Dynas

I keep going back to this quote: "Petyr ‘Littlefinger’ Baelish: Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some, are given a chance to climb. They refuse, they cling to the realm or the gods or love. Illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is." So it seems like Jon just refused. Dany fell. And the fact the Bran tells this to Littlefinger in S7. If Bran can "fly" its like he doesn't even have to climb the ladder. He just "flies" easily to the top. This represents him easily being elected as King at the end without every having actually played the Game Of Thrones. Am I reaching here? Thoughts?

Yes i am referring to GRRM

The Dragon Pit Council. @46:19 to 46:Left to right Sam Tarley - Reach (Davos states the lords who rule it are gone) ? Edmure Tully - Riverrun Arya Bran Sansa Brienne (Kingsguard and/or Davos Gendry- Storms End ?? ?? (Westerlands) Osha/Yara (Iron isles) ?? Dorne @ 50:35 Robin of the Vale ?? - not sure on the guys name but I recognize him form other episdoes ( think he is northern alliance) ??- same as above So Ok, maybe you are right. There are a fair amount of new people. But they killed everyone else so someone is in charge of these lands now. new sons/lords etc.. Yeah i have no idea where all the Unsullied and Dothraki came from. That was shit planning on D&D part. It looked like 95% of the DOthraki died in the charge at the Long Night and at least half the unsullied as well. Jon's bloodline is indeed not mentioned, but several people already know the truth. Tyrions, Starks, Sam, and you could argue the rest of them, as Varsarys sent ravens before being killed. Nevertheless, everyone there (as mention above at least) knew Jon didn't want the crown. The gave him a free out by sending him to a non exitent Nights Watch so that he could be free of responsibility to titles, names and blood. Jon basically finally accepted the oath of being a Member of the NW in full like he should have when he first took the oath. It just so happens there all dead and he became a wildling, probably to be Mance 2.0 Not to mention they would still have to prove it to everyone in Westeros aside from Sam and the STarks, no one would likely believe he is Aegon. he doesnt look like a Targaryean, and the proof is "magic" and a book which only about 1% of the population can read. Its better for everyone to let Jon go. They mention at the Dragon Pit meeting Jon was in jail several weeks after killing Dany. Religion is a big deal, but they probably didn't want to develop a new character for septon. Maybe the septon is at another city or town which is the new Great Sept and they didn't invite him. After all you got the Lord of LIght, the Old Gods, and the Drowned Gods, only like 1/3 of the people at the meeting actually follow the 7. To be fair Drogon is a Wyvern, which is something that has irked me since season 5 but I digress lol. Its probably just an animation thing. You have green screen claws picking up a real body in a delicate fashion, its going to look off. Most times bird talons are piercing their prey, I doubt drogon wanted to hurt Danys body even though she was dead.

A lot of sentiment I have found is that the actual wrapping up and ending of the arcs is good, its just the journey of S8 and HOW we got there that sucks. Most of the stories arcs did end nicely, I did 7/10

I think Jon accepted the exile to the Nights Watch because he WANTED it. He didn't want the throne, he killed the woman he "love" no matter how poorly it was developed. He feels at home in the north. Everyone knows there is no more nights watch and by going there he knows he will find Tormund. Jon wants to be a wildling, where bloodrights and names mean nothing. He wants to be a bastard at this point where all he has to worry about is just living.

Yeah, both those shows had great writing. The key with GRRM writing is subverting your expectations as a reader. He plays on the common fantrasy/story tropes on what you should expect, but then the twist happens and it feels REAL b/c in hindsight you see all the clues. It as though you figure it out just as the characters do or perhaps right before, when its too late. It is masterfully done and its very obvious D&D are filmmakers and not story writers. They definitely invented Skyrim Fast Travel lol. For better or worse, it did help speed some things up which needed it, but agreed, you can tell it was more of a shock moment on a lot of deaths.

Didn't GRRM say in an interview that he told them how it ends. All the big points at least. The journey toward the ending will most likely end up being very different when the books come out, but the end result of the major characters is likely pretty spot on if D&D were true to GRRM vision as they claim.

Writing. And thats the issue. This series thrived because of the writing. How many fantasy/sci fi shows have their been i the past. Dozens, most of them fail because of the writing being tropeish/weak. We know there is a market for fantasy/sci fi, the issue is, writing it in such a way that viewers/ readers can feel invested in the story/characters, and are not just watch spectacle like big space battles of dragons. GoT was more a historical drama in a make believe world than a Fantasy show IMO. When you have one of the best writers (IMO) in recent history for 5 seasons, then you have to go to D&D hollywood style writers with very little on their resume (other than GoT) it become very apparent that the writing is why is thrived. If D&D simply tried to make a fantasy show about warring houses that had cool battles and dragons I doubt it would have made it past 2 seasons before being cancelled.

