How Game Of Thrones Became A Victim Of Its Own Popularity

A specific eight-part HBO series was so popular that it became a victim of its own success. HBO’s penchant for TV masterpieces has long been evident in the realm of TV. Many of these have become regarded among the best TV shows of all time, as well as some of the most popular, from The Sopranos to Succession and Band of Brothers.

The popularity of these shows, though, has never skyrocketed like some. Succession, for example, is well-known in the TV and film circles, but it never became something of a global phenomenon. One show that did was Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones‘ many spin-offs are still going today, proving just how popular the franchise was after the original show’s eight seasons.

However, this very popularity that saw it become a worldwide IP is the very reason for Game of Thrones‘ dwindling success. While the franchise continues, the main show itself had a steep decline in later seasons, primarily because of just how much the public eye placed scrutiny upon it.

Game Of Thrones’ Immense Success Led To Huge Pressure Over The Finale

The first four seasons of Game of Thrones changed TV forever, with each one growing in popularity. Game of Thrones season 1 had an average viewership of 2.5 million, with season 2 upping that to 3.8 million. Seasons 3 and 4 then had average viewership numbers of 4.97 million and 6.84 million, respectively.

Beyond popularity in viewership, Game of Thrones was a hit with critics, earning an average Rotten Tomatoes score of 95% from its first four seasons. This immense success skyrocketed from season 5 onwards, with the show solidifying its place as one with a global cultural impact at this point.

By the time Game of Thrones season 7 ended, none could escape the show. Even those who had never seen it knew what it was, and those who had were awaiting its conclusion eagerly. The anticipation of seeing how this story would end, one that had encompassed the globe for eight years, was higher than just about anything else in the history of television, all thanks to how insanely popular Game of Thrones had become.

With this popularity, though, came an overwhelming sense of pressure. Audiences almost needed Game of Thrones to end well, so as to justify watching it religiously for eight seasons. Speaking from a personal perspective, I vividly remember saying to friends that I would not know how to cope if Game of Thrones had a bad ending.

Looking back on it now, this level of pressure should never have been placed on the show’s ending. Regardless, it was always going to happen, given that Game of Thrones season 8 peaked with an average viewership of 11.99 million in the U.S., surpassing every prior installment. With popularity came pressure, causing Game of Thrones to buckle under its own success.

It Became Impossible For Game Of Thrones To Last Beyond 8 Seasons

Beyond the pressure on Game of Thrones‘ finale, the show’s popularity made it all but impossible for it to last more than eight seasons. According to reports, HBO was willing to fund several more seasons, with however many episodes were needed. The showrunners, David Benioff and Dan Weiss, though, opted to have just one more season of only six episodes.

This actually links to how popular the show was, and why it became a victim of that populartiy; A primary reason as to why Benioff and Weiss wanted to finish Game of Thrones quickly was a deal they struck with Lucasfilm to produce and write a new series of Star Wars movies. If Game of Thrones were not so popular and so revered by critics and audiences, it is unlikely the duo would have been tapped for Star Wars.

Then there are the stars of Game of Thrones. Several of them moved on to bigger franchises, be it Kit Harington in the MCU, Sophie Turner in X-Men, Emilia Clarke in Star Wars, or the many other projects the cast had planned. These big plans, as well as the biggest stars’ $1 million per episode wage in the final season, were a direct result of the show’s popularity.

This, alongside the pressure to impress in ways Game of Thrones became known for via big fantasy action, also bumped up the show’s budget. Smaller, less popular shows would not have this issue, or, indeed, the many others mentioned, and could last a lot longer as a result. Game of Thrones was not one of them.

Game Of Thrones Inspired Countless Fan Theories Better Than The Real Ending

Game of Thrones‘ longevity and increasing viewership led to another thing that caused it to become a victim of itself: fan theories. If giant franchises have been a victim of anything, from Star Wars to Marvel and, of course, Game of Thrones, it is failing to meet fan expectations. Years of build-up led to theories about how stories would go, and Game of Thrones was no different.

Game of Thrones was arguably even more of a victim in this regard, given its penchant for big twists, shocking reveals, character deaths, and massive fantasy battles. Combined with how huge the cast of main characters was going into season 8, the possibilities for fan theories were quite literally endless.

Some of these theories weren’t great, yet some were excellent. As many are now aware, Game of Thrones‘ ending was incredibly divisive, largely described as a huge disappointment by audiences and critics alike. Part of the reason for this was the fact that the many theories circulating online before the final season came up with better stories than what was presented. Without such popularity, this never would have happened, and the ending may have been better received.

Even Before Season 8, It Became “Cool” To Hate Game Of Thrones

The final aspect of Game of Thrones‘ fandom that proved it suffered from its own popularity actually applies to those who weren’t fans of it at all. In the modern era of film, TV, gaming, and any other form of media, popularity is often the subject of online hatred. In short, it has become “cool” to hate on popular things, a reality that can be observed within all big franchises.

The same was the case for Game of Thrones. At the height of its popularity, there would often be people within social settings almost boasting that they had not seen a single episode of Game of Thrones. It became something of a bragging right to claim you weren’t a “sheep” as you hadn’t seen the world’s most popular TV show.

As with a lot of online chatter, this can become infectious. Therefore, even before the disappointing ending of Game of Thrones, it became a “cool” thing to hate it. If Game of Thrones wasn’t as popular as it was at its peak, it may never have gotten to this point, and the several other side effects of its success would never have been used against it.

Release Date

2011 – 2019-00-00

Showrunner

David Benioff, D.B. Weiss

Directors

David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff