And Now Our Watch Is Ended

jon tormund wildlings wall finale

We founded Watchers on the Wall nine years ago with a clear goal: to enjoy our favorite TV show together with our fellow fans, writing about Game of Thrones for the sheer love of it. We wanted to create the recaps and analysis and post the kind of news that we would want to read, on our own terms, without interference from corporate ownership. We wanted the freedom to enjoy fandom as wanted, and we found it on the Wall.

At the time it was a difficult decision to leave behind our previous internet home, but it’s one we’ve never regretted. To be able to write about Game of Thrones solely as fans meant there was no pressure to churn out content to make money- no quotas or finger-wagging. It also meant that once GoT was over in 2019, it was entirely up to us what we were going to do. We chose to keep Watchers on the Wall open but the future was uncertain.

Now, a few years onward, we have reached the conclusion that it’s time for Watchers on the Wall to close.

We knew there would be a Long Night after the end of GoT, but I don’t think anyone knew just how dark it would be. It took even longer than expected for a prequel show to turn up, due to the first pilot being scrapped and House of the Dragon being ordered instead. The Winds of Winter never appeared, making the fandom even drier of content. And then of course, 2020 was hit by something by something much less predictable than GRRM’s writing pace: a pandemic.

It’s been an extremely challenging few years for everyone here at the Wall, between working in healthcare, having babies, experiencing personal losses, adapting to new phases of life, traveling, and just…everything that comes with having a full life. People are tired, and real life comes first. That’s always been the main rule here: we do this for the love of it, and if we’re not loving it, it’s time to stop.

I’ve enjoyed House of the Dragon but it hasn’t inspired the fanatical level of devotion Game of Thrones did. I’ll watch season 2 every week, live-tweet a bit, and sleep peacefully. There will be no more 2am show nights for me; it’s time to retire and let other recappers have the fun.

We wanted to be a collective focused on the fandom, and I think we have succeeded in that. Nine years is a good run for a fan site and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together, as a community. It was a wild journey filled with color and light and unpredictable characters (much like Game of Thrones). Our readers and commenters have been such a blessing and I’m grateful for the time each of you spent with us along the way. You all made me think and smile so much. You made Watchers home.

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I want to personally thank Oz, Luka, Vanessa, Samantha, David, Petra, Axechucker, and Marko for being absolute rock stars, and a special thank you to our features writers for their amazing creative contributions: Akash of the Andals, Hogan McLaughlin, JoeMagician, Morgoth, and Patrick Sponaugle. Also I’d love to thank past staff writers like Bex, Geoffery, Cian, Nate, Shylah, Dylan, Paige, and Marc N. Kleinhenz for their important contributions to Watchers on the Wall. Thank you to Dame Pasty for her technical help, and thanks to Jess for help with our Tumblr!

We’ve had some incredible guest contributors at the Wall over the past nine years, including Aishwarya, BryndenBFish, EmceeFrodis, GreatjonofSlumber, Hannah, JamesRivers, Jared Kozal, Jefferson Carberry, Joe Buckley, Manu, Morgan, Randy Holt, Red Aly, Ryan Neuner and Tyler Dean. Thank you all so much for sharing your ideas and your talents with the fandom!

Watchers on the Wall will remain open until at least October 18th.

Thank you for every day, every night, every tweet, every comment, every cheer, every groan, every laugh, and every word. We loved watching along with you all.

And now our watch is ended.

crow

 

Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

94 Comments

  1. Wow this is extremely sad to see, but totally understandable. Thanks for everything you guys have done and providing this platform for the fans over the years. I don’t come here very often at all anymore, but I have a lot of great memories. Take care everyone and enjoy HotD Season 2.

  2. Thanks one and all, this place was invaluable to me during GOT, I loved reading all the articles and interacting with all the other posters. I rarely look on here now more due to other life priorities myself but wanted to express my gratitude and wish you all well in the future.

