Game of Thrones season 8

Production

HBO confirmed the eighth and final season of the fantasy drama in July 2016. As with the season before it, most of the story was original material not taken from George R. R. Martin's book series. Back in March 2015, Benioff stated that the creators had spoken with Martin about the series' conclusion and were aware of the general direction. He noted that the endings of the TV show and the books would inevitably share thematic similarities, though Martin could still introduce changes to surprise his readers.

When questioned about ending the television series, Benioff simply said, "this is where the story ends." David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the series creators and executive producers, acted as showrunners for this season. The directors were revealed in September 2017. Miguel Sapochnik, who had previously directed episodes in seasons five and six, returned to handle two episodes.

David Nutter, who directed episodes in seasons two, three, and five, took on three episodes. The final episode was directed by Benioff and Weiss, who had co-directed two earlier episodes. During a South by Southwest panel on March 12, 2017, the showrunners named the writers: Dave Hill for the first episode and Bryan Cogman for the second. Benioff and Weiss divided the scripts for the remaining four episodes between themselves.

The writing process began with a 140-page outline. Benioff remarked that splitting up the work and assigning sections became harder because it was the last time they would do it. HBO programming president Casey Bloys told Entertainment Weekly that rather than making the finale a feature film, the final season would be "six one-hour movies" on television. He added that the show had proven TV could be as impressive as film, and often more so, calling the work "monumental."

Filming started on October 23, 2017, and wrapped in July 2018. Exterior scenes were mostly shot in Northern Ireland, with a few in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Interior filming took place at Paint Hall Studios in Belfast. The direwolf scenes were filmed in Alberta, Canada.

Release

The eighth season of Game of Thrones first aired on HBO in the United States on April 14, 2019. Its first official teaser trailer came out on December 6, 2018. A second teaser, directed by David Nutter, followed on January 13, 2019, and confirmed the April 14 premiere date. During Super Bowl LIII on February 3, 2019, HBO aired a promotional spot with Bud Light.

First-look photos of key characters appeared on February 6, 2019, and posters showing many main figures seated on the Iron Throne were released on February 28, 2019. The full official trailer dropped on March 5, 2019. Within 24 hours of the premiere, an estimated 55 million people pirated it, with 9.5 million downloads from India, 5.2 million from China, and 4 million from the U.S. On April 21, 2019, the second episode leaked online hours early after being streamed prematurely on Amazon Prime Germany.

The fourth episode also leaked on May 5, 2019, with footage spreading on social media. The season arrived on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 3, 2019.

Reception

Critics were split on the final season of Game of Thrones. On Rotten Tomatoes, it scored a 55% approval rating from 699 reviews, averaging 6.45 out of 10—the lowest of any season. The site’s consensus noted that the season shortchanged the women of Westeros, trading satisfying character arcs for big spectacle in a rushed finish. The first three episodes fared better with critics.

The premiere earned a 75 out of 100 on Metacritic from 12 reviews, considered generally favorable. The Long Night drew praise for its cinematography and the massive scale of the battle against the White Walkers, but was criticized for lacking catharsis, having confusing lighting, and ending the White Walker storyline—built up over seven seasons—in an anticlimactic way. The Last of the Starks and The Bells were called out for rushed pacing, weak writing, and characters acting out of step with their development.

The Last of the Starks was labeled anticlimactic and a huge letdown. The Iron Throne was described as divisive, and Rotten Tomatoes called it a modest rebound, but said the series went out with a whimper. The Bells and The Iron Throne became the worst-reviewed episodes of the entire series on the site, with approval ratings of 49% and 48% respectively, while the final four episodes all hit record low scores. David Sims of The Atlantic wrote that the season repeated a pattern: clumsy writing trying to justify huge story shifts as fast as possible, with actors doing their best despite the material.

Lucy Mangan of The Guardian called it a rushed affair that wasted opportunities, lost goodwill, and failed its characters and actors. Zack Beauchamp of Vox said the season mostly stopped trying to make characters’ internal motivations or the complex political reality of the show’s earlier psychological realism make sense. Huw Fullerton of Radio Times felt the season wasn’t Thrones at its best, but still offered some kind of ending for the characters, leaving him with a mix of enjoyment, a few moments he loved, and plenty that puzzled him.