The Final Seasons: What Would You Have Done?

[CaptainWagner]

So there's clearly a lot of dissatisfaction with how the show reached its conclusion and lots of people who have their own ideas about how it could have been made to work better. I have my own ideas (Both with keeping 2 seasons and with taking the full 10 season run HBO offered) that I'm perfecting to post later, but I wanted to make a place for us to share and discuss the different ways this could have been done better. I can't wait to hear everyone's ideas!

 

[Fist of Khonshu]

Seasons 7 and 8 would have 10 episodes each so there would be a little more time for Jon and Dany to fall in love, for the "Great War" against the Army of the Dead, and for Dany's dark descent.

Dany arrived in Westeros with too much force so the writers made Tyrion into a military moron and Euron into a diabolus ex machina in order to balance the scales. To solve this problem, we need to go back and make changes in Season 6.

Dany arrived with 40,000 Dothraki, so I would eliminate them or radically reduce their number. It's doubtful that so many would be willing to leave their families, give up their lifestyle of raiding and pillaging, and cross an ocean they fear --all for no profit to them. Most of this horde did not actually see Dany walk out of the burning Temple of the Dosh Kaleen and would be skeptical. Many others would be fearful and flee. So perhaps just those who witnessed it will believe Dany is a "goddess" and will be willing to leave their lands and fight for her -- let's say 2000 so that she has at least some kind of cavalry component proportionate to her Unsullied infantry.

I also found it unbelievable that sellswords like the Second Sons would just stay put as policemen guarding Mereen indefinitely --especially after Dany dumped Daario and abandoned them for good, so let's take them to Westeros too, and have Daario get killed in the first battle over there, perhaps in an epic duel with Bronn. 100 Unsullied can stay behind to keep the peace in Mereen and more importantly, start training Mereenese ex-slaves to be soldiers.

This way Dany has maybe 80% less troops not counting her Ironborn, Dornish, and Reachish allies.

Also during Season 6 (or even 5), the leaders in King's Landing receive intel about Dany's control of Slaver's Bay as well as the rapid growth of her dragons. They take this eventual threat seriously and begin developing and producing many scorpion ballistae much earlier so that they are more prepared by the time Dany will arrive.

There will be no wight hunt nor undead Viserion destroying the Wall. The Night King will shatter the eastern edge of the Wall with the quake powers that he demonstrated in "The Door", and perhaps freeze the sea over there too. The Wall's enchantment is negated by Bran's passing it with the Night King's mark which he will explain to folks at Winterfell.

Jon and Dany's romantic attraction will be better written and directed and occur more slowly. The script told us things instead of showing us, e.g. Davos told Jon that he noticed that Jon was staring at Dany's chest but we never saw that at all, they never checked each other out or gave looks. Only when Jon left for Eastwatch did she look at him 'longingly' all of a sudden. We need more attraction body language and visual cues so it's more believable when they give in to it!

I still need to contemplate the rest...some ideas swirling about are Cersei losing initially and retreating West to Casterly Rock, but still looting the Reach and hiring the Golden Company, still capturing Ellaria and slaughtering the damned Sand Snakes while the Dead take the North. A bunch of red priests from Volantis arrive with Mel, and Dany has to shift forces to the Neck to help defeat the Dead before they overrun everything. Cersei retakes King's Landing when the GC arrive.

 

[x-er]

I think this could be merged with the thread about the ending.

 

[CaptainWagner]

I'm spending way too much time theorizing on what I would have wrote with the 10 seasons HBO offered, but til that's done, I took all the basic story beats from D&D's ending and expanded them into full 10 episode seasons:

Season 7
I think Tyrion's reasoning for not immediately attacking King's Landing is legitimate. Add two episodes to the first half of the season, allowing Yara and the Sand Snakes to reach Dorne and establish the mystery prince. This also gives Euron a more realistic means of ambushing them on their return journey. We also now have more time to develop the romance between Jon and Dany and give more depth to Randall and Dickon Tarly. Personally, I picture Jaime developing a connection to Dickon, they both have similar relationships to similar fathers.

Add the third extra episode onto the end of the season to further flesh out Jon's journey beyond the Wall and have that whole series of events actually make sense. This also gives more time for the Littlefinger's manipulations of the Stark siblings in Winterfell to play out.

Season 8
Add a new episode before "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms". This frees space to show Cersei and Euron preparing for whichever army makes its way South and lets us see Yara and Theon retake the Iron Islands together before Theon leaves for Winterfell.

Add an episode after "The Long Night" focused on the North's reaction to their victory. This allows time for Arya's reaction to be fully explored and further establish Dany's increasing fear that she will never be seen as more than an invader. This frees up time, allowing Cersei to freak out and go to confess her anxiety to the one person she knows will never tell: The still imprisoned Ellaria Sand.

Episode 6 then ends with Cersei ambusing Dany after killing Missandei. Tyrion barely survives as the Golden Company inflict heavy damages. (You know, actually doing something) Dany is more clearly on the brink of doing something awful, lashes out at Tyrion.

Expand "The Iron Throne" into 3 final episodes. "The Iron Throne" plays out about as expected, with the exclusion of Ellaria being freed by Dany. (Since apparently the Keep's cells survived the destruction) As Drogon flies away with Dany's body, Jon surrenders to Grey Worm, hoping to die. In "A Wise Man", Grey Worm is, rather than vengeful, simply broken. He wants to go home, while the Dothraki want to pillage. Ellaria keeps Jon and Tyrion alive as leverage, for Davos has summoned all the armies of the 7 Kingdoms. When they arrive, the Dothraki attack, but are mostly eliminated. The rest scatter. Grey Worm exchanges Jon and Tyrion for passage out of Westeros with his remaining men. In "A Dream of Spring" all the remaining lords and ladies meet. The outcome is the same, but first Bronn must convince the counsel to accept him as Lord of Highgarden and Yara must come to grips that the Iron Islands is strongest united with the other kingdoms. Bran's knowledge and wisdom aids in these proceedings, leading Tyrion to name him king. The rest of the endings play out the same, though Ellaria is Master of War on Bran's Small Counsel.

 

[Marvolo]

What would I have done? Well, I would have started by showing D&D the door when they refused to do 10 episodes each in season 7 and 8. Then I would have asked Cogman to be showrunner, and if he needed more seasons to tell the end of the story properly.

 

[Yowza]

I would stop watching after Season 6 and slowly have my interest cooled off afterwards when noticing the series headed downhill quality wise (knowledge books haven't wrapped up yet sort of merits this trepidation). Oh wait that's what I did do! Now, I at least have some sort of ending in my head that works better.

I'll still check out these later seasons at some point but want the newer book out to see if it offsets some of the creative decisions show wise or maybe it won't... I suppose we'll see.

 

[CaptainWagner]

I was thinking the other day, if they had taken the 10 season deal and actually developed the plotlines they cut, do you think they could have gotten Sean Connery to come out of retirement and guest star as Lord Leyton Hightower? I think that could have been a brilliant role for him, and, had they kept going strong, they could have sold him on doing it.

 

[CaptainWagner]

The Last War Chapter 1 - Dragonstone, a game of thrones fanfic | FanFiction

A link to my prose-form alternate ending. I started the rewrite with Season 7, integrating a bunch of things that got left out and trying to fix the plot holes. Arianne Martell, Darkstar, Alleras, Tytos Blackwood and the Manderlys all show up. Euron actually uses sorcery. It's a fun time. You should totally check it out.

I'm also turning some of the chapters into spec scripts, which is a lot of fun. For example:

The women respectfully bow as Daenerys passes them, but it is clear they are sizing up for the first time this girl they have named their queen.

Once the arriving party is safely out of earshot...

ELLARIA
I didn’t think she’d bring the d*** imp.

OLENNA
(Shrugs and heads in)
I thought she’d be taller.
​

They really missed a golden opportunity by having those two become "buddy-buddy" so fast. Olenna should have had a heyday mocking the paramour-turned-self-proclaimed-Princess of Dorne.

 

[The Big G]

What would I have done? Well, I would have started by showing D&D the door when they refused to do 10 episodes each in season 7 and 8. Then I would have asked Cogman to be showrunner, and if he needed more seasons to tell the end of the story properly.

Amen.

But in all seriousness...as much as I disliked the endings...there are much better ways D&D could have gotten there as well as give pay outs to the story threads they had established in Season 6 and 7.

So here we go!

First off...season 7 is ten episodes.

1 & 2: Same

3: Same. Except Jon also mentions Rhaegar "kidnapping & raping" Lyanna which throws Dany off guard completely. She looks to Varys who sadly nods and confirms what Jon said.

4: Jon/Dany start actually getting to know one another. Its clear that while they dont' completely trust one another...they seem to get along. Tyrion and Dany muse about a marriage alliance. Tyrion suggests that it would be a good way to mend the bad blood between the Targs and Starks. Dany is lukewarm on the idea but she concedes that she knew she would have to marry once in Westeros. And they joke that she could do far worse than Jon Snow. We get the cave scene. Episode ends with Dany leading the Dothraki against Jamie. Sansa and Arya start to "bond" again and realize that Baelish is up to no good.

5. First half is Dany & Dothraki vs Lannisters. Goes about the same. Except Bron gets mortally burned by Drogon and dies. Jamie manages to make it back to KL and is freaking out. Dany arrives back and DS, Jorah shows up. Jon gets word back from Winterfell that Arya and Bran are alive. Jon and Dany have a discussion about siblings. And Jon & Jorah talk about Jeor. Much to Dany's surprise Jon and Jorah get along rather well and it makes her happy. Varys informs her that due to Ellaria and the Sand Snake are missing, Dorne is in a bit of a succession crises and due to Olenna's death the Tyrells are no more. Her allies and dwindling so she needs the support of the vale, the north and the riverlands.

6. More Jon and Dany. Jon receives word from Bran that the NK is on the move. They come up the "brilliant" plan to go catch a wight.on receives word from Bran that the NK is on the move. They come up the "brilliant" plan to go catch a wight.

7. tyrion meets with Jamie, Davos brings Gendry back. Jon and Gendry bond. Dany is moody that Jon is leaving. Also enter new Dornish Prince.

8. Episode begins with the Snowicide Squad going beyond the wall and ends with them trapped on the lake. Meanwhile Dany tries to win additional allies in Westeros. Introduce the Hightowers.

9. Dany goes off beyond the wall to save Jon and Co.

10. The meeting at the Dragonpit/Jon parent reveal/Boatsex/trial of littlefinger

Really all Season 7 needed was better pacing toward the end. Splitting up beyond the wall into episodes 8/9 makes things flow better. Also giving Jon and Dany two more episodes of them interacting sells us better on them being in love. And makes Jon's decision to go get the wight more heartbreaking for Dany.

Season 8.

1-3: If you REALLY wanted too. You could keep these episodes pretty much the same, BUT Jon should have his showdown with the Night King. He doesn't have to actually beat the Night King. But for Godzilla's sake at least give us a fight between the two. Arya can still come in and kill steal it. Or better yet. Have NK beat Jon go in for the kill, Arya does her ninja attack and Knife trick and Both Jon and Arya stab the NK.

4. This episode needs to be PURELY about the Post Long Night. It needs to be about Jon coming to terms with his parents. Have Bran show Jon the past of Rhaegar and Lyanna. Jon accepts this and starts to accept who he is. Dany also drops the boat baby bomb on him. He tries to be a bridge between his sisters and Dany...and unfortunately its not working. Dany's becoming paranoid, Sansa power hungry, and Arya just starts dissociating from everyone. Episode ends with Jon telling his sibs the truth of his parentage and that he plans to marry Daenerys.

5-7. The KL fiasco. You can keep the deaths, but instead of Dany getting triggered by Bells. Have Cersei go mad and burn the city with wildfyre. But have the people debate on whether it was cersei or dany who caused the city to burn. Arc ends with Dany ascending the throne.

8-10. Dany vs Westeros/Sansa/The wheel.
Act I
Dany focuses on rebuilding KL and plans her marriage to Jon. Meanwhile Sansa starts playing her game to get rid of Dany. Tyrion is becoming more skeptical while Jon really starts to REALLY REALLY dislike politics. Tries to convince Dany that they should just leave on Drogon's back to go live in peace. Dany says, they'll always hunt us. Jon relents. The two get married. Dany is over the moon, Jon is happy but worried.

Act II

Dany gives birth to their child. Both are happy, but the people start complaining about the Dothraki and Unsullied. The Dothraki ended up settling in the Reach. And the Unsullied act like a occupying force. Tensions are thick. Sansa schemes. The Dothraki cause problems, Dany is forced to use Drogon to put down an uprising. She's is forced to send them back.

Act III

Sansa sees that Dany's power is weakened so she convinces Arya to kill Dany. Arya goes to kill the Queen, but Jon stops her. Tells her if she wants to kill Dany, she has to kill him. Arya runs, but Dany tells Jon it's too late. And that she's been poisoned by Tyrion. Its a slow acting poision that will eat away at her and drive her crazy. Jon grants her a merciful death. And then escapes with their child to go live with the Free Folk. Tyrion is held on trial and sentenced to Death. Bran becomes King, Sansa becomes Queen of the North but Ayra tells her that she's the lone wolf now and that Sansa will die alone and sad.