David Benioff, one half of the showrunners for Game of Thrones, is known to be a mediocre writer at best. After what he did to Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it is surprising the dude ever found work again. Sure, up until now, Game of Thrones has been a smash hit, episode after episode (with few exceptions), but let us not forget that this was because Benioff and Weiss (the other half) had George R.R. Martin’s writing to basically copy and paste from the books into the show.
I know for a fact that I am not alone in having thought that nearly every character in the first four episodes of the show’s final season are not acting like, well, their characters. Everyone just seems so off, and the plot feels so rushed and uncared for, all I can think about is how little Benioff (and likely Weiss) give a shit about how they are remembered for ending Game of Thrones as they have. Without Martin’s details and direction, the two just seem so lost. Sure, Martin had reportedly given the duo bulletpoints and a vague outline of how the story is supposed to end, but even if that was the case it is so clear that their writing has absolutely destroyed Martin’s vision.
Between Tyrion being ride or die for Dany, Varys, the master of discretion, speaking openly in a large dark room about treason, the Night King and his epic undead army being defeated in a single evening (really wish we would have seen the NK fight, or at least face Jon Snow in a dramatic battle where Jon loses), the abrupt end to one of the last two dragons at the hands of Euron in the sea when we all know that Dany and her dragons should have seen his fleet from at least 10 miles away, to the way they unjustly killed off Missandei (in the moment of her death, I felt barely more than “meh”), to questions like “why didnt Cersei just kill Dany and her dragon when they approached her before killing Missandei?” Or “why didn’t Dany torch Euron’s fleet with her remaining dragon?” Or even still “why didnt Dany torch Cersei, Euron, and The Mountain after Missandei said ‘Dracarys’?” And most importantly “why didnt Jon say goodbye to Ghost?!”
Why the hell are none of the characters acting like themselves this season? Why is the story falling apart?!
Benioff. That’s why. The guy clearly does not give a shit any longer about the show and wants to do something else. He and Weiss only care about subverting expectations and rushing to the end of one of the greatest shows on television history with an 8-episode season where they ruin all the characters, all the build-up, and the legacy that could have been. I can’t help but feel this was all for nothing.
The sad thing is, Game of Thrones meant a lot to a lot of people. And once the show surpassed the story of the books, Benioff and Weiss lack of writing ability really started to show. Characters felt unlike themselves, plot points seemed cliche or typical of other genre tropes, and nothing felt right anymore. I have personally never been so invested in a show like this before, to be let down in such a dramatically frustrating way.
Part of me wants to give up while its good and just read the books (if Martin ever finishes the series) and forget about what has happened so far. And with only two episodes left, it is hard to have faith that show will turn around when the first four have been such a let down. The disappointment is just too strong.
When you ask just how Game of Thrones could fail so hard, just remind yourself that David Benioff wrote the screenplay for X-Men Origins: Wolverine and did THIS bullshit to Deadool.
