“Game of Thrones” season 5 is going to have some problems. The story of the political fantasy series is larger than it’s ever been, and it keeps getting larger, and the producers are stuck trying to cram more and more material into the same amount of time. Indeed, the show is at some risk of getting bad this season, now that it has outpaced the books and ventured off on its own. But there was, and still is, a simple solution to many of the show’s problems: Give each season 12 episodes, instead of 10. SPOILER WARNING: This article contains “Game of Thrones” season 4 spoilers and potential season 5 spoilers.
”Game of Thrones” And Its Increasing Plot Problems
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“Game of Thrones” has started to run into problems. I’m sure some of you have noticed: The last season really had to cram in an immense amount of material over its slightly less than 10 hour runtime. We had to meet Oberyn, care about him, and lose him, see Theon’s transformation completed, watch Daenerys start to flub things up in Meereen, and so much more. And we’ve gotten to the point where not every major character has a scene in every episode—most do, but somebody usually ends up sitting out. Some characters are necessarily getting the short shrift.
It’s only going to get worse in “Game of Thrones” season 5, which covers “Feast for Crows” and parts of “A Dance With Dragons.” For those who don’t know, those together are the point when the narrative is at its widest, and characters are the most far-flung around the world. We’re getting to the point where few characters are even in the same location: Only King’s Landing still has a big concentration of major characters. That was tough enough in the books; in the show, where every location demands another set, a new group of actors, and more and more logistics, it’s even more difficult. And we’re falling behind.
“Game of Thrones” season 5 should introduce a whole stack of new characters, and it is introducing some. Arianne Martell, Oberyn’s niece and the heir to Dorne, does not seem to be among them. A bunch more Greyjoys should be in the new season too, but it looks like they won’t be: No Euron, no Victarion, no Aeron Damphair. That’s going to be a problem: They play an integral role in the books going forward, as does Arianne. But the show may be cutting them, pushing them off to season 6, or minimizing their roles.
And that’s not because “Game of Thrones” is out of money or wants to cut corners with the story. It’s because they’re out of time. The 10 episode limit served the show well back in season 1, but the world is vastly larger than it was then, and there’s too much ground to cover. Until now, the worst effect is that the show can feel a little rushed. But henceforth, it’s going to actively suffer, at least from the eyes of book fans.
HBO, spend the extra $10 million on the highest-rated show you’ve ever made. Give it two more episodes a season. Because if you don’t, it’s going to get bad.
