It’s the end of an era as TV’s most popular show, ‘Game of Thrones’ comes&nbsp;to an end. The show finale premiered today&nbsp;as thousands tuned in to watch someone finally take the Iron Throne and become the King of seven (no, six) kingdoms at the end of it all.&nbsp;

Amid disappointments, backlash and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/disappointed-with-season-8-game-of-thrones-fans-sign-a-petition-demanding-remake-219182">fans asking for a remake of season 8</a> by the makers as they thought that it was all rushed into, ‘Game of Thrones’ ended with several important characters surviving the Great War and the Last War. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-comes-to-an-end-emilia-clarke-sophie-turner-and-others-share-heartfelt-farewell-posts-on-social-media-220057">Also read what the cast has to say about the show closing down.</a>&nbsp;

**Read further at your own risk as there are spoilers ahead**

The finale, ‘GoT’ season 8 episode 6 opened to King’s Landing being reduced to rubble after the dragon queen burned it down in the last episode. Ash falling from the sky, huge piles of dead bodies, blood and stone and a gloomy grey tone is the key feature of this episode as makers emphasise on showing what has become of what was once the most thriving and rich place in the mystical land of Westeros. It will leave you numb as the camera pans and shows the loss -- the pain and emptiness that becomes of King’s Landing. Ramin Djawadi’s background score only adds to the story.&nbsp;

We see a battered, down-spirited Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow and Davos Seaworth as they inspect the destruction. On the other hand, Daenerys Targaryen who has won the war&nbsp;revels in what she achieved, after crushing her enemies and establishing a new world order. What will come as a shock to most fans is her sense of purpose and goal as she emphasises on bringing a new world order with her reign. After winning the war, she tells her army that the war still rages and that they will kill more people till she breaks the wheel and establishes&nbsp;‘good rule’ as she speaks of Winterfell, Dorne and other kingdoms. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-after-the-coffee-cup-water-bottles-make-appearances-in-the-finale-220082">Also read: After the coffee cup, water bottles make appearances in the finale</a>

She then orders Tyrion to be imprisoned after she accuses him of freeing his brother, Jaime. This was not before Tyrion threw his Hand of the King pin as he calls out her act of killing thousands of innocent people.&nbsp;

The makers also show the bodies of Jaime and Cersei Lannister as they die in each other’s arms in the dragon room under the Red Keep. The scene is sure to make you sad as it shows the two most important Lannisters reduced to just dead bodies.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the two heirs to the Iron Throne, Jon and Dany share a rather tricky relationship throughout the episode as he begs her to forgive Tyrion and to stop any future war as she has now become the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. When she refuses, Jon draws a dagger in her heart, killing her. This was after he had a word with Tyrion and the Imp tells him that he must choose his destiny before Dany does anything more unthinkable -- like harming her sisters who won’t bend the knee to the dragon queen.&nbsp;

What follows is an epic scene between Jon, Dany and Drogon who inspects that his mother is no more and comes to threaten Jon. The dragon&nbsp;ends up burning the Iron Throne that melts into just metal as if he understands that the throne is the root of all evil and the real reason why she dies.&nbsp;The Iron Throne dismembering at this juncture in the finale is symbolic of the future to come as it dawns a new style of rule.&nbsp;Post this, Drogon takes Dany's body with him as he flies away from King's Landing.&nbsp;

The rest of the episode following Dany’s death takes us to the impending question of who will now become the King. For the first time after the last season when we saw a council of people gather at King’s Landing to discuss important matters -- the makers bring together the important people of Westeros to choose a king including the surviving Starks like Bran, Sansa, Arya; Lord of the Vale, ruler of Dorne, Gendry Baratheon, Brienne of Tarth, Yara Greyjoy and others.&nbsp;

At this time, the Unsullied have both Tyrion and Jon who are their prisoners.&nbsp;When Tyrion is brought to the council of men and women as a prisoner, he guides them yet again to choose their king -- Bran Stark who everyone agrees on as it not only breaks the chain, establishes a new rule as Dany wanted but the&nbsp;fact that he can never bear a child establishes a rule that will not be governed by hierarchy but ability.

Tyrion then tells all the noble people that this would mean that the next King would not be born but chosen by people thus establishing a democratic rule in Westeros like the one that we have in the current form of governments.

