EW Reveals 7 Season Plan

[jons nissa]

Good point Newstar. I also think we get plenty of info based on what the show chooses to include or not-the fact that we've never seen Val tells me she's not going to be Jon's Queen. Conversely, that they're including Anya Waynwood and Bronze Yohn, in this season even suggests that Vale power plays are going to be important down the road.

I for one am going to be examining the casting choices and news for next season quite carefully.

i agree it's important to look at who's included and who isn't but i also think we need to realize that a character can be introduced at any time. not seeing val yet doesn't mean she won't show up later.

I know that this happened before DD and GRRM had "the chat" but they cut Willas and Garlan (bastards!) and they're going to be important. So, they already messed up that, I'm sure that if needed, they might cut some important characters.

Although I doubt they cut Aegon, come on... if they cut Aegon, they why has Varys been doing all this?

well, there's important and then there's important. it's clear that grrm plans on having willas and garlan do "something" in the next books however, their actions may be easily transferred to loras. or those actions won't be super critical to the overall story. we really don't know that anything is messed up at this stage.

[oierem]

i like this except cersei has a lot of development and i'd hate to see them rush it.

Then you've got next season, introducing the rest of the martells and greyjoy brothers...so i guess it would make sense to skip a lot of jaime/cersei stuff.

But this season we are watching a lot more of Cersei's development than in ASOS (in which, after the Sept scene, I can't remember if she even appears). A lot of the Cersei/Jaime stuff is already happening this year (in fact, their scene in episode 4 was adapted from Feast, I think), which means Jaime can leave early next season for Riverrun and meet Brienne towards the end, while Cersei is arrested.

Remember that Walk of Shame may be included next season; at the same time Brienne and Jaime could meet LS.

[oierem]

well, there's important and then there's important. it's clear that grrm plans on having willas and garlan do "something" in the next books however, their actions may be easily transferred to loras. or those actions won't be super critical to the overall story. we really don't know that anything is messed up at this stage.

Exactly. Martin has teased that a lot of people will be important in the future books, but he doesn't have that many pages to cover all that (I believe a lot of readers will be dissapointed because of that: for example, if the Hound doesn't appear again a lot of readers will feel cheated -after all, why not clearly kill him on page if he doesn't come back?).

[Winnief]

i like this except cersei has a lot of development and i'd hate to see them rush it.

But this season we are watching a lot more of Cersei's development than in ASOS (in which, after the Sept scene, I can't remember if she even appears). A lot of the Cersei/Jaime stuff is already happening this year (in fact, their scene in episode 4 was adapted from Feast, I think), which means Jaime can leave early next season for Riverrun and meet Brienne towards the end, while Cersei is arrested.

Remember that Walk of Shame may be included next season; at the same time Brienne and Jaime could meet LS.

My sentiments exactly. We're already getting plenty of buildup for Cersei trying to overthrow Margaery and having it backfire on her, since she's clearly not in the same league as the Tyrell women. Those events can happen very quickly in Season Five, since all the groundwork will already be in place.

Exactly. Martin has teased that a lot of people will be important in the future books, but he doesn't have that many pages to cover all that (I believe a lot of readers will be dissapointed because of that: for example, if the Hound doesn't appear again a lot of readers will feel cheated -after all, why not clearly kill him on page if he doesn't come back?).

And Martin, ahem, bless him, sometimes feels the need to include things that aren't really needed at all like Damphair and Brienne's travelogues, and hundreds of pages of food porn. So while he thinks certain developments with Garlan and Willas may be critical, its quite possible that we readers wouldn't-or that those developments can still take place without them, if for instance Loras never becomes injured at Dragonstone he can fill the same role, and they won't have to make one of the show's best male eye candy look like a disfigured burn victim. Win win all over and Cersei and Margaery are hating each other quite well without that bit.

And they might decide they don't need Qwentyn's Darwin award style death either, since viewers would have trouble believing anyone who would try to steal one of Dany's dragons could also tie his own shoes-or hell they might give his death to cement for brains Victarion if they even bother to include Victarion at all.