  3. For one last time: Hodor!

    Shame, but fully understandable. Gonna miss you guys when season 2 HotD arrives.

    Best of luck on all your future endeavours.

  4. It was one hell of a run!
    I’m happy that I was a part of it. Thank you very much again for taking me on board, Sue. And for being the coolest editor in chief! Always kind and understanding. 🙂 Though irl stuff made me drift away, I’ve kept visiting and enjoying the new pieces from you and the rest of the team. I wish you all the best.
    I’ll forever cherish my time @ Watchers!
    GoT was (and remains tbh) a huge part of my life as a fantasy fan, and it was an absolute joy to be able to share all that passion, the theories, the reactions and more with you and the readers.
    To everyone at Watchers: thank you wholeheartedly. You’re all amazing.

  5. I followed WOTW from their previous website and the folks here, from the writers to the commenters during the OG show run was amazing.

    Happy trails and see y’all out there!

  6. Hodor! Aw this is so sad but I guess inevitable. It will always be one of my favorite sites. Thanks for everything!! ❤️

  7. Hi everyone, one last time,
    What a great community this has been! All the memories … Thank you, Sue, for running the whole circus, it must not have been easy 😉

  8. I really loved this blog. It was here for me when I no one else to turn to to dissect each and every scene of GoT with. When I noticed the site dwindling down, I decided to read the books to get my fill (which I might regret bc then the wait for WOW comes). But I want to thank all you, both the creators and the contributors for a safe haven! And now my watch is ended.

    -Raenarys

  9. I haven’t been on much lately, but I was a daily lurker for years since the old site, even before GoT was greenlit. Thank you for everything that all of you have done over the last 15-16(?) years! I’m sad to hear you’re closing up shop, but it’s understandable.

  10. Thank you for all the work you guys did in the past 9 years! It was a pleasure being in this community and reading every articles, recaps and more! All of you made this community better! This was the place to be! Thank you again for the bottom of my heart!

  11. Thank you for all the work you guys did in the past 9 years! It was a pleasure being in this community and reading every articles, recaps, and more! All of you made this community better! This was the place to be! Thank you again for the bottom of my heart!

  12. So sad, but completely understandable. Thank you all for making this such a fun site and providing such great content.

  13. This feels heartbreaking, even though I rarely check in anymore. Many people I interacted with here during the run of GoT came to feel like friends (and a thankfully small handful – the ones who got into ad hominem attacks on people who disagreed with them – like foes). Some were true “characters.” I knew I could always find wit and humor here, as well as mentally stimulating, cogently argued hypotheses. In my current fandoms (lately Good Omens, Our Flag Means Death, Outlander and The Gilded Age), I really miss having a place like this to go to discuss what just happened and speculate about what’s coming next. So much of what bonded us together is lost when a show is streamed and drops all its episodes at once. The shared anticipation was a powerful and gorgeous thing!

    Thank you, Sue and all the mods and contributors, and everyone who posted, for creating what felt like a real community for a significant chunk of my life. I miss it already.

  14. Just echoing what many have said: your website brought me a ton of enjoyment through the years, and thank you for it.

  15. Thank you for everything, this was one of my favorite places during THAT time. Since I wasn’t much of a fan of HotD ( i dont remember hate watching , with such intensity,anything like that) I havent visited this site as often as I used to ( didnt want to spread my negative thoughts) … and now this.
    I will always have my tree ornament and ALWAYS support the bottom panties to remind me how much love and passion for one weird show, we had, shared in here.
    Many blessings to you all, be good do good!
    Team Arya forever

  16. Sue,

    The site was great, and will be fondly remembered and deeply missed. Thank you for all the hard work that you and the entire team took on to be a great source of information and community.

    Lots of love, <3 <3 <3

  17. It was a long time since I read frequently, and many years since I posted frequently. I’ve met several people who I’d now consider friends through this and the previous site.
    I fondly remember the in-season start-of-weeks that were filled with so many articles and news round-ups. I don’t think we’ll see something like that for another TV series again.

