So... watched the season finale of Game Of Thrones Season SEVEN (so still have season eight to go), and I have some thoughts.
First, I expect Season Eight to blow chunks. Why? Popular opinion? Nope; couldn't care less. It's the two men I've come to call "the two D-bags". David Benioff (not so much) and D. B. Weiss, whose very initials tell you all you need to know.
I have been reading the "Trivia" section of IMDB as I watched the Season Seven episodes, and so I have a good feel for what is part of the books (i.e. George RR Martin's work) and what is euphemistically called "new content". The Martin stuff is almost universally awesome. Realistic, logic based, HUMAN NATURE based (very important to me) and despite the sensationalism around the show, not sensationalist in and of itself. Even the Jamie/Cersei thing wasn't done to be controversial; it's actually a very important plot point. Ned Stark, same thing. People didn't die Marvel Cinematic Universe-style deaths, they died in the dirt and mud, ugly. The narrative was dramatic, but driven by plot points and story, not bombastic events.
Cue the Douchebag MaterialTM. Bronn, riding on at the last minute to heroically save Jamie from the dragon's flames. The Hound (I think) reaching down and saving Jorah Mormont (I think) as he falls from the dragon after Daenarys saved them from the undead. And now we're seeing, instead of 1,000 characters who come in to serve a plot point and are never seen again (or killed off), we now have "all the stars". Why is the Hound or Theon Greyjoy at the meeting between Daenarys, Jon Snow/Jon Sand/Aegon, and Cersei? Brianne of Tarth - in front of Jamie and 50 other people - saying "Fuck oaths"? TOTALLY out of character, and in my view, lazy story writing. Euron just grabbing the hand, throwing it down and slinking away? I know that it was a ploy, but no way Jorah Mormont or The Hound don't see through that.
I get it; we're wrapping up and so story lines have to converge at some point. But the world of Westeros just got VERY small, VERY quickly.
I liked some of the developments; I like how Daenarys is coming to trust Jon. I'm cool with their tryst, even though they are aunt/nephew (not really sure what's the deal there) though I have zero idea how that conundrum is going to be solved. If it's a Martin storyline, it ought to be cool, something subtle, creative, and impactful. If it's the Douche Boys storyline, it will probably be something quippy, stupid or outright banal.
I'm indifferent as to the resolution of the Baelish storyline. I get he had to go, and I get that he was on Sansa's "list" (I don't think she had one, but given that she talked with Arya about that, who knows?) but I can't decide if he was just running out of options or he got careless or the writers are douche bags and made it more obvious, but that last scene where Baelish was telling Sansa "I play a little game" seemed overly obvious and ham-fisted. Baelish doesn't play games, literal or metaphorical.
Looking forward to Season Eight, but with trepidation.