Season 8: Speculation and Spoilers Discussion

[Eyes High]

5 hours ago, Happy Harpy said:

Edit: It seems the content was the unveiling of the 16 EW covers (same characters as in the last campaign, except some are together on the cover: Greyworm+ Missandei, Jorah+ Varys, Theon + Uncle Fester, Melisandre + Davos; and two are a bonus: Gilly with Sam, and The Mountain with The Hound).

There's also a group picture it seems. Guess who's posing as "not so secret lovers" on it. LOL.

I'm loving the covers, especially the one of Davos staring angrily at Melisandre as if he's put out at having to be on the same cover as her.

27 minutes ago, SeanC said:

EW: Account of filming the Battle of Winterfell.

Cogman interestingly seems to describe it as “the final face-off between the Army of the Dead and the army of the living.”

Sounds like it was exhausting to film.

And dangerous, too! One of the series regular actresses fainted during the filming.

This EW article confirms that the finale will indeed air on May 19th, so no breaks as some feared.

[Happy Harpy]

35 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

I'm loving the covers, especially the one of Davos staring angrily at Melisandre as if he's put out at having to be on the same cover as her.

It's even better since Liam and Carice seem so friendly!

[spaceghostess]

Ooh, the group photo is fun! Looks like Varys has Jorah's ear; poor Theon, with the Mountain looming behind him.

[YaddaYadda]

So I gather that the battle at Winterfell is the basically the actual battle for the dawn, or is it just me?

[Edith]

From the EW article: https://ew.com/tv/game-of-thrones-cast-photos-season-8/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Sophie Turner: “Sansa this season is very much enjoying becoming a leader in her own right, and this year there are certain challenges by people who threaten that.” 

Maisie Williams: "There’s this split with Arya between trying to be who she wants to be — getting back to back to that naiveté and innocence with her family — and her unfinished business.”

Lena Headey: “As usual with Cersei, she’s trapped in a web of her own making.”

Peter Dinklage: “He’s trying to figure out who he really is in this storm of negotiations.” 

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: “He’s choosing to do what he believes is right.” 

Nathalie Emmanuel: "[Grey Worm is] the thing she wants to live for. They've got this lovely bond that is worth fighting for." 

Conleth Hill: "He is effective, as always."

Kit Harington: “The end of the world might be coming soon, but at least he’s in love with somebody and knows who he is — and then comes a sledgehammer.” 

Emilia Clarke: "There’s so much she’s seen and witnessed and been through and lost and suffered and hurt. She’s been working for this her entire existence."

Alfie Allen: "There are choices to be made, and a coming together."

Gwendoline Christie: “This is the season where Brienne’s gender is really no longer an issue. She’s treated as an equal by all.”

Rory McCann: “There will be a chance of squaring up to his brother and facing those demons.”

Hafþór Björnsson: "…"

Carice van Houten: "She is definitely on a mission."

Jacob Anderson: "The chances of anyone surviving are remote, and they're aware of that."

Liam Cunningham: “This is what people have been waiting for over the years.”

John Bradley: "Sam is really feeling the responsibility of this information. But he knows Jon would rather hear this from Sam than anybody else." 

Pilou Asbaek: "He wants to become the king of the Seven Kingdoms, yet he’s also blackmailing Cersei." 

Isaac Hempstead-Wright: "We see a slightly wiser Bran this year, who’s less like robot overload."

Iain Glen: "He’s been given the greatest challenges around Dany. He’ll be tested like never before.

Edited March 4, 2019 by Edith

[LilWharveyGal]

18 minutes ago, Edith said:

Hafþór Björnsson: "…"

Ok I admit it, this made me LOL.

[Cujoy]

2 hours ago, YaddaYadda said:

So I gather that the battle at Winterfell is the basically the actual battle for the dawn, or is it just me?

Cersie as the final Boss?  Human conflict has been front and center from the start, so it would make a kind of sense.  But does this match what we know about the KL battle?  We know that the city burns, and I've assumed that is because of a dragon battle between Dany and the Night King.

[nikma]

3 hours ago, YaddaYadda said:

So I gather that the battle at Winterfell is the basically the actual battle for the dawn, or is it just me?

Maybe, but it would spoil the plot if they said there is another big battle after that. 

[SeanC]

19 minutes ago, nikma said:

Maybe, but it would spoil the plot if they said there is another big battle after that. 

I mean, they didn't really have to say anything.

