In news that will please many and surprise few, HBO announced earlier this afternoon that they are renewing “Game of Thrones” for a third season. As we have breathlessly explained over the past few weeks, the show has gotten both excellent ratings and high critical praise, so it was all but a formality that HBO would want to extend its run. According to Entertainment Weekly, producers of the show are planning to split the next book in George R.R. Martin’s series, A Storm of Swords, into two seasons, so it’s fairly safe to assume that the ten episode third season will focus on the first 600 or so pages of the 1200-page behemoth.
“As George and all his fans have said for a long time, there’s no way to do it in a single season, so it’s being broken into two,” said executive producer David Benioff during a recent interview with EW. “We’re still kind of figuring out exactly what goes where. We don’t want it to feel like a two-part season … From the beginning we’d always prayed we’d get to season three at least because, you know, two of our favorite scenes from the entire saga are in season three.” [EW]
Now, I haven’t read the books because I still get horrifying flashbacks to law school anytime I pick up something longer than 300 pages, so my analysis of this situation is as follows:
– I know it doesn’t make financial sense to pick up, like, five seasons at a time, but, on the other hand, PLEASE PICK UP ALL OF THE SEASONS GEEZ WHY WAIT. I think you see my point.
– A Storm of Swords is an incredible title, for pretty much anything. Even a cereal.
– Speaking of swords, someone should make a video of “Game of Thrones” highlights set to the title track off GZA’s 1995 album Liquid Swords. I would like that.
