If you were a cast member on one of the most popular shows in television history, people would think you’re crazy for saying that it should ever come to an end instead of clamoring for never-ending seasons. But Peter Dinklage, who’s stolen our smart, sarcastic, wine-loving hearts as Tyrion Lannister, knows that there’s a perfect time for all things to end, and for Game of Thrones, that time is now.
“It’s time,” he said recently at Variety’s Sundance Film Festival studio. “Storywise, not just for all our lives. It’s the perfect time to end it. Sometimes shows stay on a little too long, the jumping-the-shark thing.”
Dinklage added that he knows it’s never easy to say goodbye to a show like Thrones, which has broken records the world over and forever impacted pop culture, but especially to fan-favorite characters, of which Tyrion is without question. He called it “bittersweet” that it’s time to move on — a word we’ve word often from cast and crew alike as news of production on the final season continues.
“It’s always the sad part of our business, because you get pockets of great people for short amounts of time and then you have to move on and it’s always heartbreaking,” Dinklage said. “Especially when you’ve spent more than a couple months with people.”
Dinklage also noted that filming on the eighth and final season of Thrones is about halfway finished, but this likely doesn’t mean anything — numerous sources and interviews have pointed to filming continuing until at least June and possibly later. We reported in September 2017 that a casting notice for a mercenary character will film in May and June, and in October 2017 that Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth) said the cast will be filming “right up until the summer.” So although we’d dearly love to believe there’s only a handful of months left for Season 8 filming, it’s more likely that the Imp’s penchant for wordplay is showing. No matter what, we’ll keep you updated on filming and all other Season 8 news!
It is time for the Jedi to end.
I agree with him. I’m so glad that this show didn’t turn into TWD or something like that. And I think that was very tempting for HBO. The most popular TV show in the world, one of the most popular in the history. Even if they’ve lost 50% of viewers by S10 the show would still be successful.
And there are endless story possibilities when you are writing historical fiction in fantasy world.
They could’ve even changed the showrunners to keep the show going, like many shows are doing. And it would be a disaster, just like with every show that changed the main writers.
What I want to say is that there were so many opportunities for HBO’s greed to destroy this show, but thankfully that didn’t happen.
Season 8 will break all records, we all know that. How many shows are able to be in the peak of their popularity at Season 8?
Sad as I am to know that my favourite show will end next year, I completely agree. Go out on a high note. So many shows just keep beating a dead horse (*cough* The Walking Dead *cough*) to get every last miserable dime out of it (*cough* Grey’s Anatomy *cough*) that they become sad shadows of their former selves.
I mean, not every show is like Poirot, after all.
Pigeon,
*cough* Dexter *cough*.
*cough The Blacklist *cough*.
*cough* Dawson’s Creek *cough*
Pigeon,
Ten Bears,
*cough* The X-Files *cough*
I still do love “The Blacklist” though.
For as much shit people like to give D&D, at least they know when to buckle down and end a show. They clearly care enough about its quality since they want to end it at the most opportune time. And that time certainly is now.
I have no doubt that the combined efforts of the cast and crew will deliver an epic conclusion to a series we’ve all spent loving for quite some time.
mau,
A few persons I know including myself, love that about this series; there is a begining, middle and an end. Better to leave us wanting more, than overstay the welcome
I agree.
Maybe Tyrion‘s half is done. The way his decisions have been turning out in the last few seasons, he may end up on the wrong end of a dragon – or a Clegane.
I agree with him on the idea that there should be an ending. The American teevie model has been to make some reliably appealing episodic thing which may have a beginning, but then continues indefinitely until the ratings flag. Then it’s gone. But the episodes can possibly go into syndication – and shown in any order, since each stands alone.
I like a story that begins and ends. If it takes 5 years, 8 years, or just 3 episodes, that’s fine. The BBC seems to work that way, and good on them!
The Sopranos — 86 episodes, with a split final season
Mad Men — 92 episodes, with a split final season
Boardwalk Empire — 56 episodes, with a short final season
Game of Thrones — 73 episodes, with two shorter final seasons
Interesting that the number of Thrones episodes falls right in the midst for the numbers of episodes of the other series, even though the others are creatively related. (The creators of Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire had each worked on The Sopranos.)
Is there some law of long, multi-character storytelling which requires an ending before 100 hours of story are viewed?
(I never watched Boardwalk Empire to the end, but I watched the entirety of the other two series, and I could definitely understand describing their endings as “bittersweet”!)
