Almost every actor from the cast of Game of Thrones has commented on what they felt about the ending of the show. Most of them have defended the final season and the end it brought forth; while few have chosen a mild stance of criticism. Kerry Ingram, who played perhaps the most loved child character (Shireen Baratheon) on the show, has become yet another cast member to come out in full support of the ending. In a chat with Bang Showbiz, Kerry explained her own take on the HBO series’ infamous culmination.
“I think the ending was good, they took into account a lot of the first season. The show started with the Starks and ended with the Starks,” she said. There’s no denying the fact that House Stark remained a pivot around which the story in Westeros revolved through the eight seasons of GoT. The symbolic value of their words (“Winter is coming”), the ancestry of their lineage, and the sheer Northern resolve to survive and stick together forged the base on which the story unfolded. So, yeah, it was inevitable that the story began and finished with the Starks. But does it describe the way everything happened through the course of that journey? Probably not!
Kerry further continued, “Also, I think that the main reason the ending was so controversial is because the show had been running for so long that people had created their own endings. People write their own fan fiction; they write their own endings and it’s beautiful to see but then people get ideas in their head and the ending will never match up to their ideas. But you can’t please everyone and I personally think it was really, really good.”
Now, this is an argument that many actors have made a case for; that you can’t please everyone. While that’s true, it’s also highly subjective. The last season went under so much scrutiny because people were invested too much and yes, they expected a lot. But those expectations mostly arose from George R.R. Martin’s books and David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ show. Game of Thrones turned into a richly complex story over its long run; and it seemed like it became difficult to tame the beast. But since the journey was so well built at least up until the sixth season, it was very natural to expect an equally satisfying end. However, despite all criticism and flak, Game of Thrones still remains one of the best shows for a large majority of people.
Kerry’s sweet yet confident portrayal of Shireen Baratheon won her a lot of praise. Shireen’s infectious camaraderie with Ser Davos (Liam Cunningham) and her innocent persona became immortal in the hearts and minds of the fans after her brutal death; which was one of the most shocking moments in Game of Thrones history. Before GoT, Ingram starred in Matilda the Musical from November 2010 to April 2012; for which she received an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Most recently, she appeared in the Netflix’s British Drama series Free Rein for three seasons.
The 21-year old English actress has been writing her own series during the coronavirus lockdown. “It was originally a film but I realized I couldn’t fit everything I wanted into a film. So, it’s now a series and I’ve had quite a few people interested in it; so hopefully, once this (COVID lockdown) is all over, I’ll have a script to pitch,” she said. Well, we wish her all the luck with this exciting new prospect!
So, what do you guys think about Kerry’s view of the ending? Tell us in the comments.
Every big project faces criticism during the course of its completion. Game of Thrones created a lot of controversy with its final season. The epic fantasy is popular among fans and critics alike for the bold concept of the show. The series was voted as the best TV show of the 21st century by Digital Spy readers. Game of Thrones cast members Liam Cunningham and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau shared their views about the controversy on the occasion.
Liam Cunningham (Davos): “They’re challenging the audience with this stuff. Some of the violence in it is jaw-dropping, some of the sex is extraordinary. You couldn’t do it on a network. It reflects the spirit of the books. George is a fantastic writer. And Peter Dinklage is one of the finest actors. But to have a show where basically the lead character is a dwarf, you’ve got incest, you’ve got all sorts of stuff in it. Imagine pitching this to various networks. You’d be on your own in the room pitching it after about two minutes.”
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime): “I think usually as an actor you… build on your own experience. This particular aspect of his character was different. Having a relationship, an intimate relationship, with your own sister… it’s a mouthful. But what is interesting and I think what you can relate to is that you fall in love with someone you shouldn’t fall in love with, or someone it would be really inappropriate but you can’t help yourself.
“Of course, also it is a different world. If you go back a couple of hundred years, the whole idea that royal families would marry cousins – it’s not that far [away].”
What are your views on Game of Thrones’ controversy? Tell us in the comments below!
Game of Thrones was a celebration of fantasy, art and medieval culture. The show broke all records of viewership numbers and set the bar for TV shows really high. The fantasy series still holds the record for the most number of Emmy Awards won. Game of Thrones has always been a topic of controversy throughout its run due to its bold scenes. The show’s stars Mark Addy and Sophie Turner explained to Digital Spy why they were important to the storytelling.
Mark Addy (Robert): “I think all of the scenes serve an important function, whether it’s showing you how a character is changing from being a girl to being a woman. Whether it’s showing you how a character is changing from being a submissive person to someone who is more prepared to kind of take control of her own destiny.”
Sophie Turner (Sansa): “I very much remember the first couple of seasons, people really loathed [Sansa]. They really hated her. They found her quite stuck up and a really frustrating character. Then they started feeling sorry for her, because it seemed like the next few seasons were her being beaten and bruised and raped and married – forced marriages – and all of these horrific things happened to her. “
“Slowly, people started to feel sympathy, but it took a while. A lot of people, for a while, were saying that she deserved it. It’s interesting because it really wouldn’t have made Sansa the Sansa she is today had she not gone through those things and had been subjected to so much torture and trauma. It made her the strong, passionate woman that she is. Now, she has a lot of followers, a lot of fans.”
What do you think of the bold scenes on the show? Tell us in the comments below!
Game of Thrones ended more than a year ago. The fantasy show turned into a phenomenon in the past decade. Fantasy lovers are still crazy about the series. The show was dubbed as the greatest TV show of the 21st century by Digital Spy readers. Fans are eagerly waiting for the prequel to the series – House of The Dragon. However, the final season of the show was very controversial. It divided the fanbase into two. The cast of the show had their own views, and they talked about them with Digital Spy.
Gemma Whelan (Yara): “I respect and like the fact that it came to an end as and when it did because things can’t go on forever and for me, a very good ending and a place where the showrunners always wanted to end the show.”
Sophie Turner (Sansa): “I was satisfied with how unpredictable the show’s ending really is. It really is so unpredictable the way that it ends up. I’m very satisfied with that.”
Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran): “When we got the scripts. I can remember, I was at university in Birmingham, I was reading the scripts in my student halls, and I had to double-lock the door, I was reading through them and then… I think it was episode six, I had to actually pace around the room a little bit, and go, ‘F**k!’.”
What do you think of the final season of the show? Tell us in the comments below!
