I'm utterly disappointed with the way game of thrones ended. like they can't even write a proper screenplay without original authors books. it felt rushed, pacing was gone, seriously, no matter how much money they throw at CGI it can never compete with previous seasons which actually were well written.
Just as long as you realise your own complicity in the problem then everything's fine.
As a fan of the show, as most of us were/are, we demand the series to go on. And even to come to a conclusion at some satisfactory point. Once we were all addicted we became the main problem with the show, like a bunch of heroin addicts who demanded more than the supplier had in stock, thereby necessitating the watering down of the product to stretch it to everyone.
I mean, how would the fanbase react if the production company just said "well, that's a wrap for now, we can't do any more until George does his next book"? We know how they reacted, they started giving George loads of shit, like psychopathy levels of shit. Just as the fanbase gave Arthur Conan Doyle psychopathy levels of shit when he killed off Sherlock Holmes (including death threats).
On top of that you have such practical concerns as actor and production team contracts to consider. It's all very well saying "Let's hold off until the next book", but what are the actors and production team supposed to do in the mean time? Refuse all other forms of work and competing contracts? Just from this practical perspective the show had to go on in a sub-par way or just cancel the series mid-plot.
If you ask me, the final season is therefore perfect. It wraps everything up as neatly
as it can by giving everyone the closure they vociferously demanded, while at the same time being just about crap enough and disappointing enough for even the biggest fans to say "well, that's a good place to stop". No great harm was done and no-one is going to have to worry about studio execs or rabid fans calling them up and demand they make series 9 "Like, get on with it, I can't live without it maaaan" etc.
Most series end on a bit of a bum note, even the great ones. Even Deadwood that carnifex mentioned earlier, fucking appallingly tedious last seaon to end it. And no-one minds. Because, at some point, everyone has to move on. Not just us, but everyone involved in the show as well. And the best way for that to happen for everyone concerned is if the last season is a bit shit, but not entirly irredeemably so.