that are thematically satisfying
Honest question, what theme is being satisfied in this finale?
The show HAD themes but I think they got thrown out in S6 with the characters once all the narrative pruning started.
One more for the WTF pile: None of the Southern lords reacted to talk of an army of the dead or the 3ER. Tyrion says “He became the 3ER” and they all nod along as if they’ve been watching the show with the audience from the beginning.
Well, I'm sure not all the themes/character arcs hang together, but I feel like most of the main characters' do/did (some issues with Jamie, as I discussed earlier). Keep in mind it's been years since I read any of the books, though, so it's certainly open to debate.
Jon started out feeling like an outsider from his family, then found a place north of the wall, then got drawn into politics against his will causing multiple bad outcomes (he'd be a just king, but probably make bad practical decisions as a ruler of Westeros b/c he always overestimates peoples' moral character), then discovered he actually IS an outsider within his family (in terms of not actually being sibling) and ended by avoiding politics and going back north of the wall.
Arya started out an adventurer rebelling against her place in society/role of daughter of a noble house, had a long character arc of struggling against being consumed by vengeance and sociopathy, and ended being a more mature adventurer still unwilling to take on a traditional role by marrying or being involved in the politics of her noble house.
Sansa started out immature, self involved, and consumed by romantic fantasies about the 'trappings' of being a daughter of a noble house, had a character arc that systematically shredded those notions and taught her about practical, cold-blooded politics. She ended up very suited to ruling by skill set and cunning (in any capacity, but certainly in the north), but I think questions remain about her mental state (probably that would be clear in the hypothetical books). Sansa and Dany had somewhat parallel character arcs, with Sansa appearing to retain sanity and learn practical diplomatic realpolitik from her experiences, while Dany went the other way, going insane and developing a god complex.
Dany - Her arc was strongly foreshadowed throughout the books and show as a possibility. I always assumed that either Dany or Sansa (but not both) would go insane or turn 'villainous' at the end b/c of their similar arcs.
Cersei started out sociopathically self-involved, emotionally isolated except for Jamie, and viewing Jamie as an extension of herself. She was striving first for premiere place with her father, then premiere place for her children, and then finally for premiere place for herself. As Jamie's character arc took him to a place of more individual identity and psychological separation from her, she lost her last remnant of human connection (symbolically, the last arguably good part of herself), and became fully self-destructive, as well as villainous. The other crucial part of her character was that, like Tyrion, she always thought she was a little smarter than she actually was, and her final plan for conquering Westeros wasn't as smart as she thought it was. And she died having not learned very much at all, but in the arms of her only remaining human connection/narcissistic self-projection (Jamie).
Tyrion started cynical about politics and rulers, viewed with suspicion by others, thinking he was more clever than he sometimes was, and striving for respect from his family and other power brokers by attempting to play the political game at a high level. As he periodically gained and lost power through the story, his original cynical view of politics was mostly proven correct, and he learned he wasn't as clever at politics or judging character as he thought. In the end, with his family finally out of the picture and most of the kingdom ignorant of both his good and bad efforts/decisions on their behalf, he was wise enough to try to opt out of politics altogether, but (in accordance with his cynical view of things) was ordered back in (ironically, by the man he argued be put on the throne). Pretty fitting.
Bran was the first main character we ever met in the books IIRC (so it kind of makes sense that he's being set up to be the final 'hero' figure), and his viewpoint throughout has been of the observer and story-keeper and someone who sees many possibilities in the future, not just those pertaining to his own good. His early injury stripped him of his traditional power-broker position as son of a noble house. He seems to have his father's sense of moral justice and goodness, without his father's naivete about human nature (and possibly a better judgement about who makes good advisors). His character arc did not include as much direct trauma as most of the other main characters who could have (thematically speaking) reasonably ended up ruling, which means he's probably more mentally stable (ironic, right?) than the other likely rulers. He also seems to be one of the few characters that truly believes in the possibility of the future being truly new and good, and not just a bloody repeat of the past. It seems fitting thematically that since the past was full of rulers taking and keeping the throne by bloody strife, that the series ends with the one person on it who can't fight (for himself) and has no stake in elevating any particular part of the kingdom above any other part. With Sansa ruling in the North, and no offspring to worry about, Bran is essentially free of obligation to any person, family, or house and can instead be obligated to the greater good.
Will it work out? My cynical side says 'no'. But thematically, it's pretty satisfying.
Btw, IMO, it also would have been thematically satisfying to have 1) Jon and Dany married and co-ruling like Targaryeans of old, with Sansa going slowly power mad and looming as the main threat to future peace; 2) Dany on the throne, with the implication of endless war and misery on the horizon, and most of the other characters dead...probably by her hand; 3) Jon on the throne with plenty of support and the kingdom temporarily stable, but completely traumatized and miserable, with the implication that he's going to totally misjudge someone's character and get stabbed in the back (again). I've never been able to think of another ending that would be as satisfying as any of these four, but I'm happy to hear others' ideas.