The obligatory Voltron S8 Rant...
Lets start with the basics.
You just know that they forced Allurace right at the end so it would make her sacrifice more impactful.
Because HOLY QUIZNACKING GOD, that relationship was NOT mutual.
Lance was so giving and so supportive the entire time - he would have hung the stars in the sky for her. And Allura, consistently, just wasn't.
He was someone she TOOK comfort in but didn't reciprocate in any way unless Lance initiated. He told her MANY TIMES he loved her and right up until the end she responded with changing the subject rather than answering him properly or returning the sentiment. It makes Lance look used - and HAPPY to be so because he's finally with the girl he's fixated on since Day 1!
Which brings up the stereotype for guys where, 'If you're persistent enough and keep pursuing someone (esp girls), eventually they'll return your affections.' Which, I'm sorry, but just no? Not only is that potentially annoying and certainly disrespectful as hell, but it can easily turn creepy and stalkerish. WHY WOULD YOU INCLUDE SOMETHING LIKE THIS??
And on the subject of Allura saying she loves Lance at the end... -INHALES-
YOU. 👏 DO. 👏 NOT. 👏 LOVE. 👏 HIM. 👏
You may care deeply for him as a friend, a paladin, and a part of your space family, but don't you give me this Love crap in a context that's clearly going to be taken as romantic BEFORE BRANDING HIS FACE SO HE CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT HIMSELF WITHOUT REMEMBERING YOU. WTF.
Lance was so clearly NOT her first choice.
Lance did NOT end the show with someone he needed as opposed to wanted.
Lance did NOT have a romantic endgame considering he's alone well into his adult life, stuck in the past, running a farm.
Not only did he deserve better but we were PROMISED better, only to be given THIS.
All they had to do was include ONE SCENE of Lance moving on as an adult (most likely with Keith because did you SEE how coded this show has been? Esp. this season??) and crap would have been decidedly better. But you know what we got instead?
Last minute montage of Shiro getting married to SOME FACE WE DON'T EVEN KNOW. And don't even have a NAME for. Out of ALL THE ALREADY ESTABLISHED CHARACTERS YOU HAD HISTORY AND CHEMISTRY WITH, YOU PULLED A 'SOME DUDE.' WTF... Also, can we all just clearly agree that Shiro has a TYPE. Holy crimes, their nameless Adam-clone wasn't even subtle.
In conclusion, it's often said that it's not the destination that matters, but the journey. In this case, however, the journey is truly what ruined the ending to their stories. There were so many other roads, so many better, higher paths, and here we all stand - abandoned in a mire of What Could Have Been.
No one ever addressed Keith attempting to commit suicide to save the team.
No one ever addressed Lance dying.
No one ever addressed Shiro's PTSD after he LITERALLY died and then got brought back in the body of a clone. Because, yeah, I'm sure THAT'S gone now.
They glanced over Hunk who had desperately wanted to see and help his family by letting him see them and having him IMMEDIATELY go back to war in space... only with food this time.
They glanced over the ramifications of child soldiers with Pidge by having her mom GROUND HER?? Because oh yeah, thats the sort of psycological treatment Pidge is gonna need.
And finally, SO IMPORTANTLY, they left Coran high and dry as the person he cares for most - his very purpose in life - died without even being able to say goodbye. You CAN'T TELL ME with all the Altean Power Ex-Machinas that happened in this show, that they couldn't have allowed them to at least mentally say their farewells in a place that literally fuses all realities and possibilities. WHAT. THE. HELL.
And now it's done. It's over.
I realize it's just a show.
But perhaps the one thing Voltron always tried to inspire became it's greatest Achilles heel: