The HBO series Game of Thrones began its seventh season more popular than ever. The July 16 season premiere was watched by 16.1 million people across cable and streaming as it aired (not including delayed viewings). That’s double the number of people who tuned in for the season six premiere. Variety notes it was “the most-watched season premiere for any HBO series to date”.

The finale of season seven managed to up those numbers. The New York Times reports the finale had 16.5 million viewers as it aired (with delayed viewings season seven has averaged 30+ million viewers per episode). Perhaps more notably, the chatter around recent seasons of GoT has been deafening. EW reports the season premiere inspired 2.4 million tweets.

Along with being one of the few TV shows left people have a strong desire to watch when it airs, Game of Thrones also has the distinction of being one of the few shows that has grown more popular with each passing season. The general trend is that a show will grow in viewership, peak, and then decline (see The Walking Dead). With only one season left, GoT seems unlikely to follow that pattern.

But fan reaction to this season of the show hasn’t been all rainbows and puppies. While many people noted at the beginning of the season how much better the show had become once it moved beyond George R.R. Martin’s books (Martin has yet to finish the series), that narrative began to shift around episodes 5 and 6. Episode 6 in particular seemed to stir a lot of negative sentiment amongst fans.

Of course that was all before the season seven finale had a chance to put a bow (or should we say an icy dragon flame?) on everything. So now that the finale has aired, what did people think about the episode and season seven as a whole? We took to Twitter to find the answer.

27 Telling Tweets on the ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7 Finale…

Season 7 of #GameofThrones might be the best season of any TV show ever.. Every episode was better than the previous one.

— Tuck Frump (@SeanTheTerrible) August 28, 2017

Every 3 minutes I expect someone I love to die on #GameofThrones. That's a lot to go through emotionally on a Sunday night. #GoTFinale pic.twitter.com/aaIA6uk91W

— Tammi (@MudflapFairy) August 28, 2017

I think I held my breath the whole time watching the #GameOfThrones finale.

— Keith Powers (@KeithTPowers) August 28, 2017

Expected a lot more from the #GOT finale!

— David Meyler (@DavidMeyler7) August 28, 2017

"How do you answer these charges...Lord Baelish?"#GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/6jUZSCT1rU

— Lexa Ives ⚡️ (@arixkiddo) August 29, 2017

I'm still thinking about that Game of Thrones finale. That scene with Sansa and Arya was one of the best moments in the series.

— Geeks of Color (@GeeksOfColor) August 30, 2017

The fact that Jon didn't get the chance to become #GoTMVP because of the bad writing hurts me. ?

— tanu ☾ (@MamuKiBhanji) August 29, 2017

My heart stopped beating at this moment #GameOfThronesFinale pic.twitter.com/lY7BBhKsao

— 3laa M. Abd Elaziz? (@3laaa_mohamed) August 28, 2017

Despite a really good #GameofThrones season finale. Doesn't make up for the rushed storytelling & bad character decisions this season.

— Faisal Shahid (@iamfazool) August 28, 2017

THAT FINAL WAS THE BEST SCENE OF THE WORLD TELEVISION#GAMEOFTHRONES #GoTS7 #GoTFinale pic.twitter.com/0YlJrrtF2K

— giuli (@game0fthrxnes) August 28, 2017

Me for the last 15 minutes of the Season 7 Finale #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/XcEOmcR1YP

— Matt Cox (@_MattCox) August 28, 2017

Pretty much my reaction most of the finale. #GameOfThronesFinale #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/aVWZv33TUz

— SassySunny (@SunnyInSoCal) August 28, 2017

Game of Thrones finale was shit, I'm not here for a good guys v bad guys story. Has been painfully average since season 4

— Arun (@____Arun) August 30, 2017

game of thrones

s1: good
s2: pretty good
s3: mm okay?
s4: well....its not perfect
s5: wait what
s6: what is happening
s7: pic.twitter.com/HPR8uBNF9H

— emma (@peafIower) August 28, 2017

Genuinely didn't realise that was the season finale of Game Of Thrones and was thinking "Fuck! I can't wait a whole WEEK for the next one!"

— Mike Duce (@MikeDuce) August 29, 2017

I'm watching the Season Finale for the thousandth time. I have a problem. Huge, HUGE problem. #GameOfThrones @GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/zJet6tkhB8

— Earl (@axialearl) August 29, 2017

#GameOfThronesFinale gets a nom as worst finale for the worst season of #GameOfThrones so far. Full of illogical stuff, bad writing, so on? pic.twitter.com/tba2gRE5mG

— Jonsa Is Coming (@JonsaIsComing) August 28, 2017

The best season finale in all of television history #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/8tOVlvaS7U

— luisa (@sugarpufflulu) August 28, 2017

Wow that season finale has solidified my decision that Game of Thrones has overtaken Breaking Bad as the greatest thing I've ever watched???

— Matt Bowker (@MattBowker94) August 28, 2017

Watched the finale of Game of Thrones, very confused, did they get off the island? Was it purgatory? They never explained the polar bear

— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) August 28, 2017

me: the Game of Thrones finale was awesome!!
HBO: Season 8 doesn't come out until 2019..
me: pic.twitter.com/P2rYce8Tsw

— Mike Deestro (@mikedeestro) August 28, 2017

Game of Thrones season 7 is over

— reasons to cry (@whynottosmile) August 28, 2017

That awkward moment when a #GameOfThrones  season ends and you don't know what to do with your life.

— Game of Thrones (@TheThronesNews) August 29, 2017

This episode was so good that I feel dead inside for having to wait 2 more years for the next season #GoTS7 #GameOfThrones @GameOfThrones

— Lopes (@rodrigop_lopes) August 28, 2017

God that finale was everything.

And now we wait for 1700 years for the last season. #GameOfThrones

— Barbara Dunkelman (@bdunkelman) August 28, 2017

I better not die in the next 2 years cos I need to see season 8 #GameOfThrones #GameOfThronesFinale

— Scott (@BlessedScotty) August 28, 2017

Me realizing that I have to wait over a year for the next GoT ep after that finale #gameofthrones pic.twitter.com/sZ6QA9CPGH

— Sarene Thomas (@sarene731) August 28, 2017