Kit Harington: ‘Game of Thrones’ Ending Had Mistakes and Felt Rushed Due to Fatigue

Kit Harington shared in a recent interview with British GQ that continuing with “Game of Thrones” after its eight-season run was simply not feasible, as the cast was “all so fucking tired.” The immensely popular HBO series concluded with an abbreviated final season consisting of six episodes instead of the usual ten, which left many fans disgruntled and critical of its hasty narrative. Harington, who portrayed Jon Snow, didn’t necessarily disagree with the critics but acknowledged that he couldn’t summon the energy to continue the series.

“If there was any fault with the end of ‘Thrones,’ it’s that we were all so fucking tired, we couldn’t have gone on longer,” Harington admitted. “I understand some people thought it was rushed and I might agree with them. But I’m not sure there was any alternative. I look at pictures of me in that final season and I look exhausted. I didn’t have another season in me.”

Harington also noted that “everyone is entitled to their opinion” regarding the controversial finale. He added, “I think there were mistakes made, story-wise, towards the end maybe. I think there were some interesting choices that didn’t quite work.”

Jon Snow’s character made it to the end of “Thrones,” though his fate wasn’t entirely peaceful. The last viewers saw of him, he was venturing into the Haunted Forest with his direwolf Ghost and the Wildlings to start a new life. While Harington once considered the possibility of a Jon Snow sequel series, he confirmed earlier this year that the project has been shelved.

“HBO came to me and said, ‘Would you consider this?’ My first reaction was no,” Harington told British GQ about the potential spinoff. “Then I thought there could be an interesting and important story about the soldier after the war. I felt there might be something left to say and a story left to tell in a pretty limited way.”

“We spent a couple of years back and forth developing it,” he continued. “And it just didn’t…nothing got us excited enough. In the end, I kind of backed out and said, ‘I think if we push this any further and keep developing it we could end up with something that’s not good. And that’s the last thing we all want.’”

The “Thrones” franchise continues to thrive with the success of the prequel series “House of the Dragon,” which recently completed its second season and is confirmed for a third, with plans for a fourth and final season. Another prequel, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” is also in development. Despite these expansions, Harington mentioned to the Associated Press that he is not a viewer of “House of the Dragon.”

“I just can’t watch it,” he said. “I think for me it’s just I’ve spent too long there. And I wish them all the best. I hear it’s wonderful and going really well. But I don’t think I’ll ever watch that show, and I don’t think I’ll watch ‘Game of Thrones’ again for a few years.”

Currently, Harington is back on HBO, playing a supporting role in the third season of “Industry,” which airs new episodes on Sunday nights on HBO and Max.

Source: British GQ, Associated Press