The Dornish Problem
Remember Dorne? No? That’s alright because the show doesn’t either. For readers of A Song of Ice and Fire, Dorne’s poor translation to live-action meant that its interesting characters and politics were wasted. For viewers, Dorne was unnecessary filler that could’ve been removed with little impact to the bigger picture.
The best anyone got out of this forgotten kingdom was Tyne’s infamous yet iconic quote about how Bronn needed the “the bad pussy” because of how unintentionally hilarious and similar it was to dialogue from a porno.
Ed Sheeran as Ed Sheeran
In the fantasy epic, the most unbelievable thing was Ed Sheeran’s cameo as a Lannister soldier named Ed. While traveling, Arya Stark meets a group of Lannister troops and Ed, who (obviously) sings a song.
While Ed’s appearance was a cute gift from the showrunners to Maisie Williams, it was a jarring moment that many considered to be the series’ lowest point then. The one comfort to come from this was the revelation that Ed’s face and eyelids got burned off by Drogon during the Loot Train attack.
Jon Ghosts Ghost
The direwolves have been loved ever since their introduction, with the Starks and viewers growing attached to them as the episodes went by. And yet, Jon Snow leaves his loyal direwolf Ghost without so much as a word when he departs for King’s Landing.
Fans were angry that the King in the North didn’t give his good boy any love. Worsening matters was the showrunners’ claim that the CGI required for Jon to pet Ghost was too time-consuming. After Drogon burned King’s Landing, their excuse sounded flimsy at best.
Every Scene with Euron Greyjoy
Originally, Euron Greyjoy was one of the books’ most feared threats. However, Euron in the series is a horny pirate who wants to sleep with queens. He was also notorious for popping up whenever the plot demanded it, his worst moment being his ambush on Daenerys’ navy because she “kind of forgot about the Iron Fleet.”
Pilou Asbæk’s acting couldn’t save Euron from being a walking plot device who irked viewers. Even Asbæk was disappointed with Euron, let down that he wasn’t the supernatural dark lord of the source material.
Everything in the Finale
To say that Thrones’ last season was disappointing is an understatement, and no episode sums this up better than the series finale The Iron Throne. After eight seasons, the show ended by essentially repairing the metaphorical wheel, rushing through major plot points, abandoning lore, and giving the remaining characters unearned emotional resolutions.
From leaving many questions unanswered to the ending’s many unfortunate implications, The Iron Throne is the perfect culmination of everything that went wrong in the incredibly divisive eighth season.
Jaime Abandons His Character Development
Despite being Thrones‘ most beloved dark horse, Jaime Lannister was still prone to committing the lowest of lows. The only thing worse than unceremoniously leaving Brienne and his redemption arc to go back to Cersei was that time he raped his sister. While beside the corpse of their son, Joffery. In a church.
In a show where controversial sex scenes were a common occurrence, Jamie’s assault on Cersei is considered to be one of the worst. Even Jamie’s most dedicated fans couldn’t defend this moment.
Stannis Baratheon’s Sacrifice
With his unshakeable determination and badass stoicism, Stannis Baratheon aka Stannis the Mannis easily became a fan-favorite. That was until he burnt his daughter Shireen at the stake as a sacrifice to the Lord of Light.
Just as his once mighty army of loyal soldiers and tough sellswords defected after the merciless killing of his own child, fans abandoned the last legitimate Baratheon alive. It’s no wonder that few people felt bad for Stannis Formerly the Mannis when he was executed by Brienne after his failed siege of Winterfell.
Every Stark Death
The lords and kings fighting for control of Westeros are not known for their morals, which is why many viewers gravitated towards the honorable House Stark. This attachment is also why fans hated it whenever a Stark died.
In fact, Game of Thrones most iconic and unforgettable deaths are those of the Starks. Specifically, Ned Stark’s beheading and the infamous Red Wedding, where Walder Frey ordered the deaths of countless Northmen. Many viewers actually quit the show after these traumatic deaths, and it’s hard not to see why.
Daenerys Goes Mad
Even after the Lannister army surrendered, Daenerys commanded Drogon to burn King’s Landing. Instead of being the show’s most tragic turn, where a well-meaning ruler succumbs to her bloodline’s dark legacy, Daenerys becoming the Mad Queen fell flat and pissed off more people than expected.
There was foreshadowing since season one, but it didn’t line-up with the series’ and Emilia Clarke’s earlier depictions of Daenerys as a freedom fighter. Viewers weren’t mad that the Mother of Dragons lost it; they were angry that there was no justification for her rage.
Ramsay Rapes Sansa
While disturbing rape scenes were nothing new in Game of Thrones, the one that occurs during Sansa’s wedding night is considered to be the vilest. Here, her husband Ramsay Bolton raped her while forcing Reek/Theon Greyjoy to watch.
For many, this did little for the characters since it only emphasized what viewers already knew: Ramsay is evil, Sansa is trapped, and Reek is broken. Because of the controversial scene and many other factors, the episode it was in was the lowest-rated of the entire show before the series’ last three chapters aired.