‘Thrones’ season-ender is frustratingly predictable

So, that was it?

Game of Thrones Season 7 promised to be the most exciting, most electrifying season of a series that built its reputation on shocking its fans and breaking their hearts. The fantasy mastered the art of out-of-left-field plot twists and deaths that landed with such emotion because every character was well-formed. No matter how unexpected, almost every twist made sense within the rules of the fantasy world it worked so hard to build.

In the Season 7 finale on Sunday, nearly all of that was lost.

The Game of Thrones of now — one in which almost everyone gets along, major characters are seldom in danger of dying, a zombie dragon breathing cold fire can take down an ice wall because the plot demands it — is a poor facsimile of seasons past. The finale episode, coupled with last week’s abandonment of logic, represents a turning point. In a series where the characters are supposedly fighting for the survival of life itself, Thrones had a startling problem making anything seem vital.

While “The Dragon and the Wolf ” had many sins, perhaps its worst was being predictable. Littlefinger dies in the most satisfying way. Dany and Jon act on their attraction. The Wall comes down. It all verged on being dull.

Going into an eighth season, it’s worth wondering why we are supposed to care about the sur- vival of humanity on this continent when the series can’t make us care about characters we used to love, or love to hate.

With only six episodes left, we doubt it will get much better. But maybe Thrones can surprise us, one last time.

THE DRAGONPIT ACCORDS

So, here’s the meeting that Jon risked his life for, that Dany lost a dragon for, that was supposed to stop the war for the Iron Throne and start the Great War. It went super-well, right?

After coming face-to-face with a wight, Cersei began to believe they are real. She was down with pausing the war so Dany and Jon could go fight them, but only if Jon promised not to team up with Dany against her later. Jon, honorable and stupid as ever, couldn’t do this.

Tyrion, after begging him to learn how to lie, decides to try to fix things by talking to his sister, a considerably more dangerous prospect than for most brothers.

It’s been a while, but you’ll recall Cersei and Tyrion were always scheming, always hiding, always trying to undermine. But at this late hour, they finally get to hash it out and vent their hatred.

Cersei decides to help fight the White Walkers, in a wildly out-ofcharacter moment. But she never intended to go north. She intended to hold her position and the throne, just as she’s always done. For some reason, of all the horrible things Cersei has done, this is the one that pushes Jaime away. She threatens to kill him for disobeying her, but doesn’t follow through and he leaves.

That both Cersei and Jaime made it out of the season alive was the most shocking thing about the finale, but not necessarily in a good way. Empty threats from villains and miraculously surviving heroes only worsen the series’ problems.

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

Game of Thrones has started to become a series in which death punishes the guilty — a reversal from the early days when many of the most noble were the first to go. That Littlefinger was the only confirmed fatality speaks volumes about how death works now. And the fact that it came at the hands of the Stark sisters only added to the feeling of fan service.

It’s heartening that Arya was not acting so completely out of character for the past few episodes. But it makes the greater part of this season pure performance, meaning we didn’t get to spend time with the real sisters in favor of setting up this big reveal. We worry about what they will be up to in Season 8.

NOT THE COUPLE WE WERE LOOKING FOR

What can I say that hasn’t already been said about Jon and Dany getting together? It’s incest, it’s gross. It links heroes Dany and Jon with a practice popularized by its villains. It makes Jon’s line- age seem like a cheap gag. And did we mention it’s gross?

Thrones presented Sam and Bran putting the pieces of Jon’s parentage puzzle together like a dramatic reveal. Interspersing that with images of Jon and Dany’s sex scene made it feel all the more exploitative. We get it, OK? And it’s a terrible idea. The pair’s leadership, heroism and morality is forever tainted. And whatever the series has planned for them, it won’t be worth it.

TEAR DOWN THAT WALL

There are a number of problems with the reanimated Viserion being the thing that took down the Wall. The series has hammered home the idea that the Wall is not just a physical structure but a magical one, and it’s that magic that keeps the White Walkers out. How would they know that Viserion could cancel that? And if he’s the only way to take it down, were they planning on staying north of the Wall forever, waiting for a convenient dragon to be shot down? And why did his cold fire take down a cold wall, anyway?

Inevitably, Thrones went out on a spectacular but completely illogical note — a pattern that has been the hallmark of this season. We only hope our heroes’ eventual victory doesn’t feel unearned.

Thanks for watching with me all season. We’ll see you next year.

PHOTOS BY HBO Jon and Dany acted on their attraction, but they still don’t know the truth about his parentage. When the truth comes out, it’s bound to affect their hero cred. Whatever comes next, yuck.

Littlefinger believed he has expertly manipulated Sansa and Arya, but they have learned a lot over the past few seasons.

Cersei now believes in the White Walkers, but she’s not budging.