THE final episode of Game Of Thrones has been perhaps one of the most divisive TV finales of all time, with fans torn between loving and feeling disappointed by the ending.
The epic fantasy drama came to a close in America on Sunday evening after 73 episodes, with UK-based fans able to watch the finale at 2am on Monday and 9pm on Sky and NowTV.
However, while some characters lost all, including their lives in the quest for the Iron Throne, the most beloved of all - the beautiful Northern Ireland scenery - may still be on fans' screens for years to come.
The eight series, which were predominantly filmed in the north - has proved a money-spinner for the Northern Ireland economy, bringing in an estimated £206 million.
In addition to the HBO show's legacy living on through a tourism project, filming on the hotly-anticipated prequel has reportedly already begun in the north.
Written by Jane Goldman, who also adapted Neil Gaiman's Stardust to great acclaim, HBO has pledged to pump similar amounts of money into the project.
"$50 million (per season) would never fly for what we are trying to do. We are going big," senior vice president of drama Francesca Orsi said last year.
The drama, reportedly titled Bloodmoon, takes place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, chronicling the descent from the golden Age of Heroes to `its darkest hour'.
Author George R.R. Martin calls the series The Long Night in reference to an event 8,000 years before the War of Conquest and the Targaryen rise to power, when the White Walkers first descended upon Westeros, leading humanity to erect the infamous Wall.
Naomi Watts, who will play "a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret", is one of the Hollywood stars who could soon be drinking in local pubs.
Its release is likely to be in 2021.
It may take fans that long to recover from last night's feature-length episode - which included a controversial plot twist before the fate of the Iron Throne and who would rule over Westeros was revealed.
One fan joked that the programme's writers David Benioff and DB Weiss were the "true villains of season 8", echoing a sentiment felt by many on social media that the writing had been a disaster.
But, US rapper T-Pain criticised those who thought they could do better: "I'd love to see the scripts to these shows that all these ppl that are criticizing GoT wrote. We might be able to get some money if you're that much better of a writer than the ones that kept you hype for 8 years."
Many viewers have declared their gratitude to the programme's writers, creators and cast for their work.
The show, based on George RR Martin's series of fantasy novels, A Song Of Ice And Fire and starring Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Lena Headey and Peter Dinklage, debuted in 2011.
