"Game of Thrones" would prove to be one of the most popular television shows in history. Viewers in very nearly every country on the planet have tuned in at various hours on various networks.
And then there was the final season, which turned out to be historically unpopular. Distractify called fan disappointment in the season "universal". Almost immediately, calls for a so-called "fix-it" began. Even from within the ranks of the show's cast. One might think that as time goes on, the fervor would settle down. But not so in this case. Beware of potential spoilers.
Oddsmakers say a do-over is probable
At times, the likelihood of a second take at the final "Thrones" season has ebbed and flowed. Other projects from HBO related to the franchise have been given the greenlight. Many fans have been hoping that a final season redux will be among them.
Meanwhile, HBO has been promoting nostalgia for the original series. Largely to mark a full decade of its place in pop culture. The show's official Twitter account also put out a small, cryptic tweet that had an enormous response. People unfamiliar with the franchise might not quite understand why. The tweet's message was simple: "Winter is coming".
For fans of the franchise, the phrase is an iconic one. And one foreboding of things to come.
The account may have been just embracing the throwback feeling of the moment. But, of course, there might be more to it. And onlookers were quick to pounce on it to re-state their feelings about the show's conclusion. And their desire for something more satisfactory. Whether through a remake or a follow-up to fix the problems.
Oddsmakers have also been paying attention. The rehashing of the disastrous final "Thrones" season was already in force before the tweet. With the tweet and the subsequent fallout, there's been a shift in expectations. According to The Daily Express, odds of a final season do-over sit at 10/11. In other words, there's a better chance of one happening than not.
Whatever the intention or eventual result of the tweet might be, the reaction shouldn't be surprising. The same account made a similar tweet more than a year before. Garnering a robust response of fans hoping it meant a fix-it was on its way. Instead, the tweet seemed to be referencing the release of the complete series on Blu-ray. Perhaps somebody thought that in the time between fans would've suddenly warmed to the show's ending. If so, they were wrong.
In the eyes of many, the final season contradicted the rest of the series preceding it
It is true that the final season probably wouldn't have been satisfactory to everybody. No matter which way it went. The quality of television and movies are obviously subjective.
So there may be somebody somewhere who thought the final "Game of Thrones" season was near-perfection. That found the character assassination riveting. The thrashing of multiple popular love stories delightful. Long-standing story arcs brushed aside and forgotten without a second thought and so on.
Yes, there might be somebody. But they're probably rather lonely.
Even objectively, there were a number of times the last season outright contradicted events leading up to it. Such as somebody abruptly declaring they could reign over a whole country. When before they'd declared they weren't fit to oversee a keep. Or another putting familial matters ahead of the survival of the masses. When previously they'd passionately implored putting aside such pain for the sake of the greater good. Just to name a couple of examples.