Meanwhile, Sansa gets what she wants as she agrees to Bran’s ascension to the throne but on a condition that Winterfell and the North remain free and does not swear loyalty to King’s Landing. She ultimately gets crowned the Queen in the North. Her sister, Arya takes parting from her siblings as she reveals her plan of going westward of Westeros where the maps stop and no one knows what lies. She takes her own ship and crew as he flies under the banner of Starks.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ny-watch-party-has-mixed-reviews-on-game-of-thrones-finale-220045/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Towards the end, Bran chooses Tyrion as his Hand while Brienne, Samwell Tarly, Davos and Bronn join the table as his council of ministers. Jon is banished to Men of the Night’s Watch for the second time as Tyrion rightfully says that leaving him in the prison or letting him go free would start a war.

As a fan you might feel sad for Jon in the end as the true heir of the throne does not get the throne, nor does he get Winterfell but ends up in Nights’ Watch but thank God for Tommen who is at Castle Black as he takes the wildlings, Jon and Ghost with them to North of the Wall where maybe Jon will be third-time lucky and find his true love.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

It’s the end of an era as TV’s most popular show, ‘Game of Thrones’ comes to an end. The show finale premiered today as thousands tuned in to watch someone finally take the Iron Throne and become the King of seven (no, six) kingdoms at the end of it all.

It’s the end of an era as TV’s most popular show, ‘Game of Thrones’ comes to an end. The show finale premiered today as thousands tuned in to watch someone finally take the Iron Throne and become the King of seven (no, six) kingdoms at the end of it all. Amid disappointments, backlash and fans asking for a remake of season 8 by the makers as they thought that it was all rushed into, ‘Game of Thrones’ ended with several important characters surviving the Great War and the Last War. Also read what the cast has to say about the show closing down. **Read further at your own risk as there are spoilers ahead** The finale, ‘GoT’ season 8 episode 6 opened to King’s Landing being reduced to rubble after the dragon queen burned it down in the last episode. Ash falling from the sky, huge piles of dead bodies, blood and stone and a gloomy grey tone is the key feature of this episode as makers emphasise on showing what has become of what was once the most thriving and rich place in the mystical land of Westeros. It will leave you numb as the camera pans and shows the loss -- the pain and emptiness that becomes of King’s Landing. Ramin Djawadi’s background score only adds to the story. We see a battered, down-spirited Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow and Davos Seaworth as they inspect the destruction. On the other hand, Daenerys Targaryen who has won the war revels in what she achieved, after crushing her enemies and establishing a new world order. What will come as a shock to most fans is her sense of purpose and goal as she emphasises on bringing a new world order with her reign. After winning the war, she tells her army that the war still rages and that they will kill more people till she breaks the wheel and establishes ‘good rule’ as she speaks of Winterfell, Dorne and other kingdoms. Also read: After the coffee cup, water bottles make appearances in the finale She then orders Tyrion to be imprisoned after she accuses him of freeing his brother, Jaime. This was not before Tyrion threw his Hand of the King pin as he calls out her act of killing thousands of innocent people. The makers also show the bodies of Jaime and Cersei Lannister as they die in each other’s arms in the dragon room under the Red Keep. The scene is sure to make you sad as it shows the two most important Lannisters reduced to just dead bodies. Meanwhile, the two heirs to the Iron Throne, Jon and Dany share a rather tricky relationship throughout the episode as he begs her to forgive Tyrion and to stop any future war as she has now become the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. When she refuses, Jon draws a dagger in her heart, killing her. This was after he had a word with Tyrion and the Imp tells him that he must choose his destiny before Dany does anything more unthinkable -- like harming her sisters who won’t bend the knee to the dragon queen. What follows is an epic scene between Jon, Dany and Drogon who inspects that his mother is no more and comes to threaten Jon. The dragon ends up burning the Iron Throne that melts into just metal as if he understands that the throne is the root of all evil and the real reason why she dies. The Iron Throne dismembering at this juncture in the finale is symbolic of the future to come as it dawns a new style of rule. Post this, Drogon takes Dany's body with him as he flies away from King's Landing. The rest of the episode following Dany’s death takes us to the impending question of who will now become the King. For the first time after the last season when we saw a council of people gather at King’s Landing to discuss important matters -- the makers bring together the important people of Westeros to choose a king including the surviving Starks like Bran, Sansa, Arya; Lord of the Vale, ruler of Dorne, Gendry Baratheon, Brienne of Tarth, Yara Greyjoy and others. At this time, the Unsullied have both Tyrion and Jon who are their prisoners. When Tyrion is brought to the council of men and women as a prisoner, he guides them yet again to choose their king -- Bran Stark who everyone agrees on as it not only breaks the chain, establishes a new rule as Dany wanted but the fact that he can never bear a child establishes a rule that will not be governed by hierarchy but ability. Tyrion then tells all the noble people that this would mean that the next King would not be born but chosen by people thus establishing a democratic rule in Westeros like the one that we have in the current form of governments. Meanwhile, Sansa gets what she wants as she agrees to Bran’s ascension to the throne but on a condition that Winterfell and the North remain free and does not swear loyalty to King’s Landing. She ultimately gets crowned the Queen in the North. Her sister, Arya takes parting from her siblings as she reveals her plan of going westward of Westeros where the maps stop and no one knows what lies. She takes her own ship and crew as he flies under the banner of Starks. Towards the end, Bran chooses Tyrion as his Hand while Brienne, Samwell Tarly, Davos and Bronn join the table as his council of ministers. Jon is banished to Men of the Night’s Watch for the second time as Tyrion rightfully says that leaving him in the prison or letting him go free would start a war. As a fan you might feel sad for Jon in the end as the true heir of the throne does not get the throne, nor does he get Winterfell but ends up in Nights’ Watch but thank God for Tommen who is at Castle Black as he takes the wildlings, Jon and Ghost with them to North of the Wall where maybe Jon will be third-time lucky and find his true love.

