Few television finales have been as disappointing or infuriating as the final season of Game of Thrones. And despite it feeling like an eternity since the show’s season 8 finale in 2019, fans still hold a grudge that rivals Arya Stark’s list of names. This was made clear by the overwhelming response to a tweet from HBO’s official Game of Thrones Twitter account, which simply read, “Winter is coming.” The tweet was a nod to the 10th anniversary of the premiere of the HBO series.
Winter is coming.
— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) April 14, 2021
First off, winter is not, in fact coming. Summer is coming (at least to the northern hemisphere). Check a calendar. But fans had much larger grievances to air in response to the tweet. The innocuous tweet was met with an outpouring of anger, jokes, and demands that HBO remake the final season a la the Snyder Cut. The clapbacks came fast and furious:
They gave Zack Snyder 70 something million bucks to “fix” Justice League.
Fix season 8. You could probably do it in three episodes. https://t.co/27qMD3iFjC
— John Hornor Jacobs (@johnhornor) April 14, 2021
if HBO wants me to watch a Game Of Thrones spin off I want a personal apology for season 8. 12 pt font, double spaced, no funny business on the margins
— Astead (@AsteadWesley) April 14, 2021
Ya I am not falling for that again
— Clint Evans (@Maven) April 14, 2021
Winter is over cause y’all messed it up a year ago
— Drew Smith (@thatbullsmitty) April 14, 2021
You got some gottdamn nerve. It’s finally getting warm and you wanna poke ya lil nose out like we forgot season 8 already. GET A JOB. LEAVE US ALONE. https://t.co/oee0lRobpB
— Aaron West (@oeste) April 14, 2021
Season 8 is trending. #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/PXaoNm2FlH
— Openly Black Brown Skint Fatty (@ritaresarian) April 14, 2021
The poor intern who tweeted winter is coming for sure is backing their bags……. do you not remember season 8 queen pic.twitter.com/kJcR9PjyRA
— Isaidwhatisaid (@stilldontcareee) April 14, 2021
Even brands like Steak-umms and Velveeta got in on the action:
season 8 remake when
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) April 15, 2021
no velveeta it’s GONNA be may
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) April 15, 2021
Soon, both “GOT” and “Season 8” were trending. The world coming together to dunk on Game of Thrones is a poignant reminder of how devoted the fandom was to this often stunning and as often problematic series, and of the raw anger that came from such an underwhelming final season. It also reminded me of one of my favorite aspects of the series: its deeply online fandom.
GOT, like all major genre series, had its fair share of toxic fans. But it also had a wide swath of clever and creative nerds that loved riffing on the series. Has another show even come close to all the GIFs, memes, and internet jokes inspired by this show? Seeing everyone tweeting about GOT made me nostalgic for those pre-pandemic days when the world would come together to talk shit about that week’s episode.
GOT‘s fandom even became a cathartic outlet during the Trump years, where comparisons of the Trump family to Prince Joffrey and other evil characters became its own meme. Every time something horrible would happen, you’d be sure to come across an Arya’s list meme or a “The North Remembers” posting. And while there has been no shortage of new series angling for the spot that GOT once claimed in our hearts (including countless GOT spinoffs in development at HBO Max), few have inspired the same online love and community as Game of Thrones.
Who knew you could miss making fun of something so much? Maybe we really do know nothing, Jon Snow.
(image: HBO)
(featured image: HBO)
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