Game of Thrones finale gets mixed response

The final episode of Game of Thrones has been broadcast, drawing to a close one of the most successful series in television history.

But the season eight finale has received a mixed reaction from fans and critics.

More than a million viewers signed a petition to have the eighth season remade with more "competent writers".

And, if the early reactions to the finale are anything to go by, the critics aren't far behind them.

"There's no doubt this season has been a rushed business," wrote Lucy Mangan in The Guardian.

"It has wasted opportunities, squandered goodwill and failed to do justice to its characters or its actors.

"But," she added, "the finale just about delivered.

"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. Overall, I think, it won."

Mangan wasn't the only critic to pick up on the feeling of haste in the production, with Erik Kain of Forbes writing: "I think the finale's flaws were mainly born out of rush.

He said Daenerys Targaryen's storyline this season was "far too hurried to work properly, but given the right amount of time and TLC, it could have been one of TV's most incredible character arcs".

He continued: "No matter the flaws in this season and last, no matter the various bad decisions over the years... it's still one of the best TV shows ever made."