[Book Spoilers, probably]The Ending

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

I didn't have any problem with the juxtaposition of the end credits music and the scene. It might not have been my first choice, but I thought that it did add some punch to it. The brief silence between the end of Jaime's scream and the song was enough to let the horror of it all settle in.

[ServantOnIce]

True, though I liked the Bear and the Maiden Fair more in the rendition of Locke's men singing :)

Same here, it was good to sing along to. The other version was too fast . . . .

[relish5k]

Though I miss the "Thappireth". Pity Locke doesn't go Hoat on us... :(

I know, sad

[#Fire and Blood]

Personally, I thought the ending was awesome! I know the books are serious, but little artistic things like that are why I LOVE HBO shows!

[int11]

I have to go with my initial feeling about the ending. For a fraction of a second I thought the radio had been turned on accidentally, and I forgot all about Jamie.

Regardless of how much I rationalize the choice of music, this is how I felt when I actually watched the episode.

However, the song itself is very cool!

[insertname]

I understand why they did it and I more or less agree with their reasoning, but it still didn't work for me.

[Catherine Storm]

Watching from Australia, a country full of, hmm... impatient 'pirates', the ending was totally ruined for me. The copy I saw threw the music in 1 min earlier than the credit roll so i missed Locke's final words and Jaime's scream!!!! When the song first came on i jumped up and was like 'wtf how dare they troll me'. As a Jaime fan I'm so disappointed. Will have to wait for the DVD release to rewatch and take it in.

[Roose Seal]

Felt like a True Blood episode ending, which, for me, is not a very flattering comparison.

[MacNille]

I laughed my ass off.

[Stannis' shadow babies]

I liked it. It was almost tarantinesque.

[SerArthurHeath]

I liked it. It was almost tarantinesque.

Is that the accepted adjective? I will make sure to use it regularly

[lostinwesteros]

Brilliant! Genius! It sure did rock my world when the music started, but I can't imagine anything that could more appropriately symbolize what the whole series, what the whole war truly involves. l couldn't be more impressed (and in a good way).

[The Key Is Patchface]

This is not true. I hated what they did and I was watching it on HBO. I haven't been thrown out of a story so quickly in a long time. I thought there was something wrong with my feed until I realized the song was the BatMF. I can't even understand what they were trying to do there. I can appreciate that some people liked that ending, but I actually have a sour feel for the whole episode because of that song. It took my rating for the episode from a 9 to an 8. Yes, it was just that bad imo.

how are you taken out of the story?? it's the credits, the story is over

[HouseHarrison]

Had I not read the book, I would have loved it. I still think it was good however.

[King Tyrion I]

Though I miss the "Thappireth". Pity Locke doesn't go Hoat on us... :(

Oh, yes. I miss(ed) Hoat, too.

[The Key Is Patchface]

Locke is clearly still talking (his mouth still moving and all) when the song starts...

that's what you get for watching messed up pirated versions...the song doesn't start until AFTER the screen goes black and the credits start in the legit version

[cybobbie]

I had to watch the episode a second time (here HBO broadcast the show at 22h00 and at 1h45 every Sunday) to have the feeling about the ending and the credit's bear and maiden fair, since I had to leave the TV and get to my computer as soon as the episode ended to get my e-ticket for The Exhibition. However in the second time I didn't had the impact and I had already read here many comments about it. I would rather it was the Irish Moutarde version, but still liked the ending, it was very cool for a great episode.

[polarbear]

I hated, hated, hated the music. I don't what purpose was served to jar the audience into remembering that its just a TV show by ending with a modern punk rock piece, completely alien to any music ever used before in the show. It was cheesy and cheap and trying too hard. HBO has a ton of other shows where they can show how hip they are by their choice of music. GOT is not one of them.

The song played over the credits, that is the sequence where the cast and crews' names, the production company, and the network are printed out on the television screen. That more than anything should make it obvious to the audience that they are watching a tv show.

Also most people I know who have had their hand suddenly cut off have found it to be a VERY "jarring" experience, so I thought the song worked perfectly.

[Stannis' shadow babies]

Is that the accepted adjective? I will make sure to use it regularly

I don't know,"it just felt right."

[polarbear]

I am curious why so many fans felt "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" didn't fit with the end of the episode.

Was it the tempo of the music? Hard and fast songs aren't a modern invention. They sang em loud in the middle ages too.

Was it the instrumentation? Most of the orchestral score is performed on synthesizers and classical orchestral instruments (pianos, clarinets, french horns). In fact drums and guitars might be more accurate to the faux-medieval time period of GOT than most of the music we've heard on the show so far.