Game of Thrones is now finished forever, and some fans aren’t happy about the ending. After Episode 804 — “The Last of the Starks” — aired, fan Dylan D. took to Change.org and created a petition urging HBO to remake season 8 without showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss. As of this writing, the petition has amassed 1.3 million signatures.
So, how does the cast of the show feel about something that has garnered an overwhelming amount of support from an angered part of the fanbase? Sophie Turner, who played Sansa Stark, isn’t pleased. “People always have an idea in their heads of how they want a show to finish, and so when it doesn’t go to their liking, they start to speak up about it and rebel,” she told The New York Times.
"All of these petitions and things like that — I think it’s disrespectful to the crew, and the writers, and the filmmakers who have worked tirelessly over 10 years, and for 11 months shooting the last season. Like 50-something night shoots. So many people worked so, so hard on it, and for people to just rubbish it because it’s not what they want to see is just disrespectful."
The Queen in the North has spoken.
If there was one major sticking point for fans, it was probably Daenerys Targaryen’s choice to burn King’s Landing, which came on very quickly. Turner understands how a twist like that might upset people, but thinks it falls in line with how Game of Thrones has always played out. “The thing about Game of Thrones that’s always been amazing is the fact that there’s always been crazy twists and turns, right from Season 1 with Ned’s beheading,” she said. “So Daenerys becoming something of the Mad Queen — it shouldn’t be such a negative thing for fans. It’s a shock for sure, but I think it’s just because it hasn’t gone their way.”
I think Turner is right about some of the negativity coming from fans upset that the story didn’t play out how they thought it would or should, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t valid criticisms to make about it. I definitely think that more episodes could have helped smooth things out, but we’re not likely to get them, petition or no.
And to be fair, that’s something Dylan L. recognizes. Everyone knows that the petition isn’t actually going to result in reshoots. That’s just not how business works. “I don’t think people can reasonably expect HBO to completely remake the season, or any part of this particular series (keep in mind the prequel spinoffs),” he wrote. “It costs a fortune to shoot one episode, and I think most signers understand that. Will HBO lose gobs of money over this? Eh probably not. And I think this message is one of frustration and disappointment at its core.”
In the end, Benioff and Weiss brought to the small screen one of the greatest shows in the history of television, and the series finale was the most-watched episode in the history of HBO. No show is exempt from critique, but there’s a lot to love here, too. Game of Thrones has started something we’ll get to enjoy for years to come.
Speaking more generally, Turner loved the ending that Sansa got as the new Queen in the North. “It was kind of the perfect ending for her.”
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