Game of Thrones season 8 episode 6

Ending a series is never easy and it takes a good writer to find a satisfying conclusion, but with the last few seasons of Game of Thrones coming under fire a lot lately perhaps the final episode was doomed for a few years now. Seasons one through to four were some of best and most entertaining offerings we've had on TV, and I could forgive the weaker parts of five and six that still did the job well enough. It was season seven where the show started to make some questionable decisions and that was the beginning of the end for many fans. Spoilers ahead.

So much has already been said since the last episode released over a week ago but my focus will be on the pacing which really hurt this season despite still being very entertaining. However maybe that's too generous because while I would happily watch the episode, as soon as it finished and I began to think about it that the cracks started to show.

After watching Dany go crazy in the blink of an eye, the episode begins with her in control but is quickly killed by Jon in the same day of her victory. Jon is then arrested by Greyworm, even though he could have kept it a secret, and the episode jumps forward in time where there's awkward council meeting which sees a shackled Tyrion convince everyone that Bran should be king. A few agreements later with Jon going back to a magically rebuilt wall and that's the end would you believe.

This season needed more episodes than any other to develop the storyline and its characters. Rather saying what I would have wanted, there is still a workable show within everything that happens this season but sadly executives D and D allegedly refused HBO's offer for more episodes, and seemingly wanted to get this out of their life, which is a true shame. Nothing from this episode was satisfying and has turned me off from wanting to revisit a series that initially had a lot of rewatch value.

With D and D now planning to do more damage with Star Wars, this does leave the option for the planned spin-offs to have a more complete experience. Season eight fell foul of fan service, a desire to oversimplify its characters for the sake of the story and lacking the passion that made season one a success in 2011. The cast and crew clearly gave the show everything they had from beginning to end, I just wish D and D did the same.