A good beginning, a marvelous middle, but a shoddy end — doesn’t that spell out the epic saga of ‘Game of Thrones?’ A brilliant series until its Season Seven, the HBO show stumbled in its final chapter, thanks to the substandard writing and poor storytelling. Despite its controversial Season Eight run, the series managed to score 32 nominations in the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards — but does it deserve it?
Did you know that the series has earned the most Emmy nominations for any program in a single season? The record was previously held by ‘NYPD Blue,’ which scored 26 nominations in 1994. Over its full eight seasons, ‘Game of Thrones’ has clinched 161 nominations overall, dominating the drama acting categories.
Headlined by stars like Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington, the last season turned out to be a sore disappointment for many of its fans, who even started a petition to remake the series. Giving in to the endless demand, HBO finally addressed the elephant in the room. “There are very, very few downsides to having a hugely popular show, but one I can think of is when you try to end it, many people have big opinions on how it should end. The petition shows a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the show, but it wasn’t something that we seriously considered.”
Considering the sheer let-down for its fans, would you expect the worst-rated ‘Game of Thrones’ episode to be nominated for an Emmy Award? No, right? Well, not only has it earned a nomination but also being considered as one of the top contenders among other shows. Several actors from the supporting cast — Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) to Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), and Carice Van Houten (Melisandre) — submitted their own entries for eligibility.
So, why did they get all those Emmy nominations and are there any trophies they should win? If there was anything good at all about the last season, it was the actors’ performances. From Emilia Clarke to Lena Headey and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau — they all stood out despite tawdry character arcs. The knight in the shining armor, Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) was simply unforgettable and is the only actor to get eight nominations for the Emmy, one every year.
Kit Harington (Jon Snow) might be a fan favorite but in the last season, he was downright despicable, rounded out with just four repetitive lines and a somber expression.
In its final season, ‘Game of Thrones’ drew to a close like a high-speed train rushing towards the final destination — only that it didn’t bother to stop for its passengers waiting at the railway stations. Not just a hasty plot, but its nonsensical sequences were irksome as well. Remember how Arya found a white horse even as a city was in ruins, or when Tyrion suddenly realized no one had a “better story” than Bran Stark and crowned him the king — yes, there was way too much guff in the last season.
Henceforth, a nomination in the direction department or writing and technical categories is simply a snub for other shows that deserved a spot in its place. But if you look at the achievement of the whole series, the bulk of nominations in other categories, like production or VFX or music or costume design or even acting, have not dipped down over the years.
As the news of record-breaking nominations for ‘Game of Thrones’ hit online, a series of memes took over the digital space. One fan wrote on Reddit that if HBO feels ‘Game of Thrones’ deserves the Emmys, he “deserves to win the lottery.” And that pretty much defines what all of us want, doesn’t it?
