Why did so many Game of Thrones fans feel personally affected by the series finale?

The Washington Post

"Disappointment is one thing, but many fans’ reactions were brimming with far stronger emotions, ranging from sadness to anger," says Travis M. Andrews. "A few businesses offered grief counseling. And some viewers claimed that the ending tainted their memories of the previous seven seasons, ruining the show in its entirety." Why do fans care so much? Over time, “you develop relationships with the characters, and they’re deep," says Amanda D’Annucci-Kean, who who has studied the psychology of storytelling and gave a TEDx talk on the intersection of the two. “There’s a connection deeper than empathy. It’s personal. And once that story ends, your relationship ends. All your friendships are over, and all your lovers are gone. It just ends, and it’s devastating.” Andrews adds: "In other words, emotions are already running high when a show is ending. And when it ends poorly, those emotions can be anger and betrayal."

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• The series finale tried to sell a messiah in secular terms: "There is an element of Bran’s story that elevates him above his siblings, but it’s one that’s present in Game of Thrones’ denouement only by implication: faith," says Sam Adams. "Religion plays a major role in George R.R. Martin’s books—or rather, religions, which in Westeros range from the quasi-Christian Faith of the Seven to the animistic worship of the Old Gods. These aren’t just theoretical systems of belief: They get results, from Arya’s face-swapping powers to Melisandre’s ability to conjure murderous shadow monsters and bring people back from the dead. The series remains agnostic about whether, say, the Lord of Light actually exists, but it’s clear that there is more to this world than reason or science can explain—and Bran is living proof."
• Game of Thrones failed its female characters one last time -- Emilia Clarke and Sophie Turner shouldn't have to defend the show: "Game of Thrones had an enormous challenge before heading into the final season: to do right by the female characters it had put through hell," says Sarah Rense. "And then, it had an equally enormous challenge before the final episode: to see these female characters get the endings they'd fought for. The writers failed to rise to the challenge. They made Daenerys' transition to tyrant too abrupt, and then, like whiplash, they killed her off. After her death, as we tried to grapple with the loss of the show's most dynamic lead, they barely acknowledged her existence. Nor did they give the other female characters essential voices in creating the new Westeros. In the series finale, Game of Thrones failed its heroines for the last time."
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• Ranking every Game of Thrones episode: IMDb users ranks "The Iron Throne" No. 73
• Ranking every episode: Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer ranks "The Iron Throne" No. 72
• Ranking every episode: USA Today ranks "The Iron Throne" No. 71
• Ranking every episode: The Ringer ranks "The Iron Throne" No. 64
• Ranking every episode: Variety ranks "The Iron Throne" No. 45
• Ranking every episode: Buzzfeed ranks "The Iron Throne" No. 37
• Ranking every episode: TV Guide ranks "The Iron Throne" No. 33
• Ranking every episode: The Independent ranks "The Iron Throne" No. 24
• Ranking every episode: The Hollywood Reporter ranks "The Iron Throne" No. 17
• Ranking every episode: Vulture ranks "The Iron Throne" No. 11
• Ranking every episode: The Guardian ranks "The Iron Throne" No. 7
• Ranking all 8 seasons: CNET ranks Season 8 No. 7
• Ranking all 8 seasons: EW ranks Season 8 No. 7