The 'Game Of Thrones' Ending Could Be A Game Changer For TV, According To Kit Harington

On April 14, the final season of Game of Thrones will begin, and the show's stars are making sure fans are prepared for every possible outcome when it comes to the last episode. In a new interview with BBC radio host Zoe Ball, Kit Harington suggested the Game of Thrones finale could change the face of TV. That's a major challenge for any single episode of television to take on — even if it is the finale of one of the most popular series of all time. But Harington seems certain that if any show can do it, then it's HBO's smash hit fantasy series.

During his interview with Ball, Harington said, "I'm so excited for people to see it. I think it's going to be extraordinary, hopefully it'll change TV again like it did originally, and break boundaries. I think it might." Fans should be wondering what a boundary breaking series finale looks like. Looking back on the biggest TV shows of the last few decades, a pattern of divisive finales emerges. Shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Lost, and Mad Men all took big swings in their last outings, but fans remain divided over whether or not any of those stories had an ending that was satisfying.

Ultimately, Harington seems far more interested in Game of Thrones nailing the satisfying part than anything else. When it comes to his own take on the show's ending, the actor who plays Jon Snow told Ball he was "maybe not happy, but very satisfied" with the conclusion. His words seem to echo those of his co-stars, including Sophie Turner who told Digital Spy in May 2018, "It really is so unpredictable the way that it ends up. I'm very satisfied with that, and I think that the fans will be satisfied with that, too. Well, we hope. We'll see!"

Asking Game of Thrones to have a happy ending would be like asking the series to become a different show entirely in its last season. Given the sheer amount of darkness facing Jon, Sansa, Daenerys, Tyrion, and the others in Season 8, there's no doubt that some of them won't make it out of the season alive. One thing the actors seem to have guaranteed across the board is that the last six episodes will be difficult for fans to watch, both because there's a good chance that they'll be bidding some characters a premature farewell, but also because endings are hard to deal with period.

That's why the idea of the show having a finale that changes TV as viewers know it is scary and hard to fathom. Game of Thrones has broken its fair share of ground, but can it really switch up the timeless tradition of fandoms being split between outrage and awe when the credits roll on their favorite show one last time? Even taking in consideration the many, many wild fan theories surrounding how the show will end, it's hard to imagine a scenario that would create a last episode so unexpected that TV shows for generations to come will be trying to replicate it.

If Game of Thrones does succeed in creating an experience that leaves fans shook, and redefines everyone's expectations for all future TV show endings, then that will be amazing. But if the ending can simply be as satisfying for viewers as it seems to be for Harington and Turner then all will be well in Westeros, whether the show redefines the concept of a series finale or not.