Game of Thrones cinematographer defends 'dark episode'

One of the biggest criticisms of episode three of the final season of Game of Thrones was that it was too dark, making it difficult for viewers to see the action on screen. Cinematographer Fabian Wagner has defended the poor lighting of the much-anticipated Battle of Winterfell, claiming it was an artistic choice. 

In an interview alongside episode director Miguel Sapochnik, Wagner placed the blame squarely on the devices the audience was using to watch the show, absolving the production team completely. "The problem is that a lot of people don't know how to tune their televisions properly. A lot of people also unfortunately watch it on small iPads, which in no way can do justice to a show like that anyway."

He also called Game of Thrones a "cinematic show and therefore, you have to watch it like you're at a cinema - in a darkened room. If you watch a night scene in a brightly-lit room then that won't help you see the image properly."

Wagner noted that showrunners decide the tone of the episode. "They decided that this had to be a dark episode. We had seen so many battle scenes over the years -- to make it truly impactful and to care for the characters, you have to find a unique way of portraying the story. Everything we wanted people to see is there," he said.