'Game of Thrones' Viewers Are Dragging Tonight's Episode on Twitter

Erica Gonzales
Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

From Harper's BAZAAR

WARNING: This story contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5.

The penultimate episode of Game of Thrones was not a crowd pleaser if Twitter had anything to say about it. After tonight's installment, "The Bells," viewers shared their distaste on social media, blaming showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for destroying character arcs and creating unsatisfying deaths (more on that later). Fans did not hold back with their feelings after watching the Battle at King's Landing play out.


The biggest offense might've Daenerys Targaryen's quick transformation into the Mad Queen, a rash, raging ruler just like her late father. At the beginning of her standoff with Cersei Lannister, the Mother of Dragon(s) strategically burns all of the Greyjoy fleet, the Golden Company soldiers, and the Lannister army (including all of their dragon-killing scorpions) until the Lannister side surrenders. But after she'd already won (signaled by the bell tolling in King's Landing), Dany, blinded with anger, continues to burns the entire city-including innocent townspeople and children. This possibility had already been foreseen by fans and theorists-especially after her advisor and BFF Missandei was killed off in the prior episode-but still arrived as a shock for some. Why did she burn so many innocent people, even after she affirmed she's "not here to be queen of the ashes" last season?

We have seen Dany make some impulsive decisions throughout GoT (hello, loot train battle and executing the Tarlys) but some fans argued that her crazed state in tonight's episode seemed like a reach. #TeamTargaryen viewers defended their queen.

On top of that, Tyrion Lannister, supposedly the most cunning man in Westeros, still believed that his sister, Cersei, could be convinced not fighting a war to keep the throne. And Jaime, after seemingly redeeming himself since pushing Bran out the window in Season 1, returned to King's Landing to die with Cersei. Viewers dragged the character development (or lack thereof) in the series.


People were also upset with how Cersei finally met her end. She reunites with Jaime in the bowels of the Red Keep, and their plan to escape the capital is thwarted. They hold each other and die together as the castle falls to the ground. After all of the horrible things she's done throughout the seasons, some viewers were hoping for a more elaborate ending for one of TV's greatest villains.


At least we have one more GoT episode to look forward to.

The Game of Thrones finale airs Sunday, May 19 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO.

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