Five years after its release, the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones is still polarizing the fan base, but another OG star has weighed in to defend the controversial finale. Kristian Nairn played Hodor in HBO’s acclaimed series, based on the novels by George R.R. Martin. He played the character from the very first episode, being the trusty servant of House Stark and Bran, a.k.a. “The Three Eyed Raven.” The character didn’t survive long enough to appear in the final season, allowing Nairn to watch the show’s finale like a regular viewer, but he still stands by the show’s controversial ending.

Speaking to Screen Rant, Kristian Nairn reflected on the show’s finale and revealed his supportive take on its ending. While the overwhelming majority of the fan base turned on Game of Thrones for making Daenerys a villain in the final episodes, Nairn saw it coming from a mile away, and was surprised that fans reacted so egregiously to the decision. He said:

“It’s not perfect, no. But also keep in mind I’m not a scriptwriter, neither are 99.99% of people… So [the response] disappointed me really. I don’t feel responsible for it obviously, because I was long since dead… Although people say that Daenerys acted out of character and stuff and so quickly, but I just don’t understand how they didn’t see that throughout the show. I was waiting for it to happen the whole way. The signs were there guys.”

Regardless of how Game of Thrones could have ended, Kristian Nairn believes that any possible ending still would have upset some fans. The actor understands that every fan has their own predictions, expectations, and hopes about what should happen, so it was always going to be impossible for the series to make everyone happy. He explained:

“There’s never been a show in the history of television, I believe – maybe Breaking Bad, maybe – where people had been so invested in their characters and I think everyone had their own final fantasy of what was going to happen at the end with Daenerys, and any deviation from that, especially such an extreme one, it’s going to piss them off.”

Kristian Nairn Believes House of the Dragon Has Learned From GOT’s Mistakes

While Game of Thrones fans sat in a hump for a long time after the finale, HBO’s first spin-off series, House of the Dragon, managed to salvage and reinvigorate interest in the franchise. While Season One was a smash hit, the latest season of the show was criticized by some fans for being too slow. Nairn has defended Season 2 of House of the Dragon, saying that fans should be more patient to see the dragons eventually collide in an all-out war, as it took nearly a decade to see it happen in Game of Thrones. He said:

“They’re doing something similar now with House of Dragons as well. Everyone’s waiting for the dragon fights and I’m trying to warn people. Obviously, I know the Game of Thrones franchise, and you may be be waiting 20 years for this, you realize, but maybe it’s going to be next season, who knows?”

Fans are waiting anxiously for Season 3 of House of the Dragon. In the meantime, Game of Thrones fans will have another spin-off show to devour. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will tell a small-scale story in Westeros, as it follows Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) as he travels to a prestigious tourney. Additionally, more Game of Thrones spin-offs could be on the way as long as viewers keep showing to watch them. Just don’t expect a Jon Snow series anytime soon.