Tensor the Mage, Maybe Mathematically Minded,
Well, I don’t know if there is any law, but I don’t know of any good drama series that had more than 8 seasons.
zandru,
””’Maybe Tyrion‘s half is done. The way his decisions have been turning out in the last few seasons, he may end up on the wrong end of a dragon – or a Clegane. ””I hope it doesnt ..Still i have a little hope that Tyrion will not betray Danny/Jon..I hope Jaimes coming to the North and makes him to be on the good side again.It will be waste of great character if all those seasons they make a smart,brave,sarcastic and loyal Tyrion just for to have him to be a fool and a traitor
Tensor the Mage, Maybe Mathematically Minded,
Well, I’m not sure about all those other shows, but for GOT, I think it has to do with how it’s constructed: there are the ‘high moments’ and there’s the need to set them up.
The whole series is like a tapestry punctuated on occasion with these important scenes. For me, personally, the series goes like this: Ned’s execution, Blackwater, the Red Wedding, Joffrey’s death, Tywin’s death, Sansa’s rape/Shireen’s burning (those two are the absolute emotionally lowest moments of the series – I don’t mean ‘badly done’, just ‘the most depressing’; ‘depressing’ just was the word about Season 5, wasn’t it? All the failure…), the sheer glory of the entire payoff of Winds of Winter the Episode (all the arcs that finished there…), and Dany/Jon hooking up. In second place are moments such as Astapor (my favourite moment of the entire series, actually), Hardhome, Hold the Door, Jaime’s Charge and Viserion Reborn/the Fall of the Wall. Those are neat, but not as important.
Anyway, the way I think it goes:
– there is a limited number of plots that a story can take before it turns into a soap opera. There has to be an end in sight. Robb taking the story over from Ned was fine, the younger Stark kids taking over from him was also fine, but at some point, you have to pick your heroes. (GRRM seems to have a problem with that);
– there is a limit to how many plots can be *simultaneously* going. I think that the standard human brain can hold at most seven numbers at once? I think that, on a similar basis, it can also pay attention to a limited number of heroes/subplots. Season 5, where everyone was scattered about, was stretching it already (GRRM also seems to have a problem with that);
– each of those arcs has to have at least one strong moment, because otherwise people will complain that it is meaningless. But! Importantly! Not *too* many, because after a time, the mind adjusts and extraordinary things become ordinary (Dany not burning in S1? Extraordinary. In S6? Eh, that’s just a practical application of her special power. Same with Jon and getting saved by last-minute help, I guess… once *after* he died, by a literal deus ex machina, lol.).
This gives us an *upper* limit on the number of strong scenes/’high moments’. After Winds of Winter the Episode, for example, a very limited number of plots remained to be resolved – mostly Theon/Euron, Sansa/Arya/Littlefinger, and the whole ‘invading zombies’ debacle. (Maybe the Cleganebowl?)
Anyway, each of these moments needs several episodes of set-up. Again, not too many. Seasons 2 and 5, with extremely high amounts of setup, were often called ‘slow’ already.
And from there… I dunno. You’re the ‘mathematically minded’, you calculate. 😂
As Jon and Dany face off across a field of vanquished White Walkers before their final climactic bare-knuckle fight to the death for control of the Iron Throne … cut to black. That’s how I’d do it.
7 Gods, yes. There was no reason to drag the final season out to 2 seasons. A mid-season break like Walking Dead and other series do to break up the 13 episodes. It’s sheer arrogance for HBO to assume viewers will hang on. That strategy damaged Mad Men, and it will be interesting to see what the numbers are like for the final season of GoT. Although, any loss they suffer could be made up by people who will watch ONLY the last season!
Isabelle_M,
It would be impossible to produce 13 episode on the production level they want for the last season all at once.
I agree – 8 seasons is enough. Before the Season 1 was aired in 2011, there were trailers promoting the show and Dinklage said it will be “Epic”. He was certainly right there 😉
Whatever, all the principle actors in GoT have become multi-millionaires including some who started barely coming out of drama school. They’re set up for life even if they never get a part again such as they had in GoT – Best of luck to them.
I agree! I’m hoping something – maybe a reunion with his wife, or more likely with his big brother – will shake him out of his funk. Tyrion continued to be a c**t in his relationship to the Hound; ditto with Theon in an earlier season. If he’s learned anything from his trials and ordeals, he appears to have forgotten it.
