Season 8: Speculation and Spoilers Discussion

[Eyes High]

It's around that time of year again: Season 8 news is starting to trickle out!

What we know or what is rumoured:

1. Season 8 will have six episodes.

2. D&D revealed the writing order at SXSW: Dave Hill for 8x01, Bryan Cogman for 8x02, and D&D for 8x03 through 8x06. EW.com recently reported that the writers are still in the process of writing Season 8.

3. The production may return to Spain. Head of the Andalucia Film Commission, Carlos Rosado, said that if nothing goes wrong, they can expect GOT to film Season 8 in Spain.

4. HBO was also looking at filming in Sweden (specifically, Visby) at one point.

5. Filming is expected to start in September 2017, per Liam Cunningham.

[FemmyV]

Putting this here: (OhOkayWhat)

Quote

And above all that, the importance of her narrative will be more about the emotional struggle within Arya than about her fighting skills. Because, in the end, I think, Arya will decide to do not kill Cersei.

I'm kind of sort of leaning this way. The current linear trajectory, based on the Maggie prophecy, the best guess might be to say that somehow, Jamie gets killed, and Arya takes his face to Cersei's door. Feels like great revenge.

But then you start to think about things like character arc and journey, and the Mercy diversion. What was that all about, if not to give Arya something to stew over?

[OhOkayWhat]

5 hours ago, FemmyV said:

But then you start to think about things like character arc and journey, and the Mercy diversion. What was that all about, if not to give Arya something to stew over?

With her new Faceless-Men skills, the writers have the opportunity to include many twists and shocking moments in her narrative. But I think, instead, they will prioritize to portray her inner struggle, and will show Arya rejecting vengeance; in other words, they will show character development.

[Eyes High]

EW.com posted an interview with head of programming at HBO Casey Bloys where the final season was briefly discussed:

Quote

 

So as of now, the final season could air in 2018 and/or in 2019 depending on their needs? 
Yeah. They have to write the episodes and figure out the production schedule. We’ll have a better sense of that once they get further into the writing.

Creatively, it’s my understanding that the final season is going to be extremely cinematic — so much so that there was an urge behind the scenes for years to end the show with a movie. But it sounds like instead of doing that you’re effectively making six one-hour “movies” for HBO.
One of the hallmarks of the show has been how cinematic is it. The show has proven that TV is every bit as impressive and in many cases more so, than film. What they’re doing is monumental. When you see these battles in season 7, and what I imagine season 8 will be, it’s a big, big show. We’ve done a lot of great shows, but this one combines the complex characters we love with a huge cinematic scope. I think this is the first show to prove that can be done — and we’re the first people to pay for it.

 

2019? Ugh.

[ElizaD]

2019 sounds far too faithful to the spirit of the books. I guess I'll have to hope the TV wait only lasts until late 2018.

[Eyes High]

Update from James Hibberd:

Quote

My story says 2018 or 2019. Internet hates uncertainty so many false[ly] assume 19. Basically late 2018 at earliest.

So it looks like Season 8 will air at the earliest in late 2018.

[GrailKing]

I read by some, 2019 be for a prequel, so now the show mimics the author, slow downnnnnn.

[whateverdgaf]

12 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

Update from James Hibberd:

So it looks like Season 8 will air at the earliest in late 2018.

Well, if it's in winter at least it will be seasonal.

[Umbelina]

I really liked this particular speculation about how the show/books will end.  I'm sure it's not perfect, but in many ways it rang true for me.  It came out a year ago, and the beginning is a tad annoying, but it gets much better as you listen, and makes a great deal of sense to me.

Edited June 12, 2017 by Umbelina
added books

[Eyes High]

Finally, some more Season 8 news. From Moviestarplus.es (English translation courtesy of user /Wildfyre-Quinn at the /Freefolk/ subreddit):

Quote

HBO wants to return to Seville to record the 8th and final season of 'Game of Thrones'. The producer got in touch with the Junta de Andalucía on June 19 to formally request their intention to record in spring of 2018 in two locations where scenes of the 7th season have already been filmed: in the Atarazanas Reales and the old Roman city of Italica.

