We’re in the endgame now, folks.
Season 8 of HBO’s Game of Thrones is in the can (production just wrapped in Belfast, Northern Ireland last month), and viewers are already beginning to sweat over the fate of their favorite characters.
Sure, the likes of Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow Aegon Targaryen may seem home and dry, but George R.R. Martin has proved time and time again that he’s willing to kill off any major Thrones character at the drop of a hat – a writing style he weaned from J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy masterclass, The Lord of the Rings.
To make matters more interesting, long-time series stalwart Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei) has warned fans to brace for a “heartbreaking” finale while discussing Game of Thrones‘ eighth and final season in an interview with IANS (h/t ComicBook.com):
There are so many characters and stories that haven’t found their conclusion. So, this season is going to be incredibly satisfying for people. It is going to be incredibly exciting and heartbreaking. All of the things that you expect from Game of Thrones, but at the same time since it is the last one, the emotions will be so much more intense. I am very excited for people to see it. We have been working so hard on it. The production is finished now.
Going one step further, the Thrones actress admitted that viewers will have their minds suitably blown when watching the sixth and final episode of season 8, as there are simply so, so many storylines beginning to converge (and come to a conclusion).
I think what we can expect from the final season of GoT is just a real push. Like in the last couple of seasons, we have seen the pace of the show increase with the stakes getting higher and higher. There are so many storylines that have to come to conclusion. We have to play them out, so the pace of the show is continuing on that sense.
April 2019 appears to be the tentative release window for HBO’s Game of Thrones, though we’ll keep you updated if and when we learn more.