It’s been seven years since Game of Thrones‘s ending divided viewers, and mention of Bran Stark’s fate or Daenerys Targaryen’s Mad Queen arc continue to spark heated debates today. While some audiences remain fine with the direction of HBO’s hit fantasy series, others continue to air their grievances with Season 8 — and, in many cases, Seasons 6 and 7 as well. Fortunately, although The Winds of Winter continues to face delays, George R.R. Martin’s long-gestating sequel can finally smooth over some of Game of Thrones‘s most frustrating and underwhelming storylines.
After all, a common critique of Game of Thrones‘s later seasons is that they felt rushed — something that was probably inevitable, since the show ended before George R.R. Martin and HBO would have liked, and because the final outings had fewer episodes. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire books run long and go into depth with every storyline, which means some of the turns that carry over from Game of Thrones are likely to be better in the source material. There are several in need of fixing, including one that Martin himself confirmed will be elaborated on.
Why You Should Trust Me: I’ve been writing about fantasy topics and television for a decade now, and I oversaw sections covering both while I was editor at ScreenRant. Now that I’m an editor at MovieWeb, I’ve continued to lean into those beats. Game of Thrones is one franchise I’ll always jump at the opportunity to tackle, especially when it involves unpacking what went wrong with Season 8.
Daenerys Targaryen’s Mad Queen Twist
George R.R. Martin Can Set This Up With More Care
Daenerys Targaryen’s transformation into the Mad Queen is one part of Game of Thrones Season 8 that still regularly divides fans. Some say it happens too quickly and dramatically, while others insist the signs are clearly there from the beginning. And while this twist probably won’t happen until the seventh and final Song of Ice and Fire book, A Dream of Spring, The Winds of Winter can start laying the foundation for it early. Doing so will address the complaints that the adaptation sped through this, making Dany’s turn to tyranny more believable.
In general, the books do a better job of painting Daenerys as a flawed and layered character, a contrast to Game of Thrones building her up as a savior of sorts. There are indeed hints that she’ll follow the same trajectory in the source material, but there’s little doubt Martin will handle that with more patience and care. That means The Winds of Winter has the chance to change the narrative and unite fans about Daenerys’s ending at long last.
Bran Becoming King of the Seven (Ahem, Six) Kingdoms
‘The Winds of Winter’ Can Lay the Foundation for Westeros’s Future
Bran Stark becoming king sits right next to Daenerys Targaryen’s fate as one of Game of Thrones‘s least popular choices. Assuming this is also where the books are headed, The Winds of Winter can ensure this twist doesn’t feel as out of nowhere as its TV counterpart. Perhaps Bran’s journey north — where he discovers he’s the Three-Eyed Raven and has a greater destiny — should have clued us into his endgame. Yet his insistence that he doesn’t want power doesn’t jibe with his later sentiment of “Why do you think I came all this way?” Tyrion’s speech about who has the best story doesn’t help sell it, either.
If Bran becomes king in Martin’s fantasy series, it will likely happen in A Dream of Spring, just like Daenerys’s ending. But The Winds of Winter can better set it up, offering clues about what’s coming through Bran’s visions and discoveries beyond the Wall. If anyone can make all those pieces fit together, it’s Martin.
Jaime Lannister’s Character Regression
‘ASOIAF’s POV Chapters Will Make This More Believable
Jaime Lannister has an incredible redemption arc in Game of Thrones, and it isn’t as far along in A Song of Ice and Fire. Still, the books are demonstrating his growth — and even if it doesn’t follow the exact same path, it’s likely he’ll be a changed man in much the same manner before they’re through. It’s also probable he’ll end up regressing, just like he does in Game of Thrones. His return to Cersei is one of the show’s more frustrating turns, yet it could be believable if done right.
The nature of growth and redemption are far from linear, and Martin’s novels can drive that message home more powerfully. The Winds of Winter can set this up by emphasizing his conflicted feelings, even as he begins to make better choices. This will make it feel less surprising and infuriating when he gives into his old ways. And it shouldn’t be hard to do, as Jaime’s POV chapters will put readers directly into his perspective.
Tyrion’s Failures as Hand of the Queen
‘The Winds of Winter’ Can Stay Consistent With His Character
Speaking of botched character arcs, Tyrion’s journey after meeting Daenerys could also be improved upon in The Winds of Winter. In the show, Tyrion becomes Daenerys’s advisor, then proceeds to lack the cunning and ruthlessness he demonstrates in earlier chapters of Game of Thrones. It’s possible he really is conflicted about working with the woman who will dethrone his own family, but the series doesn’t allude to that until the end. Most of the time, Tyrion just makes really bad decisions — and there’s no reason for the abrupt turnaround.
