The news about Game Of Thrones having a shorter season this year is frustrating, but might be worth it if creators decide to pack more into the few episodes that are being released. We already know the actors are getting more screen time this season. Does that mean we should expect longer episodes as well?
Well, yes and no. Entertainment Weekly reports that season 7 will premiere with a 58 minutes episode, which is pretty standard, but that the finale will be "super-sized" at well over an hour long. The five episodes in between are anyone's guess.
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Apparently, the episodes are staying pretty much the same length because why would the creators cut the season short if there was more than usual to say? With season 7 consisting of just seven episodes, and season 8 having only six, it's clear the show is really zeroing in on the story it wants to tell.
Luckily, this means there's no dearth of content. The actors were more exhausted than ever after filming these upcoming episodes.
"When I first read this season I thought: 'Damn, I gotta learn some lines!'" Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys, told Entertainment Weekly. "We’re actually filming longer now. I don’t know how that’s happening."
"I’ve worked more days this season than I have in quite some time," Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion, added.
"You kill a couple dozen characters, the people who are left by default need to carry more dramatic weight," showrunner Dan Weiss explained to EW, revealing that this season sees a few previously independent storylines merge together, meaning the episodes will be denser than the ones that came before.
It's unfortunate that this restructuring means there is less Game Of Thrones than we hoped, but think of this way: Fewer episodes mean less time to wait for the one true ruler to be revealed.