The end of Game of Thrones is coming, and Kit Harington hopes Season 8 will change TV. Discussing the final season, Harington shared his stirring aspirations for the groundbreaking series' final season, saying:
I'm so excited for people to see it. I think it's going to be extraordinary, hopefully it'll change TV again like it did originally, and break boundaries. I think it might.
Kit Harington shared his hopes for Game of Thrones' final reckoning during an interview on Zoe Ball's radio show, per Esquire. How it could break the boundaries Harington refers to is what fans are on the edge of their seats to find out.
Is it the runtime? Is it the special effects and battle sequence(s)? Will it be how it ends? For a show like Game of Thrones to change television twice during its run will require a lot. That said, the series has proven it is more than capable of doing it.
As for how he feels about Game of Thrones coming to an end, Kit Harington reflected on his post-Thrones feelings with an apt analogy, saying:
It's like when you finish a book, you're not happy it's over are you? You don't finish a good book and say, 'I'm happy I finished that.' But you have this grief that it's over, and it's the exact same with nine years doing this show. No matter how it ended, or how it does end, there's always this bit of you that's like, 'oh'; there's this loss around it.
What Kit Harington is saying is so true. What is interesting is that, following eight seasons, many fans will always have how it ended top of mind when they recall Game of Thrones. In essence, how it ends could determine so much of its legacy going forward.
Game of Thrones is set to go out in unique style. HBO's CEO marveled over the final chapter in the cinematic-caliber TV show's run. He referred to it as a "spectacle," and called it "magical"...twice.
Kit Harington's earlier statement about how Game of Thrones changed TV is accurate. You can see its impact reflected in other shows' plotlines and how they approach shocking developments. That, of course, extends to the countless jaw-dropping deaths on Game of Thrones.
If asked, many would likely point to Ned Stark's death as the starting point for how Game of Thrones jolted television. But, there is another moment that arguably preceded it -- Jaime Lannister pushing Bran Stark out of the window at Winterfell.
It was a shocking development that tipped the show's hand, and let fans know that it was not like other TV series. It has been far more brutal than most dramas, and bearing that in mind makes the possibility of what is in store boundlessly chilling.
There is still no end in sight for how Game of Thrones could change television. It could herald the beginning of movie-size finales, or Thrones could also usher in the age of the unapologetically "feel-bad ending." Here is hoping it does not.
Viewers will soon have to deal with seeing the series come to an end. As excited as this fan is to see the final chapter, those feelings are punctuated with a sense of sadness that it will soon be over. There is no putting back the anticipation fans are enjoying now.
Once everyone knows how Jon Snow and the rest of the characters' stories end, there will be no dreaming it ends differently. Find out how Jon's journey concludes when Game of Thrones' final season premieres April 14 on HBO. Season 8 is among many awaiting viewers in the midseason, so be sure to keep up to date on all your favorites.
