You know nothing, Kit Harington. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
The full trailer for the final season of Game Of Thrones has been released, and the series looks to be ending in icy armageddon, with Cersei cooly sipping wine as Westeros freezes.
Game Of Thrones always delighted in subverting expectations, but wrapping up this long, complex story with a satisfying and surprising twist will be quite the challenge - George R.R. Martin will surely be taking notes. Half the fun is predicting the plot points of this series, just so one can be proved horribly wrong as a beloved fan-favorite meets their gory demise.
Here are my eight predictions for season 8 of Game Of Thrones.
1. Jaime will die a martyr
Jaime’s arc has been one of the strongest in the series, with the character starting his story as a violent, incestuous sociopath, before blossoming into a noble knight.
As Jaime seeks to fill his embarrassingly blank page in the White Book with a heroic deed or two, I have a strong suspicion that the man has become too good to survive. What better way to leave an indelible mark on history, other than to die a martyr?
If he lives, Tyrion will surely be tasked with writing the history of his sordid family, and his big brother might be the only member that he depicts flatteringly.
2. Cersei will (almost) drive humanity to extinction
“Everybody dies” is too bleak an ending for even this story, but I can’t help but suspect that Cersei’s stubbornness will have catastrophic consequences for the inhabitants of Westeros.
The White Walkers and the Long Night acts as a direct parallel to our modern-day calamity, climate change, and Cersei’s willingness to ignore and ridicule the problem is, unfortunately, far too accurate a reflection of our current leadership.
The Night King is too empty a villain to close this story on; it’s Cersei who will prove to be the real supervillain of this season, by turning her back on humanity.
3. Jon Snow won’t escape death
While it appears that Daenerys and Jon are all set to ride their dragons together, and eventually get married and have unhealthy, inbred babies, as per Targaryen tradition, surely their story can’t end so smoothly.
Jon Snow already escaped death once, in a plot twist that surprised even Melisandre. Why exactly did the Lord of Light (if it was even him), choose to resurrect the man? It seems that Jon’s life has a purpose, but that doesn’t mean he gets to settle down, happily ever after.
Jon might end up being the key to defeating the White Walkers, but he owes a debt to the Many-Faced God, and that guy doesn’t forgive, or forget.
4. Daenerys will survive everything
No matter what happens, I simply can’t imagine Daenerys dying. If the series was to single out one central protagonist, it would definitely be her; the character is integral to the plot, the one responsible for the return of dragons, and ironically, the melting of The Wall. In retrospect, this entire situation is all her fault.
She’s too important to die, but the story surely won’t allow her a fairytale ending; thus, the demise of her lover, Jon Snow, is all but inevitable.
5. Tormund and Brienne will be granted a happy ending
After the trailer revealed Tormund to be alive and well, it seems likely that his adorable romance with Brienne might just come to fruition. Why? Simply because the romance has been brewing for so long - there has to be a payoff.
The two characters are just inconsequential enough to survive, and provide the sweetness to whatever bittersweet ending the showrunners have planned.
6. Arya will provide a face-swap plot twist
I’m almost certain that at some point during season 8, somebody will do something insanely murderous and out of character, only to pull their own face off and reveal Arya.
Perhaps she’ll take a blade for a family member, or bake another flesh pie, but whatever it is, it’s going to be a red herring. What else is she going to do with her oddly specific superpower?
7. Sansa will betray the family, somehow
Sansa’s transformation into an ice-cold cynic might not have boded well for Littlefinger, but that doesn’t mean the character doesn’t still have the potential for a good betrayal.
The Stark family, what’s left of them anyway, is sure to receive one last loyalty test in the final season, and I have a suspicion that Sansa will fail. She’s seen the very worst side of Westeros, to the point where she might have absorbed a little bit of malice from all the terrible men in her life.
8. Bran won’t do anything
Bran already knows what’s going to happen. He’s lost his humanity during his transition into the Three-Eyed Raven, and has grown distant from the real world, viewing it as dispassionately as one views fiction.
Sure, he was nice enough to let his sisters know about Littlefinger’s nefarious plans, but for this season, I think he’s just going to sit it out, and let fate do its thing.
Those are my predictions for the final season, what are yours?
'>
You know nothing, Kit Harington. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
The full trailer for the final season of Game Of Thrones has been released, and the series looks to be ending in icy armageddon, with Cersei cooly sipping wine as Westeros freezes.
Game Of Thrones always delighted in subverting expectations, but wrapping up this long, complex story with a satisfying and surprising twist will be quite the challenge - George R.R. Martin will surely be taking notes. Half the fun is predicting the plot points of this series, just so one can be proved horribly wrong as a beloved fan-favorite meets their gory demise.
