Andrew Robinson
Six. More. Sleeps.
After nearly a two-year lay-off, Game of Thrones is back on Sunday, April 14th. There’s something hugely different about its return this year, though: this will be the final return of the most popular fantasy show in the history of entertainment. This is it, folks.
What Happened in Season 7?
A quick recap:
Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, and Cersei Lannister are all still vying for the Iron Throne. Daenerys and Jon hooked up at the end of season 7, unaware that she is actually his aunt; Snow is a Targaryen. Samwell Tarly, Jon’s friend and maester-in-training, discovered this long-rumored fan theory at the end of season seven. Bran (who is more accurately described as the Three-Eyed Raven now), Arya, and Sansa are all at Winterfell. Arya and Sansa teamed up to give Littlefinger a befitting death.
Meanwhile, the Night King and his army of the undead have broken through the Wall, leaving the Night’s Watch decimated. They are marching towards Winterfell, with an ice dragon in hand.
Cersei refuses to care about the threat of the Night King – or, at least, that’s what she says – and decided not to team up with the rest of the living in an effort to defeat the dead. Jaime Lannister left his sister and lover to fight for the living. Cersei claimed to be pregnant.
What to Expect Moving Forward
A lot of characters are going to die. Like, a lot. It feels to be a foregone conclusion that only one of the Cersei/Jon/Daenerys trio will survive, if that. Being that it’s GoT, it also is possible that no one will survive; the Night King will win. This feels less likely, however, as fans have been promised a “bittersweet” ending. This writer isn’t sure where the sweetness would come into that ending.
There are also going to be a lot of expensive battle scenes. The Battle of Wintefell is rumored to be the biggest battle scene ever shot on film, even larger than the 40-minute Helm’s Deep siege from The Lord of the Rings. It took an insane 11 weeks to film, and many of the actors called the experience one they would never wish upon anyone. Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) went as far as to say it caused “moments [where] you’re just broken as a human and just want to cry.”
There is also almost definitely going to be fall-out from the Daenerys-Jon hook-up. Many fans believe that Daenerys will find herself pregnant from the encounter. And, of course, once they realize that they are related, Jon will have a very strong case for the Iron Throne. It’s unlikely that Daenerys will be comfortable giving up her claim to the Throne (and she probably shouldn’t give it up), meaning that some sort of merger between the two is necessary to avoid fighting. It’s unclear if either will be able to swallow their pride enough to make the necessary concessions for a merger.
The Great War is likely going to take up much of the season, as it should. The battle for the Iron Throne, if there is one at all, should not be the forefront of the season when there’s literally going to be a battle between the dead and the living that the show has been hyping up since the very first episode.
How Long Will the Season Be?
Season eight will be the shortest in GoT history by episode count, clocking in at just six episodes. However, the episodes themselves are going to be supersized. In chronological order, the episodes are a reported 54, 58, 86, 78, 80, and 80 minutes, respectively. That’s a whole lotta action.
In just seven weeks, Game of Thrones is going to be gone forever… though a prequel is on the way. Enjoy the final six weeks of one of the most beloved shows in the history of television, and be sure to check Dork Daily on Monday afternoons for our official review of each episode.
