SDCC 2019: 'Game of Thrones' stars address criticism of show's final season: 'Just don’t call people names'
A few cast members of 'Game of Thrones' including Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm), John Bradley (Sam Tarly), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), Iain Glen (Ser Jorah Mormont), Conleth Hill (Varys), Maisie Williams (Arya), and Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark) were present at the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2019 panel held on Friday where they addressed many of the issues that the fans had with the final season and a few fan theories. “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with some of the show’s beloved actors, had earlier canceled their scheduled appearances at the SDCC due to production and scheduling conflicts.
Addressing the elephant in the room, all the negative comments about the final season that the cast received Hill spoke and said, "As a whole, it’s been overwhelmingly positive and brilliant but I suppose the last couple seasons weren’t my favorite. I can’t complain because it’s six great seasons and I had some great scenes these last two seasons. But that’s when it changed for me a little."
He also spoke about his character Varys' death in the final season and said, "I took it very personally. I took it as a person, not as an actor or an artist. I understood the reactions of previous actors who had been in the same position a lot more than I did at the time. You can’t help feeling that you failed in some way, that you haven’t lived up to some expectation that you didn’t know about. The only thing that consoles you is people who worked a lot harder than you are in the same boat. So that helps. I don’t think anybody who hasn’t been through it can identify with it. They think, 'What’s all the fuss about? You’re all finishing anyway.' But you take it personally, you can’t help it."
About the petition that was filed by fans, Hill said, "You look at the amount of people that are here and we are here to thank you for watching us all those years. This is the reality rather than a media-led hate campaign." Coster-Waldau, on the other hand, made a witty remark regarding the petition that was signed by thousands of fans and said, "Of course HBO are going to change the whole thing. That’s the power of the internet. When it comes to the end it’s going to p*** you off no matter how it ends, cause it’s the end. Just don’t call people names."
There were light moments at the panel as well as James Hibberd of EW moderated the panel and welcomed them on stage and all of them had Starbucks cup waiting for them at their seats. This eased the tension a bit, of course, and actors also discussed their favorite lines. For instance, Hill's favorite line was the one that was delivered by actor Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister who says, "I drink and I know things." Williams' is "Not today," unsurprising and Coster-Waldau said his favorite is "Hold the door" which was delivered by Kristian Nairn's character Hodor.
Anderson, spoke about Grey Worm leaving Kings Landing and said that he was at that moment sick of everything and realizing that anyone who had ever done something for him was dead propelled his performance in the finale. He also said that Grey Worm is keeping his promise to Missandei when he addressed if the unsullied would fall in love again. This got a big aww from the crowd.
Williams also addressed the relationship between Gendry and Arya and said, "I don't think being with a partner is what would make her feel the most at home, or the most fulfilled."
Hempstead, who played Bran Stark in the show said, "I'm going to miss being part of a show that people absolutely love and theorize about and draw pictures about. You kind of take it for granted when you're in it, but I think that's something we'll miss." He also added that for all intents and purposes, "Westeros is now a surveillance state".