So Many People Think 'Game of Thrones' Is Offensively Bad This Season
By Gina VaynshteynMay. 11 2019, Updated 4:38 a.m. ET
After following a show for nearly a decade, it's understandable why many Game of Thrones fans are cranky about the current season. Especially after Episode 4, "The Last of the Starks," which felt rushed and cringe-worthy at times. There were so many moments that felt out of place, insensitive, and just...bad. Fans didn't like when Sansa told The Hound that she wouldn't be the strong person she is today if it weren't for being raped, assaulted, and manipulated. People absolutely hated that Missandei, one of the show's few black characters, is chained and then executed. Most of all, many viewers believe the writing in Game of Thrones has grown sloppy, and the handling of major characters has become puzzling and awkward. Here's what the internet has to say about the disappointing Season 8.
1. Is watching 'Game of Thrones' just torture by choice at this point? This Twitter user thinks so.
when game of thrones is finally over and i can live my life in peace because the crushing disappointment of knowing my favorite show destroyed itself isn't as bad as having to live through the destruction week by week while being subjected to a never ending litany of thinkpieces pic.twitter.com/iaBXg0sQFC
— tara (@hgtvstar) May 6, 2019
Are we all watching out of obligation? Boredom? Curiosity? Unclear.
2. Many fans were NOT cool with how Missandei's character was handled.
Game of Thrones’s decision to put a freed slave back in chains and then murdered merely to show, once again, that the bad character is bad is unconscionable
— MJ Franklin (@heyitsfranklin2) May 6, 2019
It's true that Missandei's death wasn't exactly necessary. After all, Euron already took out Rhaegal—was there really a need for another huge death? Plus, even if one could argue that Missandei's death was needed in order to show Daenerys is pretty much all alone at this point (remember, her advisors basically think she's incompetent and Ser Jorah is dead), how in the world did Euron capture her? How did everyone know she was held captive and didn't drown? It's all just very, very confusing.
3. The last seven seasons of character development DOES just feel like it's being tossed out the window.
Each and every character has been painted so vividly up until this point. Season 8's character aren't the ones we know.
4. There's this cartoon horse which has spread like...wildfire.
Game of Thrones season 8 has been a disappointment. There are cool moments but has too much fan service and bad writing pic.twitter.com/toklgf2owr
— Vinh Bui 🇻🇳 (@VinhBui16) May 7, 2019
#Accurate.
5. The show's war strategy is just really, really confusing now.
It’s really too bad a dragon can only fly towards the front of ships, and not behind them #GameOfThrones
— Alex Zalben (@azalben) May 6, 2019
Not to mention Daenerys was flying Drogon and should have totally seen a bunch of pirate ships. Isn't that one of the perks of flying a dragon? Having a dope vantage point?
6. There's a lot of truth to how shock value is being used in this season.
Shock value has been implemented before (see: The Red Wedding), but now it feels cheaper and unearned.
7. Watching Daenerys, Tyrion, Jon, and Cersei make either weird or uncharacteristic decisions IS like having a friend who doesn't have their ish together.
Watching #GameofThrones this season is like watching your friends who 110% do not have their shit together make one bad decision after another and all you can do is stand by and hope they figure it out while you silently want to smack them upside the head on the daily.
— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) May 6, 2019
*Scratches head*
8. Sansa should not have had to embrace the trauma she's gone through to show her character is tough.
It’s several hours later and I’m still so fucking mad that D&D made Sansa say that repeated sexual trauma was the only thing that made her strong. Sansa was always strong. Trauma made her practical - and cynical. And these men are so bad at writing women. #GameofThrones
— kaye toal (@ohkayewhatever) May 6, 2019
This was super, super offensive to all the female Game of Thrones fans and reminded them that this is a show written and directed by mostly men.
9. And now, here are the 'Game of Thrones' actors awkwardly avoiding how bad the season is.
please this is so funny now pic.twitter.com/e7L1RWLUf0
— ju (@wildtargaryen) May 7, 2019
The look on Emilia Clark's face says it all.
10. Some are saying this season feels more like fan fiction than a real show.
#GOT will always be remembered for what could have been, the best show of all time. Now Game of Thrones is just a bad fanfic, wake me up when the real show returns to the television. #GOTS8E4 pic.twitter.com/zk73sjh968
— Ros Conehead (@rosconehead) May 6, 2019
It feels like the show writers spent a lot of time on Twitter and Tumblr and were like, "Ah ha, people seem to really be into Brienne and Jaime, let's have them bone this season! Why not?" "Totally. And let's have Jaime say something like 'it's getting hot in here' so Brienne will have to take off his shirt!"
11. "D&D's story is being told by some drunk uncle."
Tldr: If you're really upset by the show, just remember that there are more books still coming, and they will probably be a lot better.
12. All of us deserve better. Including Ghost.
If this is the #GameOfThrones writers/show runners making it up as they go along, be afraid. Be very afraid. What a hot mess that was. Like Ghost, we deserve better. pic.twitter.com/Sf1YEXG5EC
— Tonile Wortley (@tonilereads) May 6, 2019
Don't even get us STARTED on Ghost!
13. Will 'Game of Thrones' have the worst finale in TV history? We'll find out soon enough.
At this rate, Lost won't be the biggest mess up in TV history #GameOfThrones
— Aditya (@startrapped) May 6, 2019
Let's just say, things are not looking good.
14. What IS George R.R. Martin thinking right now?
Holy crap, #GameofThrones is completely falling apart. Some of the worst writing I have ever seen in any TV show. It is heartbreaking seeing the world GRRM built being treated like that. What a shitshow... pic.twitter.com/upNQfkb93q
— Konstantin Klemmer (@kklmmr) May 6, 2019
There is no way George R.R. Martin is enjoying this show. If we're freaked out, imagine what's going through his head.
15. A lot of people think the show's departure from the books is what doomed it.
me to the #GameofThrones showrunners lately pic.twitter.com/bCts5x8MPR
— tierney bricker (@tbrick2) May 6, 2019
Is that a good excuse though?
16. The things that are happening in Season 8 just make us feel uncomfortable TBH.
Did they reboot game of thrones or what? This season is so damn weird and out of character. GRRM is either laughing so hard or crying so bad right now.
— puroi (@puroinew52) May 7, 2019
Like when Tyrion asked Jaime what it was like sleeping with Brienne. Ummm...what? Are we in 8th grade?
17. Someone please explain the logic behind all of the speedy travel!
Just so we understand why #GameofThrones is bad now this is the difference between the distance Arya traveled in all of Season 2 and the distance Dany traveled in one episode pic.twitter.com/68x22pzMz8
— Nic O'Loughlin (@NicOLoughlin) May 6, 2019
So you're telling us that Dany's ships are able to travel down south and Jon's army follows closely behind (on horses), and this all happens in what seems like at most a couple weeks?
18. If you want to boil it down, this isn't NOT accurate.
My favorite part of Game of Thrones is that now the ultimate "bad guys" are an alcoholic mom and her pirate boyfriend
— Dan (@DanielShadel) May 6, 2019
Cersei and Euron are almost cartoonishly evil. It's hard to take them seriously.
19. And finally, probably how all of us are feeling right now.
This about sums it up. Fingers crossed for the next two episodes.