'Game of Thrones' finale episode review: Time to bid goodbye to last dragon, Iron Throne and our favourite show

Chinese fans faced their own battles to watch the 'Game of Thrones' finale, scrambling for ways to see it after a delayed stream by rights-holder Tencent and staying off social media for hours to avoid spoilers of the popular show. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-finale-episode-review-time-to-bid-goodbye-to-last-dragon-iron-throne-and-our-favourite-show-220063">Read the review of the finale here.&nbsp;</a>

A group of 150 people gathered at a screening in Beijing's trendy "798" art district to see the final episode late Monday, hours after it aired in the United States.

"To be honest, I'm not very satisfied with (the finale) and a bit disappointed," said Ji Yuan, who stopped reading the news and China's Twitter-like Weibo site to avoid spoilers before joining the group at the 798 district.

Another fan, Liu Maodi, read all the books by "Game of Thrones" author George RR&nbsp;Martin and said he was "really disappointed" about the ending.

Easily dominating the discussion on Weibo was the death of top character Daenerys Targaryen, which generated the hashtag "#DragonMotherDies#" that briefly was the platform's most-viewed topic.

It was viewed more than 350 million times and generated nearly 80,000 comments, with many mourning the loss of the dragon-riding, slave-emancipating "Breaker of Chains" whose quest for the Iron Throne drove much of the plot.

"This kind of junk scriptwriter should be killed by a dragon," said one comment, echoing disappointment expressed by fans worldwide over the final season.

Season eight has been widely panned as rushing to a climactic conclusion, with fans particularly objecting to the Mother of Dragons' rapid descent into madness and tyranny.

"#DragonMotherDies# 2011-2019, I've been following the show for eight years, now this is what you got to show me?" said one angry commentator.

'Game of Thrones'&nbsp;has been hugely popular in China, spawning online fan organisations and group screenings.

This despite much of the show's notorious sex and gore being relegated to the cutting room floor by China's censors, prompting many to download pirated, uncensored versions.

"I think (censorship) is acceptable since we don't have a rating system here in China, so some of the bloody and violent scenes are not very suitable for young audiences," fan Jia Wang told AFP.

"The deleted scenes, in general, don't have much influence on the plot," she added.

Speaking before viewing the finale, she expected to "be very emotional" when the show ends.

"It has been accompanying me for so many years," Jia said.

Chinese Internet giant Tencent, which has shown censored versions online, announced Monday morning just before it was expected to air the finale that it would instead be delayed.

"Dear users, we are very sorry to notify you that Game of Thrones season 8 episode 6 will not be online on time due to media transmission problems," it said on Weibo.

It said a new broadcast time would be announced later, giving no further details.

That provoked grumbling online by fans, some of whom planned to take the morning off work to watch the last episode and had to find other ways to see the show.

"Even the cut-down version is delayed. It's really forcing people to watch the pirated version," one commenter complained.

After eight years of chivalry, sex, death and dragons, final-season buzz has been intense, making the finale one of the most hotly anticipated events in TV history.

The season seven finale set an all-time US record for premium cable TV with 16.5 million people watching live or streaming on the day of transmission and 15 million more tuning in later.

Airing in 170 countries, the show is also the most expensive ever, with a $15 million per episode budget in its final run.&nbsp;

Chinese fans faced their own battles to watch the 'Game of Thrones' finale, scrambling for ways to see it after a delayed stream by rights-holder Tencent and staying off social media for hours to avoid spoilers of the popular show.

