Every Game of Thrones Spoiler We Know for Season 7

""

Filming on Game of Thrones season 7 is over. With the premiere date of July 16 announced and the teasers trickling out, the HBO hype machine is churning. Much like last year, there’s a sense that we’re in uncharted territory. The season is starting later than usual. There will only be seven episodes instead of 10. And story-wise, we’ve sailed over the edge of the known world of the page and in to the murky seas of the still unfinished The Winds of Winter and the yet-to-be-started A Dream of Spring.

But we’re not going in blind. Game of Thrones does not film entirely on locked soundstages, nor do the producers create the world of Westeros purely with CGI. The most expensive-looking show on television looks that way because it spends the money to go on location and film across a number of countries. And where they go, fans follow, many of them with smartphones in hand.

The upshot of this is that we know quite a bit about what’s coming in Game of Thrones season 7. Let’s gather round and sort through all the evidence, photos, videos, leaks and rumors to get as clear a picture as we can.

Oh, and obviously: SPOILER WARNING.

Next: Arya among the wolves

Arya reunites with Nymeria

By the end of season 6, pretty much everyone had settled into groups — characters were generally on Team Dany, Team Jon, or Team Cersei…with a couple of notable exceptions.

At the moment, Arya Stark is a lone wolf. She may have returned to Westeros ahead of Dany’s ship, but she’s currently working independently of the three major factions. Perhaps because of that, actress Maisie Williams has filmed a lot of material on her lonesome, shooting stuff long after it seemed like everyone else had finished and even crossing the pond to film in Canada.

Game of Thrones has filmed in Canada before — it’s where it shoots scenes with the wolf actors that play the direwolves. But it’s very rare for them to fly an actor over there.

The direwolves are returning for season 7, too. Instinct Animals for Film, the company that supplies the show with its direwolf actors, posted a picture of Quigley — the wolf who plays Jon’s direwolf Ghost — to its Instagram account and tagged it “Ready to work.” It also posted a picture of a wolf that resembled Nymeria, Arya’s direwolf from season 1. Again, it was tagged “Ready to work,” and included the hashtag #winteriscoming.

Then, after that news broke, Instinct for Animals locked its Instagram account. How very odd.

The last time we saw Nymeria, Arya was chasing her off in the second episode of the show — had she stuck around, Cersei would have killed her for attacking Joffrey. The implication here is that the two will reunite.

In the books, Nymeria has her own wolfpack by this point — the largest ever seen in living memory — and is roaming the Riverlands. Will that part make it into the show?

Next: Arya among the Freys

David Bradley (Walder Frey) returns

But before Arya and Nymeria can reunite, Arya has to leave the Twins. When we last saw our heroine, she was looking rather creepy as she calmly killed Walder Frey in repayment for the Red Wedding, right after feeding him two of his sons in a pie.

Is she finished serving up hot plates of revenge to the Freys? We don’t know exactly what, if anything, Arya will do at the Twins in season 7. But we do know that actor David Bradley, who played Walder Frey, is coming back. Is it so he can lie in state? It’s possible — both Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) and Nell Tiger Free (Myrcella Baratheon) returned to play corpses at the beginnings of seasons 5 and 6, respectively. But there could be more to it. After all, Arya has been trained by the Faceless Men to assume the appearances of the dead. Might she assume Walder’s Frey’s face to further mess with the Freys?

Adding to the party, Tobais Menzies (Edmure Tully) may have been in Belfast, the Game of Thrones filming center. We last saw Edmure helping Jaime (under duress) take back Riverun from the Blackfish. Assuming Walder Frey locked Edmure back up at the Twins afterward, Menzies’ return further hints that we’re not don with that area quite yet.

Next: Arya among the Starks

Arya goes home

But perhaps the biggest Arya-related news of the season is that Arya will cast off her lone wolf reputation — at least for a little while — and head back to Winterfell. In season 6, fans were emotional when Sansa and Jon saw each other again for the first time since she set out with Ned to King’s Landing. Imagine what will happen when and if Jon reunites with Arya, his favorite little sister.

What we know: Last fall, the show filmed some stuff at Linen Mills Studio in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. The shoot featured many actors whose characters were at Winterfell at the end of season 6. Sophie Turner (Sansa) was spotted in a red wig alongside Kit Harington (Jon Snow)…

…breakout star Bella Ramsey (Lyanna Mormont) was on hand…

…as well as Aidan Gillen (Littlefinger).

Maisie Williams was there, too, and wearing a costume that recalls not only Jon’s leathers but echoes Robb Stark’s get-up during his time as King In The North. The outfit is distinctly Northern, and the fact that Arya is wearing a man’s fighting leathers suggests that she’ll no longer suffer to wear dresses.

The Arya who returns to Winterfell is very different from the one who left. Unfortunately, reports suggest that she and Sansa will clash over how to manage affairs in the North, and that Littlefinger, naturally, will try to drive a wedge further between them. That’s a combustible situation if we ever saw one.

Next: A tree wizard grows in Winterfell

Bran and Meera cross the Wall

At the end of season 6, Benjen Stark left Bran and Meera at a weirwood tree near the northern side of the Wall. During filming for season 7, actor Isaac Hempstead Wright was spotted at Linen Mills Studio around the same time that Harington, Turner, and the rest were there. Here is getting his makeup done alongside Maisie Williams:

According to reports, Bran does indeed return to Winterfell and reunites with his family. Just how many Stark family reunions can we handle in one season?

He won’t get back immediately, though. Los Siete Reinos, the site that uploaded the picture above, reported that, on the day the above picture was taken, Wright wasn’t filming a scene at Winterfell but rather one with actor Ben Crompton (Lord Commander Dolorous Edd) and other members of the Night’s Watch. That probably means that, on this particular day, he was preparing to shoot at Castle Black. That makes sense — after all, Bran and Meera will have to pass through the tunnel to reenter the North. Let’s hope Edd donates a horse to Bran and Meera so they can make the last leg of the journey as quickly as possible.

