Game of Thrones is over, and while the final season - the series finale, especially - disappointed many fans, the show remains a pop culture phenomenon the likes of which we may never see again.
The penultimate episode, "The Bells," came in for a lot of backlash, but that clearly didn't stop people from tuning in for the finale, because "The Iron Throne" was the most-watched episode in the show's history.
The extra-long installment drew 13.6 million viewers for its initial airing on Sunday night, and that figure climbs to 19.3 million when replays and early streaming are factored in. Both figures also set new viewership records for HBO.
Tell us, were you let down by the finale of
Game of Thrones, or were you happy with how things ended? Drop us a comment down below, and find out what some of the main cast members had to say about the show finishing up.
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Sophie Turner - Sansa Stark
A favorite to end up on the Iron Throne, Sansa Stark did ultimately become a queen, just not
the queen.
After her brother Bran is named King, Sansa insists that the North remain a separate kingdom with its own ruler, and in the epilogue we see the people of Winterfell name her Queen of the North. Was actress Sophie Turner happy with how things turned out for the long-suffering Stark girl?
“Ever since the end of season 1, Sansa has not been about the capital or being queen. She doesn’t believe she could rule and doesn’t want to. She knows her place is in the North and she can rule the people of the North and rule Winterfell. She’d probably be capable [of being queen of the Seven Kingdoms] with the help of her family and advisors like Tyrion. But she has no desire to be ruler of all of the Seven Kingdoms.”
Jacob Anderson - Grey Worm
Grey Worm was just as distraught and hardened by Missandei's death as Dany, and he went to some equally ruthless places. In the end, he accepts the council's proposal to choose a new king and releases Jon and Tyrion to serve out their respective "sentences" before taking The Unsullied to Missandei's home island of Naath.
Anderson shared the following Instagram pic thanking Grey Worm and the fans.
1. First Day. 2. Last Day. GoT was like the craziest school trip ever. A 6 year Adventure Weekend. Grey Worm. You went from a robot to a real boy. I’m proud of you. I’ll miss you bud. Thank you to everybody that cared about him and rooted for him. He was really scared at first, but you made him feel loved. He appreciates it. I asked him. Huge shout out to the Targs team: Nats, Emilia, Conleth, Peter, Iain, Ian, Michiel, Reece, Ed, Kit, Liam. Thank you for making the days so fun. Here’s to every single department behind the scenes that worked to the bone to make this show. They worked tirelessly everyday to make this thing, and they never get shout outs and they know that but they do it anyway. Here’s to you, you ragtag bunch of talented clever rascals. I love ya’ll. Thank you. Game of Thrones ENDS tonight on @hbo AT 9pm and @skyatlanticuk at 2am. I hope you enjoy it.
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Isaac Hempstead-Wright - Bran Stark
If you were to ask most Game of Thrones fans who the last person they'd want to see on the Iron Throne would be, there's a decent chance Bran would be a top answer.
Although he started out as a fan-favorite character, Bran's Three-Eyed Raven arc basically robbed him of all personality and turned him into an entirely new entity. Though it's clear than some of the Stark boy is still in there, nobody would have guessed that he'd end up being crowned ruler of the seven six kingdoms - although he will almost certainly be a good king.
As it turns out, actor Isaac Hempstead-Wright is fully aware that many people are going to take issue with Bran on the throne.
“Not everyone will be happy,” the young actor acknowledges.
“It’s so difficult to finish a series as popular as this without pissing some people off. I don’t think anybody will think it’s predictable and that’s as much as you can hope for. People are going to be angry. There’s going to be a lot of broken hearts. It’s ‘bittersweet,’ exactly as [saga author] George R.R. Martin intended. It’s a fitting conclusion to this epic saga.”
Joe Dempsie - Gendry Baratheon
Gendry didn't get a whole lot to do in the series finale (he actually only said the one word: "I"), but the former bastard of Robert Baratheon did emerge as a fan-favorite over the course of the show's eight seasons.
In an Instagram post, actor Joe Dempsie charted Gendry's journey and thanked his castmates.
Peter Dinklage - Tyrion Lannister
An alternate scene in which Tyrion was killed (presumably by Grey Worm) was reportedly shot, but, thankfully, they decided to give "The Imp" a happy ending. He does still have to preside over a bickering council, but at least he has a couple of old drinking buddies to keep him company in Bronn and Podrick.
Peter Dinklage hasn't commented on where Tyrion ends up, but he does have some strong opinions about Dany's actions, and, unlike his character, it sounds likehe may actually see where she was coming from.
“That’s what war is,” Dinklage says.
“Did we make the right choices in war? How much longer would [WWII] have gone on if we didn’t make horrible decisions? We love Daenerys. All the fans love Daenerys, and she’s doing these things for the greater good. ‘The greater good’ has been in the headlines lately… when freeing everyone for the greater good you’re going to hurt some innocents along the way, unfortunately.”
Gwendoline Christie - Brienne of Tarth
Brienne, who winds up on the Small Council with Tyrion, also believes that the writing was on the wall, and that Dany's eventual heel turn was inevitable.
“The signs have actually always been there,” Christie says.
“And they’ve been there in ways we felt at the time were just mistakes or controversial. At this time, it’s important to question true motives. This show has always been about power and, more than ever, it’s an interesting illustration that people in pursuit of power can come in many different forms and we need to question everything.”
Kit Harington - Jon Snow
Weighed down with the guilt of killing Dany and unsure if he did the right thing, Jon/Aegon returns to the Nights Watch - although the final shot suggests that he's going to desert and head into the real north with Tormund and the Wildlings.
Like Hempstead-Wright, Harington is fully aware that the events of the final season are "going to divide" - particularly Jon's decision to kill his Aunt.
“This is the second woman he’s fallen in love with who dies in his arms and he cradles her in the same way,” Harington notes.
“That’s an awful thing. In some ways, Jon did the same thing to [his Wilding lover] Ygritte by training the boy who kills her. This destroys Jon to do this.”
Emilia Clarke - Daenerys Targaryen
Emilia Clarke was not prepared for what happens her character, and it took her a long time to accept what she was reading in the final season script.
“I cried,” she admits.
“And I went for a walk. I walked out of the house and took my keys and phone and walked back with blisters on my feet. I didn’t come back for five hours. I’m like, ‘How am I going to do this?’”
Of course, Clarke found a way to come to terms with Dany's fate, and now sees something beautiful in the way she checks out.
“I thought she was going to die,” she continues.
“I feel very taken care of as a character in that sense. It’s a very beautiful and touching ending. Hopefully, what you’ll see in that last moment as she’s dying is: There’s the vulnerability — there’s the little girl you met in season 1. See? She’s right there. And now, she’s not there anymore…”
Despite the ruthless villain The Queen of Dragons arguably becomes by the end, Clarke concludes by saying that "can't not" stand by her complex character.