Chinese fans faced their own battles to watch the 'Game of Thrones' finale, scrambling for ways to see it after a delayed stream by rights-holder Tencent and staying off social media for hours to avoid spoilers of the popular show. Read the review of the finale here. A group of 150 people gathered at a screening in Beijing's trendy "798" art district to see the final episode late Monday, hours after it aired in the United States. "To be honest, I'm not very satisfied with (the finale) and a bit disappointed," said Ji Yuan, who stopped reading the news and China's Twitter-like Weibo site to avoid spoilers before joining the group at the 798 district. Another fan, Liu Maodi, read all the books by "Game of Thrones" author George RR Martin and said he was "really disappointed" about the ending. Easily dominating the discussion on Weibo was the death of top character Daenerys Targaryen, which generated the hashtag "#DragonMotherDies#" that briefly was the platform's most-viewed topic. It was viewed more than 350 million times and generated nearly 80,000 comments, with many mourning the loss of the dragon-riding, slave-emancipating "Breaker of Chains" whose quest for the Iron Throne drove much of the plot. "This kind of junk scriptwriter should be killed by a dragon," said one comment, echoing disappointment expressed by fans worldwide over the final season. Season eight has been widely panned as rushing to a climactic conclusion, with fans particularly objecting to the Mother of Dragons' rapid descent into madness and tyranny. "#DragonMotherDies# 2011-2019, I've been following the show for eight years, now this is what you got to show me?" said one angry commentator. 'Game of Thrones' has been hugely popular in China, spawning online fan organisations and group screenings. This despite much of the show's notorious sex and gore being relegated to the cutting room floor by China's censors, prompting many to download pirated, uncensored versions. "I think (censorship) is acceptable since we don't have a rating system here in China, so some of the bloody and violent scenes are not very suitable for young audiences," fan Jia Wang told AFP. "The deleted scenes, in general, don't have much influence on the plot," she added. Speaking before viewing the finale, she expected to "be very emotional" when the show ends. "It has been accompanying me for so many years," Jia said. Chinese Internet giant Tencent, which has shown censored versions online, announced Monday morning just before it was expected to air the finale that it would instead be delayed. "Dear users, we are very sorry to notify you that Game of Thrones season 8 episode 6 will not be online on time due to media transmission problems," it said on Weibo. It said a new broadcast time would be announced later, giving no further details. That provoked grumbling online by fans, some of whom planned to take the morning off work to watch the last episode and had to find other ways to see the show. "Even the cut-down version is delayed. It's really forcing people to watch the pirated version," one commenter complained. After eight years of chivalry, sex, death and dragons, final-season buzz has been intense, making the finale one of the most hotly anticipated events in TV history. The season seven finale set an all-time US record for premium cable TV with 16.5 million people watching live or streaming on the day of transmission and 15 million more tuning in later. Airing in 170 countries, the show is also the most expensive ever, with a $15 million per episode budget in its final run.

Fire and ice: Chinese fans love, loathe 'Game of Thrones' finale

By now all ‘Game of Thrones’ fans can agree that there was nothing set in the world of Westeros as makers continuously switched plots and theories throughout the series to keep the ending of the show as suspenseful and real as possible. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-finale-episode-review-time-to-bid-goodbye-to-last-dragon-iron-throne-and-our-favourite-show-220063">Read the review of the finale episode here.&nbsp;</a>

*Spoilers ahead for the season eight finale of Game of Thrones*

With Bran The Broken getting crowned as the King of The Six Kingdoms, Jon Snow getting banished for killing Queen Daenerys Targaryen and Sansa being named as the Queen in the North as she got the North free from the clutches of the King’s Landing -- lot has happened that we didn’t anticipate in the finale episode.&nbsp;

While we can debate and argue over the finale being disappointing on many accounts, Sansa Stark’s character arc was one of the most satisfying. From being a coy girl who liked dressing up, sewing clothes, fantasising about marrying Joffrey Baratheon and having golden hair babies as she left her home Winterfell, Sansa underwent a lot of changes. She got manipulated, abused, tortured, raped, and almost saw death before she rose as a person who is now more observant, patient and knows the difference between what’s true and what's not&nbsp;&nbsp;

Through the last few seasons, after she saves Jon in the epic battle with Ramsey Bolton, Sansa emerges as someone who now understands the art of politics. For someone who was shown naive and often gullible, the elder of the Stark girls was able to get the North what they always wanted -- freedom from King’s Landing and their own ruler.&nbsp;

At the time of her coronation as the Queen in the North, if you look closely, Sansa’s dress and hair reveal more about her position and state of mind than any dialogue given to her in the show. A major change from dark black to light grey, her choice of colour in dress symbolises her state of mind. Dressed as a warrior and ready-to-fight Sansa opted for dark black in previous seasons but as the situation normalises in the finale and now that she is in control, she opts for a lighter shade.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
sansa stark did that <a href="https://t.co/NEFXdth9vs">pic.twitter.com/NEFXdth9vs</a>
— ophelie | got spoilers (@sophieturnyr) <a href="https://twitter.com/sophieturnyr/status/1130518700354879489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Her dress features red leaves, similar to those we have seen on the weirwood tree at the centre of a Godswood that is called a ‘heart tree’. It is the same tree that we have seen at Winterfell, where Arya kills the Night King as he attacks Bran in season 8 episode 3. If you remember, heart trees have faces carved into them which weep red tree sap from their eyes. Red stitching on the dress links the leaves on the fabric of Sansa's dress, which could be in reference to the red tree sap.

Sansa’s dress also has fish scales, a tribute to her mother Catelyn Stark and her ancestry. Her mother belonged to House Tully of Riverrun and their sigil is a silver trout. This only goes on to prove that Sansa has grown up to be a rooted woman who knows where she comes from --something that will help her to rule the North.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Sansa Stark's coronation (2019) oil on canvas. Artist: God herself <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GameOfThrones?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GameOfThrones</a> <a href="https://t.co/fspUWgFiRK">pic.twitter.com/fspUWgFiRK</a>
— Salsa Star (@monodelarctic) <a href="https://twitter.com/monodelarctic/status/1130505772415291393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Another important takeaway from her finale&nbsp;look was the hair, that was nothing fancy but said a lot at the same time. Sansa has been very particular about her hairstyle and as she grew, her circumstances changed and so did her style.

From following Queen Cersei’s southern braided style to keeping half hair open and half braided like that of Margaery Tyrell, she gave many hair styling lessons to young girls who followed the show. The braids went and were followed with loose pleating up until she returned to Winterfell. After she arrived at Winterfell, she adopted a style that the Northerners followed, especially her mother Catelyn. Fast-forward to the present and the Queen in the North, at the time of getting crowned wore her hair open, without any frills, without imitating anyone else’s style. Her hair gives an important clue about her new identity -- who she is now and what she embodies as a ruler. All hail Queen in the North! 
&nbsp;

By now all ‘Game of Thrones’ fans can agree that there was nothing set in the world of Westeros as makers continuously switched plots and theories throughout the series to keep the ending of the show as suspenseful and real as possible.

By now all ‘Game of Thrones’ fans can agree that there was nothing set in the world of Westeros as makers continuously switched plots and theories throughout the series to keep the ending of the show as suspenseful and real as possible. Read the review of the finale episode here. *Spoilers ahead for the season eight finale of Game of Thrones* With Bran The Broken getting crowned as the King of The Six Kingdoms, Jon Snow getting banished for killing Queen Daenerys Targaryen and Sansa being named as the Queen in the North as she got the North free from the clutches of the King’s Landing -- lot has happened that we didn’t anticipate in the finale episode. While we can debate and argue over the finale being disappointing on many accounts, Sansa Stark’s character arc was one of the most satisfying. From being a coy girl who liked dressing up, sewing clothes, fantasising about marrying Joffrey Baratheon and having golden hair babies as she left her home Winterfell, Sansa underwent a lot of changes. She got manipulated, abused, tortured, raped, and almost saw death before she rose as a person who is now more observant, patient and knows the difference between what’s true and what's not Through the last few seasons, after she saves Jon in the epic battle with Ramsey Bolton, Sansa emerges as someone who now understands the art of politics. For someone who was shown naive and often gullible, the elder of the Stark girls was able to get the North what they always wanted -- freedom from King’s Landing and their own ruler. At the time of her coronation as the Queen in the North, if you look closely, Sansa’s dress and hair reveal more about her position and state of mind than any dialogue given to her in the show. A major change from dark black to light grey, her choice of colour in dress symbolises her state of mind. Dressed as a warrior and ready-to-fight Sansa opted for dark black in previous seasons but as the situation normalises in the finale and now that she is in control, she opts for a lighter shade. sansa stark did that pic.twitter.com/NEFXdth9vs — ophelie | got spoilers (@sophieturnyr) May 20, 2019 × Her dress features red leaves, similar to those we have seen on the weirwood tree at the centre of a Godswood that is called a ‘heart tree’. It is the same tree that we have seen at Winterfell, where Arya kills the Night King as he attacks Bran in season 8 episode 3. If you remember, heart trees have faces carved into them which weep red tree sap from their eyes. Red stitching on the dress links the leaves on the fabric of Sansa's dress, which could be in reference to the red tree sap. Sansa’s dress also has fish scales, a tribute to her mother Catelyn Stark and her ancestry. Her mother belonged to House Tully of Riverrun and their sigil is a silver trout. This only goes on to prove that Sansa has grown up to be a rooted woman who knows where she comes from --something that will help her to rule the North. Sansa Stark's coronation (2019) oil on canvas. Artist: God herself #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/fspUWgFiRK — Salsa Star (@monodelarctic) May 20, 2019 × Another important takeaway from her finale look was the hair, that was nothing fancy but said a lot at the same time. Sansa has been very particular about her hairstyle and as she grew, her circumstances changed and so did her style. From following Queen Cersei’s southern braided style to keeping half hair open and half braided like that of Margaery Tyrell, she gave many hair styling lessons to young girls who followed the show. The braids went and were followed with loose pleating up until she returned to Winterfell. After she arrived at Winterfell, she adopted a style that the Northerners followed, especially her mother Catelyn. Fast-forward to the present and the Queen in the North, at the time of getting crowned wore her hair open, without any frills, without imitating anyone else’s style. Her hair gives an important clue about her new identity -- who she is now and what she embodies as a ruler. All hail Queen in the North!

From Little Bird to Queen: What this 'Game of Thrones' character's finale dress means

&nbsp;After eight seasons and 73 episodes, HBO's long-running smash series, 'Game of Thrones', wrapped up on Sunday, with one more shocking demise and an unlikely character named as king.

The last episode of the medieval fantasy based on the novels of George RR&nbsp;Martin ran roughly an hour and 20 minutes to conclude the storyline of more than a dozen characters and intertwining plots.

The fierce competition for the fictional Iron Throne - the seat for the show's ruler, made of hundreds of swords - ended with a death and an unexpected choice to rule the fictional kingdom of Westeros.

The series had become the cornerstone of HBO's primetime offerings, but its final season was also its most divisive, with both fans and critics finding specific plot twists, particularly the handling of one primary character, troubling.

HBO says the record-breaking final season drew 43 million viewers on average for each episode in the United States alone, an increase of 10 million over Season 7 in 2017.

Most notable in fans' criticism was the malevolent turn by Emilia Clarke's Daenerys Targaryen, the 'Dragon Queen,'&nbsp;who used her dragon to lay waste to the show's fictional capital after her enemies had surrendered.

The move angered fans, as the episode, titled 'The Bells,'&nbsp;now garners the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-season-8-is-the-lowest-rated-season-of-the-popular-series-218244">weakest ratings of all episodes in the eight-season</a> run on Rottentomatoes.com, which aggregates critics' reviews. Also, disappointed with season 8, 'Game of Thrones'<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/disappointed-with-season-8-game-of-thrones-fans-sign-a-petition-demanding-remake-219182"> fans signed a petition demanding remake.&nbsp;</a>

Brutal acts by Clarke's character in previous seasons were similar to those of other leaders, but many viewers saw the decision to kill tens of thousands of innocent people as too drastic, based on her previous actions.

The final episode features her death at the hands of Jon Snow, her lover (and nephew, among numerous incestuous relationships portrayed), played by Kit Harington, who kills her, fearing her tyranny merely mirrors that of predecessors.

Her last living dragon then burns the Iron Throne, melting it down with his fiery breath.

Without a ruler, numerous members of the show's noble houses eventually make an unexpected choice of king, settling on Brandon Stark, played by Isaac Hempstead Wright.

In the premiere episode in 2011, Brandon was pushed from a high tower, crippling him, but awakening mystical powers that eventually allowed him to see the past and the future.

Some critics viewed the Sunday episode's choice as odd since Stark's abilities implied he foresaw the events, including the deaths of thousands, that would leave him ruler.

"He's got the whole history of Westeros stockpiled in his head, so how is he going to be able to concentrate on running a kingdom?" wrote Rebecca Patton on Bustle.com.

From its ragged beginnings - its original pilot was never aired, instead of undergoing substantial re-shoots and recasting of several characters - the series became a cultural phenomenon.

