We’re not quite a year from the divisive final season of Game Of Thrones, which ended on a note that many (many) fans found to be, um, unsatisfactory. Though the cast tried to warn us before its premiere, most of them—aside from Lena Headey, of course—have been diplomatic in its aftermath. Now, it seems, some truth is beginning to seep out.
Emilia Clarke, who played dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen, recently discussed the finale and its “backlash” with the Sunday Times, hinting that she knew it might be controversial when she read it. “I knew how I felt when I first read it, and I tried, at every turn, not to consider too much what other people might say, but I did always consider what the fans might think—because we did it for them, and they were the ones who made us successful, so…it’s just polite, isn’t it?”
She then tries to pull a similar trick to Conleth Hill, who played Varys, by blaming external factors for the finale’s fiery response. While Hill blamed the “media,” Clarke points towards the “global temperature” and “how much horrific news there is consistently.” She continues, “Because people are going, finally, here’s something I can actually see and understand and get some control back over…and then when that turns, and you don’t like what they’ve done…”
Later, however, her real feelings began to bubble up. Discussing the character’s death, she said, “Yeah, I felt for her. I really felt for her. And yeah, was I annoyed that Jon Snow didn’t have to deal with something? He got away with murder—literally.” She added that the final season was “all about the set pieces,” saying the showrunners could’ve “spun it out for a little longer.”
Clarke also sounds as if, at least for now, she’s through with such gargantuan productions. “Doing a show so many people had opinions about doesn’t serve your creativity on any level,” she said.
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C’mon! We’re going to start this up again? Don’t we have anything better to do?Wait- I’m being told we really don’t. Carry on.
And now that Deadspin is back online, there are no sports to report. So lets replay the reviews of last years GOT.
Yeah, it’s going to be a looong quarantine. Bring it on.
It’s hard to argue about when I’m already struggling to remember the story of the last season.For instance, I can remember Jaime showing up in different places, but I can’t for the life of me remember why. I know Davos was in some scenes, but doing what? Eyeshadow guy shot those catapaults that were really good and then they were bad because why, and what else was his point? The Hound seemed to be wanting to kill his brother with about all the urgency that Don Turnbee showed in finishing off that Whaler Sandwich that had way more sauce than he liked but he already paid for it so what choice did he really have, I guess. Why?
A Game of Thrones article is posted and there’s only ONE comment an hour later?! The backlash is real.
I feel bad for these actors. They shouldn’t have to explain and be analyzed for the controversy on this work. Asked time and again if they thought it was good or what went wrong, when they weren’t the disinterested showrunners that obviously didn’t want to attempt to finish GRRM’s tale as satisfying and fleshed out, as they had earlier his written books.Plenty of blame to go around, but the cast are innocents.
I mean, I think most people rightfully blame B&W.
I believe most people do as well, but some media and a vocal minority of fans are ready to pounce on these actors if they don’t assess the final season(s) in the same way they do, regardless of how they felt about the show or it’s ending.
I’m of the opinion of that they did what were told to do and they did it well. That doesn’t make Season 8 good, just that they did the best with what they could.
The internet- luckily good for knowing who created what so we can blame them. Generally the avid fans got better at that. Although. The internet – her favorite primary candidate is who!?
He didn’t have to pay?! He was forced to live north of “the wall” with the free peoples because he couldn’t live a normal life in Westeros without looking over his shoulder for the Unsullied the rest of his life!!! He was practically banished. I think he paid dearly. He also had to watch 1 love of his life die in front of him, and kill the other. Man… I just do not agree with her at all.
Also was anyone even complaining about ‘Jon Snow not getting punished enough’?
Look over his shoulder? The Unsullied all left and went to look for butterflies or whatever. Jon could easily have gone back to Winterfell and the Unsullied would likely never have known about it. (And even if they did, what are they going to do? Come back without dragons and invade Westeros?)
What about the fact his own men killed him? Dying is nothing to deal with?
He was reunited with Ghost that is all the matters. He could meet a nice Wildling lady and raise a bunch of boring children.
Or adopt a bunch of orphans with Tormund. Probably tons of those around.
The life he wanted to live, really. He looked happy and free at the end.
He went north of the Wall with his favorite redhead. Not so bad.
I would seriously watch a Tormund spin off!
Banishing Jon to the North was like throwing Br’er Rabbit into the briar patch.
So he’s living in a frat house with minor responsibilities considering there’s no threat from the North? Not luxury, but not prison. Here’s a bunch of your friends and it’s kinda cold.
this is so good
May I have some more, sir?
This needs more stars. It’s better and has about a 1000% more logic than the actual final season
This needs more stars. It’s better and has about a 1000% more logic than the actual final season
All of Westeros would be dead by White Walkers or subjected by an insane Targaryen without Jon Snow.
“blaming external factors for the finale’s fiery response”Or maybe, just maybe, the show didn’t stick the landing. Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one.
I didn’t really watch all of GoT but I know they were like half-siblings or something so I GoTta ask…When you say “got off easily” do you mean…
Half-siblings? No! Stop being so gross.She was his aunt.
Hey, now, you’re the one who presumably watched this show all the way through. I bailed out after the first season. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Not for reasons that have to do with any perceived lack of quality, though.
Aunt and Nephew. But yes.These two were siblings.
I think he probably should have paid some sort of price for being a shit military commander that got scores of his men killed for no reason and who also basically handed the Night King a zombie dragon that allowed him to invade Westeros. Like, maybe he should have been demoted and forced to leave the important decisions to people who aren’t complete idiots. But he gets a pass for killing Dany. Someone had to.
This astonishes me about the show too. Jon was clearly (by GoT standards) heroic, self-effacing, and always looking for the best option. But he was a *terrible* military commander. The only battles he won were because other people saved his neck at the last minute. I understand why this makes sense in the original — GRRM would never let a character be a gleaming beacon of all that is right with the world — but I don’t understand why nobody ever seems to comment on it either in-world or in fandom. I mean, surely Jamie, Brienne, or Bronn would raise the point that maybe they shouldn’t put Jon in charge of an army they wanted to keep.
The suicidal honor of a Stark combined with the homicidal madness of a Targaryen. What could go wrong?
He got away with murder—literally.
He got away with murdering Hitler!(And I LIKE Daeny. As a character. That doesn’t means she didn’t have it coming in the end.)
He got away with murder—literally.When she thought she was a queen, she was murdering people left and right. Didn’t seem to have a problem with rulers exercising their power then.Funny how her viewpoint changes when her rightful ruler does the same to her.