Even if you’re the world’s biggest Game of Thrones fan, you probably weren’t thrilled about the final season. Many optimistic and casual fans expressed positive sentiments about the eighth and final season last year, but still preferred the show’s earlier seasons. Other, more engrossed fans, were utterly dismayed at their perception of the show’s bad writing, lack of character development, and abandonment of plot lines established many years earlier.
Now, more than a year later, they’re still angry about it. Are you? If so, there are some things you can do.
Participate in Petitions and Write Letters
First, you could participate in petitions and write letters to executives at HBO, joining other fans in a desperate bid to get a redo. Already, nearly 2 million fans have signed a petition to “remake Game of Thrones Season 8 with competent writers.” And if you’re interested in a more personal appeal, you could print a bunch of postcards and express yourself to the executives in charge of making production decisions at HBO.
Of course, these actions are unlikely to result in an actual change. HBO “remaking” only the last season of Game of Thrones would be an expensive undertaking that would be unlikely to make them more money. Additionally, it would be an act of contrition; a subtle display that executives knew the final season was poorly managed all along.
Still, the point isn’t to motivate change. The point is to make you feel like your voice is heard. Writing a letter to an HBO executive or producer will give you a chance to clearly articulate your thoughts and pin down exactly why you’re feeling the way you’re feeling.
Get Involved in Forums
In the world of niche online forums, there’s never a shortage of people who think like you do. There exist many online communities where you can point out flaws with the final season and continue expressing your disappointment, and get thousands of people to agree or sympathize with you. Most notable is Reddit’s “Freefolk” community, where more than 1.1 million members are still creating new memes about missteps taken by the writers of the final season.
Be warned, however, that restricting yourself to only engaging with other people who share your opinion is not necessarily a good thing. You’ll get catharsis when expressing your thoughts and feelings, and a sense of community, but you’ll endlessly reinforce your own opinions…and may possibly end up feeling worse.
Wait for the Books
Much of the criticism for the final season of Game of Thrones extends to other late seasons; seasons 1-4 remain hailed as some of the best television ever made, even by the most outspoken critics of the show’s final episodes. This is widely considered the case because seasons 1-4 were able to rely on George R. R. Martin’s books as source material; from there, writers had to create the story for themselves.
Following this logic, if you’re interested in a suitable end to the series, you can turn to the books for redemption. Of course, it’s been almost a decade since the release of the most recent book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, and Martin seems incapable of estimating a release date.
Cope
If you’re struggling with negative emotions and bad reactions whenever you think about your former favorite TV show, there are many strategies you can use to cope. For some, mindfulness meditation is the best way to let go of persistent thoughts and gain more control over your emotions. For others, physical exercise is the perfect combination of stress relief and focus to break your distractions. In any case, you’ll need to work proactively if you want to minimize your negative experience.
Find Something Else to Like
The best advice we can offer in this article is this: Instead of continuing to invest energy in disliking Game of Thrones, consider investing your energy in something that you do like. Game of Thrones is over and it isn’t coming back, so every minute you spend thinking about it or complaining about it is going to be a minute you’ve wasted. Instead, try a new book series. Watch a TV pilot. Delve into a movie franchise you’ve been meaning to catch up with. Or better yet, go outside and make some friends whose interests have nothing to do with Westeros.
There are countless good reasons to hate the final season of Game of Thrones, but the negative emotions you’ve attached to that experience aren’t doing you any good in your personal life…especially with no hope for a remake or a book conclusion on the near horizon. If you’re still struggling with the experience, it’s time to try something new.