Now that it's done, I think the big mistake was shortening the season. All of that could have played out a lot more dramatically and understandably with a regular season. Even Dany's death -- that should have been an episode in itself, with Jon needing convincing, and some kind of plotting about how to do it, when to do it. Instead it was just too easy, like everything else has been (hello, Night King).

I'm on board with where everyone ended up, more or less, but they really screwed up some chances for actual tension and drama by giving us endless shots of people walking. Tyrion walking toward the castle, or whatever. Jon, walking toward the castle. Arya ... Ugh.

And tone was so weird -- like someone said on Facebook, I think, the ending shots were pure telenovella romance, and so was Dany's death and Drogon's rage, but then they switched gears from this high fantasy to an almost too realistic (for values of realism that include dragons, I guess) epilogue where you've got the cleanup and rebuilding, and Bronn snarking and Tyrion sighing. All of which could have worked on its own, but smashed into one episode was a little jarring.

Also, the moment Sam invented a republic was a little TOO too for me, much as I love him, and I just can't buy that the group of nobility assembled there took seriously 30 seconds to chuck their entire system of government for electing whoever without a single argument. Bull. Shit.

Arya's end was really anticlimactic, too. I'm all for her going off to see the world and have adventures, but in this episode she basically walked around, said goodbye to Jon, and laughed at her uncle putting himself forward as king. Not satisfying.

My other real criticism was the jump from Dany being carried off by Drogon to Tyrion being led to the council of nobility. I don't know if I missed something, but they did not make it clear that weeks had passed, so it took me a minute to catch up.

the North is gonna break away and Dorne isn't? Right

Totes this.

I loved Sansa getting her crown. I liked Drogon melting the iron throne.

Bran winning High King was a little too much "And eventually the children were rescued by, oh, let's say, Moe" for me, but whatever, FINE.

I feel sufficiently satisfied by everyone's reactions to the finale that I never need to actually watch the show.

the moment Sam invented a republic was a little TOO too for me

The only reasoning I can see for it that kind of works is that that's how the Night's Watch does it. Everyone votes. So, Sam was just extrapolating from his own experience.

Heh, to Zen.

King's landing already had a Godswood, didn't it? Isn't that where Sansa met whatsisname to plan her escape back in the day? Good point about the Faith, though. They used to have a rep on the small council, didn't they? Odd lack of acknowledging the Stranger through all this, too.

I have come around to kind of hoping that Bran is secretly fully aware that he can father children and will and the Stark dynasty will last just as long and eventually be just as messed up as the Targaryens. Most of the people who were there for the "we'll select the next king" agreement will probably die before he does anyway.

Yeah, I was expecting him to mention that, Debet.

More than one person in my online and real-life circle have pointed out that Bran = Leto II. He doesn't need to father children because as the Three-Eyed Raven he has a millenia-long lifespan.

In retrospect, I am most impressed by actor-who-plays-Bran's real life agent. I mean, that kid is now a multi-millionaire for basically falling asleep in a chair for 8 years.

I always thought that Bran could get with a woman who knows how to do it and become a father.

I feel sufficiently satisfied by everyone's reactions to the finale that I never need to actually watch the show.

Same! I've enjoyed reading the reactions each week.