Game of Thrones' final season has yet to make its way to the screen. In contrast, the final day of filming took place a while ago. For the cast, that meant saying goodbye to a character they inhabited for almost a decade. In a new interview, Peter Dinklage opened up about the experience of finishing his final scene on the series. Taking curious minds behind-the-scenes of the final "wrap" on his time as Tyrion Lannister, Dinklage said:
It's always anticlimactic for the character's last day. Nothing is shot chronologically, so you don't get some big mountaintop scene or anything. It's just, "That's a wrap on Peter Dinklage." But as anticlimactic as it was, my last day was also beautifully bittersweet. A lot of people whom I love were on set that day. Even if they weren't working, they came to set, which was beautiful. I tried to do the same thing when other [Game of Thrones] actors were wrapping out. If it was their day, you would go to set to say good-bye. It was really hard. I won't say their name or their character's name, but one of the young people on the show wrapped this past season and everybody was a wreck. This person had grown up on the show, you know? They were a child and now they were an adult. And then they're done. It's like we were witnessing this person saying good-bye to their childhood. I know Game of Thrones is just a TV show, la-di-da, but it was our life.
There are a lot of takeaways from Peter Dinklage's comments to Vulture, the first being an educational one for those unaware that TV shows traditionally shoot out of sequence. Accordingly, the final scene Dinklage filmed was not Tyrion's last. When it comes to a final episode, you almost wish it was. That way the show could seize on the sentimentality scenes like that tend to bring. Then again, that may be why they do not break with usual procedure to film them.
Regardless, it is nice to learn that others went out of their way to be on-hand for actors' final days. Then there is the sweet story Peter Dinklage shared about one of his young adult co-stars. Dinklage did not identify them, but there is a way to narrow the field. The actors who play Sansa, Arya, and Bran all started the show when they were still children.
My best guess would be Isaac Hempstead Wright since he is the youngest of the trio. As for the end of Tyrion's run, Peter Dinklage indicated his approval on where Game of Thrones' ends Tyrion's story. Given that Tyrion Lannister is one of the greatest television characters of all-time, expectations are high for how his story will end.
It is encouraging to hear Peter Dinklage give a positive take on Tyrion's endgame. One can hardly imagine what Season 8 has in store for him. Hopefully, some positive things. For instance, it would be wonderful if he found true love before the show wraps up.
Tyrion's complicated feelings for Daenerys seem destined to intensify in Season 8. With the Jon Snow reveal that they're actually related likely right around the corner, her feelings for him may be short-lived. Goodbye Jon! Hello Tyrion! Romance aside, there is also the issue of who sits on the Iron Throne. The inevitable Jon Snow reveal will also pour cold water on Daenerys' claim. So, the Hand of the Queen will have his hands full in Season 8.
If Jon Snow claims his birthright, he could decide to keep Tyrion aboard as his Hand. Or perhaps the best move will be made for the entire kingdom and Tyrion ends up on the Iron Throne. Fans will have to live a while longer with their speculation on how the brilliant Lannister's journey will conclude. There are a lot of shows which will be returning and debuting over fall to keep you busy.
Game of Thrones' eighth and final season will premiere on HBO at some point in 2019. You can watch Peter Dinklage in My Dinner with Hervé on HBO, when it premieres Saturday, October 20 at 10 p.m. ET.
