There is little to no debate that has been one of the best book-to-show adaptations of all time. When it premiered on HBO in 2011, the series quickly climbed to the top of the charts. Audiences were captivated by the fantastical time period, the ensemble cast, and the dozens of overlapping storylines. As the seasons progressed, emotions were heightened, and fans found themselves diving deeper into the high fantasy tale. The problem with having so many characters, differing storylines, and intricate details is that some things are left unexplained, and therefore, they don't make much sense to the audience.
In the earlier seasons, George R. R. Martin had a . He wanted to make sure his books coming to life on the screen made sense to all audiences. As you may know, condensing 700+ pages of detailed writing into a script and then having a cast and crew accurately portray Martin's creation was no easy feat. Things were naturally left out, storylines were cut short, and events moved at an overall faster pace. For the fans who have not read Martin's books, some of these instances just don't seem right, and they are left with more questions than answers.
Check out the 15 moments in that didn't make a lot of sense to fans.
For most of the series, fans are made to believe that Jon was the bastard son of Ned Stark. Given Ned's loyal and trustworthy nature, Jon's backstory always seemed a bit out of character for him. In season six, Bran discovers, through a vision, that Jon is really Aegon Targaryen. His parents were Daenerys' eldest brother, Rhaegar Targaryen, and Ned's sister, Lyanna. Lyanna gave her newborn son to her brother, fearing that Robert Baratheon or Tywin Lannister would try to kill him.
Ned returned home with his nephew, and he never told a soul about his real heritage. What makes no sense, however, is that he would keep Jon's parentage a secret from his own wife. Catelyn hated Jon because she was made to believe he was the product of an affair. Ned should have been able to trust his wife with the truth.
Shae was one of the smartest women in . She knew how to look out for herself, and she understood the risks she would face by falling in love with Tyrion.
She was brought to court to blatantly lie and say Tyrion plotted to kill Joffrey all along. Not only did her false words condemn Tyrion's fate, but he later found Shae in his father's bed. She was so much better than her actions, and it does not make sense why she would hurt the man she truly loved.
, and there are many instances where she needed to be put in her place. However, her ultimate punishment for her crimes simply did not make sense to fans. After confessing to adultery and the murder of her late husband and king, she was forced to walk naked through the streets of King's Landing in front of thousands of people. She was spat at, mocked, and assaulted while she "atoned for her sins."
Many can agree she needed to be held accountable for what she had done, but this form of punishment was over the top. She could have been sent away, stripped of her titles, or even made to become a servant to a religious cause.
While it is not surprising that Cersei Lannister would plot to secretly murder hundreds of people in one fell swoop, it simply does not make sense that the High Sparrow would allow his armed followers to continue to block the doors after Queen Margaery clearly voiced that something was wrong. She noticed Cersei, King Tommen, and their guards were nowhere to be found, and with panic in her voice, she relayed her thoughts to the High Sparrow.
At first, he confidently said that Cersei's trial would commence with or without her there, but as people began to catch on to the eerie feeling, his facial expression changed to show he also realized something was wrong. He never budged to tell his men to stand down and let people leave, so their lives ended in a horrible massacre.
One of the most confusing and mysterious storylines in is that Bran Stark has magical powers that allow him to have visions of the past, present, and future.
Bran meets the man who has been coming to him in bird form, and he explains that Bran has "greensight,"which allows him to see everything despite when or where it occurred. Bran's personality devolves after he becomes the Three-Eyed-Raven, and his purpose seems to just fall flat and not make any sense.
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Everyone seems to believe in something, whether that be a god, a few gods, or the downfall of humankind. However, the most mysterious belief system in the whole series is found in the Free City of Braavos. A freestanding building surrounded by water serves as the house for the assassins that serve the Many-Faced God. The individuals who follow this deity believe they are doing his work by killing others and helping people accept death. During Arya's time spent trying to become one of the Faceless Men, not a lot is said about how this cult-like religion was founded or the magic behind the wearers of the faces.
When Qyburn is first introduced, he immediately tells Cersei that he was formerly a Maester, but his unethical experiments got his title revoked. After watching what he does to Gregor Clegane, it becomes apparent that his practices are troubling and unnatural.
The Mountain, as a regular man, should have died from an infected wound when he fought Oberyn, but instead, Qyburn took his body back to his lair, worked on him, and eventually produced a behemoth monstrosity that is seemingly incapable of feeling pain.
Much like Arya, fans were skeptical of Melisandre when she first appeared in, talking about how the Lord of Light is the one true god who will bestow power to those who serve him. Many Red Priestesses spread the word of the Lord of Light, but fans mostly learn about him through Melisandre and Beric Dondarrion, a member of the Brotherhood who is brought back to life each time he is killed.
While many characters and fans were , his mother and biological father were rightfully distraught having seen their firstborn son die right in front of them. When Cersei is mourning Joffrey in the tomb, Jamie comes in to comfort her. He then begins to kiss and force himself on her, and she tells him to stop.
However, after a moment of arguing and rearranging their clothes, the two are on the floor next to their child's corpse having sex. Neither seems too pleased with the other, and it is a scene many fans would like to block out of their memories because it is repulsive and makes no sense.
Princess Shireen Baratheon is the first character to appear with greyscale. It is a disease that spreads across the skin, causing the outer layer to become dried and cracked, and if left untreated, the disease works its way into a person's internal organs and bloodstream, causing them to go mad until their inevitable death.
While all of this can potentially make sense in the high fantasy world, fans are left wondering where the disease originated from and how Shireen and Jorah Mormont were the only two to be cured of the deadly infection. Sam says there has been a cure written down for a long time, but Maesters were forbidden from treating people for a variety of different reasons.
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One shared frustration among fans is that the series does not address . They were created by The Children of the Forest to fight the First Men thousands of years ago, but at some point, a leader emerged and created an entire army.
Throughout the eight seasons, the menacing clan moves south, ready for battle, but their purpose remains unclear. Did they want to kill off the entire human race? Were they trying to take back stolen land? The storyline involving the White Walkers is terrifying, but it does not make a lot of sense without a clear purpose.
The followers of The Many-Faced God believe they are morally superior to others because they are able to become a nameless individual who claims no history or family.
Even when the latter is left in the streets as a blind beggar, the Waif still makes a point to inflict pain on the Stark girl. Fans can understand that the point is to break a person mentally, so they believe like they have no claim to their past. However, the Waif's horrible ways did not make sense to many, and they clearly did not work on Arya Stark.
While the Night King's undead army was making its way south to the wall, Sam and two other brothers from the Night's Watch found themselves in the wide open when the horn blew three times to indicate White Walkers were coming. Sam, being slower than the other two, was left behind.
He attempted to hide behind a rock, but a White Walker riding horseback came up next to him, looked him in the eyes, let out a horrifying screech, and continued marching forward. He and the others spared Sam's life when they could have easily killed him and added another soldier to their army.
An old wives tale is mentioned a few times throughout the series that when a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin to decide whether the babe will grow to be great or mad. Daenerys always thought she was the former. She was meant to be the breaker of chains, and she believed she would rule the Seven Kingdoms better than anyone else. She was headstrong, smart, and she had a great council.
Unfortunately, the loss of two of her dragons along with the beheading of her best friend drove her to seek revenge rather than justice.
After Ned Stark is beheaded, Arya spends nearly the rest of the series away from her family. Her uncle tries to take her home to Winterfell on his way back to Castle Black, but she breaks away on her own. Later, the Hound picks her up, and they travel across Westeros together. His plan to return her to a family member in exchange for money is also foiled.
However, after the Final War with Cersei, Arya tells Jon that she is not heading back home. Instead, she plans to sail west of Westeros to see what is in the uncharted area. It is not surprising that she wants to travel, but it does not make sense that she wants to immediately leave her siblings after spending so much time away from them.
