If you were to hear about a dark HBO series known for its violence, graphic sex scenes, backstabbing politics, and epic battle scenes, the show that would probably come to mind is Game of Thrones. But years before Game of Thrones was ever even made, that description had become synonymous with Rome. Another thing they had in common is each show did not end the way fans hoped for, but it turns out, Game of Thrones is also to blame for the abrupt ending that Rome received.

Rome

At the time Rome came out, it was said to be one of the most expensive TV shows ever made, but it had a solid plan to tell a story within five seasons. However, as fans of the show know, prior to season two, HBO informed them they were not getting renewed past that, so the second season rushed to cram in as much as possible. The reason it was not renewed is because HBO wanted Game of Thrones instead, and they wanted to free up the budget they were using on Rome.

A Stolen Show

Some would say that is on the creators of Rome for not being more careful with their finances. However, the cast and crew seem to feel a bit differently about it. “They stole our f***ing show,” said Kevin McKidd who played Rome’s lead Lucius Vorenus.

McKidd had been asked if he would ever consider a cameo on Game of Thrones and made it clear he did not want to support the show that he feels killed off Rome.

It Could’ve Been So Much More

While Rome still managed to tell an incredible story in just two seasons, it had so much more ambition for the show. Season five was supposedly meant to culminate in the arrival of the messiah Jesus and the rise of Christianity in the land.

We still got plenty of other epic scenes, like the well-documented assassination of Julius Caesar. However, it is hard not to fantasize about all the other historical moments we could have seen play out on screen if Game of Thrones had not stolen Rome’s thunder.

Game Of Thrones Learned From Rome

For his part, Rome creator Bruno Heller takes some of the blame for the fate of his show. “They learned a lot from a business commercial sense, what not to do,” Heller said in regards to Rome struggling not to go over budget with each episode.

“The mistakes we made are the mistakes Game of Thrones learned from.” However, Game of Thrones also pulled in much bigger audience numbers.

Maybe Rome Got The Better Deal

The ironic thing is that both Game of Thrones and Rome wound up having rushed endings to cap off their legacies. The creators of Game of Thrones infamously wanted to wrap up the show to take on an offer to do a Star Wars project, despite HBO wanting the show to continue.

The result was an ending that many fans now consider to be one of the worst series finales ever and a severely diminished reputation for Game of Thrones.

So maybe in a way, Rome did come out ahead in the end. While Game of Thrones got far more seasons and is more well-known, Rome’s series finale is at least considered a satisfying end to the show. So in a true Game of Thrones twist, maybe the one who got killed early got the last laugh.