Source
r/television•
InRem

How Smart Would HBO be to Give in to GOT Fans Demanding a Redo of the Final Season with "Competent Writers"

Can you imagine the massive ratings if HBO did an alternate final season of GOT as fans are demanding in a petition?

Edit: Just to be clear, I wasn't suggesting that the rise of the fandom proletariat was a good thing or considering the logistics of getting all the actors back. I was only suggesting that HBO could make a killing on ratings with an alternate final season.

But I must say, everyone's take on this an interesting discussion of the current television landscape.

Posted May 16, 2019, 3:23 PM UTC · edited

050
PhilRiversOnTrakt•

Not smart at all, it would open this as a response for any bad show/season in the future. They would do better to wait and reboot it in time because they know it's a sure bet. You just can't let the audience dictate what you make.

32
goldrush7•

A reboot would not work, too many shoes to fill, too many high expectations that may never be met, etc.

Also, don't the ASOIAF books diminish in quality in the later installments anyway? I remember fans always said the first 3 were the best but the series went down hill from there. That sounds exactly like what the TV series is going through.

4
theblackfool•

4 and 5 are good but they drag. Fans that say those books should've had 2 seasons each are out of their mind. Most of that would not make good television.

1
ShacksMcCoy•

They would do better to wait and reboot it in time because they know it's a sure bet.

I would love if ,after the books are done(by GRRM or otherwise) we get an animated reboot(2D preferably but 3D could work). Animated because then you don't have to worry about actors aging and also cheaper so you can focus on making sure the writing is absolutely solid and the animation is top-notch. We haven't had an epic animated series in ages it feels like.

2
DMike82•

after the books are done(by GRRM or otherwise)

I don't see the concept of animation existing past the heat death of the universe, which I say since that is more likely to happen at this point than George ever finishing the books.

1
RopeTunedDeadwood•

Dexter would sure benefit from this

1
InRemOP•

My point was never about letting "the audience dictate what you make." My ONLY point was that HBO could make a lot of money (potentially) by giving fans more of the show they watch. Even if a fan enjoyed the current season, I think it's likely they'd show up for an alternative finale season.

If you have a philosophical aversion to the fans being part of the creative process, I have no quarrel with you, friend. But, that's another discussion.

Edit: Grammar can be hard.

0
DMike82•

My point was never about letting "the audience dictate what you make." My ONLY point was that HBO could make a lot of money (potentially) by giving fans more of the show they watch.

That's what the upcoming prequel is for.

3
dissident87•

That’s a horrible precedent to set and I generally hate the idea of fans “demanding” things from the people who create the entertainment they are fans of

GOT may be shitting the bed but no one is entitled to it being good

22
RopeTunedDeadwood•

People are so fucking entitled these days

12
The_MovieHowze•

And not everyone feels the shows even bad. I’ll agree the truncated seasons have rushed things but im still enjoying the show. I hated the last jedi but im a goddamn adult. I can have my opinions of how that movie shouldve been, maybe even have valid points but you dont cave in to screaming toddlers. It sets a bad precedent.

5
GavinGunhold•

We really are living in the fan service/the customer is always right era of TV and film. Pretty gross.

12
DMike82•

No, the final season is already producing its largest ratings as is. The vocal minority is by its very nature both the most vocal and the minority.

It also completely disregards the fact that, having finished filming last year, most of the cast has already moved on to other work. Having played these characters for literally a decade (lets' not forget that the original unaired pilot was filmed in 2009), most of them were just as ready to be done with the show so they could take other roles as the showrunners themselves were.

12
Slayervd•

This, good or bad everyone is already watching.

3
airchinapilot•

and in addition all the sets and production have likely been mothballed if not broken down and destroyed for months and locations rebooked or restored and all digital effects houses would have to be under contract again. in short everyone signing that petition were totally bonkers. Bringing together the same cast again would be akin to waiting for the Deadwood movie.

2
Mr-monk•

Don't know about all you lot but I have enjoyed this season.

6
The_MovieHowze•

Agreed ive enjoyed it a lot. Endings are always gonna piss people off. Too many people have been ignoring the writing on the wall of where things have gone.

I mean christ all the people screaming about how bad the writing is here forget how terrible the ending to their precious lord of the rings books are.

“Shit how are we gonna save frodo and sam from a volcanic eruption? Its ok we’ll send eagles... wait why couldnt we have just used the eagles in the first place?”

“Because the writer said so?”

“That sounds like he pulled that outta his ass, i mean he lost a finger and was stabbed by a cursed blade which will scar him for life, well i guess since they saved the shire it’ll all be worth it”

(The shire is on fire and the hobbits are enslaved)

“Oh what the fuck!”

Surprise mother fuckers!

Yeah and you wonder why the scouring of the shire isnt in the movies.

1
Mr-monk•

Exactly just get the eagles to fly over the volcano from the start throw the ring in job done lol. They are meant to be doing a spin off from when Ned stark was a young fella are they not?

