HBO Submitted Game of Thrones's Worst-Reviewed Episodes for Emmy Consideration

HBO is in some serious denial.

It has been almost a month since Game of Thrones aired its final episode, causing an uproar of disappointment from fans. As BGR reports, the series's eighth season included the three worst-rated episodes in the show's history: “The Last of the Starks,” “The Bells,” and “The Iron Throne,” which earned 5.6, 6.1, and 4.3 stars, respectively, out of a maximum of 10 on IMDb. On top of that, “The Bells” and “The Iron Throne” are the worst-reviewed episodes in the show’s history on Rotten Tomatoes, with ratings of 49 percent apiece, while “The Last of the Starks” earned a 58 percent approval rating.

It's partly because of these episodes that more than 1.6 million people (and counting) have signed a Change.org petition asking HBO to remake the final season with “competent writers.” But after spending $90 million on Game of Thrones's swan song, there is little hope that will ever happen—no matter how many people sign their names.

The good news is that some people—namely, the network itself—believe these episodes are Emmy-worthy.

According to TV Guide, HBO is ignoring the backlash the final season received and putting forth some of fans' most-hated episodes for Emmy consideration. The network submitted three episodes for the Best Directing award, including Miguel Sapochnik’s "The Long Night," David Nutter’s "The Last of the Starks," and D.B. Weiss and David Benioff’s "The Iron Throne."

And, though “The Iron Throne” was ripped apart by fans as the worst storytelling on the show, HBO submitted the finale’s script for the Best Writing category.

BGR points out that the less-hated episodes of the season—“Winterfell” and “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”—were not submitted for consideration.

HBO also reportedly submitted actors Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Alfie Allen, Pilou Asbæk, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Richard Dormer, Gwendoline Christie, Lena Headey, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, and Carice van Houten for their performances.

While the actors might deserve all the awards in the world, Game of Thrones—as a series—might not clean up at the Emmys the way it has in the past.