1. We see it a few other times with dead bodies in snow etc... I think its just like a "calling card" much like bee's use. Its just a way to lure the undead army to the location. (probably some sort of magic). Thats the deal with magic in GoT its supposed to be vague and unfamiliar. We dont know how it works. 2. The markings just show us that the children were there. They likely found out about the Dragonstone killing the WHite Walkers/Wights and left stories of its power to be passed down. Both in writing the cave and verbally to pass on through time. 3. Early on in the show we see a symbol of dead bodies (not the same symbol) north of the wall. We see the same spiral symbol later in the snow made from dead horses. We see it on the wall and it burst into flames. We see them in the caves with the markings of the CoFM. Its possible the Night King took it from the CotFM and uses it for his own evil purpose. Its left vague on purpose I feel. We aren't meant to know everything. It adds mystery around the CotFM and the Night King so we only know as much as the characters facing that threat (Jon and alliese, etc...) 4. Dire wolves were an analogy early on. Ghost is Bastard Exile albino wolf (JOn is bastard exile in the end). Nymeria is freed in book 2 or 3? when Arya scares her off. She is free spirit, much like Arya. Lady is killed, much like Sansa "Ladylike demeanor/tenancies" as she wakes up to the real world and realizes its not sunshine and rainbows. Brans is summer, represents warmth/good. Since he is king in the south now, away from the Winter lands of the north. Shaggydog not sure on as RIckon which such a small character in the show. 5. Jon, the Darkness is Dany. He was literally resurrected and reborn. He ends the Night King, and the Darkness that is Dany Tyrannical downfall. 6. Jon, (possibly Arya literally as she kill the Night King). But Jon is Lightbringer in that he united the forces of man Against the Night King and its darkness. 7. Jon is accepting his fate. He doesn't want the iron throne, never has. If he stays in westeros there is the chance people will support him as true king since he is a Targaryean. He accepts his "exile" to the "Nights Watch" (non existent) knowing that it has no purpose now. Bran is sending him to be a Free Folk with Tormund, free from obligation to the realm, free of his blood line. Free Folk look at ones deeds, not blood. 8. Because Tyrion was in jail and couldn't kill her. Tyrion knew Dany loved Jon and he was the only one that could get close to Dany and kill her (especailly with Drogon as a body guard). Dany didn't trust anyone else alive,except Grey Worm, who sure as hell wasn't going to kill her. It had to be Jon since he was the only one who could actually have a chance to succeed. 9. Because she was MAD! "When a Targaryean is born the gods flip a coin." 50/50 mad and good. Dany is the Mad, Jon is the Good. 10. Bran sees everything all at once. Past and present and future. Its very much like a Doctor Strange in Avengers. I don't think he put his family at risk as you put it, as he really couldn't control them. He didnt get the powers unitl after he fell from the tower and woke up. By that point Ned, his sisters and brothers had already left winterfell. Its not like he could say, wait guys I saw all this shit go down in my dreams, come back so you don't die. It came to him in pieces, and not until he went and spoke with the Tree North of the wall when Hodor Met his end did it come to fill fruition. I think that is the point in time when he knew how things would play out. And he played them out in such a way that none of his remaining alive Starks died.

The Dragon Pit Council seemed to me like the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire. Sam represented the Maesters, What unknown man? The only "new character" was the Dornish guy. Concerning the Dothraki, i thought they all died at the Long Night Battle, so I don't even know why they are there. That being said, I don't think Grey Worm has a reason to be in Westeros. The Unsillied are Warriors, without war in Westeros there is no need for them there. Sam sits on the council, I assume they flashed forward a bit. Yeah the book binding was rushes, but since season 6 with Fast Travel Gendry and armies, time has been sped up. It was a nice touch in my opinion. Arya leaving represents her free spirit. She has always been this way. I think Bran was sending Jon to the "Nights Watch" meaning he was being exiled to join the wildlings he knew where at Castle Black. JOn couldn't stay around since people knew he was a Targaryean, otherwise there would still be people loyal to him. He didn't want the throne, and he knew staying around would only continue the war. Cersei killed the High Septon and blew up the Main Cathedral and many of its septons/septas. Im sure religion is still around, but thats not the focus at this point. Eagles pick up stuff in there claws all the time, probably an inherent skill.