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As the long-awaited premiere date of Game of Thrones Season 7 approaches, many of us are left wondering what to expect from HBO’s award-winning series. Early last year it was revealed that the series would end after season 8 due to the advancement of the show in comparison to the novels, that of which the latest installment has yet to be released. We know that director’s David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were given the ‘O.K.’ to continue the television series past the current novel’s storyline by George R. R. Martin himself long ago. We know that the production time for Season 7 would take longer than that of season’s past, and that season 7 would contain only 7 episodes. But what else should viewers anticipate for television’s most critically-acclaimed fantasy-drama? Here is what we know so far.
Game of Thrones season 7 will premiere on July 16, 2017
Children of the realm shall fear not. A man now knows the official release date of the upcoming season. Earlier this month the official Facebook page for GoT announced the date of the highly anticipated new season via a cryptic Facebook Live video. Users were urged to type the words ‘FIRE’ and ‘DRACARYS’ in the comment section below to melt an ominous block of ice with the flames of a burning fire, (how fitting) and reveal the season’s release date. Of course, one could easily wait until the live stream was over and the internet was buzzing with the news to find out- but where’s the fun in that?
Season 7 will finally descend into the Great War
This is what it has all led up to. As the series nears its end, Winter has finally arrived, and the Great War begins. The recent teaser trailer reveals what seems to be a mash of house symbols from Targaryen to Lannister, with a series of voice-overs from different characters. More importantly, the bits narrated by that of Dany and Jon, who speak with grit and vigor as they announce the war to come. Can we expect a Targaryen and Snow team up? Will the White Walkers create the apocalypse of Westeros? Will we finally find out how Arya and Bran play into the grand scheme of things? Only time will tell.
Prepare to be Amazed
To go along with the grandeur of war, season 7 also boasts an amplified production. Shortly after the premiere was announced, actor Kit Harington aka the one and only Jon Snow revealed that “[Season 7 has] so much more ambition, there are fewer episodes this year, so they spent more money on those episodes. So, the whole scale of it is up” in an interview with ABC News. Although the series has delivered what is undoubtedly one of the biggest productions in the history of TV, the show has had its fair share of hang-ups regarding the budget. Thus, it would make sense that cutting the season a bit short would open the budget for even more ambitious production. If you’re like me, you were blown away by the visuals brought by season 6 (I’m looking at you, Battle of the Bastards.) One can only imagine the monstrosity of a season that is headed our way.
The Theory of the Three Headed Dragon
Warning, this one might contain spoilers. Game of Thrones fans are known to tote a long list of theories, and much like the speculation of Jon’s birth (the R+L=J fiasco of 2016) fans have speculated the reveal of a Three-headed Dragon Prophecy. While there is no concrete evidence of this heavily implied prophecy, many are sure that it has something to do with Dany, Jon, and Tyrion- all of whom are said to have Targaryen blood running through their veins from one relation or another. Anyone else imagining the three riding a three-headed dragon combo of Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion? No? Just me?
Ed Sheeran will be making a cameo
Finally, just what we’ve all been waiting for. Ed Sheeran will indeed be making a cameo appearance in the upcoming season. But fret not, given the history of Game of Thrones celeb cameos, Sheeran’s performance is sure to be subtle and barely noticeable. Other celebrities who have made cameo appearances on the show in the past include the likes of Snow Patrol, Coldplay, Sigur Rós, and Mastodon. If you’re worried about the integrity of the series, this means you probably don’t have much to worry about. Chances are, you never noticed any of the past cameos anyway. If you’re an Ed Sheeran stan, be on the lookout for ya boy.
Right now, the season premiere seems to be worlds away. But is that so bad? As a fan of the Game of Thrones series and franchise, it should come to no surprise that there would be a time when the series would need to play catch up. On top of the massive production, the tv series has far surpassed that of the book. Whether it is small-scale and independent, or a large-scale media beast- you can’t rush good art. What’s a few month’s wait for one of television’s most
Author: Mickey K (Micah Witt)
Editor: Han Angus
Keshav Kant, aka Mx. KantEven, is a med student tuned Executive Director of Off Colour!
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