Now, Liam Cunningham said S8 filming would start in September 2017, the same time of year Season 7 filming started. Season 7 filming ended at the end of February. Assuming that hasn't changed, a spring 2018 filming suggests that Season 8 filming will take even longer than Season 7, despite only being six episodes instead of seven (although of course one or more of those episodes could be supersized).

These locations were used for the filming of the dragonpit scenes in Season 7, so we can reasonably suppose on the basis of this information that the dragonpit will show up in Season 8 as well.

[Eyes High]

Sound designer Paula Fairfield told Dave Chensky at Con of Thrones that TPTB are considering making each episode of Season 8 feature-length. Assuming that means each Season 8 episode will be 80+ minutes (or 6 episodes x 80 minutes = 480 minutes), that means that Season 8 could be almost as long in terms of raw minutes as Seasons 1-5, which clocked in at around 550 minutes per season (10 episodes x 55 minutes).

[paigow]

What are they leaving out of S7 that allows supersizing S8????

[Maximum Taco]

6 hours ago, paigow said:

What are they leaving out of S7 that allows supersizing S8????

I'm guessing they probably just have a stop point planned out that'll give them the best cliffhanger effect for the season 7 finale, but that leaves more story to tell on the other side in season 8.

[SeanC]

9 hours ago, paigow said:

What are they leaving out of S7 that allows supersizing S8????

I don't see that it's a question of leaving anything out.

Season 8 will be the one where the White Walkers finally invade.  After seven years we have, at last, gotten to the fireworks factory.  That will presumably open up new story avenues unlike anything seen in the show before.

[Azi]

I also assume there will be more than one big battle episode with lots of cool action. Not too much storytelling going on there, but really enjoyable to look at!

[Eyes High]

Yay, some more Season 8 news, coming in hot from WOTW!

This has to do with scouting locations in Spain. GOT peeps have been looking at Uruena Castle in Castille (pictures here). The castle has a round tower which proved of particular interest to the GOT people. They also looked at another Uruena location, the Santa Maria del Azogue, a Renaissance church (pictures here).

WOTW commenters are speculating that Uruena Castle will double for Storm's End, one of the few major castles which has yet to appear in GOT. Luka Nieto, who writes for WOTW, suspects that it's more likely doubling for KL, Casterly Rock, Sunspear or Highgarden. I'm more curious about the Renaissance church, myself. Some photos of the church (exterior and interior) are here. I have no idea what they'd use it for.

GOT filming extensively in Spain for Season 8 would be great news for spoiler fans, since the Spain locations leaked like a sieve last year. 

Edited July 5, 2017 by Eyes High

[FemmyV]

Hmmm ... http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/05/game-of-thrones-season-7-cersei-jamie-valonqar-death-fingers-neck

[Eyes High]

Season 8 scripts are in, HBO still hasn't decided whether to air final season in 2018 or 2019 (hat tip to @anamika for finding this): http://www.thewrap.com/game-thrones-hbo-says-final-season-scripts-done-air-date-not-decided/

[SimoneS]

If I am right that the battle against the white walkers with heavy casualties comes first, then there is a march to King's Landing to defeat Cersei, Euron, and the Golden Company. For the first time, I think that Daenerys loses Rhaegal in the battle against Cersei in season 8. D&D isn't going to let Daenerys rout Cersei. I expect Drogon will be the only surviving dragon, but there will be more eggs or baby dragons.

Edited July 31, 2017 by SimoneS

[glowbug]

I don't think Rhaegal will be Dany's to lose. It seems likely the Jon will ride Rhaegal. According to the leaks and the filming spoilers for season 7, Jon has a positive interaction with one of the dragons, which seems to be a set up for him riding a dragon once his true parentage is revealed. 

Edited July 31, 2017 by glowbug

[SimoneS]

Here is the leaked outline for season 8 episode 1: https://pastebin.com/PjWQa9YD

[anamika]

53 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

Here is the leaked outline for season 8 episode 1: https://pastebin.com/PjWQa9YD

I think we have to be a little cautious with these things. We are going to be getting a lot of these. And with the way season 7 was written, it's going to be hard to differentiate what is real and what is not.

Theon is on his way to save his sister in the season 7 finale and I doubt we see him in WF. Sansa confronting Dany about her loving Jon seems to be the stuff of JonxSansa fanfiction.

lol @ Sansa popping up every now and then to scold everyone about Cersei and Lyanna making her traditional 'bad-ass' appearance to include Tyrion  smiling fondly at her.

There was an image of an email, where apparently they discuss Dany dying in episode 2 because they need a death like Ned Stark for publicity. Scary stuff.

Edited August 2, 2017 by anamika

[SimoneS]

25 minutes ago, anamika said:

I think we have to be a little cautious with these things. We are going to be getting a lot of these. And with the way season 7 was written, it's going to be hard to differentiate what is real and what is not.

I agree that there is no way to know how much of this is from the real leak or made up. However, remember how many people doubted Lads and then it turned out that his spoilers were mostly correct.

[Raachel2008]

Don't buy half of it, but if it is true, I think it is an outline for two episodes.

Some of it makes zero sense, like Sana meeting Dany and asking right away if she and Jon are in love? Where does it comes from?

Would Dany be that rude and call the Nothern people small-minded on Jon's face?

No  Jorah and Lyanna metting? 

So Jon will learn about his true origin like that? Boy, talk about meeeeh with a capital M.

However, two things rings true there; the Jon/Arya stuff and Lyanna saying her only king is Jon.

We'll see.

[shireenbamfatheon]

On 31/7/2017 at 3:24 PM, SimoneS said:

If I am right that the battle against the white walkers with heavy casualties comes first, then there is a march to King's Landing to defeat Cersei, Euron, and the Golden Company. For the first time, I think that Daenerys loses Rhaegal in the battle against Cersei in season 8. D&D isn't going to let Daenerys rout Cersei. I expect Drogon will be the only surviving dragon, but there will be more eggs or baby dragons.

Some, including myself, initially believed that Cersei would succeed in burning down King's Landing with wildfire, as the last resort of a desperate woman taking down an invading army, but in Dany's House of the Undying vision, only the roof was caved in but the room and the throne were still present, strongly hinting at a dragon attack. There's also Bran's vision of a dragon's shadow looming over King's Landing. So as much as I hate the thought of Cersei being the Big Bad, the season 7 leaks seem to support it. But then again, Dany's vision also has her coming in reach of the throne before leaving beyond the Wall after hearing the cry of a dragon, where she's reunited with the ones she's lost. I just don't see an ending where Dany succeeds in gaining the Iron Throne, but there's also no way Cersei survives. 

[Eyes High]

9 hours ago, SimoneS said:

Here is the leaked outline for season 8 episode 1: https://pastebin.com/PjWQa9YD

Fake. Theon doesn't go north at the end of S7. He decides to rescue Yara. As @anamika said, the Jonsa "hints" are also a good tell that the spoilers are fake.

More importantly, all the leaked GOT documents from the hack to date have had the source images posted online (PDFs of the actual pages from which the text came). This just has text, so you can draw the appropriate conclusions.

8 hours ago, anamika said:

There was an image of an email, where apparently they discuss Dany dying in episode 2 because they need a death like Ned Stark for publicity. Scary stuff.

Also fake. One of the emails used is fake (there's an online email checker which allows one to verify), not to mention that 1) GRRM has never had veto power over anything in the show and 2) the idea that HBO would swap one major character's death for another for ratings purposes in the show's final season is patently absurd.

There will be a lot of fake spoilers posted over the next little while purporting to be from the hack. Be careful.

8 hours ago, SimoneS said:

I agree that there is no way to know how much of this is from the real leak or made up. However, remember how many people doubted Lads and then it turned out that his spoilers were mostly correct.

Sure, but Lads wasn't fundamentally mistaken about something right out of the gate, as this summary is.

Edited August 2, 2017 by Eyes High

[SimoneS]

The one thing that stands out to me as false is Yara and Euron. If he cut out her tongue as I suspect, she cannot be talking to him.

Edited August 2, 2017 by SimoneS

[YaddaYadda]

For me it's what feels like an absolute lack of emotion from Jon after he finds out that the man he raised him isn't really his father. Jon yearned his whole life to find out who he mother was, and now that he knows, there's nothing? Guy just got the rug pulled from under him. Everything he has ever known was a long elaborate lie. If there's no emotion, I will quit this bitch.