Its budgets grew, with the last season's cost running as high as $15 million per episode, Variety says. It also won numerous primetime television Emmy Awards, including three for 'Best Drama.'

It became known for unexpected, nerve-wracking moments, including the first season's death of Eddard Stark, the nobleman played by Sean Bean, highlighted in a marketing campaign, and Season 3's 'Red Wedding,'&nbsp;a massacre in fictional wars that author Martin based on medieval Scottish history.

HBO, owned by AT&amp;T's WarnerMedia, is already planning a prequel series, set thousands of years earlier, while creators Dan Weiss and David Benioff are scheduled to make the next series of 'Star Wars'&nbsp;films.

After eight seasons and 73 episodes, HBO's long-running smash series, 'Game of Thrones', wrapped up on Sunday, with one more shocking demise and an unlikely character named as king.

After eight seasons and 73 episodes, HBO's long-running smash series, 'Game of Thrones', wrapped up on Sunday, with one more shocking demise and an unlikely character named as king. The last episode of the medieval fantasy based on the novels of George RR Martin ran roughly an hour and 20 minutes to conclude the storyline of more than a dozen characters and intertwining plots. The fierce competition for the fictional Iron Throne - the seat for the show's ruler, made of hundreds of swords - ended with a death and an unexpected choice to rule the fictional kingdom of Westeros. The series had become the cornerstone of HBO's primetime offerings, but its final season was also its most divisive, with both fans and critics finding specific plot twists, particularly the handling of one primary character, troubling. HBO says the record-breaking final season drew 43 million viewers on average for each episode in the United States alone, an increase of 10 million over Season 7 in 2017. Most notable in fans' criticism was the malevolent turn by Emilia Clarke's Daenerys Targaryen, the 'Dragon Queen,' who used her dragon to lay waste to the show's fictional capital after her enemies had surrendered. The move angered fans, as the episode, titled 'The Bells,' now garners the weakest ratings of all episodes in the eight-season run on Rottentomatoes.com, which aggregates critics' reviews. Also, disappointed with season 8, 'Game of Thrones' fans signed a petition demanding remake. Brutal acts by Clarke's character in previous seasons were similar to those of other leaders, but many viewers saw the decision to kill tens of thousands of innocent people as too drastic, based on her previous actions. The final episode features her death at the hands of Jon Snow, her lover (and nephew, among numerous incestuous relationships portrayed), played by Kit Harington, who kills her, fearing her tyranny merely mirrors that of predecessors. Her last living dragon then burns the Iron Throne, melting it down with his fiery breath. Without a ruler, numerous members of the show's noble houses eventually make an unexpected choice of king, settling on Brandon Stark, played by Isaac Hempstead Wright. In the premiere episode in 2011, Brandon was pushed from a high tower, crippling him, but awakening mystical powers that eventually allowed him to see the past and the future. Some critics viewed the Sunday episode's choice as odd since Stark's abilities implied he foresaw the events, including the deaths of thousands, that would leave him ruler. "He's got the whole history of Westeros stockpiled in his head, so how is he going to be able to concentrate on running a kingdom?" wrote Rebecca Patton on Bustle.com. From its ragged beginnings - its original pilot was never aired, instead of undergoing substantial re-shoots and recasting of several characters - the series became a cultural phenomenon. Its budgets grew, with the last season's cost running as high as $15 million per episode, Variety says. It also won numerous primetime television Emmy Awards, including three for 'Best Drama.' It became known for unexpected, nerve-wracking moments, including the first season's death of Eddard Stark, the nobleman played by Sean Bean, highlighted in a marketing campaign, and Season 3's 'Red Wedding,' a massacre in fictional wars that author Martin based on medieval Scottish history. HBO, owned by AT&T's WarnerMedia, is already planning a prequel series, set thousands of years earlier, while creators Dan Weiss and David Benioff are scheduled to make the next series of 'Star Wars' films.

'Game of Thrones' reaches its end, with one or two shocks left

Passions are running high as 'Game of Thrones'&nbsp;nears its final episode this weekend, with hundreds of thousands of unhappy fans signing an online petition and a counselling service offering to help those grieving the end of the TV fantasy saga.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-season-8-finale-teaser-a-grey-and-gloomy-kings-landing-and-its-people-218784">Watch the trailer of final episode of 'GoT' here.&nbsp;</a>

Some 600,000 fans worldwide had signed a Change.org petition by Thursday <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/disappointed-with-season-8-game-of-thrones-fans-sign-a-petition-demanding-remake-219182">criticising season 8 of the HBO series and calling for a remake.</a>

"This series deserves a final season that makes sense," said Dylan D, from Texas, who launched the "Remake Game of Thrones Season 8" petition ahead of Sunday's series finale.

