Game of Thrones (Season 8)

⭐ 6.5/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

*spoilers*

This is perhaps the most dunked-on season of tv in the modern era. After this masterwork of a fantasy TV show that had this special ability to just let us exist in a fully fleshed-out world for all that time, it ends on this pretty bizarre note. The reasons behind this trainwreck of a season have been well-documented, and I don't really need to get into all of them here, but my one hot take is that this season is miles better than 7. In fact, I might even say that besides the last episode... This season is not bad!

I think a big reason I didn't actually hate this season is because after 7, my standards were lower. To be clear, there are two different shows in this series. Season 1-6 might vary in quality, but it is the same show. The writing, acting, direction and set pieces are all similar, and they are mostly great. 7-8 is just something totally different. I don't know exactly what happened between 6 and 7, but something completely changed. The writing is terrible, the characters don't make sense, all the conflict is super forced or rushed, and it's just not the carefully crafted experience we once had.

That said, 8 has a ton of exciting stuff going on, even if it is ridiculous. A huge benefit for this season is that the bad writing is more in the background because this season is all action. Between the Battle of Winterfell and The Bells, we have 2/6 episodes where there are like 4 sentences of dialogue. And those episodes are kinda amazing. They are stupid, of course, but they certainly elicit a strong emotional response. The Bells specifically made my stomach turn, and rewatching the whole thing actually made that arc feel earned, if not a bit clumsy.

Still, there are a bunch of character arcs that are so completely unsatisfying. Mostly all of them. Tyrion's character felt so weird by the end, a character who is supposed to be genius but literally doesn't do a single thing right. I think, by far, the worst is Bran's, who contributed nothing despite the sense that he's somehow the key to all of this. This all comes to a head at the final meeting which, no exaggeration, is the worst 40 minutes of tv I have ever watched. What in the world was going on there. Did they improv that whole scene, shoot and cut all in one sitting? That was so, so horrendous. I think this season was a solid 7, or maybe even 8, until the last episode. Just absolute brainless banter and decision making. Plus you get that bonus small-table scene where Bron cracks the unfunniest jokes I've ever heard. Awful, awful stuff.

So yeah, this is actually a fun season in retrospect, and I enjoyed watching it. It will never be the satisfying conclusion to the show, but it's mostly good. But the second Dany dies, turn it off. I can even tolerate the lame, hammy throne being melted. But I am erasing everything after that from my brain. If you are able to do the same, I think you'll agree this last season isn't so bad.

Of course that's impossible to do, because if you're like me, you've invested everything into this world. This show was incredible, and I don't think we'll ever see its like (with maybe the exception of, you know, game of thrones 2: HOTD). It's flawed, even in the beginning, but it is good. I want to say it's the best show ever, especially for fans of this medieval fantasy stuff. It's all great. It really is a shame it ended this way. It's in your hands now, George.