Peter Dinklage Defends Game Of Thrones Finale: 'Move On'

Before anyone even thinks of coming after Peter Dinklage for this, remember that this is simply what his character on "Game of Thrones" does: he drinks, and he knows things. In this case, that knowledge extends to diagnosing the hang-ups over the controversial finale that fans are still preoccupied with over two years later. Unfortunately, despite the actor's pleas, "moving on" isn't a concept most impassioned fanbases are familiar with, especially when it comes to a production that spent years recruiting invested viewers, cultivating a genuine pop culture smash-hit that rivaled anything else on television at its peak, and then promptly lit all that good will on (wild)fire in the span of a few explosive episodes as "Game of Thrones" rumbled its way into the final shocking hours of its story.

On one hand, that's simply the nature of any long-running series that reaches a decisive conclusion on its own terms — there's simply no pleasing everybody. On the other, the very specific and widespread nature of the complaints points to the undeniable conclusion that the creative choices on display in the final episodes struck a serious chord with entire swaths of its audience, for better or worse. We don't expect this to be the last time we write about a member of the show's cast speaking out about the response to the concluding season, but Dinklage's words just might be the most vocal and forthright comments we've seen yet.

In all fairness, it's not just the fans who came away disappointed by "Game of Thrones." None other than original author himself, George R.R. Martin, has repeatedly expressed his frustration with a show that increasingly went off-book to diverge from the source material entirely and follow its own track. However, we can count Peter Dinklage, the actor who portrayed the wonderfully complex character of Tyrion throughout the show's run, among those who aren't buying into the narrative of the backlash against "Thrones." While promoting his next appearance as a lovelorn poet in the upcoming Joe Wright-directed musical, "Cyrano," Dinklage spoke with the New York Times (via Indie Wire) in a lengthy profile that touched upon, you guessed it, "Game of Thrones."

When asked about whether the popular show perhaps wrapped up too soon, Dinklage offered his candid thoughts on where he thinks much of the anger directed towards the finale stems from.

"It was the right time. No less, no more. You don't want to wear out your welcome, although I'm not sure that show could have. But I think the reason there was some backlash about the ending is because they were angry at us for breaking up with them. We were going off the air and they didn't know what to do with their Sunday nights anymore. They wanted more, so they backlashed about that."

The real money quote, however, comes when asked about how fan expectations may have played a role in the overall response to the finale.

"They wanted the pretty white people to ride off into the sunset together. By the way, it's fiction. There's dragons in it. Move on. [Laughs] No, but the show subverts what you think, and that's what I love about it."

As much as I personally disliked the final season, I can't say Dinklage is wrong here ... particularly considering the angry reactions of fans who apparently shipped Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) who, it needs to be said, were canonically aunt and nephew. Regardless of your thoughts on the show's ending, the rest of the interview is well worth reading. More so than many actors, Dinklage is incredibly thoughtful and honest about his life during the height of "Game of Thrones," his favorite scene, and his post-"Thrones" career. Check it out here.