Season eight of Game of Thrones left many viewers with a bitter taste in their mouths after wrapping up earlier this year. The final run was billed by HBO as the season to end all seasons with production taking nearly two years. Consequently, fan expectation was high from the outset but audiences were left incandescent with rage by the time the finale hit screens.
WARNING: This article has spoilers from Game of Thrones season 8
The final series of the George RR Martin fantasy epic saw Bran Stark (played by Isaac Hempstead Wright) named the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms with Westeros holding elections and becoming a democratic republic thereafter.
Season eight also saw Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) murdered by her lover and nephew Jon Snow (Kit Harington) as she prepared to ascend to the Iron Throne.
Daenerys massacred the people of King’s Landing to claim her throne and her victory was a bloody one after she inexplicably had a temporary bout of insanity after hearing the tolling of the surrender bells of the city.
Jon was sent back to the Wall to serve out as a member of the Night’s Watch as punishment, while Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) went off to explore the territory West of Westeros.
READ MORE: Game of Thrones: Why did Drogon really burnt the throne?
Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) and the North ceded from the rest of Westeros to become an independent nation.
Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and her brother-lover Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) met an anticlimactic demise after they were crushed by falling rubble from the Red Keep as they tried to flee King’s Landing.
Although the action sequences were spectacular and the best the show has seen to date, many die-hards felt the writing and plotting wasn’t up to the standards of previous runs.
Sadly, the show decided to forego its characteristic slow-burn storytelling and deftly-crafted character development as the episodes raced towards the endpoint.
READ MORE: Game of Thrones Emmy wins 2019: Did Game of Thrones deserve to win?
Various members of the Game of Thrones cast have responded to the fan backlash against the series with Kit Harington becoming the latest star to speak out.
Following the show’s win at the Emmys, the reunited cast were asked to comment on the controversy and criticism levelled at the final series.
The star told press including Deadline: “Controversy. I still haven’t seen the show, so that’s how I dealt with that controversy.
“I haven’t seen the final season, but I know what it took to shoot it and it was hard, and everyone put their love and effort into it.
READ MORE: Sean Bean wife: The staggering 5 wives of Game of Thrones star
“Controversy for us — we knew what we were doing was right story-wise and we knew that it was right for the characters because we lived with them for ten years. Controversy for us — didn’t really affect us.”
Game of Thrones co-creator David Benioff added: “It was always going to be Bran as the king at the end.”
Both Benioff and D.B. Weiss were told by author Martin how Game of Thrones would be wrapping up years ago when they approached the writer about adapting his novels for television.
Since the backlash to the series finale, Martin has confirmed he has no plans to change the ending of his novels to placate fans.
READ MORE: Game of Thrones: How Tyrion Lannister was supposed to kill Robb Stark
He also said the novels would have similarities to the show as well as differences given the additional character that didn’t make it onto the screen incarnation.
Writing on his Not A Blog Livejournal account, Martin explained: “How will it all end? I hear people asking. The same ending as the show? Different? Well… yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes.
“I am working in a very different medium than David and Dan, never forget.
“They had six hours for this final season. I expect these last two books of mine will fill 3000 manuscript pages between them before I’m done… and if more pages and chapters and scenes are needed, I’ll add them.”
Game of Thrones prequel series Bloodmoon is in production
