Winter is coming, and with it, a fresh bout of outrage at the ending of HBO’s Game of Thrones. For some reason, the acclaimed fantasy drama was back on fans’ minds over the last week, leading many to hop on social media to rehash their complaints about how the series ended. Along the way, some discovered new fan theories and shared their latest hopes for the next book, and the prequel series.

Game of Thrones ended in May of 2019 with one of the most reviled endings in prestige TV history. It was eviscerated by critics and fans alike, who complained that the writing was lazy and anti-climactic without the books to draw on as source material. The way several main characters ended up annoyed fans, and the shortened episode count for the final two seasons did not help either.

Some have defended the ending, often saying that no finale could have been satisfying for a show this grand. Others argue that fans are mostly angry that their fan theories did not turn out to be true. However, these counter-arguments have died down in the year and a half since the series ended, leaving only bitter fans awaiting the next book.

There is good news on that front, as author George R.R. Martin has been posting regular updates about his progress on The Winds of Winter. Martin claims on his blog that his isolation during the coronavirus pandemic has given him plenty of time to write, though so far, he has not even hinted at a release date.

As for fans, there is more room than ever for speculating and theorizing, using the show as a guidepost to guess where Martin will go with the story in his final two volumes. There are also side books to consider like The World of Ice & Fire and Fire & Blood.

When it comes to the show, however, the heartbreak goes on. Here is a look at what fans had to say this week in memory of Game of Thrones’ lackluster ending.

Memories

YouTube critic Angelina was faced with a tragic “memory” post on Facebook on Monday of the moment she first decided to give Game of Thrones a try. Angelina would go on to co-write an epic two-part post-mortem on the series with Lindsay Ellis in 2019.

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Dropped Plots

For some fans, the dropped plot points of Game of Thrones are now like intrusive thoughts that come up out of no where to bother them. This includes Jon Snow’s parentage as a secret Targaryen, Arya’s extensive training as a Faceless assassin, and the entire White Walker threat, which was wiped out in a single battle.

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Fan Theories

Left unsatisfied by the series’ ending, many fans have turned to fan theories over the last year and a half, either to fill in the gaps left by the show or extend the series beyond it. One theory that gained a lot of traction this week suggested that, when Drogon flew away with Daenerys’ body, he headed for Volantis, where red priests worshipped Daenerys. They speculate that these magic users could have resurrected Dany just like Jon Snow and Beric Dondarrion were resurrected.

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Persistent

While the revival of Game of Thrones complaints seemed random, many fans got in on it, and many commented that their outrage has never really gone away. More than a few said that they still think about the show’s hasty ending often.

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Directing Anger

One thing that set Game of Thrones apart from other shows with reviled endings was that the outrage was aimed almost entirely at the writers and showrunners themselves — not the actors or other crew members. However, in hindsight some fans were prepared to direct their anger at HBO for allowing the showrunners to carry out a plan that seemed doomed to fail.

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Laziness

Fans reminded each other that the “laziness” of the final season of Game of Thrones extended past the writing process to the shooting as well, where anacronysms and visual mistakes were common. Many argued that this never would have happened when Martin’s source material was in place.

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Rewatchability

Finally, one of the most tragic parts of the series’ ending for some fans was that it invalidated the success of the earlier seasons, in some ways. Many fans commented that they used to re-watch the early seasons often, but knowing how the show ends, it is hard to enjoy them now. Game of Thrones is streaming on HBO and HBO Max.

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