HBO programming chief Casey Bloys has addressed a fan petition demanding Game of Thrones season 8 be remade. The final season of HBO’s epic fantasy saga is in the books, and critical and fan reaction to the ending has been mixed to say the least.
At the top of the list of complaints about Thrones’ final season was the decision to have long-time character Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) turn bad at the last minute, unleashing the full fury of her dragon on the (mostly) innocent civilians of King’s Landing. Fans also complained about certain characters’ arcs receiving perfunctory resolutions, particularly those of Cersei and Jaime Lannister, who basically died off-screen after the Red Keep collapsed on them during Daenerys’ rampage. Other issues crept in during season 8, including complaints about the dark cinematography, the old problem of women being treated poorly by the show, and the way the show’s long time looming threat the White Walkers arguably came to nothing in the end. So upset were some fans about season 8’s many problems that a few even started a petition calling on HBO to take the unprecedented step of remaking the final season, without the involvement of showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss.
Now, HBO has officially answered the fan petition asking for a season 8 do over, and unsurprisingly, the petitioners will not get their wish. Speaking at HBO’s TCA summer press tour event, programming chief Casey Bloys shot down the idea of a season 8 do over (via Variety):
Bloys’ negative response to impassioned Game of Thrones fans calling for season 8’s issues to be rectified with a remake is not surprising, as the programming head previously defended allegedly guilty showrunners Benioff and Weiss. Recently, Game of Thrones star Nikolai Coster-Waldau also defended Benioff and Weiss and everyone else involved in the show, saying they all “worked their asses off” to make the final season the best it could be. It’s maybe worth noting that Benioff and Weiss themselves were supposed to make an appearance at last weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con, but canceled at the last minute, perhaps anticipating a negative reception from fans.
There are very, very few downsides to having a hugely popular show, but one I can think of is when you try to end it, many people have big opinions on how it should end. The petition shows a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the show, but it wasn’t something that we seriously considered.
Whatever anyone thinks of the finale of Game of Thrones, the season is now in the books and the show’s ending is what it is. Fans will likely continue debating for years over the merits of the last season, but ultimately HBO itself got exactly what it was looking for: huge ratings and huge social media engagement (not to mention a boatload of Emmy nominations). Hopefully, disgruntled Game of Thrones fans will be happier with the new spinoff that’s currently being developed, which will introduce a whole new era in Westeros history, and whole new characters for fans to embrace (and ultimately complain about).
More: Game Of Thrones Could’ve Been All-Time Great TV (If It Had 10 Seasons)
Source: Variety
