Peter Dinklage doubles down on his opinion of Game of Thrones’ controversial series finale five years later. Across eight seasons, Dinklage played the fan-favorite character Tyrion Lannister, who used his intellect and scheming to survive the deadly battles of the ruling houses of Westeros. After supporting Daenerys Targaryen’s (Emilia Clarke) claim to the throne, the Game of Thrones ending saw Tyrion turn on her after the relentless siege of King’s Landing, paving the way for her death at Jon Snow’s (Kit Harington) hands.
Dinklage addressed why he continues to stand by his support of the controversial Game of Thrones series finale to Rolling Stone. With Dinklage reaffirming his positive feelings towards the story’s conclusion, he stated that he wasn’t looking to change anyone’s minds, and felt the discussion about the divisive ending was actually healthy and something to be embraced, saying that “everybody gets to write about it and chat about it and drink over it and argue about it.” Check out Dinklage’s full response below:
No, but that’s the thing. Again, just my opinion. I like the finale! You don’t have to agree with me. How about if I said like, “Yeah, I agree. I hated the finale. The whole last season was horrible”? I mean, that would sit much worse than if I said I loved it, which I did. I can’t speak for anybody else’s opinion, and that’s what makes what we do fun, because everybody does have a difference of opinion and everybody gets to write about it and chat about it and drink over it and argue about it . It’s great. I mean, I think it means you’re doing something right. It’s like an old Irish way of looking at the world. There’s something wrong if everything’s OK. [Laughs.]
Why Was The Game Of Thrones Finale So Controversial?
Many Season 8 Storytelling Decisions Came To A Head
There are many reasons that the Game of Thrones season 8 finale was poorly received at the time, but one was that it capped off a season that had already experienced severe diminishing returns. While the first six seasons of the HBO fantasy show received Rotten Tomatoes scores above 90% from both critics and audiences, the audience score had already begun to slip in season 7, with both scores crashing to give the series its first Rotten splats by the time season 8 arrived. Below, see how the show was received by both groups over the course of its run:
The season finale capped off many storytelling decisions that were already being questioned in the reviews of both critics and audience members, though – as reflected in the audience score – longtime viewers of the show took the changes considerably worse than critics, even though both groups ultimately gave the season Rotten scores in the aggregate. One major issue that was frequently brought up during this time was the rushed pacing of the six-episode season, which was the shortest one yet for the series as a whole.
Among the series finale decisions that drew controversy was the ultimate decision of the character to whom the the rule of Westeros would pass. Despite the entire show following many powerful characters jockeying for position and fighting over the Iron Thone, the title went to Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright), a relatively unassuming character whose ascension to the throne was entirely unexpected.
Another major source of widespread disappointment, per the season’s Rotten Tomatoes reviews, was the abrupt deaths and departures doled out to major characters, both hero and villain alike. This includes the death of Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), who was one of the series’ primary antagonists, and who is revealed to have been crushed alongside her brother Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) when the Red Keep was destroyed, an ending for two major characters that many reviews found to be anti-climactic, particularly considering what an active character Cersei had been in the show up to that point.
What Does The Game of Thrones Cast Think About The Finale?
The Ending Is Just As Divisive Among Its Stars
Dinklage isn’t the sole Game of Thrones cast member to have fonder thoughts on the now-infamous ending. Despite being aware of how controversial it could be with viewers, Grey Worm actor Jacob Anderson applauded its daring nature in 2024. Meanwhile, Jaime Lannister actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau felt that Jaime’s fate alongside his sister Cersei (Lena Headey) was a fitting conclusion to the character’s arc that fit with teased story threads. Similarly, Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) approved of who would ultimately rule Westeros.
As such, Dinklage’s perspective is perhaps the best way to handle its controversial legacy, allowing further constructive discussion over negative interactions.
Other Game of Thrones cast members, however, have been just as forthcoming with their gripes as others have been with their support. Harington felt exhaustion at the series’ long lifespan led to mistakes being made in constructing a conclusion. Meanwhile, Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) admitted that upon a rewatch, she felt there was a shift in quality in its latter half. However, Clarke has gradually come to some acceptance of Daenerys’ fate after vocally disagreeing with the story upon release.
Even after five years and two seasons of a prequel series, Game of Thrones’ infamous ending still lingers in the minds of many viewers. As such, Dinklage’s perspective is perhaps the best way to handle its controversial legacy, allowing further constructive discussion over negative interactions. Though many may not agree with the actor, it is clear that he hopes to ensure the discourse surrounding the finale is healthy.