Game of Thrones' final season was bad. It still deserved every Emmy it won this weekend.

The HBO epic's worldbuilding was award-worthy, even when its story wasn't

Maisie Williams.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Helen Sloan/HBO, MicrovOne/iStock, yopinco/iStock, Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Game of Thrones' final season was terrible. The highly-anticipated conclusion to HBO's biggest show ever not only failed to meet the lofty expectations of fans, but spectacularly disappointed them. By the end of its run, the show had recorded its first sub-91 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes in its eight-season history, with an aggregate score of 58 percent. Even Thrones' cast seemed unanimously upset by the turn the show took, with its stars making pained faces at any interviewer who asked about the finale.

Which is why the 71st Emmy Awards are so curious. Earlier this year, Game of Thrones set a new record for the most nominations ever received by a comedy or drama series in a single year, shattering NYPD Blue's quarter-century-old record of 26 noms with an astounding 32. Then this weekend, Thrones led the Creative Arts Emmys pack with 10 wins (HBO's Chernobyl trailed with seven). Despite my own plentiful reservations about the show's final season, I think the Emmys actually got this one right: Game of Thrones deserves all the love.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.