Viewers were left on knife’s edge after the Night King finally made his move to wipe out the people of Westeros and Jon Snow’s parentage was finally confirmed.
And while it was a truly epic way to wrap up Season 7 of HBO’s Game Of Thrones, fans of the much-loved series have been left panicked with the news that they’ll have to wait until 2019 to find out the fate of their beloved characters on social media.
The series finale brought in a record 16.5 million viewers – with live tune-in and night-of streams included – and while the seventh offering has received mixed reviews throughout it’s six instalments.
Wait: Fans of the much-loved series have been left panicked with the news that they’ll have to wait until 2019 to find out the fate of their beloved characters on social media
Despite the initial cries about the character’s woes, loyal fans of the fantasy drama were left in shock after the Hollywood Reporter reported that the wait between the two season’s will be 18 months.
Reacting to the long wait, viewers took to Twitter in their droves to confess their dissatisfaction at having to wait nearly two years until the next instalment of the successful franchise in the form of hilarious comments and memes.
One engraged viewer shared: ‘Wait its gonna be two years until game of thrones season 8? Thats gross’.
‘I can’t wait two years for game of thrones wtf,’ another wrote. ‘Nah. I can’t wait 2 years for game of thrones after that episode.’
Shock: Despite the initial cries about the character’s woes, loyal fans of the fantasy drama were left in shock after the Hollywood Reporter reported that the wait between the two season’s will be 18 months
Not impressed: Reacting to the long wait, viewers took to Twitter in their droves to confess their dissatisfaction at having to wait nearly two years until the next instalment of the successful franchise in the form of hilarious comments and memes
While a fan pleaded: ‘Please keep me safe and healthy till late of 2019 just so I can watch the whole Season 8 of @GameOfThrones’.
‘Nothing breaks my heart more than knowing you gotta wait til maybe 2019 for the new season of game of thrones.’
As another simply wrote: ‘We only have to wait like… another year minimum for more Game of Thrones.’
However, fans have a case to be concerned as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – who plays Jamie Lannister – revealed to Collider that he’s set to start filming the penultimate series in October 2017.
Not happy: Fans shared a number of rib-tickling memes to showcased their distaste
Previously, the last two seasons took between nine and 11 months from beginning of production to air date.
Although HBO’s head of programming Casey Bloys has confirmed that the scripts have been written for the impending season eight while discussing a timeline for the shoot to the Hollywood Reporter.
He said: ‘Our production people are trying to figure out a timeline for the shoot and how much time the special effects take.
Fuming: Viewers couldn’t contain their displeasure at the news
‘The shooting is complicated enough — on different continents, with all the technical aspects — and the special effects are a whole other production period that we’re trying to figure out. That is a big factor in all of this.’
MailOnline have contacted a spokesperson from HBO for comment.
It was a thrilling finale for fans on Sunday night after the Night King finally made his move to wipe out the people of Westeros by bringing down The Wall on Game Of Thrones.
The seventh season finale ended with the land of the living on a knife edge, with the leader of the White Walkers using his powerful new undead dragon mount to smash an enormous hole in the structure that has stood for around 8,000 years.
Return of the (Night) King: It was a thrilling finale for fans on Sunday night after the Night King finally made his move to wipe out the people of Westeros by bringing down The Wall on Game Of Thrones
It was part of an action-packed episode that revealed Jon Snow’s real name, saw the King In The North bed his aunt Daenerys, and Littlefinger was brutally executed by Arya Stark for treason.
But the lingering image the show left viewers with was the army of the dead, which is at least 100,000 strong, marching through an enormous new hole in what was supposed to be the impassable Wall.
Show favourites Tormund and Lord Beric Dondarrion were on hand to flee in terror after seeing the show’s merciless main villain use the beast formerly known as Viserion spew out streams of blue fire, which were powerful enough to overcome the structure’s magical as well as physical defences.
Just another night on The Wall: It seemed like just another uneventful night in the structure’s 8,000 year-long existance
Uh oh: But then Tormund noticed something rather unnerving in the distance
He’s seen that dragon before: The beast formerly known as Viserion was now being ridden by the Night King
Major upgrade: Not only is the winged creature now seemingly much faster but he shoots out immensely powerful bursts of blue flame
As if that was not enough the dragon, which was ridden by the Night King himself, now seems even faster and more powerful than before.
It certainly seems like he will be at least a match for Daenerys’s mount Drogon, though it looks like she could soon have a fellow dragon rider to grant aid.
For a flashback sequence showed that Jon Snow is after all a legitimate child – of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.
Not only did fans discover his true name is Aegon Targaryen – the same name as his brother who was murdered as an infant by The Mountain – but it also means he is the legitimate heir to the Iron Throne.