I suspect he thinks we’re smarter than we actually are 😉
I certainly agree that 8 seasons are enough but if S7 & 8 were each ten episodes, it would be perfect!
mau,
Thinking of Castle ..that was a show that jumped the shark by season 6, after that it was unwatchable, and happily did not go passed 8. I agree I will be sad when it’s over, but it will be time. Besides there is always Dvr!:.
mau,
TWD is worse the more it continuous, season 1 I liked very much, good pacing for a zombie show. season 2 till 4 were a little bit too slow for me. season 5 til now is even slower. It’s dragging and dragging. the whole Negan story should have been finished by now. I watched fear the walking dead last week and I enjoy it much much more, season 3b of that show is gold in my opinion (with a bad season 1), but that show doesn’t drag the story, it keeps it pacing.
Pigeon,
Yes, Greys anatomy is even worse than twd, I still watch it (Why I keep asking myself), season 1 to 5 were gold in my opinion, season 6 had one of the best finals I ever saw. 7 till 10 was OK, 11 till now just horrible, drama non-stop, no joy left what the first seasons had.
Tensor the Mage, Maybe Mathematically Minded,
You can’t compare shows like that. The sopranos has a much different story than GoT. GoT has a certain pacing, with lots of high peaks like the battles or major plottwist like the RW. That loses it purpose much sooner. Sopranos was much much more a character driven story than GoT, it was about his change over the course of the show, it had different kind of high peaks than GoT, a different rhythm, it didn’t rely on those big plot twist a la GoT so it could continue longer. For me Sopranos is one of the best shows if you want to watch a show thats about life, for me only 2 shows I find in the same leak, can’t decide which I found the best of the 3: Sopranos, Leftovers and Six Feet Under.
Dinklage says: “It’s time. .. Storywise, not just for all our lives. It’s the perfect time to end it. Sometimes shows stay on a little too long, the jumping-the-shark thing.”
————————–
I say: No!. Not until you finish telling the story about the time you brought a jackass and honeycomb into the brothel.
Alternatively… Maybe WotW can have a contest to see who comes up with the best punch line.
Maybe WotW can have a contest to see who comes up with the best punch line.
“The dwarf lives until we find a cock merchant.”
Ten Bears,
I think this one has been solved a long time ago? Some variation on “I’ll exchange this sweet ass for yours.”
Dinkla has a point, considering how his character has been written for the past 2 seasons
Dinklage is ready to move on. That is certain. I think ending the show now is great as it would be on a high note. However, they should’ve stuck to the standard of 10 episodes per season. The pacing last season was trippy.
Flora Linden:
*cough* The X-Files *cough*
Actually I think there’s a good argument that the series improved after season 7 when David Duchovny was phoning it in. The introduction of a new protagonist breathed some life into it and some of the season 8 & 9 epis were almost as good as anything that went in the earlier seasons (well, nothing to match Clyde Bruckman, Jose Chung or Pusher; but still). OK the reboot was more of a miss than a hit though…
Of course it was never originally envisioned to go beyond 5 seasons + the movie but the more episodic format of the show enabled that at the expense of tying up the conspiracy arc in a neat way.
GoT at least has a clear beginning and end in the vision of its creator and I’d say 8 seasons is enough before it just gets dragged out or self indulgent “too good to be ended” in the same way as the books are in danger of becoming.
Exactly. Chris Carter & company never mapped out a definitive endgame regarding the alien mythology, hence the now aimless narrative. Original bad guy Cigarette Smoking Man should have stayed dead and the mystery of Mulder and Scully’s son William should have taken over as the main alien conspiracy plotline.
I actually really liked Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish’s additions to the show, but they should have let Gillian Anderson go for S9 and just focused on him, Gish and Mitch Pileggi.
There were some moments in S10 that I enjoyed, but that and S11 seem inconsistent and/or disconnected to what came before. They’re recycling old tropes or including things that should have been done years ago. The original run of “The X-Files” felt like it was predicting the future; now the future is here and the show feels stuck in the past.
Unbelievable! As I was reading this comment, I’m trying to recall what season Tyrion says that…. GOT marathoning in the bg, I’m half arsed paying attention… Yep… The scene with him, Missandei and Grey Worm telling jokes comes up. No lie. Season 6, Ep.8; “No One”
Gods Be Good, will I ever find a series as enjoyable as this one to obsess over?
CarlieTargaryen,
The Jackass and Honeycomb joke was also from season 1 during the trial at the Eyrie. I hope they give us the punchline someday, although at this point I’m afraid the suspense has been built up too much for it to live up to the hype. Still though, I’d love to hear it.
Mr Derp,
They’ve hung that jackass on the wall. Now they’ve gotta fire it.