Game of Thrones director Neil Marshall softens season 8 criticisms

Although it’s calmed down some since the series finale in May, the backlash to the final season of Game of Thrones was all too real, with a lot of fans very upset over how the series wrapped up. Most of the cast and crew members have kept rank and defended the show, but a couple of former Thrones employees have been open in discussing what they didn’t like about it, including Osha actor Natalia Tena and Blackwater director Neil Marshall.

Marshall, who also directed the season 4 action set piece The Watchers on the Wall, made his comments recently, taking up the call of many fans and picking at the pacing:

"Ultimately all the characters ended up where they were meant to be, but I think some of them got there in a bit of a rush. I agree that it was a bit of a rush. It felt like things weren’t set up well enough. But they all ended up where they were meant to be, though, I got that."

It’s not like he’s mad at the show, but I think more than a few people agree with him that the final season could have stood to slow down and smell the roses a bit.

PARK CITY, UT – JANUARY 25: Director Neil Marshall poses for portraits outside a cave entrance during the 2006 Sundance Film Festival January 25, 2006 in Coalville, Utah. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

Anyway, in a new interview with NME, Marshall clarified his comments a bit, sounding more like one of the show’s defenders. “I don’t necessarily think the backlash was justified, but it was unavoidable,” he said.

"You were never going to be able to please everybody, and when you’ve got fans as loyal as dedicated as those fans are, we’re talking millions of people with opinions globally. I think they did an amazing job and endings are always tricky? How do you end these stories? You’ve got to end them somewhere, but how do you do it?"

You have Daenerys Targaryen burn down a city, obviously. “I for one wouldn’t fault them,” Marshall continued. “It was an unbelievable achievement and ten years of their lives that they’ve devoted to it.”

"My feeling is that everyone ended up exactly where they were supposed to end up. I think it’s a huge story, but it resolved itself in the way it was meant to."

Marshall is out here talking to outlets to promote Kraken Screamfest: Director’s Cut, an immersive horror experience that will go up in London for Halloween. Lest we forget, this is the guy who directed The Descent, so he knows his way around a scare.

RELATED PRODUCT

Washington Nationals Game Of Thrones Ice Dragon Bobblehead

Buy Now!

Buy Now!

It sounds like a fun gig, but when asked, Marshall said he would be open to other jobs, like maybe one on the Game of Thrones prequel (prequels?) currently in production.

"If asked, I would definitely consider it. It’s a great world to work in. I’d love to go back to Belfast and work with the amazing cast and crew. It was an amazing creative environment and if the team have managed to create that magic, then I’d go back for that alone."

Even with the whole of the series behind us, “Blackwater” remains one of its best action spectaculars, and the one that best balances battle sequences with quieter, dialogue-driven moments. Any Game of Thrones prequel series would be lucky to have Marshall aboard.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels