I was introduced to "Game of Thrones" a year after it had started. I found it weird. I really wasn’t interested in what – at the time – I thought was a medieval zombie series.
I switched off after the opening scene and forgot about it for a year. It was when a colleague couldn’t stop raving about the show that I decided to give it a chance, and I’m glad I did.
Even with its shocking moments (Ned Stark’s death) and characters you just couldn’t help but hate (poor Jack Gleeson quit acting after the show, thanks to his brilliant portrayal of Joffrey), the show became a drug or, as my mother calls it, a cult.
This was a show we literally had water-cooler conversations about, joined reddit and quora for, and had Google Alerts set up for all kinds of extra information about it. And now after eight years on air, the show ends tomorrow.
It’s been a difficult season, one many of us fans have been vocal about being disappointed in. The story was rushed, the writing was inconsistent, there were continuity issues, and character development was thrown out the window, à la Jaime Lannister pushing Bran Stark off a tower back in the first season. It was a let-down.
Having waited for two years to get new episodes, we expected better.
And now with so many characters dead and only a few power players remaining, here’s what I hope the finale will look like.
Daenerys Returns to Meereen
It wouldn’t be such a bad idea now, would it? Westeros has shown that it hasn’t accepted her and she’s lost all that is dear to her. So why not return to the place where you are regarded as the queen and already have so many loyal subjects? It’s better than having to second-guess yourself and people’s loyalty all the time.
Jon Snow Embraces the True North
When Tormund says farewell to Jon, he talks about the True North, the place where the Wildlings live and where Jon was able to make inroads and build relationships. He was happiest there, met his one true love there and he wasn’t regarded as a
high-born lord’s bastard. He doesn’t want the Iron Throne and I don’t blame him. It’s toxic.
Arya Becomes Like Nymeria
Nymeria (a direwolf) ran away from Winterfell after she bit Joffrey Baratheon. Nymeria and Arya then reunited while Arya was wandering Westeros, seeking revenge. She now has her own pack of wolves who she leads. Arya doesn’t belong anywhere. She’s a wandering soul and Winterfell stopped being home the minute she left for King’s Landing. She’s killed the Night King and avenged her family by killing the Freys. Cersei is dead and so is The Mountain. There’s nobody left on the kill list for her. Maybe she’s finally become No One.
Sansa Rules The Kingdoms
There’s no one else left worthy enough to rule the Seven Kingdoms. Not that Sansa wants that. She’s all about the North. But when you think about it, she would be the perfect ruler. She’s smart, thanks to being exposed to Cersei, Littlefinger and Olenna Tyrell; ruling comes naturally to her; and she is known in King’s Landing, High Garden, The Vale and, of course, rules the North. This makes her the perfect person to rule. She would probably rule from Winterfell. King’s Landing has too many bad memories for her.
Tyrion Dies
Honestly, there’s nothing left for him. They must just let Bronn kill him and we can all move on. He made too many mistakes and was haphazard as the Hand of the Queen. The one consequence we know all about in Game of Thrones is death.
Is Jaime Lannister alive?
We haven’t seen any exit interviews with the actor and that’s a sign that he may have survived being crushed by the rocks in the Red Keep alongside Cersei. What if he is alive?
All I know is that Game of Thrones won’t have a happy ending. And maybe that unhappy ending is seeing the characters we love scattered all over the place and being dead to each other. And King’s Landing? It will remain a monument to what extreme power does to humans. A lesson for future generations to not mess things up, ever.
Where to watch Game of Thrones
Watch it on Mondays at 3am on (repeat at 10pm) on M-Net, or straight after with the DStv Now app .
You can also binge-watch all previous seasons of "Game of Thrones" on Showmax. Sign up for a 14-day free trial at Showmax.com