At a Glance
- Kit Harington told The New York Times he was “genuinely angered” by the 1.8-million-signature petition demanding HBO reshoot the final season with “competent writers.”
- He called the campaign “a level of idiocy that can only come about through social media” and defended the effort of the original writers.
- Sophie Turner and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau echoed his criticism, while Charles Dance said he would sign the petition.
- Why it matters: The actor’s blunt reaction reignites debate over fan entitlement and the toll of online backlash on artists.
Kit Harington is still furious about the fan-led push to erase the ending he helped create. Speaking to The New York Times while promoting his latest projects, the 39-year-old actor revisited the firestorm that greeted the May 2019 finale of Game of Thrones-and the petition that asked HBO to start over with new writers.
Harington’s Anger Over the Petition
Harington, who spent eight seasons embodying Jon Snow, discovered the petition after leaving rehab. The document urged HBO to replace showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss with “competent writers” and ultimately drew 1.8 million signatures.
“That genuinely angered me,” he said. “Like, how dare you? Sorry, that’s just how I feel. I think it was a level of idiocy that can only come about through social media.”
He emphasized the workload behind the scenes:
- More than 50 night shoots for the final season
- An 11-month shoot for six episodes
- Writers who “put in massive effort,” in his words
The Polarizing Ending
The last season saw several divisive twists:
- Jon kills Daenerys Targaryen after her destructive turn
- Bran Stark becomes ruler of the Six Kingdoms
- Arya sails west of Westeros
Harington told GQ in 2024 that exhaustion shaped the result. “We were all so f—ing tired, we couldn’t have gone on longer. I understand some people thought it was rushed and I might agree with them. But I’m not sure there was any alternative.”
Cast Members Split on the Petition
**Sophie Turner publicly slammed the campaign in 2019, calling it “disrespectful to the crew, and the writers, and the filmmakers who have worked tirelessly over 10 years.”
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau told The Independent in September 2025 that viewers are “entitled to whatever opinion,” yet added, “It’s a television show. Someone told you a story and you didn’t like the ending.”
Conversely, Charles Dance told PopCulture.com in 2020 he would sign the petition. “I’m afraid I am in the latter camp,” he said of viewers who were disappointed.
Fan Fundraiser Emerges
After cast backlash intensified, some supporters launched a fundraising drive for Emilia Clarke’s charity SameYou. The page framed the original petition as tongue-in-cheek and aimed to “show that Game of Thrones fans appreciate the hard work of the incredible cast & crew.”
The Books May End Differently
George R.R. Martin, whose unfinished A Song of Ice and Fire novels spawned the series, said in 2019 that his planned ending will diverge from the televised version. The sixth book, The Winds of Winter, remains unreleased.
Key Takeaways
- Harington’s blunt remarks underscore lingering bitterness inside the cast over the petition
- The petition highlighted a widening gap between fan expectations and creative control
- Mixed cast reactions illustrate how the same finale can be viewed as either disrespectful to artisans or a flawed product open to criticism
- Martin’s eventual novels may yet offer a different conclusion, keeping the debate alive