    Thank you Sue and all the other people who have run this site for these 9 years.

  18. I have such wonderful memories of the early years. Thank you guys for all your hard work. Never forget “Always Support the Bottom!” 😊💗

  19. Thanks a lot for everything, for so many years of scoops, exclusives, reveals, but most importantly, knowing that across the sea a website was a model and place to look forward to. Thanks for so many conversations, thanks for keeping alive the fandom and thanks for being, most of all, good people.

    Long live the King

  20. Knighthoods should be in order for all
    of you for accomplishing this gargantuan task. Well done, I say!

  21. Never really commented here, but have been a constant reader since the WIC days. Thanks so much for everything, guys! I’ll miss this site tremendously 🥲

  22. Ah, so many nights I stayed up way too late to both watch the episodes, and then gallop over to this site to join the conversation in full swing. It was a special place and a community of people that rarely comes along. My season 6 box set has a special spot on my shelf, and you all have a special place in my snarkastic heart. Thank you. 😊

  23. Thanks for all the great coverage over the years everyone. May the old gods and the new smile upon you in all your future endeavors. 🙂

  24. Thank you for the wonderful blog and all the great posts. I totally understand moving on. I could not get into the HotD and have not visited much here since the end of Season 8. Best wishes!

  25. Your site was always the first I turned to for reviews and rewatches! Just great content. I appreciate everything you did! Best of luck!

  26. Wow. The end of an era.

    Congrats Sue, Marko, Axey, Oz and the rest of the crew for taking up the mantle and running with it. I’ve said it before, but this site was the spiritual successor to what we built at WiC. I’m truly grateful you made the move and kept the community together until the show’s end and beyond.

    Real life kept me too busy to be active in the community any more but I still checked in occasionally. And of course I will always look back fondly on those early days.

    Congrats again on a great run! Always support the bottom!

  27. Thank you so much for taking me in after binge watching 4 seasons. I enjoyed it so much to come her after a new episode. And getting preseason spoilers, LOL. THANKS to all the eagle-eyed fans for making the wait between seasons bearable. I went through chemo with this site. STILL have not read the books (shame…shame…shame..). Now I am just wondering if my WOTW merch will be eventually turn into collectibles. 🤔 Take care everyone. Have a good life.

  28. I felt an emptiness in my chest when I saw your post. I want to thank you. I enjoyed coming to this site and joining in the discussions over the years. I always felt safe to express my opinions. It was a good run as you said. Maybe you will come back in another form one day…. Perhaps as a wise AI tree that can see everything. Memories of Jorah and Theon’s last moments and the funeral just flashed in front of me.

  29. Thank you so much for all the hard work.

    It has been a long time since I frequently read articles here and I have not even been around to watching HoD yet, but I still remember reading and laughing at the tweet reviews.

    This community is also where I first read about TitanCon and all the fun that could be had in Belfast on one week-end every year. And fun it was!

    What is dead may never die!

  30. I’d like to offer my deep and heartfelt thanks to the entire Watchers on the Wall team – especially the original breakaway four of Sue, Axey, Marko, and Oz – for keeping the lights on for as long as you did. I never expected this website and the people who frequented it to be such an important part of my life during the time when Game of Thrones was airing and afterwards, but you did. You all helped forge a truly special community united by our shared love for this story and each other, one that made our fan experience and our lives better. I’ll always be grateful. Love to all!

  31. Well, I suspected as much considering the lack of recent activity.

    Unfortunate, but it’s been fun here. Live long and prosper in your future endeavours!

    I’ll be looking forward to HotD season 2, even though with one fewer spots for reviews, recaps etc.

  32. 2018 was the best year of my life, lurking here and everywhere to search every small infos possible.
    Thanks guys

  33. My entire family raced to read this site after watching the various episodes. What a lovely community.

    Thank you for everything .

