The final season of Game of Thrones is still a year away from hitting our screens, and fans are getting pretty darn impatient. With the premiere date of season eight still not even set yet, all we know is that 2019 is the year that we'll say farewell to the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, and that we're all just left to stew in our own theories about what may go down until it airs.
But what we forget is the fact that - while we're all waiting with baited breath for the final hurrah - the cast and crew on the show are saying goodbye already.
Production is well underway for the final season of the fantasy drama with actor Liam Cunningham seeming to suggest that the filming schedule would come to an end in the summer. And it seems that the end is nigh already for Daenerys Targaryen, otherwise known as, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons.
Actress Emilia Clarke took to Instagram yesterday to post an emotional goodbye message to the show. Uploading a picture of herself from a recent trip to Ireland, in the caption she wrote: "Hopped on a boat to an island to say goodbye to the land that has been my home away from home for almost a decade. It’s been a trip @gameofthrones thank you for the life I never dreamed I’d be able to live and the family I’ll never stop missing #?#lastseasonitis".
Immediately after posting, her comment section was flooded with posts from her fellow Game of Thrones castmates. Lena Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister, wrote: "Sweet words. Love you and HOLY balls. #itistheend", while John Bradley-West, who plays Samwell Tarly, commented: "It’s been the best. Ever. And you’ve been incredible." Even Jason Momoa - whose character Khal Drogo was killed off back in season one - had his own adorable message to add, writing: "Love u. Proud of you."
However, Emilia's fans were more unwilling to say farewell, with many commenting of their sadness that the series was coming to its close. "NOOOO WHY game of thrones can’t end," wrote ghostwold132, while nushkiiipvt put "can't believe it's happening".
So, do we have any hints on how things will end for the actress' character? While the show's producers have fiercely guarded any spoilers, Emilia gave us a hint of things to come when she was asked about the ending: "It f***ed me up. Knowing that is going to be a lasting flavour in someone’s mouth of what Daenerys is…"
In spite of her vague clue, actor Joe Dempsie, who plays Gendry, has insisted that - despite all of the fan theories online - no one has cracked the ending yet.
"I'm sure David [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss] don't pay too much attention to people's theories and speculation there is all over the internet, but it would be a bit of an anti-climax if a well-popularized theory turned out to be the way it ended," he said. "There's many pitfalls and I think they really have achieved that with this. It's an ending I don't think many people will be expecting, and I think, on reflection, people will really, really enjoy."
So, GOT fans. Just a year to go. Just one tiny year. Sigh...