Game of Thrones season 8 featured a number of deleted scenes, although in most cases it's quite easy to see why they were cut. Even though the majority of episodes within Game of Thrones season 8 were extended, much of the criticism surrounding the final season centered on the rushed pacing.
The shortened season seemed to cut logical paths when it came to character development. Many aspects from the original season 8 scripts were also changed according to what was released by the Writers Guild Foundation Shavelson-Webb Library in Los Angeles. According to those scripts, there would have been more insight into Bran's actions during the Battle of Winterfell, Jaime's decision to pick Cersei over Brienne, and Daenerys' mindset heading into the siege of King's Landing, among many other script-to-screen adjustments.
In addition to the changes from the scripts, Game of Thrones also featured five filmed deleted scenes for season 8 (or at least that's how many are available on home release). The scenes in question all take place in Winterfell, either shortly before, during, or right after the big battle. Surprisingly, there are no scenes set in King's Landing or after Daenerys gears up to sit on the Iron Throne. But that doesn't make the five scenes any less notable.
Breaking Down The Game Of Thrones Season 8 Deleted Scenes
Here is a breakdown of the five deleted scenes from Game of Thrones' eighth and final season:
- "Soup in the Trenches" (Episode 1) - After Varys, Tyrion, and Davos discuss the alliance between Jon and Daenerys as well as their respect for elders, the young power couple approach men building the trenches. A young boy is serving them soup when some of them stopped in the presence of the queen. Many of the men have looks of disgust, proving their lack of support for Daenerys.
- "Davos & Fergus" (Episode 2) - While serving soup to the men, women, and children of Winterfell, Davos is approached by Fergus. He proclaims his worry for the upcoming battle considering he's not a soldier. Davos reassured the man that he too doesn't view himself as a soldier but has lived through multiple battles.
- "Alys Karstark" (Episode 3) - The extended scene in "The Long Night" gives viewers more insight into Alys Karstark's death. While defending Bran in the Godswood with Theon Greyjoy and the Ironborn, Alys leads a group of Karstark archers into the woods after hearing wights. Before they have the chance to counterattack, the group is ambushed.
- "Tyrion & Sansa in the Crypts" (Episode 3) - After more wights rise from the dead in the crypts, Tyrion and Sansa try to hide. In the deleted scene, Gilly is holding little Sam and he lets out a cry, alerting wights nearby. Missandei goes to help Gilly as the wights approach but before they attack, Tyrion and Sansa kill the dead with Dragonglass daggers.
- "Greyworm & Missandei at the Feast" (Episode 4) - During the celebration feast following the Battle of Winterfell, Daenerys excuses Greyworm from his duties for the night. A few moments later, Missandei asks if she could also be excused because she was feeling ill. Daenerys plays coy, fully knowing that Missandei wants to leave the feast to be with Greyworm so she allows her to leave.
Why The Deleted Scenes Were Cut From Game Of Thrones Season 8
The first two scenes were understandably cut because they didn't add anything new to the plot. It was already understood that Winterfell viewed Daenerys as an outsider and many of Winterfell's forces were ill-equipped for what was to come. Alys Karstark's death would have benefited the Battle of Winterfell since viewers criticized the lack of direct deaths shown on-screen. The sequence also added a level of frightful suspense in the form of threatening wights.
The same went to Tyrion and Sansa's rescue scene in the crypts. Sansa stepping up to help others by destroying a wight would have been a nice callback to her conversation with Arya in which her sisted advised using the "pointy end" of the dagger. Instead, the series cut Sansa's only action sequence. The scenes from "The Long Night" were most likely cut due to time constraints. Lastly, it would have been interesting to see Daenerys tease Missandei in a friendly manner to make her more personable but the series wanted to accelerate Dany's Mad Queen arc to close out Game of Thrones.