As hard as it is to believe, the series that has captured the imagination of people all over the world will be coming to an end sometime next year, as Game of Thrones will sign off after eight seasons, nearly a decade after it premiered on HBO. For as twisty as the narratives can be, fans know the tight security surrounding the series' plot is very straightforward, and the cast can totally relate. Emilia Clarke shared that she doesn't think the creators even trust the cast with the show's top-secret ending, since she's not even sure what will get used. In her words:
I don't know that I even do now. I'm being serious. I think they're filming a bunch of stuff and they're not telling us. I'm being serious. I'm being deadly serious. I think that they don't even trust us. There's lots of different endings that could happen; I think we're doing all of them and we aren't being told which is actually what's going to happen.
You know it is serious if the actress playing the Mother of Dragons thinks she is being kept in the dark by her bosses. Emilia Clarke's response came after she was asked by THR when she learned who would end up on the Iron Throne. And her theory lines up with previous reports surrounding the filming of the ending. Last year, HBO's president stated the series would shoot multiple endings to help evade leaks. Have the creators gone through with it? It is a mystery that has not received a definitive answer.
We do know that Nikolaj Coster-Waldau seemed to dismiss the notion last year. Back then, the show was not as far into finale preparations. In March, Maisie Williams said she knew how the show would end. The only way we will absolutely know if the show filmed multiple endings, is when it actually airs, and the cast can be more forthcoming. A lot is riding on how the show wraps up its sprawling story.
The ending of Game of Thrones does not just have implications for the show, but the books on which they are based. Nearly eight years have passed since the 2011 release of George R.R. Martin's latest book in the series, A Dance with Dragons. No release date has been set for the penultimate book in the series. Not the final book, mind you, but the second-to-last book. Come 2019, Game of Thrones will definitely be giving fans an ending readers have not received.
Having gone off-book in Season 6, the secrecy of Game of Thrones' plotlines has taken on a newly realized sense of urgency, as curiosity surrounding the series' mysteries has only intensified. In Season 6, it was whether or not Jon Snow would be brought back from the dead. And in Season 8, interest flows around the answer to Game of Thrones' greatest mystery. Who will end up on the Iron Throne? Whether or not the cast holds the answer, the reveal is closer than it has ever been.
Game of Thrones' eighth and final season airs in 2019 on HBO. For what you can watch while you await the final chapter of Game of Thrones, check out our summer premiere schedule. Want a better idea of what's coming on TV beyond this summer? Then check out our 2018 network TV rundown.
