GOT Actors Kit Harrington and Sophie Turner Have a Message for Unhappy Fans

[Frodo]

Despite the fact that critics overwhelmingly have issues with the writing, and not the acting, some actors are taking the criticism a bit too personally:

Kit Harington: ‘Game of Thrones’ Critics Can ‘Go F–k Themselves’

Sophie Turner slams 'Game of Thrones' fan petitions as 'disrespectful' to cast and crew

[dead0man]

I don't think it's as "overwhelmingly" as people are making it out to be.  The people whinging are loud, but they always are.

And the fans have the right to be crying online right now, and the people involved in making it have the right to say that's disrespectful.  If either of those facts bother you, you are free to bitch about that too. 

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Despite the fact that critics overwhelmingly have issues with the writing, and not the acting, some actors are taking the criticism a bit too personally:

Kit Harington: ‘Game of Thrones’ Critics Can ‘Go F–k Themselves’

Sophie Turner slams 'Game of Thrones' fan petitions as 'disrespectful' to cast and crew

Eh, towing the company line is to be expected with this sort of thing.

[Frodo]

Emilia Clarke's response to the GOT remake petition is much more measured by comparison:

If they were to reshoot and redo Season 8 entirely, what would you want to happen?

Oh, my goodness. Well, I can only speak to my own character, and the people that I interact with on the show. But I would’ve loved some more scenes with me and Missandei. I would’ve loved some more scenes with me and Cersei.

Oh!

Yeah. I would’ve loved some more scenes between Grey Worm and Missandei. I would’ve loved to see a bit more between Cersei . . . I feel like there was . . . The genocide was there. That was always going to happen. And I just think more dissection and those beautifully written scenes that the boys have between characters—that we are more than happy to contently sit there and watch ten minutes of two people talking, because it’s beautiful. I just wanted to see a bit more of that. But I’m in no position to critique the geniuses that have written eight seasons’ worth of wonderful stuff.

[Pyro]

Despite the fact that critics overwhelmingly have issues with the writing, and not the acting, some actors are taking the criticism a bit too personally:

Kit Harington: ‘Game of Thrones’ Critics Can ‘Go F–k Themselves’

Sophie Turner slams 'Game of Thrones' fan petitions as 'disrespectful' to cast and crew

Their defensive reactions are rather silly. The collective outrage is placed squarely at the feet of Benioff and Weiss for laughably poor writing in this past season. No one is casting blame or needless criticism at the cast and crew. Anyone could see that the cast did the best they could with the script they were given.

[Hindsight was 2020]

The criticism for this season has been entirely that D&D rushed this and guess who else shares that opinion? HBO and George RR Martin. Both HBO executives and George have been open on the fact that they tried to get Benioff and Weiss to do more seasons but they didn’t want to. Granted HBO motivation was milking the cow but George openly stated that his endgame can’t be properly told in 1.5 seasons. So to act like criticism of how GOT ended is just disrespectful butthurt nerds online is disingenuous

[Antonio the Sixth]

I can totally understand being defensive of something they've put so much of their life's work into. They of all people would want to be good and want to believe it's good. Still, I'm pretty sure that deep down they know it's not. They're the first victims of Dumb&Dumber's sh**t writing.

And tbf, yeah, the remake petition is pretty ridiculous (especially since it's based on the ludicrous premise that the show was still good until season 8 - to do it justice you'd really have to go back to season 5). Still, I can understand where people are coming from.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

Emilia Clarke's response to the GOT remake petition is much more measured by comparison:

If they were to reshoot and redo Season 8 entirely, what would you want to happen?

Oh, my goodness. Well, I can only speak to my own character, and the people that I interact with on the show. But I would’ve loved some more scenes with me and Missandei. I would’ve loved some more scenes with me and Cersei.

Oh!

Yeah. I would’ve loved some more scenes between Grey Worm and Missandei. I would’ve loved to see a bit more between Cersei . . . I feel like there was . . . The genocide was there. That was always going to happen. And I just think more dissection and those beautifully written scenes that the boys have between characters—that we are more than happy to contently sit there and watch ten minutes of two people talking, because it’s beautiful. I just wanted to see a bit more of that. But I’m in no position to critique the geniuses that have written eight seasons’ worth of wonderful stuff.

In another interview Clarke talks about calling her family in tears after finding out that the character she's invested a decade of her life in and seems to really identify with abruptly goes evil at the last minute, begging to know if they think Daenerys is a good person. By comparison the actors for the various Starks have less reason to be personally upset.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

Ok, yes, the actors have every right to be offended by the backlash. They worked their asses off for the show and it's not their fault they had to deal with a rushed and sloppily written season. D&D, on the other hand, can kiss our asses. They had the money and the power to write two or three more seasons, with the support of HBO and George R. R. Martin, but they didn't. Instead, they decided to write six episodes with three seasons worth of material crammed into it as if the show got cancelled and the product they got was a confusing villain arc for Daenerys that was poorly executed (don't even come at me with "they showed signs!"), a wonky CGI budget, a rushed storyline, and an angry fanbase. They couldn't even notice a goddamn coffee cup in the middle of the frame.

[GoTfan]

Positive opinions of season 8 are forbidden by order of the hive mind.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Positive opinions of season 8 are forbidden by order of the hive mind.

[Free Bird]

The criticism for this season has been entirely that D&D rushed this and guess who else shares that opinion? HBO and George RR Martin. Both HBO executives and George have been open on the fact that they tried to get Benioff and Weiss to do more seasons but they didn’t want to. Granted HBO motivation was milking the cow but George openly stated that his endgame can’t be properly told in 1.5 seasons. So to act like criticism of how GOT ended is just disrespectful butthurt nerds online is disingenuous

Pretty much this. I think Kit and Sophie are confusing being mad at the entire crew with just being mad at D&D. The cinematography and performances were, as always, great, but the scripts were objectively rushed. Even just a new set of scripts written and made public without ever actually filming them, I think, would satisfy most people that are mad.