We’re some time out from the contentious finale of Game of Thrones, which prompted a backlash against perceived failings in concluding the series. A lot of that blame has been placed on David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, to the extent that Jaime Lannister actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau had to stand up for the writers in a recent Q&A.
Commenting as part of a fan interview, Coster-Waldau shared some insights into how the cast reacted to online pressure, saying:
“We have this WhatsApp group, the actors, and I saw some people getting a little upset because some of the stuff is vicious, and if you make the mistake of start reading all that shit, because if you guys get really angry about something ― I’m sure you did, some of you ― so you write to each other and go, ‘Fucking assholes. This is so not what would happen! They ruined, they butchered George’s world!’ It’s just fun for you, but of course some got a little upset.”
The actor also expressed frustration on behalf of the cast for seeing a negative reaction to their work, albeit emphasizing that he doesn’t want sympathy. That this defense comes from Coster-Waldau might be seen as particularly significant due to the criticism of how Jaime Lannister’s final episodes were handled. We certainly think that this criticism was at best overblown.
“There was that kind of weird feeling of, ‘What the hell? We worked so hard. I’m not asking anyone to feel sorry, by the way. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying how it was to get through that whole thing.”
Coster-Waldau isn’t the first Game of Thrones actor to go on record about the disappointing fan reaction to the final season, with Sophie Turner being particularly critical about a petition to remake the show. Furthermore, HBO spoke out about the backlash and the difficulty of satisfying everyone, especially given the attention on the series’ conclusion.
In the meantime, plans for the next phase of Game of Thrones are underway, as more details emerge about the in-development prequel series. We’ll be keeping tabs on all the news from this and other spinoffs from the HBO show, so do be sure to check back for regular updates.