The final season of Game of Thrones, as the most-watched TV show in the world, was highly anticipated. But now, more than a year later, it stands as one of the most divisive conclusions in the history of fiction.
After seven seasons and many years of narrative buildup, the White Walkers were finally marching towards the Seven Kingdoms. Daenerys Stormborn had come to Westeros at last, clashing with the Lannister royalty. And more importantly, the show finally unveiled the truth about Jon Snow; the fact that he was actually the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, making him the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. What’s more, many other side characters finally reached the pinnacle of their arc. The stage was set for Game of Thrones to hit the home run and fulfill its destiny as the greatest TV show of all time.
And then came the shortened eighth season. Not only did the final chapter fail to live up to the hype, but it also essentially threw many plot points out the window, rushing to a finale that ended up making things worse. So, a lot of fans voiced their anger and started a petition to have HBO reshoot the final season and it seems that even the stars wanted a different ending, including Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, whom fans know as Jaime Lannister.
“I was aware of the petition for a new ending, which I thought was hilarious. I almost wanted to donate to that petition. HBO saying, ‘You’re right, so many people want it, we’re going to do it,'” he revealed recently.
Coster-Waldau also touched on the fact that people wanted different things from the show’s ending, noting:
“I think everyone had their own opinion,” He added. “I find the world of fandom really interesting. Everyone wanted something specific and different from what they got. It’s a combination of — you imagine an ending; but also, I think if you’re a hardcore fan, it was really upsetting that it ended. You lived with this for eight seasons. There is still a massive community dedicated to Game of Thrones. I think there was a real fear that was going to go away. It had to end.”
We wouldn’t blame him for hating Jaime’s progression in the final season, which was essentially the showrunners undermining seven seasons’ worth of character development and going against everything they set up the character to be. Obviously, though, the actor can’t directly voice his criticism. When asked about how he’d end the show, he pretty much obfuscated from an answer, saying:
“Oh, how did it end? He was — no, it was fine. It was great. It was fine,” he said. “How do you end that story? Let’s talk about this in 10 years, then you can talk about it. But now, I think it’s a little too recent.”
Tell us, though, after more than a year, what are your thoughts on the final season of Game of Thrones? And do you still advocate a remake? Sound off below.