The problem with the show this size is, everyone has their own thoughts and theories and when they don't go as planned, people tend to negatively react to the series.

 

I agree the dialogue and character pacing is a bit off, but sometimes I think Game of Thrones set the bar too high. The sheer size of the first 6 seasons clearly took it out on the whole team involved. I personally thought the episode was largely good alhough the gigantic spoiler I read a couple of weeks ago looks like it's going to happen. Firstly though I don't know why people think it's predictable Drogon is going to burn down King's Landing.. we saw that in season 5/6, everything else in Bran's vision came true.

 

The signs of Dany being batshit have been there since Season 1. Again maybe it's predictable, but when it's all layed out there for 8 years I think it's a payoff in a narrative sense.

 

The first bit you’re so right!!! My predictions mostly and theories I wanted have been largely incorrect but I’ve not been negative at all. Yes they could have planned for the long term and continued but it’s the last season I think people just need to enjoy it for what they get until the books are finished.

If Jon became the King in the end would Davos be his Hand? I’ve always loved their chemistry as characters plus between Ned, Tyrion, Tywin, Mace (to Renly), Kevan, and Davos he’s always seemed more suited to the role. Tyrion and Tywin did great jobs but were also viciously conniving and brutal. I love Tyrion but his using wildfire to decimate an army seems so out of character now and I think at the time even he was shocked he managed to do such a thing. Tyrion being Dany’s Hand has been a much different story but him & Varys have made blunder after blunder and really do not know how to control Dany like they want to. Ned and Mace were too weak politically (currently rewatching and Mace Tyrell is such a pushover on Tommen’s Small Council), Kevan might’ve been decent but not much attention has ever been given to him. Davos has heart, compassion, but he’s also tough and knows that shit needs to be shovelled if anyone is gonna get the crown.

Deleted scene from last episode:

 

I just got around to watching this after having no internet on Monday and having not seen spoilers, I really enjoyed it, probably on reflection, more than last week. On a purely gut instinct, from the moment Bronn fired his crossbow at Jaime I was on proper edge and Rhaegal's death came out of nowhere (and I agree with Severin's assessment earlier in the thread, entirely plausible for Euron, an experienced admiral, to use the 'terrain' to his advantage, and then it culminating with one of my underrated favourites in Missandei getting captured and summarily executed, fulfilling her place in the narrative as the thing that sets Dany off? Uh, absolutely yes to all of that.

 

I feel like people are projecting their own expectations on this to end in a subversive way. Not everything must necessarily be subversive about this show's plot. I think the classic dilemma this episode built to, who would people support over Jon and Dany, and that Dany is absolutely going to go ahead and attack Cersei was most of what it needed to do and ensure that the final two episodes have no shortage of conflict.

 

On Ghost, I've never had strong feelings on him either way but Jon's contact with him himself has been incidental enough. Missandei's importance felt a little jarring I'll admit but remember that she's spent years as one of Dany's closest advisors, I'm certain that Cersei knew of her. Daenerys turning into the Mad Queen has been her entire character arc for at least two seasons now, the last time she spoke to someone beneath her and it wasn't from a huge position of superiority was Meereen if not before.

 

The only thing I'd really rag on that episode for is the Targaryen fleet remnants coming out of the water, would have been better to just have a shot of a ship picking up important characters out of the water then speeding to Dragonstone.

It was up to the usual high standard. If you rewatch earlier episodes the ongoing theme is destiny, and its all laid out with clues. All is consistent with what is done and said before. Im expecting a major character to get burned by dany because of what was said in season 7. Dany is ruthless when shes mad as hell, happy to kill anyone, innocent or guilty, and look at thinks in black and white. Its the people around her who keep her focused. Her destiny to rule? Clearly not as she cant accept a better claim and just enjoy being co ruler, wven with someone she claims to love and is a good decent man, moreso than she is. Her role was to help save all life and defeat the human threat, and make sure people who genuinely care about the people, not the rich and powerful, get put in charge. Thats jon snow with help from the other one willing to do the right thing even if it kills them and they dont get to rule. Varyan.

 

Jon snow is the unifying figure, any other ending would be to make a total mockery of the theme of destiny. To have destiny play such a key part of events and then give it to a character that isnt for the common good of EVERYONE would be to say that the whole series was built on a lie - that there is no magic, no god of light no ultimate good, nothing matters, everyone dies. The end.