Season 8: Speculation and Spoilers Discussion

[anamika]

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The drama builds to a confrontation with the Army of the Dead that’s expected to be the most sustained action sequence ever made for television or film. One episode — the same that Benioff and Weiss were concerned about pulling off so many years ago — is wall-to-wall action, courtesy of “Battle of the Bastards” director Miguel Sapochnik. Last April a crew member revealed that Game of Thrones had wrapped 55 night shoots while filming a battle. Media outlets around the world ran stories saying the final season’s battle took twice as long as the 25-day shoot for season 6’s climactic Battle of the Bastards. This wildly understated what really happened. The 55 nights were only for the battle’s outdoor scenes at the Winterfell set. Filming then moved into the studio, where Sapochnik continued shooting the same battle for weeks after that. “It’s brutal,” Dinklage says. “It makes the Battle of the Bastards look like a theme park.”

Quote

Until then, here’s some basic setup we can tell you: Season 8 opens at Winterfell with an episode that contains plenty of callbacks to the show’s pilot. Instead of King Robert’s procession arriving, it’s Daenerys and her army. What follows is a thrilling and tense intermingling of characters — some of whom have never previously met, many who have messy histories — as they all prepare to face the inevitable invasion of the Army of the Dead.

https://ew.com/tv/2018/11/01/game-of-thrones-final-season-ew-cover-story/

So I guess all those leaks about Dany/Jon landing at White harbor and meeting Manderly was false...

Edited November 1, 2018 by anamika

[Eyes High]

2 hours ago, Minneapple said:

Well, it's a very pretty cover because, you know, pretty people and all.

I'm excited to read the article and examine every quote with a fine-tooth comb. 

Article is up at EW.com.

Tidbits:

1. 8x01: "Season 8 opens at Winterfell with an episode that contains plenty of callbacks to the show’s pilot. Instead of King Robert’s procession arriving, it’s Daenerys and her army. What follows is a thrilling and tense intermingling of characters — some of whom have never previously met, many who have messy histories — as they all prepare to face the inevitable invasion of the Army of the Dead." [I think we all kind of figured that would happen, but maybe there will be more deliberate symmetry with Robert's arrival in 1x01...? Looking forward to the drama from the "messy histories" bit.]

2. There was a scene from 8x06 filmed in March. It was filmed at Paint Hall (the Belfast studio set) and was a new set. The writer also says the following:

Quote

I look around at a meticulously constructed set that I’ve never seen on the show before. Several actors are performing, and I’m stunned: There are characters in the finale that I did not expect. I gradually begin to piece together what has happened in Westeros over the previous five episodes and try not to look like I’m freaking out.

There is absolutely nothing more that can be said about that scene at this time.

Sophie Turner took most (all?) of March off to film Heavy, so I'm very curious who these characters are.

Is the new set the reconstructed Winterfell? Who are these characters that the writer did not expect? Are they unexpected because the writer thought the characters would have died already by Episode 6, like Jaime or Euron? Or are they unexpected because said characters have been absent from the show for a long time (like Sweetrobin or the Waif)?

3. Cogman describes the final season as "emotional, haunting and bittersweet."

4. Sansa isn't thrilled that Jon bent the knee to his "new Targaryen girlfriend," at least not at first. [To the surprise of no one, although the "at least not at first" qualifier is promising.]

5. The Winterfell set was massively expanded to accommodate the big battle scene.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Eyes High

[GraceK]

https://ew.com/tv/2018/11/01/game-of-thrones-final-season-ew-cover-story/

 

some really good stuff in here!!!! Finally, some legitimately good information. 

Edited November 1, 2018 by GraceK

[Eyes High]

13 minutes ago, GraceK said:

https://ew.com/tv/2018/11/01/game-of-thrones-final-season-ew-cover-story/

some really good stuff in here!!!!

Love the Jonerys cover. Gorgeous!

Thinking more about the writer's comments about the March 8x06 scene filmed in Paint Hall...The writer is suggesting that the presence (or absence?) of characters in the finale scene led him to think about events in Westeros that have led to that point. 

I'm wondering if it's a coronation scene with, say, Gendry and Arya and without Jon, Dany or Tyrion, because that would really raise some questions about what would have happened to everyone absent. (I don't actually think Gendry will be king, but the writer seems to be alluding to a situation where the presence of certain characters implies something about everything that happened in Westeros in the preceding episodes to put them there.)

Doesn't the big EW promo article (cover shoot plus story) usually come out shortly before the season airs? Getting this sort of article now is encouraging, because it means we might get more substantial promotion earlier in the preseason cycle than we normally do.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Eyes High

[anamika]

6 minutes ago, GraceK said:

https://ew.com/tv/2018/11/01/game-of-thrones-final-season-ew-cover-story/

 

some really good stuff in here!!!! Finally, some legitimately good information. 