  34. Sue & the Watchers,

    From the first time I stumbled across your site (you’d heard rumour of some potential casting calls for Season 6, meanwhile I was sitting on a hodor-sized secret), through to getting the chance to meet and know y’all at cons and online, its been great to have such an awesome hub of nerds to get excited over GOT with, and share a pint with more to the point (more to the pint?).

    Despite the show’s stunning production quality and the inspiring work of handsome British actors *cough*, GOT is nothing without the fanbase that it forged, where book nerds and show watchers intertwined to get excited every Sunday evening (or early Monday morning in mine and Luka’s case) over this silly sword-clanking sexy dragon show. And WOTW has been a huge part of that. So thank you all for keeping this show’s buzz going long enough that there was a Season 6 (yay for employment) and we won’t mention the final two seasons…

    So, Watchers…. may your lives be longer than a Winterfell winter and warmer than the Dornish sun, and may you all slay as fiercely as a Dothraki hoard.

    Most of all though, hold the door.

    Love to you all

    Sam

  35. Thank you all so much. I followed you all from the old site and never looked back. I especially always loved Axey’s Twitter recaps and your viewpoints, Sue. Best of luck to you all in whatever path you each take. Valar dohaeris. 💕

  36. I think I followed WotW from nearly the beginning and really enjoyed the articles you created as well as the generally very nice and fun comments from the readers and writers. Unlike other digital hangouts, even in the Asiof community, it stayed very civil throughout even heated discussions and that only changed somewhat as the show deteriorated and the D&D apologists started shouting down any criticism.
    I still enjoyed the articles through the later seasons and HotD. I have still been looking for updates on the second season every now and then and already got the feeling that the end is near.
    Thank you Sue and all the authors for creating such a nice experience for so long.
    And now your watch has ended, but I wish you all the best on whatever you spend your time on these days!

  37. Love you, Sue! Love everything this wonderful site brought to me through shared love of a thing.

    All the hard work was worth it, beloved, and will be remembered. ❤️

  38. Sad but understandable. When I stumbled upon this site I immediately recognized it for what it was. A place for fans created by fans. And a place for those of us seeking to gather for more in depth material and discussion rather than what you can find literally anywhere else.

    Sure this community was small and not nearly as large as others but that’s what made it special. It was more directed and geared towards those of us who cared far more for a work of fiction than we probably should have.

    In the end I am, amongst many of you, grateful for the time spent here week in week out being able to enjoy Game of Thrones beyond the actual material.

  39. Thanx Sue for all the work over the years. It was fun while it lasted. And just so you know, I really enjoyed the last season. Everything that happened was foreshadowed. Coulda had one more episode between 804 and 805 to slow everything down a bit but…

    Anyway, so long and thanks for all the fish.

  40. Oh! I havent been around for a long time so this doesn’t surprise me, but im in tears. I remember hearing about a possible series of Martin’s books and my fellow fans around me were following every thread and line We found this place, and we knew we were home. I remember watching the premeir, cheering at this incredible show, with some of the best acting Ive ever seen in fantasy show. Every week I watched and then eagerly got on line to see what everyone was saying. This is where I spent my time after a broken hip, and loved every second of it. Each season presented us with new topics, new discussions, new problems. I treasure all the memories I have of of the fandom here, of my friends I made, of the challenges we went through I am so grateful to Sue and the rest of your staff for keeping this going. I can imagine a better fandom than this. I will never forget you (Still hoping that we’ll see a Jon Snow series, and I wonder about Aryas travels. but a girl can dream)

    blessings to all of you . signing off

  41. Oh. Oh.

    As so many have said, understandable.

    But I’m sitting here in tears over this. And I’m sure I’ll shed many more over the next few days.

    This site, and I know this sounds dramatic – and possibly emo (is that word even used anymore), but this site changed my world. It gave me the courage to attend my first con in decades, Con of Thrones, and attend it Con Solo. ‘Watchers’ made me feel welcome and seen. And from there, has built a confidence in me I didn’t think I had in me. Y’all touched so many lives here.

