Despite being one of the most popular TV shows of the past several decades, Game of Thrones ended on a sour note with fans. Many felt as though the series was rushed, with the White Walker invasion of the Seven Kingdoms over in one episode and Daenerys’ character turn feeling far too undeveloped.
While season 8 was undoubtedly the most controversial season, there had been hints that the show had been going downhill for sometime, even as early as season 4. But what were those signals?
Jaime Lannister
George Martin has always described his writing style as a ‘gardener’s approach’. He likes to plant the seeds and see how his characters develop, rather than sticking to rigid plans and guidelines.
Jaime Lannister benefited from this approach the most, with the character surprising everyone (including Martin, who originally planned to have him be the main antagonist) by becoming a redeemable figure. However, in the show he throws this away by returning to Cersei.
Dorne
In the show, the Dornish subplot of season 5 was terrible. It was clear that the writers didn’t know what to do with the story, perhaps worried at how difficult it would be to adapt the deft political scheming that appears to be taking place there in the books.
However, replacing it with the terrible rescue mission with Jaime and Bronn was just a dull and uninspired idea.
Euron
In the books, Euron Greyjoy (or Euron Crow’s Eye) is one of the most intimidating and terrifying characters in the show. It’s said he traveled through Valyria and Asshai on his horrifying ship known as Silence. On these travels, he found dragon eggs, dragon horns, and Valyrian Steel armor.
In the books it’s also hinted that Euron is planning to use a big naval battle as a mass sacrifice near Oldtown that’s going to make the sea run red with blood and will undoubtedly bring even darker things into the world of Westeros. However, in the show, he’s just a goofy pirate guy.
Treatment Of Ghost
This one may be just a minor quibble to some fans of the show, but book readers will know the importance of the direwolves to House Stark. The direwolves are to House Stark what the dragons are to the Targaryens.
This is true on a similar level to Jon Snow, in the books he has warg bond with Ghost and it is Ghost that symbolises his connection to House Stark, while also showing how he’s different to Ned’s children. However, Ghost barely appeared in season 7 and, for some reason, Jon placed Ghost outside the walls of Winterfell rather than somewhere safer, such as the crypts were he could protect the elderly and the children. While Jon ultimately reunited with Ghost at the end of the series, he also tried to send him away, something that is insane for book readers to comprehend.
Tyrion
Tyrion is one of the most popular characters in the show. He was a smart, funny, and compelling character who always seemed to consider a situation carefully, as shown by his careful planning before the Battle of Blackwater.
However, by the end of the series, Tyrion started making terrible mistakes in his advice to Daenerys. This costs her land and soldiers, all with little explanation as to why Tyrion was so prone to mistakes all of a sudden.
Rushed Daenerys Character Development
One of the most disappointing things in the final season of Game of Thrones was the treatment of Daenerys Targaryen’s character arc. There had always been questions of Dany’s mental state, with people wondering if she’d turn out like her father, the Mad King. However, these questions always seemed to be refuted by her actions.
That being said, despite risking her army, her dragons, and her own life to defend the North and the Seven Kingdoms from the Others in episode 3, by episode 5 she had burned King’s Landing to the ground and killed thousands or millions of innocent lives. Most fans weren’t annoyed that she did this per se, they were annoyed that there was very little development in her character to explain it.
No Lady Stoneheart
This is a famous oversight from the show, with fans still complaining that she wasn’t included in the show. Essentially, Lady Stoneheart is the reanimated Catelyn Stark, brought back by Beric Dondarrion three days after she was murdered at the Red Wedding.
However, in A Song of Ice and Fire, no one comes back from the dead the same as they were before. Catelyn Stark is hellbent on revenge against the Lannisters and Freys, scouring the Riverlands with the Brotherhood Without Banners for any Lannister or Frey she can hang.
No Young Griff
Young Griff presents one of the most interesting plot points in the book series. For those who are unaware, Young Griff is a character that Tyrion runs into while travelling in the free cities. Essentially, Young Griff claims to be the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
However, there is some doubt surrounding this. While this mostly comes from the fact that baby Aegon Targaryen was murdered by the Mountain, it also also from the inclusion of the Golden Company in Griff’s host. The Golden Company have close ties to House Blackfyre, a bastard sect of House Targaryen that despises the Targaryens. Fans have speculated, then, that Young Griff is actually a Blackfyre pretender.
The White Walkers In General
In the books, the White Walkers are described as beautiful and a ‘different form of life’ according to George RR Martin. In many respects, they’re like frozen versions of the fae from Irish folklore.
In the show, however, the White Walkers are ugly old men, hell-bent on destroying all life. Not only does this fly against book canon, but it also goes against George Martin’s own character philosophy. Martin said that fantasy doesn’t need dark lords and evil armies, with a big battle resulting in a win for the good guys and a loss for the bad guys. Yet, this is exactly what the show did.
The Long Night
The Long Night is one of the most important moments in the history of Westeros. It was the first time that the Others came, when winter lasted a generation and mothers murdered their children to stop them freezing to death.
It was only after the Last Hero rode out with 12 companions to meet the Children of the Forest that the Others were defeated. However, in the show, the new Long Night lasts for about one episode. There is little tension, the battle plan was atrocious, and little was learned of the White Walkers as a culture.