The story of warring families in the fictional kingdom of Westeros has drawn to a close with ever more bloody battles and favourite characters being killed off.

"Season 8 was very disjointed and rushed. Characters were hastily written off and plots became twisted. It was not a good close to a great series!!!," wrote Marilyn Marnell, one of those signing the petition.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-5-review-looks-like-no-one-will-end-up-on-the-iron-throne-218305">Read the review of episode 5 here.&nbsp;</a>

HBO did not return a request for comment on the petition.

The show was created by David Benioff and DB&nbsp;Weiss, who have taken the story beyond George R.R. Martin's source material book series, 'A Song of Ice and Fire.'

Despite the criticism, the eighth and final season of the Emmy-winning series has broken records for HBO, which says it has so far averaged 43 million viewers per episode in the United States alone - a 10 million increase over Season 7 in 2017.

Among television critics,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-season-8-is-the-lowest-rated-season-of-the-popular-series-218244"> reviews </a>have gone from 92 percent positive for the Season 8 opener on April 14 to 47 percent favourable for the penultimate episode, "The Bells," which aired on May 12, according to review aggregator RottenTomatoes.com.

'The Bells'&nbsp;saw character Daenerys Targaryen descending into madness and destroying the Westerosi capital of Kings Landing with her dragon. Some fans thought that was too sharp a departure for Daenerys, who had previously said she wanted to create a better world.

"This is definitely not how it was supposed to go. Daenerys Targaryen has gone rogue," wrote CNN.com's AJ Willingham.

Meanwhile, British website Bark.com is launching a 'Game of Thrones'&nbsp;counselling service offering expert advice on how fans can deal with the loss of the show, which first aired in 2011.

"'Game of Thrones' is one of the most popular TV programs of our time, so I'm not surprised that people are devastated it's going to end," Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com, said in a statement.

"I think there will be a fair amount of superfans out there who will need to chat with a professional when the show ends.

Passions are running high as 'Game of Thrones' nears its final episode this weekend, with hundreds of thousands of unhappy fans signing an online petition and a counselling service offering to help those grieving the end of the TV fantasy saga.

Passions are running high as 'Game of Thrones' nears its final episode this weekend, with hundreds of thousands of unhappy fans signing an online petition and a counselling service offering to help those grieving the end of the TV fantasy saga. Watch the trailer of final episode of 'GoT' here. Some 600,000 fans worldwide had signed a Change.org petition by Thursday criticising season 8 of the HBO series and calling for a remake. "This series deserves a final season that makes sense," said Dylan D, from Texas, who launched the "Remake Game of Thrones Season 8" petition ahead of Sunday's series finale. The story of warring families in the fictional kingdom of Westeros has drawn to a close with ever more bloody battles and favourite characters being killed off. "Season 8 was very disjointed and rushed. Characters were hastily written off and plots became twisted. It was not a good close to a great series!!!," wrote Marilyn Marnell, one of those signing the petition. Read the review of episode 5 here. HBO did not return a request for comment on the petition. The show was created by David Benioff and DB Weiss, who have taken the story beyond George R.R. Martin's source material book series, 'A Song of Ice and Fire.' Despite the criticism, the eighth and final season of the Emmy-winning series has broken records for HBO, which says it has so far averaged 43 million viewers per episode in the United States alone - a 10 million increase over Season 7 in 2017. Among television critics, reviews have gone from 92 percent positive for the Season 8 opener on April 14 to 47 percent favourable for the penultimate episode, "The Bells," which aired on May 12, according to review aggregator RottenTomatoes.com. 'The Bells' saw character Daenerys Targaryen descending into madness and destroying the Westerosi capital of Kings Landing with her dragon. Some fans thought that was too sharp a departure for Daenerys, who had previously said she wanted to create a better world. "This is definitely not how it was supposed to go. Daenerys Targaryen has gone rogue," wrote CNN.com's AJ Willingham. Meanwhile, British website Bark.com is launching a 'Game of Thrones' counselling service offering expert advice on how fans can deal with the loss of the show, which first aired in 2011. "'Game of Thrones' is one of the most popular TV programs of our time, so I'm not surprised that people are devastated it's going to end," Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com, said in a statement. "I think there will be a fair amount of superfans out there who will need to chat with a professional when the show ends.

Dismayed or grieving, 'Game of Thrones' fans prepare for the final episode