Game Of Thrones Season 7: 11 Crucial Things That Must Happen
The Winds of Winter have started blowing in Westeros, but just what will they bring with them?
At this stage of the year, we normally have a decent idea of how the next season of Game of Thrones is shaping up. We'll have seen a teaser, if not a full trailer, had a few official images released.
This year: nadda, save for a melting block of ice, at the end of which was the premiere date (July 16).
Game of Thrones has been pushed back from spring to summer, which means the wait is even more agonising, and we know even less about the upcoming season.
However, based on the direction Season 6 went in, and the fact that the show is speeding towards its endgame, we can make a few guesses. And there's a lot that needs to happen in order to payoff storylines and setup others for the eighth and final season.
We know this run will only have seven episodes, but it should be able to pack in the regular amount of narratives twists, turns, and deaths. The end is nigh, even if the air date isn't. Here's what must happen in Season 7.
11. Do More With Less
Sorry Stannis, you're right: 'fewer'.
Game of Thrones has fewer episodes this year, with a reduction from 10 to 7. While on the one hand that doesn't sound great, because it means we aren't getting as much of something we love, it could be a blessing in disguise.
Firstly, it proves that David Benioff and Dan Weiss are telling the story the way they want to, rather than delivering another 10 episodes simply for cash and viewing figures.
It's also an opportunity to go bigger, even with a shortened run. The production is slated to last the same amount of time as a regular season, and the budget is even bigger.
That gives them the chance to go huge in scale, and perhaps even deliver a couple of much longer episodes. The Westworld season finale was 90 minutes - it's not difficult to imagine Thrones being able to pull off something similar.