Now, I agree it's not conclusive (and it would be funny if, after all that secrecy, they spoiled it so carelessly in an official publication), but in a lot of ways it does make sense. 

Principally, it's never been particularly logical to me that Team Good Guys get completely routed at Winterfell, the castle burned to the ground, and yet seemingly every important character (and their soldiers) somehow make their way south to King's Landing for the season finale.

[bubble sparkly]

If the WF battle really is the final stand with the AOTD, does that contradict Friki’s claims about Tyrion? Wasn’t he supposed to be locking the gates to KL or something?

[nikma]

9 minutes ago, SeanC said:

and yet seemingly every important character (and their soldiers) somehow make their way south to King's Landing for the season finale.

Well, they will have Bran and Melisandre, so magic could help them to escape. 

[GrailKing]

[Wouter]

3 hours ago, SeanC said:

I mean, they didn't really have to say anything.

Now, I agree it's not conclusive (and it would be funny if, after all that secrecy, they spoiled it so carelessly in an official publication), but in a lot of ways it does make sense. 

Principally, it's never been particularly logical to me that Team Good Guys get completely routed at Winterfell, the castle burned to the ground, and yet seemingly every important character (and their soldiers) somehow make their way south to King's Landing for the season finale.

I agree, there can hardly be a total defeat at Winterfell, for Dany's forces.

But while the army of the death may be (largely or entirely) be defeated there - where Winter fell - the NK might escape, with Viserion and maybe with a group of white walkers, to go make new wights at KL. Ot maybe he had split his army beforehand, so only one of his armies is defeated and the other one goes straight for the main prize.

[anamika]

7 hours ago, Edith said:

Isaac Hempstead-Wright: "We see a slightly wiser Bran this year, who’s less like robot overload."

Yess! Thank you. Last season's Robo-Bran was so annoying. Wiser, back to normal Bran is very welcome. Looks like Bran is actually, finally getting a story this season.

7 hours ago, Edith said:

Lena Headey: “As usual with Cersei, she’s trapped in a web of her own making.”

I think this tells me that Cersei is the younger more beautiful queen responsible for her own downfall based on the prophecy she heard Maggy.

And there's no way that the AOTD is defeated in episode 3 in WF. Two episodes of drama in WF, one big fight and it's over? lol.

And now that I have had a better look at Sansa's new dress, I am not a fan.  An overload of fish scales. Boring.

Edited March 5, 2019 by anamika

[SimoneS]

EW makes the filming of the battle scene sound brutal for the cast and crew. I am confused though. If this is the huge battle from episode 3 or 4, what happens in the rest of the season?

Edited March 5, 2019 by SimoneS

[anamika]

I have to say, this is my favorite new costume of this season so far.

Simple, elegant and the hint of color with the flowers on the hem is very pretty. She looks nice.

[Happy Harpy]

6 hours ago, SimoneS said:

EW makes the filming of the battle scene sound brutal for the cast and crew. I am confused though. If this is the huge battle from episode 3 or 4, what happens in the rest of the season?

That's why it's partly a smoke screen, imo. By stressing the importance of the WF battle, they throw the audience in for a loop ("Who's the big bad?" "Will the NK be defeated in WF?"  etc.) and divert their attention from the other big battle in KL.

If the KL battle is dragon vs dragon, or human vs dragon (Qyburn's scorpion on the KL walls) as well as KL people running, it might have been less daunting for the regular cast than the WF battle, where there should be lots of close combat for everyone.

[GrailKing]

[Minneapple]

Um, that trailer sounds really boring. No Drogon fucking things up? Come on.

[onyxrose81]

D&D didn't want one in the first place so I wasn't expecting anything over the top.  

[nikma]

Friki was proven right one again

Edited March 5, 2019 by nikma

[YaddaYadda]

The single one thing I find a bit shocking in the trailer is Cersei and how she seems to be displaying actual emotions in that 3 seconds we get of her.

Also, people are hiding out in the crypts, so I wonder if they might bring up that it could be warded against the Others.

Edited March 5, 2019 by YaddaYadda

[Meredith Quill]

THE HYPE IS HERE.

 

Just now, YaddaYadda said:

The single one thing I find a bit shocking in the trailer is Cersei and how she seems to be displaying actual emotions in that 3 seconds we get of her.

I noticed she is teary eyed and is drinking again, so looks like it's after her miscarriage.

