Grey Worm bearing a weapon and preparing to strike in Game of Thrones Game of Thrones star Jacob Anderson opened up about the show’s controversial finale that left many fans disappointed.

In an interview with Popsugar, Anderson shared that he did not hate the episode and felt like it was “kind of punky” and risky. “I feel like it was kind of fun. I enjoyed it and it was fun to make. It was full on, but it was fun to make,” Anderson said. He goes on to say that despite his fondness for the season, he found fans’ reactions disappointing given that the cast and crew worked hard for 11 months, filming in the snow.

“There were thousands and thousands of people worked so hard on [the final season]. And then for it to just, when it came out for people to just straight up be like, ‘You need to remake this. This is terrible. This is the worst thing ever.’ It was a little bit sad,” he continued. The actor further added that he expected fans to not like the finale and knew that “people were going to be annoyed by things.” Anderson portrayed the role of Grey Worm, one of Daenerys Targaryen’s trusted advisors, on the show.

While the initial seasons of Game of Thrones built a massive fan base and earned near-universal praise from critics, the final season received a lukewarm response. Audiences were especially unhappy about the finale, with nearly 59% of viewers disliking the final episode. Fans even went as far as launching a petition to remake Season 8 with “competent writers.” At the time of writing, the campaign features 1,858,037 different signatures.

Created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO, Game of Thrones is a fantasy-drama television show based on a series of novels by George R. R. Martin. The show premiered on April 17, 2011 and concluded its eight-season run on May 19, 2019. During its tenure, it won 59 Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Drama Series for four consecutive years starting in 2015. The series is renowned for its complex characters, epic narrative arcs and high production value.

Despite the franchise’s reviled conclusion, HBO greenlit a spinoff: House of Dragon, a prequel series that premiered in 2022. The show is based on the 2018 novel Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin. It is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and features an ensemble cast including Olivia Cooke, Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy and Milly Alcock. The first season was well-received by critics, earning particular praise for its writing, score and performances.