Like Arya, Bran has changed a lot since leaving Winterfell. Wright reflected on those changes when speaking to Entertainment Weekly:

"I think Bran has transcended “growing.” Growing up or being an adult is not on his to-do list anymore. It’s doing what he needs to do. He’s on another plane. It’s not like he has to grow up and prove himself a man. He just knows he has to do his stuff."

One of the things he needs to do: tell everyone just what deep trouble they’re in now that the Night King is coming south in force. Hopefully he doesn’t lead the White Walkers through the Wall in the process — remember that they could enter the Three-Eyed Raven’s cave after the Night King touched Bran during his weirdwood trip. Best keep that frog spear sharp, Meera.

Next: Queen in the North

Sansa goes on “a bit of a power trip”

We haven’t seen a ton of Sophie Turner on set during filming — Sansa’s not the type to participate in big on-location battles, so Turner likely films most of her stuff on closed stages. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have hints of what she’s up to. Much of that comes from Turner herself, who has talked about Sansa’s journey and her coming “power trip” to several different outlets. Here’s one of her more interesting quotes, from a chat she had with Vulture.

"At the end of [season 6], Sansa gets a taste of power—and it’s the first time that she’s had that ever, really. She feels like it’s deserved because she did so much for Jon and the North, so when she saves the day and doesn’t get any recognition for it, it was like she had that first taste of power and then was immediately stripped of it. She was stripped of the respect that she really feels she deserves. She was trying to give her input to Jon and trying to be a collaborative leader, but it’s difficult when it’s a patriarchy and when there’s sexism. It would be a real adjustment for Jon to listen to her and do what she says."

So it sounds like Sansa will be working through some frustration about her position in season 7, or as she put it to Entertainment Weekly, “she’s also becoming more insecure, because there are threats to the power that she holds.” And with Littlefinger around, you can bet he’ll be trying to pour poison in Sansa’s ear at every turn. Those two are at a weird place in their relationship, as Turner outlines:

"She holds a power over [Littlefinger]. And after she confronted him about selling her to the Boltons, he owes her big time. He knows he has to be loyal to her now, and he has to serve her well, because she holds so much over him. It would destroy his reputation if she revealed any of the stuff that she knows about him. It’s tricky. She has power, but it’s a question of whether people listen to her or not. You’ll see more of that in this upcoming season."

But it’s not all secrets and lies for Sansa. Turner told Gold Derby that Sansa’s renewed relationship with Jon Snow is “restoring her faith in men.”

"It’s just nice for her to be on par with someone of the opposite sex especially…To have someone listen to her and actually ask her advice is a really nice thing for her…She’s a kind of leader in her own right now, and that’s really refreshing."

We’ll have wait for season 7 to see how all this plays out, but one thing we’re fairly sure of is that Sansa will live to see season 8. She basically gave that away when doing interviews on the red carpet at the BAFTAS.

"We’re about to start shooting the next X-Men, we just finished shooting season 7 of Thrones, and I’ve got a couple of movies to do before X-Men starts, and then we go on to season 8! So I’ve got a busy year lined up."

Now, onto a new redhead…

Next: Revenge of the book-readers

Alys Karstark joins the cast

Back when the photos from the Linen Mills Studio shoot were coming out, fans were confused by the one above, which features an actress named Megan Parkinson. Who was this sword-wielding, red-headed new Northerner? Early speculation had it that she might be a stunt double for Sophie Turner, but that didn’t make much sense — when has Sansa ever done anything that needed a stunt double?

It ends up that Parkinson is playing an entirely new character: Alys Karstark. Book-readers will know that Alys, the only daughter of Lord Rickard Karstark, showed up in at Castle Black in A Dance with Dragons before the Night’s Watch mutineers murdered Jon Snow. Jon married her to the Magnar of Thenn in an attempt to help her resolve a family quarrel and normalize wildling-Northern relations.

What might she do on the show? Well, her father is dead — Robb took his head in season 3. Jaime killed two of her brothers — Harrion and Thorrhen — in season 2. And her other brother, Harald Karstark, joined up with Ramsay in season 6. We don’t know exactly what happened to Harald, but if he didn’t die in the Battle of the Bastards, Jon and Sansa may execute him for treason, or at least strip him on his lands and holdings.

The upswing of all this is this is that, by the time season 7 starts, Alys is likely the heir to House Karstark. Sansa and Jon will surely be interested in what she plans to do with that title. An early casting call for season 7 mentioned a 16-year-old Northern girl who would be part of “a high-stakes scene with leading cast members.” Alys is very likely that girl, and Jon and Sansa may be the leading cast members.

One theory is that Jon and/or Sansa will arrange for Alys to marry Tormund Giantsbane. That would roughly parallel what happens in the books, but would switch out the Magnar of Thenn for another prominent wildling we actually know.

Whatever happens, Alys will appear in at least two episodes of season 7, according to Parkinson’s agency resume. We’re eager to see what she brings to the table.

Next: Everybody come to Jon's

One last stop in the North

The shoot at Linen Mills yielded a lot of useful info: we’ve already shown you pics of the actors behind Lyanna Mormont, Littlefinger, Sansa and Jon Snow all gathered there. And there were others. As you can see above, Gwendoline Christie was also on set, meaning Brienne likely returns to Winterfell from the Riverlands, where she was last seen trying to talk the Blackfish into lending Sansa his army.

Liam Cunninham (Davos) was also there, meaning he’ll spend some time at Winterfell, too.

There are a couple of minor characters first introduced in season 6 who will be coming back. For example, recognize the guy in the upper-left hand pic in this collage?

