5 Ways Game of Thrones Season 8 Could Have Been Even Worse

Most fans agree GoT started going wrong before season 8. But with high hopes for a finale fitting for what it once was, it’s no surprise the final season is viewed as the ultimate kick in the teeth.

But it could have been worse. Here are five things that would have assured that:

1. Daenerys on the Iron Throne

Dany's arc was one that generally worked well. But even when she tried to do good things (like end slavery), she often found herself creating more problems than she solved.

And she became increasingly cruel as she gained power, showing that she always had the potential to descend into madness. Dany becoming the "Mad Queen" would have required a sequel that no one wanted at that point. And if she had suddenly become a good leader, it would have been unbelievable.

2. Jon Snow on the Iron Throne

This was the ending that many fans wanted. But let's face it, no ending could have been more twee. And when did GoT ever do twee? Apart from when they brought Jon Snow back to life. And that was one of those moments where we all probably thought they pushed the fantasy envelope a bit too far.

3. Cersei’s survival

You could argue that the whole show was Cersei's story. From the way she was treated by Robert to bringing about his death and then doing everything she could to cling to power, everything that happened in Westeros took place against the backdrop of her life.

So it was fitting that when King's Landing crumbled to nothing, so did Cersei. And in the arms of her one true love. This was one of the few satisfying endings to the finale that felt right and considered.

4. It could have been longer

Season 8 was the shortest of all. And it was over 2 hours shorter than the first season. While some say the issue with Season 8 was that it was rushed, the truth is that once they ran out of source material, the writers seemed to struggle with character development and tying storylines together.

Had the later seasons been based on source material (or had there been significantly more input from George R.R. Martin), more time to tell the story might have worked. Without it, the wounded animal would have just limped on a little longer before suffering the inevitable.

5. Dany could have drunk from THAT coffee cup

Okay. Maybe that's going too far. But the appearance of the infamous Starbucks cup was evidence of how sloppy the show had become. Don't forget that there were two water bottles on screen when Bran was crowned king. And production problems made the battle for Winterfell (a huge moment in the show) very difficult to follow. It seems the editing and continuity suffered as much as the writing. So the show could have had a lot more anachronistic moments.