So as everyone knows by now, season seven of Game of Thrones will only have seven episodes (after a 2.5 month premiere date delay) and season eight (the final season) will only have six episodes and may not even debut until 2019. That’s a major bummer on all accounts. *Crying emoji
How could this sprawling fantasy epic possible tie up all of the numerous loose ends in only 13 episodes? By extending the episode length.
Every episode of the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones may clock in at a feature-film length.
It was previously announced that the season seven finale will be the show’s longest episode ever at 82 minutes. That plan could carry over to the final season in order to give every remaining storyline/character their just due. During a Con of Thrones panel this past weekend, Game of Thrones sound designer Patricia Fairfield said the early plan is to beef up the run time of season 8.
So if all the episodes are wrapping up in 80-plus minutes, Thrones fans may not miss too much despite the smaller episode close. The total times could actually match up somewhat closely. A typical Got season contains 10 episodes of roughly 55 minutes each, providing needy fans with 550 minutes of fire breathing madness. If season eight produces six episodes at 80 minutes a pop, that will give viewers 480 minutes to dive into. That’s not so bad.
Yeah, sure, we’d all love more episodes, longer running times and a publication date from George R.R. Martin for the next book. But, hey, this ain’t a perfect world. Let’s just enjoy the ride while it lasts.
#KingintheNorth