There’s not a lot that people agree on these days. But while everyone is always going to debate the best Thanksgiving pies (apple vs. pumpkin), the best season (Summer vs. Fall), and whether water should be enjoyed from the tap or sparkling, the consensus is that the final season of Game of Thrones was a total mess. And now Kit Harington has shared what he really thinks about the finale, along with why a particular spinoff didn’t happen.
In an interview with GQ published in August 2024, the actor sounded just as disappointed as fans are when they talk about Game of Thrones season 8. It sounds like he’s been keeping this in all this time… but, hey, at least he’s speaking up now!
Harington admitted about the series finale, “there were mistakes made, story-wise, towards the end maybe” (you don’t say!) and admitted that he appeared “exhausted” in every eighth season episode, and that he doesn’t think it was even possible to have made a season 9 of the HBO drama. He said, “we were all so f***ing tired, we couldn’t have gone on longer.”
As for that Jon Snow spinoff called Snow (an underwhelming title!), Harington said it was tricky to find the right premise and make it as high quality as earlier seasons of Game of Thrones. He explained, “nothing got us excited enough.”
While almost nothing is shocking anymore, I’m impressed that an actor would be so vulnerable and admit that their super popular show needed to end. The huge paycheck must have been an enticing prospect, and a lot of stars would’ve signed onto several more seasons if it meant a steady job and millions of dollars. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Harington earned $1.1 million for each episode of seasons 7 and 8 (whoa). The man behind Jon Snow wanted to get on with his career instead of being typecast, and he knew the show wasn’t as good as it used to be.
What “mistakes” was Harington alluding to, though? Maybe the anti-climatic Winterfell battle… or Daenerys Targaryen’s (Emilia Clarke) terrible death scene? Sadly, Kit didn’t list them off, but at least fans got to hear his thoughts.
While Game of Thrones fans likely love Harington even more for his complete honesty, they can at least rest assured knowing there will be a third season of House of the Dragon, which is the only spinoff that people need. Is it wrong to say the dragons alone are more compelling than any Game of Thrones season 8 episode?!