Game Of Thrones: 5 Great Characters Ruined By Poor Writing
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss completely lost their way in the final season...
George R.R. Martin is one of the best fantasy writers alive today. Though his work is heavily influenced by the godfather of modern fantasy – J.R.R. Tolkien – Martin stands out from the crowd due to his knack for writing nuanced characters who undertake fascinating evolutions.
In the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones, Martin’s characters were expertly brought to life. The casting for the show was spot on, and due to David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’s ability to adapt the source material, the scripts were impressive as well.
Unfortunately, the showrunners lost their way without the guidance of Martin’s books. This became increasingly apparent after Season 4, which is regarded by many as the peak of the show. And the longer Game of Thrones went on, the more the dialogue and the storylines started to lose their shine.
The receding quality of the show was particularly obvious in the final season. Many of the major characters were wrecked by poor decisions from the showrunners who seemed to prioritise subverting expectations over anything else. Even the outstanding performances from the cast weren’t enough to salvage the poor writing from Benioff and Weiss…
5. Daenerys Targaryen
Daenerys underwent a huge transformation over the course of eight seasons. During her time in Essos, she changed from the tame daughter of a Targaryen prince to an admirable yet fearsome queen. With an ever-increasing army to support her, she made her way through Slaver’s Bay and freed the inhabitants of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen.
Whilst the majority of her evolution was authentic, her decision to burn King’s Landing in the final season was ridiculous. Such a move would have been more understandable had Daenerys been on the verge of defeat. But this wasn’t the case – her victory was sealed the moment the Lannister army rang the bells of the city as a sign of surrender.
This crucial moment in the show’s final season wasn’t flat-out terrible owing to the brilliant performances and the mesmerising score from Ramin Djawadi. It’s just a shame Daenerys’ descent into madness was far too abrupt to be taken seriously.