Here are my eight predictions for season 8 of Game Of Thrones.
1. Jaime will die a martyr
Jaime’s arc has been one of the strongest in the series, with the character starting his story as a violent, incestuous sociopath, before blossoming into a noble knight.
As Jaime seeks to fill his embarrassingly blank page in the White Book with a heroic deed or two, I have a strong suspicion that the man has become too good to survive. What better way to leave an indelible mark on history, other than to die a martyr?
If he lives, Tyrion will surely be tasked with writing the history of his sordid family, and his big brother might be the only member that he depicts flatteringly.
2. Cersei will (almost) drive humanity to extinction
“Everybody dies” is too bleak an ending for even this story, but I can’t help but suspect that Cersei’s stubbornness will have catastrophic consequences for the inhabitants of Westeros.
The White Walkers and the Long Night acts as a direct parallel to our modern-day calamity, climate change, and Cersei’s willingness to ignore and ridicule the problem is, unfortunately, far too accurate a reflection of our current leadership.
The Night King is too empty a villain to close this story on; it’s Cersei who will prove to be the real supervillain of this season, by turning her back on humanity.
3. Jon Snow won’t escape death
While it appears that Daenerys and Jon are all set to ride their dragons together, and eventually get married and have unhealthy, inbred babies, as per Targaryen tradition, surely their story can’t end so smoothly.
Jon Snow already escaped death once, in a plot twist that surprised even Melisandre. Why exactly did the Lord of Light (if it was even him), choose to resurrect the man? It seems that Jon’s life has a purpose, but that doesn’t mean he gets to settle down, happily ever after.
Jon might end up being the key to defeating the White Walkers, but he owes a debt to the Many-Faced God, and that guy doesn’t forgive, or forget.
4. Daenerys will survive everything
No matter what happens, I simply can’t imagine Daenerys dying. If the series was to single out one central protagonist, it would definitely be her; the character is integral to the plot, the one responsible for the return of dragons, and ironically, the melting of The Wall. In retrospect, this entire situation is all her fault.
She’s too important to die, but the story surely won’t allow her a fairytale ending; thus, the demise of her lover, Jon Snow, is all but inevitable.
5. Tormund and Brienne will be granted a happy ending
After the trailer revealed Tormund to be alive and well, it seems likely that his adorable romance with Brienne might just come to fruition. Why? Simply because the romance has been brewing for so long - there has to be a payoff.
The two characters are just inconsequential enough to survive, and provide the sweetness to whatever bittersweet ending the showrunners have planned.
6. Arya will provide a face-swap plot twist
I’m almost certain that at some point during season 8, somebody will do something insanely murderous and out of character, only to pull their own face off and reveal Arya.
Perhaps she’ll take a blade for a family member, or bake another flesh pie, but whatever it is, it’s going to be a red herring. What else is she going to do with her oddly specific superpower?
7. Sansa will betray the family, somehow
Sansa’s transformation into an ice-cold cynic might not have boded well for Littlefinger, but that doesn’t mean the character doesn’t still have the potential for a good betrayal.
The Stark family, what’s left of them anyway, is sure to receive one last loyalty test in the final season, and I have a suspicion that Sansa will fail. She’s seen the very worst side of Westeros, to the point where she might have absorbed a little bit of malice from all the terrible men in her life.
8. Bran won’t do anything
Bran already knows what’s going to happen. He’s lost his humanity during his transition into the Three-Eyed Raven, and has grown distant from the real world, viewing it as dispassionately as one views fiction.
Sure, he was nice enough to let his sisters know about Littlefinger’s nefarious plans, but for this season, I think he’s just going to sit it out, and let fate do its thing.
Those are my predictions for the final season, what are yours?
As “Avengers: Endgame” broke records for ticket sales weeks ahead of its release, and studios pitched their best products to theater owners at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, “Game of Thrones” threw a provocative monkey wrench into the news cycle. HBO holds ostentatious premieres for its celebrated sword-and-sandals epic each season, but the New York gathering for the start of the eighth and final season was an epic of its own: Some 6,000 invited guests crammed into Radio City Music Hall, while thousands of fan crammed into every corner of Rockefeller Center to catch a glimpse of the bountiful cast on the red carpet, which ranged from the series heavyweights to minor players whose characters were killed off ages ago.
With so much media hoopla, the actual screening of “Game of Thrones” might have seemed like an afterthought. But once the cameras stopped flashing, and show creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss finished thanking virtually every executive, writer, and producer from the stage, “Game of Thrones” played big in the room, even to a casual viewer of the show (like me).