[Eyes High]

51 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

The one thing that stands out to me as false is Yara and Euron. If he cut out her tongue as I suspect, she cannot be talking to him.

Good point. I am increasingly suspicious that this is the case.

[Raachel2008]

I think they are all fake.

NO WAY they will kill Dany in episode 2 and HBO/GOT does not need publicity. I'm with @Eyes High,  they are all fake, though I could see a couple of things there happening, like Eddie dying, Jon and Arya bonding because they make sense - thus any of us could come up with them.

[Oscirus]

Top 5 favorite fake things about that outline:

1. Sansa asking Dany if she's in love with Jon.

2. Ignoring that Theon, didn't even go up North. Bran who's been emotionless and not caring about family politics all season suddenly forgives Theon for reasons unknown.

3. Northerners being pissed at the Targ in their midst but apparently not the Lannister

4. The Aegon reveal at the end.

5. Euron Cersei sex

[Katsullivan]

On 8/3/2017 at 2:36 AM, Oscirus said:

3. Northerners being pissed at the Targ in their midst but apparently not the Lannister

Yeah, this is fake. And by fake, I mean bad Jonsa fanfiction fake. 

[amandawoods]

I think there's a serious chance of Northerners being upset about a Targ in control.  They don't know her like the audience knows her.  I don't think it's Jonsa fanfiction at all.  Vale-doesn't like Targs, Glover-keeps mentioning Rob being with a foreign whore.  There won't be time to argue about it., but it's definitely gonna get mentioned.  But yeah, they probably won't be too thrilled about Jamie either and leaks seem fake fake fake.

Edited August 4, 2017 by amandawoods

[SeanC]

The leaks are obviously fake.

That said, I expect that there will be some tension about the new alliance, but at the same time I think a lot of people are making too much of it.  The White Walkers will be through the Wall at this point; everybody in the North will be focused on that.  There won't be much space for anything else.  Hordes of zombies will make people happy to have the dragons around.

[Heckler52317]

No basis for this aside from my wild speculation...at a key point in a major battle the commander of the Golden Company removes his helmet...and its Dany's ex boyfriend. He turns the tide for Team notCersei

[Katsullivan]

@amandawoods Dany is not a foreigner. She's a Targaryen which is as Westerosi as they come considering that her family built the Iron Throne in the first place.

I think the North's relationship with the Targaryens is far more complicated than we've been let to see on the show but I agree that there'll be some tension, like @SeanC said. What made it read as fanficcy to me was all the emphasis on How Sansa Feels about Jonerys. In fact, Book!Sansa is probably going to advocate a Dany/Jon because she, of all people, would see its advantages to the North. 

What path the story goes is left to anyone's guess but I don't think this is liking. 

[Wouter]

The supposed "leak" also puts Sweetrobyn at Winterfell, but he is in the Vale and has no reason to come to Winterfell in the middle of winter. Another sign to it being utterly fake.

[Eyes High]

Matt Shakman told Inverse in an interview that he won't be returning for Season 8. Phooey.

Edited August 8, 2017 by Eyes High

[YaddaYadda]

Can Mark Mylod not come back? 

[Eyes High]

5 minutes ago, YaddaYadda said:

Can Mark Mylod not come back? 

Matt Shakman stating with certainty that he won't be back makes me wonder whether the showrunners have already lined up their Season 7 directors. If the episodes are supersized, I wonder whether we'll get six directors for six episodes.

As for Mark Mylod, he and Jeremy Podeswa are the only directors who have directed episodes for Seasons 5, 6 and 7, so I'd be surprised if they didn't return for Season 8.

We know that Matt Shakman was a last-minute substitute for David Nutter, who bowed out due to emergency back surgery, so maybe David Nutter will be (or already has been?) asked back for Season 8. Nutter doesn't have much going on project-wise if IMDB is any indication.

Alan Taylor is back for Season 7, and since he was with the show in the early seasons, they might bring him back for Season 8 for sentimental reasons.  He could also use the work; his last big directing project was Terminator Genisys in 2015.

I'm hopeful for Sapochnik, given the rapturous reception of his episodes, but judging from IMDB, his dance card looks like it's filling up (two planned movies).

I wouldn't hold my breath for (other S5/6 directors) Jack Bender, Michael Slovis, or Daniel Sackheim, though. 

So assuming two episodes per director...I'd guess Jeremy Podeswa, Mark Mylod, and either David Nutter or Alan Taylor.

One episode per director: Mylod, Podeswa, Nutter, Sapochnik, Alan Taylor, and...wildcard, I dunno.

I wouldn't be surprised if the finale director proved to be a "sentimental" choice, i.e. someone who was there very early on, like Alan Taylor (first directed 1x09) or David Nutter (first directed 2x06).

[Happy Harpy]

31 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

I wouldn't be surprised if the finale director proved to be a "sentimental" choice, i.e. someone who was there very early on, like Alan Taylor (first directed 1x09) or David Nutter (first directed 2x06).

What about Michelle MacLaren? It would be nice to have a woman back.

[SeanC]

48 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

Matt Shakman stating with certainty that he won't be back makes me wonder whether the showrunners have already lined up their Season 7 directors.

With shooting not so far away, I expect they have to have that figured out by now.

[SimoneS]

I am picking up my thoughts on the Night Watch and Wall here. I think that that NW will disbanded and the Wall partially or totally destroyed. They don't have any brothers and will be further decimated by the upcoming war. I don't see Jon sending any young men there. I expect the Night King to be defeated and destroyed, but even if he isn't, with Bran as the Three Eyed Raven safely installed at Winterfell and Wildings occupying the lands south of the Wall there would be no need to have the NW. 

[Oscirus]

I think the exact opposite actually. I think better attention will be paid to the wall or whatever it is they'll be manning. So it won't just be criminals and black sheeps ,but actual soldiers. Jon as the prince that was promised standing at the gate protecting the realm from whatever unknown threats may exist out there is my prediction for the last shot of the series.

[Wouter]

13 hours ago, Oscirus said:

I think the exact opposite actually. I think better attention will be paid to the wall or whatever it is they'll be manning. So it won't just be criminals and black sheeps ,but actual soldiers. Jon as the prince that was promised standing at the gate protecting the realm from whatever unknown threats may exist out there is my prediction for the last shot of the series.

After his resurrection, we can wonder if Jon would not die of natural causes anymore. If he is anything like Dondarrion, he might not.

It may also give him the ability to move deep into territory of the White Walkers/Others, if it has to come to that.

[SeanC]

15 hours ago, Oscirus said:

I think the exact opposite actually. I think better attention will be paid to the wall or whatever it is they'll be manning. So it won't just be criminals and black sheeps ,but actual soldiers. Jon as the prince that was promised standing at the gate protecting the realm from whatever unknown threats may exist out there is my prediction for the last shot of the series.

What "unknown threats"?  There's never any indication of anything out there other than the White Walkers.

[Oscirus]

6 hours ago, SeanC said:

What "unknown threats"?  There's never any indication of anything out there other than the White Walkers.

So you think that they learn of a previously unknown white walker threat then disregard the possibility  that there could be more out there than just the walkers? If anything, that should  be more of a reason to bring back the watch, hell, they'll  probably man it with more then poor people, criminals and black sheep from here on out.

[penelope79]

On 2/8/2017 at 3:22 AM, SimoneS said:

Here is the leaked outline for season 8 episode 1: https://pastebin.com/PjWQa9YD

Not only it's fake, but it's clearly been written after episode 7x03... too many references to "The Queen's Justice" to be legit. :)

[SeanC]

5 hours ago, Oscirus said:

So you think that they learn of a previously unknown white walker threat then disregard the possibility  that there could be more out there than just the walkers? If anything, that should  be more of a reason to bring back the watch, hell, they'll  probably man it with more then poor people, criminals and black sheep from here on out.

The White Walker threat wasn't previously unknown.  It was thought to be mythical.  The lands beyond the Wall aren't a bottomless pit of weird stuff, they have very specific associations.

Not to mention, they have Bran, who is a pretty comprehensive source on what's out there.

[Eyes High]

6 hours ago, penelope79 said:

Not only it's fake, but it's clearly been written after episode 7x03... too many references to "The Queen's Justice" to be legit. :)

The hackers' ransom note made it clear that they didn't get anything from Season 8. Any leaks purporting to be Season 8 episode outlines from the hack are fake.