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

&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

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

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