HBO's Game of Thrones, based on the A Song of Ice and Fire books by George R.R. Martin, was always going to be an ambitious project. The epic fantasy features an expansive world full of interesting characters. Game of Thrones had to be difficult to adapt for the screen. While no one could have predicted the degree to which the ending would be controversial, perhaps disappointed fans should have known it wouldn't end well. After all, fans had high expectations for the show. And there are probably as many different expectations as there are fans. The show could never have pleased everyone. So perhaps there's a silver lining in the show's tragic ending.
Maybe future fantasy shows will learn from Game of Thrones. Not only will these shows learn what not to do when ending, but they could also look to the HBO series in its prime for what they should do. Game of Thrones was popular for many years. The reasons for that are many, but they include the show's intriguing plots and compelling characters. The HBO series' willingness to explore grey areas with its characters was also an asset. Shows such as The Witcher seem to be willing to do what Game of Thrones did and perhaps improve upon it. Others, like Amazon's upcoming Lord of the Rings series, should also take notes. Though the HBO show could never have pleased everyone, why should fans have seen the bad ending coming?
There are a couple of reasons. Firstly, the show was always very dark. A more traditional happy ending would not have fit Game of Thrones. Even a bittersweet ending, like the Lord of the Rings movies, might have been pushing it. However, the show did seem to be heading in a more bittersweet direction, so fans could be forgiven for assuming that's how Game of Thrones would end. Secondly, fans had high expectations. These expectations might even differ from fan to fan. So it probably would have been difficult for the writers of the HBO series to satisfy everyone.
Whether fans wanted the Starks to all be together in Winterfell or Daenerys Targaryen to take the throne, some of these fans would never have been satisfied. Whether they wanted Jaime and Brienne to end up together or for Jon Snow to kill the Night King, someone would probably end up disappointed. A bittersweet or happy ending for some of the characters would probably always have to come at the expense of the others. For example, Daenerys fans would have been happy if she had taken the throne. But would that storyline have come at the expense of the Stark family? It's possible. However, this would all depend on how the Game of Thrones writers portrayed the characters. Some fans might argue that a happy or at least bittersweet ending for all was possible.
The ideal ending for some fans might not be the ideal ending for all. Yet most fans probably knew not to expect to get everything they wanted. Game of Thrones was not that type of show, after all. However, what fans did expect was an ending that made sense. And some fans feel that they didn't get it. The ending of Game of Thrones was sudden and strange for some, especially for characters like Daenerys and Bran Stark.
Daenerys killing innocent people did not make any sense for some fans, nor did Bran becoming king. Daenerys had usually saved her fire for those who deserved it, and Bran showed no previous interest in ruling. Both characters deserved better endings, ones that truly complimented their character arc. It might not have been possible to give both characters good endings, yet both deserved ones that at least made sense.
Daenerys' ending would have been better, at least for some fans, if she had won the throne and kept up a good relationship with the Stark family. They could have all become high-ranking officials in Daenerys' government, which might have satisfied most fans. Bran could have still become king, of course, but his becoming so did not have to be so sudden. If it had been developed better, most fans probably wouldn't have minded so much. Arya could have stayed in Winterfell or become a knight or a bodyguard; both of those endings might have satisfied fans. Jaime could have stayed with Brienne, which might have made his character development more worth it for some fans.
Other fans might enjoy the ending of Game of Thrones as it is. And some fans might not agree that the show was always going to be difficult to end. Yet, it was definitely a challenge for its writers with all of its many characters and storylines. And with such high expectations, fans might always have been doomed to be disappointed.