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10 Reasons Why I Am Not Loving GOT Season 7

  • Writer: lagraffeo
    lagraffeo
  • Aug 29, 2017
  • 7 min read

*Spoilers Below*

I think about Game of Thrones way too often. How good my Mondays are depends on how exciting or epic last night's episode was. I spend time the following day watching YouTube videos of people analyzing the episode and sharing their prediction for the next episode. For several reasons, this season has been either underwhelming for me or just plain annoying. So, let's get into it. (P.S. when I write D&D I refer to DB Weiss and David Benioff, writers and creators of the show).

1.) Direwolves. I am sure a lot of people will agree with me on this one. I know the show will cite budget reasons and blah blah blah, but they do so much with the dragons, who are very important to Dany's storyline, but have left out, and in some cases killed, the direwolves who are SO important to all the Stark kid's storylines. There was no need to kill Summer last season other than they didn't want to keep having to CGI him. Summer would have not gone down so easily. It is horrible that Bran, who had such a deep connection with his wolf, was not written to have any reaction to his death. Don't even get me started on Shaggydog (and Rickon RIP). Ghost has been MIA all season and Nymeria leaving behind Arya was questionable considering their close bond even if Arya and her were not together since season one. "Arya still has a connection to her wolf, if you read her chapters"- George RR Martin.

2.) Continuity with the characters. Jon Snow is dead and brought back to life yet it has no impact on him as a human being or the way he acts? Yet Bran goes beyond the way to learn from the three eyed raven and he gets the personality sucked out of him? How many times does Jamie take one step forward and two steps back? If Arya left behind the Faceless men, why are they making it out to be like she is an assassin? The show can have great character development only to throw it in the trash episodes later.

3.) Bran's mess of a storyline. I won't get into this one too much because I plan on writing a much longer piece about it but I am so disappointed in how this show treats one of MAIN CHARACTERS. Bran is used as a plot device in other people's storylines (see R+L=J or the StarkBowl plot this season with Littlefinger) when he should be having his own main storyline. He is an important representative character, one that GRRM says is in the "top five". Non book readers of the show cant make sense of Bran's power because it is never explained. They kicked him out for an entire season when we should have been seeing him learning from the Three Eyed Raven and discovering what his greenseer powers are. The show does not allow Bran to vocalize his regrets, his emotional state, his sadness when it comes to his family, hodor, his direwolf, Jojen, etc. Meera says to Bran this season "you died in that cave" yet last season we saw Bran outside that cave acting like himself. If the writers mean to say that since that moment Bran has been having so many visions that he is lost, well then they need to show us that not tell us that in a 'behind the scenes' interview. They can't assume the casual audience is going to be looking deeply into these things, they need to explain that to the audience through his conversations with Meera or his sisters that Bran feels lost. This whole "robotic" state is coming off as confusing and creepy to the viewers. Not even the real Three Eyed Raven acted robotic, he still had a normal emotional tone. My only hope for the show version of Bran Stark is that they give him the opportunity to regain his humanity, whether that is through being around his family or seeing a vision of someone he loves dying, I have a hard time believing that Bran Stark is lost forever.

4.) Winterfell plot. It's a known fact that Arya and Sansa never got along, when they reunite, they would need a lot of time talking to each other, hashing out old problems or sharing stories of how they got to where they are, respecting and appreciating each others journeys. Instead, D&D are writing it so that Arya is out to get Sansa or that Sansa is out to get Jon's kingship. And Bran, where they heck is he? Stuck in a tree? The siblings should be having the "pack survives" mentality that their father told them about. It seems like D&D can favor Jon and Sansa over Bran and Arya. Bran and Arya would both be fantastic at the Lord\Lady of Winterfell position and should sit in with Sansa on those meetings. Bran is the heir to Winterfell\King in the North and takes that role seriously in the books, however the writers favor Sansa and therefore look over this fact. What even is this? I mean, I think the writers just had no idea where these characters would go after they ran out of GRRM plot lines. It seems like a filler plot to me- a way to pass the time while more major plot lines fold out- Jon and Dany's alliance, Kings Landing, etc. This plot has caused a lot of character assassinations- Arya being written as an mean, cold, bloodthirsty killer. Bran being written as a detached, emotionless, robot. Sansa as a girl out for power. I found the Stark reunions to be underwhelming and disappointing with uncomfortable dialogue. I rewatched and cried several times over last years amazing Jon and Sansa reunion, but this season I found the reunions lacked emotional depth and felt rushed.

5.) Shorter season, This isn't just because I want my 10 episodes, although that would be nice, it's because you can tell that they are rushing certain plot lines. It feels like there needs to be more scenes showed to explain things. How long has Jon been at Dragonstone? Why is everyone teleporting from place to place? What happened to Yara and where the heck is Theon for most of the season? If certain characters get around Westeros and back, what is the time span? If Jon's been at Dragonstone for a month or so, have the Stark siblings been together for that amount of time? What is the extent of Bran's powers- can he see what Littlefinger is plotting? Why isn't he warning Sansa and Arya? I get that they are running out of story lines to tell, but don't ruin the stories you have written by rushing to the real war between the living and the dead. Fix the problems at hand first.

6.) Relationships. Gendry meets Jon Snow for the first time and he talks to him about his father, King Robert whom he did not know, instead of Arya who he traveled with for 2 seasons and who's life was saved by her? Jon Snow meets the Brotherhood Without Banners and the Hound, both who have been with Arya, and they don't mention it or ask about her? Dany tells Jon that he has lost two brothers, just like her, but in 7x05 Jon says he thought Bran was dead. Speaking of thinking that Bran is dead, Jon has been around Brienne and Sansa and they don't mention that Brienne saw Arya alive or that Theon told Sansa he never killed the Stark brothers? Why do none of the Stark children talk about Rickon and his death? What is going on here? Where is the logic?

7.) Meera Reed. This poor girl deserves so much better than what D&D give her. Ellie Kendrick is an amazing actress and it's a shame they don't give her more screen time than other side characters like Bronn or Tormund. The scene between her and Bran this season is heartbreaking to me, I pretend it didn't happen. Book Bran is in love with Meera (although remember Meera is 16 whereas Bran is 9\10). Bran would never just say "thank you" to her and have that be it, in A Dance With Dragons Bran thinks to himself “what if I don’t want to remain when you are gone?” (Bran lll) when he realizes he might be stuck in a cave without Meera who is not a greenseer. He cares deeply for her and it is tragic that the writers have ignored this key part of their relationship. Meera has done so much for him, she is so important to his storyline, that it baffles me that they have written her out of the show. At least, they let her live and didn't kill her for shock value.

8.) Tyrion. He has been cast aside in his own plot line after season 5 when they ran out of GRRM material. It's a shame to see one of the best characters be somewhat useless and put in a corner when we all know he is destined for something much bigger.

9.) Mad Queen Dany. I know that this is just a distraction plot line similar to StarkBowl but it has been annoying to me nonetheless. I've seen a lot of hate for Dany this season and I do think her writing has been a bit harsh but she is in no way shape or form the 'mad queen' some people think she is. I also am not loving the rif between Dany and Tyrion. The way they have written their relationship this season is that Dany could care a less about his council after he looses several battles. I'm skeptical that Tyrion would be that bad considering how great of a hand he was to Joffery, but whatever. I think they're just trying to show that Dany isn't going to swoop into Westeros and win automatically like it would seem she would.

10.) R + L= J unfolding. I did enjoy the first reveal last season and even the dragon touch this season. Where they lose me is the goofy annulment drop by Gilly. Annulment?! (books mostly cause the show and logic don't always mix). Heres a list of why annulment logically does not work. Elia Martell deserved better. The Finale's wedding of Rhaegar and Lyanna played along with the boatsex between Jon and Dany was cringey. To top it off, Jon Snow's real name is Aegon. But, Rheagar already had a son named Aegon with Elia, so, either Rhaeger is a nutjob or D&D thought the audience\ actors are too stupid to be able to say Jaehaerys.

Well, that's all I have to say about that.

Here are some great links to analysis of major characters who have been done dirty by the show, or fanfic 'fix its' from disappointing scenes this season;

What do you think of season 7? Are you in the same bitter book reader boat as me? Or are you just enjoying the ride?

Till next time, xx.

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