Yep, some juicy stuff in there. Like this:

Quote

Author George R.R. Martin, whose series of novels forms the basis for Thrones, had revealed to the duo the broad strokes of how his Song of Ice and Fire saga secretly ends, including a description of an epic final battle that’s been teased from the show’s very first scene.

I wonder if this has to do with those weird patterns the WW make in the snow with the dead bodies...

[Eyes High]

7 minutes ago, anamika said:

Yep, some juicy stuff in there. Like this:

I wonder if this has to do with those weird patterns the WW make in the snow with the dead bodies...

Yes, I think so! I assume this is a reference to the epic battle between the AOTD and the living.

ETA: It was the very first weekend in March, but could the writer be referring to this?

Edited November 1, 2018 by Eyes High

[GraceK]

All this just makes me even more hyped for season 8. ?? I cannot wait!

Also I cannot wait for Arya to see Danys dragons!!!

[Eyes High]

9 minutes ago, GraceK said:

All this just makes me even more hyped for season 8. ?? I cannot wait!

Also I cannot wait for Arya to see Danys dragons!!!

Callback to 1x01 Arya gawking at Robert's entourage! Yes, please!

That photo I posted is actually cropped. The uncropped version shows two dark-haired women (whose faces are hidden) sitting on the couch. Lena? Maisie? Carice? Hannah Murray? Peter's wife? (I think the one in the peach sweater is wearing a wedding ring.)

Sophie, Gwen and NCW were verifiably in other countries around this time.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Eyes High

[YaddaYadda]

One thing this show has done really well is the battles. So I will look forward to the big one coming.

[Eyes High]

14 minutes ago, YaddaYadda said:

One thing this show has done really well is the battles. So I will look forward to the big one coming.

Yes...Although I wonder what's going on in 8x05/8x06, if the big battle, the AOTD vs. the living, the thing the series has been building towards since the beginning (according to D&D in this cover story) takes place in 8x03?

More thoughts in no particular order:

1. The cover features Jonerys embracing with END GAME in huge letters next to them. Hee!

2. I thought at first that the costume Emilia is wearing on the cover is of her dressed in the previous season's outfit, but as someone on Freefolk (or Twitter?) pointed out, it's actually different. There are hints of red in the fur, she's wearing a red cape, and there is that whorl of white fur around her shoulders that wasn't there before. Since the fur coat is pretty much the single best costume Dany has ever worn on the show (in my opinion), I can't say I'm sad to see it back with a minor variation. Recreating a costume with a few alterations for another costume is standard Michele Clapton MO.

3. Someone on Twitter pointed out that the picture of Emilia and Kit in costume is said to be "from the set." Since it seems that the photo is from Iceland (judging by the background and the Instagram post by the GOT stills photographer Helen Sloan), does this mean that they actually filmed something in Iceland as opposed to just going for a promotional photoshoot as some have speculated?

4. The illustration on the EW article webpage features Jon, Dany, Arya, Bran, Sansa, and Tyrion, as well as some WWs and a dragon. Those human characters are the OG5 (plus Sansa). Last season, the EW photoshoots featured the Starklings. We usually get multiple photos of several cast members for the photoshoots, but maybe there are more photos that will show up in the printed version of the magazine. 

Edited November 1, 2018 by Eyes High

[nikma]

D&D said that in 2012 that it's a lie that the show is only about characters and that they would need 3 movies to end the story in epic way, lčike GRRM wants. But HBO gave them enough money. 

[Krazytoast]

10 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

Yes...Although I wonder what's going on in 8x05/8x06, if the big battle, the AOTD vs. the living, the thing the series has been building towards since the beginning (according to D&D in this cover story) takes place in 8x03?

More thoughts in no particular order:

1. The cover features Jonerys embracing with END GAME in huge letters next to them. Hee!

2. I thought at first that the costume Emilia is wearing on the cover is of her dressed in the previous season's outfit, but as someone on Freefolk (or Twitter?) pointed out, it's actually different. There are hints of red in the fur, she's wearing a red cape, and there is that whorl of white fur around her shoulders that wasn't there before. Since the fur coat is pretty much the single best costume Dany has ever worn on the show (in my opinion), I can't say I'm sad to see it back with a minor variation. Recreating a costume with a few alterations for another costume is standard Michele Clapton MO.

3. Someone on Twitter pointed out that the picture of Emilia and Kit in costume is said to be "from the set." Since it seems that the photo is from Iceland (judging by the background and the Instagram post by the GOT stills photographer Helen Sloan), does this mean that they actually filmed something in Iceland as opposed to just going for a promotional photoshoot as some have speculated?

4. The illustration on the EW article webpage features Jon, Dany, Arya, Bran, Sansa, and Tyrion, as well as some WWs and a dragon. Those human characters are the OG5 (plus Sansa). Last season, the EW photoshoots featured the Starklings. We usually get multiple photos of several cast members for the photoshoots, but maybe there are more photos that will show up in the printed version of the magazine. 

Not to mention there is talk on Freefolk about the trim on Kit's costume looking like dragonscales.

