The creative powers behind Game of Thrones have heard the criticisms about Season 7's pacing, and they have a response. Last season, critics took aim on social media and elsewhere, regarding the penultimate installment's timeline. The criticism arguably reached its crescendo with the penultimate episode of the season – "Beyond the Wall."

Ahead of the Season 8 premiere, Game of Thrones' co-executive producer Bryan Cogman has responded to the response from some of the fans. In fact, he also explained why the show chose to ramp up its pace, noting,

The choice to "get on with it" as Bryan Cogman mentioned to EW was much appreciated by some fans of the long-running series, including this one. As fun as road trip movies are, it is nice to arrive at a destination or two and quickly. Game of Thrones' pace has been more of an issue for me in the past, so I actually felt it was nice to have things move a little more swiftly.

Would it have been nice to spare a minute or two for Jon Snow and Ser Davos to have chatted on their way to Dragonstone? Yes. Still, As entertaining as it is to have characters talk as they make their to way places, it just didn't fit the number of episodes or the tone the creative team was working with in Season 7, at least per Bryan Cogman's comments.

Still, for many fans, there will always be a bit of yearning for what might have been. Yet, now it is time to focus on what is about to hit us in Game of Thrones' final season.

Many concerned about pacing and accurate timelines have to be wondering: Will Season 8 follow the pace set by its predecessor? Game of Thrones' writer Dave Hill also said:

That sounds assuring. Skipping through time is a necessity when you are working with a massive production like Game of Thrones. For example, the Night King and his army are not the fastest walkers. Game of Thrones has to stay true to this walking pace while moving the action along. That has to be a tough act to balance.

For those who do not recall, the gist of the criticism surrounding “Beyond the Wall" mainly stemmed from Daenerys being able to receive Gendry’s message via raven and arrive by dragon before it was too late North of the Wall.

The idea of using a title card to communicate the passage of time is an interesting one. If memory serves, Game of Thrones has never used one, so it would have been a strange turn of events, even if it might have been helpful for some viewers. Which brings up another question: How long of a time period will Season 8 span, exactly?

Heading into the final season, Cersei is pregnant, which should provide some context for time. When Season 7 wrapped, it was unclear how far into her pregnancy she was. Images from Season 8 suggest that she is not much further along. Hence, Season 8 should pick up not too much longer after Season 7 ended.

With only six episodes remaining and some of those episodes being shorter than expected, it has to be said that Game of Thrones will need to move the pace along frenetically in Season 8 to tell the rest of the story. Hopefully, the show will not have to sacrifice too much character-driven nuance to unravel its final chapter.

Find out how the show paces itself when the final season of Game of Thrones premieres. Season 8 starts Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Of all the deaths that have rocked Game of Thrones, let's be honest -- there are those that will cast a longer shadow than others. And that is where Littlefinger's Season 7 demise comes into play. Yes, the Starks got their revenge on the man who had betrayed their family. Now, though, what's left? Yes, there is reigning Queen Cersei and the issue of the Night King, but do either of these characters bring what Littlefinger did to the table?

When it comes to Game of Thrones' arsenal of villains, Littlefinger remained at the top of the heap throughout his run on the series. Always one step in front of everyone, Lord Baelish always had his finger on the pulse of other people's actions. He was calculating, manipulative, and cunning. So, it makes sense that it took something as supernatural as Bran's superpowers kicking into gear for the Starks to outmaneuver him... to death.

While Littlefinger got what was coming to him and the Starks added another win in their rightful vengeance column, did it really belong in Season 7? After many seasons on a horrific losing streak, the Starks managed to put in back-to-back seasons dispatching enemies. In Season 6, Jon and Sansa ended the tyranny of the despicable Ramsay Bolton. Fast forward to Season 7, and Bran, Sansa, and Arya kept their House's streak alive by ending Littlefinger.

Now, we all face the final season without him. Yes, there are only so many episodes of the show's last chapter to unfurl, making it time to narrow down the show's once vast field of final players. But of all the characters worth seeing take part in the series' finale, Littlefinger was chief among them. As a rogue, he was always a wild card.

Would he show up to the Battle of the Bastards with the men Sansa had secretly written to him asking for at all? Or would he screw the Starks over one last time for his own amusement? Few other Game of Thrones characters could keep you on the edge of your seat the way he could. And therein lies a large part of the issue.

We know the Night King wants to destroy the world with his ice zombie apocalypse. We know that Cersei has justified her entire reign of terror for her House, which she claims will be welcoming a new member. You can detest her and everything that she stands for, but you know where she stands and where that could end up getting her when all is said and done.

