You Can Now Read D.B. Weiss and David Benioff’s 'Game of Thrones' Finale Script Online

The final season of Game of Thrones was divisive, to say the least--with some hailing it as a masterful end to the series and others criticizing its rushed conclusion to various plotlines. Now, however, fans have the opportunity to gaze behind the scenes of the final episode, with the script for “The Iron Throne” being released online.

According to io9, following the series' numerous Emmy nominations, including the finale’s for “Outstanding Writing For a Drama Series,” the Television Academy released a digital copy of the script that is free to view.

As the screenplay reveals, the written material underwent quite an evolution before it reached the screen. Particularly noteworthy was the scene in which Drogon, after discovering that Jon (Kit Harington) has killed Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), incinerates the Iron Throne--which, in the script, was written as an act of collateral damage, the throne a “dumb bystander caught up in the conflagration.”

In another moment, Benioff and Weiss show off the subtle comedy that went into the production of the series. When Arya (Maisie Williams) asks what lies beyond the shores of Westeros, the screenplay reads, “Jon and Sansa look at each other. They both failed geography.”

Although this tonal change might seem unusual, it’s common practice for screenwriters to make jokes that aren’t intended for the screen. Because screenplays are meant to be read by cast members and executives, not the general public, writers frequently insert humorous remarks to make the script more readable.

These are just two of the most interesting elements of the Game of Thrones finale’s script--and we’re going to take some time to read through and see what other insight we can get on the end of the series.

This article also appears on Mental Floss.