**This post contains spoilers from “Game of Thrones” Season 8, Episode 6**
Everyone keeps asking me what I thought about the series finale of “Game of Thrones” (titled “The Iron Throne”), which aired Sunday night, and the truth is, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I agree with the legions of fans who were upset and angry about how it all played out. And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in this season. On the other hand, I think the last episode was as good as could be expected, given the circumstances. I went into it knowing and accepting we weren’t going to get the epic ending we all wanted, and as I mentioned in my last blog, I’m OK with that now.
The story is what it is and if George R.R. Martin did (and does) intend for it to end this way, then that’s his prerogative as the writer of this story. It doesn’t matter what we the fans want (please don’t throw things at me!). Let me explain. Of course, we fans are important, and our opinions do mean something—to us. And yes, without us the books and the show would be nothing. But writers write to tell a story, to convey a message, and to share that story and message with whoever’s willing to read it. They don’t write to readers’ preferences and specifications. That would be impossible because the written word is always and will always be open to interpretation, and that’s what I find so amazing about this story.
The show’s ending, each character’s arc could have gone a million different ways, as we’ve all witnessed with the amount of analyzing, speculating, and theorizing among fans. I think that’s what I’m going to miss the most. No matter what happened this season, the showrunners still gave us a beautiful, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, visual interpretation of Martin’s vision. One we all loved and shared in and spent years talking about; I’m sure we’ll all still be talking about it for many more years to come. That’s not something many shows today can lay claim to.
Think about it. How many shows have you watched where you can spend hours talking about it every week and still have more to say the next? How many shows are the talk of the town–even among strangers at the grocery store (yes, twice in the past week I’ve had Thrones discussions with strangers in random stores while running errands)?! How many shows are the topic of choice for millions of articles, news programs, late-night talk shows, podcasts, blogs, you name it? How many shows are aired live in bars/taverns/restaurants across the globe? How many stories/books/shows have Web sites dedicated solely to the foods and drinks mentioned therein? How many shows and stories are the centerpiece for huge viewing parties with scrumptious goodies cleverly named after characters, locations, themes, etc. from that show and that story? I mean, geez, how many shows have special Oreos made in their name?! Oreo even aired a commercial using Thrones’ iconic main title song! It’s mind-blowing when you stop and think about it.
Putting the show aside for a minute, though, many of my best memories from this season were spent in-between episodes: reading every Thrones article I could get my hands on, listening to various podcasts dishing about what was and what was to come, spending hours theorizing with my husband (and whomever else wanted to get lost inside this world with me!), scouring the Internet for Thrones-related party fare and creating different (and delicious!) menus for each episode, writing these blog posts and sharing my favorite (and not so favorite) moments with all of you—or at least the one or two of you who possibly read them! 😊 Those are the moments I’m going to live in.
I love this show, disappointing ending and all. It gave me purpose this past month-and-a-half. It gave me something to look forward to. It gave me something to root for and talk about and write about. It got me out of my own head and gave me a much-needed escape from the tedium and monotony and tragedy of life. It’s a story that will go down as one of the greatest of our time and I, for one, will never regret or forget any moment from this amazing journey! So, farewell “Game of Thrones” The Show, farewell old friends, and thank you. I will miss you more than you could ever know.
And now, my last and final menu for my “A Feast For The Seven Kingdoms” celebration:
1. “Maybe they don’t have sheep and cattle, Bran thought. He commanded the serving men to … fill their trenchers with beef-and-barley stew. They seemed to like that well…” — A Clash Of Kings (page 330)
Sellsword Stew
This one’s for bad boy Bronn, the “friend” who keeps on giving…and receiving. He finally got what he wanted: a lordship and Highgarden, which is crazy. I guess it really does pay to have friends in high places! The quote I chose mentions beef-and-barley stew, but I went with a regular beef stew using this recipe from “Spend With Pennies.” Hands down, this is my all-time favorite beef stew recipe and the perfect main course for my Northern friends. I’ve made it multiple times and it just keeps getting better and better! (Note: The key is to make it one day in advance so the flavors meld together.)
