Game of Thrones, Avengers: Endgame, and The Rise of Skywalker: Ranking the biggest finales of 2019

Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones had a polarizing final season as well, leaving fans divided on whether or not the ending lived up to the previous seven seasons. While many appreciated the direction David Benioff and D.B. Weiss took the series in, others complained that the events were rushed and the characters done dirty. To be fair, both sides have a point.

If we’re being honest, we could have used a few more episodes to hash out all the storylines Game of Thrones needed to wrap up — and that’s without throwing in the Mad Queen arc and the crowning of the Three Eyed Raven, both storylines many could have done without. But even those additions could have worked given more screen time to build up to them. Unfortunately, with only six episodes in the final season, that wasn’t possible.

Even with its flaws, however, the final season of Game of Thrones is still better than most of what’s on television and in theaters — even if it’s the weakest season of the series itself. When it comes to acting, cinematography, costume design, and just about every other facet of the series, season 8 was stunningly put together. It’s clear everyone on set gave the final season their all, and it did make a difference, even if the actual writing felt rushed.

And, of course, there were quite a few well-done moments that deserve praise. Brienne finally becoming a knight, Sansa getting her crown, Arya killing the Night King — no, Game of Thrones‘ final season wasn’t all bad, not by a long shot. It wasn’t the best finale of the year, but it certainly gets a higher ranking than The Rise of Skywalker.