Game of Thrones season 8 photos released by HBO: Let's hunt for clues
Jon Snow and Daenerys share a loving glance before everything crashes down on them.
- Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year" award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
There are still two-plus months before Game of Thrones returns to HBO for its eighth and final season, and on Wednesday, the network released a slew of photos from the upcoming episodes.
The Thrones' network kings and queens aren't dummies -- they didn't exactly drop major spoilers with the photo reveal. But still, a few hints and clues can be gleaned from some of the images. Here are just a few.
Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) need to invent Ancestry.com to figure out their relationship.
Has your aunt ever gazed at you like Daenerys looks at Jon Snow? Oh right, they don't know they're related yet, and in Westeros, it might not matter. (Cough -- Cersei and Jaime -- cough.) Just a reminder that this revelation has yet to break, and it's going to be devastating, and possibly kingdom-changing.
The clock is ticking on the reign of Cersei (Lena Headey).
Is that a new look for Cersei? Her gown appears to have hardcore armor epaulets, which the queen might need. So many people are out to kill her that even her shoulders may require protection. Also, does she look pregnant to you? Is that claim of a baby legit? Someone get to the Westeros Walgreen's for an EPT.
Does Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) still have her list?
Being home at Winterfell doesn't mean Arya can relax. Her kill list still has the following names on it: The Hound, Cersei Lannister, Ilyn Payne, The Mountain, Melisandre and Beric Dondarrion -- we think. The biggest spoiler in this photo is just the look on Arya's face. She appears as determined as ever to complete her deadly quest.
Tyrion has served as the acting Hand of the King (for Joffrey, yuck) and now is the proper Hand of the Queen for Daenerys (a better deal, if you ask us).
Tyrion Lannister's birth supposedly killed his mother, and as an adult, he intentionally killed his dad (kudos, because Tywin was a monster). As the pin he wears here shows, now he's serving as Hand to Daenerys, watching (sadly) as she and Jon fall in love, and bracing for the inevitable final conflict with his horrendous older sister Cersei. Will Tyrion or Jaime be the little brother that the prophecy said will kill Cersei? Really, we'd take either at this point.
Additional photos shared by HBO are mainly straight portraits, with perhaps a few clues hidden for those who squint and use their imagination. Pictured are Sansa, Brienne, Jaime, Bran, Sam, Varys and Davos.
Game of Thrones returns to HBO on April 14.
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