Warning: This post contains A LOT of spoilers for Game of Thrones season 8. If you’re not caught up on the latest episode, bookmark us and come back once you’re ready to properly debrief.
When Game of Thrones wrapped up last week, it’s safe to say fans were left with a lot of unanswered questions.
From questions about where the heck the Dothraki went after Daenerys Targaryen was killed or why Jon Snow was sent to the Night’s Watch, some of these questions may never be answered.
But thankfully, Game of Thrones isn’t over just yet.
Watch the trailer for new documentary Game of Thrones: The Last Watch below. Post continues after video.
Today, HBO released a two-hour documentary, detailing the experiences of the cast and crew as they filmed the intense eighth and final season.
And while it didn’t quite fill in all the blanks when it came to unanswered questions about the final season, it definitely showcased the sheer magnitude of the planning and manpower that went into the show’s final episodes.
Here are the seven things we learned from watching Game of Thrones: The Last Watch.
1. The Night King choreographed Cleganebowl.
Vladimir Furdik didn’t just play the Night King on Game of Thrones –he was also behind a number of stunts on the show.
Although the Slovakian actor only appeared in one episode this season, the actor also served as a stuntman, stunt double and fight choreographer.
As seen in The Last Watch, the Night King even choreographed Cleganebowl.
2. The production office had a themed Christmas tree.
The documentary also offered insight into the Game of Thrones production office.
In one scene, fans spotted a hilarious Game of Thrones-themed Christmas tree featuring Jon Snow making a snow angel, ‘Sansa Claus’ and Cersei Lannister on her walk of shame.
Amazing.
3. Conleth Hill tossed his script after learning Varys' fate.
In the final episodes of season eight, Varys is executed by Daenerys after scheming to have Daenerys replaced by Jon, as he had a better claim to the throne.
In interviews, Conleth Hill, who played Varys on the show, was upfront about his thoughts on his character's death.
“I took it very personally. I took it as a person, not as an actor or an artist," he told Entertainment Weekly.
"I understood the reactions of previous actors who had been in same position a lot more than I did at the time. You can’t help feeling that you failed in some way, that you haven’t lived up to some expectation."
During the first table read for the show, Conleth tossed his script across the table after hearing Emilia Clarke read her lines sentencing him to death.
4. Decoy actors were brought to King's Landing.
During the filming for the Dragon Pit scene in the final episode of Game of Thrones, the crew brought actors to King's Landing that weren't in the scene purely to act as decoys.
Afraid that the cast or crew could leak the show's ending, a number of fake characters were brought along to throw them off.
These included Emilia Clarke's stunt double, Vladimir Furdik (the Night King), Faye Marsay (the Waif), Kit Harington (Jon Snow) and Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqn H'ghar).
5. Kit Harington was shocked to hear about Jon and Dany's fate.
During the first table read for the final season, Kit Harington and Emilia Clark learned the fate of Jon and Daenerys.
During the read-through of the scene, The Last Watch shared the exact moment when Kit learned that Jon would kill Daenerys, as it was the first time the actor had looked at any of the scripts.
You can watch Kit and Emilia's reactions below:
6. Ghost looks... different without hair and makeup.
Oh.
Ghost doesn't exactly look the same in real life...
7. Saying goodbye was hard.
For the cast and crew who had been a part of the show for almost a decade, saying goodbye was hard.
From extras who had been involved in the show for seasons upon seasons to some of the show's biggest actors, the last days on set were hard.
"There's definitely an exhale of breath," Emilia told her hairdresser, Candice Banks, of her final day as Dany. "It's kind of exciting to sort of think: 'Oh, who am I without this, then?' I wonder."
Speaking to the crew and cast after shooting his last ever scene, Kit said: "I feel like my heart is breaking. I love this show more than anything. Anything. It has never been a job for me. It's been my life. And this will always be the greatest thing I will ever do or be a part of."
Game of Thrones: The Last Watch is available to watch now on Foxtel and Foxtel Now.
Catch up on all our Game of Thrones recaps, right here:
- Mamamia recaps Game of Thrones episode 1: Finally. Jon Snow knows something.
- Mamamia recaps Game of Thrones episode 2: We need to talk about THAT Arya Stark scene.
- Mamamia recaps Game of Thrones episode 3: The episode that broke the world.
- Mamamia recaps Game of Thrones episode 4: GHOST DESERVED BETTER, JON.
- Mamamia recaps Game of Thrones episode 5: Well. That was… a mess.
- Mamamia recaps Game of Thrones episode 6: The television event of the decade that’s divided the world.
For more on this topic:
- All the unanswered questions we still have after watching the Game of Thrones finale.
- “Plotters vs pantsers.” A Game of Thrones fan just nailed exactly why season 8 feels so wrong.
- We need to talk about Cersei Lannister’s death on Game of Thrones.
- Bad writing didn’t kill Game of Thrones, but ‘bro culture’ certainly did.