Game of Thrones Filming Ends—Forever!

Game Of Thrones on Sky Atlantic

Though the Game of Thrones wrap party took place last Sunday, production didn’t stop. Only a few cast members remained this week, but that’s not to say it was a private affair: appropriately enough, when season eight filming actually ended, it was at the gigantic King’s Landing set where much of the climactic action will apparently take place.

According to our sources, the last day of filming was yesterday. It’s really over—for good. Before bidding the show a final farewell, let’s catch up with the last week of filming, as well as Maisie Williams‘s heartbreaking (and a bit ominous) goodbye on social media.

First of all, there was an unexpected return to the new Magheramorne green screen set. We don’t know why they went back there after three months, but it’s probably for some more of what was filmed before: scenes in the snow involving armies and riding parties.


The main action this week, however, began and ended at the King’s Landing set:

Photo: A Red Priestess (@a_red_priestess)
The tower was green-screened out; it will be destroyed in battle. Photo: A Red Priestess
Photo: A Red Priestess (@a_red_priestess)
There was action away from the city gates, closer to the Red Keep. Photo: A Red Priestess
Photo: A Red Priestess (@a_red_priestess)
Much of this King’s Landing neighborhood has been burnt down. Photo: A Red Priestess
Photo: A Red Priestess (@a_red_priestess)
The green screen opposite the gates means they filmed outside too. Photo: A Red Priestess
Photo: Chris Hagan (@hagan_utv)
Smoke covered the city set throughout the week. Photo: Chris Hagan

These final filming photos reiterate just how screwed the Seven Kingdoms capital will be. It’s difficult to gauge the extent of the damage, but if this is what was accomplished in a physical set, I can only imagine the mayhem King’s Landing will go through once all the visual effects are done and we see it on our screens in season eight… next year.

As for who was left filming these scenes after most of their peers were done, rumors abound (Kit Harington is said to be one of them), but the only one we know for sure about is Maisie Williams, who left this heartfelt message on her Instagram today:

“Goodbye Belfast. Goodbye Arya. Goodbye Game of Thrones. What a joy I’ve had. Here’s to the adventures to come”.

This was followed by several hashtags, such as “last woman standing”, which could refer to Williams being the last cast member on set… or, if she meant Arya, to something more ominous. Not as ominous as her bloody shoes accompanying the message, though:

So this is it. For those of us who follow filming news, now the true off-season begins. And it will be a long one: there is no season eight premiere date set yet, but we’ll have to wait more than the usual few months; perhaps as much as an entire year or thereabouts. During this terrifying Long Night, here at Watchers on the Wall we’ll keep the lights on with the help of our wonderful feature writers and the podcast we recently announced (coming soon!); and of course we’ll keep reporting on interviews, casting news (there is some of that on the way), and whatever else makes this wait hurt just a little bit less.

Thank you all, fellow spoilerphiles and the community at large, for sticking with us!

125 Comments

  1. It was fun completely disagreeing with almost everyone about almost everything 🙂

    The death threat was remarkable, too!

    Always Support the Bottom.

  2. P. S. Team Jorah!

    I thought for sure he’d be toast last season – now my money is on him for Last Dramatic Death.

  3. Seven hells, this really shouldn’t hurt so much. If this is how I feel about the end of filming, seven save me when the final episode airs.

  4. “This was followed by several hashtags, such as “last woman standing”, which could refer to Williams being the last cast member on set… or, if she meant Arya….”
    ____________
    I knew it! S8 is going to be Arya Super Ninja Assassin Warrior Princess Fantasies ™️ and conclude with Arya Super Ninja Assassin Warrior Queen!

    https://i.imgur.com/Wk6lyQ7.jpg

    ™️ talvikorppi 2018

    #LastWomanStanding

  5. This is sad news. Exciting but sad. This series has been there with me through so many things in life to be honest and I’m sure many others feel the same. I will miss it so much when the final episode has come and gone. I’m trying not to read too much into Maisie’s post but it would be an amazing ending if Arya survives until the end. 🙂

  6. So wait…does Arya Stark invent laced sneakers to give her an edge in combat?

    That bloody sneakers photograph is intriguing.

    PS Are sneakers called “trainers” in the UK?

  7. Just rewatched Season 7. Can’t wait for Season 8.

    Thanks Luka for all the filming news over this long off season.

  8. I’m not an absolutist. Or I’m delusional. I read the headline:

    “Game of Thrones Filming Ends – Forever!”

    ….. and two diametrically opposed thoughts came to mind:

    • (From S7e3)
    Dany: “What does ‘perpetuity’ mean, Lord Tyrion?”
    Tyrion: “Forever.”
    Dany: “Forever.”

    • I just read yesterday that filming will begin soon on “The Sopranos” movie, with GoT & Sopranos vet Alan Taylor directing.

  9. Aryamad,

    “…it would be an amazing ending if Arya survives until the end. 🙂”
    _______________
    She’d better. I’m counting on it. Otherwise, I may need to retain a grief counselor.