That’s actor Richard Rycroft, in costume as Maester Wolkan — he was the Bolton maester in season 6, the one Ramsay tasked with telling everyone that Roose Bolton was “poisoned by our enemies.” It looks like Jon and Sansa keep Maester Wolkan on at Winterfell. I’m sure he’ll prefer working for them to working for Ramsay.

You can also see Aidan Gillen in his Littlefinger outfit and Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane) talking with Cunningham.

Finally, here’re a couple of snaps of actor Tim McInnerny (Lord Robett Glover) on set — he’s in the bottom two frames.

In season 6, Lord Glover refused Jon and Sansa when they asked for help fighting the Boltons, but still declared Jon Snow King in the North after Lyanna Mormont shamed him and the rest of the Northern Lords for their cowardice. Apparently, he’ll stick around to help Team Jon with their next steps.

What does this all mean? That Winterfell will be overflowing with people in season 7!

But not everyone will be there at the same time. Jon, in particular, will be away for much of the season. Let’s leave the North and check out some SPOILERS from other parts of Westeros.

Next: Sam goes to college

Sam trains at the Citadel, but leaves partway through the season

Last we saw Sam, he had arrived at the Citadel in Oldtown eager to begin his training as a maester. We didn’t see many images of him on set, but new cast member Jim Broadbent dropped a couple of hints when talking to Screencrush. Broadbent will play “an archmaester” who shares his scenes with Sam. “I did five episodes,” Broadbent said. “I did sort of one major scene in each episode.” That means Sam remains at the Citadel until at least Episode 5, studying his little heart out.

As for which archmaester Broadbent will play, fans speculate that it’s either Marwyn — an aggressive maester Sam meets in A Feast for Crows — or Ebrose, a maester who specializes in healing. Our guess is that it’ll be a composite character named Ebrose. And if Sam is studying under him for five episodes, we can bet he’ll learn something important. Knowledge of glass candles? The truth about Jon’s true parentage? How to beat the Night King? All of the above?

Whatever he learns, at some point he decides to grab a traveling cloak, pile Gilly and Little Sam into the back of a horse-drawn carriage, and ride hell for leather out of Oldtown…or maybe he’s just taking in the sights around town. You can judge for yourself:

Director Matt Shakman was on hand when this shot was taken. Shakman is directing Episodes 4 and 5, so whatever Sam is doing here, it happens in the late middle part of the season. We’re betting that he discovers something important that can help the war effort and beats it back north to relay the info.

Next: Enter Team Targaryen

Daenerys and company settle at Dragonstone

We can’t go any farther without introducing our second major faction of the season: Team Targaryen. Last we saw them, they were sailing for Westeros with a giant fleet. We’re not sure what, if anything, happens on the way, but very early in the season, they reach Dragonstone, where Daenerys sets up a new home base. You got a look at her new throne in the first season 7 promo trailer.

If you’ll recall, Dragonstone was where Stannis hung out in seasons 2-4. It’s also the ancient seat of House Targaryen and the place where Daenerys was born, so it carries a lot of meaning for her.

The production filmed Dragonstone scenes at a couple places in the Basque region of Spain, including the islet of Gaztelugatxe, Itzurun Beach, and Muriola Beach. The crew filmed in open spaces, so we have plenty of shots of Daenerys, Tyrion, Missandei, Grey Worm, Varys and the Dothraki making themselves at home.

As you can see more clearly in HBO promos, the prevailing color scheme for members of Daenerys’ entourage is now black. That’s sure to strike fear in the hearts of Dany’s enemies. The Dothraki escort can’t hurt, either.

We expect Daenerys to set up shop at Dragonstone in the season premiere, and then to send out ravens demanding the lords of Westeros come and swear her fealty. As you’ll see, Dragonstone hosts many interesting guests over the course of the season.

Next: Tyrion catches up with an old friend

Tyrion and Jon Snow reunite

For Dany, season 7 will be the first time she sets foot on Westerosi soil (well, unless you count when she was a baby). But for Tyrion Lannister, it’s a homecoming.

He won’t have a lot of time to reminisce, though — he’ll be busy forging alliances on behalf of his queen. Happily, he has an in with the new King in the North.

Yep, that’s Jon Snow and Tyrion shaking hands, together for the first time since season 1. Last they saw each other, Jon was a new recruit in the Night’s Watch and Tyrion was pissing off the top of the Wall. They’ve both come a long way.

As we said on the last slide, we expect Daenerys to send out ravens summoning the lords of Westeros to swear her fealty. The odds of Cersei answering that summons are pretty close to nil, but Jon makes the trip. Of course, he may have ulterior motives for that — Jon’s trying to fight an army of ice zombies and Dragonstone happens to be full of White Walker-killing dragonglass. As a diplomat who knows both parties, it will fall to Tyrion to moderate negotiations between Dany and Jon, although it looks like Jon brings his own right-hand man in the form of Davos Seaworth:

But speaking of Dany and Jon…

Next: Fire, meet Ice. Ice, Fire.

Jon Snow meets Daenerys Targaryen

And now. The moment. The one we’ve been waiting for all these years: Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, together at last!

Looks like they’re all business in that shot. Here’s a video where Jon Snow joins Daenerys as she gazes out over the ocean — it’s got a mellower tone.

How will these two get along? Will they hate each other? Will they love each other? Will they make a political alliance? Will Drogon and Ghost fight for the title of best magical pet?

We don’t know all the details, but based on the images from Zumaia, things stay civil on Dragonstone, where Dany introduces Jon Snow to her dragons. Here’s a gallery of Kit Harington (Jon) and Emilia Clarke (Dany) playing with the dragon head props:

And below, Jon is looking up at something — is Daenerys showing off her flying, fire-breathing secret weapon?

