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The Iron Throne (Game of Thrones)

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This article is about the TV episode. For the plot device, see Iron Throne (A Song of Ice and Fire).

"The Iron Throne"
Game of Thrones episode
Episode no.Season 8
Episode 6
Directed by
Written by
  • David Benioff
  • D. B. Weiss
Featured musicRamin Djawadi
Cinematography byJonathan Freeman
Editing byKatie Weiland
Original air dateMay 19, 2019 (2019-05-19)
Running time80 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Bells" 		Next →
—
Game of Thrones (season 8)
List of episodes

"The Iron Throne" is the series finale of the American fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones. It is the sixth episode of the eighth season and the 73rd overall episode of the series. Written and directed by the series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, it aired on HBO in the United States and Canada on May 19, 2019.

"The Iron Throne" features the characters dealing with the aftermath of Daenerys Targaryen's destruction of King's Landing, and determining who will finally rule Westeros.

Plot

Jon and Davos survey the destruction Daenerys wrought on King's Landing while she took the city from Cersei, while Tyrion finds Cersei and their brother Jaime's corpses in the ruins of the Red Keep. Grey Worm executes Lannister soldiers, saying Daenerys ordered it. Daenerys declares to the Unsullied and Dothraki armies that she will liberate the entire world. Tyrion publicly resigns as Daenerys' Hand in protest, and is arrested for treason. Arya warns Jon that because of his Targaryen heritage, Daenerys will kill him as a threat to her rule. Tyrion tells Jon that despite Jon's love for Daenerys, it is Jon's duty to kill her for being the people's greatest threat. Tyrion also warns that Jon's adoptive sisters Arya and Sansa will not obey her.

In the throne room, Jon confronts Daenerys, who justifies the deaths of the civilians she incinerated by blaming Cersei for using them as human shields. Convinced only she and he can determine what is good, she will not forgive Tyrion or the Lannister prisoners, arguing that their executions — and a continued liberation campaign — are necessary to establish her vision of a good world. Unable to dissuade her, a conflicted Jon reaffirms his fealty to her and stabs her as they kiss. Jon grieves; Drogon melts the Iron Throne and carries her corpse away. Jon is arrested.

Some time later, Westeros' most powerful lords and ladies convene to decide their next ruler. Tyrion, still a prisoner, suggests that future kings and queens be chosen by the nobility instead of inheriting the crown. Tyrion nominates Bran; the rest agree, except for Bran's sister Sansa, who declares the North's secession from the Seven Kingdoms. Bran agrees, appoints Tyrion to be his "Hand", and sentences Jon to rejoin the Night's Watch for murdering Daenerys, to appease the Unsullied and Yara Greyjoy. Grey Worm leads the Unsullied to Naath, Missandei's homeland.

Tyrion reorganizes the Small Council to include Bronn (now Lord of Highgarden), Brienne, Davos, and Sam, and they begin planning to rebuild King's Landing. Bran, attended to by a newly-knighted Ser Podrick Payne, briefly meets with the Council and tasks himself with finding Drogon.

In the epilogue, Arya sets sail to explore the uncharted seas west of Westeros; Sansa is crowned Queen in the North by the Northern lords; and Jon, reunited with Tormund and Ghost, leads the Wildlings to their homeland beyond the Wall.

Production

Writing

The episode was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.

Filming

The episode was directed by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.

During filming of the Dragonpit scene in Seville, Spain, HBO brought uninvolved actors to the city to hide plot points.[1] Two plastic water bottles were spotted by the audience behind John Bradley and Liam Cunningham's feet.[2][3]

Reception

Ratings

The episode was viewed by 13.6 million viewers on its initial live broadcast on HBO, making it the most watched episode of the series, surpassing the preceding episode "The Bells", as well as the most watched HBO telecast ever, surpassing the 13.4 million viewers of The Sopranos episode "For All Debts Public and Private". An additional 5.7 million viewers watched on streaming platforms, for a total of 19.3 million viewers.[4][5]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 49% based on 122 reviews, and an average rating of 6.4 out of 10.[6] The website's critical consensus reads: "If nothing else, 'The Iron Throne' is a bittersweet – if unfortunately bland – series finale that ensures Game of Thrones fans will linger on the fate of their favorite characters for some time. Will they ever be satisfied by the show's conclusions? Ask us again in 10 years."[6]

James Poniewozik of The New York Times wrote that "as a finale, “The Iron Throne” was limited by the story arc that led up to it. But it also recalled the epic and intimate moments that made “Game of Thrones” a genuinely exciting, absorbing appointment."[7] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post wrote that in this episode, the series "sailed (and trotted) off to a noble and perhaps anticlimactic end." "It was everything nobody wanted", but was "adequately just, narratively symmetrical and sufficiently poignant."[8] Laura Prudom of IGN wrote that the "bittersweet" but "hopeful" finale was "not a disaster", but also "not quite the dream of spring we might've hoped for", "struggling to resolve many of the show's lingering plot threads in a satisfying and coherent conclusion, and once again falling victim to the season's needlessly truncated episode order."[9]

