The finale to HBO's Game of Thrones was one of the most highly-anticipated moments in recent television history. Watch parties assembled to see which cast member would sit on the Iron Throne to rule over Westeros, along with witnessing who would live and die by the time the end credits rolled.
Unfortunately, many fans felt the finale did not live up to expectations, though one viewer that came away from the last episode in a good mood was the creator of Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin.
Martin told The Guardian that the Game of Thrones finale was "freeing," since it allows him to concentrate on finishing the last two books in the novel series, which won't be affected by the decisions made on the hit HBO show.
“No, it doesn’t. It doesn’t change anything at all … You can’t please everybody, so you’ve got to please yourself,” Martin said.
“I don’t think [the TV series] was very good for me,” he added. “The very thing that should have speeded me up actually slowed me down. Every day I sat down to write and even if I had a good day … I’d feel terrible because I’d be thinking: ‘My God, I have to finish the book. I’ve only written four pages when I should have written 40.’”
Game of Thrones came to an end earlier this year, with the fan-favorite series concluding with a six-episode Season 8.