Game of Thrones series finale: Emilia Clarke and HBO thank fans

Today, the biggest scripted television event in years is upon us: The Game of Thrones series finale. It’s bigger than the end of The Big Bang Theory — heck, it’s bigger than the end of any television show currently on the schedule would be. We’ve spent the past eight seasons building up to this moment and now, we just have to hope for an ending that makes a certain degree of sense. Even if everyone doesn’t like it (and there’s no way to please everyone) if it makes sense then it should be satisfying.

Unfortunately, it’s already clearer than a crystal ball that HBO is going to have plenty of naysayers out there. A petition is circulating that currently has more than one million signatures for the network to go back and reshoot the final season — which has been called insulting by many within the creative community. Is it fair to be upset about the events of the final season? We suppose so, especially if you were holding firm to the idea that Daenerys was a liberator more so than a conqueror or a tyrant. The transition of her into full-on killing machine was drastic with the journey she’s been on for years to become queen, but this is the story that the creators decided to tell. Trying to get creators and producers to tell us how to perceive art is always going to be a dangerous proposition anyways and it’s personally not something we want a part of. Remember that the same people who are giving us the Game of Thrones series finale are the same people who gave us every other brilliant episode of the show.

Want another example? Even if you hate the How I Met Your Mother series finale (and understandable sentiment), that’s the same creative team, cast, and crew that gave you plenty of other legen-wait-for-it-dary episodes of that show. To strangely quote The Facts of Life, you take the good, you take the bad. Showrunners don’t have the telepathic abilities to give you the same exact ending that everyone wants. It’s impossible.

Want to watch a video preview for the Game of Thrones series finale? You can check out what we have to say at the bottom of this article! Also, be sure to subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube to make sure you don’t miss any other updates coming up. (For Game of Thrones updates only, take a look at our series playlist.)

A sense of gratitude

As polarizing as the final season may be, clearly HBO is trying to take the high road. Today, the network took out a full-page ad in the New York Times thanking the cast, the crew, and all of their fans for their loyalty and support through out the years. Meanwhile, Emilia Clarke (who is of course responsible for playing the ever-polarizing Mother of Dragons) shared a note herself expressing gratitude for what is a career-changing journey for her. We anticipate more of these sentiments to come pouring in over the next few days, even if there are those out there who are overtly critical and eager to sign every petition under the sun.

We expect death in the final episode (you can take a look at some of the possibilities here); meanwhile, we also expect heartache and pain. It’s going to be bittersweet and garish and probably will make another 500,000 people bolt right over to put their signatures on the ever growing petition … and we’re ready to talk about it to the fullest. Check back later tonight for some more thoughts via our official series finale review, and there will be additional video coverage.

What are your expectations entering the Game of Thrones series finale tonight? Be sure to share right now in the comments. (Photo: HBO.)

 

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Finding the words to write this post has left me overwhelmed with how much I want to say but how small words feel in comparison to what this show and Dany have meant to me. The mother of dragons chapter has taken up the whole of my adult life. This woman has taken up the whole of my heart. I’ve sweated in the blaze of dragon fire, shed many tears at those who left our family early, and wrung my brain dry trying to do Khaleesi and the masterful words, actions (and names) I was given, justice. Game of Thrones has shaped me as a woman, as an actor and as a human being. I just wish my darling dad was here now to see how far we’ve flown. But to you, dear kind magical fans, I owe you so much thanks, for your steady gaze at what we’ve made and what I’ve done with a character that was already in the hearts of many before I slipped on the platinum wig of dreams. Without you there is no us. And now our watch has ended. @gameofthrones @hbo #love #motherofdragonsoverandout

A post shared by @ emilia_clarke on May 19, 2019 at 9:37am PDT