Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones bosses David Benioff and Dan Weiss haven’t followed up to confirm a potential 13 episodes between Seasons 7 and 8, let alone the later production date to accommodate winter weather, but we may yet have our first new clue. Reports suggest Game of Thrones Season 7 will shoot partly in Iceland in early 2017, but what does that mean for a start date?

Game of Thrones is normally one to employ its most gruesome and spectacular visuals in moderation, a point well-embodied by The Mountain’s undead (but heavily concealed) transformation. Season 6 offered a brief glimpse of the horror in shadow, but gaze for yourself into Ser Gregor Clegane’s putrid new visage.

Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin may not agree with every change the HBO adaptation makes, but that wouldn’t push him so far as too root for an Outlander Emmy over his own series, would it? The author claims “Outlander was robbed” at this week’s Emmy nominations, even if certain Game of Thrones stars finally got their due.

Game of Thrones can be hard enough for fans to keep keep straight, but if ever six seasons of un-pronouncable names and changing alliances should stick, it’d be Samuel L. Jackson recapping the realm. Yes, it seems Jackson hates the Lannisters about as much as he hates Foggy Nelson, recapping the entirety of Game of Thrones in a new video.

At long last, Game of Thrones finally brought us its first proper battle in Sunday’s aptly-named “Battle of the Bastards,” offering everything we hoped it could be. So much work went into the final showdown between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton, that HBO released a full ten-minute featurette chronicling production.

Days from its premiere, Game of Thrones is still keeping a fairly tight lid on penultimate Season 6 installment “Battle of the Bastards,” to say nothing of its “Winds of Winter” finale. That said, the big battle might not be all this Sunday has to offer, as a leaked report suggests a major meeting will be taking place, perhaps forming the next great ship to rival Tormund and Brienne.

Going on three seasons now, Game of Thrones fans have anxiously awaited signs of another major resurrection that Season 6 seems to have dispelled, that of the infamous Lady Stoneheart. Sunday’s “No One” in particular seemed to snuff out the last bits of hope, but according to director Mark Mylod, the fan-favorite figure has never garnered so much as a moment of discussion.

It’s that time again, as Game of Thrones finally arrives at its ninth episode of the year, with Season 6 promising to deliver a “proper battle” with “Hardhome” director Miguel Sapochnik’s aptly-named “Battle of the Bastards.” The first trailer promises more depth and destruction than ever, but might Jon Snow’s return have been for naught?

Game of Thrones may have played coy with Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion by the first Season 6 trailer, but the half-man will host full time when April offers its first SNL. The erstwhile Peter Drunklage has booked his first official SNL hosting, just weeks ahead of the Game of Thrones premiere.

The Season 6 fate of Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow has proven both the TV industry’s best, and worst-kept secret, subject to speculation and fan sleuthing at every turn, and HBO refuses to risk any official leaks. In an unprecedented move, perhaps owing to last year’s pirated episodes, HBO will withhold any Game of Thrones Season 6 press screeners ahead of the premiere.

Whenever Game of Thrones finally gets around to a full Season 6 trailer, fans will undoubtedly agonize over the continued secrecy of Jon Snow’s fate, and HBO isn’t likely to oblige until at least April 24. In the meantime, have a bunch of posters of everyone’s faces, dead or alive! They seem to be enjoying themselves.

No doubt Game of Thrones has shaped the manner in which political rivalries play out their bitter ends in the media, that the harshest of podium insults scarcely raise an eyebrow anymore. Well, with Game of Thrones and Donald Trump both on everyone’s minds, it’s no surprise the Orange King fits right in with the world of Westeros.