‘Game of Thrones’ Fans Irked Over Second Slow and Short Episode

Game of Thrones premiered another character-driven episode with the second chapter of its final season, leaving fans once again wanting more. While it seems they won’t have to wait too long to get there, with the battle looming in Episode 3 and only six total episodes to wrap up the entire story. The only ending Game of Thrones fans may get if George R.R. Martin doesn’t get a chance to finish his books.

Spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 2 ahead.

So yeah, it is understandable if fans are a little antsy when it comes to the main story on the screen. And when it comes to the action they’re getting per episode.

That said, there were a lot of major moments in this episode that should keep fans talking this week while waiting for The White Walkers to show up.

We got Arya and Gendry making love like a pair of real adults, the return of Ghost, the acceptance of Jaime Lannister, the knighting of Brienne of Tarth, and Jon Snow revealing to Daenerys that he is actually a Targaryen and likely the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.

There wasn’t any Cersei or Night King, but the very end of the episode hinted that they won’t be absent next episode.

Still, this wasn’t enough for some fans.

Boring?

There were a few fans out there who were fed up with the series being “boring” with its final run. It is especially hard to defend since the show took an extra amount of time to put these episodes together.

We’ll likely forget all about these complaints by the end, either replaced by incredible storytelling or new complaints about how the show went in the wrong direction.

Until then, it is off to a bad final run for some fans. A stumble out of the gate.

Worse Than the First?

A few even thought this second episode was slower and more boring than the first episode of the final season. Game of Thrones has plenty of episodes just like this throughout its run, where characters talk and advance their positions in Westeros without actually fighting or flying around on dragons.

But since this was the epic final season, promising super-sized episodes that would be like mini-movies each time they air, people are upset.

Too Short…

The time of the first two episodes is also a running complaint with some fans. Despite being reported early on that episodes one and two would be closer to 60 minutes long, fans are still upset by it.

You can’t blame them given the way this season was built up. They’re just not paying attention to the news around the show it seems, leaving them a chance to get upset with the original announcement of the runtimes, find some more anger once the episode airs, and then gather some more once the finale airs and they go back to see what might have been.

Promises made…

Still, some felt that the promises of longer episodes and the promises of an epic final season were being broken. The timing of these first two episodes, complete with their content and lack of action, has a few lashing out directly at HBO on social media.

This post is a similar tone to other complaints, but it was directed at the latest promo for tonight’s episode.

Promises Not Kept?

For most fans, they’re pulling out a card that your parents might’ve used when you were growing up. They’re not mad, they’re just disappointed.

They’re disappointed that they patiently waited for their favorite show to return. They sat at home wondering what The Night King and his army would do on the other side of The Wall.

And when that show finally returned, for the first two hours of its movie-like final season, they got nothing but talking. Talking and revelations from characters that the audience already knew.

Filler, Filler

The first two episodes of Game of Thrones season eight might just go down as “filler” episodes. It makes more sense if you consider them part of a larger seventh season, but it also doesn’t. If this were a film, people might have walked out.

“I can’t believe they put a filler episode in a season that’s already so damn short. The only character I liked was Arya Stark because I like where she’s going with that weapon she told Gendry to make,” one fan wrote on Twitter.

Central Perk: Westeros

The funniest comparison is this episode becoming a backdoor pilot for a Friends set in Westeros. Why not? Just have everybody sit around, chatting about their lives, talking about dragon bones. The Night King can be Gunther.

Make it happen.

Boring but Loved…

While many people were quick to call the episode boring or claim it was driving towards the wrong points, like Arya looking for love and people discussing their lives, it was enough to earn the love of some fans.

It might not have really earned it over the past seasons, but this is the point we’ve reached: Characters facing doom and dealing with it.

What About the Memes!?

The most disappointed subset of the fandom might be the meme lords that exist only to turn scenes from Game of Thrones into culture defining memes. They need that internet fame!

Plenty of Defenders…

The episode had plenty of defenders all over social media, though. And why not? It had plenty of tender, sweet moments that mark a calm before the storm. It could be that the characters aren’t really fleshed out enough to earn this type of episode or it could be the bloodlust of the fanbase. Who knows?

Next week will wipe the slate clean.