Much to the chagrin of its legions of fans and the bean counters at HBO, Game of Thrones will, one day, come to an end. Given the things we’ve seen so far in the series, some of which we can’t possibly unsee, the temptation here is to assume that the whole thing will come to an end the same way many of its characters’ runs have come to an end… in a dramatic, graphic flurry of swords and blood and fire and limbs zipping across the night sky of Westeros. But in a recent interview with the Observer, creator George R.R. Martin reiterated that a violent apocalyptic spectacle on the last page isn’t necessarily his intention. His goal, inspired by his longtime admiration of Tolkien, is something more along the lines of “bittersweet.”
I mean, it’s no secret that Tolkien has been a huge influence on me, and I love the way he ended Lord of the Rings. It ends with victory, but it’s a bittersweet victory. Frodo is never whole again, and he goes away to the Undying Lands, and the other people live their lives. And the scouring of the Shire—brilliant piece of work, which I didn’t understand when I was 13 years old: “Why is this here? The story’s over?” But every time I read it I understand the brilliance of that segment more and more
What would a bittersweet ending for Game of Thrones look like? Well, that depends on the things that happen between now and then, and who manages to survive the next couple thousand pages. But for the sake of fun, let’s go with… oh, I don’t know… Daenerys becomes queen of Westeros, but all of her dragons die in battle, and the series fades to black as she sings “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” by Whitney Houston at a royal funeral for them. A royal dragon funeral.
(Via Observer)