These two have a lot to talk about. After all, if Jon goes all the way to Dragonstone to get his hands on some dragonglass, the prospect of recruiting actual dragons in the fight against the White Walkers must have him salivating. And how will the dragons react to him? Will they sense his Targaryen blood and let him near?

Next: Romance by whatever means necessary

Missandei and Greyworm have a sex scene

This one’s hard to picture, but according to fansite Watchers on the Wall, Missandei and Grey Worm — Daenerys’ two top lieutenants — will consummate their relationship in season 7. I assume it’ll mostly be hugging and tongues?

As former slaves accustomed to suppressing their emotions under their former masters (particularly Grey Worm), these two have had difficulty expressing their feelings. Nonetheless, they’ve been undergoing a long, slow courtship since season 4. Taking the next step in that storyline is only natural, as is having the two of them figure out how to have a demented and strange sort of happiness. It even looks like they exchange jewelry — notice how the dragon pendant shifts from one to the other in the two season 7 images below.

"A lover’s token – but who gave it to whom? from freefolk"

Anyway, prepare for a lot of “Grey Worm is Sullied now” jokes.

Next: Daenerys' biggest fan returns

Jorah gets cured and visits Dragonstone

Because why the hell not? Everyone else shows up here.

While we don’t know the exact circumstances of Jorah Mormont’s return, actor Iain Glen was seen in the flesh on Itzurun Beach, standing next to Peter Dinklage and wearing a new black outfit after six straight years of wearing the same yellow shirt. We don’t even want to think about how filthy it must have been.

Although we don’t have visual proof as to whether Jorah has cured his greyscale by this point (his new duds cover any potential scarring), word is that he’s gotten rid of it. How? He goes to Oldtown to consult the maesters and runs into a trainee named Samwell Tarly. After Sam learns that Jorah is the son of former Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, he helps Jorah with his issue.

Next: The Hands of the King go on an adventure

Davos and Tyrion sneak into King’s Landing

One of the major things we were promised in season 7 was that characters who had never met before would interact. As it ends up, two such characters will go on a trip together: Davos Seaworth and Tyrion Lannister.

After meeting on Dragonstone, they’ll sail through Blackwater Bay and land in nearby King’s Landing, an area they both know very well. (We wonder if Davos will bring up the time Tyrion exploded his son with wildfire.) While there, they get involved in an action scene. It plays out like this:

• Davos runs into two gold cloaks who ask him some questions.
• Apparently, Davos’ answers are not satisfactory, because there’s a disagreement.
• The gold cloaks start escorting Davos away.
• Before they get much further, another character comes along and saves Davos by smacking the Gold Cloaks with a giant hammer.
• Davos, Tyrion, and the third character all escape in a boat.

You can watch video of the whole thing, filmed from afar, below:

Why were Davos and Tyrion in King’s Landing in the first place, and who’s this mysterious hammer-wielding savior? Read on…

Next: He finally stopped rowing

Gendry returns

Yes, the guy who saves Davos and Tyrion from the Gold Cloaks is none other than Gendry, royal bastard, Arya’s former BFF, and champion oarsman.

Although we’re doing some speculating here, we’re guessing that Davos heads to King’s Landing specifically to find Gendry. Since all the Baratheons are dead, he’s a valuable commodity, particularly if a king or queen legitimizes him and installs him as the rightful leader of the Stormlands, which have traditionally been ruled by members of the Baratheon family. We believe Dany is thinking along those lines, because when actor Joe Dempsie showed back up on Itzurun Beach (the Dragonstone set), his wardrobe had gotten a lordly-looking upgrade.

Whatever he gets up to, it’s just good to have the bastard back.

Next: Road trip!

Jon Snow, Jorah Mormont, Gendry and Davos leave Dragonstone together

So after reuniting with Davos in King’s Landing, Gendry travels to Dragonstone, where there is gathered a fascinating assemblage. Once everyone is in the same place, something interesting happens: as Daenerys and Tyrion look on, Jon Snow, Jorah Mormont, Gendry and Davos pile into a boat with a few other guys and shove off. Check out the video:

This isn’t a hostile parting. With her retinue of Dothraki soldiers, Daenerys easily could have stopped these guys if she wanted. Instead, she chats with Jorah and Jon Snow and watches them leave. (Tyrion also exchanges words with Jorah — old traveling buddies catching up.) This group is leaving Dragonstone with Dany’s blessing, and may even be on a mission for her. But what is that mission, and where are they headed?

Next: Go north, young man

Jon and company head north of the Wall to capture a wight

So this rag-tag band of adventurers leave Dragonstone together. Where do they go? North!

As for why, we’re going to have to get ahead of ourselves a bit.

Later in the season, Jon will bring a wight south of the Wall and show it to some of the most powerful leaders in Westeros. Why? Well, Jon is gearing up to fight the Night King, his White Walker lieutenants, and a vicious army of zombies. He’s going to need allies — lots of them — if he hopes to survive the wars to come. The problem is that people who have never traveled beyond the Wall have a hard time believing Jon’s story about murderous ice zombies. Remember when Sam’s brother Dickon scoffed at the very idea of White Walkers during that awkward family dinner scene in season 6? Jon has a whole country full of people like that to convince.

So what’s the solution? Head north of the Wall, capture a wight, and bring it back as proof that there really is a problem. A skeptic like Cersei wouldn’t settle for anything less. We’re betting that Daenerys is a little more understanding — she lets Jon leave Dragonstone, after all, and even orders Jorah to go with him. But even she may need more than the word of a stranger with great hair.

So north Jon goes. We hope his trip goes smoothly…

Next: Team Jon grows

Tormund Giantsbane and others join Jon on his trip

Before Jon and company go beyond the Wall, they make a pit stop in the North.

Above, the production films a scene on the Black Sand Beach near the Icelandic town of Vík. We’re not entirely sure where in Westeros this is, although the odds are decent that it’s Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, the easternmost castle manned by the Night’s Watch. In any case, it’s around here that Jon runs into a couple more friends, old and new.

First, there’s Tormund Giantsbane. Above, actor Kristofer Hivju photographed himself standing near a kind of “aluminium hulled amphibious cargo vehicle” known to be used in this part of Iceland. It makes sense that Jon would want Tormund’s help. When you’re heading into the far north to crack some White Walker skulls, accept no substitutes.

But Jon also picks up other, less predictable traveling companions. Below, a fan takes a picture with Joe Dempsie (Gendry), whom we saw set out with Jon from Dragonstone, and Paul Kaye (Thoros of Myr), whom we didn’t. And where Paul Kaye is, Richard Dormer (Beric Dondarrion) probably isn’t far away. The members of the Brotherhood Without Banners tend to stick together.

This picture was also taken in Iceland, where the production filmed material beyond the Wall for season 7.

You’ll remember that, in season 6, Beric Dondarrion implied that the Brotherhood was headed north. “Cold winds are rising in the North,” he told the Hound in “No One.” “Good and bad, young and old; the things we’re fighting will destroy them all alike.” The Brotherhood’s interests clearly align with Jon’s, and it looks like they join him on his quest to capture a wight.

Speaking of the Hound, he’s coming, too. Actor Rory McCann was photographed alongside this group of actors in Belfast, near where the production built a specialized set for an action scene set north of the Wall (more on that in a minute). He was also seen on set at the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland.

So Jon Snow, Jorah Mormont, Gendry, and Davos Seaworth set out from Dragonstone. By the time they get where they’re going, they’ve also picked up Tormund Giantsbane, the Hound, Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr. We expect a couple of characters, like Davos, to disembark before the group goes north of the Wall, but that’s still quite a posse Jon’s collected.

Next: Wight fight

Jon Snow and company encounter a violent horde of wights

Jon Snow goes north of the Wall to find a wight. He succeeds in spades.

Let’s back up a bit. Fairly early in the filming cycle, the Game of Thrones production build a massive set in Wolf Hill Quarry near Belfast. It looks like an island in the middle of a frozen lake.

The production spent three weeks filming on this set, a very long time for a TV show. Kit Harington (Jon Snow) was spotted on it, and Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont), Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane) and Rory McCann (the Hound) were all seen in Belfast around the time of the shoot. According to fansite Watcher on the Wall, this set played hosted to an action involving this group of characters encountering a massive horde of wights. There were 300 extras on hand to play the wights, and expect that number to increase after the CGI people are finished.

Yet another intriguing clue: actor Joseph Mawle (Benjen Stark) was photographed eating dinner with some of the Wolf Hill Quarry actors in Belfast when this action scene was being filmed. So Benjen Stark, last seen dropping Bran and Meera off an unreasonably long distance from the Wall in the season 6 finale, will also likely be a part of the huge wight fight.

Finally, director Alan Taylor was signing autographs alongside Kit Harington and Iain Glen around the time of the shoot. Since Taylor is only directing one episode this year, that tells us when during the season this action scene will fall: Episode 6, the all-important penultimate episode.

Next: And now for something (seemingly) completely different

Daenerys’ dragons will be “the size of 747s”

Matt Shakman, a newbie to Game of Thrones, is directing two episodes of season 7. When speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he said some interesting things about Dany’s children:

"The dragons this year are the size of 747s. Drogon is the biggest of the bunch — his flame is 30-feet in diameter!"

That’s big. You can get an idea of how big by looking at the size of Drogon’s new greenscreen stand-in, which was photographed outside Titantic Studios in Belfast in February.

Now compare that to the dragon rigs from past seasons:

It’s clear the dragons have been getting their protein.

Anyway, there’s a reason we bring this point up now, right after talking about Jon’s misadventures beyond the Wall. According to rumor, Dany may take her dragons north and arrive in the nick of time to rescue Team Jon when they’re beset by that violent horde of wights. Admittedly, there’s no photographic proof of this bit, but that massive rig has to be good for something.

Next: And now for something completely different. Really.

Euron Greyjoy gets up to no good

We didn’t see a ton of Euron Greyjoy in Game of Thrones season 6. He murdered his brother Balon, won the Kingsmoot over Yara, and spent the rest of the season offscreen building his thousand ships. It sounds like he’ll make a bigger splash this year. When MTV News asked actor Pilou Asbæk how much hell Euron will raise in season 7, he answered, “Enough to get satisfied — good satisfied.”

Here’s a sample of the hell to come:

• Euron will team up with Cersei, although we’re not sure if the alliance is sealed with a marriage or if it’s just a strategic pact. With so many people aligning against her, lord knows Cersei needs allies.
• He’ll engage in a battle at sea against Theon, Yara, and the Dornish. He wins.

It’s unclear where Daenerys and the Tyrells are during this sea battle battle. After all, both of them are ostensibly allies with Theon, Yara, and Dorne. In any case, all of this happens early in the season.

Because filming a sea battle would have involved a lot of green screen and interior work, we don’t have any photographic proof of it. We do, however, have photos of the aftermath…

Next: A fine day for a parade

Euron marches his captives through the streets of King’s Landing

After Euron defeats Theon, Yara, and the Dornish, he heads to King’s Landing, probably to brag about his victory to his new bestie Cersei Lannister. He does so in style, parading his defeated foes through the streets as the smallfolk, pictured above, howl and jeer. They’re always doing that.

And who are his defeated foes? Take a look:

That’s Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy), bloodied from battle and being dragged through the streets on a leash:

That’s rough.