    My deepest and heartfelt appreciation for all the hard work WotW had put in over the years. A true labor of love.

    Thank you…. for everything.

    LL of Darkwater

  42. Thank you, Sue, and everyone involved in this great site. It was a refreshing refuge from the vitriol spewed on that other site-that-must-not-be-named. The speculation, the book v show discussions, and the epic tweets made the whole experience of GoT so unique and enjoyable! I will cherish my hoodie forever. Best wishes in your future endeavors!

  43. I still think of new theories all the time because Game of Thrones is so thought provoking. I think SNOW will finally have the bittersweet ending GRRM teased. I wish all who made Watchers on the Wall a great Fan Site the best.

  44. Thanks, Sue and the whole Watchers crew. This site was my most visited page in 2016 and 2017, and participating with the passionate and respectful community on here helped me when I was really struggling with my social life. Wasn’t expecting a shoutout for my single article; I’m simply grateful to be listed alongside such wonderful other contributors. And now our watch is ended.

  45. I echo the sentiments of sadness expressed by others at the closure of this site but it’s true that relevant news – and comments – have been somewhat sparse since the end of GoT. I express my thanks to Sue and all those who have worked to maintain this site over the last nine years. I’ll wish a sincere goodbye to commenters and lurkers and mods/writers etc. As they say, life goes on. Wishing everyone all the best for the future.

  46. WoTW was my main go to for filming spoilers, recaps, the weekly buildup with news for every season. Gods you were strong back then. Absolutely amazing content. You will be missed. Thanks for hard work and dedication.

  47. Sorry to see WOTW go away. I have certainly enjoyed being a part of this fandom for many years, especially since so few of my friends IRL share my particular nerdness for the Ice-and-Fire-verse.

    I’ll continue to lurk in various comments sections whenever there is news, and hope to see many familiar names there. Wishing you all the best.

  48. As a newbie to fantasy storytelling, WotW provided a haven to learn more about the show and the genre. Who knew I should be looking for so many clues to the prophecies? HA! I absolutely would not have enjoyed GoT as completely and joyfully had I not stumbled upon this wonderful site. My heartfelt thanks to all of the contributors, re-cappers, guest writers and the community at large,

  49. I saw the announcement when you posted on Instagram. It’s an understandable decision, but I’m still sad about it! And I agree, even though I watch House of the Dragon, it is nowhere near the weekly fervor I felt watching GoT. Thank you WotW for you in-depth analyses, giveaways, hilarious tweet roundups, and I always loved your longreads, Patrick. Sending you all warm wishes out there in real life.

    Firannion,
    I absolutely LOVE Our Flag Means Death. Immediately watched the first three episodes when they were released this week.

    Also, we all might see some familiar faces on Andor. I thought the first season was absolutely phenomenal but I also noticed Nina Gold was part of the casting crew so there were a lot of actors from GoT and Chernobyl.

    Thanks again WotW for this great platform!

  50. Thank you so much for the beautiful years! I think I was active since season 3 and I have learned so much that I wouldn’t have noticed without this site. It was my favourite site to go to until the end of GOT, I checked it several times a day. I’m gonna miss you all!

  51. How has it been 9 years already?! How time flies. There must be a moon door somewhere.

    Thank you for everything, WotW team. Appreciated more than you could know. You are an indelible part of the Game of Thrones story.

    All the very best of wishes in all things x

  52. Thank You very much Watchers!!!! I’ve spent dozents of hours devouring comments on your posts all through the past decade. You made my life so much more interesting and always left my ‘GoT stomach’ feel like it’s full each( I repeat EACH) freaking day during the show’s run. Thank You for everything! Wish You all the best. I’m very proud to say I’ve been collaborating with watchersonthe wall.com on the Walk of Shame report during filming.

  53. Thank you Sue, and to all of you who have made this website work so well over all these years. You’ve done a good thing. And helped many of us to find that much more joy and connection in our lives.