Tyrion and Daenerys have yet to meet in Martin’s books, but after it happens, The Winds of Winter needs to maintain more consistently with his character. There’s a reason that Tyrion is chosen to help Daenerys take the Iron Throne, and it’s precisely because he’s good at political maneuvering. If he does fail her and Westeros, it shouldn’t be such a frequent occurrence — and his mistakes should be more believably written into his character arc.
Stannis Baratheon’s Downfall
Stannis Needs a Better Send-Off in the Books
Stannis Baratheon is still alive and immersed in Westeros’s power struggle by the end of A Dance With Dragons, though it seems certain we’ll see his downfall soon enough. After all, Martin still needs to contend with the greater contenders for the Iron Throne: Cersei, Daenerys, and, though he doesn’t know it, Jon. He also must handle the Others, a threat that should take up much of the next book.
It’s hard to see Stannis continuing to fit into that picture for very long, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the author is cooking up a similar fate to what happens to him in Game of Thrones. I’m not convinced that book Stannis will watch his own daughter burn, however — and if he does, I have to believe that Martin will make it feel less out of character. In addition to adding complexity to his ending, there’s hope Martin will give him a less anti-climactic send-off. Game of Thrones makes it feel rushed and underwhelming.
‘Game of Thrones’s Whole Dorne Storyline
‘The Winds of Winter’ Can Do It Justice
Even across eight seasons, Game of Thrones doesn’t have the runtime to cover everything the books dig into in the same amount of detail. A Song of Ice and Fire‘s Dorne narrative is a prime example of this, as the HBO show works in a bare-bones approach to the region and political tensions within it. It’s understandable, as there’s hardly time to cover everything from the source material. Still, Game of Thrones cuts key characters like Arianne Martell and fails to properly utilize the ones it does include.
Martin is weaving a far more intricate political storyline in Dorne in the books, and although Arianne’s attempt to seize power doesn’t end well, it’s likely not over. The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring can finally do Dorne justice, giving the complete version of its story that Martin imagined — not a totally watered-down one.
Jon Snow’s Entire Post-Resurrection Story
‘Game of Thrones’ Wastes His Character Often
A Dance With Dragons leaves Jon Snow’s fate up in the air after he’s stabbed by the men of the Night’s Watch, but Game of Thrones fans already know how that story goes. He’ll likely be resurrected in Martin’s books, just like he is in the show. With any luck, The Winds of Winter will do more interesting things with his character afterward. In Game of Thrones, Jon does make a massive difference to the fate of Westeros. However, his role in the fight against the Night King isn’t nearly as huge as expected, especially with Arya killing the villain.
His secret parentage also doesn’t come into play as much as it should, with Game of Thrones mostly using it to drive a wedge between Jon and Daenerys. I don’t necessarily need to see Jon on the Iron Throne, but I’m hoping Martin will make these threads more relevant in The Winds of Winter and its follow-up. I’ll even settle for him doing slightly more than repeating, “I don’t want it.“
‘Game of Thrones’s Underwhelming Approach to the Army of the Dead
George R.R. Martin Confirmed He’ll Explore This More
After seven seasons of setup, Game of Thrones Season 8’s resolution to the Northern threat of the Night King and his army was… underwhelming, to say the least. The HBO series wrapped their attack on Winterfell in a single battle, and while that might’ve been necessary to preserve Season 8’s overall runtime and budget, it’s not something that does the weight of that narrative justice. Fortunately, The Winds of Winter won’t need to worry about such things.
The White Walkers, or Others as they’re called in the books, don’t receive much of a background in Game of Thrones either. We get a brief flashback of how they were created, but there’s no real exploration of who they were or what they want. The Winds of Winter can fix this, and Martin already confirmed in a 2012 interview with Smarter Travel that we’ll be traveling to their turf beyond the Wall. He said, “What lies really north [The Land of Always Winter] … We haven’t explored that yet, but we will in the last two books.“
That means we can at least anticipate more depth when it comes to the undead threat looming over A Song of Ice and Fire. That’ll be great to see after Game of Thrones Season 8, and it makes me even more excited for The Winds of Winter, whenever it releases.