Euron has Dornish prisoners, too:

That’ll be Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand) and Rosabell Laurenti Sellers (Tyene Sand) joining Yara on this grim march. Note that Keisha Castle-Hughes (Obara Sand) and Jessica Henwick (Nymeria Sand) are nowhere to be seen. Word is that Euron kills one or both of them sometime during the season. Given their absence here, we’re betting they both die in that sea battle.

Director Mark Mylod was on set for this scene. He’s directing episodes 2 and 3, so it happens pretty early on.

It’s not a happy scene for our heroes, but there is one saving grace: Euron’s horse’s armor is awesome:

Incidentally, all of this was filmed in the Spanish city of Cáceres, as were most of the King’s Landing scenes for season 7.

Next: Reek, Reek, it rhymes with Meek

Theon survives the battle with Euron and reunites with Jon

So Euron takes Yara prisoner after defeating her in battle. But what about Theon? Assuming he’s at the battle in the first place, we know he somehow gets away, because he later shows up at Dragonstone. Unfortunately, no one is glad to see him, starting with Jon Snow.

This isn’t a loving reunion between foster brothers. Jon gets a little rough with Theon — you can see a video of their tense reunion below.

There could be any number of reasons why Jon lays hands on Theon. After all, this is the jerk who betrayed Robb and basically gave Winterfell to the Boltons back in season 2. But then again, Theon did help Sansa escape Ramsay, so Jon’s not going to kill him…just beat on him a little.

As far as we can tell, this scene falls in the middle of the season, after Jon arrives at Dragonstone but before he heads beyond the Wall.

Next: Theon Greyjoy, human punching bag

Theon’s own men beat the crap out of him

Unfortunately, things don’t get better for Theon. Actor Alfie Allen filmed another scene at Dragonstone, this time with a group of Ironborn soldiers. Again, they’re not pleased with him.

You’ve got a little blood on your lip there, Theon.

Guys, break it up.

Oh, that’s not good.

Director Jeremy Podeswa was was on hand for this scene. He directed the premiere and the finale. We’re betting this scene is from the finale, since Theon is, assumedly, busy elsewhere during the premiere. Besides, there’s no reason for the Ironborn to beat on Theon before Euron defeats him and Yara in the sea battle. If Theon ran away from that fight rather than stick by his sister, we can imagine that the Ironborn are none too pleased with their cowardly prince, something Theon is probably used to — remember his own men also turned on him in “Valar Morghulis,” the season 2 finale.

When talking to Variety, Alfie Allen said, “Theon has moved on from his “Reek” years in the upcoming season of “Thrones.”” We’re happy for him, but he’s obviously still going to have problems. The Greyjoys siblings in general look like they’re in for a sucky year.

Next: Meanwhile, back in King's Landing

Snow falls on King’s Landing

Apart from Euron’s parade, we don’t have many shots of outdoor scenes being filmed in King’s Landing. We did see the crew members dressing the city of Cáceres up real nice, though.

There were also some shots of extras in multi-colored clothes gathered for crowd scenes:

And there’s this: back in December, director Jeremy Podeswa stopped by Cáceres to shoot some material in King’s Landing. The crew brought a snow machine, and tufts of the white stuff filled the air.

Recall that Podeswa is directing the premiere and the finale. We could see snow falling on the biggest city in Westeros in either episode.

Next: Cersei leaves her mark

Cersei makes over the Kingsguard

Most of the filming for King’s Landing happened in the Spanish city of Cáceres. However, the crew also spent a few days in Dubrovnik, Croatia, which stood in for King’s Landing almost exclusively for the first several seasons of the show. It was during that visit that we caught a rare glimpse of Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) in costume:

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime) was on hand as well:

And that was largely it for Headey. As queen of the Seven Kingdoms, we’re sure she has important matters to attend to, but those matters likely involve talking to people on closed, indoor sets. Still, her influence can be felt everywhere. For instance, look at the armor some of the Lannister soldiers are now wearing:

Cersei’s really embracing this whole “dark queen” angle, huh?

Is this the outfit worn by members of Cersei’s Kingsguard…er, Queensguard? (Recall that Jaime is no longer in the Kingsguard, so he’s free to wear Lannister red.) Known member of the Queensguard Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (Gregor “the Mountain” Clegane) was also seen in a dark outfit while having his Mountain makeup applied.

She also changed the Red Keep throne room. It used to be lined with seven-pointed stars. Now it’s Lannister lions.

Cersei seems to be making over the Lannister forces in her own image. Let’s hope she can foot the bill…

Next: Here comes the Iron Bank

The Iron Bank will call in Cersei’s debt

The Iron Bank has played a low-key role on the show up to this point. There were whispers of it as early as season 3, when Tyrion worried that the Crown owed it too much money. Tywin made it sound ominous, too. “You can’t run from them,” he told Cersei in season 4. “You can’t cheat them. You can’t sway them with excuses. If you owe them money and you don’t want to crumble yourself, you pay it back.” And as Tywin put it, the Crown owes the Iron Bank “a tremendous amount of money.”

We haven’t seen anyone from the Iron Bank since season 5, when Cersei sent Mace Tyrell to Braavos to try and renegotiate the Crown’s debt. It didn’t work. In season 7, Iron Bank representative Tycho Nestoris will show up in King’s Landing and tell Cersei that the debt is due.

We first met Tycho is season 4, when he lent money to Stannis so the doomed king could buy sellswords. So far, when he’s shown up, it’s only been for one episode per season. But when talking to members of the press at the BFI & Radio Times Festival, actor Mark Gatiss revealed that he’ll be in two episodes of season 7, and possibly two more in season 8. And keep in mind that seasons 7 and 8 are shorter than past seasons. That means that not only is the Iron Bank returning, but that it’s returning with a bigger role.

