So Game of Thrones series finale was this past Sunday. Even though I'm "satisfied" with the general conclusion I really didn't like this season at all (Vox has lots of articles on this season, I'm kinda partial to this one). It was a mess, and I think largely because they cut these past two seasons down to 7 & 6 episodes meaning they had to rush through everything. Last season could be boiled down to: kill everyone on the periphery off, and this one was: the conclusion needs to happen so it will, even though it won't make sense because we didn't put in the time and effort to bring viewers along.
I felt like we were watching the cliffs notes version of a series (which, at some level, we probably were). Daenerys's arc seems arbitrary, but more time (last season and this one) may have allowed her sense of isolation from these new allies and would-be subjects to make more sense. Ser Brienne gets her due then turns into a bad trope. Jon is, as he has been for most of the series, pretty much like a puppy: loyal and cute but not all that bright. Sansa is the best handled character but her very sensible statement that the North would be independent, was met with shrugs? No one else there thought "Hey, wait, I'd like to be independent too," or "I think having the North split off will be problematic so we shouldn't let that happen."? and so much more...
I really hope GRRM finishes the books because that will have to be a better version of this ending, but I can see how this ending could work. It just didn't because the whole last two seasons have been lacking in the character development necessary to make it work.
