HBO.com
So I went back and watched every episode of this season so I could have full context for the finale. Were there some soft spots? Yes. But overall I think the criticism is over the top. It's become cool to say how much this season sucked. I think it is more a product of social media and the fact so many people watched the series. All in all, I found it satisfying. Here are five thoughts on the finale:
1) Wow. What acting
Peter Dinklage is the best actor on the show. The first 30 minutes were about him. (Until we saw evil Dany). She has plans to burn the world. And now we see the opponents. Tyrion walked away from Dany, angering her and setting him up as a bad guy, but he also convinced Jon as to the right path. Dinklage was at his best in the final episode. Throughout the series, he, Jon and Dany had the best characters. He went out in style.
2) Bran?
The three-eyed raven wound up on the throne, elected by a group of nobles. He allowed Sansa to keep the north as her own realm. It almost felt phony seeing the north men cheer her on as "Queen in the North," but it was a solid finish.
3) You know nothing, Jon Snow
It was perhaps the most fitting ending to any character to have Jon return north of the wall with the wildlings, ghost and Tormund. His story arc ended with a perfect finish. That was always where he belonged. I know a lot of people were upset that the Targaryen reveal amounted to nothing, but I always hoped for this ending for Jon.
4) Crazy Dany
Dany's ending was unfortunate. The hope was she would bounce back from last week and try to make amends. Instead she planned on burning more of the world, and Jon had to stop her. It was a shame, but no one else could have done it. Her story seemed to end fairly abruptly. If there is one criticism here, it is that she went out with a whimper, not a bang. Her death came off as maudlin, and the dragon flying away with her was a bit much. But it was a poignant moment when Jon finally killed her.
5) And now my watch is ended
Did anyone feel like there were too many perfect endings? That the show put a bow on everything? Tyrion is hand of the king. Sansa is Queen in the North. Arya is traveling West of Westeros. Jon winds up home, All in all, I liked this finish and liked this season. Was it perfect? No. But was it better that people give it credit for? Absolutely. We have devoted almost 10 years to these characters, and the goodbyes were bittersweet. Time will tell how the show will be judged, but I don't think the ending was as bad as most people.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Jamal Murray had 39 points, Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points and nine rebounds and the Denver Nuggets beat Houston 116-111 on Sunday night to snap the Rockets' nine-game win streak.
Murray, who scored 17 in the first half, had 17 in the third quarter as Denver outscored the Rockets 39-22 in the quarter to take a 96-79 lead.
Russell Westbrook had 14 points off the bench, Aaron Gordon scored 13 points with eight assists and DeAndre Jordan had 11 points and 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, which shot 51% and were 10 of 21 on 3-pointers.
Jalen Green scored 30 points, and Dillon Brooks added 21 points for Houston. Alperen Sengun had 17 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and Steven Adams finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Rockets, which shot 44% and were 11 of 34 from behind the arc.
Trailing 109-100 with 1 ½ minutes left, Houston used a 7-1 run to cut the lead to three on a Sengun layup with 21 seconds left, but Christian Braun made two free throws with 19 seconds remaining to push the lead back to five.
Takeaways
Nuggets: Nikola Jokic missed his fourth straight game with left ankle impingement, and Denver improved to 2-2 with him out of the lineup.
Rockets: Houston remains in second place in the Western Conference with 10 games left, but the Nuggets closed to within a game of Houston.
Key moment
Sengun made one of two free throws with 14 seconds remaining, and Murray made two free throws two seconds later to push the lead to 114-108.
Key stat
Houston finished 22 of 34 from the free throw line, while Denver made 18 of 26.
Up next
Denver hosts the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, while Houston hosts the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.