Game Of Thrones Ending: Predicting What The Books Will (& Won't) Change
Just how much of George R.R. Martin's ASOIAF was in the Game of Thrones finale?
In an ideal world, Game of Thrones would've had a finale that was well-received by just about everyone, cementing the show's legacy and fans uniting in bittersweet feelings over the show's ending.
Except, of course, it was never going to be an ideal world. This is Westeros we're talking about, where political and familial divisions run deep, and so too has that spilled over into the real world. Thrones has long been a controversial show, but it's never been as divisive as it was in its eighth and final season, where tweets were sent in fury, petitions were signed, and The Discourse™ became A Bit Much, like the days of The Last Jedi only with the wounds bursting open again each and every week.
The good news is that, while Game of Thrones is over, the story isn't finished yet. The TV show may have come to an end but, if you didn't like it (or even if you did), then there are still two more books to be published. Hopefully.
George R.R. Martin famously told showrunners David Benioff & D.B. Weiss the endpoints for his story and characters back in 2013, but the journey there is going to be very different across The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. What's more, Martin is a 'gardener', so he could find new paths as he goes along.
Will the end of the show line up with the books? As Martin himself recently said, yes and no, yes, and no, and yes. So what will change, and what will stay the same?