Game of Thrones: 7 Things That Still Don’t Make Sense About Season 8

Although Game of Thrones proved to be one of the most popular TV shows in recent memory, its final season left much to be desired. Effectively, as soon as Game of Thrones‘ pilot episode aired, the show found massive popularity. The HBO series gripped audiences with its gritty fantasy drama and action, delivering tense and thrilling storylines that combined to create one of the most compelling shows ever to feature on the small screen. Throughout its run, Game of Thrones enjoyed not just solid viewership but also became a part of our collective pop culture lexicon, cementing it as one of the best TV shows of all time.

Unfortunately, Game of Thrones season 8 has gone down as one of the worst final seasons in TV history. Though some argue that its final chapter wasn’t quite as disastrous as others make out, the consensus is that it was a disappointing ending to an otherwise outstanding show. The overall quality of Game of Thrones season 8 notwithstanding, there are certainly elements of the final season that leave annoying unanswered questions, apparent plot holes, or are simply frustratingly hard to make sense of.

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7) Why It Abandoned So Many Plot Threads

One thing that makes Game of Thrones‘ ending particularly frustrating is that it failed to tie off multiple plot threads. Stories involving Dorne were abandoned and never addressed again, Drogon’s fate was unexplored, and the Red Priests and Melisandre’s prophecy were all seemingly forgotten. It makes no sense as the show’s popularity easily could have translated to another season or two, and though the series got ahead of George R. R. Martin’s source material, it could instead have come to a more natural and less rushed conclusion.

6) Why Sam Became Grand Maester

By far one of the most endearing Game of Thrones characters, Samwell Tarly proved to be a surprisingly important character within the show. However, season 8 saw Sam promoted to be the new Grand Maester, which made no sense whatsoever. Not only was Sam not remotely qualified for the position, having never completed his training, but he had previously broken almost every oath he had ever taken. Lovable though he may be, his track record made him far more of a liability than an asset.

5) The Connection Between the Three-Eyed Raven & the Night King

For all the unresolved Game of Thrones storylines that season 8 didn’t answer, one of its most frustrating was one that it only vaguely explained. Through the show’s final seasons, a connection between the Three-Eyed Raven and the Night King was established, though its nature wasn’t fully explored by the time the show ended. Considering the internet is full of fan theories far more compelling than what the show gave us, it makes no sense why the show didn’t really deliver on the teased connection.

4) Daenerys’ Ending Didn’t Match Her Character Arc

For the majority of the show’s run, Daenerys Targaryen’s was one of the best Game of Thrones character arcs. Sadly, season 8 threw all that out when it gave her an ending that simply didn’t make sense, considering everything that had come before. After spending her life being effectively oppressed, Daenerys built her own following on the basis of hard-won freedom, so seeing her descend so rapidly into a genocidal frenzy was jarring and didn’t really match the overall thrust of her individual story arc.

3) Bran Is The Worst Choice To Rule The Six Kingdoms

Bran Stark’s story was one of the most subtly important in all of Game of Thrones, not least because the show ended with him being crowned king of the Six Kingdoms. However, this decision was harshly criticized by fans, and rightly so, as Bran was perhaps the worst possible choice to lead Westeros. As well as lacking any real humanity, notable compassion, or simple charisma after becoming the Three-Eyed Raven, he also seemingly saw the future in which Daenerys laid waste to King’s Landing and did nothing to prevent it, making him indirectly responsible for countless deaths.

2) Jon Snow’s Exile

After Jon Snow was revealed as a secret Targaryen, it seemed that Game of Thrones was setting him up to be the only character capable of uniting the Seven Kingdoms. Season 8 saw his ending play out very differently, though, with Jon instead exiled to the North. Considering he was the last surviving hero in Westeros and he had played a major part in the hard-fought peace as a result of Daenerys’ death, he was the logical choice to be crowned King, and his exile made practically no sense at all outside of superficial narrative convenience.

1) The Night King’s Death Should Have Been The Show’s Ending

While the episode in which the Night King was killed stands out as one of Game of Thrones‘ best battle episodes, it should have served as the ending of the show’s story. Having the threat of the White Walkers stopped only for the show to limp on a little longer to resolve the more trivial matter of who would control the Seven Kingdoms felt backwards. It’s a key part of what made the show’s finale feel so anticlimactic, as it made no sense at all to resolve the two main stories in that particular order.

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