[Happy Harpy]

OMG, Arya, my baby! (and my other baby was in the trailer! Manning the forges!). The contrast between her cold poised persona and her bloody face running in the corridors had a wow factor (was it in WF or in KL? Maybe the last scene she filmed, with the picture of her bloody shoes?). I couldn't help but likening it to the fandom, before the season starts, and the fandom once the season airs, LOL.

Dany and Jon in the crypt, could it be that scene interrupted by the beginning of the battle? It was wildly believed to be Jon and Arya, but IIRC it was "Jon and another character".

It looks as if WF is bracing itself for the arrival of the AOTD, but the GC is definitely on its way so it might be.

Friki has always had a good track record just before/during airing, what was subject to caution was whether he could have legit info months before. Although it's Kaysen, a mod at FF, who announced the right date several days before he did.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Happy Harpy

[Minneapple]

Some beautiful visuals in the trailer. Jon under the heart tree and the dragons flying through the snow-covered mountains. 

I love the look of wonder on everyone's faces when they see the dragons for the first time. 

[nikma]

I'm now 100% sure that Tyrion dies. Friki is legit, proven once again by the trailer, and he stands by his leaks about tyrion, even if we have only 40 days until E1.

Edited March 5, 2019 by nikma

[Happy Harpy]

On rewatch, does Jaime scream "Bran" or "Bronn" or do my cold make me imagine things?

And speaking of Jaime, I had a S1 déjà-vu because the commander of the GC whose back we saw, on the boat, had all of the golden lion LOL.

[GrailKing]

10 minutes ago, Happy Harpy said:

OMG, Arya, my baby! (and my other baby was in the trailer! Manning the forges!). The contrast between her cold poised persona and her bloody face running in the corridors had a wow factor (was it in WF or in KL? Maybe the last scene she filmed, with the picture of her bloody shoes?). I couldn't help but likening it to the fandom, before the season starts, and the fandom once the season airs, LOL.

Dany and Jon in the crypt, could it be that scene interrupted by the beginning of the battle? It was wildly believed to be Jon and Arya, but IIRC it was "Jon and another character".

It looks as if WF is bracing itself for the arrival of the AOTD, but the GC is definitely on its way so it might be.

Friki has always had a good track record just before/during airing, what was subject to caution was whether he could have legit info months before. Although it's Kaysen, a mod at FF, who announced the right date several days before he did.

Arya was scared ( as she should be ), at least till she starts fighting, she knows death., I think Sansa's scared, and worried, but she wasn't in the crypt with Varys and others it was a bit hard to read her face, maybe praying these dragons work. Cersei looking smug and Jon and Danny more than scenery shooting up North.

I thought that was Yara walking behind Gendry at the forge.

Edited March 5, 2019 by GrailKing

[onyxrose81]

There really was some beautiful shots in that trailer.

Arya is so shook and tbh, Varys is looking scared.  I'm scared.

Loved Dany and Jon arriving at Winterfell, and the brief showing of them in the crypts. Also...dragons!  

Missandei and Greyworm...oh, isn't that cute?  THANK U, NEXT.

Cersei...she's drinking again so pretty sure there's no baby.  Such a pity.

I'm so hyped and I didn't think I would be.

[YaddaYadda]

4 minutes ago, Happy Harpy said:

And speaking of Jaime, I had a S1 déjà-vu because the commander of the GC whose back we saw, on the boat, had all of the golden lion LOL.

It really looked Jaime like that, didn't it. Then I realized it couldn't be and that it was the GC. They certainly dressed them the part in the golden armor.

[SeanC]

Visually quite excellent, as you’d expect.

I was wondering if the show was going to just have Dany ride a dragon, but all the shots of Jon and Dany with both remaining dragons makes me think they might still put Jon on Rhaegal.

[GrailKing]

At :40 looking at WF is that Arya, or  commoner ?

[GrailKing]

2 minutes ago, SeanC said:

Visually quite excellent, as you’d expect.

I was wondering if the show was going to just have Dany ride a dragon, but all the shots of Jon and Dany with both remaining dragons makes me think they might still put Jon on Rhaegal.

That make a large base of the fandom happy.

Just don't put Arya on the back of a Direwolf, I think that be corny. Rather they follow right behind her all fierce.

Was hoping to get an inkling of Sansa's fight.

[Minneapple]

Sansa looks calculating. "Bitch, those dragons better not eat my lemoncakes. Do you know how hard it is to find lemons in the North in winter?" 

What is Arya running from or toward? She's bloody and messy so she's been in a fight. 