2. “He laid trenchers of bread before them and filled them with chunks of browned meat off a skewer, dripping with hot juice. Another skewer held tiny onions, fire peppers…” — A Game Of Thrones (page 289)
Khaleesi Kebabs
Like father, like daughter. In Dany’s case, though, she was able to “burn them all” (she probably would have skewered them, too, if given the chance!) before being betrayed by her own nephew and former lover, who had pledged her fealty again and again. Ah well, Daddy would have been so proud of his little girl! For this dish, I decided to use shrimp and scallops in lieu of meat, and layered them with peppers, squash, and tomatoes. For the marinade, I went with a classic combination of fresh garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and EVOO, and Ser Nick grilled them up on the BBQ. Delicious and nutritious!
3. “They roasted the sweetcorn in the husk that night, turning the ears with long forked sticks, and ate it hot right off the cob.” — A Clash Of Kings (page 139)
4. “The wedding guests gorged on … winter squash…” — A Dance With Dragons (page 542)
The Catacorns & Crypts Of Winterfell
I focused this menu on mostly Northern fare because I honestly thought (and hoped) we would find ourselves back at Winterfell for this finale, but it wasn’t meant to be. Still, I adore the Starks (who doesn’t?!) and felt we must pay homage to both their home and their dead buried in the catacombs and crypts beneath the castle. For the “catacorns” on the cob, I used this recipe from “Spicy Southern Kitchen.” For the “crypts,” I made little zucchini boats and stuffed them with my own concoction of the zucchini innards, Italian sausage, onions, fresh thyme and rosemary, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese, all sautéed with a little EVOO, and then baked them.
5. “The food was plain, but very good; there were loaves of crusty bread still warm from the ovens, crocks of fresh-churned butter…” — A Feast For Crows (page 666)
Breddard Stark (In Homage To Ned)
Over these past six weeks, my dear husband, whom I sucked into my Thrones extravaganza—not quite against his will, but close enough!—has selflessly tackled homemade bread after bread after bread. He dished up a crusty brown, a sourdough turned garlic bread, a black beer bread, an oat bread, and now a lusciously soft white, perfect for slathering with butter or dipping into a scrumptious beef stew! This is our homage to the noble and honorable Eddard “Ned” Stark, who essentially set up the turn of events that brought us here and who will always be the true King in the North.
6. “Later came sweetbreads and … baked apples fragrant with cinnamon…” — A Game Of Thrones (page 300)
Hand (Pies) Of The King
OK, so it’s not baked apples (as stated in the quote I chose), but these apple hand pies just felt like the quintessential dessert for the North—and a nod to our favorite hand of the king, Lord Tyrion. They are beautifully imperfect, rustic, homey, and the perfect ending to my “Feast For The Seven Kingdoms.” I whipped them up using this recipe from “Sally’s Baking Addiction,” salted caramel topping and all!
7. “The wine was very fine; an Arbor vintage, she thought. It tasted of oak and fruit and hot summer nights, the flavors blossoming in her mouth like flowers opening to the sun.” — A Storm Of Swords (page 931)
Westerosi Sunset
Because all good things must come to an end… Ser Aaron and Lady Celia settled on a tequila sunset (tequila, orange juice, and grenadine), garnished with lime and Maraschino cherries, to conclude our heartbreakingly short yet wonderful journey together. Until we meet again…
8. A stab of pain reminded him of his own woes. The maester squeezed his hand. “Clydas is bringing milk of the poppy.” Jon tried to rise. “I don’t need—” “You do,” Aemon said firmly. “This will hurt.” –- A Storm Of Swords (page 664)
Milk Of The Poppy
And finally, as we say goodbye to our beloved friends and leave Westeros behind, I thought a parting shot of Milk of the Poppy (a powerful medicine that’s used as both a painkiller and an anesthetic–in the books and the show) would help ease us into this new world where Game of Thrones The Show no longer exists. I used this recipe from “Tipsy Bartender” and presented them in little glass vials much like the one Cersei had in her hand at the end of “Blackwater” (season 2, episode 9).
And that’s it, friends, the last of my “Game of Thrones” blogs—at least for now. It’s been an awesome run and I will miss this immensely. Hopefully Martin will get his act together and publish the books soon so we all can live in this world a little bit longer. A mom can dream (of spring), can’t she?
For now, though, my watch has ended.
Related Game of Thrones Content:
GoT: A Thousand Lives (Episode 5)
GoT: An Ending Not Quite Fit For A (Night) King (Episode 3)