HBO's Game of Thrones seemingly made several mistakes in its finale, and George R.R. Martin's original outline for his books could've fixed them. In 2015, author George R.R. Martin's original 1993 outline for his A Song of Ice and Fire series showed up in a letter spread around the internet. The initial outline planned the series as a mere trilogy, but Martin now expects A Song of Ice and Fire to contain seven books. Though Martin later dropped several plot threads from the outline in his final story, including an Arya Stark love triangle with Tyrion and Jon Snow, other storylines like Daenerys' invasion of Westeros remained.
Game of Thrones' abbreviated final season received mixed reviews. Though several fans enjoyed how the series wrapped, criticism took over the narrative online. Fans and critics complained that the episodes were too dark, making epic battles hard to see. Additionally, season 8 had only six episodes, making storylines feel rushed and leaving questions unanswered. For instance, the battle against the Night King (Vladimír Furdík), a clash teased from the series premiere, was over with one stab from Arya's (Maisie Williams) dagger. The online backlash for the show grew so prevalent that a petition to redo the final season went viral, gaining nearly 2 million signatures from disgruntled fans.
Martin's original outline could've fixed some Game of Thrones final season mistakes. In Martin's initial outline, the author writes the "greatest danger of all" were the White Walkers and that the Night's Watch would become the heart of the final volume in his trilogy. The author adds, "The final battle will also draw together characters and plot threads left from the first two books and resolve all in one huge climax." With Game of Thrones seemingly brushing off the battle with the White Walkers and leaving several story threads unanswered, Martin's outline could've tied up loose ends.
Game of Thrones created its own issues with its ending. Though the marketing for the show's final season constantly teased the upcoming battle against the White Walkers, the series breezes by it in season 8, episode 3. After Arya stabs the Night King with her Valyrian steel dagger, the entire White Walker threat is gone, and the series still has three episodes left. Unfortunately, the remaining episodes are some of the show's worst-reviewed. If the show had stuck more to Martin's original outline, making its climax more about the White Walkers, the series could've potentially avoided its harsh criticism.
Martin's outline also notes that his conclusion will "resolve" all the plot threads that were left dangling, which could've also helped Game of Thrones. The Game of Thrones final season created several plot holes to save time for its abbreviated, six-episode conclusion. For instance, Arya spent a significant portion of the show learning how to change her face and become an assassin. Yet, the show entirely ignored Arya's Faceless Men storyline and identity swapping skills in the finale. If the show had given time to address dangling plot threads instead of rushing to a conclusion, fans would've likely had a different response to the show's ending. And Martin's outline always had the roadmap.