Game of Thrones

From ‘Game of Thrones’ to ‘Master of None,’ ‘Twin Peaks’ to ‘The Good Place,’ these were the most outstanding TV episodes of the year.

Game of Thrones employs the occasional subterfuge to thwart spoilers. HBO even hinted at multiple Season 8 endings for exactly that purpose, but a new report suggests not only that cast aren’t certain which ending will air, but also that HBO wants them quiet on social media.

Game of Thrones Season 8 Locations John BradleyEven if it takes us until 2019 to get there, Game of Thrones is placing every card on the table for its final season. The White Walkers are loose and the endgame fast approaching, and – if John Bradley is to be believed – we have serious reason to fear that major characters will be scattered all over the map this year.

Game of Thrones has its reputation for major stars in minor roles, but few characters were short-changed like Stephen Dillane’s Stannis Baratheon. The actor apparently agrees as much, given his diminished role, claiming “I was entirely dependent on Liam [Cunningham] to tell me what the scenes were about.”

It seems like forever ago, though only months have elapsed since HBO announced its controversial choice to enable Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss’ modern slavery drama, Confederate. Development understandably took a backseat to production of the final Game of Thrones season, but a new report may reveal “the creators are not actively working on it” anymore.

It’s been some time since Game of Thrones’ penultimate season faced a rash of leaks, as did other HBO programs stolen by a hacker extortionist. Now, federal authorities have officially identified the perpetrator as an Iranian national with his very own wanted poster.

Game of Thrones didn’t destroy the entire Wall with its ice-breaking Season 7 finale, but it’s safe to say The Night’s Watch has become somewhat superfluous. All the same, another returning character for the eighth and final season might confirm a fan-favorite’s survival, or at least The Night King’s first target.

Hanks will play the creator of a robot who lives on a post-apocalyptic Earth.

Game of Thrones has stepped up its willingness to revisit old characters in recent years, so surely Season 8 wouldn’t leave one of our favorites hanging, right? Fear not, as a seeming casualty of that ice-breaking finale is almost certainly back for the final season.

No one was surprised when Game of Thrones production grew big enough to trim episodes, but waiting until 2019 for more is still quite the ask. If nothing else, star Iain Glen at least clues us into why Season 8 will take so long, and what it means for the final episodes.