Jump to content

Game of Thrones season 8

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Game of Thrones
Season 8
Region 1 DVD cover
Showrunners
Starring
No. of episodes6
Release
Original networkHBO
Original releaseApril 14 (2019-04-14) –
May 19, 2019 (2019-05-19)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 7
List of episodes

The eighth and final season of the fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones, produced by HBO, premiered on April 14, 2019, and concluded on May 19, 2019. Unlike the first six seasons, which consisted of ten episodes each, and the seventh season, which consisted of seven episodes, the eighth season consists of only six episodes.

The season was filmed from October 2017 to July 2018 and largely consists of original content not found in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, while also incorporating material that Martin has revealed to showrunners about the upcoming novels in the series, The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. The season was adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.

The season was met with mixed reviews from viewers and critics, in contrast to the critical acclaim of previous seasons, and is the lowest-rated of the series on the website Rotten Tomatoes. While the performances, production values and music score were praised, criticism was mainly directed at the shorter runtime of the season as well as numerous creative decisions made by the showrunners regarding the plot and character arcs. Many commentators deemed it to be a disappointing conclusion to the series.

Despite the mixed reception, the season received 32 nominations at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, the most for a single season of television in history,[1] and ultimately won twelve, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Peter Dinklage.

Plot

[edit]

The final season depicts the culmination of the series' two primary conflicts: the Great War against the Army of the Dead, and the Last War for control of the Iron Throne. In the first half of the season, Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen and many of the main characters converge at Winterfell to face the Dead. During the battle, Bran lures the Night King into the open where Arya destroys him; the army of White Walkers and wights crumbles. Meanwhile, Cersei Lannister remains in King's Landing and strengthens her forces to set traps for a weakened Daenerys.

The second half of the season resumes the war for the throne as Daenerys suffers losses until she finally assaults King's Landing upon Drogon, her last dragon. She burns and massacres the entire city, including Cersei and her brother Jaime. Succumbing to madness, Daenerys vows to continue her crusade and "liberate" the whole world. Unable to sway her from her destructive path, an agonized Jon kills her. Drogon flies away with her body, but not before destroying the Iron Throne with dragonfire. The leaders of Westeros choose Bran Stark as King, who grants the North independence and appoints Tyrion Lannister his Hand. Sansa Stark is crowned Queen in the North. Arya sails west, and Jon leads the Wildlings north of the Wall.

Episodes

[edit]
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [2]U.S. viewers
(millions)
681"Winterfell"David NutterDave HillApril 14, 2019 (2019-04-14)11.76[3]
Upon reaching Winterfell with their combined armies, Jon and Daenerys learn the Army of the Dead has breached the Wall and the Night King commands the undead Viserion. The Northern Houses and the Vale rally around Winterfell but distrust Daenerys and doubt Cersei's pledge to send troops. Euron returns to King's Landing with the Golden Company and entices Cersei to consummate their union. Cersei, through Qyburn, hires Bronn to assassinate Tyrion and Jaime. Theon rescues Yara, who then sets out to retake the Iron Islands, while Theon returns to Winterfell. There, Jon is reunited with Arya. Jon and Daenerys ride the dragons and deepen their bond. Daenerys wants to reward Sam for saving Jorah before realizing that she executed his father and brother. Sam tells Jon that he was born Aegon Targaryen and is the true heir to the Iron Throne. At House Umber, Tormund and Beric encounter Edd and other Night's Watch members. The castle's occupants dead, and the wight of Ned Umber is left as a gruesome message. Jaime arrives at Winterfell where Bran awaits him.
692"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms"David NutterBryan CogmanApril 21, 2019 (2019-04-21)10.29[4]
Jaime reveals Cersei's deception to the Targaryen-Stark alliance and joins them after Brienne vouches for his honor. Jaime apologizes to Bran for crippling him; Bran replies he harbors no anger and says they are no longer the same people. Daenerys no longer trusts Tyrion's judgment for his having believed Cersei, but Jorah asks that she forgive Tyrion's mistakes. Citing their mutual love for Jon, Daenerys tries to gain Sansa's trust, but Sansa says the North vowed never to bow to anyone again. Theon, Edd, Tormund, and Beric arrive at Winterfell, with the latter three reporting the undead army's impending arrival. Bran proposes he lure out the Night King, who intends to destroy the Three-Eyed Raven. Theon and the Ironborn will protect Bran. Arya seduces Gendry, wanting to experience sex before they die. Jaime formally anoints Brienne as a knight. Jorah fails to dissuade Lyanna Mormont from fighting, and Sam presents Jorah with House Tarly's ancestral sword. As the Army of the Dead approaches, Jon reveals his true lineage to Daenerys, who recognizes his claim to the Iron Throne.
703"The Long Night"Miguel SapochnikDavid Benioff & D. B. WeissApril 28, 2019 (2019-04-28)12.02[5]
The living meet the Army of the Dead outside Winterfell. The initial Dothraki charge is destroyed and the Unsullied are quickly overwhelmed, despite the dragonfire. Edd is killed saving Sam and survivors retreat into the castle. Melisandre ignites the fire trench surrounding Winterfell to delay the advancing horde. Jon and Daenerys aerially engage the Night King on their dragons. The wights invade Winterfell, overpowering the defenders; Lyanna Mormont is killed destroying a giant wight; Beric dies defending Arya, and Melisandre tells Arya what she must do. Jon and Rhaegal knock the Night King off Viserion, and Daenerys and Drogon burn him with dragonfire without any effect. The Night King raises the slain Winterfell soldiers and the dead entombed in the Stark family crypt, who attack those sheltered there. Wights pull Daenerys from Drogon and Jorah is fatally wounded defending her. The Night King kills Theon as he protects Bran. Arya ambushes and stabs the Night King with her Valyrian steel dagger, shattering him, his White Walkers, Viserion, and all wights. Her purpose served; Melisandre allows herself to die of old age.
714"The Last of the Starks"David NutterDavid Benioff & D. B. WeissMay 5, 2019 (2019-05-05)11.80[6]
The survivors mourn, burn the dead, and then celebrate their victory. During the somber feast, Daenerys uplifts the mood by legitimizing Gendry as a Baratheon, naming him Lord of Storm's End. Arya gently declines Gendry's subsequent marriage proposal while Jaime and Brienne become lovers. To protect her claim to the throne, Daenerys asks Jon to conceal his true parentage. Bronn arrives and threatens Jaime and Tyrion but spares them in exchange for being promised Highgarden castle. Jon reveals his true parentage to Sansa, Bran, and Arya, swearing them to secrecy. Wanting Jon as king, Sansa tells Tyrion, who informs Varys. Arya and the Hound head for King's Landing, separately bent on revenge. Tormund returns north with the Wildlings, taking Ghost at Jon's request. Daenerys and her fleet set sail for King's Landing, while Jon leads the Northern army. At Dragonstone, Euron's navy ambushes Daenerys' fleet, killing Rhaegal with ship-mounted ballistas. Missandei is taken hostage and Daenerys considers seizing King's Landing using dragonfire. Varys and Tyrion debate whether Jon would be a better ruler than Daenerys. Jaime leaves Winterfell to return to Cersei, despite Brienne's pleas to stay. Cersei rejects Daenerys' demand to surrender and has Missandei beheaded before an enraged Daenerys and Grey Worm.
725"The Bells"Miguel SapochnikDavid Benioff & D. B. WeissMay 12, 2019 (2019-05-12)12.48[7]
Varys urges Jon to advance his claim to the throne but Jon refuses to betray Daenerys. After Tyrion reveals Varys' plot, Daenerys executes Varys by dragon-fire. Jaime is captured but Tyrion releases him so Jaime can persuade Cersei to surrender the city and then escape Westeros together. Jaime, Arya and the Hound each infiltrate King's Landing. Riding Drogon, Daenerys destroys the Iron Fleet and most of the city's defenses, allowing her army to enter. Cersei's forces are quickly overwhelmed and the city signals its surrender. Giving in to rage and insanity, Daenerys levels the entire city, burning soldiers and civilians. The allied army follows her lead, slaughtering anyone in their path, horrifying Tyrion and Jon. Jaime kills Euron but is mortally wounded. The Hound convinces Arya to abandon her vendetta against Cersei and save herself; then he confronts the Mountain. The brothers, battling each other, ultimately perish after falling from a tower into flames. Cersei and Jaime reunite but are killed as the Red Keep collapses on them. Jon calls for a retreat as frantic civilians flee the devastation. Arya barely escapes alive.
736"The Iron Throne"David Benioff & D. B. WeissDavid Benioff & D. B. WeissMay 19, 2019 (2019-05-19)13.61[8]
Jon is appalled when the Unsullied execute captured soldiers upon Daenerys' orders. Tyrion finds Jaime and Cersei dead in the ruins. Daenerys rallies the Unsullied and Dothraki, proclaiming she will lead them to liberate the entire world. Tyrion resigns as Hand of the Queen and is imprisoned for treason. Arya and Tyrion separately warn Jon that Daenerys is a threat to him, House Stark and the people. Jon confronts Daenerys. Unable to halt her destructive path, an agonized Jon kills her. Drogon, enraged, melts the Iron Throne, then carries away Daenerys' body. Later, Tyrion proposes that all future monarchs be chosen by Westerosi leaders, rather than familial succession. Bran Stark is proclaimed King Bran the Broken. He grants the North independence as a kingdom and appoints Tyrion his Hand. Jon is sentenced to the Night's Watch to appease the Unsullied, who set sail for Naath, Missandei's homeland. Tyrion reorganizes the Small Council – Brienne, Bronn, Davos and Sam – to rebuild King's Landing. Podrick is knighted. Sansa is crowned Queen in the North. Arya sets sail to explore unknown lands west of Westeros. Jon rejoins Tormund and Ghost at Castle Black, leading the Wildlings north of the Wall.

Cast

[edit]

Main cast

[edit]

Recurring cast

[edit]

The recurring actors listed here are those who appeared in season 8. They are listed by the region in which they first appear.

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

HBO announced the eighth and final season of the fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones in July 2016.[35][36] Like the previous season, it largely consists of original content not found in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.[37] As Benioff had verified in March 2015, the creators have talked with Martin about the end of the series, and they "know where things are heading". He explained that the ends of both the television and the book series would unavoidably be thematically similar, although Martin could still make some changes to surprise the readers.[38] When asked about why the television series is coming to an end, he said, "this is where the story ends."[39]

Crew

[edit]

Series creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss serve as showrunners for the eighth season. The directors for the eighth season were announced in September 2017. Miguel Sapochnik, who previously directed "The Gift" and "Hardhome" in the fifth season, as well as "Battle of the Bastards" and "The Winds of Winter" in the sixth season, returned to direct two episodes. David Nutter, who had directed two episodes each in the second, third, and fifth seasons, including "The Rains of Castamere" and "Mother's Mercy", directed three episodes for the eighth season. The final episode of the series was directed by Benioff and Weiss, who have previously co-directed two episodes, taking credit for one episode each.[40]

At the series' South by Southwest panel on March 12, 2017, Benioff and Weiss announced the writers for the series to be Dave Hill (episode 1) and Bryan Cogman (episode 2). The showrunners divided up the screenplay for the remaining four episodes amongst themselves.[41]

Writing

[edit]

Writing for the eighth season started with a 140-page outline. Benioff said that the divvying-up process and who should write what section became more difficult because "this would be the last time that [they] would be doing this."[42]

Filming

[edit]

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, HBO programming president Casey Bloys said that instead of the series finales being a feature film, the final season would be "six one-hour movies" on television. He continued, "The show has proven that TV is every bit as impressive and in many cases more so, than film. What they're doing is monumental."[43] Filming officially began on October 23, 2017[44] and concluded in July 2018.[45] Many exterior scenes were filmed in Northern Ireland and a few in Dubrovnik, Croatia; Paint Hall Studios in Belfast were used for interior filming.[46] The direwolf scenes were filmed in Alberta, Canada.[47]

Casting

[edit]

The eighth season saw the return of Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully and Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn in the final episode, neither of whom appeared in the seventh season.[34] Marc Rissmann was cast as Harry Strickland, the commander of the Golden Company.[33]

Content

[edit]

Co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss have said that the seventh and eighth seasons would likely comprise fewer episodes, saying that after the sixth season, they were "down to our final 13 episodes after this season. We're heading into the final lap".[48][49] Benioff and Weiss said that they were unable to produce 10 episodes in the series' usual 12 to 14-month timeframe, as Weiss explained, "It's crossing out of a television schedule into more of a mid-range movie schedule."[48] HBO confirmed in July 2016 that the seventh season would consist of seven episodes and would premiere later than usual in mid-2017 because of the later filming schedule.[50] Benioff and Weiss later confirmed that the eighth season would consist of six episodes and would premiere later than usual for the same reason.[51]