Littlefinger as an opportunist was harder to predict than his villainous counterparts. He brought the tension. He watched and waited with sly grins galore. While an entire room of people chanted Jon Snow's coronation as the King in the North, Littlefinger infamously sat back, a knowing expression reaching across his face. He made you wonder, what is he going to do next? Season 8 will kick off without that theory-inspiring question.

And while Cersei and the Night King are certainly villains, the former has her reasons for what she's doing. In Cersei's case, she claims to hurt others for what she believes to be a higher purpose that goes beyond what is solely self-preservation -- her family. The Night King has a thing for silence, making his motives more inscrutable. He behaves like a virus, not a thoughtfully evil person.

Both Cersei and the Night King's endgames mean danger to the characters we are rooting for to survive. And while we all want to see Cersei face the music for all of the awful things she has done, we have witnessed a lot go down in the meantime. She faced the "walk of shame" and has lost all of her living children, including the evil-beyond-words Joffrey.

In the past seven seasons, it has not been non-stop sunshine for Tywin Lannister's eldest child. There has been grief and heartache. So, if Cersei is dealt her final blow next season, it will not be the end of an absolute winning streak. In contrast, Littlefinger's Season 7 dispatching occurred without his having suffered any such setbacks. He was just here one minute and gone the next, save for a brief attempt to talk his way out of it.

One question going into Season 8 is whether the Starks will face any heat for taking out Littlefinger. They got rid of Ramsay Bolton in a battle. They got rid of Littlefinger in a more assassination-style manner, which meant the siblings foregoing much of a trial for him. With Jon Snow bending a knee to Daenerys in Season 7 and his siblings executing one of their enemies while he was away, the Starks could be in for a bit of controversy when Season 8 rolls around.

Without Littlefinger around in the final season, Game of Thrones has lost a handful of potential. While the Starks knew they did not need him anymore, the show will be missing out on a key ingredient when it comes back for its final bow. Game of Thrones will return for its eighth and final season sometime in 2019 on HBO. Thank goodness, there is a lot of new programming over fall to keep TV fans busy in the meantime.

Only one season of Game of Thrones remains before what promises to be an epic finale, and the Season 7 finale guaranteed that fans have a lot to debate during the long hiatus. The final minutes of the episode saw Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen finally give into their attraction to each other and hook up in what is almost certainly an ill-advised (and definitely incestuous) tryst. Tyrion was lurking outside the room where they were hooking up with a cryptic expression on his face. Now, more than a year after that finale aired, actor Peter Dinklage has opened up about what Tyrion was thinking:

Well, if Tyrion really is a secret Targaryen, as many have speculated and Peter Dinklage did not settle via Doritos commercial, what could be more Targaryen than two people with that bloodline falling in love? The Targaryen inclination for incest is so strong than Jon and Dany pulled it off without even knowing that Jon is technically the rightful heir in the Targaryen bloodline! Could Tyrion really be a secret Targaryen, with some of that Lannister inclination toward incest going for him as well? Okay, almost certainly not, and in all seriousness, it makes sense for Tyrion to have his doubts about how smart it is for these two powerful leaders to get together when the focus should really be on the army of ice zombies and the White Walkers, especially now that Viserion is an ice dragon.

Game of Thrones has not leaned heavily into the idea that Tyrion is in love with her, and it wouldn't be difficult to believe if Season 8 sees Tyrion realize that he was only ever awed and inspired by Dany than actually feeling true love for her. She has accomplished things Tyrion could only dream of for himself, ranging from turning up with dragons to commanding respect from all who see her. All things considered, I buy Tyrion genuinely loving Jon more than Dany. Tyrion and Jon have shared an odd bond since way back in the first season, and Jon may feel less larger-than-life to Tyrion than Dany does.

Peter Dinklage's comments to EW should get Game of Thrones fans more pumped than ever for what's to come in Season 8, even if we're still stuck waiting for news of when exactly Season 8 will premiere. The tiny first look recently released by HBO wasn't nearly enough to whet fan appetites after more than a year without footage, so I know my fingers are crossed that we'll get some new official information about the final season sooner rather than later.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the biggest Game of Thrones and other TV news. If you're still in the market for shows to watch now and in the not-too-distant future, check out our fall TV premiere guide.

