Game of Thrones Showrunners Talk Season 4 Finale

The fourth season of Game of Thrones came to an end with last night's finale, "The Children." The episode was full of dramatic meetings between certain major characters and major changes in direction for others. In a new video released by HBO, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss discuss several of these moments, including when Stannis Baratheon meets Jon Snow.

"This is a world where bloodlines mean everything, and particularly for Stannis," says Benioff, "whose whole claim on the throne is based on the fact that he is the rightful heir, he is the true blood relation to Robert Baratheon, his older brother. Now he is meeting a young man who, while still a bastard, is descended from Ned Stark, and Ned was the one who informed Stannis about his rightful claim to the throne. And so, Stannis has a lot of respect for the memory of Ned, and so he has respect for Ned's family."

Another major moment was when Dany chained her dragons in the catacombs of Meereen.

"Ruling is about maintaining order and creating an environment for your people that is safe," says Weiss, "and her dragons, which were such an asset…when she would come knocking as a conqueror, they're become a liability that she can't afford anymore."

They showrunners also discuss Brienne's meeting with the Hound and Arya Stark and Tywin's conflicts with his children. You can see the full featurette below.