Bittersweet (Patreon)

Here's the draft conclusion for the final S8 video:

"Author George Martin always said that the end of Thrones would be bittersweet – and it’s true. It was sweet in the tv show to see Brienne knighted, Theon redeemed, Sansa as queen, Arya sailing west. Over eight seasons, we got Lannister political drama, Daenerys' conquests, Jon's journey, adapted from the books with exceptional production, acting and music. The tv show made some nerdy fantasy books into the biggest show on tv, which is nothing short of miraculous. But it’s bitter that the show ended before the book series was finished. So for the last few seasons, the showrunners didn’t have material to adapt. They had to make up their own plots, and find ways to connect them to the book ending the author described to them. So sometimes there were dumb plotlines like the wight hunt plan. Sometimes the dialogue was weak because there was no book dialogue to use. Sometimes characters made sudden turns that didn’t feel earned [Daenerys], because the arcs were squeezed into shortened seasons. Sometimes the politics didn’t have the same brutal realism as the early story [Bran council]. Some plotlines didn’t pay off in the end, like Bran’s warging powers and Arya’s Faceless magic and Jon’s claim to the Iron Throne. Intriguing characters like Littlefinger and Varys, trailed off into irrelevance cause they didn’t have their book plots. It’s bitter that we didn’t get the ending of Martin’s books. We didn't learn more about the white walkers or the Azor Ahai prophecy. We didn't get the book Dorne plot, with Arianne and Quentyn, and Alleras and Jaqen in Oldtown. Or the horror of book-Euron and Victarion. We never saw Sansa with Harry and Mya. Daenerys’ dance with Young Griff, and JonCon. Barristan’s plot in Meereen, Marwyn the Mage, Moqorro and Quaithe. Varys and Illyrio’s Blackfyre conspiracy, the northern conspiracy, Rickon on Skagos, Stannis’ Battle of Ice,  the Hooded Man, Lady Stoneheart, Patchface, Strong Belwas, and Nimble Dick Crabb. The mysteries of the Nightfort, and the Horn of Winter, ice spiders and a long Long Night, and everything else that’ll happen in the next two books. Martin recently hinted that the next book will be out in a year.  It’ll be sweet to read his ending. And it’s sweet that the tv show happened. But it’s bitter that the show is not what it could’ve been."

What do you think? Is this a fair assessment? Are there other crucial show-fails or missing-book-bits to mention?

The script is about 32 minutes long at the moment – it needs to be edited and improved and polished. Taking the time to get this last one right – it'll be out within a week.

Thanks for your support!