Does it matter whether Game of Thrones nails the landing?
“I want to give them something terrific. What if I f — it up at the end? What if I do a Lost? Then they’ll come after me with pitchforks and torches.”
I first heard about Game of Thrones in the spring of 2011, when an author I’d previously never heard of named George RR Martin expressed his distaste for the finale of a show I loved. A couple weeks later Game of Thrones — based on Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire — would premiere on HBO. Shortly thereafter, my brother, who shares a similar taste in fiction, encouraged me to check out the HBO fantasy series. Any hard feelings I had over Martin’s disparagement of LOST quickly evaporated. By the end of the series premiere I was hooked.
Eight years later, Game of Thrones is just days away from its own final chapter. For a show that has managed to capture the zeitgeist more than any other show in the social media era, it’s natural that there is a lot apparently riding on the ending. Anticipation for the final twists and turns of Game of Thrones has been further augmented by a long gap between the penultimate seventh season and the final season. Further, the show’s ending now carries the added burden of providing a satisfying ending for the hordes of book readers who have begun to doubt whether Martin will be able to provide a conclusion to a Song of Ice and Fire on the page.
Yet the most interesting question as we enter the final season isn’t whether the Night King will be defeated, who (if anyone) will sit on the Iron Throne, or whether Jamie will fulfill the valonqar prophecy. Rather, the most fascinating question is “does it matter whether Game of Thrones nails the ending.”
The endings, and particularly the finales, of television shows have always been disproportionately weighted when considering the series as a whole. Commonly, finales are accused of being too upbeat or idyllic, particularly when striking a contrast with the overall darker tone of the series as a whole (as with Breaking Bad or the Haunting of Hill House). Yet finding the perfect tone to end on seems exceedingly difficult. On one hand an overly saccharine ending can fracture the reality of the show. Yet at the same time most viewers want things to turn out okay for at least some of the characters they have grown to love.
With regards to Thrones, it’s difficult to pinpoint the perfect tone to for its ending. On one hand this is the show that has given us Ned Stark’s beheading, an entire season of Theon being tortured, the Red Wedding, and BURNING SHIREEN ALIVE among other gut punches. Thrones has certainly established a reputation for subverting traditional fantasy tropes to shocking effect.
At the same time, this is a show based on a series called “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Whether you believe that refers to Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen or a combination of both, the end game protagonists have been clear for several seasons. Jon Snow has already been resurrected from lying in the snow dead and Daenerys has emerged from fire twice unscathed. You could certainly argue that offing either or both of the remaining Targaryen heirs would be the ultimate subversion of fantasy tropes, yet beneath all the brothels and beheading I truly believe Martin still wants to write a fantasy epic — and thus I think the two main “good guys” will prevail.
Regardless of the carnage that unfolds around them, Jon and/or Daenerys sitting atop the Iron Throne will undoubtedly be criticized as “conventional” or “too happy” by some. But as much as the Night King ruling Westeros would be an interesting allegory for the perils of focusing on political squabbles rather than existential environmental threats, I’m not sure anyone truly wants to watch that ending.
But hitting the right tone isn’t the only pitfall Thrones faces in the last leg of it’s eight season run. The show’s plot that has spanned two separate continents and introduced a handful of different religions — all of which have shown off at least a glimpse of their own brand of magic with the exception of the faith of the seven. Martin’s blueprint has largely kept the show on track and avoided the season long diversions that happen on other TV dramas that have a less defined timeline and endgame. However, numerous loose ends and unconfirmed theories remain, so much so that The Ringer has dedicated an entire series to covering them.
LOST, as mentioned earlier, had a finale that many found disappointing and unfulfilling — focusing more on wrapping up the emotional arcs of main characters rather than providing definite answers to the mysteries of the island. Thrones’ ending seems unlikely to “pull a LOST” to quote Martin. The stakes are high enough for the show’s ending that whatever resolution will probably answer the main questions essential to the plot — defeating the White Walkers and who will sit the Iron Throne. Yet questions will almost certainly remain unanswered by the time the final credits roll.
Which begs the question — do we really need answers for everything? Do we need to know the specific source of the Lord of Light’s power or the mission statement of the Faceless Men? As much as those things pique audience curiosity and provide the kindling for fan theories, I think there is an argument to be made that over-explanation can be worse than leaving some mysteries unsolved. Over-explanation is how you end up with midi-chlorians and Blofeld being James Bond’s long lost brother. To steal a line from another show, it’s best to let some mysteries be.
Perhaps even discussing specific pitfalls belies the true philosophical question when discussing the conclusion of Thrones. If Game of Thrones’ ending is merely mediocre, or heaven forbid bad, would that undermine the value of the entire series?
Certainly a subpar ending would be disappointing. As I alluded to previously, the finale may carry the weight of not only a transcendent television series but perhaps the most popular written work of fantasy since Harry Potter.
Nevertheless, I think people too often overvalue the destination while overlooking the journey when evaluating television dramas. Even if the finale of Thrones outright stinks, it won’t change the shock or “Baelor” or the Red Wedding. It won’t make the Battle of Blackwater Bay, the Battle at the Wall, or the Battle of the Bastards any less awe-inspiring. “Dracarys”, “You know nothing Jon Snow”, and “I drink and I know things” will still remain entrenched in the modern vernacular.
Game of Thrones is about to end. There are plenty of reasons to believe it will be an incredibly compelling and overall satisfying ending. But even if it isn’t Game of Thrones will remain etched as the defining piece of pop culture for this decade.
Valar Morghulis.
