It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Night King is a force to be reckoned with.
HBO and George R.R. Martin’s undead creation is essentially the harbinger of death – hell, he may even be death incarnate – so it’s small wonder why viewers are looking forward to the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones with a mixture of excitement and genuine trepidation.
Because if there’s one thing Game of Thrones has taught us across its seven-season run, it’s that Westeros and all its Seven Kingdoms come together to form a ruthless, unforgiving cauldron, and we’ve lost count of how many times we’ve grown close to a character, only to watch them bite the bullet in the next episode.
And when it comes to Game of Thrones season 8, there will be a lot of twists and turns as HBO’s fantasy drama nears its conclusion, but we now have reason to believe that some characters are destined for a fate worse than death – which is to say that Viserion won’t be the last thing resurrected by the Night King. Case in point: this new batch of leaked set photos from Thrones‘ last hurrah, which appears to show members of the Dothraki tribe as Wights.
That’ll certainly tip the balance of power toward the Night King, who has already decimated the combined Targaryen army by stealing a dragon and pulverizing part of the wall.
Regardless, it certainly sets the stage for an unmissable finale, and Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont) believes Game of Thrones is coming to an end at the right time. Not only that, but its “brilliant” curtain call won’t be for everyone:
When I read it, I thought it was rather brilliant. I am a bit of a fan of the series as well, and it satiated my expectation and hopes, I felt [it was the] conclusion [the show needed]. But we will just have to see. You know with something this big like Game of Thrones, you cannot please everyone. All I can say is that we will be doing what we have done before and the writers have written great episodes. They have had a great strike rate up to now and I am sure that will continue.
Season 8 of HBO’s Game of Thrones has been tentatively earmarked for April 2019, by which point we should have a better understanding of the network’s future-proofing plans regarding those mooted successor series. Word is HBO and Martin are collaborating on five potential story pitches, though there’s no guarantee that they’ll each receive the green light.
