Note: Spoilers ahead
Over one million disappointed fans have pleaded that HBO remake season 8 of Game of Thrones. Now, one of the TV show’s own directors has criticized the controversial series’ finale for feeling “really rushed.”
Speaking to Metro, Neil Marshall said that although he couldn’t “second guess” showrunners/directors David Benioff and DB Weiss, he certainly would’ve taken the final episode in a different direction. If you’ll recall, series finale “The Iron Throne” saw Bran Stark — not rightful heir Jon Snow, Khaleesi the Mother of Dragons, or Arya the Night King slayer — become ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.
“Inevitably, I would’ve taken a different approach to directing,” said Marshall, who previously helmed acclaimed GoT episodes “Blackwater” and “The Watchers on the Wall”, the latter of which earned him an Emmy nomination. “One of the greatest experiences I had with working on both those episodes was that they were so open to bringing my ideas, particularly about battle scenes and how battles worked. I would’ve definitely added my strategy and knowledge to that.”
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Marshall continued, “I kind of agree with a lot of the criticism that it was really rushed. Everyone ended up where they were meant to end up but they got there in a little bit of a rush in the end.”
Season 8, its unexpected twists, rogue coffee cups and all, has mostly been defended by the GoT camp, including by Jon Snow himself Kit Harrington — though he admittedly still hasn’t watched it. However, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who plays Bran Stark, initially thought it was actually a joke script.
GoT picked up 32 Emmy nominations earlier this year, a supposed “validation” of the writing behind season 8. In the end, though, the longtime HBO series snuck away with only a handful of real wins, including Outstanding Drama Series and a Supporting win for Tyrion Lannister actor Peter Dinklage.
In case you’re having GoT withdrawals, the immersive Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience is still on the road, and tickets can be purchased here. There’s also a massive GoT box set collection available for purchase.