Game of Thrones Showrunners on Why HBO Greenlit Their Terrible Pilot Episode

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss might have a number of new projects coming to Netflix but the two will always be known for their work on Game of Thrones, for better or worse. The first four or five seasons were critically acclaimed while seasons five to seven were more flawed but still had some strengths to them. Sadly, Game of Thrones Season Eight was just a complete mess and pretty much every episode has something to complain about, including the very first one.

Interestingly enough, Benioff and Weiss were aware of the pilot episode's many faults, with the duo more than surprised that HBO greenlit the pilot. In the words of these showrunners, they felt that the pilot episode had many mistakes, even saying "everything we could make a mistake in, we did."

So why did Benioff and Weiss think that HBO approved of their pilot? Budgetary constraints, apparently.

Both Benioff and Weiss think that HBO had already made promises to international distributors, so they pretty much rushed the final season into production. This doesn't excuse how flawed the whole season ended up being, especially what they did to Daenerys Targaryen, but at least they weren't the only ones at fault.

Game of Thrones might be finished but a prequel series is on the way. All eight seasons will also be in HBO Max, so those that want to rewatch the show and skip the final season can now do so.

Read:Game Of Thrones Showrunners Exit Their Deal With Lucasfilm