‘Game of Thrones’ Final Season: Everything You Need to Know About Season 8

A Coffee Cup Was Left in a Scene

Did you catch the coffee cup on the table in the Great Hall in Winterfell in Episode 4, “The Last of the Starks”?

HBO joked about the issue, releasing a statement: “The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake. Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea,”

If you missed it, here are a couple looks at the funny mistake:

my favorite show in the entire world forgot a STARBUCKS COFFEE CUP ON THE TABLE WHILE FILMING pic.twitter.com/60z3pOCfg9

— zane (@zane) May 6, 2019

Someone really left a Starbucks coffee cup out…made it into@the final season of thrones. They’re really mailing this whole season in. pic.twitter.com/qwOwxV2Bkc

— Danny LoPriore (@DannyLoPriore) May 6, 2019

-Plus, it’s not the first time GoT has made a mistake like that:

Everyone freaking out about the Starbucks cup in a Game of Thrones episode is also forgetting about this masterpiece of television from a few seasons ago pic.twitter.com/qADPueM9Fu

— Pixlriffs 🎮 (@Pixlriffs) May 6, 2019

See the Trailer for Episode 5

The trailer for Episode 5 is here—and it looks like there’s going to be another battle on Game of Thrones:

See the Trailer for Episode 4

The battle for Winterfell is over, but there’s another war to wage. Dany and the survivors of the battle are seen in the trailer for Episode 4 gathering together to fight against Cersei. And yes, Ghost is among the living! Take a look:

Go In-Depth on How the Battle for Winterfell Was Filmed

The battle in Episode 3 “The Long Night” was one of the biggest ever filmed on TV or for the movies. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look from HBO on how it was filmed. 

The Episode 3 Trailer Previews the Battle of Winterfell

After the battle preparations in Episode 2, the dead have arrived in Episode 3 and it’s time to fight in the Battle of Winterfell. The creators of the show have teased that this is the biggest produced battle in TV history. Check out the first look at Episode 3:

New Photos Give a Close Look at the Battle Ahead

After a great episode in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’, it’s time for battle HBO released the first photos from the upcoming episode, and things are starting to look very intense. 

See the Teaser Trailer for Season 8, Episode 2

While Episode 1, “Winterfell”, was more of a table-setting episode, it still had plenty of intrigue. One of the biggest moments came at the end when Jaime Lannister showed up in Winterfell to fight with the North and “for the living”. Last time Jaime was in Winterfell, he tossed Bran Stark out of a window and was still firmly a Lannister who hated the Starks. Now, years later, Jaime is a different man and while many of the characters don’t know that yet—they will. In the preview for Episode 2, Jaime’s arrival causes a lot of problems, but we think people like Brienne of Tarth and Bran (yes Bran!)—who can see things other people can’t—will vouch for Jaime and prove he’s telling the truth. Check out a look at the second episode of Game of Thrones Season 8 here: 

Episode 2 Photos Tease Confrontations

Here’s a look at some photos from Season 8, Episode 2 of Game of Thrones. Will Jaime convince everyone he’s on the good side now? Will Dany and Sansa start to get along? Get ready for what happens next. 

The 5 Best Reunions from Episode 1 'Winterfell'

The first episode of Game of Thrones is finally here. While there wasn’t a lot of action, there were plenty of major moments, including Jon finding out his true parents and also riding a dragon. But there also were some very important reunions. Here’s a look at the 5 best: 

Jon and Arya: These two were always close before the events of the series began, making this reunion even more emotional. The two haven’t shared a scene since Season 1 and they bonded over the sword Jon originally crafted for Arya, Needle. 

Jon and Bran: While this one was short, it was extremely important. Jon went through so much time thinking that Bran was dead, and they finally reunited back in Winterfell where everything began. Little does Jon know, Bran has information that will change everything. 

Tyrion and Sansa: After being forced into marriage way back, Tyrion was arrested for the death of King Joffrey, while Sansa escaped in the confusion. The two have a grudging respect for each other, but Sansa really puts Tyrion into place when he shows he trusted his sister Cersei. Sansa says, “I used to think you were the cleverest man alive.”

Arya and The Hound: After the travels across Westeros, these two former foes reunited for a quick moment. In the perfect way that only the Hound could, he says to Arya that she’s a “cold little bitch,” which to him is the closest he’s going to get to say something nice. Deep down we all know they love and care for each other. 

Arya and Gendry: Speaking of loving and caring for each other, Gendry and Arya are back together, and now Gendry has a mission from her: Make me this badass weapon. The two might have a future depending on how things play out, but it was nice to see these two friends back together. 

Honorable Mention: Jaime and Bran: This was short and sweet and will have some major implications for Episode 2. Jaime, the man who threw Bran out of a window in Episode 1 and caused him to lose his ability to walk, is back in Winterfell. 

