Dragon in the North

In my opinion, AFFC/ADWD killed the series. Martin added way too many subplots into the story and wrote himself into a corner. I think trying to untangle the mess he made has taken its toll and has caused Martin to lose interest in the series.

“Leaks” were touched upon briefly, but none of them are credible, and there’s nothing to indicate that they are true. I’m not sure if they were the same “leaks” you’re referring to. As for D&D searching for fan theories, I don’t think that’s true. I’m not sure which plot points from the show you think are just fan theories, but there are many mysteries and revelations I believe will appear in the books, though plot points will probably differ. These include: -Jon’s resurrection -Valyrian steel being used to kill White Walkers -Shireen’s burning -Hodor’s origin -The Hound being alive -The White Walker’s origin -R+L=J -Jon being crowned king -Tyrion becoming Dany’s Hand -Viserion becoming an Ice Dragon

I assume Jon’s parentage will change their relationship. Assuming they both live, I don’t see them ending up together.

Fair enough. I’m not the biggest fan of resurrection, so I wished the show had gone a different path. I am glad that the show kept their resurrections consistent. I hope Martin does the same and doesn’t resort to Deus Ex Machina to bring him back, or change his character without providing a good reason for the change, like he did with Stoneheart. As much as I despise the character, I understand how she turned out the way she did.

I don’t understand. You use the word “shocking” as an insult, but then you defend Lady Stoneheart, who is the very definition of shock value. In two books, she’s appeared in 5 pages, maybe less. Resurrections should be used sparingly, or else death becomes meaningless. Jon was the much better candidate, because unlike Lady Stoneheart, he actually has a role to play. I also don’t understand why you expected Jon’s character to change. Beric didn’t, and he’s been resurrected six times. Changing Jon’s character would have been shock for the sake of shock, which I thought you hated.

I don’t know what you mean by “normal”, but it sounds like you’re calling us to arms. The audience does have a certain power, it’s true, but we’ve been wielding it since the dawn of television, so there’s no need to ask us. If the general audience likes the show, it will be renewed. If they don’t, it will be cancelled. It’s that simple.

Someone else already controls it. Her name is Jane Goldman.

Yes, I can respect if you believe the character deviation to be stupid, but as for the characters themselves, I don’t see one as significantly stupider than the other.

I was speaking from Robb’s POV. Both ended with his death.

That has to do with the morality of the decision, not the intelligence of it. Marrying Jeyne was morally the right thing to do, but marrying the daughter of his enemy’s bannermen carried the risk of the Westerlings actively working against him. This makes the marriage in the books, though more moral than the show, a little stupider.

How is marrying Talisa a stupider decision than marrying Jeyne? Jeyne's family is sworn to the Lannisters and any fool would suspect that they would betray him, which is exactly what happened. Besides, both marriages ended the exact same way.

No, that's not correct. An adaptation is simply a licensed work, fan fiction is unlicensed. That is the difference between the two. Faithfulness has nothing to do with it. Martin signed over the rights of his story, so GOT is an adaptation.

The show hasn't gone wrong for me, and I doubt that it ever will with season 8 being the last. I've enjoyed every season so far and GOT is easily my favorite television show. Sure, there have been a few missteps, as there are with every show, but the positives of GOT far outweigh the negatives. The books, on the other hand, did go wrong for me. I absolutely loved the first three books, but AFFC/ADWD were total let downs. They totally killed the momentum of the story and it's clear that Martin has written himself into a corner. I can honestly say that I've enjoyed every season of GOT more than the last two books.

Great finale! It was probably my third favorite finale after Breaking Bad and The Shield. The garage and train scenes were the definite highlights. I almost wish that Paige was arrested, as it would have provided closure to her story, but I suppose that would have made the ending more bitter than sweet. I do wish that the scene between Henry and Stan had played out, though.

I don’t mind the wait at all. It’s the final season, and I’m glad they’re taking the time to do it right. I’ve noticed that the gap between seasons has been widening for several other shows, such as Westworld, Stranger Things, Better Call Saul, etc., so GOT’s position isn’t exactly unique.