Critics took issue with the episode's pacing and final revelations. Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic wrote that the finale was "tonally odd, logically strained, and emotionally thin" and a "drama turned into a sitcom". Lenika Cruz, also writing for The Atlantic, wrote that the episode had "pacing issues, rushed character development, tonal dissonance, the lack of attention to detail, unexplained reversals, and weak dialogue".[10] Kelly Lawler of USA Today wrote that for a series about "tragedy and injustice", its show became "unrecognizable" because its finale was instead "hacky", "cliched" and "pandering"; the show "didn't gracefully swerve into another lane, it careened off a cliff."[11] Inkoo Kang of Slate wrote that "We know governance is complicated, and the show’s depiction of those complications is one of the reasons why it initially felt so refreshingly relatable - but the finale’s argument that an abdication of responsibility is the best we can hope for in a leader - feels lazy and false."[12] Soumya Srivastava of The Hindustan Times wrote that the episode was the second worst of the series (behind the prior episode "The Bells"), featuring time-wasting moments even in the midst of "the hurry to get to the finish line", and illogical storylines such as Daenerys failing to realize Jon was a threat, and Jon's parentage amounting to nothing of importance.[13]

Conversely, TV Guide's consensus concluded that the Game of Thrones finale "finished strong," ranking it #33 on the list of all 73 episodes.[14][15] Richard Roeper, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote that "over all, the finale was a solid and largely satisfying wrap-up to one of the most exciting and enthralling TV series ever," and was "melancholy, bittersweet, twist-filled and at times surprisingly humorous." [16] Lucy Mangan of The Guardian gave a 4/5 rating, stating that "the finale just about delivered. It was true to the series' overall subject – war, and the pity of war – and, after doing a lot of wrong to several protagonists last week, did right by those left standing."[17] Hugh Montgomery of BBC also rated the episode 4/5, writing that the finale largely satisfies "on the terms the creators have [previously] set out" in the "ruinous" penultimate episode. Bran becoming king was "true to the show’s sense of realpolitik" as a "contingently happy ending", whereas the show "provides an efficient, if disappointingly uncontroversial, ending" for Jon, Arya and Sansa.[18] Karl Quinn of The Age wrote that the show "may have resolved itself" too quickly in dramatic terms, but Bran's ascension "made perfect sense" thematically" according to the show's "anti-war and anti-despot themes". Quinn stated "After all the bloodshed, butchery and burning, Game of Thrones ended not with a bang but with a ballot."[19]

References

  1. ^ Hempstead Wright, Isaac (May 20, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' Star Isaac Hempstead Wright on His Path to That "Extraordinary" Ending (Guest Column)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  2. ^ Picheta, Rob (May 20, 2019). "A Song of Coffee and Water: 'Game of Thrones' leaves plastic bottle in shot during finale". CNN. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  3. ^ Betz, Bradford (May 20, 2019). "Fans spot apparent water bottle gaffe in 'Game of Thrones' series finale: report". Fox News. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  4. ^ "'Game of Thrones' finale sets new viewership record". CNN. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  5. ^ "GAME OF THRONES Concludes with All-Time HBO Record; BARRY Quadruples Prior Season Finale". HBO PR Medium. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "The Iron Throne". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  7. ^ Poniewozik, James (May 21, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' Comes in for a Crash Landing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  8. ^ Stuever, Hank. "The 'Game of Thrones' finale, while lacking, goes out on an important note: Stories matter". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  9. ^ Prudom, Laura. "Game of Thrones Episode 6 Review". IGN. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  10. ^ Sims, David; Kornhaber, Spencer; Cruz, Lenika. "Did Viewers Win or Lose in the Game of Thrones?". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  11. ^ Lawler, Kelly. "'Game of Thrones' series finale recap: A disaster ending that fans didn't deserve". USA Today. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  12. ^ Kang, Inkoo. "Game of Thrones' Ending Betrayed the Show's Lofty Ambitions". Slate. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  13. ^ Srivastava, Soumya. "Game of Thrones finale review The Iron Throne: A disappointing end as all prophecies, secrets, plotlines are set on fire". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  14. ^ "Here's Where Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 6 'The Iron Throne' Falls in Our Ranking | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  15. ^ "Game of Thrones: Every Episode Ranked From Worst to Best : 33. "The Iron Throne" (S8E6) | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved May 22, 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  16. ^ Roeper, Richard. "'Game of Thrones' finale review: Enthralling series comes to a satisfying end". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  17. ^ Mangan, Lucy. "Game of Thrones review – epic final episode corrects some major wrongs". The Guardian. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  18. ^ Montgomery, Hugh. "How good is the Game of Thrones finale?". BBC News. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  19. ^ Quinn, Karl (May 20, 2019). "Why that Game of Thrones finale made perfect sense (but yes, it was rushed)". The Age. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
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