Benioff and Weiss said about the end of the series: "From the beginning, we've wanted to tell a 70-hour movie. It will turn out to be a 73-hour movie, but it's stayed relatively the same of having the beginning, middle[,] and now we're coming to the end. It would have been really tough if we lost any core cast members along the way[;] I'm very happy we've kept everyone and we get to finish it the way we want to."[51] The first two episodes are, respectively, 54 and 58 minutes long, while the final four episodes of the series are all more than an hour in length—episode three is 82 minutes (making it the longest episode of the series), episodes four and five are each 78 minutes,[52] and the final episode is 80 minutes.[53]

A two-hour documentary, Game of Thrones: The Last Watch, which documents the making of the eighth season, aired on May 26, the week after the series finale.[54]

Music

[edit]

Ramin Djawadi returned as the series' composer for the eighth season.[55] The soundtrack album for the season was released digitally on May 19, 2019, and was released on CD on July 19, 2019.[56]

Release

[edit]

Broadcast

[edit]

The season premiered on April 14, 2019, in the United States on HBO.[57]

Marketing

[edit]

On December 6, 2018, HBO released the first official teaser trailer for the eighth season.[58] A second teaser trailer was released on January 13, 2019, which announced the premiere date as April 14, 2019. The trailer was directed by David Nutter.[59] HBO released a promotional advertisement with Bud Light on February 3, 2019, during Super Bowl LIII.[60] Later, first-look photos of several main characters were released on February 6, 2019.[61] On February 28, posters of many of the main characters sitting upon the Iron Throne were released.[29] The official full trailer was released on March 5, 2019.[30]

Illegal distribution

[edit]

The season premiere was reportedly pirated by nearly 55 million people within the first 24 hours of release. Of these numbers, 9.5 million downloads came from India, 5.2 million came from China, and 4 million came from the U.S.[62] On April 21, 2019, it was reported that the second episode of the season was illegally leaked online hours before it aired due to being streamed early on Amazon Prime Germany.[63] On May 5, 2019, it was reported that the fourth episode of the season was leaked online, with footage from the episode circulating on social media.[64]

Home media

[edit]

The season was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 3, 2019.[65]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]
Game of Thrones (season 8): Critical reception by episode

Season 8 (2019): Percentage of positive critics' reviews tracked by the website Rotten Tomatoes[66]

The season received mixed reviews from critics.[67] On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 55% based on 699 reviews with an average rating of 6.45/10, the lowest rating for a season of Game of Thrones.[a] The website's critical consensus reads: "Game of Thrones' final season shortchanges the women of Westeros, sacrificing satisfying character arcs for spectacular set-pieces in its mad dash to the finish line".[66]

The first three episodes were met with generally positive feedback from critics. On Metacritic, the premiere garnered a score of 75 out of 100 based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[69] "The Long Night" was praised for the cinematography and grand scale of the battle between the living and the dead,[70] but was criticized for what was considered its lack of catharsis, disorienting lighting, and the anticlimactic ending of the White Walker storyline that had been built up for seven seasons.[71][72][73] "The Last of the Starks" and "The Bells" were said to have rushed pacing, writing, and deviation from character development, with "The Last of the Starks" being labeled as "anticlimactic" and "a huge letdown".[79] "The Iron Throne" was described as "divisive", and according to Rotten Tomatoes, the series finale represents "a modest rebound" but it "went out with a whimper".[80][81] "The Bells" and "The Iron Throne" are the worst-reviewed episodes of the entire series on the website, with an approval of 49% and 48% respectively, while the last four episodes of the season "plunged to record low scores".[74][82][83][84]

David Sims of The Atlantic wrote that the final season "has been the same story over and over again: a lot of tin-eared writing trying to justify some of the most drastic story developments imaginable, as quickly as possible. As usual, the actors did their best with what was on the page."[80] Lucy Mangan of The Guardian considered the season a "rushed business. It has wasted opportunities, squandered goodwill, and failed to do justice to its characters or its actors."[85] Zack Beauchamp of Vox wrote that it "dispensed almost entirely with trying to make sense of its characters' internal motivations—let alone the complex political reality that its psychological realism initially helped create".[86] Huw Fullerton of Radio Times said the final season was not "Thrones at its best" but still had "some sort of ending for the characters". For Fullerton, the season was "like the finale — some bits I liked, one or two I loved, an awful lot that leaves me scratching my head".[87]

Writing for USA Today, Kelly Lawler felt that the series ultimately betrayed its "identity" of "tragedy and injustice" with a "pandering" ending.[88] Judy Berman of Time said that the series failed to complete the answer to "conflicting ideas about freedom, justice and leadership", themes that had brought depth to the series.[89] Ellen Gray of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly agreed that the final season was not as complex as previous seasons.[90][91] Franich stated that the "broseph mentality shined through", shunting the development and interaction between female characters. Franich criticized Cersei for doing nothing this season, regarding it "one complete failure of imagination", as well as the ultimate primary focus on the reactions and thoughts of the male characters, such as "Jon Snow, the least complicated main character."[91] Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Maureen Ryan condemned what she considered the season's reductive treatment of women, and "decisions set up and executed with little or no foresight or thoughtfulness", declaring the penultimate episode "The Bells" as "Game of Thrones at its worst".[92]

Ratings

[edit]
Viewership and ratings per episode of Game of Thrones season 8
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total
(18–49)
Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Winterfell" April 14, 2019 5.0 11.76[3] 1.2 3.04 6.2 14.84[93]
2 "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" April 21, 2019 4.4 10.29[4] 1.3 3.58 5.7 13.89[94]
3 "The Long Night" April 28, 2019 5.3 12.02[5] 1.5 4.07 6.8 16.12[95]
4 "The Last of the Starks" May 5, 2019 5.1 11.80[6] 1.2 3.33 6.3 15.16[96]
5 "The Bells" May 12, 2019 5.4 12.48[7] 1.4 3.52 6.8 16.03[97]
6 "The Iron Throne" May 19, 2019 5.8 13.61[8] 0.8 2.20 6.6 15.85[98]

Audience response

[edit]

A petition to HBO for "competent writers" to remake the eighth season of Game of Thrones in a manner "that makes sense" was started on Change.org after "The Last of the Starks" aired, but went viral after "The Bells" aired and saw Daenerys's arc take a significant turn.[99][100] The petition described showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss as "woefully incompetent writers".[101][102] By September 6, 2019, it received over 1.73 million signatures.[103][104] Digital Spy reported that some fans of the series criticized the season for the way it handled several character arcs and the "rushed" pacing.[105] The petition's creator stated that he never expected HBO to remake the season, but saw the petition as a message "of frustration and disappointment at its core".[103]

