It marks the end of the era of television as an epic, communal journey.
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Game of Throneswas another TV show untilEddard Ned Stark lost his head.
The lords eyes closed.
The birds took flight.
It was an Everest moment in what would later be called Peak TV.
Neds execution was foretold in the source material, George R.R.
Or they wouldve called a friend or relative that they knew to be a fan.
Thats when TV attains maximum TV-ness.
We want to be part of something larger.
We cheered as the Hound and Arya teamed up.
We marveled at the overwhelming scale ofThe Battle of the BastardsandBaelor.We shuddered as the Night King raised the dead.
It wasnt just happening.
It was happening tous.
It was happening to everyone who was riveted by David Benioff and D.B.
We are still doing things together, but rarely at the same moment.
We watch new episodes of favorite shows when we get around to them.
We discuss them when were able, and venture to avoid spoilers in the meantime.
And as goes Westeros, so goes TV.
Even if you dont watch it, you mayfeelas if you do.
The most important words in that last sentence are consecutive weeks and installments.
Television, as it existed from the 1950s until recently, was the ultimate incarnation of the form.
And then Netflix came along, brilliantly refining the storytelling model, but losing something essential.
It wasnt the first show to drop an entire season rather than parcel it out over time.
Other streaming services had released seasons, including the Netflix gangster comedyLilyhammer.
But heres where things get tricky.
Nowadays, the online conversation around streaming series still exists, but it takes a different form.
OnceGame of Thronesends, the experience may start to feel like a nostalgia act.
They acted as if Id described hunting woolly mammoths with hand-carved spears.
TV doesnt feel the same when you watch it that way.
This may be a good thing or a bad thing or just a thing.
But it is happening, orhashappened.
you could sit here mourning its departure, or prepare for the future.