Related
Hafthor Bjornsson and Pedro Pascal at the ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8 premiere
Andrew H. Walker/Variety/REX/Shutterstock
The experience provided the unique opportunity to consider a possibility that could complicate the next chapter of theatrical exhibition: If “Game of Thrones” can thrill audiences on the big screen, and inspire future shows with the potential to do the same, television may be less a threat than an ally to theatrical exhibition. But it also could lead to greater concerns about an ever-crowded market in which every movie sans superheroes is fighting for its life.
I’ve never been entirely convinced by “Game of Thrones” worship. I find much of its fantasy world-building derivative to near-grating extremes, its overcrowded ensemble loaded with intriguing characters often casually knocked off for the sake of cheap surprise, and the underlying mystery of which power-hungry ruler will overtake the kingdom drawn out to ludicrous extremes. But my god, does “Game of Thrones” ever work as a big-screen spectacle. The show’s formidable budget has yielded a blockbuster feel on par with any bonafide studio blockbuster onscreen at the moment, and the campy tone really delivers to a crowd that laughs and applauds to accentuate every manipulative beat.
The details of the Season 8 premiere remain under strict embargo, but needless to say, an impeccable sound mix, sweeping camera work, and well-timed reveals all contributed to making this show a whole lot more effective as a crowdpleaser jointly experienced by thousands of people in one room. Every jolting dragon shriek, catty showdown, and fiery jump scare made “Game of Thrones” connect in a way that it never could on the small screen.
The optimistic spin on this outcome is that, well, of course “Game of Thrones” works as a theatrical experience. Purists will argue that the theater always provides a superior setting, especially with immaculate audiovisual presentation; it capitalizes on everything that a living room cannot. But the notion that “Game of Thrones” can play to the room with the same electricity welcoming the latest studio tentpole points to another possible industry twist.
It’s not a difficult to envision a future in which television events overtake the big screen with the same regularity as Hollywood blockbusters. At CinemaCon, MPAA chief John Fithian attempted to mollify nervous exhibitors in vague terms. “How does any movie stand out against the endless choices in the home?” he asked. “A robust theatrical release provides prestige that cannot be replicated.” And yet if networks decided to capitalize on the potential to draw crowds for their most anticipated shows, why should exhibitors deny them? HBO could screen “Game of Thrones” in theaters around the country each week in advance of its airdate and steamroll competition.
Lena Headey in “Game of Thrones”
Helen Sloane/HBO
Of course, this would create all kinds of headaches — for the Television Academy once the network decided to consider one of the show’s 90-minute episodes as a feature, for studios trying to find an ideal release date for their major tentpoles, and for countless specialty distributors struggling to find some modicum of success. But that last contingency has always fought for eyeballs, to the extent that much of the year’s most exciting and daring cinematic experiences finds the bulk of its audiences on the small screen, where the VOD model provides a scalable opportunity.
The survivability of the theatrical experience may be an open question, but that has less to do with the actual potential for the box office than decisions about which content unfurls on the screen. Television and movies won’t undergo radical changes tomorrow, but there may be a future in which the most common places for audiences to experience them switch places.
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If you're already champing at the bit for more Game of Thrones, good news, because there are prequels on the way (tentative airdate is TBD as they're all in the very, veryearly states of production and development — if all three of them even make it to air, that is). However, if you're looking for something along the lines of a straight spin-off with theGame of Thronescharacters we've come to know and love over the last eight seasons, forget about it. None of the potential shows will feature any characters from the OG series, which kills any hope for an Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) series where she's exploring what's west of Westeros.
We've actually known for a while the proposed series would all be prequels, with author George R. R. Martin even stating so on his blog back in 2018, a year after the spin-offs were first discussed. Now, with renewed interest in finding out what happened to our characters after the final credits, HBO programming president Casey Bloys is stating, for the record, that we're not going to see any familiar characters or what future Westeros looks like anytime soon — and honestly, probably never.
'Part of it is, I do want this show — this Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss's show — to be its own thing,' he explained to The Hollywood Reporter. 'I don't want to take characters from this world that they did beautifully and put them off into another world with someone else creating it. I want to let it be the artistic piece they've got. That's one of reasons why I'm not trying to do the same show over.'
Bloys continued to say that the reason behind this is that HBO is keen on doing 'things that feel distinct — and to not try and re-do the same show. That's probably one of the reasons why, right now, a sequel or picking up any of the other characters doesn't make sense for us.'
It's also unclear if Benoiff and Weiss will even stay with HBO. The two are currently slated to helm the next Star Wars trilogy for Disney, and are currently in the process of shopping for an overall deal. While Bloys would like to see them stay with HBO and WarnerMedia, he notes, 'We'll see where they end up.'
