‘Game of Thrones’: Death of Major Couple Shocks Fans in Season 8, Episode 5

Game of Thrones killed off two major characters in Sunday’s episode, and fans were taken aback.

Warning! Spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5 lie ahead!

Westeros was at war on Sunday, and as predicted the common people paid the price. As much as fans have come to expect shocking character deaths in the series, many were still surprised when Jaime and Cersei Lannister died in mid-embrace in the catacombs under the Red Keep.

The Lannister twins have been a driving force of Game of Thrones since the pilot episode, when Jaime pushed Bran out of a window to keep their incestuous secret. To some, it made sense that they should die together in the ruins of their castle, but to most it was a disappointing turn.

“I’m just going to pretend this man died at the Battle of Winterfell and his character arc ended right here,” one fan declared, referring to Jaime. Like many fans, he was upset by Jaime’s apparent change of heart, abandoning his newfound happiness with Brienne to return to Cersei in earnest, as he assured her when they died in each others’ arms.

“Dying in the hands of her lover while the world burned around her. D&D gave Cersei a death that reads like lyrics to a John Mayer song,” tweeted another. “I’m so f-in done with this season, man.”

Many fans were left feeling that it was unclear why exactly Cersei was crying, feeling that she knew loss and death were a probability. More importantly, they were furious about Jaime’s kind words to her. They felt that his death rendered his entire character arc meaningless, and left them with a sour taste in their mouths for Brienne of Tarth.

“I’m so ashamed of how sure I was that Jaime was only leaving Brienne to go kill Cersei. I’m the biggest fool in all of Westeros,” one fan wrote.

“What is Cersei crying for?” another wondered. “Her city? Her Los ambition? Her loss?”

“I literally screamed at the TV: ‘What are you even crying about??’” echoed another.

All in all, the episode was received as a general disappointment, with Cersei and Jaime’s death being one of the major complaints. Game of Thrones has spent a decade building up a world full of intrigue, surprises and magic, and for it all to come crashing down in one episode was a big let-down to many fans.

After the episode aired, old complaints resurfaced, including many about the shortened seventh and eighth seasons of the show. Many fans noted that the books have gotten longer with each volume, so to make the seasons shorter on TV could not possible serve them well. Others simply spewed anger at the writers, particularly showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, for “rushing” the finale of the series.

The series finale of Game of Thrones airs on Sunday, May 19 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.