[Eyes High]

1 minute ago, Krazytoast said:

Not to mention there is talk on Freefolk about the trim on Kit's costume looking like dragonscales.

Yes! They also pointed out that he's no longer wearing the neck brace with the direwolf sigil.

[SeanC]

1 hour ago, anamika said:

https://ew.com/tv/2018/11/01/game-of-thrones-final-season-ew-cover-story/

So I guess all those leaks about Dany/Jon landing at White harbor and meeting Manderly was false...

Leaks that include those kinds of worldbuilding bits are obviously suspect to me, since they’re the sort of thing the show has never bothered with (except when it’s stalling for time).

[nikma]

1 minute ago, SeanC said:

Leaks that include those kinds of worldbuilding bits are obviously suspect to me, since they’re the sort of thing the show has never bothered with (except when it’s stalling for time).

especially in the last season. 

[whateverdgaf]

38 minutes ago, YaddaYadda said:

One thing this show has done really well is the battles. So I will look forward to the big one coming.

Ditto! Especially as it looks like Brienne and Jaime are fighting side by side in this one, something I have been longing for forever. This should be Brienne's first time in battle onscreen (up until now t has been one to one fights) and I can't wait to see what their dynamic on the battlefield. 

[Minneapple]

2 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

So the Tyrion betrayal is actually legit?  God. Damn. It.

My guess is he has good intentions, and that his death will be very tragic hero-style, emotional and all. 

I mean on some level it makes sense. We have the White Walkers as regular villains -- we know they won't win because we've all read a book and watched a movie before. We also know Cersei won't win because duh, as well. The only question about those plots is how they all end. 

Once those are dealt with, there has to be something else hugely tragic and emotional that happens to the remainder of the main characters because of character or plot reasons, and Tyrion's betrayal looks like it's going to be it. 

Anyway, the EW article. I realized that the cover is a Targaryen family portrait. They should have photoshopped in the dragons.

I love all the details about tightened security. No wonder leaks have been  so few and far between. They really did not fuck around this time.

Characters who have never met intermingling -- the Stark siblings/Daenerys to start. Characters with histories -- Sansa/Tyrion, Arya/Gendry, and I know Jaime isn't with Dany's entourage but I'm interested in his meeting with Bran if that happens.

[Eyes High]

23 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

Characters who have never met intermingling -- the Stark siblings/Daenerys to start. Characters with histories -- Sansa/Tyrion, Arya/Gendry, and I know Jaime isn't with Dany's entourage but I'm interested in his meeting with Bran if that happens.

Hibberd did also say "How these fan favorites get along drives much of the drama this season" which probably includes Starks vs. Lannisters (Bran/Jaime, Sansa/Tyrion), Lannister vs. Lannister (since Cogman alluded to Tyrion dealing with his Lannister issues in S8, presumably involving Jaime), Stark sisters vs. the Hound, and Sam vs. Dany (since he's bound to find out about the Tarlys sooner or later).

Edited November 1, 2018 by Eyes High

[Minneapple]

Ooh yeah, Sam/Dany is going to be a good one. There were definitely Reasons they had Dany specifically burning the Tarlys, and Reasons why the monks at the Citadel talked about not telling Sam.

[whateverdgaf]

There is going to be so many great interactions next season. I know some fans have expressed concern over whether moral complexity would be lost with having the final war be between humans and monsters, but I think having these characters with some many causes for resentment and hatred could bring about some really fascinating dynamics, not just with people loathing each other but also maybe with characters whose families have been enemies previously but end up rather liking each other despite themselves.

[Eyes High]

28 minutes ago, whateverdgaf said:

There is going to be so many great interactions next season. I know some fans have expressed concern over whether moral complexity would be lost with having the final war be between humans and monsters, but I think having these characters with some many causes for resentment and hatred could bring about some really fascinating dynamics, not just with people loathing each other but also maybe with characters whose families have been enemies previously but end up rather liking each other despite themselves.

Yes. In addition to all the expected drama, Cogman or whoever it was said the season involved characters deciding who they wanted to be in the face of certain death, so we might see a lot of soul searching and such from characters when they're expecting to be killed. Peter Dinklage has alluded to this for Tyrion, at least.

Just saw this comment on /Freefolk from /BoatsexBaby:

Quote

I agree. LoTR ending was perfect.

I also love how 'subverting trope' somehow just means not having a 'tRopEy dIsneY enDinG'. It obviously cannot have anything to do with the guys who we were told for 7 seasons are evil WMD's, not being truly evil after all.

This ties into what /BoatsexBaby said months ago, so at least they're being consistent:

Quote

NK/Others are not simply WMDs out of control. Their motivation will be revealed, and it’ll tie together every WW related scene from S1E01 till now. The reveal and resolution are apparently brilliant.

Maybe all this "raw," "important," "haunting" and "bittersweet" talk from the cast and crew has something to do with the reveal of the WWs' motivation? 

