If you think the wait for Season 7 of Game of Thrones is brutal, you may want to turn back now. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, HBO programming president Casey Bloys revealed Game of Thrones Season 8 may not premiere until 2019. Before you start screaming like poor Ellaria Sand watching The Mountain take down Oberyn, you should know nothing is concrete just yet. More importantly, if Season 8 is delayed, it will likely only result in the final season being even more impressive. In response to the idea that Season 8 may not arrive until 2019, Bloys told EW,
"They have to write the episodes and figure out the production schedule. We'll have a better sense of that once they get further into the writing."
With only 13 episodes total of HBO's fantasy masterpiece left to be spread over the final two seasons, the end of the war for the Iron Throne is within sight. The show's creators seem to be deeply aware of just how high the stakes are. No one wants to see Jon, Daenerys, or Tyrion's stories end, but more importantly, no one wants to see them end badly. Remember, the Season 7 delay was the result of series creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff wanting production to take place closer to the winter season, and the shorter season seems to have allowed the show to become even more epic in scope.
Fans will have to wait until July 16 to see if they think the wait was worth it, but the Season 7 trailer certainly had its share of impressive battle scenes and dragons that were larger than ever before. A delay in Season 8's premiere could lead to six episodes that are not only tightly plotted, but a feast for the eyes. Even better, it would mean you wouldn't have to face a Game of Thrones-less future for at least two years. Sure, you wouldn't get any new episodes in 2018, but think of all the theories fans would no doubt weave in the meantime. It's not an ideal situation, but it's not a White Walker-fueled apocalypse scenario either.
Right now, nothing about Season 8 is certain. The show's final episodes may end up airing in 2018 just as they were expected to. Whatever happens, at least fans can be assured that the Game of Thrones team is working extra hard to make sure the show's conclusion is as rewarding as it possibly can be.
