Peter Dinklage has reflected on the conclusion to Game Of Thrones, believing the show “had to end when [it] did”.
The HBO fantasy series finished in 2019 after eight seasons, with the final season proving particularly divisive among fans.
George R.R. Martin, author of the Game Of Thrones books, was recently reported (via Screen Rant) to have “begged” HBO bosses to continue the show for two more seasons “because there was enough material for it”.
Asked by The New York Times whether it was the right time to end the show in light of the report, Dinklage, who played Tyrion Lannister, replied: “It was the right time. No less, no more. You don’t want to wear out your welcome, although I’m not sure that show could have.
“But I think the reason there was some backlash about the ending is because they were angry at us for breaking up with them. We were going off the air and they didn’t know what to do with their Sunday nights anymore. They wanted more, so they backlashed about that.”
He added: “We had to end when we did, because what the show was really good at was breaking preconceived notions: villains became heroes, and heroes became villains. If you know your history, when you track progress of tyrants, they don’t start off as tyrants. I’m talking about, spoiler alert, what happened at the end of Game Of Thrones with that character change.
“It’s gradual, and I loved how power corrupted these people. What happens to your moral compass when you get a taste of power? Human beings are complicated characters, you know?”
Dinklage was especially a fan of a scene in the final episode where Daenerys’ (Emilia Clarke) dragon burned the throne, believing it “killed that whole conversation” around which character would end up leading Westeros.
“[It’s] really irreverent and kind of brilliant on behalf of the show’s creators: ‘Shut up, it’s not about that.’ They constantly did that, where you thought one thing and they delivered another,” Dinklage said.
“Everybody had their own stories going on while watching that show, but nobody’s was as good as what the show delivered, I think.”
A number of Game Of Thrones spin-offs are currently in the works. The first will be House Of Dragon released next year, which follows the rise of House Targaryen 300 years before events in the original series.
The show’s cast includes Paddy Considine, Rhys Ifans, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Sonoya Mizuno, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best and Fabien Frankel.
There’s also believed to be three animated spin-offs in production, including one focused on the Golden Empire of Yi Ti that’s briefly explored in Martin’s A Song Of Ice And Fire novels.
The post Peter Dinklage on ending ‘Game Of Thrones’: “It was the right time” appeared first on NME.