The little man that could: The Night King added riding dragons to his already formidable skill set of prodigious javelin throwing and excellent field generalship
Finally: After years of living in Drogon’s shadow Viserion is now very much the star of the show
Oh do hurry up: The White Walker army was growing restless at yet another delay after seven long seasons of seemingly directionless marching
Viewers were treated to a vision of his parents’ secret wedding, which Bran Stark only found out about despite his all-seeing powers thanks to the intercession of Samwell Tarly.
Telling the failed student of Oldtown his plan to tell his supposed brother of his heritage, the Night’s Watch member explained he, or rather Gilly, had uncovered the fact Rhaegar and Lyanna had secretly wed.
Confirming the truth by gazing into the past, and almost betraying some semblance of emotion, Bran said: ‘Robert’s Rebellion was built on a lie.
‘He didn’t kidnap my aunt or rape her. He loved her. And she loved him.
That ought to do it: The Night King made yet another pass as he burned the seemingly indestructible structure
Shoddy workmanship: Bran The Builder’s pride and joy was finally beginning to tumble
And off they go: The massive army of the undead now has a clear path to Westeros
Wait for me: The undead giant was keen not to be left behind
‘He’s never been a bastard he’s the heir to the Iron Throne. He needs to know. We need to tell him.’
The revelation was somewhat ill-timed, as it coincided with Jon unwittingly bedding his aunt.
He was shown chapping her door as they sailed North en route to Winterfell, and she was only too happy to invite him into her quarters.
That’s convenient: Samwell Tarly showed up in Winterfell to tell ‘all-seeing’ Bran Jon Snow’s parents got married in secret
Good golly: And despite supposedly knowing everything this key piece of information allowed him to travel back in time and see the wedding
What would King Robert think? Divorcee Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark shared a romantic smooch
The pair then made passionate love, with Tyrion Lannister creepily observing their liaison from a hidden position outside her door.
Quite what her senior adviser was doing quaffing wine in the shadows near his queen’s bed-quarters was not explained, but he now knows almost everything about their blossoming love affair.
Whether the hot new couple will ultimately chose to follow the old Targaryen of marrying a close relative remains to be seen – though it will surely be a hot topic of debate at water coolers for the foreseeable future.
Old trick: Jon Snow was shown sneaking to Daenerys room, perhaps to ask for a cup of sugar
Carry on Jon: She was only too happy to invite him into her bedchamber
You know nothing Jon Snow: It remains to be seen how the new couple will react when they discover they are actually aunt and nephew
Creepy: Tyrion was lurking outside as Jon Snow made his way into her bedchamber
They chose to sail north after a near-disastrous visit to King’s Landing, where they tried to persuade Cersei to join their quest to fight the army of the dead.
The Hound marched into the Dragonpit with an enormous box on his back, which he opened up to reveal the much vaunted wight inside.
It immediately tried to kill Cersei, though Clegane had cunningly attached it to a chain, which he used to pull it back before chopping it in half.
Meanwhile: Daenerys and Jon had earlier been trying to unite the living people of Westeros
Making an entrance: She flew first class as everyone waited in the King’s Landing Dragonpit
Saddle sore? The practicalities of dragon riding have never been fully explained
Jealous: Even the zombie Mountain lacks impact in the presence of such a beast
Jon then told the gathered dignitaries as he destroyed the still flailing corpse: ‘We can destroy them by burning them, and we can destroy them with dragonglass.
He then added: ‘If we don’t win this fight then that is the fate of every person in the world. There is only one war that matters the great war and it is here.’
Obviously distressed at the thought of impending doom, Cersei offered a truce and to help fight the White Walkers – as long as Jon would stay neutral as to who the true queen is.
Macho, macho man: The Hound then arrived carrying a special delivery
Robbed zombie: He opened the box and the kidnapped wight tried to attack Cersei
And for my next trick: Jon Snow demonstrated how to kill a zombie with all the showmanship of a Las Vegas magician
She turned wight: She was so terrified she offered a truce but Jon Snow managed to make a mess of things yet again
To everyone’s chagrin he bellowed: ‘I cannot serve two queens and I have already pledged myself to Queen Daenerys of house Targaryan.’
His declaration brought the negotiations to an immediate halt, with Cersei telling the impudent upstart her forces ‘will deal with whatever is left of you’ after their battle up North.
Amazingly Tyrion was able to rescue the day, winning over his sister with a mixture of nostalgia and appealing to the pregnant monarch’s maternal instincts.
Given her child faces a bleak future she returned to the Dragonpit and promised she would send her armies to help in the ‘great war’ with the undead.
Pledge: She told her rivals that she would send her armies up North to fight
Not-so-subtle dig: She told them she did not expect them to remember her generous pledge
Getting in yet another dig, she added: ‘When the great war is over perhaps you will remember I promised to help with no assurances from any of you… I expect not.’
