I think these last two episodes of Game of Thrones are probably my favorites from the season. I love how the ending is completely unexpected. By ending the season with Daenerys's emergence from the fire, I think the producers frame the next wave of leaders. Because Dany is the last clip of the first season, this heavily foreshadows her role in the seasons beyond. With Ned Stark dead, watchers of the show need someone else to support, and I think the producers set this up with Dany emerging from the fire. This scene also is a contrast to some other moments we have seen with her throughout the first season. Daenerys's character arch is very interesting, as she starts as an innocent, timid girl and ends as the mother of dragons, a strong, fearsome leader. The ending hints that even though Dany is not partaking in the current politics of Westeros, she is still in the running for the game of thrones.
Ned's death is one that was shocking, yet inevitable. As we mentioned in class, you can't survive the game of thrones and be morally righteous. I think Ned was the true embodiment of chivalry in this show: he loved his kingdom and his family, and fought with honor to his dying breath. His death is a great way to ignite the spark of the next season, and shows the consequences of living in this world and not playing by the rules. In a game where everyone acts for themselves, taking the moral high road is not always the best way to go about. By having him killed off in the first season, the true colors of the Lannisters is revealed, and this sends the game into further spiral. I think ending the show after Ned's death would not have been realistic. Through ending it with Dany, the producers show that life goes on, and whereas we might think of beheading as completely insane, it was a normal occurrence in those days.