It's really easy to put Game of Thrones on an unrealistic pedestal, especially with its final season upon us. The show has almost always been as fantastic as any other great series out there. The detail that's been created for the show is simply astounding. The commitment to turning fantasy-tropes on their heads has been rewarding. The acting, the design, the music, the gut-wrenching twists and turns, and the sheer spectacle of it all has been nothing short of masterful. In short, this is a brilliant series that will stand the test of time and earns every once of love that it gets. But that doesn't mean that it's perfect. In fact, there's been a number of story, continuity, and character issues that have plagued even the best episodes (again, we're talking about the show, not the books). Fan outrage at the inclusion of some of the entries on this list is unavoidable. There will be someone who can nit-pick or cry-out against specific points being made here. Just know that great story-telling is capable of going down roads that won't please everybody. It's all in the eye of the beholder. So, let's address these issues with some class and kindness, shall we?
But not everything on this list is meant to anger fans. In fact, some fans have been the ones to come up with theories about the final season, as well as what's really been going on, that make even more sense than certain decisions made on the show. Therefore, these fans should be applauded. Without further ado, here are 15 Things That Make No Sense About Game Of Thrones (And 10 Fan Theories That Do).
How Viserion Was Dragged Up From The Bottom Of The Lake
A horde of wights dragging up the body of Dany's slain dragon from the depths of a frozen lake was a pretty silly image. First of all, where did they get those giant chains from? We have never seen the wights create anything. They purely dismantle. And, chances are, the wildlings and the Night's Watch wouldn't have had chains that big up North. But the biggest issue of all has to do with how those chains got around Viserion in the first place. In episodes like Hardhome, it was explained that the Wights can't swim. And yet, they would have had to get the chains around this beast. There's nothing wrong with turning Viserion into a wight, but how they did this made no sense.
The White Walkers Are Pure Evil
Of all the issues on this list, this is the most likely to change. At least, we certainly hope it does. After all, A Song Of Ice And Fire author George R.R. Martin has been adamant about turning fantasy-tropes on their heads. Specifically, he doesn't like the image of Good Vs. Evil. But so far, the White Walkers, as well as their mindless army, have been portrayed as nothing but bad with zero motivation or stakes, beyond wanting chaos. Luckily, we have the all-important final season to correct this issue. Hopefully, the answers we get will make these character appear to have some sense.
Fan Theory: The Night King Is A Stark
This fan theory is one of the most engaging and adds some credibility to the obvious connection between The Night King and Bran. There's a long history between The Starks and the magic of the North. This includes a time in history called The Long Night which ended with Battle for the Dawn. It's possible that the White Walkers captured a Stark baby and used it as a ploy to get the North to stop fighting. This baby could have become The Night King who seeks vengeance on those who gave him up. After becoming the Night King, he could have struck a deal to stay away from Winterfell as long as Starks lived there; of course, we know how important that is to the Starks. This all makes sense when you think of the mean twists George R.R. Martin likes.
Lack Of Payoff In The Loot Train Battle
Many bloggers, video and the like, have commented on this particular episode from Season Seven. It was visually spectacular but really didn't have the pay-off that it's set-up and build deserved. Here, we had two sets of characters that we really cared about facing off. It was the perfect opportunity to create the classic Game of Thrones bittersweet moment that causes us to mourn the deceased and praise the victor. But that didn't happen here. Despite having all of the main characters in harm's way, all of them made it out unscathed. Having Dany burn Bronn alive, or even Jaime for that matter would have created an interesting dynamic between Tyrion and Dany.
The Marathon To Eastwatch
It's not exactly clear how long Jon and his team were out beyond the wall in the penultimate episode of Season Seven, but it shouldn't have been enough time for Gendry to run all the way back to the wall, send a letter to Dany, and finally get Dany to fly her dragons beyond the wall. One can argue the timeline here as much as they want, all of this just felt utterly sloppy and made zero sense. Besides, Gendry bolting to Eastwatch felt silly in its own right. Why even pick Gendry to do this? Jon doesn't know that he's got an Olympic-level athlete in his ranks. He's barely known the guy.
Fan Theory: Tyrion Will Betray Dany And Jon
Fans believe that a very important conversation took place between Tyrion and Cersei at the end of the Season Seven finale. After all, the scene was cut off and Tyrion was miraculously allowed to leave her clutches and return with a favorable offer to Jon and Dany. It just doesn't add up. Then, we must also consider that look on his face as he heard Jon and Dany together. Something's up here. This would be gut-wrenching given how happy we all are that the three main characters seem to be getting along, but this just wouldn't be faithful to Martin's uncompromising writing.
Tommen's Inconsistent Age
All of the younger characters had to be aged up when adapting the books to the series. It was an understandable decision given how actors age in real-life. But the writers of Game of Thrones really pushed it when it came to Tommen. The Lannister Prince was supposed to be seven when we first met him, then nine by the time he becomes King. Even if the character was aged up to 12 or 13, it still wouldn't explain the casting of 19-year-old Dean-Charles Chapman, who, by-the-way, was a much older replacement than the previous actor who played him.
Arya And The Hound Didn't Talk About The Mountain
Technically Arya and The Hound did talk about The Mountain while traveling together, but Arya didn't discuss her hatred for Sir Gregor. This is odd since it would have totally been something that the pair would have bonded over. After all, there aren't two people in Westeros who dislike The Mountain as much as these two. It's odd that The Hound didn't notice that his brother made Arya's hit-list just like he once did. It all feels a little odd and definitely like a missed opportunity.
Fan Theory: Jamie Will Take Out Cersei
If we're to believe the entirety of Maggy the Frog's prediction, Cersei's little brother (AKA her "Valonqar") will be the reason she meets her well-earned end. Although Tyrion is the obvious little brother to end her life, Cersei's twin, Jaime, is minutes younger than her. This means that he still qualifies for the prediction. Additionally, fans know that this is the likely destination of this storyline because it makes the most thematic sense to end Cersei's life at the hands, or, rather, "hand", of Jaime. Not only would it make sense given their relationship, but Jaimie has already taken out one monarch before, might as well deal with another.
Littlefinger's Loss Of Control
There was a time when the Master of Coin was winning the game of thrones. There was nobody more predictably unpredictable than him. The moment you had him figured out, he turned the tables. But eventually, Littlefinger became a servant to a plot that he was no longer in control of. This started to happen as soon as the writers had no more books to adapt. They had him make a few chess moves that didn't make sense to his character, such as giving Sansa to the Boltons. Ultimately, his nonsensical plot came to a head when he tried to play Sansa and Arya against one another. This made his demise far less important than it should have been.