What role will that be? Will the Iron Bank fund Daenerys or Jon as it once funded Stannis? Will it hire an army of its own to battle the delinquent queen? Whatever happens, Cersei should be scared. Warriors are frightening enough, but bankers…they’re terrifying.

Next: Touring the great castles of Westeros

We will see Casterly Rock

The Lannisters have talked often enough about Casterly Rock, the Lannister family base of operations. But while we’ve seen the homes of some of the other great Westerosi families — Winterfell for the Starks, the Eyrie for the Arryns, etc. — we have yet to lay eyes on it. According to Watchers on the Wall, that will change in season 7.

Why will the show visit Casterly Rock? That’s harder to say, although with Daenerys intent on conquering the Seven Kingdoms, it would make sense for her or her soldiers to pay it a visit. Tyrion, who grew up there and knows its defenses, could be a big help if Daenerys wants to conquer it, and remember that Daario suggested attacking Casterly Rock from the west in the season 6 finale. Our best guess — and it is a guess — is that Daenerys sends Grey Worm and some of the Unsullied to take it. We say this because actor Jacob Anderson was spotted on set at the Castillo de Almodóvar del Río in Spain…

…around the time it had a Lannister flag flying from it.

Looks like it could have stood in for Casterly Rock to us.

But some of this is speculative. We have more specifics on a different famous castle, another one we’ve heard a lot about but have yet to see. Read on.

Next: Not growing so strong anymore

The Lannisters sack Highgarden

At the end of season 6, the Houses of Lannister and Tyrell looked ready to go to war. In season 7, they follow through, and it doesn’t end well for the Tyrells. Early in the season, Jaime leads an assault on Highgarden, the Tyrells’ ancestral home, and, well…

Those are some bloodied, dispirited looking Tyrell soldiers (notice the roses on their breastplates). The Lannister soldiers, on the other hand, look dewy fresh:

The above shots were taken at the Castillo de Almodóvar del Río, the same place where Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm) was spotted in the last slide. Because we’ve heard that the Unsullied aren’t involved in the scuffle at Highgarden, we suspect that the Castillo stood in for both Highgarden and Casterly Rock. Remember that there was a Lannister flag flying over it? Depending on the demands of the scene, that could serve as either a flag flying over Casterly Rock or one the Lannisters fly over Highgarden after they take it.

Around this time, the production also flew a Lannister flag over Trujillo Castle, also located in Spain. As far as we can tell, Trujillo Castle also stood in for Highgarden. Below, Jaime and Bronn walk the walls, enjoying the fruits of victory.

Here they are sharing a sweet crane shot:

So, how do Jaime and his Lannister army manage to defeat the Tyrells? Let’s get into it.

Next: An unexpected ally

The Tarlys will betray the Tyrells and join the Lannisters

Remember Randyll Tarly, Sam’s scumbag father from season 6? He returns in season 7, played once again by the very talented, in-no-way-a-scumbag James Faulkner, seen here rehearsing on horseback.

Sam’s younger, jockier brother Dickon Tarly will also be back, but this time he’ll be played by Black Sails’ Tom Hopper rather than Harry Potter alum Freddie Stroma.

Tom Hopper

Okay, so the Tarlys are back. But what do they do? Well, after Jaime and the Lannisters sack Highgarden, they start to march back to King’s Landing with all their loot. During that shoot, fans took photographs showing Lannister soldiers aligned next to Tarly ones.

Take the photo below, for instance. The soldiers on the left are obviously Lannister men — you can tell by the lions on their shields. Although it’s harder to see, zoom in on the guys on the right and you’ll see that their shields bear the sigil of House Tarly: a red huntsman on a field of green.

You’ve also got this photo, which shows Lannister and Tarly soldiers performing some kind of joint maneuver…

…and this one, which appears to show Randyll and Dickon Tarly at the head of a column of Lannister soldiers.

What’s the implication of all this? Although we don’t know exactly what inspires their change of heart, the Tarlys change sides, flipping from the Tyrells to the Lannisters. With their knowledge of the Tyrells and the Reach, the Tarlys could help the Lannisters break into Highgarden.

But don’t worry, everyone. Such injustice shall not go unpunished…

Next: Battle!

Daenerys fights the Lannisters in a huge battle

By this point, most seasons of Game of Thrones have at least one episode dominated by a knock-down, drag-out battle. In season 2, in was “Blackwater.” In season 4, it was “The Watchers on the Walls.” Season 5 had “Hardhome” and season 6 “Battle of the Bastards.” We don’t know what season 7’s big battle will be called yet, but we know it happens in Episode 4, it took a whopping 22 days to film, it takes up anywhere from a quarter to a third of the episode, and it involved hundreds of extras and over 100 horses, more than the Battle of the Bastards. It’s gonna be big.

This sequence was filmed mostly at el Barrueco de Arriba in Los Barruecos, essentially a national park in Spain. Until we know the official name, let’s call it the Battle of Los Barruecos. Here’s how it goes down:

Having sacked Highgarden, the Lannisters are marching back to King’s Landing, their new friends the Tarlys by their side.

But on their way, they’re ambushed by Daenerys and her Dothraki horde!

Not only that, but Daenerys rides into the ambush on a dragon, which can’t be good for the morale of the Lannister and Tarly soldiers. If only she could have come to the aid of the Tyrells before the Lannisters took Highgarden.

After that, it’s war:

Behold the grisly aftermath:

Notice that there are more Lannister dead than Dothraki dead, so it looks like Team Daenerys comes out on top.

Then there’s the matter of what to do with the prisoners…

Next: Daenerys the Mad Queen

After the battle is over, Deanerys burns someone alive

Let’s get this out of the way first: although the Lannisters lose the Battle of Los Barruecos, Jaime and Bronn escape back to King’s Landing, so they’re not around for this next part.

