving parts, and his loyalty being stretched thin between multiple relationships and characters, he was bound to make some wrong calls. His character and storyline had to be one of the most transformative, and one of the best. He grew from someone who didn’t care at all to become the one person who cared the most. It was great.

Coming to Cersei - WHAT A WOMAN! She can easily be categorized as one of the best villains ever written. And to think she wasn’t even one by the end of GOT! Yes, she was selfish, conniving, manipulative, devilish, unforgiving, hostile, and much more, but she was so strong, independent, and brilliant that you couldn’t help but love her. And her love for her children was unmatched. It paralleled that of Dany’s for her dragons. It was even more fitting that she grew from being a King’s wife and later on the mother of two Kings, to become the ruler herself. All because of her ruthless pursuit of power and love for her ‘golden’ family. The best part? As Dany fell, she rose. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t rooting for her and Jamie to make it through by the end of it!

While there are more reasons why I liked the show, there are also segments of the last season that I consider to be complete misses. But they didn’t lend too much towards my overall perception of both the last season and the show as a whole. So, ya! That’s about it.

Would I watch Game of Thrones one more time? Not now, but definitely some time in the far future. Would I specifically hunt down scenes from the last season? Again yes, but I would probably stream scenes from any of the previous seasons first. But regardless of what any of us felt about the last season of GOT, anyone who has watched it will definitely say it made a mark. And it will stay alive in our psyche forever! Until we die that is. Because as they say, Valar Morghulis!