We all know the story. Smash ratings, unparalleled success, relatively unknown actors catapulted into superstardom. Then, just as quickly as it started, it ended. Badly. Like really badly. The show that was too big to fail shit their pants on the finish line while the world watched.
I'm not sure if any image can properly represent how disappointing the last two seasons of Game of Thrones were. Hell, I'm not even sure if words can. But this is my best attempt. This meme is fairly accurate, but seasons 5 & 6 were actually very good in my opinion, so while I appreciate the sentiment, it's ultimately misguided:
Also, there's this one:
Here we have Ellaria Sand, watching her husband Oberyn Martell's face getting caved in like a soufflé.
This was one of the most viscerally shocking episodes in the entire series. A master stroke. It was at this moment when I realized how fearless the direction of Game of Thrones truly was. The stakes were high. I was dumb-stricken and angry, but intrigued. The very next episode in the series is still to this day my very favorite episode of all time, and what I think marks the highpoint of a series of soaring highs. These days, with all of our Battle of the Bastards's, Battle of Winterfell's, and Battle of King's Landing's, It's easy to forget about the first truly awesome battle sequence we ever got in GoT. I speak of course of Season 4 Episode 9, The Watchers on the Wall. The one where Jon Snow and the other brothers of the Night's Watch fully recognize their vows and protect the Wall from Mance Rayder, the King Beyond the Wall, and his army of wildlings. Do you remember how fucking fantastic that episode is? It is all one sequence; one sequence of cinematic genius. Here are some stills to jog your memory:
Jon finally takes command of the Watch, like we always knew he would.
He ices this cannibal asshole by finally learning to fight dirty, smashing his skull with a hammer after spitting blood in his face.
And then, one of the most underrated parts of the entire series, when the maligned Night's Watchmen, led by Grenn, defend the tunnel and hold this big bad motherfucker from breaking through and juggernaut-ing everyone. They give their lives, and chant the Night's Watch oath while doing it.
Seriously, this moment was amazing. No joke, I have talked about this episode to a friend of mine in the Marines who said this moment brought literal tears to his eyes, and is his favorite episode of GoT, maybe any TV show ever. This group of recruits, misfit recruits, finally become men, true soldiers in what ends up being their finest hour. They give their lives defending the realm with each other.
This dynamic character growth is what made Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones. The show was so just so kinetic. There was always maneuvering, whether it be social, political or physical. Plot lines constantly shifted and intertwined, and larger issues and implications were always in play.
Just take the concept of climate change in Game of Thrones in general. I wrote a paper in 2017 comparing climate change in the show to climate change in the real-world. The oncoming march of the army of the dead south into Westeros parallels our Earth's eventual doom and the death of everyone on it if we don't "stick together" to fight the changing climate, in our case, banding together to take preventative measures against global warming. It was an incredibly intelligent allegory that demonstrated the stubbornness to address climate change in our current state of affairs. If they did not band together, it meant certain death. It was brilliant, really. The same can be said of how the show, despite its medieval/fantasy setting, depicted women and disabled people in positions of power. The show constantly depicted these characters in a positive light and even received an award from the National Disability Society for doing so. Awesome, right?
But then season seven happened. Suddenly, brilliant characters like Tyrion and Jon Snow were concocting just plain idiotic plans. Characters like Danaerys Targaryen and Jamie Lannister, who had undergone tremendous character growth, reverted back to their cynical, suspicious and violent ways. Why? My guess is that the showrunners; David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, were lost. The show had advanced to a point beyond where the George R.R. Martin books had gone and they had no idea where to go or how to finish. Furthermore, production became more grueling and more expensive. It was decided internally among Benioff and Weiss, despite offers for more seasons by HBO, that season eight would be the show's final chapter.
For the grand finale, Benioff and Weiss needed to manufacture drama and bring the series to a halt in just six episodes. The most epic and sprawling fantasy saga ever seen on television - tied with a bow in six episodes. Season eight would bring all these dynamic plot lines and characters together in one final battle for mankind, and it would stick the landing. Or would it?
After over a yearlong wait, season eight finally aired. So much time had passed... so much hype had been built. Fans had written their own endings for the series; theorizing on obscure plot lines that may get paid off in the finale. Needless to say, expectations were high.
Slowly and forcefully, it would become clear that this season would double down on the all-around poor writing of characters and plot in season seven. Even the show's actors frequently trashed the final season's writing in interviews and press tours. Kit Harington, when asked to describe the ending of Game of Thrones in one word, told an interviewer: "Disappointing." Yikes.
What was a thoughtful, progressive commentary on so many topics like ableism, nepotism, dwarfism, incest, climate change, female empowerment, slavery, and economics among others, was reduced to a CGI-bukkake of dragons breathing fire at each other for 6 hours. I won't go into detail about how the show ended, but those who have watched it know it closed with one of the heaviest-handed metaphors of all-time.
Now, in 2021, with the prequel series House of the Dragon set to begin filming, I am optimistic - but realistic. If Game of Thrones showed us anything, it is that television shows, movies and even franchises are never too big to fail. To err is human; and Benioff and Weiss made that extremely clear.
Here's to hoping House of the Dragon can overcome the faults of its predecessor. Remember HBO: It's a marathon, not a sprint.`
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