Scripts Reveal 4 Major 'Game of Thrones' Scenes Cut From Season 8

The divisive final season of Game of Thrones was widely criticized for being too rushed and underdeveloped, especially when it came to properly finishing the characters’ story arcs writers had been building for nearly 10 years. However, Insider reports that all six episode scripts are now available to read at the Writers Guild Foundation library in Los Angeles. The publication read each of these scripts, and discovered many important scenes, or fragments of scenes, that were ultimately cut from the season, but may have shed some light on the now very controversial moments of Season 8.

Here are four of the biggest scenes cut.

1. Sansa and Tyrion in the Crypt

Sansa and Tyrion, as integral as they are to the story, often didn’t see much combat. Sansa, the Lady of the North she was, barely wielded a sword or dagger throughout the duration of the series, while Tyrion’s mind often proved to be his best weapon. It turns out, however, that the ex-spouses did in fact see some fighting in "The Long Night" episode, but it just didn’t make the cut. In the script's version of their crypt scene, Sansa and Tyrion hide, along with Missandei, Gilly, and Baby Sam. At one point, “dead Starks” awaken and are preparing to attack Missandei, Gilly, and the baby. They suddenly drop, showing Sansa and Tyrion holding their dragonglass daggers. Apparently they knew how to “stick them with the pointy end.”

2. Daenerys’ Loneliness

Probably the most criticized aspect of the show was the rush on Daenerys Targaryen's journey into madness. However, a few key scenes were cut that helped explain the place she was in before burning everyone to ash. Apparently, in “The Last of the Starks,” Missandei and Grey Worm share a flirtatious look at the feast that Dany notices. She later dismisses Grey Worm for the night, and shortly after, Missandei asks if she can be also be excused because she doesn’t feel well. Dany asks, “Oh no. Your belly?” The script direction then says, “Missandei, a terrible liar, struggles for a response, while Dany (who knows she's lying) watches her squirm.” Dany then gives her an out, offering up “a headache” as the reason she's not feeling well, and tells Missandei to go. The script then explains a key moment, stating, “Dany is happy for her friend. But she's also aware that everyone seems to be having fun except for her. She's lonely and Varys clocks her loneliness.” This would have helped show the isolation Dany was feeling all around her, not just when she was fighting the darkness of losing loved ones later in the series.

3. Tyrion and Varys Discussing Dragons

When Tyrion and Varys are debating about Jon Snow's true parentage for the first time, Varys is unsure if the rumor about him being a Targaryen is true. In a conversation cut from the episode, Tyrion states, "He rode a dragon. Has any non-Targaryen ever rode a dragon?" This would have been more satisfying for fans who were disappointed that Jon riding a dragon for the first time was just because of his lady friend, and not a life-changing event.

4. Jon and Dany's Incest

In the scene after the big feast, Dany admits to Jon that she knows she has no love in Westeros, only fear. Jon tells Dany he loves her, and that she is his queen. But in the script, Dany asks Jon, "Is that all I am to you? Your Queen?" and he responds "No." After they kiss, the script reads, “[Dany] is desperate for a connection; she cannot remember a time she has felt this alone. She pulls back from the kiss and looks at Jon. This is complicated for him. He loves her. He disapproves strongly of what she's doing. He lusts after her. He fears her. She feels his ambivalence. ‘It disgusts you,’ Dany says. ‘Dany…’ Jon begins and trails off.” This would've been a pivotal moment in identifying where Jon is in the relationship, and how it further isolates the Mother of Dragons.