Game Over: How YOU Would Have Done Season 8

[shireenbamfatheon]

Assuming the major character beats would stay the same:

I'd never have Bran lose his humanity if he was to become king. If they worried that making him omniscient would interfere with the rest of the plot, I'd have limited his ability to see things through the weirwood trees only like his book counterpart. The problem with the show is that they did away with so much of the magical aspects of the series that they ended up completely removing Bran's importance as The Last Hero 2.0. in favor of using Bran to confirm Jon's parentage. I'd have highlighted his importance as one of the several saviors of humanity as well as stressed how much he'd sacrificed at age 10 to do the right thing. Bran's one of the most caring, empathetic and selfess characters in the books, and I think there's groundwork for him being a good king. 

I'd have Dany abandon Slaver's Bay in favor of Westeros without the implication that she magically eradicated slavery and stabilized the region by putting Daario and his sellswords in charge of overseeing change (lol). SB as a whole would be doomed with the threat of complete destruction on the horizon in the form of starvation, disease, war, and insurgency, just like in the books. She also wouldn't gain the loyalty of a superstitious people who already hated her for getting the most powerful khal killed because of her getting a witch involved by burning their leaders alive in their most holy temple in their most holy city. She'd conquer them by burning them alive with her dragon.
I'd also have Dany's invasion be a lot more destructive. 50.000 Dothraki and their 50.000+ horses can't be confined on a barren island like Dragonstone for months. They'd have to pillage the countryside to keep themselves alive, especially as winter would deplete Westeros' resources.

Jon would be a darker character following his resurrection and missing a chunk of his humanity without being evil. But I'd want tangible proof of the effect death had on his soul.

The Northerners wouldn't elect Ned Stark's bastard who ditched the Night's Watch over his legitimate daughter who brought the Vale to the North and whose connection to her cousin saved the North from the Boltons. That's just BS. 

No Sansa vs. Arya. 

The Long Night would last a whole season.

Most importantly, since the introduction of fAegon complicated the plot so much, I'd instead have Margaery and Tommen on the throne when Dany invaded, with Cersei being confined to Casterly Rock and secretly plotting. Tommen was a caring and sensitive boy and Margaery a competent and cunning, yet sweet woman. Dany's opposition to them would have brought so much ambiguity to the story because it would rob Dany of her supposed moral high ground. It'd also explain Tyrion's reluctance to harm KL with his nephew there, especially since his niece died because of his decision to send her to Dorne.

Edited September 23, 2019 by shireenbamfatheon

[tabularasa]

The ending with the jokes was terrible and so bro-like. I feel like it's one of the worst ending ever. Basically everything wrong they did with Dany. Jon's parentage didn't matter and basically he killed his queen, not his love/lover. As cliche as it sounds the boat-sex baby I hoped for. Let Jon die, not Dany. Let the female win for once. I'd be afraid of Cersei and frankly, Cersei almost escaped so.. If Dany killed Tyrion for treason on the spot Bran wouldn't be king and Tyrion would be dead and not a ruler. So Dany as a dictator doesn't work because she spared those she shouldn't have. Tywin would not spare them.

[namelessmonster]

When Varys was betrayed by Tyrion and Dany by Tyrion, I'd know he wouldn't survive any other previous seasons with that mouth. The flip of Daenerys to act contrary to every value she held to her core values was absurd. How does she go from risking her life and the life of her people to save thousands of innocent lives to killing thousands of innocent lives? The biggest mistake in Game Of Thrones history! A disgrace. That will never be forgotten! Game of Thrones season 8 has the dumbest ending. There I said it. 

D&D can shove it in there bums for all I care at the end of the day they will never be respected for botching one of the most well respected and popular series in the world. 

[Spartan Girl]

I watched a bunch of good videos where people shared their versions of the final season. One of my favorites had the Night King win the Winterfell battle, forcing the survives to  flee to King’s Landing and beg Cersei for shelter before the Night King invades. Cersei agrees on the condition that Dany bends the knee, and Dany, faced with the choice between the Iron Throne and the welfare of her remaining people, obliges. Man, that would have been just a fantastic scene for Emilia and Lena to do: Dany, completely broken and humbled, sacrificing the remnants of her pride in front of a smirking triumphant Cersei…

Long story short, this version would have had the Night King’s end come by Dany and Drogon burning down that tree where the Night King was created, obliterating all magic at the cost of Jon dying again. Cersei gets a much more fitting end being killed by Jaime, and Dany gets the Throne because Boatsex Baby.

*sigh*

Ten years and I’m still bitter if the ending we got instead of something awesome like that.

[Hanahope]

I'm almost surprised that Martin is essentially giving up on the series and allowing that ending to be the ending.  maybe he had a similar ending in mind, in which case, its a good thing he's giving up on the series.  i think i'd be even more disappointed if i read through another couple of huge books to have it all end like it did in the show.   i don't really have much interest in any of the spinoffs, it mostly left a sour taste in my mouth.  so much potential wasted.   

[kassandra8286]

Well, D&D had always said the GOT characters would end up in the same place as Martin's outline for the novels, and he never disputed it, so I assume the broad strokes of the ending are the same. The hope is that (in the alternate universe where GRRM actually finishes the books), as we would be reading Dany's POV, we would see and perhaps understand the evolution of her descent into madness or whatever led her to do what she did. As overly-long as the books are, we know that at least it wouldn't be such an abrupt and character-destroying 180 from where she'd been just a couple of episodes prior. And maybe Bran ending up on the Iron Throne might also make a little more sense instead of being played for laughs. 

But probably not, lol.

[MrsR]

On 9/7/2021 at 9:51 PM, Spartan Girl said:

One of my favorites had the Night King win the Winterfell battle, forcing the survives to  flee to King’s Landing and beg Cersei for shelter before the Night King invades. Cersei agrees on the condition that Dany bends the knee, and Dany, faced with the choice between the Iron Throne and the welfare of her remaining people, obliges. Man, that would have been just a fantastic scene for Emilia and Lena to do: Dany, completely broken and humbled, sacrificing the remnants of her pride in front of a smirking triumphant Cersei…

And why on Planatos would Kings Landing be more safe than A) Winterfell or B) Dragonstone?

NO. There's no outrunning the Army of the Dead. They don't sleep or stop to eat, unlike our intrepid survivors.

In that scenario Dragonstone would be the obvious choice because we've been shown at Hardhome that boats are the only way to escape them.

Edited September 23, 2021 by MrsR

[Affogato]

On 9/7/2021 at 9:51 PM, Spartan Girl said:

I watched a bunch of good videos where people shared their versions of the final season. One of my favorites had the Night King win the Winterfell battle, forcing the survives to  flee to King’s Landing and beg Cersei for shelter before the Night King invades. Cersei agrees on the condition that Dany bends the knee, and Dany, faced with the choice between the Iron Throne and the welfare of her remaining people, obliges. Man, that would have been just a fantastic scene for Emilia and Lena to do: Dany, completely broken and humbled, sacrificing the remnants of her pride in front of a smirking triumphant Cersei…

Long story short, this version would have had the Night King’s end come by Dany and Drogon burning down that tree where the Night King was created, obliterating all magic at the cost of Jon dying again. Cersei gets a much more fitting end being killed by Jaime, and Dany gets the Throne because Boatsex Baby.

*sigh*

Ten years and I’m still bitter if the ending we got instead of something awesome like that.

This is a very fan fiction ending. 
 

i would have preferred nine seasons, the night king defeated in an earlier season and some rationale and reason why the area beyond the wall would continue to be a threat, also more interaction between Jon and Arya, 

i think the Targaryens needed to be kept away from the throne and the dragons as well. 

[proserpina65]

I would've changed the reasons in Tyrion's speech for selecting Bran as king.  None of the "he has the best story" crap, just "he can't father heirs who will fight over the throne" and maybe throw in "a king who can learn from the past is a good thing".  That's just about it, other than cutting episode 4 in half since it was the second half which sucked.  I was fine with the rest of the season.

[Affogato]

2 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I would've changed the reasons in Tyrion's speech for selecting Bran as king.  None of the "he has the best story" crap, just "he can't father heirs who will fight over the throne" and maybe throw in "a king who can learn from the past is a good thing".  That's just about it, other than cutting episode 4 in half since it was the second half which sucked.  I was fine with the rest of the season.

Sansa will provide his heirs, I imagine. Even the current British royals have Plantagenet genes. This game of thrones is based on a historical one. 

[proserpina65]

15 hours ago, Affogato said:

Sansa will provide his heirs, I imagine. Even the current British royals have Plantagenet genes. This game of thrones is based on a historical one. 

But as fiction it doesn't have to follow English history quite so slavishly.  I would, however, like the idea of Sansa's children or grandchildren ruling in Westeros if I believed she'd ever have any.  Can't actually see that happening, though.

[Affogato]

49 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

But as fiction it doesn't have to follow English history quite so slavishly.  I would, however, like the idea of Sansa's children or grandchildren ruling in Westeros if I believed she'd ever have any.  Can't actually see that happening, though.

No, but it paints the outcome in broad strokes. The Anarchy, so called, has more varied interpretations.
 

 I’m sure something will be arranged. To take on a house comes with obligations.

I assume Jon going off to his duties means no more targs in the direct line. He will take care, although we know he is not a virgin.  I’m sure there are a variety of Targ seeds around, of course. 

[proserpina65]

17 minutes ago, Affogato said:

No, but it paints the outcome in broad strokes. The Anarchy, so called, has more varied interpretations.
 

 I’m sure something will be arranged. To take on a house comes with obligations.

I assume Jon going off to his duties means no more targs in the direct line. He will take care, although we know he is not a virgin.  I’m sure there are a variety of Targ seeds around, of course. 

One came name heirs without them actually being biological children.  Plus, the Northern lords can name someone as their king/queen when Sansa dies, just as they did when they named Jon and then Sansa.  And for me, the Wars of the Roses does not paint the outcome of a fictional story in a fictional world, even if it was originally the inspiration for that story.  Because nothing exists beyond where the show ended, we can imagine whatever we want, within the limits of what we know about Westerosi society.

[Palimelon]

"Because who has a better story than Bran?"

"I mean, arguably any other character".

 

[proserpina65]

20 minutes ago, Palimelon said:

"Because who has a better story than Bran?"

"I mean, arguably any other character".

 

Some of the other characters who were still alive, but not most of them at that meeting.  Doesn't keep that from being stupid reason which is why I'd have changed that speech.  Still would've ended up with Bran as king, though.  He seemed the obvious choice to me.  Jon and Arya wouldn't have wanted to rule, Sansa only wanted the North and no one else at the meeting could've commanded loyalty from enough of the rest of Westeros.  And no way would I have ever ended with Dany on the throne.  She was clearly going to end up pretty much being her father from early in season 2, imo, and would've made a horrible queen, what with her propensity for burning anyone who opposed her, only some of whom deserved it.

[Palimelon]

Doesn't change the fact that the rationale for Bran becoming king - he had the best "story" - was just not true, and just  utterly ridiculous reasoning.

I never saw Dany becoming anywhere close to what her father was until they decided to rush to that in the later 2 seasons.

Edited August 8 by Palimelon

[Affogato]

2 hours ago, Palimelon said:

Doesn't change the fact that the rationale for Bran becoming king - he had the best "story" - was just not true, and just  utterly ridiculous reasoning.

I never saw Dany becoming anywhere close to what her father was until they decided to rush to that in the later 2 seasons.

GRRM has all the stories, as does Bran. Ending : not a shock, really. 
 

 

[Palimelon]

Let's hope whatever GRRM has left is better than the shitfest the last 2 seasons were.

[proserpina65]

On 8/8/2024 at 12:04 PM, Palimelon said:

never saw Dany becoming anywhere close to what her father was until they decided to rush to that in the later 2 seasons.

I saw it from the moment in season 2 where she stood outside the gates of Qarth and threatened to burn the city, and every man, woman, and child in it, to the ground if they didn't let her in.  These people had done nothing to her and weren't slavers, and yet she didn't care if she killed them all.  That's when I knew she had the potential to become a version of her father.

On 8/8/2024 at 12:04 PM, Palimelon said:

Doesn't change the fact that the rationale for Bran becoming king - he had the best "story" - was just not true, and just  utterly ridiculous reasoning.

I've already criticized the writing for that scene, and that part of Tyrion's speech is precisely what I would change, but it would still be Bran as king in the end.

[Palimelon]

I'd say that was mostly posturing done by an insecure girl trying to save her people. Her dragons at the time were the size of rats, so it's not like she could have backed up her threat.

[proserpina65]

53 minutes ago, Palimelon said:

I'd say that was mostly posturing done by an insecure girl trying to save her people. Her dragons at the time were the size of rats, so it's not like she could have backed up her threat.

Perhaps, but since it was a threat she repeated throughout the run of the show, I took it as genuine.  Honestly, I thought she came to view herself as a messiah or some kind of godlike figure as the show went on, and quite frankly, that played very well into her madness, imo.

[Palimelon]

But she wasn't more mad than anybody else on the show, especially if making threats is the metric used to define madness (until the last seasons). Naive and misguided, yeah, angry at times, yes. But mad? Not so much.

Edited August 13 by Palimelon

[proserpina65]

2 minutes ago, Palimelon said:

But she wasn't more mad than anybody else on the show, especially if making threats is the metric used to define madness (until the last seasons). Naive and misguided, yeah, angry at times, yes. But mad? Not so much.

In my opinion, she clearly was more mad than most of the other characters, and her go-to move of burning people who opposed her, which she started threatening to do (and then doing) early on was extremely telling.  Don't get me wrong, I liked Dany.  She was a complex character and her story arc was quite interesting, but I never saw her as a heroine and suspected from the first season that there was a strong streak of Targaryen madness in her.  And I wouldn't have changed how she was written, or at least not much.

[Palimelon]

Guess we will have to agree to disagree then. Lots of people promised to kill and did, the only difference was Dany using dragons instead of a sword or whatever. Though I would have made her descent more of a story arc in the last 2 seasons instead of it being the plot that it was, though I could say that for many things in the last 2 seasons.