5 Things to Remember as the Final Season of GOT Approaches

After almost a year of waiting, Season 8 of “Game of Thrones” is premiering on Sunday. Even if you are an avid GOT fan, waiting for so long can cause for some memory blanks. So, here are five “need to knows” from Season 7 that will help refresh and get you ready for the release of the six-episode final season.

[Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers from Season 1 to Season 7.]

1. The alliance of all the kingdoms
In efforts to prepare for battle against the White Walkers, Jon Snow and Daenerys came to the Lannisters in hopes to have them join for what could be the biggest battle yet. Jon Snow brought a white walker to prove the reality of it, and if that wasn’t enough encouragement, Daenerys made Cersei jump in her seat as she entered the meeting on Drogon, the biggest of her dragons. With hesitation, Cersei agreed to make an alliance for an attempt to stop the White Walkers.

Will Season 8 answer how the alliance works out: will there be back turning or will the joining of the kingdoms go smoothly?

2. The wall has fallen
In the last episode of Season 7, White Walkers leader Night King rode Viserion (Daenery’s third dragon) to break down the centuries-old wall, which had kept the White Walkers from entering the kingdoms. Viserion’s death turned into a major gain for the Night King, as he changed the dragon into an ice-breathing White Walker after he had killed him with an ice javelin in Season 7, Episode 6.

Will Viserion remember his mother, Daenerys, or will he be the means for her destruction?

3. The Starks have reunited at Winterfell
The Stark siblings have been separated for some time, as Bran went on his crow-seeking adventures, Jon went to the wall, Sansa lived with the Lannisters, and Arya was changing/stealing faces. The family reunion was sweet until tension grew between the two sisters, Arya and Sansa. Littlefinger spread rumors between the two in hopes to turn them against each other, which then led to his execution by the newly reunited sisters. The family is now planning for the upcoming war together.

Is Sansa going to stay loyal to her Stark family roots or will she turn on them for the Lannisters once more?

4. Jon Snow didn’t just bend the knee to Daenerys
After asking multiple times, Jon Snow finally bent the knee to Daenerys’ request. As tension built, the two became involved emotionally, which then led to them having a steamy hookup. But the two are related, they just don’t know it. Jon Snow’s lineage was released by Bran, Jon Snow’s younger brother. Jon Snow is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, while Daenerys is also Rhaegars’ sister. Therefore, Daenerys is Jon Snow’s aunt.

Now that people know Jon Snow is the actual heir to the Iron Throne, what will Daenerys do when she finds out?

5. Samwell Tarly may have saved the day
Samwell spent a majority of his time in the Citadel in Old Town, learning from the Archmaester Ebrose, after he left Jon Snow and the wall. At the Citadel he gained access to an ancient library that led him to the information that Dragonglass can kill White Walkers. And that the majority of the Dragonglass is at Dragonstone, which is Daenerys’ homeland, where she had recently returned with Jon Snow. 

Will Samwell’s discovery be the key to overcoming the White Walkers?

Season 8 is right around the corner with its premiere next Sunday on HBO at 3 p.m. Hawaii time. The season’s trailer is a two-minute build up to an ending scene of the face-off between the White Walkers and the humans. Season 8 will be the final season for the GOT series and will contain episodes that will range from 54-minutes to a 1 hour and 20-minutes, according to TV Guide.