The Game of Thrones finale seems to have left the majority of people who followed the series feeling empty. Internet petitions have been started to ask HBO to redo the final season as the disappointment appears to be quite widespread. I too, found the last episode to be an unsatisfying way to end this series. Let me first say that the production quality was incredible and had the feel of a big budget film. Some of the imagery alone captured certain moments perfectly and the speeches by Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow showed moments of brilliant writing. But sadly, Hollywood couldn’t help but flex their progressive bona fides in the wrap up of the series.

Humans love great stories. Stories speak to us in ways few other things can. From ancient tales to Biblical stories; in modern classics like The Lord of the Rings and the first three Star Wars movies, great stories resonate with the human condition. All of life is the battle between good and evil, both from within and without; and there is something innately satisfying about seeing justice done and good prevail. Men want to see good triumph over evil in a world where we are too often reminded that too much evil exists.

I couldn’t help but see how the typical progressive mindset of Hollywood writers set about to destroy what most yearned for: Jon Snow upon the Iron Throne. Snow embodied a great leader and king. He showed unwavering integrity and loyalty; he cared not for himself but for his family, friends, and the people under him. He did not desire the throne for the power that came with it, which made him the perfect person to sit upon it and rule justly.

Instead, the writers saw fit to split the Seven Kingdoms and allow The North to stay independent with Sansa as their Queen, because, well, women can be great leaders too, I guess. Rumour has it that various spin-offs are in the works but the entire series was about uniting the Seven Kingdoms under one ruler and that didn’t happen. It seemed far too obvious that the writers wanted to virtue signal their support for female leadership despite Sansa being the “birthright ruler” earlier scenes in the episode railed against; specifically Tyrion’s speech to the council. The other six Kingdoms were given to Bran Stark, the young crippled boy with magical powers. Bran really showed no leadership characteristics throughout the series and seemed to be an empty, safe, and uninspiring pick for King.

Jon Snow deserved the throne. He was the only good leader throughout the series. Strong leaders with integrity are looked down upon in this day and age while weaker, effete leaders seem to be lauded (think Trudeau and Macron).

People were left feeling disappointed because deep down they want to see good triumph over evil and good men prevail. These are the oldest and most cherished of human stories. Only the best stories survive down through the ages and they typically end with evil being vanquished because that is the deep yearning of humanity; that good prevails and the evil around us done away with for good. People may not understand why the ending of the Game of Thrones left them unsatisfied because we live in a world that tries to invert good and evil and we’ve begun to accept this inversion as normal. Most still want to see good prevail and justice done. Only Jon Snow upon the Iron Throne would have made things seem right and order in the Seven Kingdoms restored. We got something far less than that.