    May you be well – and continue to be protected by the old gods and the new.

  54. End of an era. Hate to leave important things unsaid so here goes. Geekfurious is an insufferable douchebag online, but, and this is important, is probably an insufferable douchebag in real life. That’s from the heart.

  55. And so it comes to pass…

    Once upon a time I was a regular here, and a regular on the old site as well, gods know how many years ago. I had a great time watching the show with all of you and participating in this one-of-a-kind community. This site with all its wonderful contributors was an integral part of the GoT experience for me. I couldn’t, and still can’t, imagine one without the other.

    But as Q taught me in 1994, all good things must come to an end.

    Stay happy and healthy! Maybe we’ll meet again.

  56. Cumsprite:
    End of an era. Hate to leave important things unsaid so here goes. Geekfurious is an insufferable douchebag online, but, and this is important, is probably an insufferable douchebag in real life. That’s from the heart.

    Unrelated, but I wanted to thank you for your support! Winter never came, but the good memories remain. It was a lot of fun to discuss ASOIAF / GRRM / GOT.

    Obie:
    Morgoth,

    Morgoth! NO MAMES! 👀

    Hey! It’s been a while, I hope you’re doing well, man!

  57. Morgoth: Unrelated, but I wanted to thank you for your support! Winter never came, but the good memories remain. It was a lot of fun to discuss ASOIAF / GRRM / GOT.

    Hey! It’s been a while, I hope you’re doing well, man!

    Be well, buddy.

  58. Thank you Sue, for everything. You have been and will remain to be the best. The glue that held this community together for years. Best to you and everyone that has worked so hard all this time!

  59. End of an era. Cheers for all the good memories folks

    Shout out to friends (especially from Fleabottom and IsWinterComing?, wherever you all are) and especially my numerous enemies

    Also Season 8 was good come at me

  60. Thank you to all!

    One of the best fan site that I have experienced. I came to this website for insights and as a place to be one with people who enjoyed GOT. So, again, thank you.

  61. Oh wow, end of an era indeed!

    I haven’t been active (or even lurking) here for a long time, but nonetheless want to thank Sue and all the others for keeping the watch-fires alive all these years. I remember how grateful I was to re-find this community after the first installment turned into something dark.

    Coincidentally, I visited WotW today because I was reminded of one of the very best online moments I ever experienced, by the following article:
    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/12/researchers-use-ai-to-read-word-on-ancient-scroll-burned-by-vesuvius
    Anybody here still remembers what I mean? Always Support the Bottom!

  62. Thank you all for creating this place to come together and get reliable info! This site really brought me into the fandom and got me going on another level from casual viewer/reader to actual real fan! I will never forget being starstruck seeing Sue, Oz, Petra, Luka, David, Sam at Con of Thrones and feeling like I was seeing celebrities :). You guys made this so fun, my heartfelt thanks!! <3. see you on twitteros

  63. Thank you guys. Still I remember the days of season 6 and Jon snows killing. I used to wait for your article to check he will be back to show or not.

    What’s the next plan ? Any Instagram or Facebook or other options to keep in touch with this family?

  64. Profound gratitude to Staff for creating this safe space for Sullied and Unsullied alike.
    Your watch has ended, but the memories will linger on. Shout out to 10 🐻s, and farewell to my fellow watchers.
    I see all of you👁‍🗨

  65. Thank you for all the many contributions over many years. I was also a reader since the WIC days. This site was consistently the best fan site for GoT, period. You all were amazing.

    I share the sentiments on HotD. I’ll be watching, too, but it doesn’t inspire and excite the way the original did.

