So the finale wasn’t what anyone hoped it would be.

But the screenwriters had been warning us from early on when the twisted Ramsay Bolton so poignantly said:

"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention."

He was right.

I’ve yet to hear from anyone who was happy with how Game of Thrones ended.

Over 1.3 million fans (and counting) want the final season remade.

But the writing was on the wall throughout the series.

The screenwriters left us breadcrumbs.

Think way back to Season 4, Episode 3, when Tyrion Lannister threatened his sister with:

"The day will come when you think you are safe and happy, and your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth."

And it did.

Literally.

But the way it came about was a surprise and shock for EVERYONE.

The destruction and turning off the fans true queen caused intense pain, disappointment and suffering.

And now the show is over.

Game of Thrones had it all.

Injustice. Epic battles. Sex, Love, heartache and suffering. Enduring friendships, betrayals, death and loss.

It also had a lot to teach about change.

Changing minds.

Changing cultures.

Daenerys Targaryen wanted not to just stop the wheel of suffering and slavery. She wanted to break it.

Slavery isn’t just physical bondage, but the slavery that comes from bondage and fixation of the mind to the old ways.

To ideas, symbols, thrones and shiny things.

And as she discovered, creating (positive) change for millions is much, much harder than she ever realised.

Because as she understood but didn't weight deeply enough:

“People learn to love their chains.”

Whether your goal is to sit on an iron throne or change yourself or help loved ones remember:

The system is always set up to maintain its own existence.

As a wise advisor to world leaders once said:

“Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everybody gets busy on the proof.”

Khaleesi didn’t stop to heed the implications of her own words.

She mistakenly thought the solution was more fire and fury:

“They can live in my new world or they can die on their own…

I will not let those I have freed slide back into chains.”

She came close to breaking the wheel, but in the end, she faltered.

She didn’t understand in order for change to happen, you must change twice.

Once on the outside.

And again, on the inside.

And you must bring your people with you - they need to change twice too.

If you are in the mood to reminisce, you can watch a summary of her remarkable story arc here.

She shone brightly.

She had remarkable belief in herself.

She commanded respect and admiration.

But her final chapter and death brought sadness to fans all over the world.

As one fan described it:

“After the last episode, I've seen. I'm just sad about what she has become.”

Thankfully, with the cultural phenomena that Game of Thrones has become, it won’t be long before the powerhouses of mass entertainment will be back with something awesome for us all to watch.

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