Will Game of Thrones season 8 have feature-length episodes?

One of the things that is most notable about Game of Thrones season 8 is that it will feature only six episodes; yet, there may be a twist to this. Some of these episodes could prove to be longer than almost any other produced on the show over time.

Paula Fairfield, a sound designer on the HBO hit, reportedly said (per Deadline) while at the Con of Thrones convention in Tennessee that there will be many episodes of the final season that could run around 80 minutes or more, a run time that is fairly similar in some ways to such shows as Black Mirror or Sherlock. Those shows also tend to run shorter seasons.

Is this the right format for this show? Well, we do think that it’s great to get more of a good thing. Game of Thrones is one of the best shows on TV, and the idea of getting under six hours of it next year was brutal and rather impossible to accept. With this said, it is somewhat curious that there wasn’t a way to edit this together and expand the final order out to eight episodes given that this would theoretically make people more money since it would cause them to subscribe longer. Maybe this is actually a case of HBO thinking more in terms of creative needs than the pocketbook? In terms of the story and the rhythm, it may make a whole lot more sense for them to do something that allows them to tell the best version of the story that they possibly can.

There is also a ton of story that will likely be left to tie up in that final season, whether it be a struggle against the Iron Throne or the battle against the White Walkers. While there are some spin-offs that are currently planned for the series, none of them are set to be sequels. Therefore, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are likely going to feel the pressure to tie up every single story here imaginable, given that otherwise they’re going to run the risk of someone feeling disappointed about a loose thread here or there.

Remember that season 7 premieres in two weeks on July 16. Odds are, these episodes will be some of the highest-rated in history if the pattern holds. We can only imagine how the numbers will balloon for the final season, otherwise known as the episodes that nobody wants to be spoiled on at all.

Ultimately, though, remember that there is more than a year between now and the season 8 premiere — there’s plenty of time for episode lengths to seemingly change.

What do you think: Are longer Game of Thrones episodes a good thing, or is this too much of something that we don’t quite need? Share in the comments!

One other story worth checking out

If you missed it, you can check out our feature-length piece from earlier today discussing who some of the current favorites are to eventually take the Iron Throne. (Photo: HBO.)