While Daenerys and her sidekicks sailed home in seeming victory, it soon became clear she had been telling porkies.
Labelling her lover and brother Jaime the ‘stupid Lannister’ for actually think she was going to follow through with her promise, she explained her true plan was to ‘let the monsters kill each other.’
Somehow caught by surprise by his sibling’s latest evil plan, he finally broke off their affair so he could ride North to join the battle – but not before discovering yet another of his sister’s ploys.
What are you doing? Jaime was caught discussing battle tactics on Cersei’s new map
Open-mouthed: Cersei could not believe her buffoonish brother had believed her ruse
For whom the bell tolls: It seemed she was going to order The Mountain to kill Jaime
Her wannabe husband Euron Greyjoy had insisted he was fleeing back to the Iron Islands to wait out the great winter, but was in fact heading to Essos to bring the 10,000 strong army of the Golden Company to Westeros.
It briefly appeared he was going to be cut down by the zombified Mountain, but her half-hearted order to have Jaime executed was not carried out.
As Jaime began his ride north he noticed snow falling on his glove, a signifier of the great war ahead.
Meanwhile fans almost got the battle they had long been wishing for – The Mountain taking on The Hound. Or the Cleganebowl as it is known to diehards.
Phew: But she ultimately allowed Mr Metalhand to ride North to fulfill his vow
Winter is here: He noticed a snowflake had fallen on his now gloved golden hand
However it was ultimately a fruitless moment, despite Sandor saying: ‘Remember me? Yeah you do.
‘You’re even f***ing uglier than I am now. What did they do to you?
‘Doesn’t matter, that’s not how it ends for you brother. You know who’s coming for you. You’ve always known.’
But there was one final showpiece moment for fans to savour – the long-awaited death of Littlefinger.
The love boat: Lothario Jon Snow suggested he and Daenerys sail up North
He didn’t have to ask her twice: And she was quick to take him up on his offer
Jealous: Desperate Ser Jorah tried to persuade her to fly there on a dragon to no avail
It seemed like Sansa Stark had called little sister Arya to the Great Hall of Winterfell for trial, but it soon turned out it was Petyr Baelish who was being charged with treason and murder.
Shockingly, he put up the weakest of defenses to the accusations, which included killing their Aunt Lysa, conspiring with Joffrey Baratheon and his mother Cersei and being the cause of hostilities between the Lannisters and the Starks.
The worm really turned when the all-seeing Bran recounted his words to Ned in season one, ‘You held a knife to his throat. You said “I did warn you not to trust me.”‘
Uh oh: Littlefinger got a shock when he discovered he was being tried for treason in Winterfell
Too late: He could have marched to The Vale at any point this season but his soldiers refused his last-ditch request to grant him safe passage
Death sentence: His pleading could not save him from execution in the Great Hall
After the forces of the Vale refused to help him escape, which he could have done as recently as an episode ago, he squeaked to Sansa: ‘I beg you. I loved your mother since I was a boy. I loved you more than anyone.’
However his words cut no ice, perhaps unsurprisingly given the chilly conditions, and Arya slit his throat in front of the gathered lords and ladies.’
And the squabbling sisters even shared a tender moment together, with Sansa recounting Ned’s old saying, ‘When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies buy the pack survives.’
Pain in the neck: Arya lived up to her reputation by slicing Littlefinger’s throat
Not cut out for this: Aidan Gillen had a more successful political career in The Wire
They’ll need 20 good men: With mops to clean up the mess left by his execution
Some things never changed: Sansa complimented her murderous sister before calling her ‘strange and annoying’
However there was still time for a cheeky jab at her little sister’s expense, as she warned Arya, ‘you’re still very strange and annoying.’
A touching moment indeed.
Lastly, Theon Greyjoy’s castration finally came in handy, as it allowed him to survive several hard knees to the groin as he was being thrashed in front of some Iron Born sailors during a leadership battle.
His unlikely victory allowed him to finally win a fight and the loyalty of the men, who abandoned their plans to hide from the White Walkers on a distant island..
Crucially this will allow him to try and save his sister Yara, and uncover Euron’s secret mission when the final eighth season airs in either 2018 or, somewhat chillingly for fans, perhaps even 2019.
Here we go again: Theon was given yet another thrashing when he asked the Iron Born to sail with him to save Yara
Down for the count: It looked over as he lay in a bloody mess after being brutalised
Eunuch selling point: But the fight took an unlikely turn when his opponents groin attack failed
At last: And in a contrived moment he managed to emerged victorious
Sea you next season: But the contrivance will allow Theon to discover Euron is sailing to Essos to bring the Golden Company to King’s Landing