The Game of Thrones ending was darker than you think

So much for breaking the wheel

Bran Stark.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Macall B. Polay/HBO Ian Dyball/iStock, getty_dumy67/iStock)

Eight seasons after King Robert Baratheon's death opened a power vacuum in Westeros, we at last have our "winner" in the eponymous Game of Thrones. The series' controversial and rocky final season concluded on Sunday night with the surprise crowning of Bran the Broken and the determination that oligarchy — not democracy — is the system to best honor Daenerys' dream of "breaking the wheel."

Admittedly, the show is called Game of Thrones, not Game of the Ballot Boxes. But still I wonder: What was the point in all those clues that pointed toward the culmination in a new political system, only for Westeros' ruling class to be restored yet again?

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.