'Game of Thrones' script spoils Iron Throne moment from final episode

Ben Arnold
·Contributor
Drogon burns the Iron Throne (Credit: HBO)
Drogon burns the Iron Throne (Credit: HBO)

Game of Thrones fans and critics have mused over the deep meaning of the destruction of the Iron Throne in the show's last ever episode.

In the wake of Jon Snow killing his lover and Mother of Dragons Daenrys Targaryen, her offspring Drogon then torches what remains of the Red Keep and the feted furniture.

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It's reduced to a pool of hot metal, with viewers finding it to be a symbolic - if slightly clunky - moment.

The dragon's fury destroyed this seat of power, the thing so coveted by his mother which had lead to not only her death, but the cause of all the ills in Westeros.

Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington in Game of Thrones (Credit: HBO)
Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington in Game of Thrones (Credit: HBO)

Some also thought that perhaps Drogon was showing some kind of sentience in his actions. But apparently not.

Thanks to a downloadable version of the show's final episode script, it appears that it was just an accident, and that the throne was simply caught in the crossfire.

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Which is pretty disappointing.

It reads:

“[Drogon] looks down at Jon. We see the fire build up in his throat. Jon sees it as well. He prepares to die. But the blast is not for him. Drogon wants to burn the world but he will not kill Jon. He breathes fire on the back wall, blasting down what remains of the great red blocks of stone. We look over Jon’s shoulder as the fire sweeps toward the throne — not the target of Drogon’s wrath, just a dumb bystander caught up in the conflagration.”

Storytelling-wise, it's a bit of a letdown, but sadly no great surprise from a series which delivered increasingly diminishing returns, accelerated in the final truncated season.

A massive 1.7 million people signed a petition calling for the final series of the show to be remade with 'competent writers'.

HBO boss Casey Bloys recently addressed the groundswell, saying: “There are very, very few downsides to having a hugely popular show, but one I can think of is when you try to end it, many people have big opinions on how it should end.

“The petition shows a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the show, but it wasn’t something that we seriously considered.”