On another note, I just noticed that as observed by posters on Freefolk, Emilia's S8 coat, unlike the Season 7 coat, is fitted loosely around the waist, and Emilia is positioned in such a way as to minimize that. Baby bump? 

Whatever was filmed in Iceland would be from 8x04 at the latest, since it was David Nutter's DP who was in Iceland, and Nutter filmed 8x01, 8x02 and 8x04. I tend to think since Jon is missing his Stark paraphernalia and has dragon scales on his clothes and since Dany has a possible baby bump that the scenes filmed in Iceland are from 8x04. Not sure how this would tie into the Dubrovnik Jon/Cersei scene which seems to be from 8x04, assuming that was a real scene.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Eyes High

[Minneapple]

Character dynamics and interactions are always more important to me than big battles and visual effects. I mean, I will be quite impressed by the visual effects this season; I'm sure they will be stunning. But I'm more excited to see how Sansa and Dany get on, how Arya and Jon will reunite, how Tyrion winds up on trial for treason and all that. It drives me up the fucking wall when it seems like they put so much money and time into the visual effects, then write a terrible cheap-ass script to go along with it. 

[Eyes High]

18 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

Character dynamics and interactions are always more important to me than big battles and visual effects. I mean, I will be quite impressed by the visual effects this season; I'm sure they will be stunning. But I'm more excited to see how Sansa and Dany get on, how Arya and Jon will reunite, how Tyrion winds up on trial for treason and all that.

That has been D&D's MO for a few seasons now: skimp on the character stuff and put all the effort into shiny spectacle so that the fans will be distracted and won't care.

Judging from the way the big S7 reunions (Bran/Sansa, Sansa/Arya, Jon/Tyrion, Tyrion/Jaime, etc.) were written for the most part as awkward, stilted and frankly shoddy scenes, I wouldn't expect much improvement in S8. We've seen how D&D are going to play it, and it ain't promising.

18 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

It drives me up the fucking wall when it seems like they put so much money and time into the visual effects, then write a terrible cheap-ass script to go along with it. 

I had the same complaint about Titanic 20 years ago, but Titanic was still rapturously received by critics, won a pile of awards, and made a ton of money. Plus ca change...

Just saw this from Benioff, which seems to be confirmation that the Winterfell battle is AOTD vs. the living:

Quote

“Having the largest battle doesn’t sound very exciting — it actually sounds pretty boring,” Benioff says. “Part of our challenge, and really, Miguel’s challenge, is how to keep that compelling… we’ve been building toward this since the very beginning, it’s the living against the dead, and you can’t do that in a 12-minute sequence.”

More from /BoatsexBaby:

Quote

Yes. They are implying that the WF battle is the big one. And it certainly is, but it's not the final battle which involves the NK. And the 55 nights were not only for the WF battle. Some of the scenes filmed in Magheramorne during those night shoots are for the KL battle - Melisandre on a horse, Jaime/Brienne and the one which has someone fighting in the center surrounded by horses. There might be more, but those are the three I am absolutely certain about for reasons I can't state. The Production does want people to think it's all WF though. I had mentioned it back in July.

Quote

It's not about a huge battle with WW, it's about whether they would be part of the 'final' battle. There are many who believe that the NK/Others will be defeated in WF early on and the final battle in KL will be either with Cersei or mAd QueEn Dany.

Even this article tries to imply that the main battle with NK/AoTD is in WF early on, except they accidentally revealed that the NK/Others will be part of the final battle too with 'an epic final battle that's been teased from the show's very first scene.'

Edited November 1, 2018 by Eyes High

[nikma]

All elements of the show are important for me. There are a lot of drama TV shows where you have characters sit and talk. And more and more medieval TV shows. 

But to combine that with spectacle is something completely unique, something that wasn't done this well since LOTR

 

It's like smart and original MCU. lol

Edited November 1, 2018 by nikma

[SimoneS]

I think that the EW article is pretty vague. The only new interesting tidbit is that the character drama starts immediately in episode one.

The photo is gorgeous. Despite my occasional vacillation, I still think that Jon and Dany end up ruling together. Their costumes on the cover with the hints of red certainly give me reassurance.

Is there anything new on Tyrion? I see new comments where people seem to think his betrayal will happen. 

ETA: I love Daenerys' coat. Gorgeous.

Edited November 2, 2018 by SimoneS

[Eyes High]

24 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

I think that the EW article is pretty vague. The only new interesting tidbit is that the character drama starts immediately in episode one.

The photo is gorgeous. Despite my occasional vacillation, I still think that Jon and Dany end up ruling together. Their costumes on the cover with the hints of red certainly give me reassurance.

Is there anything new on Tyrion? I see new comments where people seem to think his betrayal will happen. 

 

I don’t see any red in Jon’s costume, but interestingly enough in addition to the details already mentioned (dragon scales, no Stark neck brace), all hints of brown are gone from his clothing. It’s just black and grey. Jon and Dany do seem to have clothing that goes together rather than clashing.