The petition was labelled as "disrespectful to the crew and the filmmakers" by actress Sophie Turner (who plays Sansa Stark),[106][107] "ridiculous", "weird, juvenile" by actor Isaac Hempstead Wright (who plays Bran Stark),[107][108] "rude" by actor Jacob Anderson (who plays Grey Worm)[109] and "fandom extremism" by actress Carice van Houten (who plays Melisandre).[110] Emilia Clarke (who plays Daenerys Targaryen) indicated she was previously unaware of the petition, but gave a warmer response when she was asked what she would want to see happen if the eighth season were redone: "I can only speak to my own character, and the people that I interact with on the show. But I would've loved some more scenes with me and Missandei. I would've loved some more scenes with me and Cersei".[111]

Richard Roeper, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote: "Over all, though, it was a solid and largely satisfying wrap-up to one of the most exciting and enthralling TV series ever".[112] In regards to the controversy, he added, "Over the last 25+ years, I've reviewed thousands of movies and dozens of TV shows, and I don't think I've ever seen the level of fan (and to a lesser degree, critical) vitriol leveled at [this show] in recent weeks". However, Roeper noted that social media was not yet widely used during much of this time period.[112]

Author Stephen King defended the final season, saying: "I've loved this last season of GoT, including Dani going bugshit all over King's Landing. There's been a lot of negativity about the windup, but I think it's just because people don't want ANY ending. But you know what they say: All good things...".[113]

Filmmaker Joe Russo during Talks at Google commented that he appreciated all the decisions and the choices that the makers took in Season 8. He said, "They made the choices that they wanted to make with that show and people felt, what I think that they felt, was that they didn’t feel it was seeded properly throughout the series. I loved all the choices. I thought they were crazy and unexpected, and that’s what I want out of a narrative, but I see where people feel like they were upset."[114]

Lenika Cruz, writing for The Atlantic, wrote that with the end of the series, "there are folks who don't feel as though the hours and hours they've devoted to this show have been wasted", but "there are many others" who felt the opposite.[80] Kelly Lawler of USA Today wrote that the ultimate ending of the series was not what some fans "signed up for".[88]

CBS News has described several plot points that some fans are dissatisfied with: the character arcs of Daenerys and Jaime; the fates of Jaime, Missandei, Rhaegal, and the Night King; the Battle of Winterfell being visually too dark; the "basic existence of Euron Greyjoy"; and "Jon's treatment of Ghost".[102]

Cast response

[edit]

In an interview with The New Yorker, Emilia Clarke said she had to hold back her innermost anxiety from Beyoncé: "I was just, like, Oh, my God, my absolute idol in life is saying that she likes me, and I know for a fact that by the end of this season she's going to hate me. ... All I wanted to scream was 'Please, please still like me even though my character turns into a mass-killing dictator! Please still think that I'm representing women in a really fabulous way.'"[111] Clarke said she was shocked at Daenerys's turn and her last scene because "it comes out of nowhere". Although she stands by the character, Clarke said it was a "struggle" reading the scripts. As for what she would have changed, she said she would have liked more scenes between Daenerys and Missandei and Daenerys and Cersei; "I just think more dissection and those beautifully written scenes that the boys have between characters — that we are more than happy to contently sit there and watch ten minutes of two people talking, because it's beautiful. I just wanted to see a bit more of that."[115]

In an interview published as the final season premiered, Kit Harington said he felt "defiant" about the series at the time, adding that "whatever critic spends half an hour writing about this season and makes their [negative] judgement on it, in my head they can go fuck themselves. I know how much work was put into this ... Now if people feel let down by [this final season], I don't give a fuck—because everyone [working on the series] tried their hardest. ... In the end, no one's bigger fans of the show than we are".[116] Harington later said he expected the ending was going to divide fans, and he was concerned the final two episodes would be deemed sexist: "We have Cersei and Dany, two leading women, who fall". "The justification is: Just because they're women, why should they be the goodies? They're the most interesting characters in the show. You can't just say the strong women are going to end up the good people ... It's going to open up discussion ... And when have you ever seen a woman play a dictator?" Harington also said he was disappointed his character Jon did not kill the Night King, yet added "it was a really great twist, and it tied up Maisie's journey in a really beautiful way."[117]

Nathalie Emmanuel, who played Missandei, was heartbroken when she read her character's sudden demise: "I think the fact that she died in chains when she was a slave her whole life, that for me was a pungent cut for that character, that felt so painful". Emmanuel, the only woman of color who was a regular cast member for the last several seasons, said, "It's safe to say that Game of Thrones has been under criticism for their lack of representation, and the truth of it is that Missandei and Grey Worm have represented so many people because there's only two of them."[118] Emmanuel added that she wished she "had more time or scenes this season maybe with Daenerys or even with Cersei, scenes where we get to see her being brilliant before she dies. I think that might have eased the pain a bit more for people, and reinforcing a friendship that she and Dany had because we haven't really seen anything for a few seasons."[117]

Conleth Hill, who played Varys, told Entertainment Weekly that the seventh and eighth seasons were "kind of frustrating" and not his "favorite", noting that Varys "kind of dropped off the edge". Hill reacted with "dismay" to Varys apparently "losing his knowledge", commenting, "If he was such an intelligent man and he had such resources, how come he didn't know about things?" After being "very bummed to not have a final scene with [Littlefinger]", Hill was "bummed not to have any reaction to [Littlefinger] dying, if he was [Varys'] nemesis". Also, once the series ran out of book material as a source, Hill said that "special niche interest in weirdos wasn't as effective as it had been". However, Hill was "not dissatisfied on the whole" regarding the series.[119]

Lena Headey had a "mixed" initial reaction to the manner of death for Cersei Lannister. Headey said she would rather have had Cersei die by "some big piece or fight with somebody". Fellow actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Headey discussed it and then appreciated the scene, viewing it as "the perfect ending" for Cersei and Jaime as they "came into the world together and now they leave together".[120] Headey mentioned that a scene of Cersei's miscarriage was cut.[121][122]

Sophie Turner said she would like to have seen "Sansa and Cersei reunited, or Arya and Cersei", but she was happy with the ending for her character.[117] Maisie Williams said the biggest regret for her character Arya was not getting a scene with Cersei, and possibly killing her, "even if it means [Arya] dies too". She later embraced Arya's happier arc for the last season.[123]

Gwendoline Christie, who played Brienne, said she was "dismayed" by her character turn, explaining that "It was partially because I read about this character [in Martin's novels] before I saw the show. So we all have our own ideas about how we think the character is going to develop. Sometimes your ideas become set in your mind, and sometimes David and Dan write something you didn't expect and find difficult to comprehend." "[Brienne] has been very impactful in the way I think about women and in the way they're portrayed in the media and the way they're treated in society", she noted.[117]

Joe Dempsie (Gendry) also expressed disappointment over the series' finale, as did former cast members Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) and Natalia Tena (Osha), though Dempsie also dismissed claims that Benioff and Weiss rushed the season, saying, "Working with them for a number of years, I know the last thing they wanted is for almost a decade of work to be undone by a final season that didn’t hit the mark."[117][124]

Accolades

[edit]

With 32 nominations, Game of Thrones broke the record of the most nominations received by a regular TV show in a single year.

Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Show Game of Thrones Won [125]
Best Performance in a Show Emilia Clarke Nominated
Best Hero Maisie Williams Nominated
Best Fight Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) vs. White Walkers Nominated
35th TCA Awards Program of the Year Game of Thrones Nominated [126]
45th Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Television Series Game of Thrones Won [127][128]
Best Actor on a Television Series Kit Harington Nominated
Best Actress on a Television Series Emilia Clarke Won
Best Supporting Actor on a Television Series Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Nominated
Peter Dinklage Won
Best Supporting Actress on a Television Series Gwendoline Christie Nominated
Lena Headey Nominated
Sophie Turner Nominated
Best Performance by a Younger Actor on a Television Series Maisie Williams Won
17th Gold Derby Awards Best Drama Series Game of Thrones Won [129]
Best Drama Episode "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" Nominated
"The Long Night" Won
Best Drama Actor Kit Harington Nominated
Best Drama Actress Emilia Clarke Nominated
Best Drama Supporting Actor Alfie Allen Nominated
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Nominated
Peter Dinklage Won
Best Drama Supporting Actress Gwendoline Christie Nominated
Lena Headey Nominated
Maisie Williams Won
Best Drama Guest Actress Carice van Houten Nominated
Best Ensemble The cast of Game of Thrones Won
71st Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Drama Series David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, David Nutter, Miguel Sapochnik, Vince Gerardis, Guymon Casady, George R. R. Martin, Bryan Cogman, Chris Newman, Greg Spence, Lisa McAtackney, and Duncan Muggoch Won [130][131]
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Kit Harington (for "The Iron Throne") Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke (for "The Last of the Starks") Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Alfie Allen (for "The Long Night") Nominated
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms") Nominated
Peter Dinklage (for "The Iron Throne") Won
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Gwendoline Christie (for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms") Nominated
Lena Headey (for "The Bells") Nominated
Sophie Turner (for "Winterfell") Nominated
Maisie Williams (for "The Long Night") Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Iron Throne") Nominated
David Nutter (for "The Last of the Starks") Nominated
Miguel Sapochnik (for "The Long Night") Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Iron Throne") Nominated
71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, and Carla Stronge Won
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Jonathan Freeman (for "The Iron Throne") Nominated
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media within a Scripted Program "Fight for the Living: Beyond the Wall Virtual Reality Experience" Nominated
Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes Michele Clapton, Emma O'Loughlin, and Kate O'Farrell (for "The Bells") Won
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Carice van Houten (for "The Long Night") Nominated
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, and Rosalia Culora (for "The Long Night") Nominated
Outstanding Main Title Design Angus Wall, Kirk Shintani, Shahana Khan, Ian Ruhfass, and Rustam Hasanov Won
Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Nicola Mathews, and Pamela Smyth (for "The Long Night") Won
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Ramin Djawadi (for "The Long Night") Won
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron (for "The Bells") Nominated
Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special Emma Faulkes, Paul Spateri, Chloe Muton-Phillips, Duncan Jarman, Patt Foad, John Eldred-Tooby, Barrie Gower, and Sarah Gower (for "The Long Night") Nominated
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Katie Weiland (for "The Iron Throne") Nominated
Tim Porter (for "The Long Night") Won
Crispin Green (for "Winterfell") Nominated
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Tim Kimmel, Tim Hands, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Paul Bercovitch, John Matter, David Klotz, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and Dylan T. Wilhoit (for "The Long Night") Won
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Simon Kerr, Danny Crowley, and Ronan Hill (for "The Long Night") Won
Outstanding Special Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Adam Chazen, Sam Conway, Mohsen Mousavi, Martin Hill, Ted Rae, Patrick Tiberius Gehlen, and Thomas Schelesny (for "The Bells") Won
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie Rowley Irlam Won
47th Annie Awards Outstanding Character Animation in a Live Action Production Jason Snyman, Sheik Ghafoor, Maia Neubig, Michael Siegel, Cheri Fojtik (Dance of the Dragons in "The Long Night") Nominated [132]
American Film Institute Awards 2019 AFI TV Award Game of Thrones Won [133]
77th Golden Globe Awards Best Actor – Television Series Drama Kit Harington Nominated [134]
2019 Art Directors Guild Awards One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley (for "The Bells") Nominated [135]
2019 Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Simon Kerr, Daniel Crowley, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss (for "The Bells") Won [136]
2019 Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton Won [137]
American Cinema Editors Awards 2020 Best Edited Drama Series for Non-Commercial Television Tim Porter (for "The Long Night") Won [138]
72nd Directors Guild of America Awards Dramatic Series David Nutter (for "The Last of the Starks") Nominated [139]
Miguel Sapochnik (for "The Long Night") Nominated
Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television Jane Walker, Kay Bilk Nominated [140]
Best Special Makeup Effects – Television Barrie Gower, Sarah Gower Nominated
Producers Guild of America Awards 2019 Best Episodic Drama David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, David Nutter, Miguel Sapochnik, Bryan Cogman, Chris Newman, Greg Spence, Lisa McAtackney, Duncan Muggoch Nominated [141]
26th Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Game of Thrones Nominated [142]
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Won
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series Game of Thrones Won

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Before May 24, 2019, Rotten Tomatoes calculated a 67% approval from 627 reviews and scored a 7.48/10 average rating.[68]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Schneider, Michael (July 16, 2019). "Emmys 2019 Nominations: HBO Back at the Top, as 'Game of Thrones' Makes History". Variety. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  2. ^ "Shows A-Z - game of thrones on hbo". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Welch, Alex (April 16, 2019). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Game of Thrones' season 8 premiere hits new series high". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Welch, Alex (April 23, 2019). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Game of Thrones' slips, 'Barry' hits another high". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Welch, Alex (April 30, 2019). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Game of Thrones' rises to another series high". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Welch, Alex (May 7, 2019). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Game of Thrones' stays high, 'Barry' dips". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Welch, Alex (May 14, 2019). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Game of Thrones' hits new highs (again), 'Veep' finale holds steady". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Welch, Alex (May 21, 2019). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Game of Thrones' series finale sets new records". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e Goldberg, Lesley (June 21, 2016). "'Game of Thrones' Stars Score Hefty Pay Raises for Season 8". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  10. ^ Thompson, Avery (February 15, 2017). "Sophie Turner Drops Massive Spoiler About Sansa Stark's Fate in Season 8". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  11. ^ Morton, Ashley (August 28, 2017). "Maisie Williams Thinks Arya Went Hunting for Trouble This Season". Making Off Game of Thrones. Archived from the original on September 16, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  12. ^ "Liam Cunningham (Davos) talks about the filming schedule for Game of Thrones Season 8". Winteriscoming.net. January 10, 2017. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  13. ^ a b c d Shepherd, Jack (October 24, 2017). "Game of Thrones season 8 filming looks to be underway as cast members spotted in Belfast". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Perry, Spencer (October 6, 2017). "Game of Thrones Season 8 Filming Will Continue Up Until Summer 2018". SuperHeroHype. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  15. ^ Bradley, John (August 29, 2017). "There's a new tag team in town. 💪 Hope you enjoyed season 7. Thanks for watching and we'll be back. The wait starts now. 😊 #gameofthrones #GOT". Instagram. Archived from the original on March 22, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  16. ^ Bradley, Bill (August 30, 2017). "'Game of Thrones' Actor Says Cut Scene Would've Explained Confusing Finale Moment". HuffPost. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  17. ^ Kinkaid, Ben (January 5, 2018). "What News From Westeros? Everything we know about Game of Thrones Season 8". GQ. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  18. ^ Bradley, Bill (August 28, 2017). "'Game of Thrones' Actor Rory McCann Says He's Already Training For Cleganebowl". HuffPost. Archived from the original on March 22, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  19. ^ Warner, Sam (February 23, 2018). "Game of Thrones fans can tour key locations and go "beyond the wall" with Bronn actor Jerome Flynn". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  20. ^ a b c Bundel, Ani (February 20, 2019). "The Night King May Not Be In The 'Game Of Thrones' Season 8 Premiere, Here's What That Means". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  21. ^ Jeffery, Morgan (April 3, 2018). "Joe Dempsie hints at a major role for Gendry in Game of Thrones season 8". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  22. ^ Chase, Stephanie (October 2, 2018). "Game of Thrones season 8 has "monumental set pieces" with cast all together, says Ser Jorah actor Iain Glen". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  23. ^ Warner, Sam (June 8, 2018). "Game of Thrones' Hannah Murray warns that the show isn't getting a "fairytale happy ending"". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  24. ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (January 17, 2018). "Game of Thrones season 8: Melisandre return confirmed as fans theorise on character storyline". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  25. ^ McCreesh, Louise (November 6, 2017). "The Night's Watch WILL be in Game of Thrones season 8, confirms Lord Commander actor". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  26. ^ Riddell, Rose (May 29, 2018). "Interview: Daniel Portman on 'Game of Thrones' and his upcoming visit to New Zealand". Coup de Main. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  27. ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (April 15, 2019). "Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1: Who is Lord Ned Umber, the boy killed by the Night King?". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  28. ^ Seddon, Dan (December 6, 2018). "Game of Thrones' Night King teases HUGE season 8 battle that will be a "historic moment in television"". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  29. ^ a b Houghton, Rianne (February 28, 2019). "Game of Thrones final season teasers have *everyone* sitting on the Iron Throne". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  30. ^ a b Hibberd, James (March 5, 2019). "Game of Thrones season 8 trailer is finally here". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 5, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  31. ^ Medeiros, Madison (August 30, 2017). "Attention Cleganebowl Fans: The Hound & The Mountain Are Already Bashing Each Other IRL". Refinery29. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  32. ^ "Game of Thrones' Gemma Whelan on Yara Greyjoy and her new BBC drama Gentleman Jack". The Scotsman. March 30, 2019. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  33. ^ a b Stolworthy, Jacob (October 18, 2017). "Game of Thrones season 8 casting announcement debunks fan theory". The Independent. ISSN 0951-9467. OCLC 185201487. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  34. ^ a b c Bundel, Ani (February 18, 2019). "Edmure Tully Will Be In 'Game Of Thrones' Season 8 Episode 1, Here's What That Means". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  35. ^ Hibberd, James (July 30, 2016). "Game of Thrones: HBO confirms season 8 will be last". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  36. ^ Birnbaum, Debra (July 30, 2016). "HBO Confirms 'Game of Thrones' Will End With Eighth Season". Variety. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  37. ^ Hibberd, James (May 24, 2016). "George R.R. Martin revealed 3 huge shocks to Game of Thrones producers". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  38. ^ Robinson, Joanna (March 22, 2015). "Game of Thrones Creators Confirm the Show Will Spoil the Books". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  39. ^ Hibberd, James (April 9, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' season 8 showrunners interview: 'This is where the story ends'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  40. ^ Hooton, Christopher (September 27, 2017). "Game of Thrones season 8: Directors revealed for all episodes". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  41. ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (August 28, 2017). "'Game of Thrones' Season 8: Everything We Know About the Final Season". Indiewire. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  42. ^ Morton, Ashley (March 13, 2017). "Everything You Missed From Game of Thrones at SXSW 2017". Making Game of Thrones. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  43. ^ Hibberd, James (June 2, 2017). "Game of Thrones: HBO clarifies prequels, final seasons plan". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  44. ^ Shepherd, Jack (October 23, 2017). "Game of Thrones season 8 filming looks to be underway as cast members spotted in Belfast". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  45. ^ Kelleher, Kevin (July 9, 2018). "'Game of Thrones' Final Season Has Finished Filming. Now a Winter of Waiting Begins". Fortune. Archived from the original on July 13, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  46. ^ Medd, James. "'Game of Thrones' filming locations around the world". CN Traveller. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  47. ^ Tucker, Amy (April 22, 2019). "Calgary film crew had a hand in direwolf scene from Sunday night's Game of Thrones". The Star. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  48. ^ a b Birnbaum, Debra (April 14, 2016). "Game of Thrones Creators Mull Shorter Final Seasons". Variety. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  49. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (April 14, 2016). "'Game of Thrones' Considering Shorter Final Seasons". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 18, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  50. ^ Hibberd, James (July 18, 2016). "Game of Thrones: HBO announces summer return, 7 episodes". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  51. ^ a b Hibberd, James (March 12, 2017). "Game of Thrones producers confirm final season only 6 episodes". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  52. ^ "S8 Ep 5: The Bells". HBO. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  53. ^ Hibberd, James (March 15, 2019). "HBO reveals how long each Game of Thrones season 8 episode will be". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  54. ^ Wigler, Josh (March 27, 2019). "Game of Thrones final season: HBO announces final season documentary". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  55. ^ Bradley, Bill (January 26, 2017). "'Game of Thrones' Composer Says You're Not Hearing What You Think You Are". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  56. ^ "GAME OF THRONES Season 8 Soundtrack Now Available". Broadway World. May 20, 2019. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  57. ^ Patten, Dominic (January 13, 2019). "'Game Of Thrones' Final Season Debut Date Revealed By HBO With New Tease". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  58. ^ Melas, Chloe (December 8, 2018). "'Game of Thrones' drops new trailer and it's icy". CNN. Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  59. ^ "Game of Thrones: creepy new trailer reveals release date for final season". The Guardian. January 14, 2019. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  60. ^ Hahn, Jason Duaine (February 3, 2019). "Attention Game of Thrones Fans: The Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial Featured Some Must-See Cameos". People. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  61. ^ "The First Photos From Game of Thrones Season 8 Have Arrived and Winter Is Truly Here". TIME. February 6, 2019. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  62. ^ Kain, Erik (April 19, 2019). "Apparently Just About Everyone Pirated The Season 8 'Game Of Thrones' Premiere". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  63. ^ Woerner, Meredith (April 21, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' Season 8 Episode 2 Leaks". Variety. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  64. ^ Tassi, Paul (May 5, 2019). "Warning: 'Game Of Thrones' Season 8, Episode 4 Has Leaked Online With Major Spoilers". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  65. ^ "Game of Thrones: Season 8 Blu-ray / DVD Packaging & Release Dates". HD Report. June 26, 2019. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  66. ^ a b "Game of Thrones: Season 8". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  67. ^ Shepherd, Jack (May 17, 2019). "More than a million people sign petition asking HBO to remake Game of Thrones season 8". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019. The final season of Game of Thrones has been met by mixed reviews from critics.
  68. ^ "Game of Thrones: Season 8". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  69. ^ "Game of Thrones - Season 8 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 29, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  70. ^ Hibberd, James (April 29, 2019). "Game of Thrones recap of Winterfell battle: A dark epic bloodbath". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 29, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  71. ^ Gault, Matthew (April 29, 2019). "Was Last Night's 'Game of Thrones' Too Dark, or Does Your Screen Suck?". Vice. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  72. ^ Dietz, Jason (April 28, 2019). "Episode Review: Game of Thrones, Season 8 Ep. 3". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  73. ^ Prime, Sophie-Marie (April 29, 2019). "Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3 Reviews: Critics Shrug as Battle of Winterfell Underwhelms". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  74. ^ a b Day, Debbie (May 13, 2019). "Game of Thrones 'The Bells' Reviews: Episode Tanks With Series' Lowest Tomatometer Score". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  75. ^ Li, Shirley; Sims, David; Kornhaber, Spencer (May 6, 2019). "Daenerys Targaryen Makes Her Move on 'Game of Thrones'". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  76. ^ Malitz, David (May 6, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' recap: Setting the stage for the final battle". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  77. ^ Charara, Sophie; Will, Bedingfield (May 13, 2019). "Why 'The Bells' is the worst Game of Thrones episode ever". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  78. ^ Hughes, Sarah (May 13, 2019). "Game of Thrones recap: season eight, episode five – The Bells". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  79. ^ [74][75][76][77][78]
  80. ^ a b c Sims, David; Kornhaber, Spencer; Cruz, Lenika (May 20, 2019). "Did Viewers Win or Lose in the Game of Thrones?". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  81. ^ Day, Debbie (May 20, 2019). "Game of Thrones Finale Reviews: 'The Iron Throne' Ends Epic Fantasy Series with a Whimper". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  82. ^ "The Bells". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  83. ^ "The Iron Throne". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  84. ^ Hofmeyer, Mark (May 20, 2019). "Game of Thrones Series By the Numbers: The Tomatometer's Final Verdict". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  85. ^ Mangan, Lucy (May 20, 2019). "Game of Thrones review – epic final episode corrects some major wrongs". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  86. ^ Beachamp, Zack (May 20, 2019). "Game of Thrones' finale betrayed the show's core themes". Vox. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  87. ^ Fullerton, Huw (May 20, 2019). "Game of Thrones season 8 episode 6 – finale live blog". Radio Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  88. ^ a b Lawler, Kelly (May 19, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' series finale recap: A disaster ending that fans didn't deserve". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  89. ^ Berman, Judy (May 20, 2019). "Game of Thrones Didn't Have to End This Way". Time. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  90. ^ Gray, Ellen (May 19, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' finale review: Was this the show you thought you were watching?". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  91. ^ a b Franich, Darren (May 20, 2019). "Game of Thrones was... okay: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  92. ^ Ryan, Maureen (May 13, 2019). "Critic's Notebook: In the End, 'Game of Thrones' Finds a Way to Make Its Woman Problem Worse". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  93. ^ Welch, Alex (May 6, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' premiere (predictably) dominates the cable Live +7 ratings for April 8–14". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  94. ^ Welch, Alex (May 8, 2019). "'Game of Thrones,' 'Teen Mom 2' score largest 18-49 boosts in cable Live +7 ratings for April 15–21". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  95. ^ Welch, Alex (May 9, 2019). "'Game of Thrones,' 'What We Do in the Shadows' lead the cable Live +7 ratings for April 22–28". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  96. ^ Welch, Alex (May 22, 2019). "'Game of Thrones,' 'Killing Eve' top 18-49 gains in the cable Live +7 ratings for April 29 – May 5". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  97. ^ Welch, Alex (May 29, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' stays on top of the cable Live +7 ratings for May 6–12". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  98. ^ Welch, Alex (June 6, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' finale tops 18-49 and viewer gains: Cable Live +7 ratings for May 13–19". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  99. ^ Jancelewicz, Chris (May 15, 2019). "More than 1 million upset 'Game of Thrones' fans sign petition to remake Season 8". Global News. Archived from the original on May 19, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  100. ^ McCarthy, Tyler (May 16, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' fans are petitioning HBO to remake the last season 'with competent writers'". Fox News. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  101. ^ Fieldstadt, Elisha (May 16, 2019). "Nearly 800,000 'Game of Thrones' fans sign petition for remake of season 8". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  102. ^ a b Lewis, Sophie (May 18, 2019). "Over 1 million angry "Game of Thrones" fans petition to remake season 8". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  103. ^ a b Lee, Jess (May 18, 2019). "Game of Thrones fan petition asking for HBO to remake season 8 hits 1 million signatures". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  104. ^ Lavin, Will (May 26, 2019). "New 'Game of Thrones' petition launched to benefit a charity in honour of Emilia Clarke". NME. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  105. ^ Anderton, Joe (May 13, 2019). "Why Game of Thrones fans were unhappy with the Battle for King's Landing in episode 5". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  106. ^ Respers France, Lisa (May 21, 2019). "Sophie Turner thinks 'Game of Thrones' petition is 'disrespectful'". CNN. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  107. ^ a b Maas, Jennifer (May 20, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' Final Season: Stars Look Toward the "Very Clever" Series Finale". TheWrap. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  108. ^ Wigler, Josh (May 17, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' Final Season: Stars Look Toward the "Very Clever" Series Finale". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  109. ^ Daly, Rhian (May 17, 2019). "'Game Of Thrones' star weighs in on petition to remake season 8: "I think it's rude"". NME. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  110. ^ Hibberd, James (May 18, 2020). "Game of Thrones actress looks back on finale one year later: 'It feels a bit ungrateful'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  111. ^ a b Larson, Sarah (May 20, 2019). "Daenerys Tells All!". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  112. ^ a b Roeper, Richard (May 19, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' finale review: Enthralling series comes to a satisfying end". Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  113. ^ Kooser, Amanda (May 17, 2019). "Stephen King defends Game of Thrones, even that part you hated". CNET. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  114. ^ Mukherjee, Nairita (September 3, 2019). "Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo reacts to Game of Thrones finale backlash, says he loved it". India Today. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  115. ^ Sharf, Zack (May 20, 2019). "Emilia Clarke Tells All About Daenerys' Fate and What She Would Change About 'Thrones' Season 8". Indiewire. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  116. ^ Handy, Bruce (April 15, 2019). "Kit Harington Doesn't Give a F*ck About Critics of Game of Thrones Season Eight". Esquire. Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  117. ^ a b c d e Rosen, Christopher (June 17, 2019). "Game of Thrones Stars Who Openly Criticized Season 8". TV Guide. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  118. ^ Desta, Yohana (May 13, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' Nathalie Emmanuel on Missandei's Death: "I Was Heartbroken"". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  119. ^ Hibberd, James (May 12, 2019). "Game of Thrones actor on his surprise death: 'Nothing could console me'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  120. ^ Hibberd, James (May 12, 2019). "Game of Thrones: Lena Headey reacts to that King's Landing battle ending". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  121. ^ Sharf, Zack (June 20, 2019). "Lena Headey Says 'Game of Thrones' Cut 'Traumatizing' Scene of Cersei's Miscarriage". Indiewire. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  122. ^ Bradley, Laura (June 19, 2019). "A "Traumatic" Deleted Game of Thrones Scene Kills a Popular Cersei Fan Theory". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  123. ^ Hibberd, James (May 21, 2019). "Maisie Williams reveals one Game of Thrones final season regret". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  124. ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (October 26, 2020). "Game of Thrones: Joe Dempsie rubbishes 'bonkers' theory about David Benioff and DB Weiss 'rushing' ending". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  125. ^ Zilko, Christian (June 18, 2019). "2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards: Complete Winner's List". Indiewire. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  126. ^ Turchiano, Danielle (June 19, 2019). "'Pose' and 'Russian Doll' Lead 2019 TCA Award Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  127. ^ Anderton, Ethan (September 14, 2019). "2019 Saturn Awards Winners: Avengers: Endgame Dominates with Six Total Awards". /Film. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  128. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (September 15, 2019). "Saturn Awards: Spider-Verse, Star Wars Resistance Win Animation Honors". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  129. ^ "Gold Derby TV Awards winners 2019: 'Game of Thrones' and 'Fleabag' rule, but voters spread the wealth". Gold Derby. September 18, 2019. Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  130. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (September 22, 2019). "Emmys 2019: Game of Thrones Ties Record and Leads TV Pack; Fleabag, Chernobyl and Mrs. Maisel Win Big". TVLine. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  131. ^ Hill, Libby (September 14, 2019). "Complete Creative Arts Emmy Awards 2019 Winners List: 'Game of Thrones' Torches Competitors". IndieWire. Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  132. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (December 2, 2019). "Annie Awards: 'Frozen 2,' 'Missing Link' Lead Year of Surprises and Snubs". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  133. ^ Evans, Greg (December 4, 2019). "AFI Awards TV: 'Chernobyl', 'Game Of Thrones', 'Fosse/Verdon' Make The Top 10". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  134. ^ Thorne, Will (December 9, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' Final Season Picks Up One Golden Globe Nomination". Variety. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  135. ^ Petski, Denise (December 9, 2019). "Art Directors Guild Awards: 'The Irishman', 'Mandalorian', 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' Among Nominees". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  136. ^ Pedersen, Erik (December 10, 2019). "CAS Awards: 'Joker', 'Frozen 2', 'Thrones' & 'Fleabag' Among Cinema Audio Society Nominees". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  137. ^ Schmidt, Ingrid (January 28, 2020). "Knives Out, Jojo Rabbit Take Home Honors at Costume Designers Guild Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  138. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (December 11, 2019). "'Ford v Ferrari,' 'The Irishman,' 'Joker' Among American Cinema Editors' Eddie Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  139. ^ Lewis, Hilary; Nordyke, Kimberly (January 6, 2020). "DGA Awards: Sam Mendes, Taika Waititi Among All-Male Feature-Film Director Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  140. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (January 11, 2020). "'Bombshell' Tops Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  141. ^ Crist, Allison (January 18, 2020). "2020 PGA Awards: '1917' Named Outstanding Motion Picture". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  142. ^ Patric, Hipes (December 11, 2019). "SAG Awards Nominations: 'Bombshell', 'The Irishman', 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' Top Film List, 'Maisel,' 'Fleabag' Score In TV – Complete List Of Noms". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
[edit]