George R.R. Martin Just Responded to Criticism of the 'Game of Thrones' Finale
Warning: Spoilers below.
Yes, Game of Thrones is over. The series finale screened on HBO Sunday night, finally allowing us to take back those sweet weekend hours. But was anyone happy about it? Didn't seem like it! Over 1.3 million fans were so furious about the eighth and final season that they signed a petition requesting for a remake of the entire thing, which has generally received mixed fan and critical notices.
But some fans were more than satisfied with the dramatic series closer - in which Dragon Queen Daenerys Targaryen died at the hand of her nephew and lover Jon Snow, who was duly sent to the Night's Watch for his crime; Bran Stark, of all people, was made king; and Sansa Stark reigned in the North. Its stars were certainly appreciative of the show's ending, including Sophie Turner, who "loved it" and said that the petition was "disrespectful" to the people who made the show.
One other person who stood up in defense of the finale was the author of the origin books, George R.R. Martin. "The last night, the last show. After eight epic seasons, HBO’s Game of Thrones series has come to an end," he wrote on his blog on Monday. "It is hard to believe it is over, if truth be told." He reflected on the "wild ride" the show had been, from the TV adaptation of his fantasy series becoming the network's most successful show ever, to becoming somewhat of a celebrity himself.
Martin also addressed an important point: whether the ending of the show will be similar to the final books in his series (which are still in the works). In giving his vague-ish answer, he also reminded readers that the mediums of TV and literature are very different, and that their expectations of what showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss achieved would also be distinct from the books:
How will it all end? I hear people asking. The same ending as the show? Different?
Well… yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes.
I am working in a very different medium than David and Dan, never forget. They had six hours for this final season. I expect these last two books of mine will fill 3000 manuscript pages between them before I’m done … and if more pages and chapters and scenes are needed, I’ll add them. And of course the butterfly effect will be at work as well ... There are characters who never made it onto the screen at all, and others who died in the show but still live in the books …
No word from Martin about when we'll be able to actually read those books, though.
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