  10. An end of an era! It’s so crazy that these actors are saying goodbye to their GoT characters that they’ve played for years, but we’ll still be here watching and re-watching long after their goodbyes. Must rewatch all the seasons. I’m gonna stay clear of speculating too much since I want to go into this last season not wanting to be toooo spoiled, but if Arya makes it, well that’s great with me!

  11. I think that you have to read things that Arya makes it to the big finish.
    Whether she survives is not so clear yet.

  12. Thanks to all the WotW writers and regular posters for all that you do to make the community enjoyable!

    {{{Bundling up for The Long Night}}} and a Dream of Spring in 2019!

  13. And so the greatest show of my lifetime has wrapped up its extraordinary run! I feel bereaved, but also incredibly proud of what this world-class cast and crew accomplished. And grateful. Grateful most of all.

    Of course, we still have a long ways to go before we actually get to see what this final season will bring us. But following the offseason filming reports on this website and the previous one has been a massive part of what forged my love for the show into a full-blown, good-natured fanaticism. I’ll dearly miss pouring over the latest set report with you all and trying to piece together a picture of the upcoming season (usually doing a pretty damn good job). It’s been an amazing ride, and I couldn’t have asked for a better community of smart, passionate, and exceedingly dedicated fans to share it with! 🙂

  14. I hope HBO doesn’t make us wait until next summer or later to premiere season 8. I would seriously pissed off.

  15. Do we really think that there will be no post production filming? In the past, they’ve filmed many of the animal scenes in the US, Canada during post production. Really hoping there will be several Ghost scenes filmed here later with Kit! (And maybe Nymeria)

  16. I am sad but will save my true grief when we have watched the last show of the season, picked apart every action, inaction, scene, character etc until nothing is left. That should make this last a few more years. but it won’t be the same.

    Spending the long night watching the whole show, rereading GOT60 and hoping there is a GOT70, and reading what happens to pop up here. In the meantime, thanks to all of the folk here that made this all possible, and all the great discussions.

  17. Pete,

    We did see it started snowing down south in the last finale… so I doubt the weather is getting better anytime soon 😉

    (And snow has been spotted before, just outside the gates, when filming started there).

  18. So sad to see GOT ending!!! 😭😭😭 It was and will always be my favorite series to watch over and over again!!! I’m voting for
    Daenerys!!! Power to the women! Woowoo!

  19. I feared this day. Kinda like when you hate thinking of getting old. Or that winter is coming or something. I’m sure we’ll be fine. Eventually. Looking forward to that podcast btw.

    It would be pretty awesome if that hashtag turns out to be true. Also: “unpredictable” like Sophie said.

    Tryptych,

    They died with their boots on!

  20. KG,

    Or last dramatic kill? There are (mostly book) theories about this, but I’m not sure the showrunners would dare go with it.

  21. Do you think we’ll get a premiere date by the end of the year? I see a lot of articles, including this one, saying we might have to wait about another year, so it looks like a possible summer premiere again like Season 7 instead of a April/Spring premiere of the previous seasons.

  22. End of an era. I haven’t hung around much in the last years but I fondly remember many filming seasons spent here.

  23. I burst out laughing at the state of those trainers. They resemble my shoes when I make my special spag bog sauce for family occasions. My shoes also look ‘bloody’ awful!

    Cersei’s Brain:
    Do we really think that there will be no post production filming?In the past, they’ve filmed many of the animal scenes in the US, Canada during post production. Really hoping there will be several Ghost scenes filmed here later with Kit!(And maybe Nymeria)

    I’ve heard a rumour about December but unfortunately from a dubious source. C’est la vie.

    Pigeon:
    Maisie’s such a goof. 😊 The Instagram photos from the cast are gold.

    Isn’t she just? I assume this implies that she’s the last lady filming so I’m perplexed that people think it’s a hint about Arya. Of course it does play on Arya’s reputation talent for carving, LOL. I suspect that probably all the ladies except Cersei and maybe Dany will be standing at the end.

  24. Carole H,

    I don’t even know, to be honest. If I ever knew, I’ve forgotten it 😀

    It’s just our more creative equivalent of “First!”, but I have no idea how it began.

  25. Jack Bauer 24:
    Do you think we’ll get a premiere date by the end of the year? I see a lot of articles, including this one, saying we might have to wait about another year, so it looks like a possible summer premiere again like Season 7 instead of a April/Spring premiere of the previous seasons.

    It’s all an assumption. By me and everyone else. Probably HBO hasn’t even decided on a date yet. But somewhere between April and July is a good guess, which means it’s either going to be a year’s wait or… well, three quarters of a year, which is close enough to a year to make little difference, considering we’re just making guesses, anyway.

  26. Like Stark Ravin’ Mad, I took think the #LastWomanStanding hashtag is siimply a reference to her being the last female cast member filming. :shrugs:

  27. So I’ve stayed away from spoilers thus far but have read some “theories” that I’m not sure are actual theories or masked spoilers lol. I remember last season there were major leaks and spoilers. Are there major ones floating around for Season 8? Like is the ending to the story leaked or whether major characters like Jon or Dany die and/or how they die out there? Do we know how certain major character arcs end like Arya, Sasa, Bran, Jaime, Cersei etc? Do we know what happens happens with the Night King? Or are the leaks and filming spoilers minimal and on a smaller scale this year?

    So pretty much without spoiling anything lol, did filming and leaks reveal major things like I just mentioned?

  28. Jack Bauer 24:
    So I’ve stayed away from spoilers thus far but have read some “theories” that I’m not sure are actual theories or masked spoilers lol. I remember last season there were major leaks and spoilers. Are there major ones floating around for Season 8? Like is the ending to the story leaked or whether major characters like Jon or Dany die and/or how they die out there? Do we know how certain major character arcs end like Arya, Sasa, Bran, Jaime, Cersei etc? Do we know what happens happens with the Night King? Or are the leaks and filming spoilers minimal and on a smaller scale this year?

    So pretty much without spoiling anything lol, did filming and leaks reveal major things like I just mentioned?

    We know fuck all. Pretty much nothing got leaked this time, anyone who claims to know stuff is lying.

  29. Ten Bears:
    “This was followed by several hashtags, such as “last woman standing”, which could refer to Williams being the last cast member on set… or, if she meant Arya….”
    ____________I knew it! S8 is going to be Arya Super Ninja Assassin Warrior Princess Fantasies ™️ and conclude with Arya Super Ninja Assassin Warrior Queen!

    https://i.imgur.com/Wk6lyQ7.jpg

    ™️ talvikorppi 2018

    #LastWomanStanding

    Well I suppose it’s possible Arya could be the “other” foretold by Maggi the Frog to take everything away from Cersei. Hot Pie did say he found Arya pretty in season 7.

    I guess the ending will be a word where the first part rhymes with twitter and the second part rhymes with neat but I’m not saying the actual word because some folk have mentioned in other threads they consider that word to be hackneyed.

    I never expected to be drawn into the fan base of this show. I only watched it because somebody had said that the book of “Game of Thrones” was a good read and I couldn’t find the book but was able to catch up on the show (just two seasons had been made then though it was not too long until season 3 came out) and here I am 5+ years later. I have caught up on the books since. I found the forerunner of this site not long after season 3 had concluded. I think I googled for information about ‘Game of Thrones’ with limiting the search to news from the preceding week and got something about the fact that characters being cast for Season 4 included Mace (Margaery’s Dad) and Oberyn Martell.

  30. BeardedOnion,

    And how great is that? Can you imagine going into this final season knowing outright what happens? That would have been terrible. Last year was bad enough, but at least we had a whole other season to come. Let’s just hope it stays this way! Though now with filming over, I would imagine the chances of any leaks are quite minimal.

  31. Luka Nieto,

    Westworld season 2 premiered April 22nd 2018 – Episode 1 & 2 of season 2 The Handmaid Tales premiered April 25th 2018. Both show should have at least a few Emmy nominations.

    In order to qualify for the 2019 Emmys I think at least 5 episodes have to be shown by June 1st 2019. HBO wants Game of Thrones to win as many Emmys as possible… HBO is spending a fortune on season 8 and I am sure HBO wants to see the greatest return on their investment as soon as possible. More Game of Thrones Emmys means more money for HBO. All TV studios want to win Emmys.

    It makes the most economic and financial sense for HBO to premiere Game of Thrones Season 8 in April 2019… Sunday May 12th 2019 is Mother’s Day in the USA and I am hoping I am watching a Season 8 episode of Game of Thrones Sunday May 12th 2019!!!!!!!!!

  32. ash,

    Yes, that’s when true grief and withdrawal will kick in. When the credits roll on 8×06.. that’s going to be.. hard to say the least.

    Like Dame of Mercia, I started watching the show shortly after season 2 aired and got instantly hooked after some friends told me I’d like it. Unfortunately at the time I did know that Ned dies in season 1, but that’s the only major spoiler I’ve ever known about the show. Oh, well.. except Jon coming back in season 6, but that was so obvious that it didn’t bother me too much. 🙂 I finally got around to reading the books between seasons 6 & 7.

    I also managed to get my parents hooked on the show, which is saying something because my dad is one of those people who is completely disinterested in “unrealistic” movies or TV shows. He was pretty bored watching LotR, and rolled his eyes so much in Harry Potter I was getting dizzy. He liked Lost initially, but around season 4 he started showing fatigue and disinterest. With GoT, however, they’re getting ready for their 3rd full watching of the series — that’s how much they enjoy the characters and the story! I find that a real testament to the writing by George and D&D.

  33. BeardedOnion: We know fuck all. Pretty much nothing got leaked this time, anyone who claims to know stuff is lying.

    Thanks! That makes me feel a lot better. Wow, so how did they manage no leaks this time around since leaks were disastrous the past few seasons? Filming spoilers didn’t reveal anything too spoilery either?

  34. The site’s Moderation Policy says:

    “Additionally, we ask that commenters choose one screenname and stay with it, as using multiple screennames often is connected to trolling activity.”

    But for that, I would have already changed by screenname to Arya’s Bloody Sneakers.

  35. I am choosing at this point to believe that ‘last woman standing’ implies that we will see a shot in which Arya stands alone on a smoking battlefield littered with corpses. Ideally, she is backlit by the Dawn with a capital D: The sun rises, but the dead do not.

  36. Luka Nieto: It’s all an assumption. By me and everyone else. Probably HBO hasn’t even decided on a date yet. But somewhere between April and July is a good guess, which means it’s either going to be a year’s wait or… well, three quarters of a year, which is close enough to a year to make little difference, considering we’re just making guesses, anyway.

    Thanks Luka. Hopefully it’s Spring and not Summer 😀

  37. For the Emmy season reason mentioned before, I feel season eight will go back to the way things were and premier sometime in April. Which is nine months away, so “almost a year’s wait” is also spot on.

    There’s too much post-production news, key art, teasers and such to come for me to feel bereft … yet. When that last episode airs, though, I’ll be numb for weeks. Or at least until spinoff series info starts pouring out.

    On a side note, I’m now firmly in the “the books will never be finished” camp. Doubly sad for those who may not have watched the show. I want to be proved wrong, but I ain’t holding my breath.

  38. I think April is safe to bet, but who knows really. But this season is going to be BIG. Walkers taking all and KL being last fort after Dany vs Cercei. Or that is how I imagine this to go. It’s so weird to think it’s over after this with this series.

    All what I hope is to have some serious extras on Blu-Ray. Like Lord of The Rings extras were. I need it.

    And books… Well Winds is coming for sure…

  39. Seven hells…I had been hearing February or March as pretty strong possibilities…man, it needs to be April at the latest… >,,m,,<

  40. Here’s a speculation that came to mind:

    Maybe the only survivors left in Westeros are women. And we might not know Arya is one of them because she will have been wearing the face of someone else during parts of the last episode. She rips it off at the very end before proclaiming “valar morghulis”. Also I do believe it was foreshadowing what Sansa said to Arya about Jon “When he sees you his heart will stop.” No not at their reunion as Sansa was alluding to but later on.

    I just have an inkling that this story of Martin’s is heading towards a girl power conclusion lol. It will be bittersweet in that all the lead ladies survive, including a new baby Targ, but at the cost of losing the men. Think about everyone who will feature in season 8, you can pair up with some sentiment between them. Dany/Jon, Brienne/Jamie, Arya/Gendry, Sansa/Tyrion, Greyworm/Missandei, Yara/Theon. I know the Sansa and Tyrion one is tenuous but maybe during the course of S8 they develop fondness for each other. Long shot but anyway…

  41. Jack Bauer 24:
    Do you think we’ll get a premiere date by the end of the year? I see a lot of articles, including this one, saying we might have to wait about another year, so it looks like a possible summer premiere again like Season 7 instead of a April/Spring premiere of the previous seasons.

    Say it isn’t so! Summer?? I have been thinking April. I can make it til April, but don’t say summer!

  42. Ten Bears,

    Looks like you’re not the only one with this sentiment. Both Lena Headey and Faye Marsay (the Waif) replied to Maisie’s post with “QUEEN”:
    link

    🙂

    But in seriousness, I expect they’re referring to Maisie knocking it out of the park next season, which hopefully means we’ll get some amazing Arya moments!

  43. Enharmony1625,

    (Tinfoil Warning)

    For some reason, Arya’s bloody sneakers made me flash back to two scenes in S1 and one scene in S7e4

    • Arya acknowledging to Ned that Bran’s paralysis dashed his ambition of becoming a knight of the Kingsguard.

    • A “troubled” Arya telling Syrio that she didn’t want to practice that day because [paraphrasing] “they killed Jory; my father’s hurt.”

    • (S7e4) Left-handed Arya holding her own and fighting Brienne to a draw in their sparring match.

    What if Arya learns that….

    It was Jaime who paralyzed Bran?
    It was Jaime who plunged a knife into Jory’s eye and into his skull?
    It was Jaime and his goons who ambushed Ned, resulting in the killing of other Stark men and Ned being lanced in the leg?

    S8 Face-off: Left-handed Arya with Needle vs. left-handed Jaime with Widow’s Wail. Who wins? Place your bets. My money’s on the Wolf Girl.
    That’s Kingslayer arterial spray on her sneakers.

  44. Ten Bears:
    It was Jaime who plunged a knife into Jory’s eye and into his skull?
    It was Jaime and his goons who ambushed Ned, resulting in the killing of other Stark men and Ned being lanced in the leg?

    Arya already knows about those things, presumably. She was in KL when it happened, and the girls knew about it in the books.

  45. Enharmony1625,

    I also saw the instagram “QUEEN” from the Waif and Cersei. It’s possible Arya could be the only one left of the stark women at the end,

    but I think Sophie’s tattoo may be the actually giveaway with “the pack survives”, even though she swears it’s not. I don’t think Arya would accept the crown though, even if she got it. “That’s not me” as Arya said.

    I’m more interested in what D&D will have Arya doing in those big battle sequences. I know she went through combat training. Will it all be with needle and her unnamed dagger (maybe call the dagger “she doesn’t have a name”). Or will she wield a broad sword for the big battles? I am really very curious. With at least one of the big battles being at night from the filming reports, her blind training should also come in very handy.

  46. Sean C.: Arya already knows about those things, presumably.She was in KL when it happened, and the girls knew about it in the books.

    At least on the show, it’s not clear if Arya knew that the “they” who killed Jory and the Stark men included Jaime; and so far, Bran hasn’t remembered or hasn’t disclosed it was Jaime who pushed him off the tower window ledge.

  47. Tron79,

    Tron79,

    I am certain that Arya will continue with Needle. She would never want, or accept any other sword.
    Loosing or breaking Needle to need a replacement is just unnecessary story telling for which there is not time.
    Arya could never fight with Heartsbane and no others spare.

  48. Tron79,

    I’m also very curious to see how she’ll participate in the battles next season. My feeling is that she won’t be rushing in on the front lines as her skills are far more suited for covert operations — one-on-one fights and assassinations. She doesn’t have to go around killing wights either because she’s the perfect one to go sneaking up on a White Walker and.. *slice* down go the wights.

    I also think Needle is so strongly linked with her and her identity that it would be strange to see her swapping it out for another sword. Remember too that she’s very adept with a bow, so she can hang out behind the front lines and snipe off enemies that way (possibly with Dragonglass arrowheads?).

  49. Tron79,

    Needle isnt gonna cut it. It’s cute the way they did her sparring with Brienne but Aryas strength is speed and surprise. Shes an assassin not a foot soldier.

    I will lose my mind if they turn her into Legolas flying around on elephants and sliding on shields picking off dozens of enemies.

    Just dont turn Arya into a bullet proof comic book character please.

  50. Ten Bears: “Remember where the heart is.” Sandor will fight with Heartsbane aka Lightbringer.

    (* Takes off tinfoil helmet *)

    I honestly think Sam will be the one with Heartsbane. It just seems fitting and ironic. Gilly was the only one who said, “you’re very brave”. Sam will have killed a WW, Thenn, and the NK with his family sword.

  51. I just hoping no more Starks die but; if it is Jon I want to see Sansa, Arya and Bran take him up the King’s road and put in the crypts with his Mother, Uncle and true Father.

  52. Alex,

    Or extinct wolf species!

    I see that lots of people are trying to read spoilers into the small comments by the cast members, but, really: don’t bother. They are not going to give anything away.

    Indeed, I would go so far as to expect that the climax won’t be in Kings Landing. They don’t film in sequence, and they’ll do more to obscure where the climax is by filming that reasonably early in the shooting schedule. (TV and film almost never shoots “in order,” anyway, because… um, I have no idea why not!)

  53. I’m not sure what to do with myself. I’ve already watched the entire series three times in the past year, just finished it last month. I’ll have to force myself to wait until the Fall.

    Meanwhile I’ve tried to develop interest in Vikings. It helps. A little. …no, really….

    I’m sure they will start releasing tidbits in a few months. interviews, posters, and even a teaser trailer, one of those 15 seconds bits.

  54. Roz’s Ghost:
    I’m not sure what to do with myself. I’ve already watched the entire series three timesin the past year, just finished it last month. I’ll have to force myself to wait until the Fall….”

    Watch Maisie’s guest appearances in Dr. Who?

  55. It is rather intriguing to speculate why Arya was set up to have not one but two iconic blades. Her emotional attachment is clearly to Needle, but equipping her with a VS dagger strongly indicates that she’s going to need it for a tougher adversary than Littlefinger.

    We did see her faking out Brienne by pretending at first to be a rightie; were we meant to deduce that she is ambidextrous enough by now to fight two-handed? Was making Arthur Dayne fight that way (which is not book canon) intended as foreshadowing somehow? This seems a mite farfetched to me.

    Or maybe some other hero will lose his/her weapon in the thick of battle, be about to fall to a WW and have the catspaw’s dagger come flying through the air in the nick of time, because Arya happens to be backstabbing wights nearby?

    In any case, I don’t see her wielding Heartsbane at all. She’s way too little for it.

  56. Ten Bears: Watch Maisie’s guest appearances in Dr. Who?

    She was very good in that role.

    Indeed, one standout aspect of the Capaldi era was that the women “extras” were far and away the most compelling part of the seasons every year. For whatever reasons, the Doctor himself fell flat.

  57. Ten Bears,

    You may be right! Tommy Dunne said at Con of Thrones that Maisie and Nikolaj are the best of the actors at sword-fighting!

  58. Roz’s Ghost,

    Vikings started out really good but went downhill imo at season 4. Or whatever season it was when Raeghar(spoiler)

    was murdered and another brutal murder I forget who it was now but torture porn is not my kind of entertainment.
  59. Wimsey:
    Alex,

    They don’t film in sequence, and they’ll do more to obscure where the climax is by filming that reasonably early in the shooting schedule.(TV and film almost never shoots “in order,” anyway, because… um, I have no idea why not!)

    They’ll schedule to shoot things in the order that’s most practical and convenient rather than chronological story-order…which does help keep those who’re paying attention from being able to tell much about who lives or dies or does what or is involved when. I’m sure all of these “spoilery” tattoos and hashtags and comments are either deliberately misleading or perfectly innocent. Everybody calls each other “Queen!” now. ;3 Still, I can’t wait to see Arya kick some booty with Needle and/or the dagger and/or whatever else…^w^

  60. Wimsey:
    Alex,

    Or extinct wolf species!

    I see that lots of people are trying to read spoilers into the small comments by the cast members, but, really: don’t bother.They are not going to give anything away.

    Indeed, I would go so far as to expect that the climax won’t be in Kings Landing.They don’t film in sequence, and they’ll do more to obscure where the climax is by filming that reasonably early in the shooting schedule.(TV and film almost never shoots “in order,” anyway, because… um, I have no idea why not!)

    It comes down to juggling the time window of the availability of the chosen filming locations with the availability of the actors with whatever is actually easier to shoot first. Plus the fact that once in a given location, generally everything that happens in said location is shot together, sometimes even across different episodes.

    I expect that the true “climax” of the season will be the third remaining WTF moment that remains from George’s outline (the first 2 being the burning of Shireen and the Hodor=Hold the Door reveal)

  61. Wow, so there were no leaks/spoilers this year? how?

    why didn’t they follow such a security protocol every year?

  62. Maisie was very good in Dr. Who as “me”. Also, her character’s story on Dr. Who was very thought provoking. I wish I could make a trip over the pond to see her on stage in “I and You” which opens in October.

    regarding Tattoos, since it’s a permanent thing, I think it has to be pretty meaningful to her. She didn’t just put an important GOT saying on her arm like “Winter is Coming” or “Winter is Here”…. She chose the one she chose for a good reason. That’s all I will say about that.

    Lonely Cat,
    I think the only time Arya fought with an non wooden broadsword was in the famous chicken pub scene. I just worry about her, because as Jorah explained the broadsword was made for piercing armor (and she doesn’t have one). But she may not have to worry about piercing armor in her battles, since her battles will probably be against the WW’s. So her dagger will work great.

    Ser Brocolli McBrocolliface
    I get your point, but I wouldn’t mind at least one scene of her hopping on and off an elephant.

  63. Tron79: regarding Tattoos, since it’s a permanent thing, I think it has to be pretty meaningful to her. She didn’t just put an important GOT saying on her arm like “Winter is Coming” or “Winter is Here”…. She chose the one she chose for a good reason. That’s all I will say about that.

    I wonder if she was trying to inspire her fellow Stark actors to get the same tattoo for sentimental reasons, the way the actors who played the members of the Fellowship of the Ring all got identical tattoos of the number nine in Elvish script.

  64. Firannion,

    I agree. I would say that’s far more likely than some silly spoiler tattoo. I just assumed that Sansa got it more for sentimental reasons. They’ve all been working on this show for so long and have grown up with each other that, to me, the tattoo is there to symbolize that they’re all considered family (a pack) to each other now.

  65. Tron79,

    “Maisie was very good in Dr. Who as “me”. Also, her character’s story on Dr. Who was very thought provoking.”
    ________
    It sure was. And I thought she did a great job showing her character’s evolution in each segment. Most of all, I loved

    the last episode she was in (“Hell Bent”? I think), and the very last scene with Clara. #WiggleRoom.
  66. Lena can be a troll though – anyone remember when she posted the picture of the “stone” heart shape of pebbles a few seasons back. That said, I wouldn’t hate it if Arya became Her Majesty at the end of the show.

  67. Dame of Mercia,

    There is only one way for Arya to end up as Her Majesty – as an incarnation of DEATH, cause death always wins. And that’s not beyond the realm of possibilities. Just saying.

  68. Tatjana,

    Maybe this is in the books and not the show…
    When Arya was spoon-flinging food into Sansa’s face, wasn’t it right before Sansa tried to taunt Arya by saying one day Arya would have to call her “Your Grace”?

    Wouldn’t the perfect ending be… if it were the other way around?

