Game of Thrones is one of the best shows ever. However, as great as it was, no one will say it was flawless. There were missteps throughout the series that upset fans. Many are still unable to think of the series without remembering the compromised final season.
Coming up are the seven most disappointing moments from Game of Thrones. A few of these are universally despised. Others are debatable but need to be mentioned. Some will be missed, so feel free to lay them out in the comments or on the Winter is Coming's Facebook page and X account. Let’s begin with the first moment that set the stage for the entire series.
Ned Stark’s death
Game of Thrones established early that no one was safe from death by killing Ned Stark. He was the most honorable person on the show. What’s worse is he was killed on the order of the disgraceful King Joffrey Baratheon. From that moment on, it was smart not to get attached to anyone. There was a chance they’d die.
The Night King’s death
When the main antagonist of a show is killed, it should be epic. The scene must be clear and unforgettable. Game of Thrones hit one of those targets when it came to the Night King, the leader of a zombie army intent on invading Westeros.
Arya was the right person to slay the Night King. She trained long and hard and was popular enough to be the one who got the drop on him. Everyone was happy that she took down the Night King. It was a nice subversion of what we expected, but one that worked. Of course Arya, the girl obsessed with death, would kill the representation of death on Earth. That's where the good stops.
The final fight with the Night King lacked the flair it deserved given how long he'd been built up, and how terrifying we'd been led to believe he was. The battle was difficult to make out because of the low lighting and the Night King fell to pieces too quickly. This should have been bigger than it was.
John Snow’s resurrection
There was no in-between with Jon Snow. You either love him or you hate him. He’s either winey or brave. Either way, the one thing people seem to agree on is that Jon Snow’s resurrection after his death at the end of season 5 was pointless. Everything he does since either didn’t have a big effect on the show or could have been done by another character.
Brienne of Tarth sleeping with Jaime Lannister
On the one hand, you’re happy. Brienne of Tarthe got to be with someone she liked, admired, and maybe loved. On the other hand, Jaime is the worst. Brienne is the only character as honorable as Ned Stark. Jaime is a dirtbag. In short, she’s too good for him.
Jamie going back to Cersei
And after Brienne of Tarth gives herself to Jaime (the first time she’s done that), he leaves in the middle of the night to go to his sister, who is also his lover, who is also his emotionally co-dependent disaster twin. Jaime underwent seasons of development where he learned to forge an identity apart from Cersei only for him to wind up right back where he started.
Daenerys Targaryen's ending
This writer disagrees with people who say Daenerys Targaryen's personality switch from gentle leader to trigger-happy tyrant at the end of the series came out of nowhere. She showed signs of "going mad" like her father (the Mad King King Aerys II Targaryen) more than a few times before her firebombing of King's Landing in the final season. And while most people hated that Daenerys lost it at the end of the series, that's not the disappointing part.
It would have been better if Daenerys had succumbed to madness but overcame it. Justified or not, there was no redemption for what she did. She was killed by a man she loved and her dragon burned her throne. After the betrayal, assault, and near-death experiences, she ends up dead and it was like no one cared.
Bran becoming king
Before we get to Bran Stark, I want to mention the Red Wedding, a tragic scene that left viewers' mouths agape. Even the people who read the books were surprised that it actually happened. It was disappointing in the way that Ned Stark's death was disappointing, in that we lost some beloved characters, but it was definitely great TV.
Then there’s Bran becoming the King of Westeros.
"There's nothing in the world more powerful than a good story. Nothing can stop it. No enemy can defeat it. And who has a better story than Bran the Broken?"Tyrion Lannister
What should have capped off a legendary show became a disappointment that may never be topped. In the end, Bran is only king in name. While work is being done, Bran drifts into his trance. Does this sound like the worthy ending of what was thought of as an elite show? Even while writing this, I can hear the groans from readers. All I ask is you don't shoot the messenger.
What Game of Thrones moments do you think were the most disappointing? Were these the right picks?
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