Thought the show isn't expected to return to the airwaves until 2019, those involved with the production cycle on Game of Thrones' final season have already started to assure fans that the end result will be nothing short of epic. In fact, in a new interview with TV Guide, actor John Bradley dished on some juicy details of what viewers can expect from the show's swan song.
Bradley, who plays Samwell Tarly, admitted that "the stakes definitely feel ramped up." In his mind, everyone working on the show is aware of the enormous expectations that the new episodes are facing. "We know that we've got a real job to do," he continued. "This has been a part of people's lives for so many years. This is our eighth season, and we are kind of feeling the pressure to get it right because we want to satisfy people. We want to give people a payoff that they're going to be happy with."
However, with fulfilling those expectations comes with a certain amount of invention, as Bradley touched upon some of the big changes that fans can expect from the show in its next season. “These characters are so detailed and so rich, you can feel that you've got a pretty good handle on your character," he added. "You can predict how your character will react in any given circumstance, but when you place these characters in a new environment, it's always putting them under a microscope, and you constantly have to reexamine your character.
"Each of the characters this year is placed in a completely alien environment at some point in the season that they've never been placed in before. The thrill is seeing how they react to it and how they respond. ... This season, I think, more than any other is stretching these characters.”
Jason Momoa echoed those sentiments late last month, when he told Entertainment Weekly that the last episodes of GoT will "f**k up" some viewers.