Not everyone is as lucky. In early December of 2016, a video from behind the scenes of the battle shoot emerged. It depicted a man being set on fire. We think we know what’s happening here, but have a watch yourself first.

So what’s going on here?

• A dude wearing a cloak, probably a stuntman, is set on fire.
• As he goes up, someone yells, “No, Khaleesi!” and then, “What sort of witchcraft is this?”
• The dude rolls on the ground until the crew guys put him out. I hope he was paid well for this day.

The exact nature of this video is up to interpretation, but here’s what we think happens:

• The guy is Randyll Tarly. After his defeat, Daenerys demands he swear her loyalty. He refuses, so she has Drogon light him up.
• Dickon Tarly, Randyll’s son, yells “No, Khaleesi!” and “What sort of witchcraft is this?” as he watches his father burn.

Why would Dickon address Daenerys as “Khaleesi?” Perhaps he’s trying to give her the soft sell after she whips him and his men on the battlefield. It could also be a member of her Dothraki horde, who will be present at the Battle of the Los Barruecos, although we’re not sure why they’d object to her immolating an enemy.

Whoever’s shouting, this is a potentially troubling sign from Daenerys. Remember when she wanted to massacre the slavers during “Battle of the Bastards” and Tyrion talked her out of it? Looks like he won’t be successful this time.

Next: The Meeting of The Minds

There’s a huge meeting in the Dragonpit of King’s Landing

So we’ve outlined a lot of what will happen this season. Daenerys and her team will set up shop at Dragonstone, Jaime will best the Tyrells in the Reach, Euron will take care of the Sand Snakes, and Jon Snow will travel up and down Westeros’ eastern coast, picking up allies along the way. But in the finale, many of these factions will come together for a meeting in the Dragonpit in King’s Landing, a ruined building that used to house dragons back when the Targaryens ruled the city.

Scenes at the Dragonpit were filmed at the Royal Shipyards in Seville, Spain, and at the nearby ruins of Italica. Here’s the ruins as seen from above:

The scene will involve a lot of cast members, including:

• Kit Harington (Jon Snow)
• Rory McCann (The Hound)
• Emilia Clarke (Dany)
• Peter Dinklage (Tyrion)
• Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei)
• Iain Glen (Jorah)
• Conleth Hill (Varys)
• Lena Heady (Cersei)
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime)
• Jerome Flynn (Bronn)
• Anton Lesser (Qyburn)
• Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (The Mountain)

And that may not be a complete list. Other actors in the area around the time of shooting included Liam Cunningham (Davos), Gwendoline Christie (Brienne), Daniel Portman (Pod) and Pilou Asbæk (Euron Greyoy). Basically, everyone who’s character doesn’t spend the whole season in the North was there, which means we’re in for a meeting for the ages. The Lannister siblings in the same room again. The Hound and the Mountain staring each other down. Euron Greyjoy and Jon Snow puffing out their chests. Bronn wondering when he can leave…it should be an electric scene. Check out some concept art of what to expect:

But what, pray tell, have they gathered to discuss? Well, remember when Jon Snow went north of the Wall to capture a wight? This is when he shows it off in an attempt to prove to Daenerys, Cersei, and the rest that the real war is in the North, and to beg them for help. Will they listen? Unfortunately, we may not know the full answer until season 8.

Next: What we don't know

Melisandre, “The Big Tree,” and the unknown

As many spoilers as we’ve collected, we’re still in the dark about some elements of season 7. For instance, we’ve had no photos, videos, or reports about Carice van Houten (Melisandre), last seen riding south into the snows, still convinced that Jon Snow is her messiah. Will she meet up with the Brotherhood Without Banners, who also worship the Lord of Light, and join their cause? Will she try and sneak back in to Winterfell using her Old Melisandre guise? Or will she do something completely different? We’re not sure.

Then there’s this: in September, this image surfaced, of Gwendoline Christie talking to a crew member.

We zoomed in on the call sheet in the crew member’s hand and discovered some interesting stuff.

If we had to guess, we’d say that “The Big Tree” is the title of whatever episode they were filming at the moment. What does it mean? No idea.

It’s probably for the best that we don’t know everything. What’s life without a few surprises? But for those who can’t bear to be left in the dark, there may be a solution.

Next: The Reddit Leak

The Reddit Leak

If you’ve been lucky enough not to hear about this by now, congratulations.

Here’s what happened: not long after filming on season 7 began, a Redditor claiming to have inside knowledge of the show posted a season 7 story breakdown. At first, fans weren’t sure what to make of these leaks. But as filming continued, images and video from behind the scenes seemed to support them — for example, they predicted that Dany would make Dragonstone her new home base, that Bran and Arya would return to Winterfell, and that Jon would bring a wight to the Dragonpit as proof that the White Walkers were a threat. While there’s still plenty of ambiguity, it’s hard not to conclude that the person who uploaded them (the Reddit account in question was later deleted) had some kind of inside information.

In this article, we’ve tried to rely on images, video, direct quotes from people on the show, and spoilers obtained from sources other than the Reddit leaks. Where something in the leaks couldn’t be backed up by hard evidence (well, firm evidence), we’ve avoided it. If you’d like to read the leaks in detail, head here. Just remember that, even assuming what they describe is true, it’s one thing to read bulleted plot points and another see them fleshed out on the screen.

There is one part of the leaks we’d like to mention, just because it’s so juicy. Remember when we speculated that Daenerys might swoop in with her dragons and rescue Jon and company from wights after he goes north of the Wall? That’s partly based on the Reddit leak. The leak also has it that one of the dragons — Viserion — will die during that rescue attempt, and that the Night King will bring him back as a wight.

That’s right. Zombie dragon.

"Game of Thrones Season 7 poster"

See you July 16.

Are there any spoilers we missed? Anything you want to yell about? Sound off below!