  66. Dear Sue and the rest of the team!

    Deep inside, I felt this day would eventually come for a while now and I don’t think it’s a coincidence I checked in here on potential last day of the site so allow me to say a few words

    I was late-comer to the site, to be more exact in late 2015 early 2016 during the build-up to S6. When I look back, I was not in good place then, moving through my life without actually “living it”. But when I think of it, I believe it was the discovery of this site that was the “jumpstart” I needed then. The tracking of Memory Lane posts, the build-up towards S6, the constant fuel of hype and then as S6 started, there wasn’t a single day I wouldn’t check the site then. Is S6 my favorite GoT season partially also because WotW enriched my journey? Could be. Nevertheless, the impact it left on me was a big one and it may have been the jumpstart I needed in my life.

    Admittedly, I gradually drifted away in years to come for various reasons. But if anyone and I mean anyone asked me what would be my go-to site for GoT, I would answer Watchers on the Wall. For 7 years, your site was synonimous with GoT for me and I’m not lying. Even though your story might end today, the memories will never be forgotten, at least not from my side.

    Thank you, Sue and the rest of the team, for all the memories I made here, for all the effort you made to keep GoT alive here. And I want to thank you for indirectly inspiring me to be more confident in my english writings and to start a series of my own Memory Lane posts for another TV show. Thank you all the members who I got to know there. Whether I got along with you or not, I certainly won’t forget any of you.

    Well I’m having tears in my eyes as I’m writing this, believe it or not. Part of me has hard time accepting that the story of WotW is coming to an end but I know it’s meant to be.

    Take care everybody and best of luck in your lives. Or if I use my native language: “Pazite na sebe in vso srečo v vaših življenjih”

    Gone, but never forgotten.

    Erik

  67. Sorry to hear, I really enjoyed this place. And I was able the finally be the first to write HODOR! in the end 🙂

  68. Sue, you were always grouchy as hell when you commented and Luka was frequently an overly sensitive prick, but I’m still very appreciative for all you did during GoT’s run as well as the 1st season of HotD. This site will be missed.

  69. Very late to this party, it’s the last day, isn’t it? As if I felt I had to check my beloved site, which has given me the feeling of belonging for so many years.
    I returned to the Wall frequently during the summer while rewatching GOT and discovering that it still means a lot to me, forgetting everything I didn’t like at the time – not a different opinion, but rather philosophically accepting that things can’t be great all the time.
    I should have guessed that no news was by no means good news, but I didn’t want to imagine the possibility of an ending, although the signs were there. OK, HOTD is not GOT, but it’s still Westeros and dragons and grey characters and good acting… But this is the end and I’m weeping inside.
    Thank you, Sue and the WOTW team and all the passionate people whom I considered my friends, people who gave me the illusion that there were no geographical borders and no language barriers, my gratitude to you all!

  70. Thanks for everything, loved coming here almost daily year after year! Had a feeling this was coming when there was no new posts for months on end. Sad its over but totally get it.

  71. I saw this when you first posted it, and have been struggling to find words with which to respond.

    I cannot thank you all enough for having created this site and this space for the fandom. I discovered WotW during a very dark time, shortly after I’d graduated from college (at 46) but couldn’t find a job in my chosen field. Despite support from loved ones I was suicidally depressed and, after the intensely focused experience of university, utterly adrift emotionally and intellectually. I stumbled on this site while looking for some particular information about GoT and it became a lifeline. The passionate discussions sustained the creative and critical-thinking parts of my brain, and the camaraderie kept me awake many a night that otherwise might have been spent in empty misery.

    I’ve made one wonderful friend through this site, and going to the Cons in Dallas and Nashville were life-changing experiences. They enabled me to reconnect to a part of me that had long been buried. Meeting many of the WotW in real life was as exciting as meeting Sibel Kekilli and NCW. I’ll be forever grateful for your writing, your weirdness, your wonderful senses of humor, and the smart, quirky community you’ve fostered all these years.

    I know this isn’t a death, but it feels like one—like moving away from a beloved childhood home and knowing nothing will be the same again. I wish the very best for all of you, today and in all the days to come.

  72. Awww, what a treat to find in my inbox! I miss that community so much. All thanks to the support from WotW!

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