Game of Thrones fans from all over the world are waiting in eager anticipation for the fantasy drama to make its highly-anticipated return on April 14, 2019.
The previous season concluded in August 2017, which means by the time the eighth and final season returns, the series will have been absent from our screens just four months shy of two years.
Check out Kit Harington's touching reaction to finding out how Game of Thrones ends:Plenty of fans of the show have already used the lengthy hiatus to binge on each and every episode starting from the pilot, Winter Is Coming, which aired back in 2011.
But if you were planning to watch the entire seven series in preparation for the finale right now, you have just about two weeks left to do so.
But, aside from the sheer number of hours it would take to watch the entire show from scratch, it's also probably not the most suitable show to condense into a short period of time due to it to its famously dark storylines.
Luckily, however, there is another way in which you can refresh yourself on the most significant moments, turning points and storylines in the beloved drama.
And this full-proof method has come from none other than Game of Thrones co-executive producer and writer Bryan Cogman.
There are 21 episodes you need to watch before starting season 8, Cogman writes in Entertainment Weekly.
He starts with the very first two episodes (Winter Is Coming and The Kingsroad) of season 1:
Let’s start the rewatch with a double feature, shall we? Taken together, these two episodes serve as a mega-pilot as so much of Episode 1 is devoted to simply meeting the various characters and understanding the world of the show.
Episode 2 really makes you care. I remember watching a rough cut of the opening sequence (in which Jon bids farewell to his family and heads for the Wall) on my laptop in Belfast and thinking: This works! We have a show! Oh, and Ep 2 is the one where Tyrion slaps Joffrey (not for the last time).
His next recommendation for season 1 is Baelor (Season 1, Episode 9)
Aw, man. Y’all know how this one ends. Sean Bean’s Ned Stark still looms large over this story — there are very few subsequent episodes in which a character doesn’t mention his name. Alan directed Ned’s tragic execution scene brilliantly, the POV shifting seamlessly between Ned and his two daughters. And this episode also features Peter’s first Emmy Award-winning performance… of three!
If you want to find out the full list of the 21 episodes you need to watch before season 8 airs, click here.
Rewatch the trailer to the series finale of Game of Thrones:
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