“There were a couple of good moments but overall it left far too many unanswered questions to ever be satisfying.”
– Bethan
“It would have been a fitting finale if it had been a trashier show, but given the first few seasons were outstanding it was a massive let down.”
– Natalie
What are these TellyJuicers talking about? The Game of Thrones finale obviously! For the last month or so GOT has been the first topic of conversation on a Tuesday morning. Unfortunately, the season finale was something of a damp squib.
I am one of a select few in the TJ Towers who hasn’t been religiously following the antics of the wizardy dragony people (like I said, never watched it). However, in the aftermath of the final episode, the pain of those who had committed nine years to this show was palpable.
When you invest in a TV series and its characters, when you carve out time out of your busy schedule for it, and when you use up a massive amount of brain power second-guessing what will happen, a series finale really matters. However consistently good the show has been during its run, it’s those last few moments which will define whether you turn off the TV satisfied or leave with a distinct feeling of “meh”.
So what did we like?
A straw poll around the office of favourite finales included Blackadder Goes Forth, Six Feet Under, Fleabag, Breaking Bad, The UK Office (technically a Christmas special but still counts I think) and, controversially as this was also amongst the most hated too, Lost.
It doesn’t have to be “happy ever after” but looking at these favourites, although very different, there are some common threads which seem to help a swansong hit the sweet spot. A good splattering of pathos, a nod to what lies ahead for the characters you’ve grown to love, some resolutions and room for some questions to remain unanswered all seem to go down well with audiences. These endings might not be all singing and dancing but they give the viewer credit and give them permission to feel genuine sadness about not seeing the characters again.
Some finale thoughts
I am a bit of a commitment-phobe when faced with shows longer than a couple of seasons so my respect for viewers that stick with something to the very end is huge. I am also impressed with the speed at which dedicated fans can churn out the memes.
So, as a mark of respect to all those who stuck with “Thrones” to the bitter end, here are a selection of the TellyJuice team’s top memes that only you will appreciate (I personally have no clue what they are about but can marvel at the Photoshop skills)…
