Our Watch Has Ended.

[Spoiler Alert]

After eight years of nerve wracking drama, Game of Thrones has reached its bitter sweet end. Sticking to its brand of story telling with unexpected twists, GoT has yet again baffled us with a highly controversial final season. With more questions unanswered, majority of fans left unsatisfied and the fate of the central characters left ambiguous, the GoT final season has done the unexpected - as expected.

The outrage among the fans is quite understandable, because of their suffering along with the main characters far outweigh how things turned out in the end. But did you really expect the show to leave us with a satisfying end? This is the show that gave us the first shock with the beheading of Ned Stark, The Red Wedding, whatever mulch that was left of Prince Oberyn's head and the violation of Sansa. Nothing good ever comes out of war. If there is anything that this show has taught us, it is that things are never going to be the way we want them to be. The creators of the show had told that they are following George.R.R.Martin's plot points. There is no reason to believe he would create a happily-ever-after ending for this epic saga.

#OberynIsBae

If it's Cersei's blood you are after, a certain poetic justice has been dealt here. Cersei faced the complete destruction of her empire and her troops before having to flee to the dungeons. She spent the last moments of her life facing utter defeat and the certain death of Jaime and her child - which is probably worse than any execution that can be sentenced. Also, do not forget the walk of shame.

Instead of fixating on the seemingly hurried episodes, I would prefer to enjoy the fact that most of the protagonists got what they wanted the most, in the end. Amidst all the disappointment due to Cersei's death and Daenerys' madness, the creators of the show have left us with a bitter-sweet ending to the three major character arcs in the story.

#NotToday Courtesy : Wisnu Tan

Lets admit it, Arya Stark is arguably one of the most badass characters to ever appear on prime time television. Most of the pivotal moments in this series always has something to do with her. Always considered as a rebel and wild child from childhood, nobody ever realized her true potential. Under the shadow of Sansa - always the proper and prim lady - Arya did not succumb to her training to become a lady of the realm. When Sansa named her wolf Lady, Arya chose to name her wolf after the witch queen Nymeria. For such a character, you would never expect a settled-down life after the war. She turns down the option to be the lady of Storm's End and a married life with Gendry. Arya embarks on a voyage to answer the question "what is west of Westeros?", in a way that the viewer is reminded of Frodo's final journey to the immortal elvish land.

For a proper lady thrown into the midst of all the murky politics of King's Landing, witnessing her father's beheading and surviving Joffrey and Ramsey, Sansa has matured from a sheltered little bird into a leader for whom men would wage wars. At the beginning of the series, one would never imagine her to become the leader of the north. But through immense suffering and feats of survival, Sansa has become what she always wanted to be - The Queen in the North.

On the whole, GoT gets rid of a lot of gender stereotypes. Most of the ass-kicking is done by women. While petty men squabble over the illusion of power, the women in the background like Cersei, Olenna Tyrrell and Catelyn Stark manipulate whole armies and nations to get things done. Characters like Arya, Brienne, and Yara Greyjoy take up the mantle of fierce warriors and assassins to mow down their enemies.

Jon Snow's contributions to the plot remains modest, yet essential. Rather than being the stereotypical fantasy male hero, Jon Snow is more of an enabler for greater things to come. He rallies the free folk to migrate south, and convinces the people of Winterfell and the Night's Watch to accept the free folk. His love for Daenerys contains her madness long enough to utilize her armies against the Night King. Even though he is a seasoned warrior, he is not portrayed as your typical broadsword swinging berserker. His disinterest in taking up the mantle of the king, even when he had the most legitimate claim on the throne, is an example of positive masculinity. It is a fitting end to the character that he gets to spend the rest of his days north of the wall, perhaps cherishing the memories of Ygritte.

No matter whatever different views the fans might have about the final season, lets not forget the influence of this show. Game of Thrones is the decade-defining TV show, the poster child of the golden age of television. We waited for every episode, with quiet prayers for the health of our favourite characters, friends gathered in front of the TV, wagers being placed and toasts made for a fallen character. This is one of the few cultural phenomena that enraptured a generation. Our parents had Star Trek, Cheers and M.A.S.H. We have Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad.

Valar Morghulis.