After years of horrifying murders, dragons, and White Walkers, Game of Thrones will soon come to an end. The beloved drama covers plenty of controversial subject material, including incest. Cersei and Jaime's love affair is a fascinating aspect of the show, although Season 7 added another incestuous couple into the mix- they just don't know they're related. The final moments of the finale saw Jon and Dany finally giving into their primal desires and having sex, which was a bit uncomfortable for the audience. Turns out that it was just as weird (if not more) on set. As actress Emilia Clarke tells it,

While Dany and Jon were supposed to be in throws of passion, things were not quite as steamy in reality. Because as the fandom cringed watching the two protagonists come together physically, apparently the actors felt similarly.

You really can't blame the two Game of Thrones stars for having a difficult time with a love scene. She and Kit Harington have been working and doing press together for many years, and seem to have developed a familial relationship. While their characters only met for the first time last season, the duo of actors are super close. As she told Vanity Fair, getting naked and smashing their bodies together in front of a film crew wasn't exactly an ideal day of work.

It should be interesting to see how Dany and Jon's fling is addressed when Game of Thrones returns for its eighth and final season on HBO. Sam's arrival in Winterfell and collaboration with Bran reveals that Dany is actually Jon's Aunt, as he is the biological son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. Their attraction and eventual sexual escapade will likely be shrouded with shame, although the Targaryens historically haven't been against inbreeding.

Jon's true parentage also have grave implications for the future of Westeros. He's a true Targaryen by blood, and therefore has a claim to the Iron Throne. Dany's ambition to rule has driven her for show's run, and it's unclear if her new nephew/friends with benefits could ruin her chances. The duo of characters also very clearly have affection toward each other, and it may be hard for them to deny those romantic feelings. Could A Song of Ice and Fire be referring to their union? We'll have to wait and see.

It's currently unclear when Game of Thrones will return for Season 8. In the meantime, check out our summer premiere list to plan your next binge watch. You can also be sure to check our superhero premiere list and Amazon premiere list to make sure you don't miss a single second of TV.

Game of Thrones isn't exactly known as the most hilarious show ever to hit the airwaves, and Season 7 was chock full of very serious scenes, including the one in which Dany arrived in Westeros for the very first time. The Mother of Dragons had spent six seasons building armies and allies to retake the Iron Throne in the Targaryen name, and she was finally setting foot on the shores of the Seven Kingdoms. According to one Game of Thrones star, however, Dany's arrival in Westeros wasn't all that serious behind-the-scenes. Jacob Anderson plays Grey Worm on the show, and he told CinemaBlend this about filming the scene:

Just because Dany and her crew had to be somber didn't mean the actors couldn't have fun! Jacob Anderson spoke with CinemaBlend in support of the December 12 release of Game of Thrones Season 7 on Blu-ray and DVD, which can be found in the HBO Shop and other retailers everywhere. Filming Dany's arrival on Dragonstone evidently felt as weighted and momentous as was warranted after six seasons of buildup, but there were still some shenanigans when the camera wasn't rolling. Director Jeremy Podeswa apparently lost his megaphone to Anderson for a while so Anderson could serenade everybody on set. It's certainly fun to imagine Conleth Hill in those pink earmuffs, if only because Varys would never wear such an accessory. Then again, perhaps Varys' ears don't get as cold.

Jacob Anderson singing to the folks on set must have been enjoyable, as he is a professional singer-songwriter and rapper when he's not bringing Grey Worm to life on Game of Thrones. We can bet that there was no off-key version of "The Rains of Castamere" or "Bear and the Maiden Fair" being bellowed on the beach. If anybody was going to start singing into a megaphone, the professional singer was probably the one that everybody could enjoy. Really, the cast deserves even more kudos for their performances in the scene now that we know that there was some silliness on set.

In case you've forgotten just how the scene goes, you can check it out here:

Grey Worm didn't have the smoothest Season 7 following the arrival in Westeros. For pretty much the first time, the Unsullied found themselves facing an enemy they didn't understand and had never faced before, and they suffered a crippling defeat at Casterly Rock. Jacob Anderson spoke about how the battle at Casterly Rock affected Grey Worm and should impact how the Unsullied fight moving forward. Their fighting style may have some key differences in Season 8.

We probably have a while to wait before we see anything out of Season 8, however, as actress Sophie Turner recently stated that Game of Thrones won't be back until 2019. You can pass the time by rewatching (and checking out some fun special features) with the Game of Thrones Season 7 Blu-ray and DVD sets. Isaac Hempstead Wright (who plays Bran Stark) also spoke with us about one of the biggest plot twists of Season 7, so be sure to take a look.

For your other viewing options in the coming weeks, swing by our fall TV guide and our 2018 midseason TV premiere guide. Our breakdown of 2017 TV cancellations can fill you in on all the projects that got the axe over the past year.

