To millions of people, "Game of Thrones" is the best TV show ever made, with one of the most epic theme songs. Based on George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy novels, it's a political drama and a medieval representation of today's society. "Game of Thrones" resonated with the audience because it's a human story - we've seen characters getting betrayed and humiliated, fighting for power, revenge, love… We've all been through these situations before, so we empathize. Today though, we will look back at some of the awkward moments that were plain weird or just out of place. Therefore, here's our top ten list of GOT cringe moments, but don't forget to check the best ones too!
10. The Night King Smiling
That was well, different
The Night King brings cold, terror, and fear to GOT fanatics. Can you imagine seeing him smiling at Daenerys when she failed to kill him? It was a cinematic moment, for sure! Some fans liked it because they thought it represented his emotions too. Nonetheless, we're not convinced, to say the least.
With all due respect to the writers, we don't want to see the almighty King of the Dead smirking like he is some villain from Marvel shows. It's just too generic and smells of fanservice. It would be nice if he remained the mysterious and emotionless character we knew from the beginning.
9. Drogon Staring at Jon Snow
Like scene from a Disney cartoon
A lot can be said about the final season of this series. Weird and confusing things happened from the beginning up until the end. The audience didn't have to wait long - the first cringe moment came soon. In the first episode of the show's finale, Jon Snow and Daenerys decide to go for some dragon riding.
For Jon and Danny shippers, it was a dream come true. Well, if we forget about that shameful attempt to be funny. In the scene when the love birds are kissing, Drogon stares at Jon, looking jealous. Sorry guys, but it was totally unnecessary and out of place.
8. Theon Flirting with His Sister
Incest was always lurking in "Game of Thrones", but this was too much
Now, this was one of the most revolting things to watch on TV. In season two, we witnessed a little incest between Theon and Yara Greyjoy. Once Theon returns to the Iron Islands, he meets his sister and does a little more than flirt.
Watching as he touched her intimate parts with her knowing who he was, was uncomfortable and weird. It's just perverted, and we don't want to watch it again.
7. Lysa Arryn Breastfeeding
An overprotective mom Lysa Arryn
Oh yes, this was a highly condemned and controversial scene. The critique was founded on whether it is suitable for a child actor to pretend to suck breasts. It was shocking, at least to some viewers. This was supposed to be improper, as it served the purpose of shedding light on the relationship between Lysa Arryn and her son Robin.
She stifled his development by being over-protective, and Westeros was appalled. That's how it was supposed to be. An important fact to mention here is that the breasts were prosthetics.
6. Theon's Manhood
Nothing was hidden from our eyes
Well, this was a pretty infamous part of the series, as nothing was left to the imagination. Ramsay castrates Theon and then teases him, complimenting his "package" and making him believe that the sausage he is eating is his private part. It's an act of pure sadism, and Roose Bolton's bastard knew well what he was doing.
By taking Theon's manhood, he was one step closer to downgrading him to "Reek," as he called him. The goal was accomplished, as the poor guy was left hurt and broken. No matter the hate for Ramsay Bolton, we consider him one of the most captivating characters in the whole series.
5. Rape Scene
No one could understand why Jamie did this
Jamie raped Cersei next to their dead son's body. Yet, was it rape or a consensual sex act? The writers and the show producers denied it, as they claimed it was wrongly interpreted by the audience. How could they perceive it otherwise when Cersei clearly and repeatedly told Jamie to stop? Either the showrunners were totally naive, or they backtracked upon the backlash.
Even the author of "A Song of Ice and Fire," George R. R. Martin, proclaimed he wasn't informed of the matter, as the characters had an agreed venture in his books. No matter the case, it was difficult to watch. It felt like they were destroying the story arc of Jamie's character, who was supposed to be on the road to redemption.
4. Jamie dumps Brienne
Another Jamie's decision that makes no sense
Jamie Lannister ends season seven leaving Cersei for good, or so it seemed. Then writers decided it would be a great idea to let him hook up with Brienne and abruptly leave her to return to his Queen. Wait. What? How? Are we following the same story here? Talking about character development…
We are supposed to believe that Jamie, who looked increasingly disillusioned as time passed, went back to Cersei because he's addicted to her? At this point, it's out of character for him. Throughout the show, we can see that he is a man of his word and often doesn't change his opinion. It feels like it's done for shock value and to add a surprise element, and we don't like it.
3. Ed Sheeran
Luckily, Ed's appearance was very short
Yikes! We know many "Game of Thrones" fans cringed at this one. It was strange, to say the least. The Grammy-winning musician appeared in the season seven finale, making us shrink in our chairs a little bit. Sheeran plays a Lannister soldier that Arya encounters on her way.
The problem is that millions worldwide know Ed Sheeran very well. What we heard about this particular event was that he is a big GOT fan. Excellent, good for him! Still, it was just bizarre and out of place. Honestly, we felt disappointed as we didn't expect this show to have celebrity cameos.
2. Teleporting Moments
It's better not to think hard about it
A lot of moments in fantasy series fall into this category. The religious followers of the books often point them out as strange and inconsistent. We are talking about people getting from point A to point B in an insanely short amount of time.
As seasons went by, this happened more often than earlier ones' realistic pace. The prime example was Varys being in Dorne in one scene and, in the other one, standing next to Daenerys on a ship sailing to Westeros. How did he travel so quickly? It just gives the impression of rushing the show to meet a deadline.
1. Arya Kills the Night King
Just because it was surprising, it doesn't mean it was good
We could write an essay about why we think this was the most cringe-worthy moment in "Game of Thrones." Still, let's try to sum it up. Arya killing the Night King with a knife solely serves her character's rising popularity with the audience. Yes, GOT is a show that startled us with astonishing details, but not at all costs.
It always had a meaning, purpose, and logical explanation. Yet, the writers basically killed off an entire story arc of Jon Snow with this move. The King in the North is the one who should have done it. Therefore, it left a bad taste in our mouths once everything was said and done.
"Game of Thrones" will be remembered as one of the best shows ever. It was a grandiose and ambitious project, trying to translate the books to the small screen. Even with these top ten awkward moments we covered, the series will continue to hold a special place in our hearts.
Will "House of the Dragon" also have as many cringe moments? What are your most significant GoT cringe moments?
Cover photo: simisi1/Pixabay