Over the last month, the discourse surrounding “Game of Thrones” has taken a turn for the worse. At first, fans were elated at the show’s return, excited about the prospects of the final season, and just jazzed about the biggest show in TV history getting a truly epic conclusion. But over the last few weeks, especially, the talk surrounding the series has been polarizing, to say the least, with many adamantly against the decisions of the series’ creators. However, love it or hate it, everyone is still watching “Game of Thrones.”
And according to HBO, folks are watching it in record numbers. This past Sunday’s episode has kept the record viewership trend alive, with another new milestone — 18.4 million viewers on Sunday night. This record number includes the people who watched on cable, as well as HBO GO and HBO NOW.
READ MORE: The Biggest Casualty In ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 8 Is Quality Storytelling
But the numbers keep getting better for “Game of Thrones.” If you look at the total numbers that each of the first four episodes, not including Sunday’s “The Bells,” each entry in Season 8 is averaging an astonishing 43 million viewers. This number is over 10 million more than the average for Season 7, which itself was a record for the series.
Needless to say, HBO is pleased with these results and hopes that the conversation (good or bad) continues as we approach the series finale on Sunday. With people, like myself, unhappy with the Season 8 pacing and storytelling, “Game of Thrones” might not be ending its run on the highest of highs, creatively. However, there’s no denying that everyone is watching and absolutely no one is going to miss the reveal of what happens at the end.
“Game of Thrones” airs Sunday night at 9PM ET on HBO.