Jon and Dany’s hair is also different. Dany’s braid is piled on the back on her head in a sort of big braid bun, kind of like Cersei’s in 3x08. Jon’s hair is half-up, half-down. It could be a transition hairstyle between the manbun and wearing his hair down as he is in the scene (fake scene?) filmed in Dubrovnik. Jon first started wearing his hair up after leaving the NW, so with him wearing his hair down again, is he moving away from his Stark identity?

A few Freefolk posters are saying that EW was in Seville, so maybe we’ll get some photos of other leading cast in costume. If so, we may get some indirect spoilers, like Maisie sporting the Catspaw dagger, since these would be 8x06 costumes.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Eyes High

[GraceK]

Just on a purely shallow note, look how beautiful Dany looks! They look so gorgeous together, and I love her in all white against his dark ?Its a stunning contrast.  Her hair finally almost looks silver .. she’s like a snow queen in this picture.

Edited November 2, 2018 by GraceK

[Minneapple]

34 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

I think that the EW article is pretty vague. The only new interesting tidbit is that the character drama starts immediately in episode one.

The photo is gorgeous. Despite my occasional vacillation, I still think that Jon and Dany end up ruling together.

I go back and forth, too, but if I were a gambling type I think I'd put my money on Dany dying.

[YaddaYadda]

Dany's white coat with the red reminds me of weirwood colors, Ghost's white coat and red eyes. 

[Eyes High]

48 minutes ago, GraceK said:

Just on a purely shallow note, look how beautiful Dany looks! They look so gorgeous together, and I love her in all white against his dark ?Its a stunning contrast.  Her hair finally almost looks silver .. she’s like a snow queen in this picture.

 

In that Omaze video posted April 19th (the "secret tour" of the set with Emilia, where Emilia and Kit are both in costume), Emilia is wearing the S7 coat and has her hair done differently, and Kit is wearing a brown, quilted tunic (as opposed to the dark grey tunic in the cover), so I'm guessing whatever Kit and Emilia were filming when they filmed the Omaze video, it was from an earlier episode than the Iceland scenes from the cover photograph for the EW story.

It also seems like the white fur coat and variants thereof will be Dany's "uniform" in S8, at least for the first four episodes.

I noticed that the EW cover story illustration featured Jon, Dany, Tyrion, Arya, Bran and Sansa. Does that mean that in the published magazine there will be photos of Maisie, Sophie, Isaac and Peter in costume?

The selection of who gets to do the season promo photoshoots in costume is always interesting. Not surprising that Kit and Emilia do it almost every season (with Kit missing Season 6 for obvious reasons, and Emilia missing the Stark-only Season 7 shoot for obvious reasons.)

Season 2 (EW): Dany, Jon, Tyrion, Cersei, Jaime

Season 3 (for TV Guide): Dany, Jaime, Tyrion, Cersei, Robb, Cat, and Jon

Season 4 (Vanity Fair): Pretty much everyone, but the cover was Dany, Tyrion, Jon, Jaime, and Cersei

Season 5 (EW): Dany, Jon, Tyrion, Arya

Season 6 (EW, "Dame of Thrones" theme): Dany, Arya, Cersei, Sansa, Margaery, Brienne

Season 7 (EW): Jon, Arya, Sansa, Bran

Season 8 (EW): Jon, Dany, and maybe a few others

It's too bad that EW already used the "GAME OVER" tagline for their Season 7 promotional issue, but using "ENDGAME" right next to a Jonerys picture is too delicious, although outside online fandom circles I'm not sure many people associate "endgame" with the fandom meaning of "still being or becoming a couple at the very end of the show."

It would be very fitting if the characters featured in the final season promo photoshoot for the show are the original five (plus Sansa)--Jon, Dany, Tyrion, Arya and Bran--since GRRM said way back in 1993 that it was all about these five central characters. Of course, that said, their appearance in the photoshoot doesn't guarantee their survival: Cat and Robb appeared in the S3 photoshoot, Margaery in the S6 photoshoot, and a bunch of characters appeared in the S4 photoshoot who wound up dying that season (Tywin, Joffrey, and Ygritte).

I am kind of puzzled by the timing, though. The promotional EW photoshoot issue usually doesn't appear until shortly before the season in question airs, and the very earliest GOT could air is in March. Maybe there will be multiple promotional EW issues this year...?

45 minutes ago, YaddaYadda said:

Dany's white coat with the red reminds me of weirwood colors, Ghost's white coat and red eyes. 

I haven't even seen the coat from the front and I'm in love with it. I didn't think Michele Clapton could improve on Dany's S7 white coat, and then she goes and makes another coat with that whorl of fur at the top and red accents. Perfection! When she gets it right, she really gets it right.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Eyes High

[MrsR]

That's wolf fur on the top of her coat!!!! SOB!!!! It's Ghost!!  NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

 

Just kidding ... I hope.

 

Actually she looks like she's frelling freezing in that photo.

[Eyes High]

I missed this from the initial discussion of the cover story, but it sounds like Sophie had a reaction to the scripts similar to Emilia's:

Quote

Sophie Turner flew through her copies in record time, quickly messaging the producers her reaction. “It was completely overwhelming,” says the actress, who plays Sansa Stark. “Afterwards I felt numb, and I had to take a walk for hours.” 

We already knew about Emilia's dramatic reaction, since she said in a previous interview that she had to go for a three-hour drive after reading the scripts (or words to that effect), but it sounds as if Sophie reacted exactly the same way. 

And then there's this:

Quote

Even showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss were uncharacteristically anxious, wondering how the actors would react to the climactic twists. “We knew exactly when our script coordinator sent them out, we knew what minute they sent them, and then you’re just waiting for the emails,” Benioff said.

It sounds like they were expecting the actors to flip out, too, which may explain why the cast and crew have been so guarded when asked about whether fans will like the ending.

[Smad]

Of course Sansa isn't thrilled. I don't expect anyone from the North to be thrilled. They wanted their independence. Of course they won't know that they lost their independence just because their King wanted to get laid. Sansa will probably get that and be extra pissed. But of course it will be off no consequence because everyone loves Dany (*barf*). And of course whatever character drama goes on in Winterfell will be interrupted by WW because D&D don't know how to do character drama to save their lives. Best just to have WW crash the party.

The only satisfying end to this show for me is everyone who was involved with the 'wight capture' dies a gruesome death. That kind of evil does not deserve to go unpunished. If it does, I'm going to pretend S8 didn't happen and the WW ultimately won.

[bubble sparkly]

8 hours ago, Eyes High said:

I haven't even seen the coat from the front and I'm in love with it. I didn't think Michele Clapton could improve on Dany's S7 white coat, and then she goes and makes another coat with that whorl of fur at the top and red accents. Perfection! When she gets it right, she really gets it right.

The coat is amazing!!  It was awesome in s7 but this is next level fabulous.

Sansa being displeased about Jon's "fancy Targaryen girlfriend" is funny, although not unexpected.  Poor Jon, 4 years of celibacy and now he can't even date his aunt without it turning into a whole family squabble lol.

[ElizaD]

Black, red and white are the perfect colors for Jon/Dany - Targaryen and Northern. I hope we'll get another huge photoshoot with most of the surviving cast, like Vanity Fair in season 4, because this is the biggest finale since Friends and GOT deserves an epic farewell.

Looking at the unspoiled reader reactions to the article, I'm seeing talk about how the big final battle is at Winterfell and not the Trident (and must have been changed for the show by the hacks of course!), with a surprisingly noticeable number of people not guessing "first at Winterfell and then King's Landing." I guess this is a misdirection that's working at the moment, but I wonder if it'll last when we get trailers: will they only include Winterfell material and generic battle scenes, not something that would make it clear that there will also be epic stuff happening in KL in 8x05-06?

[anamika]

17 hours ago, Eyes High said:

Yes, I think so! I assume this is a reference to the epic battle between the AOTD and the living.

ETA: It was the very first weekend in March, but could the writer be referring to this?

So I went back and checked our discussions for March for cast sightings.

March 4rth : Kit, Peter, Jacob, Emilia and two women who maybe Lena and Peter’s wife. Lena’s body double was filming in early march.

March 16th Alfie, Maisie and Kit are in Belfast

March 19th Kit, Maisie, Joe Dempsie and Jacob. Emilia may have been leaving or returning to Belfast.

March 20th : Gwen and NCW spotted around Belfast

March 23rd: Maisie, NCW, Gwen, John Bradley, Carice (Maise’s stunt double has gone home, so what is being filmed are not likely to be fight/battle scenes) . Emilia may also be there because she skipped Solo promo. Since John Bradley is there, it’s possible Isaac is as well.

March 27th: NCW, Gwen, Emilia, Sophie, Maisie, Isaac, John Bradley, Kit, Ben Crompton. Peter may have been there as well. Pretty much most of the cast are gathered. Possibly some major filming happening here. This could be when Sophie wrapped in Belfast as she mentioned that almost all the cast members were present for her last day when she finished and was presented with her wrap gifts.

March 29th battle shooting at Saintfield wraps. Maisie and Sophie leave Belfast.

I don't see any surprises or standouts here that matches this description

Quote

I look around at a meticulously constructed set that I’ve never seen on the show before. Several actors are performing, and I’m stunned: There are characters in the finale that I did not expect. I gradually begin to piece together what has happened in Westeros over the previous five episodes and try not to look like I’m freaking out.

There is absolutely nothing more that can be said about that scene at this time.

unless he is talking about characters like Gendry, Jaime, Cersei, Theon  - the actors who played them were in Belfast in March. Or secondary characters like Sweetrobin played by Lino who may have been there but missed by fans.

Edited November 2, 2018 by anamika

[Happy Harpy]

1 hour ago, anamika said:

unless he is talking about characters like Gendry, Jaime, Cersei, Theon  - the actors who played them were in Belfast in March. Or secondary characters like Sweetrobin played by Lino who may have been there but missed by fans.

I think it's Cersei. Most people (not following spoilers) probably expect her to croak early in the season and the NK to replace her as the One Big Bad, with the game of thrones --> war for the dawn narrative shift.

[SimoneS]

12 minutes ago, Happy Harpy said:

I think it's Cersei. Most people (not following spoilers) probably expect her to croak early in the season and the NK to replace her as the One Big Bad, with the game of thrones --> war for the dawn narrative shift.

I agree that the writer is referring to Cersei. I know I am surprised as hell that she is still alive in the finale. D&D have jumped through hoops to keep her alive. 

Edited November 2, 2018 by SimoneS

[Eyes High]

4 hours ago, anamika said:

So I went back and checked our discussions for March for cast sightings.

Thanks for going back and wading through all the cast sightings, @anamika. 

On March 7th on Irishthrones they said that the week before, Emilia had been filming some "huge" scenes at Moneyglass (the exterior Winterfell set), so I'm thinking that the Belfast scene Hibberd is talking about was filmed later in the month. 

Specifically about the 27th:

Quote

March 27th: NCW, Gwen, Emilia, Sophie, Maisie, Isaac, John Bradley, Kit, Ben Crompton. Peter may have been there as well. Pretty much most of the cast are gathered. Possibly some major filming happening here. This could be when Sophie wrapped in Belfast as she mentioned that almost all the cast members were present for her last day when she finished and was presented with her wrap gifts.

I thought Sophie was in Belfast in mid-April, though. Fanbelfastleigh (former Fanbelfast) on Twitter seemed to think Sophie was filming then, and they usually have a pretty good handle on where she is at any given time.

Quote

March 29th battle shooting at Saintfield wraps. Maisie and Sophie leave Belfast.

I thought Sophie and Maisie left the 28th.

Quote

unless he is talking about characters like Gendry, Jaime, Cersei, Theon  - the actors who played them were in Belfast in March. Or secondary characters like Sweetrobin played by Lino who may have been there but missed by fans.

Hibberd quoted Lena in the "March 2018" part of the article, so he's probably talking about Cersei.

Quote

I hope we'll get another huge photoshoot with most of the surviving cast, like Vanity Fair in season 4, because this is the biggest finale since Friends and GOT deserves an epic farewell.

The Kit/Emilia S8 photo isn't strictly speaking a photoshoot, though (even though I mistakenly called it one several times and lumped it in with previous photoshoots.) The interesting thing about the cover photo is that it's not a photoshoot by the EW photographer (Marc), which is how they've done things in previous years. It's an actual "exclusive Season 8 photo" taken by Helen Sloan, the GOT stills photographer. So it's not actually part of a photoshoot of the actors in their costumes (like the Jon/Dany cover from Season 2), but a photo from Season 8. That means that we may yet wind up with a proper photoshoot of the GOT cast posing in their costumes. 

Edited November 2, 2018 by Eyes High

[Leila6]

Assuming he is talking about Cersei, any guesses as to what the set is? We’ve already seen the throne room, the dungeons, the dragon skulls room, the map courtyard, and Cersei’s bedroom. I’m not sure what else it could be in the Red Keep, so it seems like it has to be somewhere else. But where? The big King’s Landing set they constructed wasn’t finished yet in March, IIRC.

[Eyes High]

37 minutes ago, Leila6 said:

Assuming he is talking about Cersei, any guesses as to what the set is? We’ve already seen the throne room, the dungeons, the dragon skulls room, the map courtyard, and Cersei’s bedroom. I’m not sure what else it could be in the Red Keep, so it seems like it has to be somewhere else. But where? The big King’s Landing set they constructed wasn’t finished yet in March, IIRC.

If it's a postwar scene, it's probably a new room in a new building: the new throne room, e.g. That's my guess, anyway.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Eyes High

[SimoneS]

30 minutes ago, Leila6 said:

Assuming he is talking about Cersei, any guesses as to what the set is? We’ve already seen the throne room, the dungeons, the dragon skulls room, the map courtyard, and Cersei’s bedroom. I’m not sure what else it could be in the Red Keep, so it seems like it has to be somewhere else. But where? The big King’s Landing set they constructed wasn’t finished yet in March, IIRC.

A trial room? 

[Eyes High]

James Hibberd did a radio bit today. Not much extra information, but there are a few tidbits (summarized by /Tantrums_and_Tiaras at /Freefolk):

1. For the final season, there are scenes where two people are having a conversation that before would have taken one day to film and for the final season took three days.

2. They looked at films like The Two Towers (LOTR), which had the Battle of Helm's Deep, and 13 Assassins (2010), which had a 40+ minute action sequence. They made the action character-driven: there will be switching between different character perspectives. Different fan fave characters will be engaged in their own survival stories and each story will be in its own genre, with its own feel and challenges to it. 

3. A couple of times James Hibberd had to go on a bit of a walk to internalize and process what was going on or what someone had slipped talking to him.

4. They expanded the set partly to reduce the VFX work required in postproduction.

5. We will find out the premiere date soon.

ETA: /BoatsexBaby just pointed out something very interesting. The original Dragonstone throne room set looks like this. Alexandra Parker took a selfie on the Dragonstone throne in March during a tour of the GOT set and posted it to Instagram. The background is different, and it seems as if the sky is visible behind her. Was the throne moved?

The True Detective Season 3 full trailer dropped today, two months before the show is supposed to start airing. The teaser dropped at the end of August. So on that timeline (roughly):

Teaser: 140 days before premiere date (4.5+ months)

Trailer: 72 days before premiere date (2+ months)

They may have jumped the gun on True Detective promotion because True Detective aired three years ago. Still, the GOT "sigils" teaser aired about four months before the premiere. If the show premieres in late April, we should get something in January at least.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Eyes High

[Minneapple]

My prediction for the trailer is Super Bowl Sunday (early February).

[Wouter]

6 hours ago, SimoneS said:

I agree that the writer is referring to Cersei. I know I am surprised as hell that she is still alive in the finale. D&D have jumped through hoops to keep her alive. 

Not necessarily D&D. In the books, there is a prophecy that the Valonqar will strangle her after the YMBQ has taken everything she valued. This would suggest that the YMBQ actually does not kill her (and I doubt "the Valonqar" would be acting on her orders), so it could well be supposed to be at the very end of the books (should those ever get completed).

 

Regarding the battles, it's a possibility that Winterfell will be the big battle and that Dany/Jon actually win the battle. In the sense that the castle (or at least a part of it, think Helm's Deep) isn't taken, the NK loses many wights and does not really inflict a crippling amount of casualties on his opponent. It could be only part of the NK's army (with other parts going to attack other places) or all of it. It's possible one or both sides lost a dragon at this point, though this may be reserved for the final confrontation at/near KL.

If so, this could lead the NK to regroup and sent his remaining forces south to go directly to KL (bypassing Dany/Jon, if possible, to go for the largely unprepared south), aiming to zombify a large percentage of the population there. This would more than erase his (possible) losses at Winterfell.

This would make it less likely that Cersei would order an attack on Winterfell - the fighting there is then entirely living vs death. It also would make sense if "Winter Fell" there.

[Eyes High]

1 hour ago, Minneapple said:

My prediction for the trailer is Super Bowl Sunday (early February).

The first trailer for Season 7 came out roughly two months before the premiere, so yes, it could be.

As for what the trailer will contain, the trailers for Season 7 had I think a single shot from 7x07 (Theon collapsing on the beach) and one bit of dialogue (Sansa quoting Ned). So I wouldn't expect a lot from 8x06 in the trailer unless it's action. They will probably stuff the S8 trailer full of shots of the Winterfell battle, plus some shots from Winterfell from the first two episodes where presumably everyone's arguing about whatever. We may also get some shots of the non-spoilery hookups (Jon/Dany making out, e.g.), since the S7 trailer had Yara/Ellaria and Grey/Worm scenes. Someone's going to be having some last-ditch end of the world sex, right?

I looked through the March sightings in this thread and on Twitter, and the only time Sophie was in Belfast was the last week in March, and even then it was only for two or three days' worth of filming. If this 8x06 scene filmed in March involved Sansa, the only time it could have been filmed was that last week. Otherwise, Sansa wouldn't have been present, and if this big 8x06 scene is set in the reconstructed throne room, there may not be any reason for Sansa to be present (i.e. because she has already gone back to Winterfell or off to the Vale or to Dorne or wherever). That being said, if this scene was filmed on March 26th/27th, then Sansa would be part of the scene.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Eyes High

[BadAssRobinArryn]

IMO, many of the characters that are supposed to be in the scene could be wights.

The author said this after all:

Quote

I gradually begin to piece together what has happened in Westeros over the previous five episodes and try not to look like I’m freaking out.

So the scene must give away something from the Season, and it could be which characters fell victim to the Night King.

Edited November 2, 2018 by BadAssRobinArryn
Correcting a typo

[Eyes High]

25 minutes ago, BadAssRobinArryn said:

So the scene must give away something from the Season, and it could be which characters fell victim to the Night King.

Hibberd sure seemed to imply that something insane must have happened in the preceding five episodes to lead to that 8x06 scene. 

Edited November 2, 2018 by Eyes High

[Wouter]

31 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

Hibberd sure seemed to imply that something insane must have happened in the preceding five episodes to lead to that 8x06 scene. 

Hibberd is a HBO mouthpiece though, so he's not going to divulge info nor give impressions that HBO don't want to be given.

[GrailKing]

Game of Thrones: Analysis of new information from EW. Small spoilers (photo by Jon and Daenerys) I don't know Spanish so we know the drill. : )