    #Turnabout

  69. George: I expect that the true “climax” of the season will be the third remaining WTF moment that remains from George’s outline (the first 2 being the burning of Shireen and the Hodor=Hold the Door reveal)

    Almost certainly: and that (in turn!) will almost certainly concern why exactly the White Walkers are doing what they are doing.

    The show set this up pretty well at the very end of last year: now that Bran knows that pretty much everything he “knew” about Robert’s Rebellion was misleading or flat-out wrong, it is going to be natural for him to ask: “gee, about what else have we been making incorrect assumptions?”

    All that stated, we could be in for a letdown. J. Michael Straczynski teased us that the big “reveal” behind the Vorlons-Shadows war-through-the-ages would be a big mind-blowing thing, but I don’t think that people were as blown away as he expected. There are a lot of parallels between the two stories (B5 was also very Faulkneresque!), and we shouldn’t be surprised if Martin’s “clinch” has something similar to it. Hopefully, it will catch us all a little more off-guard!

    Ten Bears: It sure was. And I thought she did a great job showing her character’s evolution in each segment.

    The other thing that they did with her character that I liked was that they did not let her remember her whole life: infinite life, finite memory! Williams did a really good job of projecting a world-weary person in a young-woman’s body: and in no way did she seem like a “girl.” She seems to be a promising young actress: I’m curious to see what she does next. (My bet is that she’ll shoot for something very un-Arya like: for example, I know that she’s expressed interest in playing romantic leads.)

  70. Y’all pretty morbid! Cheer up… we are half way through the long wait, right?
    And filming ending can still mean reshoots after post production commences.
    Still need to watch ‘his hair’….still need to watch here…. it’s not over guys, not by a long shot…. just entering a new phase and shutting the door on another.

  71. I’d give it a 90% chance that there will be spoilers/leaks at some point in the long months ahead. There are just too many people working on a show like this to prevent it. We just may not know if they’re legitimate until the season airs. It doesn’t matter to me, as I am a spoiler fan, but the innocents saying that because filming is done that it’s safe – I wouldn’t be at all confidant. We know how people work better than that!

  72. I was just having those exact same thoughts, Pigeon. Sorta looking forward to it myself, as I rather enjoy spoilers as well. It won’t reduce my excitement.

  73. Shelle:
    I was just having those exact same thoughts, Pigeon. Sorta looking forward to it myself, as I rather enjoy spoilers as well. It won’t reduce my excitement.

    Oh Shelle, I want to watch season 8 in as blue-eyed and innocent a state as an old codger like me can be. Have to avoid the spoilers. I had seen the pictures pre-season 7 of Euron and Yara and the Sand Snakes under umbrellas during a break from filming the season where Euron parades them through the streets of Kings Landing so I sort of had an inkling what was coming. Still I know that the internet be dark and full of spoilers so it’s up to me to try and be careful what I read.

    This is totally off topic, but I know there are some visitors to this site whose native language is Spanish. Does anyone know anything about (or can they suggest a reference other than Wikipedia which would give relevant information) the dissolution of the monasteries in Spain in the 1830s? Until a few days ago I didn’t even know the monasteries HAD been dissolved in Spain in that era.

  74. Dame of Mercia: Oh Shelle, I want to watch season 8 in as blue-eyed and innocent a state as an old codger like me can be.Have to avoid the spoilers.I had seen the pictures pre-season 7 of Euron and Yara and the Sand Snakes under umbrellas during a break from filming the season where Euron parades them through the streets of Kings Landing so I sort of had an inkling what was coming.Still I know that the internet be dark and full of spoilers so it’s up to me to try and be careful what I read.

    Fear not, you shan’t hear an uncensored spoilery word from me even if I do read more….I’ve managed to keep what I’ve heard so far to myself, save of course for those who also want to know (such as my mom.) x3

  75. Filming on the Game of Thrones prequel will start in Belfast in October, it has been posted on reddit

  76. Ten Bears:
    Tatjana,

    Maybe this is in the books and not the show…
    When Arya was spoon-flinging food into Sansa’s face, wasn’t it right before Sansa tried to taunt Arya by saying one day Arya would have to call her “Your Grace”?

    Wouldn’t the perfect ending be… if it were the other way around?

    #Turnabout

    I don’t think Sansa would mind one bit.

  77. Dee Stark:
    Wow, so there were no leaks/spoilers this year? how?

    why didn’t they follow such a security protocol every year?

    Well, this is the last season of the Big show on TV. Imagine the meltdown online if a massive spoiler (like a very important character dying), leaks. Its a lot of responsibility.

  78. sad to see the show ending. Do we have an idea of the Season 8 release date? January 2019? April? July?

    Oh, and Thursday is the 7 year anniversary of the release of A Dance with Dragons, the last book that George R.R. Martin released in the series. 🙁

  79. Grail King,

    (Revised S7e7 battlements scene)

    Arya: “Are you all right?”

    Sansa: “It’s just strange. In his own horrible way, I believe he loved me.”

    Arya: “You did the right thing.”

    Sansa: “You did it.”

    Arya: “I’m just the executioner. You passed the sentence. You’re the Lady of Winterfell.”

    Sansa: “Does that bother you?”

    Arya: “I was never going to be as good a lady as you. So I had to be something else. I’m going to be Queen. Does that bother you?”

    Sansa: 🤬

  80. Ten Bears: Sansa addressing Queen Arya as “Your Grace”…
    Yeah, I would relish that.

    I can’t imagine this any other way than being followed by a long pregnant pause, then both of them bursting out laughing. Maybe we’d get to hear Maisie’s wonderful hysterical laugh again – the one we last heard outside the Bloody Gate when Arya found out that her last aunt had just died.

  81. Ten Bears:
    Grail King,

    (Revised S7e7 battlements scene)

    Arya: “Are you all right?”

    Sansa: “It’s just strange. In his own horrible way, I believe he loved me.”

    Arya: “You did the right thing.”

    Sansa: “You did it.”

    Arya: “I’m just the executioner. You passed the sentence. You’re the Lady of Winterfell.”

    Sansa: “Does that bother you?”

    Arya: “I was never going to be as good a lady as you. So I had to be something else. I’m going to be Queen. Does that bother you?”

    Sansa: 🤬

    Sansa: No, I’m home. : )
    You have the fun.

  82. Shelle: They’ll schedule to shoot things in the order that’s most practical and convenient rather than chronological story-order…which does help keep those who’re paying attention from being able to tell much about who lives or dies or does what or is involved when.

    There are numerous scenes in movies with fairly intense one-on-one dialog in which the two actors filmed their parts weeks or even months apart. The most extreme example is Frodo and Sam on the stairs to Cirith Ungol: Wood and Astin filmed their respective parts two years apart!

  83. The long night indeed. Feel like we’ve already had one since last season and we STILL have another year…ugh…This is so bittersweet to know it’s done, over, finished. i know any show that runs this long has to get old for the actors who want to do more with their careers, but I also know that those of us who love GOT will be watching the seasons until the discs are thin and can’t be read by a blu-ray player…lol.

    My thanks to everyone here on the wall. You have done an OUTSTANDING job of not giving in to pressure, not printing “fake news”, and being so great and entertaining for those of us who have been here for so long. Again, my heartfelt thanks for all you do!

    Elizabeth

  84. Emmy nominations are out: Lena, Peter, and Nikolaj for Best Supporting; Taylor (“Beyond the Wall”) and Podeswa (“The Dragon & the Wolf”) for Best Director; Ramin for both GoT and Westworld; GoT for Outstanding Drama; and a host of nominations in the Creative Emmy categories.

  85. I’m late to reading this article, a bit sad to see filming finished but also optimistic that we will get a teaser and a premier date (or at least month) relatively soon now.

    Interesting seeing the above pictures, I’ve been spoiler adverse this season but was aware there will be a big battle at Kings Landing. I wonder if this is Cersei going down fighting, Dany breaking bad or the Nights King doing this, quite clear dragons are involved here. Given that both Kit and Maisie appear to be filming to the end this gives me hope that they both survive as two of my favourite characters.

  86. KG:
    P. S.Team Jorah!

    I thought for sure he’d be toast last season – now my money is on him for Last Dramatic Death.

    To be honest if I did a S8 Deadpool Jorah would high on that list behind Cersei, The Mountain, Euron and the Night King. However I would have said the same for S7 so you never know.

  87. Ten Bears:
    So wait…does Arya Stark invent laced sneakers to give her an edge in combat?

    That bloody sneakers photograph is intriguing.

    PS Are sneakers called “trainers” in the UK?

    Yes nobody calls them sneakers here, always trainers:)

  88. Jack Bauer 24:
    Do you think we’ll get a premiere date by the end of the year? I see a lot of articles, including this one, saying we might have to wait about another year, so it looks like a possible summer premiere again like Season 7 instead of a April/Spring premiere of the previous seasons.

    Jack I think we will have a premiere month in the next few weeks and a date before the end of the year. The HBO president has confirmed the show will air in the first half of 2019 and we will have a full trailer in 2018.

  89. Pigeon:
    I’d give it a 90% chance that there will be spoilers/leaks at some point in the long months ahead. There are just too many people working on a show like this to prevent it. We just may not know if they’re legitimate until the season airs. It doesn’t matter to me, as I am a spoiler fan, but the innocents saying that because filming is done that it’s safe – I wouldn’t be at all confidant. We know how people work better than that!

    I agree here we won’t know if things are true until the trailer drops later this year. I would guess it’s easier for leaks to come out of the post production team as there is likely less accountability there. That said, if someone posts anything at this stage it will be hard to gain traction too as people are unlikely to believe it without any proof.

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