Game of Thrones Season 7 was chock full of battle sequences that the show had been building to for many years, ranging from the loot train massacre when Dany unleashed her dragons on Westeros to Jon and Co.'s desperate fight against the wights north of the Wall. One battle came as something of a surprise. The siege at Casterly Rock in which the Unsullied were duped by Lannister forces came to a definitive conclusion, but one Game of Thrones star revealed to CinemaBlend how that particular conflict changed how the Unsullied fight now that winter has come. Jacob Anderson plays Unsullied leader Grey Worm, and he had this to say:

Jacob Anderson spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of the Blu-ray and DVD release of the complete seventh season of Game of Thrones, which will be available at the HBO Shop and retailers everywhere starting on December 12. As Grey Worm, Anderson was part of one of the most unexpected battles of the entire seventh season. Viewers had become accustomed to seeing the Unsullied destroying their opponents, and Dany's defeat had been difficult to imagine so long as she had the Unsullied on her side. In the Casterly Rock conflict, Grey Worm and the Unsullied expected to face thousands and thousands of Lannister soldiers. Instead, they found themselves challenged by a meager number of fighters, as Casterly Rock had been used as a distraction by Jamie, who instead led the bulk of the Lannister forces into the Reach to take out Highgarden.

Euron Greyjoy had a part to play as well, sailing his fleet into the bay outside of Casterly Rock and burning what remained of Dany's fleet, more or less stranding the Unsullied at a stronghold that they couldn't possible hold. Fierce as the Unsullied are, they were simply not prepared for the ways of fighting and strategizing in Westeros, and they paid the price. The good news for Grey Worm (and Dany) as the Great War approaches from the North and Cersei prepares for a sneak attack from the south is that the Unsullied just needed a "readjustment period" after Casterly Rock to recover.

Jacob Anderson went on to tell me how Grey Worm and the other Unsullied will have needed to change after the siege of Casterly Rock:

The years of intense training that prepared the Unsullied for all the fighting that Essos had to offer was not enough for what they were to face in Westeros. Their skills are still almost certainly unparalleled in the world of Game of Thrones, but they can't just rely on those skills in Westeros. Thinking on their feet could help avoid any other crushing defeats in what remains of the series. The stakes have never been higher than now that everybody on Team Dany will be facing enemies on two fronts, and she'll need the Unsullied at their best. Something tells me Grey Worm won't allow himself or the other Unsullied to be as shocked as they were at Casterly Rock ever again. Then again, they are facing a horde of ice zombies... we'll have to wait and see.

We may be waiting quite a while for what happens next on Game of Thrones, but you can rewatch everything that happened in Season 7 and check out some killer special features in the complete seventh season of Game of Thrones on Blu-ray and DVD on December 12. Isaac Hempstead Wright, who plays Bran Stark, also spoke to CinemaBlend about Game of Thrones, so be sure to check out what he had to say about that big Jon Snow reveal.

For what else you can watch in the coming weeks, take a look at our fall TV guide and our 2018 midseason TV premiere schedule. Not all series are lucky enough to enjoy the ratings that Game of Thrones has over the years, and our breakdown of 2017 TV cancellations can show some of the projects that got the axe over the past year.

Season 7 was a very big year for Game of Thrones as the finale finally and definitively revealed the answer to one of the biggest questions of the entire series: who are Jon Snow's parents? Season 6 did drop some big hints that Jon was at least the son from Lyanna rather than Ned Stark, but his father was not revealed, and Thrones waited until almost the very end of Season 7 to explicitly confirm via one of Bran's visions that Jon is the son of a married Rhaegar and Lyanna and therefore not actually a bastard. Isaac Hempstead Wright, who plays Bran, spoke with CinemaBlend about why the reveal happened when it did, saying this:

Isaac Hempstead-Wright spoke with CinemaBlend in support of the Blu-ray and DVD release of Game of Thrones Season 7, which can be found in the HBO Shop and other retailers starting December 12. When Bran first went back in history to the Tower of Joy sequence in which Ned reunited with Lyanna, he returned to the present without getting all the answers about how the baby came to be. The Season 7 finale revealed that Bran simply believed Jon was a bastard born in Dorne, making him a Sand rather than a Snow and definitely not a legitimate Stark or Targaryen.

Bran discovered that Jon was Lyanna and Rhaegar's during his first visit into the Tower of Joy, but it never occurred to him to go back further into history until Sam dropped the bombshell that Rhaegar was documented by a septon as having annulled his marriage to Elia Martell and married Lyanna. Game of Thrones took such a long time to confirm Jon as the son (and rightful heir) of Rhaegar Targaryen because Bran hadn't thought to check that far into the past yet.

