When it comes to Game of Thrones, it’s been somewhat of a mixed bag when it comes to news related to the show. There’s been good news that’s come out, such as what’s expected to go down this season (Stark reunions, Daenerys in Westeros, and the long-awaited battle with the White Walkers,) and there’s been bad news, such as season seven is only seven episodes long. We also recently learned that season eight might not come out until 2019. Today we have some good news, though.
According to Watchers on the Wall, a Game of Thrones’ fan site, season seven will feature some of the show’s longest episodes to date. This all but contradicts earlier reports that the episodes would generally stay the same length, despite there being fewer of them. See? Good news.
Here’s how things look:
Episode 1: 59 minutes.
Episode 2: 59 minutes.
Episode 3: 63 minutes.
Episode 4: 50 minutes.
Episode 5: 59 minutes.
Episode 6: 71 minutes.
Episode 7: 81 minutes.
71 minutes! 81 minutes! That’s a lot of Game of Thrones. Last season’s finale, “The Winds of Winter,” clocked in at a then-record 68 minutes. Among the many things that the show has done well is jam-pack their episodes. So just imagine what they can do in a season finale that is 13 minutes longer than their last finale.
At a total running time of 7 hours and 20 minutes, season seven is still going to be shorter than past seasons. The show’s first six seasons, which have been ten episodes a piece, have run at least 9 hours. Beggars can’t be choosers, though. This season can be sold as a seven episode season, but it’s really closer to eight episodes. And let’s be honest, it’s not as if each season of Game of Thrones doesn’t suffer from the occasional dip in gripping, captivating entertainment.
We’re hitting the home stretch here and every minute matters. With only two seasons left, favoring quality over quantity is a strategy we should all get behind.
Game of Thrones’ seventh season premieres on Sunday July 16.