Game of Thrones: Season 8 Preview
The arrival of the Game of Thrones (GoT) final season trailer has heralded a feverish explosion of hopes, fears and scene-by-scene analysis. With over 45 million views on YouTube, the countdown towards the Season 8 premiere is well under way.
If the trailer is anything to go by, our heroes and villains are wearing expressions of pain, weariness and downright terror
But what can we expect from the final season? From new fans to seasoned veterans, half the fun is in the conspiracy. A quick browse in Reddit offers the most detailed and wackiest theories. Some you are no doubt familiar with: is Bran the Night King? Is Jon Snow Azor Ahai – the prince that was promised? Will Cersei go full mad queen and burn down King’s Landing? Most crucially, will we get the anticipated showdown between the Hound and the (undead) Mountain?
For stakes small and large, GoT has a lot to pack into its final season. If the trailer is anything to go by, our heroes and villains are wearing expressions of pain, weariness and downright terror. The kind of terror that comes with the impending threat of white walkers, an ice dragon and an ancient evil being able to raise the dead with a mere wave of his hand.
As the trailer begins, Arya ominously intones she knows death. But the sight of her fleeing for her life, covered in blood, suggests this final enemy is unlike anything she’s encountered. GoT has built its reputation on a lack of mercy towards its main characters. It seems an eternity ago that we watched with disbelief as the axe came down on Sean Bean’s Ned Stark. From the shock of the Red Wedding to Joffrey’s gruesome demise, GoT is no stranger to death.
Six one and a half hour episodes will provide a cinematic experience that might just elevate television to unclimbed heights
Unsurprisingly, speculation is rife for who is next on the chopping block. Jon Snow has endured death once before, and a second death is perhaps less intriguing. Meanwhile the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen, seems protected by her two remaining babies Drogon and Rhaegal. Yet with the Night King intent on wiping out the living – no one is safe.
Cersei is perhaps the most obvious candidate. Confessedly, I find Cersei compelling (where is Lena Headey’s deserved Emmy?) and deserves an ending as spectacular as what she dished out in the Sept of Baelor. Jamie has marched north, and if any survivors make it past the undead, her betrayal will not be easily forgiven. Speaking of the other Lannister, whilst I’m secretly cheering for a Brienne and Jamie endgame, fate might intervene and see the star-crossed siblings meet a bloody end. Fan-favourite Arya will seemingly be in the thick of battle, but I’m holding out hope that her and Sansa will pull through for no other reason than the promise that there will always be a Stark at Winterfell.
All this fear and intrigue will culminate in the final battle between the living and the dead. Just saying that is spine-tingling. Entertainment Weekly’s James Hibbard sat down with director Miguel Sapochnik (who shot two of the most stunning episodes in “Hardhome” and “Battle of the Bastards”) to get the inside scoop. Drawing inspiration from The Lord of the Ring’s Battle of Helms Deep, he promises that viewers will not have seen anything like it. Six one and a half hour episodes will provide a cinematic experience that might just elevate television to unclimbed heights.
If there is one thing even Jon Snow would know, the final season will be unmissable.
The final season is set to air on HBO on 14 April 2019.
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