After seven seasons of rewriting the record books, Game of Thrones made the wrong kind of history with its final run, as the ending went down in history as one of TV’s most disappointing finales. Major plot points became inconsequential, logic was tossed aside, and heroes began acting wildly out of character. A bad time was had by all, and Game of Thrones is now TV’s byword for an unsatisfying finale.
While Game of Thrones‘ fall from grace increased the pressure on other popular TV series to stick their landings, that pressure was felt even more keenly by shows that had been compared to Game of Thrones from the beginning. Premiering in 2016, sci-fi’s answer to Game of Thrones aired alongside HBO’s Westeros misadventures, and when the ending came in 2022, the fears of another Daenerys-style collapse were very real.
The Expanse Avoided Making Game Of Thrones’ Ending Mistake
With its complex world-building, political jostling between factions, and larger existential threat looming in the background, The Expanse had been compared to Game of Thrones before it even became a TV series. The comparisons were strengthened by George R.R. Martin’s vocal support for The Expanse and the use of his name in marketing materials, as well as The Expanse co-author Ty Franck previously working for GRRM.
By the time The Expanse‘s final season premiered on Prime Video, it had almost entirely shed the “Game of Thrones in space” tag that had been so prevalent during the early seasons. Nevertheless, the prospect of a Game of Thrones-style ending remained. Like HBO’s series, The Expanse was finishing ahead of schedule. It may not have been waiting for its author to write the next book, but just like the televised tales of Westeros, The Expanse didn’t have enough episodes in its final run to cover everything demanded by its source material.
Both Game of Thrones and The Expanse were granted six-episode final seasons, but while Game of Thrones made the mistake of trying to cram a complete conclusion into those six episodes, The Expanse did the opposite. Prime Video’s sci-fi series refused to accelerate its narrative. Instead, it focused on resolving the here-and-now storylines involving the Free Navy and Belter rights. The still-gestating plots involving the Laconian Empire and the Dark Gods were left unresolved.
For comparison, that would be like Game of Thrones season 8 installing Euron Greyjoy and the Golden Company as the main villains and focusing heavily on the ramifications of Jon Snow’s parentage, but leaving the Night King and Iron Throne material largely untouched.
Why The Expanse’s Ending Is Great & Game Of Thrones’ Isn’t
On one hand, you could accuse The Expanse of not having a definitive ending. The final episode doesn’t truly provide proper closure because there are clearly more significant events yet to transpire. For all its faults, Game of Thrones‘ last episode is at least conclusive in where it leaves the story (more or less).
More importantly, however, The Expanse‘s final episode is a satisfying experience. There are questions left unanswered, but the character arcs are resolved in a natural and logical way, the twists feel earned and in-keeping with the spirit of the series, and there isn’t a sensation of being rushed. None of the above can be said about Game of Thrones.
In this age of sequels and reboots, no one ever expects major franchises to actually end forever. Aside from House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a Jon Snow sequel was considered at one point. The Expanse has continued in comic form, and may get another TV adaptation in years to come. Perhaps the Game of Thrones finale backlash would have been less intense if it had done something similar, putting its faith in a potential return rather than trying to wrap up such an epic saga inside six episodes.
- Release Date
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2011 – 2019-00-00
- Showrunner
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David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
- Directors
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David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff
