We should all get used to the idea that season eight isn’t coming for a long while. Of course, we could take a nap for a year, but we may as well take advantage of the longest off-season yet and look back on everything that has happened these last seven seasons. In this last week of 2017, HBO has made that possible with a Game of Thrones marathon!
Yesterday, HBO announced this new event in this action-packed Youtube video:
The marathon begins today at noon, on HBO 2, and it will go on until the year ends on December 31. A continuous marathon, from season one to seven, for six days!
I envy the people who can watch the whole show all at once.
For all those with Sky Atlantic, the full series is being shown, 3 episodes per night. However they are already on series 4.
Well there’s new leaks out and just as I suspected …
[EDITED BY MOD: NO ‘LEAK’ TALKS HERE; FAKE OR NOT]
When u marathon this show on your own time, without the weekly fan obsession, reviews, and click bait “think pieces”, all the nitpicks completely fall away and you realize just how good every episode is.
Ryan,
You should refrain from discussing leaks here anyway, spoiler tags or not (we have forums for that), but in a way it’s even worse to help disseminate unconfirmed or outright false information. Yes, I know certain sites have reported on them. Doesn’t make them true. They’re pretty good fakes, but still.
Luka Nieto,
They’re from the same sources on Reddit who broke last years leaks as well, but you can believe whatever you like.
Nevertheless, I will abstain from further discussion on here. Don’t want to ruffle any feathers. Just got tired of defending what I noted above when all of the theories were being discussed months ago.
I do. I disbelieve them based on more reasons than you have to believe them.
If there are any confirmed leaks, you will know it. Every year, clever fans write false leaked summaries or even script excerpts; every year, many people fall for them, because every so often one of them is true. That’s not a good strategy.
Game of Thrones marathons are the best. As great as every individual episode is, for me the ideal viewing experience is always being able to watch at least two or three episodes in a row. When an entire season is playing on HBO, it’s far too easy for me to just let the entire day go by in a happy, Westeros-induced haze.
I won’t be watching this entire marathon, but I’ll check in as often as possible. What I’m really looking forward to is the time after the final season concludes and when we have the complete series available to us. When that happens, I’m going to carve out a block of time to watch the entire show with as few scheduled breaks as physiology and decency allows. 73 episodes in the span of a few days. It will be delirious, and it will be glorious.
HelloThere,
Well said!
Ryan,
While it was nice of you to cover it with greyscale spoiler coding, if you have a compulsion to share “leaks”, kindly confine them to the specially dedicated quarantine section in the Forum pages, consistent with WoW’s policy.
(The problem is that even if spoiler-coded, posting “leaks” stuff in the regular Comments section invariably invites uncovered replies and subthreads by uninformed or careless commenters – or by people who just don’t give a sh*t about those of us who do not want to be contaminated.)
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation.
🚱🚱🚱🚱🚱🚱🚱❗️
Ten Bears,
That’s the spirit 🙂
Thanks MOD (Luka)? You probably caught the “leaks talk” comment around the same time I posted a polite reply asking the commenter not to contaminate us.
Please don’t.
I was planning on catching up on work this week. Now the devil on my shoulder is whispering in my ear, “In thirty minutes you can start watching all 67 episodes back to back! Blow off work until after the new year.”
HelloThere,
Yup. And you realize how many great moments, great scenes and great dialogue there is. I guess it’s just hunan nature to be distracted by infrequent, so-called “plot holes”, “lazy writing”, or wobbly story lines.
HelloThere,
When you become part of a fandom that kills enjoyment from everything. It doesn’t matter what it is. GoT, Star Wars, Lost, Harry Potter,…
Only if you let it 😉
i remember having seen all three extended cuts of that short movie “lord of the rings” in one night. beer has been flowing that night and substances have been smoked. everyone making it to the ship leaving for valinor crawled home on their knees.
even sober, i don’t see anyone make it through two seasons of GoT alive and well without collapsing. but when it comes to GoT noobs i love the idea of marathon watching. you fall to sleep, wake up and ask “can i have a coffee?” and “did ned recover from his leg wound?”, and the answer is: the red wedding.
about those “leaks”, just two things: the first “S8-leaks” i saw were dumber than a bag of hammers, and i had to quit reading after some three sentences. given HBO’s experiences with successful leaking i bet my ass and an extra sandwich that until at least august 2018, all “leaks” are just fan fiction.
and this: thanks to that person who tried to drop the “leak” shit here for this honorable attempt in kidnapping a thread. everyone here loves to be distracted, and everyone loves some sort of whataboutism. possibly no one here loves you.
Would it be a chicken generated sandwich? If so, you better eat that before the Hound shows up.
No they are not. The valid leak last year was from AwayfortheLads. The latest batch of BS is from some other rando.
And of course any potential leak should only be discussed in the Quarantine forum anyway, as a courtesy.
Luka Nieto,
I agree, but if you are deep in the fandom it’s very hard not to be influenced in any way.
mau,
Just a teeny bit of reciprocal courtesy is all it’d take to avoid influencing, or being influenced.
I don’t know why the leak stuff gets people so confused. It’s not that difficult to understand. No discussion of leaks, legit or not. If you feel the need to discuss it, take it to the Quarantine forum. You don’t have to avoid leaks if you can’t help yourself. Just stop making a point to ruin it for other people. Have a little bit of self-discipline and courtesy for others. As long as this is followed there shouldn’t be any issues between those who want to know the leaks and those who want to stay unspoiled.
Having said all that, I didn’t realize there would be a GoT marathon this week and I usually look out for that kind of stuff dammit! Too bad I have to work, but at least I can feel good knowing that GoT will be there waiting for me when I get home. I need to re-watch season 7. I only saw it once during the original airings, so I could use a rewatch to calibrate how I truly feel about season 7 as a whole. I didn’t think it was LatrineDigger bad, but I also didn’t think it was all that great either. Hopefully a rewatch will make me like it more.
😇Angel on one shoulder: ”Get to work. Bills to pay, bills to get out, paperwork to do, emails to open and replies to type.”
😈 Devil on other shoulder: ”Relive the moment you first saw that amazing little actress zing the arrow into the bullseye and take a bow! Remember what it was like when you barely took notice of that bodyguard guy with the dog helmet! Revisit “Snow” holding up the runt of the litter of the motherless wolf puppies!”
Aaand… Winter is Coming!
Mr Derp,
”…I didn’t think it was LatrineDigger bad, but I also didn’t think it was all that great either.”
Ha! “LatrineDigger bad.” Now we have an appropriate shorthand term to describe utter disappointment with things perceived to be on the farthest end of the unwatchability spectrum.
Jon Snow is giving needle to Arya and saying goodbye as I type this…EPIC
firstone,
Ugh…. now I want to pretend I have been hit with a stomach bug suddenly and ditch work for the rest of the afternoon to watch the marathon. Which is nuts because I own the entire series on Blu-Ray (minus season 5….it’s my least favorite- but it’s only a matter of time before I buy it so I am complete).
Awesome. I’ll try to catch it. I just bought the season 7 Blu-ray so I’m going to be binging on that this weekz
Totally agree. I’ve read several sets of ‘leaks’ and IMO not one inspires much confidence. This early in filming ‘leaks’ should be especially suspect. There are a few people who have advantages in sorting true from false, but so far they do not seem to be impressed. But last year, WotW did a fantastic job of sharing production photos here, on which we all speculated to our hearts’ content.
A Game of Thrones marathon… Dear Lord ! On part of me loves the idea, the other is afraid of getting bed sores. Though I have little doubt that, before the new season is broadcast, I will put my DVDs to good use to rewatch and re-enjoy everything. Manageable bit by manageable bit ^^
If I were the show’s writers and producers, I would take advantage of this being the last season to go a tad “devil may care” and pay good money to both Aidan Gillen and Conleth Hill to shoot a couple of episodes of just their characters travelling : 50 minutes of Littlefinger in a carriage or of Varys on a boat, not a single line of dialog… They could title that Game of Thrones : the Meanwhile Episodes. Me thinks it would have a strangely hypnotic quality.
Just watched the season 7 boxset over the course of 2 nights, which was pretty intense. Helps though that I can’t do much more that sit or lie down right now due to health issues. I can’t imagine doing the whole series so far though until nearer the time for the broadcast of season 8.
Watching the whole season without the weeks break in between each episode and without being concerned about what others think about it makes for a very different experience.
I like the idea! Put this onscreen with a roaring fire in the foreground and use it for a Game of Thrones themed Christmas yule log video. Strangely hypnotic indeed.
Isn’t this kind of unexciting non-news?
I’ve never watched GoT on TV. I haven’t even had a TV set for years. I’ve watched all GoT online (legally), have my service provider’s “library” of all aired episodes at my fingertips at all times. Plus I have all published DVDs. So what’s the point of a television marathon?
It happens at an inconvenient time for me, at an inconvenient pace for me. If I want to binge rewatch all seasons, I can do it at the time of my own choosing (though it’s becoming increasingly difficult with approx. 70 hours, lol).
HBO-led television marathons are just their way to fill up scheduling and grab some social phenomenon PR at the same time. Not that I’m against GoT reruns on HBO television outlets. It’s a good programme that bears rewatching. I just don’t understand the (manufactured) hype.
This sounds very much like the Norwegian public broadcaster’s NRK’s hit “slow television” events. Endless hours of a fire burning, or views from a train window, or days of reindeer migration (which they had to cancel because, due to unusual weather, the reindeer didn’t migrate within the usual time).
I can generally do my own marathon with HBO Go but since Im off for a week I may just start up, be part of the crowd and all that
Maisie Williams recently posted on her Instagram page an adorable photograph taken on her very first day on the set before getting into her costume)l. It appears she’s in a dressing room, with “Arya Stark” on the wall or door behind her.
I’ve always watched GoT on TV. I have even had a TV set for years. I’ve watched some GoT online
(legally), have my service provider’s “library” of all aired episodes at my fingertips at all times. So what’s the point of DVDs? I can do it at the time of my own choosing (though I never do lol). I just don’t understand the (manufactured) hype.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Just watched LC Mormont’s S1 finale speech!
🐻🐺❄️
Rygritte,
I’m glad we agree on not understanding the manufactured hype.
PS. Don’t watch online illegally, it’s theft. (I’m not sure if that’s what you meant, it seemed implied but I maybe misunderstood, English not being my mother tongue, in which case, apologies.)
Hi Carole, it seems to be ongoing thing with Sky Atlantic showing all 7 seasons! A month or so before Christmas I watched the whole series (yet again) 🙂
They were airing a few episodes a week, but not every night. I saw the last episode of S7 on a Friday then the following Monday it all started again and as you say with 3 episodes a night. Although I love show, one can only take so much!
I have to admit, I’ve watched a few again, but only if there’s nothing better on Sky. As I only get a few channels due to my location compared to what one can receive in the UK, I’m somewhat limited. I recently lost all of the Discovery Channels due a satellite transponder change with really pissed me off! To get them back I’d have to change my 1.2m dish to something 5 times larger and no way can I do that. Such is life for us British ex-pats who chose to live in warmer climes 🙁
Black Raven,
So how’s Brexit affecting you, as an immigrant in an EU country?
Its a total disaster! I’m losing some 200+ euros a month on my pensions due to the UK pound being so weak.
I would love to see it revoked or there perhaps being a second referendum, but I doubt if that will happen. The UK government made a big mistake carrying it through on such a small majority. Something like 16 million votes to remain in the EU and 16.4 million who voted ‘out’. What I also found incredible was that the referendum was of the sort ‘to test the waters’ and not binding as such with a General Election for a particular political party or a change of government. However, they went ahead and started the Brexit process all the same 🙁
I’m sure many who voted ‘out’ never foresaw the problems that leaving the EU would bring – The government also! The whole Brexit business is a mess and IMHO its not surprising the UK has become the ‘laughing stock’ of Europe. Certainly the PM Theresa May and her cronies who think they can ‘cherry pick’ what were the benefits of being in the EU they want out of Brexit and Brussels is having none of it 😮
The longer it drags on the better 🙂
Sweet summer chilrens. I don’t know the joy of feeling excitement when a Game of Thrones marathon pops up because with a couple clicks of the remote all episodes of every season have at all times been accessible to me for years due to having HBO as part of our cable package. Thus, I have no desire to re-watch anything as I have already been fully sated.
Well said
It’s been a while since I’ve watched season 2 and damn it is good!
The hand of the king Tyrion Lannister is brilliant… easily controlling every conversation! Tyrion is at his best in King’s Landing
George Martin said that they considered starting season 2 on the Dragonstone beach with Melisandre burning the old gods statues and I wish they would have… it would have been the best opening scene.
firstone,
I love S2!!
Ok, so marathons of previous seasons are so important.
Just now, watching the scene where Tywin lectures an already educated Arya to the meaning of the word ‘legacy’, I am developing renewed conviction that Arya must play a part in Cersei’s death.
I love this show.
ramses,
From S2e2, one of my all-time favorite lines:
Gendry: You know, you shouldn’t insult people that are bigger than you.
Arya: Then I wouldn’t get to insult anyone.
Ten Bears,
❤️👍
Cersei and Sansa’s scenes together are enthralling as well.
firstone,
Re: Hand of the King Tyrion
A while back, I did my own personal “contest” to decide on my all-time favorite scene for each character. For Tyrion, there are so many classic scenes demonstrating his wittiness and brains.
For me, this scene between Tyrion and Lancel in Season 2 came out on top.
There’s a great moment in there when Tyrion looks up from reading the scroll with a look in his eyes that he knows he’s snared Lancel, before Lancel realizes it. Shortly thereafter, Lancel does realize Tyrion outwitted him, and turns from a pompous a-hole into a frantically pleading pile of Jello who quickly agreed to become a spy for Tyrion.
Tyrion was just brilliant, the way he coaxed Lancel to implicate himself:
– From S2-
(Knock on Tyrion’s door. He opens it to see Lancel)
T: Your visits are too few, cousin.
L: Her Grace, the Queen Regent, commands you to release Grand Maester Pycelle. Here’s your warrant. (Hands scroll to Tyrion)
T: So it is.
T: Will you take a cup with me? I find that mulled wine helps me sleep.
L: I am here at Her Grace’s behest, not to drink with you, Imp.
T: If my sister was so concerned for Pycelle, I would have thought she’d come herself. Instead she sends you. What am I to make of that?
L: I don’t care what you make of it, so long as you release your prisoner immediately.
T: And you’ve received these instructions directly from Cersei?
L: As I said several times.
T: And you’ve waited this long to deliver the information?
L: When the Queen Regent gives me a command, I carry it out without delay.
T: Cersei must have great trust in you, allowing you into her chamber during the hour of the wolf. (Tyrion looks up from the scroll with a twinkle in his eye and a slight grin)
L: The Queen Regent has a great many responsibilities. She often works from dusk till dawn.
T: She must be very glad to have you helping her from dusk… till dawn.
Ah! Lavender oil. She always loved lavender oil, even as a girl.
L: I am a knight!
T: An anointed knight, yes. Tell me, did Cersei have you knighted before or after she took you into her bed? What? Nothing to say? No more warnings for me, ser?
L (angrily): You will withdraw these filthy accusations!
T: Have you ever given any thought to what King Joffrey will have to say when he finds out you’ve been bedding his mother?
(Lancel completely loses his composure…)
L: It’s not my fault!
T: Did she take you against your will? Can you not defend yourself, knight?
L: Your own father, Lord Tywin, when I was named the King’s squire, he told me to obey her in everything.
T: Did he tell you to f*ck her, too?
L: I only meant I did as I was bid.
T: Hated every moment of it, is that what you’ll have me believe? A high place in court, a knighthood, my sister’s legs spreading open for you at night. Oh, yes, it must have been terrible!
Wait here. His Grace will want to hear this.
(Tyrion starts to walk out)
L: Mercy! Mercy, my lord! I beg you!
T: Save it for Joffrey. He loves a good grovel.
L (in desperation): My lord, it was your sister’s bidding, the Queen. I’ll leave the city at once, I swear!
T (calmly): No, I think not.
L: My lord?
T: You heard me. My father told you to obey my sister. Obey her. Stay close to her side. Keep her trust. Pleasure her whenever she requires. No one ever need know, as long as you keep faith with me. I want to know what Cersei is doing, where she goes, who she sees, what they talk of, everything. And you will tell me.
L: Yes, my lord, I will. I swear it, as you command.
T: Oh, rise, rise. Let us drink to our understanding. Oh, you don’t have a cup. Oh, well. Smile, cousin. My sister is a beautiful woman, and it’s all for the good of the realm.
Go back and tell her that I beg her forgiveness, that I want no more conflict between us and that, henceforth, I shall do nothing without her consent.
L: But her demands?
T: Oh, I’ll give her Pycelle.
L: You will?
T: Yes, I’ll release him in the morning. Cersei can keep him as a pet, if she wants, but I will not have him on the Council. I could swear that I had not harmed a single hair on his head, but that would not, strictly speaking, be true.
_______________
✔️ This scene is always worth a rewatch.
In about 14 months, I watched S1-6 four times, three in secret and each at different paces. One was purely listening to commentaries. That and pelting through two-episodes-a-night before S7 (with the Spouse) were revelations. D&D have said they’re writing one 73-part story. All the re-watching revealed subtle interweavings I had never noticed and lots of hints about how the saga might conclude. Because the show has pared down so much from the books–lore, side-stories, red-herrings, songs and poems, prophecies, etc–the underlying design seems to be revealing itself. If any of you haven’t done at least one re-watch and have the time and inclination, please do. IMO it will be worth your while.
Stark Raven’ Rad,
”…D&D have said they’re writing one 73-part story. All the re-watching revealed subtle interweavings I had never noticed and lots of hints about how the saga might conclude. Because the show has pared down so much from the books–lore, side-stories, red-herrings, songs and poems, prophecies, etc–the underlying design seems to be revealing itself.”
——————
Oh yes! I’ve often found that when re-reading the dialogue (sometimes, the closed captioning with the sound off), I notice little tidbits of information sprinkled in, along with deliberate repetitions and parallels that cause me to unspool my tinfoil.
Also, as you alluded to, there are clues in what the show has excised during the adaptation process. To me, omitted book! charscters and story lines must’ve been irrelevant to the endgame.
I watched that scene today and it is Tyrion at his best!!!
I like when Tyrion learns about Cersei and the wildfire from Lancel too!
Ygritte is strong from her first scene too.
firstone,
”Ygritte is strong from her first scene too.
“Strike hard and true, Jon Snow, or I’ll come back and haunt you.”
– 💋🔥🏹
I am watching Season 5 Sons of Harpy right now and Sons of Harpy is a really good episode… 10/10
the first of many good Tyrion Jorah scenes… “what a waste of a good kidnapping”
I hope Kit Harington’s and Emilia Clarke’s acting is as good in season 8 as it is in season 5!!!!!!!!!
Kit and Emilia are at their best in season 5!
Ohhhh shit! Marathon started early this New Year’s Eve morning 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
ramses,
Ugh! Why?! I was looking forward to S6 last night and would have watched had I known.
I was glued to S1. Sean Bean was perfect. Gods, the Starks were naive then. Arya was the only one who didn’t make a bad decision. As soon as Sansa betrayed her family, her direwolf died. Littlefinger is responsible for the seasons to come. He has more power, control, and opportunities advising Northern newbies in charge than managing the Crown’s debt.
S2 didn’t hold my attention until the last episode. Michelle Fairley carried the season. Jaime meeting Brienne was a highlight. Dany breaking her chains still awesome.
S3 didn’t hold my attention much more. The production value of the sets was remarkably better. Jaime and Brienne were still fun. Robb and Talisa still weren’t. Dany sacking Astapor is still one of the best scenes in the series.
S4 had the best premiere. Great cinematography. Forgot about all those Brienne and Pod scenes. Made me sad. Ygritte’s death was tear-inducing. Rose’s facial expressions of a betrayed lover were perfect. Rory’s strongest season. Appreciated Tyrion’s trial more. Orson’s beetles still bad.
S5 – Nice visuals like a story come to life. Jorah cracking skulls is my favorite Jorah. So, Littlefinger gave Cersei Olyvar and Olenna Lancel. Goth Sansa in over her head agreeing to marry Ramsay.
S6 – Started watching as the wights breached the cave. It’s too cold to close the blinds, so I couldn’t see anything. I just realized the 3 Eyed Raven warged into Bran when he was slain in the cave. That’s why when Meera told Benjen the 3 Eyed Raven was dead, Benjen said “and he lives again” while looking at Bran waking up. It’s why Meera told Bran he died in that cave. It’s why Bran is unemotional about Stark reunions and Meera and only cares about Jon. Varamyr was foreshadowing Bran sharing his consciousness with Bloodraven.
Rygritte,
Good Comments… I like season 2 more than you do:-)
In season 5 – Littlefinger gave Cersei Lannister Loras Tyrell and gave Olenna Tyrell Lancel Lannister.
Good season 6 comment… I never picked that one up.
Rygritte,
“I just realized the 3 Eyed Raven warged into Bran when he was slain in the cave. ….. It’s why Bran is unemotional about Stark reunions and Meera and only cares about Jon. ”
—————-
I am intrigued, but don’t understand what you mean. Why would/does the 3ER only care about Jon?
firstone, Littlefinger gave Cersei Olyvar in order to get Loras and gave Olenna Lancel in order to get Cersei. 🙂 Oh, and I forgot NEMEBETAS!
The Stark sisters reunion made me tear up, and Ghost was howling when Jon left Winterfell.
Ten Bears, The Prince that was PROMISED!
Rygritte,
You’re Right Rygritte – Everyone already knew Loras Tyrell was a sword swallower and Cercei needed Olyvar to keep Loras Tyrell in Jail and to have a trial and also to get Queen Margery Tyrell arrested and thrown in jail … I stand corrected once again.
Game of Thrones is so good… season 5 included!!!!!
My guess is the prince that was promised will be born on the final episode of the show