Over three years after the divisive series finale of Game of Thrones, actor Maisie Williams has admitted that the epic fantasy show "fell off at the end" despite a strong start. Maisie, who played the fan-favourite character Arya Stark in the HBO series, said she recently got a chance to sit back and rewatch Game of Thrones which courted controversy during its eighth and final season. "It definitely fell off at the end. It started really strong. (But) It kinda popped off," Maisie said on Twitch, a video live-streaming service, with her brother James Williams. Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss were under fire for below-par script writing, a poor portrayal of women and a rushed climax in the last season of the HBO series, which culminated in May 2019. Back then angry fans of the series, based on author George RR Martin's book series A Song of Ice and Fire, had also started an online petition to remake the last chapter with different writers. While her co-stars Kit Harington (Jon Snow) and Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) had defended the show's final season amid criticism, Maisie had only shared a breezy response on Twitter. "Just here for the memes," she had posted. The actor, who had started working on Game of Thrones when she was 12, also reflected upon feeling proud about starring in the sprawling series which went on to become a cultural phenomenon. "For the longest time. I could never see it from the outside. So I could never say that and actually understand it. For the first time, it feels good to be proud of it. It was 10 years of my life," added Maisie. Referring to Arya's father Ned Stark, played by Sean Bean, who was ruthlessly killed off in season one, she said, "I was heartbroken when Ned died, yet I knew it was coming."
