Careful, Game of Thrones, your impatience is showing.
With one finale and one final season left in its tank, the HBO hit series has cut its own brake lines and put both feet on the gas pedal, running through storylines, battles and plot faster than you can spell Targaryen. (Yep, had to just Google-check myself. Still.)
But is it too much too soon?
Yes, it's almost laughable to think that after six years GOT could be moving too quickly, but season seven's penultimate episode, "Beyond the Wall," has me questioning why David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are in such a damn rush to hit the finish line (and why they felt the need to trim the two final seasons' episode orders).
Game of Thrones went from a slow and steady wins the race mentality for seasons one through six, to what seems to be a screw it, let's just light this s—t on fire faster than a White Walker attitude in its seventh outing. While Dany's journey to Westeros took six long, arduous seasons, the gang's jaunt beyond the Wall took a mere episode last week.
Does it make for some pretty awesome in-the-moment scenes that lead me to post somewhat embarrassing tweets that include one too many "YAS KWEEN"! references and battle-cries demanding more incest (proud shipper of Dany and Jon since season one, people)? Sure, but after the tweet-high settles and the hashtags no longer trend, the new pace might be losing the longterm impact and reward for six years of waiting. After methodically telling the intricate story of sibling rivalries, warring families and vendettas over six seasons, Game of Thrones had earned our trust, so to now rush through storyline so close to the end is almost baffling.
The concern here is that the GOT team is well aware of the questionable timeline, but seems to be OK with rushing through in the name of getting to these huge moment fans—and likely the cast and crew—have been anxiously awaiting for years.
"We were aware that timing was getting a little hazy," episode six's director Alan Taylor admitted to Variety, going on to say "there was some effort to fudge the timeline a little bit" in the name of the episode's emotional experience.
Gendry running faster than Usain Bolt at the Olympics? Ravens traveling at the speed of light? Come on, guys, "there's a thing called plausible impossibilities," per Taylor.
OK, sure, but this isn't a show in its first season. We're deep in the trenches now, and have grown accustomed to a bit of realism in this fantasy realm. We never saw the strain or effort to "fudge" things before, because there wasn't any. So, with only two—shortened—seasons left, why rush now?
Aside from "plausible impossibilities" running rampant in Westeros, we've also got an abundance of coincidences. Good ol' Benjen Stark (Nice to see you, where you been?) just so happens to show up at the last moment to save Jon, sacrificing himself for the sake of the King in the North. (Sorry, Jack and Rose, but they both could fit on the horse is the new they both could fit on that door!)
Also, this is a show that has had more weddings than The Bachelor franchise, mostly for alliance purposes, and yet not ONE person has suggested Jon Snow and Daenerys, I don't know, get married to avoid all this nonsense about bending the knee?
As someone who hasn't read the book series, (currently still being) written by George R. R. Martin, I can't help but wonder if Benioff, Weiss & Co. are actually floundering a bit no longer having the lines sketched out by Martin to color within, resulting in a slight loss of subtlety and increase in questionable references. (NO ONE in Westeros would use the phrase "man-bun," don't @ me. Just kidding, please do.)
Having said all of this, Game of Thrones is still one of my favorite shows and you can bet your two remaining dragons (too soon?) that I will be ignoring the VMAs on Sunday to watch the finale, hoping they prove me wrong. But until then, weigh in on GOT's pacing in our poll below, and tweet me your thoughts @tbrick2.
Game of Thrones Season 7 Pacing
Game of Thrones' finale airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO.