The final two seasons of Game of Thrones were hurt considerably by the limited number of episodes. Many fans of the hit HBO series felt that both seasons were rushed, with several arcs either hurried or abandoned. Season 8 was the most controversial Game of Thrones installment but it could be argued that Season 7 was just as bad.
Season 7 featured overdue character meetings and stunning battle sequences that sured the high precedent GoT had set for itself. Despite its qualities, however, the seventh season was heavily flawed and could be considered as a detracting prelude to the divisive final season.
Bad: The Wight Hunt
The wight hunt was a nonsensical plotline as well as a precursor to the poor quality of Season 8. Tyrion made an uncharacteristically foolish suggestion to send a faction of men beyond the Wall to retrieve a wight in order to secure a truce with Cersei.
Jon Snow and co.'s mission to capture the wight made no sense. Unsurprisingly, Cersei betrayed her "allies" at the first opportunity. If the dragons had never flown North to rescue Jon, then the Night King may never have breached the Wall with an undead Viserion.
Better: The Field Of Fire
Daenerys Targaryen finally arrived in Westeros in Season 7 and unleashed her fiery power against the Lannisters. Despite taking initial blows from Cersei, Daenerys avenged her losses by ambushing the Lannister army on the journey from Highgarden to King's Landing.
It was great to see the full power of dragons in battle after seven seasons of build-up. Dany made a jaw-dropping descent from the clouds atop Drogon with the Dothraki behind her, showcasing the Targaryen queen's unparalleled power.
Bad: Cersei Outsmarts Tyrion
Tyrion was one of the smartest people in Westeros while serving as Hand of the King to Joffrey. However, Tyrion displayed none of his trademark intelligence while advising Daenerys Targaryen during her conquest of Westeros.
Cersei outsmarted Tyrion by deserting Casterly Rock and sending her army to sack Highgarden. Although Tyrion was regarded as one of the sharpest minds in the Seven Kingdoms, he underestimated Cersei in Season 7 and was outplayed and outmatched by his sister.
Better: Jon Snow Meets Daenerys Targaryen
One of the most exciting moments in Season 7 was the overdue meeting of Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. Both characters were (until Season 8) portrayed as the hero and heroine of the series. Their meeting was dubbed the union of ice and fire by Melisandre and seemed to indicate a Stark-Targaryen team-up against the White Walkers.
Jon and Dany's romance ended badly, to say the least, but their relationship in Season 7 was the unification of equals that the series needed.
Bad: Littlefinger's Death
Littlefinger was a cunning political player who orchestrated many events in the series, yet his death was a disappointment. Overall, his character had little to do in Season 7. After unsuccessfully attempting to manipulate the Stark sisters, Littlefinger was betrayed by Sansa and executed by Arya.
It was great to see the Stark sisters band together to avenge their father's death, but the execution was lackluster. Littlefinger deserved a more notable death and the Starks needed a more deserved victory.
Better: The Starks Reunite
The Stark children finally reunited in Season 7 after being scattered across Westeros throughout most of the series. Bran's reunion with Sansa was underwhelming due to this Three-Eyed Raven persona, but it was still great to see the Starks together again after their family was torn apart by the Lannisters.
Arya made a conscious decision to return to Winterfell to see her siblings instead of traveling to King's Landing to kill Cersei. This highlighted her character's love for her family and her desire to return home after many years in exile.
Bad: No Consequences For The Sept Explosion
Cersei blew up the Sept of Baelor in the Season 6 finale in a beautifully crafted scene that displayed the terrifying extent of the Lannister's queen ruthlessness. But despite destroying Westeros' version of the Vatican and usurping the Iron Throne, Cersei faced no consequences for her actions and was considerably overpowered in her war against Daenerys.
The lords and ladies of the Seven Kingdoms should have been rallying for Cersei's downfall after the deaths of King Tommen and Queen Margaery, but the queen's reign is never contested by anyone other than Daenerys.
Better: The Dragonpit Meeting
Many of the main characters of Game of Thrones came together for the first time in Season 7. Although the events that led to the Dragonpit meeting were ludicrous, it was still great to see fan-favorite characters such as Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and Cersei Lannister finally interact.
The summit at the Dragonpit united the most powerful political players in Westeros. Daenerys made another epic entrance atop Drogon, and Cersei came face-to-face with a wight for the first — and only — time in the series.
Bad: Characters Travel Thousands Of Miles In Hours
The time taken to travel from one kingdom to another in Game of Thrones used to span across several episodes, but many characters seemingly learned to teleport in Season 7. Daenerys somehow rescued Jon and co. beyond the Wall in a matter of hours, despite the vast distance between Dragonstone and the Wall.
The speedy travel was necessary to progress the plot, which had been confined to seven episodes. But it detracted from the show's continuity and drew the ire of many fans.
Better: The Wall Falls
Season 7 was overflowing with overdue moments, such as Daenerys' ambush against the Lannisters and Arya's extermination of House Frey. Another long-awaited scene saw the Wall fall after being destroyed by an undead Viserion, allowing the Army of the Dead to finally invade Westeros.
The destruction of the Wall was the culmination of the slow-building story of the White Walkers. It set the stage for the final season and the highly anticipated clash between the living and the dead. Although many elements of Season 7 failed to live up to expectations, this remains one of the most powerful scenes in the series.