1
The_MovieHowze•

I hear the spin offs are on hold

2
ChestMandom•

When I read the myraid of posts like this and the Santa Clarita Diet crybabies who feel entitled to a wrap-up movie from Netflix after their show runners had the hubris to end a season with a cliffhanger - with no guarantee of a series renewal to follow up - I think about this neanderfuck and realize that most fan-dumb fandom has become this guy:

https://youtu.be/LL1ydXGww2w

and realize that the worst thing to happen to American pop culture was the, "Ain't It Cool" geek-empowerment/entitlement movement that emerged in the late 1990s and now serves as mainstream culture today. Manchildren and ingrates rule the roost. Yesterday's jock goon is today's "chic-geek." Meet the current bosses, same as the old bosses, and none of 'e m good.

I have no fucks to give about Game of Thrones nor Santa Clarita Diet, but when fan-entitlement starts trying to heel HBO or the showrunners of GOT, or Netflix, all they do is turn them babyface to me.

6
ElectricPeterTork•

On the Santa Clarita Diet front, NBC already set the wrap-up movie precedent recently with Timeless. And it's almost certain there were others before. So it's not totally unrealistic and out of left field.

This stupid "ZOMG MAKE NU SEASON 8!!!" crap, though... yeah, totally idiotic.

2
theblackfool•

This season could be twice as bad as it is now and it would be a fucking horrible idea. Fans do not get to dictate a do-over just because they don't like something. That would ruin the entire creative process. HBO/D&D/GRRM whoever are telling the story they want to tell. Whether it's good or bad.

6
RopeTunedDeadwood•

Not to mention the precedent such an iconic show would send

2
RopeTunedDeadwood•

Is this season really that bad? I have no skin in the game as I found the show particularly boring

4
NoFunInBand•

The internet is perhaps overreacting. Perhaps.

12
[deleted]•

People would have been pretty happy with cliche ending vs. tragic ending, so the complaining is pretty sordid. You can see it in real time on Freefolk, people desperately wanted fake spoilers that pointed at Marvel movie ending.

4
goldrush7•

It's still better than half the BS that's on TV I think. It's just definitely not going to end the way people (including myself) have been wanting it to.

Lots of TV shows have bad endings, but I always appreciate the wild ride over the years.

3
RopeTunedDeadwood•

Problem is people hype up finales and at stuck in the mindset of how they think it should end

5
JohnnySkynets•

I’m not happy with it but I think it’s futile to try and get HBO to redo the season, for the reasons listed here and one that wasn’t, the cost.

4
[deleted]•

[deleted]

0
RopeTunedDeadwood•

Is it true that Cersei died offscreen?

1
ElMangosto•

Basically. It was a "building collapsing around them" thing.

1
pigletpooh•

This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard

3
InRemOP•

You must not get out much.

1
pigletpooh•

Yeah but I have internet access and this is up there

2
NavinRNorton•

LOL. HBO isn't dropping another $100m on redoing an existing season.

2
Skyzuh•

I mean they already wanted two more seasons anyway.

1
gf120581•

It's an incredibly stupid idea and it's not gonna happen.

2
HappyHolidays666•

HBO contractually cannot do that. D&D bought the storytelling rights off of GRRM and sold their pilot to HBO. they cannot be removed.

2
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
maximompower•

Arrested development treatment? not my kind of cornball

1
cwagz•

None. None smart.

1
Anthony45555•

Genuine question, did marvel pay critics and idiots like you to pan game of thrones?

1
InRemOP•

Where did I pan GOT? The "competent writers" quote came from the unhappy fan who started the change org petition, not me. BTW, I've never watched even a minute of GOT. I'm hoping to finally binge watch when I get the time.

This was never a comment about the quality of this, or any other, season.

My point was only that, by giving in to the unhappy fans, HBO could make a killing (hypothetically) on ratings and presumable $. I guess my question now is simply this - would you (who I presume to be a fan) pass up on watching an alternate finale season? If not, then from HBO's standpoint, it would be smart. I just thought (maybe wrongly) that fans would have an interest in seeing more of the show they enjoy. I know I've often enjoyed an alternate ending or narrative in other contexts.

1
BawseGrande•

none of these people played mass effect 3 ?

1
InRemOP•

Yes. Video games are a great example. How much more rich in content are video games because there can be many alternative play-throughs? Look, all I ever suggested was that HBO could make a lot of money if they gave an alternate final season.

0
BawseGrande•

I see that . That what I thought they would have multiple endings for the dvd sales . I joked that this will end with Dany waking up in a nursing home having dreamed the whole thing....MAD Queen

0
InRemOP•

Yeah, just like St. Elsewhere.

1
BawseGrande•

my uncle was livid at the ending

0
IWW4•

It would be a disaster from start to finish.

Lets start with the actor contracting. Every single actor would get 10s of millions of dollars because you could not recast any of them.

1
PoppySeeds89•

HBO would suck dick for an extra season of GOT.

0