SAN DIEGO — Spoiler alert: This story discusses some details from Sunday night’s series finale of “Game of Thrones” on HBO.
Some fans – or possibly ex-fans – of the HBO hit “Game of Thrones” were seeking professional help Monday following the series finale of the TV show. While one website offers to connect these people with a counselor via Skype, there’s a woman in San Diego who specializes in this kind of therapy.
News 8’s Kelly Hessedal who was disappointed by the finale spoke to Dr. Janina Scarlet, a clinical psychologist and “Game of Thrones” fan who specializes in incorporating popular culture into clinical psychology.
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Here’s how it went:
Kelly: So, Dr. Scarlet, I pulled up "The 7 Stages of Grief." I have them here. I think that I'm in the “anger stage” right now. I already went through shock and denial.
Dr. Scarlet: How would you have liked to see it end?
Kelly: I was waiting for the moment of like the "Red Wedding,” like the Ned Stark moment from the first season. I was waiting for something like that. I was expecting so much and I felt very let down.
Dr. Scarlet: We as viewers rely on consistency and when there is a certain formula we learn, we come to expect a certain similar kind of deliverance. When we fail to see that kind of message, then we feel disappointed. I think for a lot of us we tend to identify with a lot of characters. To have the character have a sudden change in the story might feel like a betrayal as if our own friend or family member betrayed us.
Kelly: What do I do now? How do I get over these feelings of anger, disappointment, maybe even rage sometimes?
Dr. Scarlet: I think connecting with other fans and talking about it can be really helpful. Some individuals actually engage in fan fiction-writing just for themselves as part of their self-healing method as their way of processing the story.