Game Of Thrones: 7 Big Problems With Season 5

Contrary to popular belief, the Song of Ice and Fire book series was never just about pure misery. In the most recent book, there’s the terrible events with the Boltons and with Jon’s potential demise, but there’s also a whole lot of moments that suggest there’s still hope left in this universe.

The showrunners decided to cut out virtually all of those hopeful moments, crafting a season where nothing ever goes right for anyone, everything is miserable, and there is no satisfaction to be had. See this woman who is supporting Sansa and the North? Maybe something satisfying will happen there? Nope. Watch her get horribly murdered. Everything sucks.

In a post-Red Wedding world, it seems like these showrunners think audiences like the series because terrible things happen. But what was great about the books (and previous seasons) wasn't that bad things happen, but that good and bad things happen. By cutting out any potential moment of retribution or catharsis, this was a season of television which made sure viewers never experienced one single moment of happiness. 

It’s not that there’s anything inherently wrong with being dark, but at this point, the show’s bleakness is becoming predictable. Instead of this being a series where anything can happen, it’s become a series where only bad things can happen. And that’s just another kind of predictable.