Check out the running times for all of the Season 6 episodes

Game of Thrones Season 6 has finally begun, and information about each episode is slowly becoming available. Thanks to HBO Asia, we may know the titles for Episode 4 and Episode 5, and now, thanks to HBO’s Game of Thrones schedule, we know the runnings times of each Season 6 episode, excepting the finale.

Episode 1,”The Red Woman,” was a mere 50 minutes in length. The rest of the Season 6 episodes, sans Episode 10, and their runnings times are listed below.

• Episode 2 (“Home”): 54 minutes
• Episode 3 (“Oathbreaker”): 53 minutes
• Episode 4: 59 minutes
• Episode 5: 57 minutes
• Episode 6: 52 minutes
• Episode 7: 51 minutes
• Episode 8: 59 minutes
• Episode 9: 60 minutes

As you can see, Episode 9 will run for a full hour. If we look back at previous seasons, we can put this in context.

For now, the longest episode in the series is the Season 4 finale, “The Children,” which runs 66 minutes. “Valar Morghulis,” the Season 2 finale, was 64 minutes. The Season 3 finale, “Mhysa,” lasted 63 minutes.

It’s not just finales that tend to run long. The series premiere, “Winter is Coming,” was 62 minutes. The Season 5 finale, “Mother’s Mercy,” was 61 minutes, and two episodes from the same season clocked in at 60 minutes: “Hardhome” and “High Sparrow.”

So what can we deduce from the Season 6 episode lengths? Be forewarned: our analysis will include SPOILERS.

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW

We know that Episode 9, is going to be huge. “Hardhome” director Miguel Sapochnik spent several weeks filming what we believe to be a giant battle scene that will probably take center stage in Episode 9. Given how much time was spent on it, we’re betting that it takes up the entire episode, a la the Battle of the Blackwater in Season 2’s “Blackwater” or the Battle of Castle Black in Season 4’s “The Watchers on the Wall.” Here’s what we know so far:

• People on the production have given the battle nicknames: “The Battle of the Bastards” is a popular one, and “The Battle of Six Armies,” is another. Either way, sounds epic.
• Rumors have it that Jon Snow will lead the wildlings into battle, and maybe soldiers from some other Northern Houses, while Ramsay Snow Bolton is reportedly backed by the Karstarks, and surprisingly, the Umbers. This picture also indicates that loads of other Northern Houses will be involved. And there may be other combatants we’re not sure of yet (possibly the Army of the Vale).

• Locals in the area had reported seeing smoke rising from the filming locations.
• Miguel Sapochnik and the production team filmed this battle scene just outside Saintfield, Northern Ireland. The team spent many weeks in the area, longer than they usually spend on fight scenes.
• Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) was seen filming near the battlefield, which could mean that Sansa will be involved in some fashion.
• Both main and minor characters will reported die in this battle. Ramsay will tie two people to Bolton crosses (X-crosses upside-down), and burn them during the fighting.

• There will be a giant involved in the battle, which if Jon is in fact leading the wildlings, has to be Wun Wun. A ball on a stick stood in for the giant during filming, much like one that stood in for Drogon during the filming of the Daznak’s Pit scene from Season 5.

Looking at the above list of spoilers, is it any wonder that Miguel Sapochnik spent so much time in Saintfield filming this scene?

At 60 minutes, Episode 9 looks like it’ll take its time with this battle. “Blackwater” was 55 minutes and “The Watchers on the Wall” 51, so Season 6, Episode 9 should be the longest episode entirely situated in one place yet, assuming that’s the kind of episode it is.

Another thing to note from this list: Episode 4 has a runtime of 59 minutes. Looking back at past seasons, big moments have come in Episode 4.

• Season 1, Episode 4: “Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things.” Tyrion is taken hostage by Catelyn Stark, and both Samwell Tarly and Bronn are introduced.
• Season 2 Episode 4: “Garden of Bones.” Brienne is introduced Brienne, and Melisandre gives birth to a shadow baby.
• Season 3, Episode 4: “And Now His Watch is Ended.” Lord Commander Jeor Mormont dies at the hands of his own men, and Dany tricks the slaver Kraznys mo Nakloz into turning over his army of Unsullied, and then proceeds to sack the city of Astapor.

• Season 4, Episode 4: “Oathkeeper.” Brienne got a new sword from Jaime and set out on a quest to find Sansa and Arya Stark, but the big reveal came at the end of the episode, when we traveled north into the Lands of Always Winter and got our first look at the Night’s King.
• Season 5, Episode 4: “Sons of the Harpy.” The Sand Snakes were introduced, Stannis had his warm and fuzzy moment with Shireen, and Ser Barristan Selmy died at the hands of the Sons of the Harpy, a stunning moment that had even book-readers reeling.

With all this in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if Season 6, Episode 4 had a major reveal or a main character’s death. Or perhaps a recently dead main character will rise again.