Sunday's Game of Thrones episode "The Long Night" was one of the most epic of the series, with a battle full of fire and ice, beloved characters dying at the hands of White Walkers, and Arya (Maisie Williams) finally slaying the Night King in one epic act of heroism. However, while the action on screen was seriously dramatic, some fans wished Game of Thrones could lighten up — literally.
Some fans complained that the most recent episode of Game of Thrones was simply too dark, making it difficult to actual tell what's happening. The cinematographer behind the episode, however, has other ideas about the aesthetic of the series.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
According to cinematographer Fabian Wagner's interview with TMZ, the most recent Game of Thrones episode was not purposefully too dark.
I genuinely don't understand the impulse for people to shout down anyone who says Game of Thrones is too dark. Good for you if you could see it all crystal clear on your TV, but here are some random unaltered screenshots: pic.twitter.com/1sZN01lDOE
— Hannah Shaw-Williams (@HSW3K) April 29, 2019
Instead, Wagner claimed to TMZ that while the battle was intended to be "intense, claustrophobic and disorienting," but not "confusing." Calling GoT a "cinematic" experience, Wagner suggested to the outlet that fans adjust their settings on their television, and watch the show in a very dark room, to make the visuals pop like one would in a movie theatre.
"We tried to give the viewers and fans a cool episode to watch," the cinematographer explained to TMZ. “I know it wasn’t too dark because I shot it."
It's hardly the first time that prestige TV has been accused of going too dark with their visuals. In 2016, Vulture published an article titled "TV Dramas Are (Literally) Too Dark," citing a connection between darker subject matter and a visually dark screen, a la the often dim Mr. Robot.
Fortunately, we have the ability to adjust our TV screens to make Game of Thrones a bit brighter — even if the show's next few episodes are particularly bleak. That's good news, because going into the last war, we won't want to miss a moment of the action.