And that, as they say, is that.
Late last night, HBO’s Song of Ice and Fire reached its bone-rattling finale with “The Iron Throne,” the sixth and final episode of Game of Thrones season 8. Cities have fallen, dynasties erased, and from the ashes, a new world will rise, with Bran the Broken at the forefront.
Yes, it was a shocking twist of fate for Emilia Clarke’s Mother of Dragons, and frankly, Thrones‘ series finale demands a second viewing before we can truly appreciate the many layers of HBO’s apocalyptic swan song. For now, though, the core Game of Thrones cast have taken a moment to extend their thank you messages to the fans, without whom none of this would be possible – even if there is a very vocal minority currently demanding a total reboot of season 8. And, well, the less said about that, the better.
It’s a fitting farewell to what is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious TV shows in history. For the most part, one could argue that season 8 delivered the goods – if anything, the decision to release two truncated seasons and essentially streamline this colossal story will be remembered as a glaring mistake. But it wasn’t enough to derail the entire saga.
Like any other TV series, A Song of Ice and Fire had moments of weakness, but overall, the gut-wrenching crescendo was a solid conclusion to what has been a truly immense run of blockbuster television.
Game of Thrones is done and dusted, but that’s not to say that HBO is ready to close the book entirely. A prequel series is already afoot, and it’ll reportedly explore the tale surrounding the Children of the Forest and how the White Walkers came to be.