Line #10 PanderingToTheBase/GameOfThrones


1	PanderingToTheBase examples in ''Series/GameOfThrones''.
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3	* In an interview, [[WordOfGod Neil Marshall]], director of the episodes ''Blackwater'' and ''The Watchers on the Wall'', admitted that the HBO executives told him and his colleague to add more nudity and sex scenes to "appeal to the perverted part of the fanbase."
4	* The show has been accused of this with additional scenes with House Tyrell for most of the show that didn't happen in the books. Margaery Tyrell and her grandmother Olenna Tyrell have become quite popular characters and the scenes are well-acted... however, overall they don't contribute much to the plot. Even worse, the writers were already making huge cuts to the material in Season 5, meaning other storylines seriously suffer and feel very rushed.
5	* Ramsay's AdaptationExpansion can be considered this. While [[LoveToHate monstrously evil Joffrey was still an enjoyable character]], but was killed off early in Season 4, Ramsay seems to have been an attempt to [[HistoryRepeats redo this]]. In the books Ramsay, while a sadistic monstrous psychopath, did not have the same prominence as the show, with it being clear he would not be able to rule the North himself. However his role was greatly expanded so he could be the next Joffrey. This happens to the detriement of other characters, with Stannis getting ignominiously beaten in Season 5 by Ramsay, and Ramsay being built up as the main villain of Season 6's Northern storyline after killing his father, leading to what was basically a repeat of last season's storyline which required very contrived writing on both sides to work.
6	* The Martells being killed off suddenly in the first episode of Season 6 seems to have been a reaction to the poor reception the Dornish storyline in Season 5 got. However this seems to have been a massive misreading of the situation, as Alexander Siddig's Doran Martell was probably the most liked character of the Dornish plot, his death meaning the heavily disliked Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes somehow became the rulers of Dorne.
7	* The reappearance of the EnsembleDarkhorse [[spoiler: Benjen Stark]] in Season 6 is also a pretty glaring example. Not only does it give validation to fans of the books who were adamantly convinced that [[spoiler: "Coldhands" was Benjen]] (a widespread theory that was nonetheless [[{{Fanon}} never actually proven]]), but he's portrayed as a OneManArmy who effortlessly cuts down White Walkers in a snazzy black ninja-cowl. His big stylized action sequence is pretty at odds with the show's usual grounded realism, and it comes off more as a love letter to a popular character than a realistic fight scene.
8	* Starting with the seventh season the show's writers began working this trope overtime, perhaps to compensate for having passed up the original ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' series the show is based on. In addition to Coldhands example above, there's also [[spoiler:Arya's]] single-handed massacre of the entire [[spoiler:Frey]] family, the kiling off of the Sand Snakes by Euron Greyjoy after they proved to be among the show's most unpopular characters, Jorah being miraculously cured of his greyscale thanks to a complete AssPull from Samwell Tarly, Daenerys crossing thousands of miles from Dragonstone to north of the Wall in a span of hours to pull off a BigDamnHeroes moment, and most infamously [[spoiler:a romantic relationship between Jon Snow and Daenerys]].
9	** For many, among the criticism for Season 7 is that it used a bit too much of this, including [[spoiler:Gendry's and the Brothers Without Banners' overly convenient return, The Hound's humanization CharacterDevelopment, Daenerys and Jon Snow hooking up, Littlefinger finally getting killed, Theon gaining the (reluctant) respect of the other Ironborn, Jorah's infection being cured by a completely inexperienced Samwell, finding out Jon is the true heir to the throne]], and so on.
10	* Bronn was an amusing character but got highly expanded throughout the series. His trip to Dorne with Jaime in Season 5 was heavily disliked, even though it showcased the character he felt unnecessary. By the end he somehow ends up as Lord Paramount of the Reach and on the Small Council as Master of Coin, even though he has no financial knowledge and it just seems to be narrowing it down to people the audience know. It becomes especially bizarre he would be given one of the highest lordships in the land when he is just smallfolk all on the value of a promise made by Tyrion when Bronn had him at crossbow-point.
11	* Season 8 was viewed as having some moments of this, including [[spoiler: most of the major characters surviving "The Long Night" even if realistically [[PlotArmor they shouldn't have]], Arya and Gendry hooking up, Arya being the one to off the Night King, Brienne and Jaime hooking up]] and last but not least, CLEGANEBOWL (although that one was deemed as [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools acceptable pandering]] considering how long it had been hyped and it was seen as a bright spot in the season). Much of this apparent pandering was one of the things the fans ''criticized'' about the final season because of an apparent lack of realism/proper set up.

Context PanderingToTheBase / GameOfThrones