Jon Snow's Pal Ghost Is Coming Back

Season Update: Ghost did return, fought in the Battle of Winterfell, and then was given to Tormund to live back in tyhe deep North with the wildlings. 

Fans of Game of Thrones were sad to see a major character not show up in Season 7: Jon Snow’s extremely loyal direwolf Ghost. The main reason for the absence of Ghost simply came down to logistics. The CGI effects used to create the direwolves can be a bit complicated, and since Season 7 also had ice-breathing dragons and other major set pieces, there simply wasn’t enough time or resources to get Ghost in—although Arya’s direwolf Nymeria made a triumphant return during the season. Now, Ghost will get his turn in Season 8.

“Oh, you’ll see him again. He has a fair amount of screen time in Season 8,” said VFX supervisor Joe Bauer in an interview with HuffPost. “He does show up. Ghost does show up, and he does some … he’s very present and does some pretty cool things in Season 8,” he said.

George R.R. Martin Wishes the Show Wasn't Ending

If it were up to the original creator, there would be more Game of Thrones. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter during the premiere of Game of Thrones Season 8, George R.R. Martin said: “I don’t think it should be the final season. But here we are. It seems to me we just started last week. Has it been longer than that? The time has passed by in a blur. But it’s exciting. I know it’s an end, but it’s not much of an end for me. I’m still deep in writing the books. We saw five other sequel shows in development. I think I’m going to be hanging around Westeros while everyone else has left. (Laughs.)”

The Directors for Episodes Are ‘GoT’ Veterans

Even though things have been kept under wraps for Season 8, one thing that is certain are the directors of the episodes. For the final six, HBO announced that Game of Thrones has enlisted David Nutter and Miguel Sapochnik, along with series creators David Benioff and D.B Weiss, to direct the episodes. Nutter and Sapochnik have both worked on the series before: Sapochnik directed classic episodes “Battle of the Bastards” and “Hardhome,” while Nutter directed the “Red Wedding” episode “The Rains of Castamere.”

We May Know When the Major Battle is Happening

Season Update: It did happen—and it was WILD. Expect another battle in Episode 5.

There have been reports from Season 8 that the crew spent over 55 days (and nights) filming an epic battle scene, which is expected to be one of the biggest filmed in TV history. Thanks to a new interview with actor Vladimír Furdík, who plays the Night King on the show, we may know when that battle happens on the show.

“In the third part of the last season, there is a battle that the creators intend to be the biggest in television history,” Furdik said to Hungarian website SorozatWiki. “Almost the full episode will be about the battle, it will take about an hour.”

Multiple Endings Have Been Filmed

Spoilers have always been a major issue for Game of Thrones, and with it being the final season, the secrecy of the production has gone into overdrive. To avoid things leaking out, HBO programming president Casey Bloys  said in an interview with The Morning Call that “multiple” endings of the show will be filmed to keep spoilers from getting out. “I know in ‘Game of Thrones,’ the ending, they’re going to shoot multiple versions so that nobody really knows what happens,” Bloys said.

Some Episodes Will Be Movie-Length

Even though there will only be six episodes, GoT fans will still get to spend a lot of time with the characters. Vanity Fair reported that some the final six episodes will be feature-length, meaning at least 60-70 minutes or longer. Actor Iain Glen seemingly confirmed this in an interview with Metro UK, saying “We all sat down for the read-through of six feature-length episodes. They took longer to film, cost more, and are more surprising.”

Now, the runtimes have been revealed. According to Variety, four of the six final episodes will be supersized. Here are the times:

Episode 1, Debut date: SUNDAY, APRIL 14 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT), Estimated running time: 0:54

Episode 2, Debut date: SUNDAY, APRIL 21 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT), Estimated running time: 0:58

Episode 3, Debut date: SUNDAY, APRIL 28 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT), Estimated running time: 1:22

Episode 4, Debut date: SUNDAY, MAY 5 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT), Estimated running time: 1:18

Episode 5, Debut date: SUNDAY, MAY 12 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT), Estimated running time: 1:20

Episode 6, Debut date: SUNDAY, MAY 19 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT), Estimated running time: 1:20

The Scope and Action Will Be Massive

Even though Season 7 took things to a huge level, Season 8 has even more in store for fans. In an interview with TV Guide, co-creator David Benioff said: “The scope of this [final] season definitely exceeds anything we’ve attempted before.

The New Promos Tease New Footage

Released just under two weeks from the premiere, HBO has given some new looks at the final season of Game of Thrones. There are 3 new promo trailers—one without new footage—that sets up the major battles to come between the living and the dead, and the living and the living. Who will end up on the Iron Throne? Take a look at these new promos: 

“Together”:

“Survival”:

“Aftermath”: