Kit Harington acknowledges rushed 'Game of Thrones' ending, cites cast exhaustion

Kit Harington, who portrayed Jon Snow in HBO's Game of Thrones, has acknowledged that the show's controversial ending may have been rushed due to the exhaustion of the cast and crew. In a recent interview with British GQ, Harington admitted that continuing the series beyond its eight seasons was impossible, as the cast was "all so f—ing tired." The final season, which consisted of just six episodes, faced widespread criticism for its pacing and storytelling decisions.

"I think if there was any fault with the end of Thrones, it’s that we were all so f—ing tired, we couldn’t have gone on longer," Harington told British GQ. "And so I understand some people thought it was rushed and I might agree with them. But I’m not sure there was any alternative. I look at pictures of me in that final season, and I look exhausted. I look spent. I didn’t have another season in me."

Harington also reflected on the story choices made during the finale, acknowledging that "everyone is entitled to their opinion" and that "there were mistakes made, story-wise, toward the end maybe." Despite the criticisms, he understands why the show concluded the way it did.

Harington also shared insights about a potential Jon Snow sequel series, revealing that while HBO initially approached him with the idea, he ultimately decided to shelve the project. "We spent a couple of years back and forth developing it," Harington said. "And it just didn’t … nothing got us excited enough. In the end, I kind of backed out and said, ‘I think if we push this any further and keep developing it we could end up with something that’s not good. And that’s the last thing we all want.’"

Harington, who has not watched the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, stated that he has spent too much time in the Thrones universe and wishes the new series well, though he doesn’t plan to watch it or revisit Game of Thrones for several years.

Harington is currently appearing in the third season of HBO's Industry, airing Sunday nights on HBO and Max.