Emilia Clarke expresses her disappointment with Game of Thrones finale

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

For years, it seemed that Game of Thrones had nowhere to go but up; fans voraciously devoured each and every episode of the HBO series as the tangled tale of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros unfolded. Anticipation was high for the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones, but as we know, the backlash towards creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and how they elected to end the series was rather intense.

Fans weren't the only ones to voice their displeasure regarding Game of Thrones' final season, as more than a few of the actors have also expressed disappointment. While speaking with The Sunday Times, Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen on the series, seemed to side with the opinion of many fans regarding just how her character was treated. After going full-on Mad Queen and destroying much of King's Landing, Daenerys finally reclaimed the Iron Throne, only to be murdered by Jon Snow (Kit Harington) in the final episode.

Yeah, I felt for her. I really felt for her. And yeah, was I annoyed that Jon Snow didn’t have to deal with something? He got away with murder — literally. I knew how I felt [about the ending] when I first read it, and I tried, at every turn, not to consider too much what other people might say, but I did always consider what the fans might think — because we did it for them, and they were the ones who made us successful, so it’s just polite, isn’t it?

Although Emilia Clarke admitted that she was upset that Daenerys didn't get a "happy ending," she still considers Game of Thrones to be "a gift" for her as an actress. Clarke also added that she felt the final season, which ran for just six-episodes, should have been spun out a little longer, especially as much of the focus was given to massive set pieces and not to the character-driven dialogue scenes which the series used to excel at. "It was all about the set pieces," Clarke said. "I think the sensational nature of the show was, possibly, given a huge amount of airtime because that’s what makes sense."

Now that it's been nearly a year since the final season of Game of Thrones, have you changed your opinion on the finale?