Game Of Thrones: What Needed To Happen In Seasons 9 & 10

Game of Thrones season 8 gets a lot of criticism for how the show concluded, but much of it can be chalked up to the fact that the ending was squeezed into just six episodes. While some of these had longer runtimes, they didn’t compare to the series’ earlier 10-episode outings — and even a few more installments might not have helped the HBO series’ last outing. In reality, Game of Thrones needed another full season or two to give its characters and biggest storylines proper send-offs. George R.R. Martin even wanted 10 seasons to properly finish adapting the books.

Unfortunately, Game of Thrones ended earlier than many people wanted, as showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss decided to wrap things up with season 8. With Game of Thrones’ final season being so controversial, there have been plenty of conversations about the possibility of season 9. Season 9 would do little to fix the flaws of the eighth outing now, but extra seasons would have made a huge difference when the show was on. There was a lot that could have happened in Game of Thrones seasons 9 and 10, and all of it would have contributed to a better ending.

Daenerys Targaryen’s Mad Queen Twist Needed Better Setup In Seasons 9 & 10

The Mother Of Dragon’s Villain Turn Felt Rushed In Season 8

Daenerys Targaryen becoming the villain in Game of Thrones season 8 was one of the most heavily criticized elements of the ending, and it could have been better with more time to set it up. While Daenerys showed hints of tyrannical behavior over the course of Game of Thrones’ eight seasons, the messaging around her actions was inconsistent. Daenerys’ typically took a fire and blood approach to freeing oppressed people, and she almost always gave her adversaries a chance to change before killing them.

While some of Dany’s tactics were dubious, her intentions were typically good — and she was staunchly against killing innocent people. This was why it felt so jarring when Daenerys decided to burn King’s Landing to the ground, innocent people and all, just because they hadn’t accepted her. She’d already won at this point in “The Bells,” with the Lannister soldiers surrendering and Cersei standing little chance of keeping her from the Red Keep. There was no reason to go this far, and she felt little remorse afterward, which made her character feel one-dimensional.

There were other contributors to Daenerys’ Mad Queen moment, like losing her closest friends and advisors, as well as another dragon. However, the audience barely got time to see her process these losses before she went off the rails. Perhaps this turn of events would have worked out better with Game of Thrones seasons 9 and 10 to depict Daenerys’ descent into madness. After all, Martin’s books are also likely headed in this direction, but he’ll probably take a slower and more satisfying path to get there.

Game of Thrones Could Have Explored Bran’s Purpose With 2 More Seasons

The Three-Eyed Raven Story Was Glossed Over Too Quickly & Felt Ridiculous

Bran becoming king probably rivaled Daenerys’ Mad Queen turn for the most unpopular development of Game of Thrones season 8, and this was also the product of rushed storytelling. After spending several seasons on Bran’s Three-Eyed Raven narrative, Game of Thrones never properly explained the purpose of this figure — or why Bran was destined to become him. Evidently, it was all leading up to Bran becoming the leader of the Seven Kingdoms, a decision all the Great Houses of Westeros conveniently agreed on after Tyrion gave an inspirational speech.

Although the sentiment that the person who wants power the least should have it rang true, Game of Thrones’ ending for Bran felt like a bit of a cop out. Like Daenerys’ villain twist, it could have been properly built towards, assuming Game of Thrones seasons 9 and 10 had the chance to explore the lore behind the Three-Eyed Raven in more depth. It would also have helped to know why the Night King was so bent on killing him. Unfortunately, there was no time to address many of these questions, which made the conclusion to Bran’s arc feel totally out of nowhere.

The Night King & White Walkers Could Have Been Bigger Threats With Seasons 9 & 10

This Game Of Thrones Storyline Left A Lot On The Table

Speaking of the Night King, the villain’s ending in Game of Thrones season 8 was a bit underwhelming — and not because Arya Stark was the one who killed him. In general, the White Walker threat wasn’t what viewers had been led to believe. It was supposed to be a bigger deal than the fight for the Iron Throne, yet Game of Thrones concluded this conflict in just a single episode. That episode didn’t properly explain the Night King’s origins or motives, nor did it see him having a long-awaited showdown with Jon Snow.

All of this could have been covered if Game of Thrones had a couple more seasons; in fact, one of them could have been dedicated to the White Walkers entirely. There was so much potential to make their invasion of Westeros chilling and tragic, but Game of Thrones didn’t have time to tackle it properly. With HBO’s Bloodmoon spinoff canceled, we may never get answers to some of the biggest questions about the threat north of the Wall, either.

Game Of Thrones Could Have Given Jon Snow’s Parentage Twist A Greater Meaning

Jon’s Targaryen Heritage Needed To Have A Bigger Impact

Jon Snow’s parentage reveal was one of the few details to make it all the way from Martin’s original Game of Thrones plan to season 8, rendering it all the more impressive. However, while the confirmation that Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark were Jon’s parents — making him the true heir to the Iron Throne — was exciting, the HBO show really didn’t do much with it. It was used to fuel tensions between Jon and Daenerys, ensuring the creators’ Mad Queen story could unfold. But Jon didn’t end up on the Iron Throne, and very few people seemed to care about his birthright.

Additional seasons of Game of Thrones could have taken Jon’s threat to Daenerys further, and they could have seen the Great Houses of Westeros rallying behind him over the queen. This would have made for a more interesting dynamic, and it still could have ended with Jon’s exile. After all, Game of Thrones wouldn’t be the show we all know and love without subverting expectations. But it needed to do more with Jon’s Targaryen heritage before it flipped the script on us.

The Lannisters Could Have Gotten The Endings They Deserved

Cersei, Jaime, & Tyrion All Needed Better Conclusions

The Lannisters were major players throughout Game of Thrones, and all of them had frustrating runs in season 8. Jaime’s ending got the most flak, as the show undid seasons of growth in its final episodes, destroying a near-perfect redemption arc. Jaime fighting against the White Walkers against Cersei’s wishes and admitting his feelings for Brienne felt like the perfect culmination of his journey. But then Game of Thrones season 8 saw him returning to Cersei on a whim. This could have worked, but it needed more seasons to make sense of his regression.

Cersei’s ending was also underwhelming, as she spent much of season 8 standing around the Red Keep. Even with Arya and Jon in King’s Landing, none of the Starks ever got to confront Cersei about her crimes against their family. She didn’t even get a final scene with Tyrion. Cersei was crushed by rocks, a conclusion that still gets mocked, years after Game of Thrones’ final season. Perhaps a couple more outings would have allowed the time to reunite Cersei with key characters and give her the brutal ending she deserved.

Finally, Tyrion’s character also suffered in season 8, and it was due to a problem that started in season 7. To get Daenerys where the writers wanted her, they began to portray Tyrion as less politically savvy and intelligent, acting as though he’d be surprised by anything that happened in season 8. If Game of Thrones had dedicated seasons 9 and 10 to setting up Daenerys’ villain twist, it might not have needed to hurt Tyrion’s characterization to get her there. Unfortunately, we’ll likely never know what his arc could have looked like, unless The Winds of Winter covers it.