WARNING: Game of Thrones spoilers ahead.
Game of Thrones star Kit Harington says that the upcoming fourth episode of season 8 is one of his favorites. The actor plays fan favorite Jon Snow in the HBO series, which is currently airing its highly-anticipated final season.
Last week’s episode of Game of Thrones left fans stunned with its epic battle scene and high death toll – although perhaps not as high as viewers had feared. Wrapping up an arc that has been building since the pilot, “The Long Night” saw our heroes finally triumph against the army of the dead. Many beloved characters made it through the harrowing episode, but several main characters did not. There were record-breaking numbers of viewers who tuned in, witnessing the surprise twist that Arya was the one to to do what even dragon fire could not and end the Night King. With only three episodes left until Game of Thrones rolls its credits one final time, expectations are incredibly high. According to Jon Snow himself, the best is yet to come.
Kit Harington told EW that the upcoming installment is one of his favorites of the series. Clocking in at around 80 minutes, the episode will be the last of the series to be helmed by David Nutter. The Emmy-winner previously directed some of the show’s most iconic installments, including “The Rains of Castamere”. Harington said:
“One of my favorite episodes is 4 because the characters have seemingly got what they needed. The world is safe now. They’re celebrating and saying goodbye to lost friends. But as an audience you’re going, ‘This is only episode 4, something’s going to happen.’ And that’s the cool thing because I think the characters are aware of this as well. There’s something twisted and uncomfortable about it. It’s so Shakespearian.”
Harington’s words allude to the war that fans have been waiting for: the battle for the Iron Throne. The trailer for the next episode shows only brief glimpses of what’s to come. However, it does answer one burning question with an image of both Drogon and Rhaegal flying overhead. In all the chaos (and darkness), it was difficult to discern what actually happened to the latter by episode’s end. Eagle-eyed viewers also may have noticed Ghost standing among everyone outside the gates of Winterfell in the trailer. The human casualties were clear, but many were still wondering about the fate of Jon’s direwolf. With precious little information available, fans will just have to wait and see how episode 4 plays out. Hopefully, the show won’t be plagued by any more leaks before then.
After an almost two-year wait, the series has returned with a vengeance and fans are braced for the inevitable bloodbath to come. It’s heartening that Harington has such praise for episode 4, especially considering the impressive scope of “The Long Night.” There are still plenty of loose threads dangling and the final few episodes of Game of Thrones will likely have many surprises in store, but the battle to determine who will sit on the Iron Throne has only just begun.