I hope Jon gets to ride Rhaegal at some point.

[GrailKing]

3 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

Sansa looks calculating. "Bitch, those dragons better not eat my lemoncakes. Do you know how hard it is to find lemons in the North in winter?" 

What is Arya running from or toward? She's bloody and messy so she's been in a fight. 

I hope Jon gets to ride Rhaegal at some point.

I don't think she looks calculating, more like this shit better work, or we're fooked.

[Spartan Girl]

I am SO READY.

[VCRTracking]

Y'know normally waiting while two of your enemies fight each other so when it's over one is gone and the victor is exhausted IS a good strategy. EXCEPT for the fact that if one army wins it doesn't just defeat the other army, it makes them one of them and they become TWICE as powerful.

[GrailKing]

I think Sansa on the walls, as the dragon fly bye, is seconds after Arya's in Wintertown.

Arya's amazed, and Sansa praying this shit works, just before she goes and meet Jon and company.

Also Looks like someone in a black cape is with Jon in the crypts, just before danny blocks the view.

Edited March 5, 2019 by GrailKing

[anamika]

Arya: I look forward to meeting the dead..

Arya: RUN AWAY!

I find it slightly hilarious that Jon is brooding all over the place - probably after parentage reveal. Here, let me stand under the weirwood and brood. Here, let me stand in front of Ned's statue and brood. He is probably Broody McBroodface next season.

Arya with the spear looked pretty bad-ass.  So does Greyworm.

[Eyes High]

2 minutes ago, anamika said:

Arya: I look forward to meeting the dead..

Arya: RUN AWAY!

I find it slightly hilarious that Jon is brooding all over the place - probably after parentage reveal. Here, let me stand under the weirwood and brood. Here, let me stand in front of Ned's statue and brood. He is probably Broody McBroodface next season.

Hee. Jon is frontloading his brooding in the early episodes because there's not going to be any time for that shit after the AOTD attacks in 8x03.

I guess Jaime does make it to Winterfell well before the big battle, since I assume he is addressing everyone in the Great Hall about his promise to fight for the living.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Eyes High

[domina89]

Jorah has a very large sword that looks suspiciously like Heartsbane...

[spaceghostess]

28 minutes ago, anamika said:

I find it slightly hilarious that Jon is brooding all over the place - probably after parentage reveal. Here, let me stand under the weirwood and brood. Here, let me stand in front of Ned's statue and brood. He is probably Broody McBroodface next season.

 

Yep, that's definitely the expression of a man who's been knocked flat with extreme prejudice by the Wet Blanket of Boning One's Aunt. 

[Edith]

[Happy Harpy]

1 hour ago, GrailKing said:

I thought that was Yara walking behind Gendry at the forge.

No, it wasn't her. I wish!

They did reveal that Tormund and Beric survived, though.

Edit: Arya in the beginning is definitely running from WWs. She has the dragonglass dagger in her left hand.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Happy Harpy

[Lady Iris]

Has there been any speculation that Jaquen Hagar will be around this last season? Please and thank you.

[Happy Harpy]

1 minute ago, Lady Iris said:

Has there been any speculation that Jaquen Hagar will be around this last season? Please and thank you.

The actor was seen on set during the shoot in Seville. No one is certain he actually filmed.

[Marty]

Delurking for the trailer ! Curious about the Jon Dany scene in the crypt. The tyrion scene between 2 dragons Dany (again emotive, closing eyes) and a dragon confirmed how much they like to tease Tyrion real or false demise. But, yeah the leak is too vague for me and frikki seem more using educated guess than anything else for me to totally buy it.. Will see! I mean by the season final everyone will be just over the Tyrion dead as everybody and their mother ( the actor, the special effect crew, hbo interesting the only leak) that the surprise would be....Not have him dying or not for what people believe. 

[Advance35]

So I guess the rumors are true.  There is a photo circulating that shows Sansa in Kings Landing.  Standing before Cersei, Qyburn, The Mountain and Harry Strickland?!?!?

I'm just so glad Cersei and Sanss will interact before one/or both of them die.

[Lady Iris]

Didn't just realize til now how much I'd love a Sansa smackdown of Cersei ala Ramsey, minus the dogs and mutilation mind you but that satisfaction of having the final say.

[Happy Harpy]

People are freaking out because they're afraid Arya will die. Very smart promo maneuver if the leaks are true and it's another fan favorite (Tyrion) who dies instead.