Though the world of dark, realistic consequences, fantastical elements, and political intrigue of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series was nothing short of a smash hit when it began as only a book series, the TV shows were what cemented it into the cultural zeitgeist of the 2000s, with shows like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon being considered the apex of quality television.
Still, much like the books, both of these shows have had controversial moments throughout the years, where even the most loyal of their fans have had a serious problem with their execution. From controversial topics to brutal character deaths, here are some episodes from both series that caused the most contention within the fanbase.
5. The Long Night
The Dark War In More Ways Than One
- Episode: Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3 – “The Long Night”
- Release Date: April 28, 2019
“The Long Night” was the prophesied war between those alive and those dead in the Game of Thrones universe. Since the first sighting of the ancient icy zombie clan called the White Walkers in Game of Thrones, fans were anticipating an epic and brutal war between them and the series beloved main characters; especially the likes of Jon Snow and the Night’s Watch, Jamie Lannister, Arya Stark. When this episode aired, fans had many complaints.
The main issue was that scenes were simply too dark, and events could barely be made out. The battle tactics deployed by the characters were much weaker than in previous episodes, especially when compared to Season 6’s “Battle of the Bastards”. The war itself, and the White Walker plot, were wrapped up much too quickly, trying to cram 7-seasons worth of resolution into one episode. The many ‘fake-out deaths’ where characters survived impossible odds against the ice zombies without much explanation were groan-worthy. One of the biggest complaints of them all, however, was that the writers inexplicably chose Arya to be the one who would kill The Night King and save the day, wasting all the buildup over the years with Jon Snow’s and Jamie Lannister’s stories. The Game of Thrones fandom was not very happy with the payoff of this years-long build-up.
4. A Son For A Son
A Good Story With Changes
- Episode: House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 1 – “A Son for a Son”
- Release Date: June 16th, 2024
House of the Dragon Season 2 continued the story of the war between the side of the Targaryens, who want Rhaenyra on the throne (The Blacks), and the ones who want Aegon II (The Greens). In episode one, “A Song for a Son”, the gruesome murder of a child was shown, where Jaehaerys, son of Aegon II, was done in by a botched revenge ploy by the Black’s to avenge Aemond’s killing of Lucerys in the first season.
Though many enjoyed the episode, some fans of the book that the series was based on, Fire and Blood, were irritated by the changes made. Instead of Daemon being directly stated to have ordered the child-killing as was the case in the books, the show decided to leave the true perpetrator’s identity vague, having Daemon order the killing of Aemond and only hint that the assassins should perhaps kill someone else. This change added to fan criticism that the show relies too heavily on players on either side making vague mistakes or having misunderstandings that lead to tragedy rather than the intentional and intriguing villainous plots prevalent in the books.
3. The Bells
A Character Assassination Attempt
- Episode: Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5 – “The Bells”
- Release Date: May 12th, 2019
One of the biggest issues viewers had with Season 8 of Game of Thrones was that it was too short. Throughout Seasons 1-6, Game of Thrones fans had grown accustomed to ten-episode seasons. This changed with Season 7 only having seven episodes, and worsened with Season 8 only having six episodes to wrap up every storyline in the series.
“The Bells” marked the change of Daenerys from hero to villain. During the attack on King’s Landing, Daenerys and her forces beat back the armies of Queen Cersei Lannister and took the city. This victory forced the Lannister forces to surrender. Despite this, Daenerys chooses to wreak further havoc on the people of Kings Landing, young and old, innocents and all, burning them with dragon fire. Events such as the people of The North appreciating Jon Snow more than her and her close friend Missandei having been killed are cited as the reasons for her sudden shift, though many viewers considered these to be lackluster excuses for such a radical character change, or at the very least, needing a lot more narrative time to make the change feel believable, instead of seemingly happening on a whim.
2. Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
Shocking Scenes Of Abuse
- Episode: Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 6 – “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken”
- Release Date: May 17th, 2015
In “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken”, many storylines are combed through, including Kingslayer Jaime Lannister and Bronn of the Blackwater embarking on a Dornish rescue mission to save Myrcella, and Tyrion Lannister and Jorah Mormont’s conflict with the slavers on the Valyrian peninsula. The most shockingly memorable part of this episode, however, were the events that took place in Winterfell, where Sansa Stark is forcibly married off to the sadistic Ramsay Bolton. On their wedding night, Ramsay Bolton horrifically abuses Sansa and forces Theon Greyjoy, a tortured man who she grew up with as a step-brother, to watch as he does so.
Fans and critics alike lambasted this episode, calling it a needlessly awful depiction abuse and sexual violence for the sake of shock value. The episode was also critiqued for being part of a lazy re-hash of a formerly well-done storyline in which Sansa was abused by a sadistic royal man, the previous iteration being carried out by Joffrey Baratheon. It received a rating of 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest-rated episode of the series at the time of Season 5’s airing.
1. The Iron Throne
An Unsatisfactory Ending
- Episode: Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 6 – “The Iron Throne”
- Release Date: May 19th, 2019
A series as prestigious as Game of Thrones would have liked to end its final season with a bang, but unfortunately, according to many fans and critics at the very least, the series ended with a soul-draining whimper.
A quick search online will give dozens of answers as to why Game of Thrones fans heavily disliked the final season, with the majority of the complaints being about the conclusion to the series as a whole. “The Iron Throne” was tasked with wrapping up every storyline Game of Thrones had set up from the very beginning in a satisfying manner. If the thoughts of viewers are to be accounted for, they failed miserably.
Long-time viewers were upset by the many choices made in the series finale, such as the unceremonious murder of Daenerys Targaryen (by Jon Snow of all people), the seemingly pointless conclusion to Jon Snow’s story that saw him abandoned and exiled by his family, and the baffling decision to make Bran, one of the least prevalent main characters throughout the story, the King of Westeros. This episode is what gave Game of Thrones the infamous title of one of the worst endings to a TV Show ever.