Although we're mired in uncertainty as to where the Game of Thrones Television Universe will go next, one thing we know we're not going to get is any sort of show about Bronn (Jerome Flynn) opening up his own brothel (which is a shame) or Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) ruling over the Six Kingdoms as sometimes a weird bird. Oh well, at least the show will live on forever on HBO Go and HBO Now.
Need HBO?Add it through Hulu or through Amazon.
Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) on Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 6: 'The Iron Throne'Photo: HBO/Helen SloanSpoiler alert: If you’re catching up on “Game of Thrones,” this article reveals a key scene and a major plot point from the final episode.
Ask Game of Thrones fans about the final episode and you’ll get an earful. There’s no shortage of opinions on social media. While the finale might be debated for years, what isn’t up for debate is that the show scored a home run for HBO, setting a record with 19.3 million viewers.
It also contained one of the best speeches I’ve heard on the topic of storytelling—and it rings true.
In brief, here’s what happened. And you don’t have to be a Game of Thrones viewer to appreciate it. The speech came courtesy of Tyrion Lannister, played by award-winning actor Peter Dinklage. In the scene, the lords and ladies of the fictional land of Westeros had to find a new ruler to command the Seven Kingdoms. Tyrion made a surprise—and compelling argument— in support of a character named Bran Stark.
According to Tyrion, Bran has a special power that would make him a great ruler—he was the keeper of the kingdom’s stories.
“There's nothing in the world more powerful than a good story. Nothing can stop it. No enemy can defeat it. And who has a better story than Bran the Broken? The boy who fell from a high tower and lived… He's our memory. The keeper of all our stories. The wars, weddings, births, massacres, famines, our triumphs, our defeats, our past. Who better to lead us into the future?”
Never mind how Bran learned the history of Westeros—he was taught by the Three-Eyed Raven in Season 6. Seriously. What you need to know is that Tyrion’s speech worked. He won his case.
The Game of Thrones writers are experts in storytelling, of course, and it makes sense that they would hand the reigns of the kingdom to a storyteller-in-chief. The Seven Kingdoms don’t really exist, but Tyrion’s logical appeal was historically accurate. Storytellers have always been the ones considered the best people to lead us into the future.
Storytelling around the campfire lit our imagination
Anthropologists point to fire as the spark that ignited human evolution. Once our ancestors gained control of fire, they could cook food, ward off predators, and tell stories around the campfire.
Social anthropologists like Polly Wiessner at the University of Utah believe storytelling played an important role in the evolution of society. Storytellers were the keepers of the tribe’s memory—its culture and history. “Appetites for firelit settings for intimate conversations and for evening stories remain with us today,” Wiessner reminds us.
Like today’s communicators, some ancient storytellers were more skilled than others. The good ones were widely admired for their ability to hold an audience’s attention, to keep them laughing, and for entertaining as well as informing. According to Wiessner, “Stories told by firelight put listeners on the same emotional wavelength, elicited understanding, trust, and sympathy, and built positive reputations for qualities like humor, congeniality, and innovation.”
The best storytellers were admired for engaging their audiences. Their reputations spread beyond the tribe as people came from near and far to listen to them. While the tools of communication have changed, the human brain has not. We are a storytelling species. We think in story, talk in story, and admire those who keep and spread our stories.
In her book, Leadership for Turbulent Times, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote about a leader who was so admired for his verbal skills, he “drew crowds from the countryside eager to be regaled and entertained by a master storyteller.” The storyteller was Abraham Lincoln. “He understood early on that concrete examples and stories provided the best vehicles for teaching,” writes Goodwin.
In the corporate world, storytellers keep the brand’s history alive.
For example, Nike designates some executives as storytellers. “As Nike gets even bigger, its storytellers feel that their mission becomes even more critical,” according to a Fast Company feature on the Nike storytelling culture. At Nike, the heroics of the past inspire the innovations of the future. 'The best way for a company to create a prosperous future is to make sure all of its employees understand the company’s past. That’s why many veteran execs at Nike spend time telling corporate campfire stories.'
Brutal doom gzdoom error. Feb 14, 2015 I've released a new and updated Brutal Doom install video @ Want my recording setup? Affiliate links for the stuff I use: Audio. Dec 16, 2012 3) Choose the Brutal Doom version you want. Download it, and put it in your sourceport folder. 4) If you are a Windows user, drag and drop the Brutal Doom file over your.exe file. If you are a Mac or Linux user, put Brutal Doom in the skins folder (create a folder named Skins at your sourceport's directory if a folder called Skins doesn't exists). Oct 09, 2016 For some reason, whenever I try to load up Brutal Doom on GZDoom, it says something like, error:bloodtextline, expected (Something), got (Something). Can anyone tell me how to fix this? Jan 24, 2018 This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Add file Report BRUTAL DOOM v20b R ( 'GZDoom 3.0.0' Ver ) This full version has been archived by the uploader because it is out of date and no longer supported. We recommend you browse the file list for the latest full version.
Tyrion would agree.
I don’t know if Bran Stark will be the best ruler of the Seven Kingdoms (six, actually, since Sansa Stark decided to keep the North independent). But by putting their faith in a storyteller, the lords and ladies of Westeros are honoring the single greatest tool that leaders have to inspire future generations—the power of story.
'Game of Thrones' Finale Sets HBO Ratings RecordWSJ'>
Spoiler alert: If you’re catching up on “Game of Thrones,” this article reveals a key scene and a major plot point from the final episode.
Ask Game of Thrones fans about the final episode and you’ll get an earful. There’s no shortage of opinions on social media. While the finale might be debated for years, what isn’t up for debate is that the show scored a home run for HBO, setting a record with 19.3 million viewers.
It also contained one of the best speeches I’ve heard on the topic of storytelling—and it rings true.
In brief, here’s what happened. And you don’t have to be a Game of Thrones viewer to appreciate it. The speech came courtesy of Tyrion Lannister, played by award-winning actor Peter Dinklage. In the scene, the lords and ladies of the fictional land of Westeros had to find a new ruler to command the Seven Kingdoms. Tyrion made a surprise—and compelling argument— in support of a character named Bran Stark.
According to Tyrion, Bran has a special power that would make him a great ruler—he was the keeper of the kingdom’s stories.
“There's nothing in the world more powerful than a good story. Nothing can stop it. No enemy can defeat it. And who has a better story than Bran the Broken? The boy who fell from a high tower and lived… He's our memory. The keeper of all our stories. The wars, weddings, births, massacres, famines, our triumphs, our defeats, our past. Who better to lead us into the future?”
Never mind how Bran learned the history of Westeros—he was taught by the Three-Eyed Raven in Season 6. Seriously. What you need to know is that Tyrion’s speech worked. He won his case.
The Game of Thrones writers are experts in storytelling, of course, and it makes sense that they would hand the reigns of the kingdom to a storyteller-in-chief. The Seven Kingdoms don’t really exist, but Tyrion’s logical appeal was historically accurate. Storytellers have always been the ones considered the best people to lead us into the future.
Storytelling around the campfire lit our imagination
Anthropologists point to fire as the spark that ignited human evolution. Once our ancestors gained control of fire, they could cook food, ward off predators, and tell stories around the campfire.
Social anthropologists like Polly Wiessner at the University of Utah believe storytelling played an important role in the evolution of society. Storytellers were the keepers of the tribe’s memory—its culture and history. “Appetites for firelit settings for intimate conversations and for evening stories remain with us today,” Wiessner reminds us.
Like today’s communicators, some ancient storytellers were more skilled than others. The good ones were widely admired for their ability to hold an audience’s attention, to keep them laughing, and for entertaining as well as informing. According to Wiessner, “Stories told by firelight put listeners on the same emotional wavelength, elicited understanding, trust, and sympathy, and built positive reputations for qualities like humor, congeniality, and innovation.”
The best storytellers were admired for engaging their audiences. Their reputations spread beyond the tribe as people came from near and far to listen to them. While the tools of communication have changed, the human brain has not. We are a storytelling species. We think in story, talk in story, and admire those who keep and spread our stories.
In her book, Leadership for Turbulent Times, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote about a leader who was so admired for his verbal skills, he “drew crowds from the countryside eager to be regaled and entertained by a master storyteller.” The storyteller was Abraham Lincoln. “He understood early on that concrete examples and stories provided the best vehicles for teaching,” writes Goodwin.
In the corporate world, storytellers keep the brand’s history alive.
For example, Nike designates some executives as storytellers. “As Nike gets even bigger, its storytellers feel that their mission becomes even more critical,” according to a Fast Company feature on the Nike storytelling culture. At Nike, the heroics of the past inspire the innovations of the future. 'The best way for a company to create a prosperous future is to make sure all of its employees understand the company’s past. That’s why many veteran execs at Nike spend time telling corporate campfire stories.'
Tyrion would agree.
I don’t know if Bran Stark will be the best ruler of the Seven Kingdoms (six, actually, since Sansa Stark decided to keep the North independent). But by putting their faith in a storyteller, the lords and ladies of Westeros are honoring the single greatest tool that leaders have to inspire future generations—the power of story.