It’s hard to believe Game of Thrones is already halfway through its seventh season. After this Sunday’s episode, “Eastwatch,” there will only be two episodes left before the HBO juggernaut goes on hiatus. But what a doozy “Eastwatch” is shaping up to be.
Despite a truncated run this year, Game of Thrones has packed in more action than you can shake a Valyrian steel sword at. “The Spoils Of War” was one of the most powerful (and expensive) episodes of television in history, and viewers can definitely feel the stakes ratcheting upwards as we barrel towards the conclusion like Jaime barreled toward Drogon and Dany. But flame-broiling a significant chunk of the Lannister army is not without consequences, as these photos released by HBO from the upcoming “Eastwatch” episode attest.
Of the eight images, not one of them focuses on the upcoming battle between the living and the dead at Eastwatch-By-The-Sea. No hint of Tormund or Beric Dondarrion with his flaming sword. Instead, the photos focus on characters’ melancholy reactions to the aftermath of a bloody battle, along with one shot of Samwell and Gilly for good measure. From Cersei and Tyrion to Daenerys and Jon, no one seems very pleased with the outcome of the latest ‘Field of Fire.’ Even Varys, who has been scheming to get a Targaryen back on the Iron Throne for decades, seems dejected by the sheer destruction Drogon unleashed upon Westeros. Poignant, lonely images of the cast staring into middle space reminds the audience that in the Great Game, even those who survived bear scars, visible or not.
I’m particularly worried about Cersei’s morose pose, sitting alone in the bed so recently shared openly with her brother for the first time. Combined with Tyrion scouring the Highgarden battlefield, it looks like we won’t have to wait long to discover if Jaime survived his impromptu swim in the river.
