well, i'm finally done with it! i've been watching since march or so with my dad (this is the only mainstream television show he has ever seen), so as a college student away from home it has been hard to binge watch, but the day is finally here! this is the best show i've ever seen in my life. it is just too good. i know what people say about the last season, and i agree there are some lacking episodes and storylines, but my GOD do the good seasons and episodes and arcs and characters and battle sequences throughout the rest of the series make up for the completely lacking conclusion bits. it felt incomplete in some aspects, but the ending represented the beginning - it starts and ends with the starks. the characters, aside from some endings, are so well-developed and each experience they go through defines them, changing their behaviors and who they see themselves to be. who they are is what they have done in the past. like the last episode really highlights, everything has to do with stories - our past determines our future, whether it be as individuals or as a body politic. everything we do and everything we think has probably been done before, and we can learn from it. as a political science and english student, this show just has to speak to me, it's just sort of required (multiple profs have shown clips from the show to my lectures - sort of urged me to watch, for studying, of course). the politics and war aspect were definitely my favorite parts of the show, and i was definitely anticipating the rise of democracy in the end (my king sam tried, and drogon literally tried to set fire to the monarchy), but i guess it just wasn't meant to be :( the world building was so well-done when it came to political relations, and the attention to this really made the show for me. my favorite characters have got to be the stark sisters. arya is just a fucking badass and her independence, ambition and willing to be a cut-throat to protect herself were admirable in the face of the historical events she was facing at such a young age. her character arc is so awesome. same goes with sansa's - from the demure, polite and "prissy" older sister to the diplomat who protected herself and rose from the horrors of not one, but two extremely evil men. although there are some pretty blatant sexist themes and happenings throughout the show, they are two unforgettable female characters for me. tyrion and theon also have some great character arcs and redemption stories as well. all in all, i feel seriously blessed to have seen this show. watching it with my dad was really fun (even though he hates my constant commentary as we watch), and i can't believe i waited this long. whatever you hear about the last season, just leave it alone and push through - everything else in between makes up for the rushed and sort of destructive ending (although i was pleased with some outcomes). i would go so far as to say this is the best show ever, or the best one i've ever watched.