They can also compress the Dornish storyline considerably-leave out Arianne's aborted attempt at Queenmaking, but keep the attack on Myrcella and the promise of retribution from Doran against the Lannisters. Don't need Arys Oakheart really even if they keep Aegon.

[Faint]

Good point Newstar. I also think we get plenty of info based on what the show chooses to include or not-the fact that we've never seen Val tells me she's not going to be Jon's Queen. Conversely, that they're including Anya Waynwood and Bronze Yohn, in this season even suggests that Vale power plays are going to be important down the road.

I for one am going to be examining the casting choices and news for next season quite carefully.

I still think it is possible that Val gets casts for the fifth season since she does not play much of a role until A Dance with Dragons anyway. But if we hear no casting news on her front this summer, then, yes, I think we can safely dismiss the character as being essential in any significant way.

Me, too. That will be very telling as to what's actually essential to post-ADWD arcs and what's expendable, particularly with an eye to the Ironborn and Dorne plots.

I was discussing this up thread, what casting news do you think would give us the best idea of the scope of the fifth season?

I am thinking Khal Jhaqo for the Essos side of things but what about the other theaters of the story? Would casting Harry the Heir mean they were moving into Sansa's The Winds of Winter material? They could introduce the character at an earlier point in the story but the fact is that Sansa only has three chapters after the events of this season, and if they decide to truncate some of the other storylines (i.e., Greyjoys, Martells), I have a hard time seeing how they could possibly hold back on Sansa without ruining the flow of the story.

To go beyond ADWD for jaime and brienne they'd have to have jaime get to the riverlands, resolve the riverrun stuff, have brienne confront him and then resolve the whole LS situation hes riding into..for brienne its easy they could compact her storyline so much. Unless they cut jaime's whole riverrun thingo, but its pretty important to his character when he defies cersei and his obligations as kingsguard to run off with brienne.

I wouldn't be surprised if the battle for mereen is end of next season either, because its a good ending, i mean dany riding a dragon is too but..i guess we'll have to see

I actually think Jaime and Brienne, with the exception of Bran and Sansa, have the best chance of encroaching into The Winds of Winter material next season. Just consider that the next time we see Brienne, which might well be tonight's episode, she will have already commenced her chapters in A Feast for Crows. And with six episodes to go, I would not be surprised if the last scene of the season for her story is Catelyn revealing her face (they can put off the hanging until early next season).

As for Jaime, given that he will be commencing his A Feast for Crows arc directly at the start of the fifth season, I find it implausible that they will have him wandering the Riverlands for nine episodes before he meets Brienne.

[AZAXD]

70 episodes is not enough. Maybe they can use 7 seasons to get through TWoW, then end the series.

Then HBO could make a $#!+-load of money making a feature film trilogy for the final book.

Hey, gotta dream!

That's my dream too man! The show ends an an insane cliffhanger, the final book comes out, then the movies come out.

Would be perfect.

[HairGrowsBack]

I actually think Jaime and Brienne, with the exception of Bran and Sansa, have the best chance of encroaching into The Winds of Winter material next season. Just consider that the next time we see Brienne, which might well be tonight's episode, she will have already commenced her chapters in A Feast for Crows. And with six episodes to go, I would not be surprised if the last scene of the season for her story is Catelyn revealing her face (they can put off the hanging until early next season).

As for Jaime, given that he will be commencing his A Feast for Crows arc directly at the start of the fifth season, I find it implausible that they will have him wandering the Riverlands for nine episodes before he meets Brienne.

That's what I want to happen to be honest. Delaying some of the storylines next season would be pointless and would make the remaining seasons rushed; this way the storylines will be able to 'breathe' a little.

[jons nissa]

70 episodes is not enough. Maybe they can use 7 seasons to get through TWoW, then end the series.

Then HBO could make a $#!+-load of money making a feature film trilogy for the final book.

Hey, gotta dream!

That's my dream too man! The show ends an an insane cliffhanger, the final book comes out, then the movies come out.

Would be perfect.

actually i would hate this outcome. to be sure, i would prefer to learn how the series ends from the books since the show is taking liberties and not covering all the story lines of the books. but ultimately, i just really want to know what happens! i can't begin to imagine how patient the old timers are who have been reading the books since they first came out. i'm a newbie since it's only been about 3 years but i don't wait another 10 years. :P i'm happy to have this option and then read the books when they come out.

That's what I want to happen to be honest. Delaying some of the storylines next season would be pointless and would make the remaining seasons rushed; this way the storylines will be able to 'breathe' a little.

agreed. pacing is different on television versus on paper. the stories should continue. i'm sure all parties involved understand this and that was the reason for the intense meetings about the resolution of the books.

[The Dragon has three heads]

Still no word on that spoiler yet it's all over the mainstream internet.

What a giant cock up.

[Winnief]

I am thinking Khal Jhaqo for the Essos side of things but what about the other theaters of the story? Would casting Harry the Heir mean they were moving into Sansa's The Winds of Winter material?

Definitely. Though if HtH is in fact a Red Herring, (as many readers believe,) then they might decide to do away with the character altogether...personally, I would look at the inclusion of Harry as not only signaling WoW material, but as meaning that he plays some sort of significance to the story, and Sansa might even be marrying him after all. Whereas if we don't hear about Harry, then I'm going to conclude he's not important in the least, since there's no way they'd restrict Sansa to only three scenes, (or for that matter appearing in only three episodes next season.) With Arya they've got a lot of FM training that they can use, but with Sansa they'll have to use something from TWOW-there's no other way.

That's what I want to happen to be honest. Delaying some of the storylines next season would be pointless and would make the remaining seasons rushed; this way the storylines will be able to 'breathe' a little.

That's my theory. By necessity a LOT of things are going to be happening after the events of ADWD and before the end of ADOS. D&D can't afford to waste any time in Season 5.

AND now, we're barely halfway through Season Four and we've already completed all of Dany's storyline from ASOS, which means we will definitely be getting through a fair bit of Essos in ADWD as well this season, thus confirming my suspicion that Season Five will inevitably have things for Dany that take place during TWOW.

The same goes for Sansa too-remember she's now pretty much done all but one of her POV chapters-now they may well save the Moon Door for the very end, (it's a helluva finale,) but given that Mockingbird is going to be LF heavy, and the entrance of Wayninwood and Bronze Yohn, we're clearly getting some of Baelish's Vale maneuverings from AFFC in this season...and of course there were only three chapters of that anyway, so we're bound to see some more stuff next season.

And in other stuff that happened in AFFC, the Brienne/Pod road trip has begun-I'm betting they meet LSH in the season finale and that's how they introduce UnCat.

[igrewupinKL]

I actually think Jaime and Brienne, with the exception of Bran and Sansa, have the best chance of encroaching into The Winds of Winter material next season. Just consider that the next time we see Brienne, which might well be tonight's episode, she will have already commenced her chapters in A Feast for Crows. And with six episodes to go, I would not be surprised if the last scene of the season for her story is Catelyn revealing her face (they can put off the hanging until early next season).

As for Jaime, given that he will be commencing his A Feast for Crows arc directly at the start of the fifth season, I find it implausible that they will have him wandering the Riverlands for nine episodes before he meets Brienne.

Yeh it's definitely possible, cersei is already going mad over margery and i think the time gaps will start to get bigger next season so it can all mash together well.

[Starkfyre Barathyrell]

so potentially we're now half way through the show, 35 out of a possible 70

[Winnief]

so potentially we're now half way through the show, 35 out of a possible 70

Quite possibly. Though later seasons may be expanded in terms of number of episodes not to mention some season finales like "The Children" will almost certainly be longer..

Here's a useful chart about how much more material they have to cover...

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/hbo-game-of-thrones-book-characters/

And that was before last night's episode aired, which has already brought us more Brienne on the road bonding with Podrick, another Sansa POV chapter, Dany's learning about Cleon and decision to rule Mereen, and more. Also it seems like the IB will be funding Stannis this season as well.

i think the time gaps will start to get bigger next season

I think so too. We'll get more and more of a sense of time passing-that will also help to account for the aging of the child actors as well.

[boojam]

so potentially we're now half way through the show, 35 out of a possible 70

I still think it's vague.

On the N.Y. Red Carpet it was David Benioff who said the '7' number, but then Dan Weiss said "we are half way through"...(which would mean four more or 8 seasons)... then David said 'Yeah'.

Now that's all not very clear I know, but seems that even the show runners aren't sure, except that HBO may not go beyond 8 seasons, so 7 is an approximation!

Clear as mud , I know.

[robdavies1775]

Here's how I see it happening:

Next year Season 5 covers the majority of Feast and Dance with bits of WoW.

Also, George publishes WoW.

2016 - Season 6 is the rest of Feast/Dance and the first half of WoW.

2017 - Season 7 is the second half of WoW and parts of Dream.

2018 - The rest of Dream. and hopefully George publishes Dream.

Hopefully Dream will not take as long as WoW, because George has said he's got the endings planned out so he knows the story and it's just a case of writing that up. Also he's said he took on too many projects whilst writing WoW which has led to the long wait. He won't take on as much in future so he can focus solely on Dream. I could see him doing it in 3 years. And that way the show doesn't go much further than the books.

[AZAXD]

Here's how I see it happening:

Next year Season 5 covers the majority of Feast and Dance with bits of WoW.

Also, George publishes WoW.

2016 - Season 6 is the rest of Feast/Dance and the first half of WoW.

2017 - Season 7 is the second half of WoW and parts of Dream.

2018 - The rest of Dream. and hopefully George publishes Dream.

Hopefully Dream will not take as long as WoW, because George has said he's got the endings planned out so he knows the story and it's just a case of writing that up. Also he's said he took on too many projects whilst writing WoW which has led to the long wait. He won't take on as much in future so he can focus solely on Dream. I could see him doing it in 3 years. And that way the show doesn't go much further than the books.

I really hope it works out like this. I don't mind having a couple bits of future books spoiled because it's fun and exciting, but I would like to read the whole books before seeing everything. I also feel that, from what George has said, wrapping things up shouldn't take as long as the middle books. That makes so much sense actually as I'm typing this. The early books came out at a decent rate and then "the tale grew in the telling" so Feast/Dance took a long time. And yeah he sure has been busy lately but once WoW is out surely he'll get DoS out before the show ends as he said he's trying to. Sorry kind of gushing thoughts here. Also totally gonna get shouted down for being too hopeful...

More on topic, I sure hope they go 8 seasons. Or my insane end the show on a cliffhanger and follow up with an amazing finale movie with time for the books to come out between idea :D

[Ignorant Bog Woman]

Hopefully Dream will not take as long as WoW, because George has said he's got the endings planned out so he knows the story and it's just a case of writing that up. Also he's said he took on too many projects whilst writing WoW which has led to the long wait. He won't take on as much in future so he can focus solely on Dream. I could see him doing it in 3 years. And that way the show doesn't go much further than the books.

That's a lot of wishful thinking, my friend.

Here's how I see it:

WOW released alongside final season in spring 2017

DOS sometime in 2020s (if ever)

Mind you, I'm cynical at heart.

[Hot Kidney Pie]

I personally think Balon goes down towards the end(pun intended) at the end of this season..

Or 'between' seasons.

Then they've gotta bring in Euron, Damphair and Victarion in strong.

As interesting as it was.. They could totally skip the kingsmoot. Or 'elude' to it..

Damphair is the most likely to be cut I would imagine..

At the very least, they have to merge them 'Victeuron'.. But IMO that would be extremely lame.

The Griff's could very well be introduced EARLY next season as well.

The 'viewer' will be as unaware as Tyrion will be at that point.

Speaking of.. I hope Cyvasse makes it on screen. Also we have to surely get stonemen! And HOPEFULLY Moqorro

And IMO Ray Stevenson MUST play Victarion!

[HairGrowsBack]

^I don't know, I think Balon's fall would be a good season opener.

[Hot Kidney Pie]

^I don't know, I think Balon's fall would be a good season opener.

I would be totally fine with that.. Just so it happens in that general time-span. Early next season at the lastest..

I do wonder if they will play on the leeches in the fire?

Or if they will imply that Crow's Eye had something to do with his dear brother's death.

I'm with you though, I'd like to see Balon's fall on screen. It's an important event.