Game of Thrones co-creator David Benioff offers a thoughtful response to season 8 criticism. Based on the acclaimed novels by author George R.R. Martin, HBO’s hit fantasy show, which D.B. Weiss also co-created, first aired in 2011, bringing the dangerous land of Westeros to life. After enjoying a popular run across numerous seasons, the Game of Thrones saga came to an end with season 8 in 2019, a 6-episode outing that proved especially divisive with audiences.
Now, four years since the controversial Game of Thrones ending, Benioff now addresses complaints about season 8 during a recent interview with THR. While not commenting any specific complaints, the co-creator is clearly aware of the season’s reputation. Weiss, for his part, says that in-person interactions with fans since the show ended have been pleasant, but that “There’s something that happens in the transition from human interaction to online that pushes things in a specifically aggro direction.” Check out Benioff’s thoughtful comment about season 8 below:
“You always hope everyone’s going to love anything you do and it would’ve been great if 100 percent of people loved it, but they didn’t. You can get so bogged down in public opinion that you spend your whole life googling things and trying to find people who felt one way or the other way.”
Game Of Thrones Season 8 Backlash Explained
For a time, Game of Thrones was not only one of the most-watched shows on TV, but one of the most critically acclaimed. Reviews, however, started to dip with season 7 due to a variety of factors, including an overly-condensed narrative that was jammed into 7 episodes instead of the show’s usual 10.
With only 6 episodes, Game of Thrones season 8 suffered from this same problem to a greater degree. Storylines that had played out across multiple seasons were hastily wrapped up in only an episode or two, which ultimately resulted in certain moments feeling anticlimactic. The White Walkers and the Night King, for example, were consistently played up throughout the show as the biggest threat facing Westeros, but this entire “winter is coming” plot was resolved in only one episode. As epic and impressively staged as the episode was, the story just felt rushed.
The same issue arguably plagued Daenerys Targaryen’s (Emilia Clarke) final episodes as well, with the character going through a jarringly rapid transition to become the Mad Queen. It felt sudden that this character, who audiences had spent 7 seasons with, would snap so quickly. While there were certainly complaints levied at the actual story decisions in Game of Thrones season 8, many of the decisions made probably would’ve been less controversial if they played out over a longer period of time.
Game Of Thrones
Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones is a TV series based on the book “A Song of Ice of Fire” by George R. R. Martin. It tells the story of the ongoing battle between the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros – as they fight for control of the coveted Iron Throne. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the far north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night’s Watch, led by House Stark’s Jon Snow, is the first to encounter icy horrors that threaten all realms of men. The series premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and quickly became one of the biggest event series in the “Golden Age” of TV. Winner of 38 Primetime Emmy Awards, Game of Thrones has attracted record viewership on HBO and has a broad, active, international fan base.
- Release Date
- April 11, 2011
- Cast
- Emilia Clarke , Lena Headey , Richard Madden , Michelle Fairley , Kit Harington , Maisie Williams , Alfie Allen , Peter Dinklage
- Genres
- Drama , Action , Adventure
- Seasons
- 8
- Story By
- George R.R. Martin
- Writers
- D.B. Weiss , George R.R. Martin , David Benioff
- Streaming Service(s)
- HBO Max
- Franchise(s)
- Game of Thrones
- Directors
- David Nutter , Alan Taylor , D.B. Weiss , David Benioff
- Showrunner
- David Benioff , D.B. Weiss