While fans probably would have liked to get confirmation that Rhaegar and Lyanna married and then made baby Jon/Jaehaerys, Isaac Hempstead Wright's explanation of why we had to wait makes sense. Bran had only begun to experience all that was possible as the Three-Eyed Raven before he and Meera were forced to flee (and Hodor died), and he's had a lot on his plate with the Great War ever since he returned south of the Wall. Bran had enough to worry about in his role as the new Three-Eyed Raven without taking trips to the past out of mere curiosity. After all, discovering that his illegitimate brother was seemingly his illegitimate cousin was big enough that Bran might not have expected to find another bombshell in Jon's past.

Now that Bran knows the truth about Jon, he has some big decisions in front of him. Sam does technically also know that Jon Snow is really a Targaryen, but Bran is the only one who has witnessed both Rhaegar and Lyanna's marriage and Jon's birth. He can confirm with absolute certainty what happened; the question is whether he should. The alliance between Dany and Jon is largely what is keeping the army to oppose the White Walkers together, and they were on the same page (and in the same bed) by the end of the finale. A reveal that Jon rather than Dany is technically the rightful heir to the Iron Throne in the Targaryen line could upset the balance tremendously. Even if Jon doesn't want the Iron Throne, the fact that he is ahead of Dany in the line of succession could present problems.

Then again, Jon has always wanted to know his mother's identity, and he deserves to learn who his parents were and what happened to them. He also deserves to know that hooking up with Dany means hooking up with his aunt. Incest may be totally cool for the Targaryens, but Jon was raised among the Starks. He might not be on board with the relationship if he finds out that they're blood relations.

We'll have to wait and see if and when Bran decides to tell Jon of his identity as a Targaryen. If he doesn't, Sam probably will. Game of Thrones Season 7 will be available on Blu-ray and DVD starting December 12 if you want to relive all the action. Only time will tell what's in store, although we may end up waiting all the way until 2019 to see the eighth and final season, which will also be the shortest season to date. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in Game of Thrones news, and don't forget to check out our midseason TV premiere guide for your other viewing options.

Jason Momoa is having a really good year. In addition to his role as Aquaman in Justice League (and his upcoming solo film), Momoa is also returning to the small screen in the new season of Netflix's Frontier. But many fans were introduced to the badass through his role as Khal Drogo in the first season of HBO's Game of Thrones. And with the massively popular series coming to an end with its upcoming eighth season, fans have been hoping that Drogo may show back up again-- especially after Momoa was spotted visiting the cast on set. Now Momoa seems to have put it to rest, as the character has been dead for years.

Sorry, Dothraki fans out there. Because while Dany will continue using her army of Dothraki forces to conquer Westeros and battle the army of the dead, it looks like Khal Drogo won't be making any sort of reappearance.

Jason Momoa's comments to EW used logic to explain why Drogo won't be appearing in Season 8 of Game of Thrones; the guys been dead for a long time. Then again, it's not like Khal Drogo didn't already show up again post mortem. While Dany was trapped in the House of the Undying back in Season 2, Drogo appeared to her in a vision, alongside their unborn son. And with the show coming to a close next season, the fandom was hoping another vision might occur.

After all, Dany's journey in the House of the Undying has been heavily theorized since its release, especially as the show approaches its series finale. Another part of the vision saw Dany in the Throne Room in King's Landing, although it is destroyed and snowing ash. Many fans believe that Dany will burn down Westeros' capitol in her final battle against Cersei, making her vision come true. Therefore, another scene with Drogo doesn't seem completely out of the question.

Then again, Dany is opening herself up to another romantic interest lately: Jon Snow. The two were seen connecting throughout all of last season, with their flirtation becoming physical in the season finale. But there's a catch: they're actually related and don't know it. While Targaryens have been fond of incest in the past, it's not clear of Jon and Dany are going to feel the same way once Sam and Bran break the news in Winterfell.

Game of Thrones will likely not return anytime soon, as it's set to film up until the summer. Be sure to check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

A short time after Kit Harington mentioned he hadn't even read the Season 7 scripts for Game of Thrones yet, Maisie Williams got her hands on them. While the HBO drama notoriously tries to keep any spoilers under wraps, that shouldn't stop the cast from sharing their feelings on what is coming, even if they can't reveal any big details to us. According to Maisie Williams, Season 7 is going to be a real doozy.

The actress took to Twitter to share her reaction to finishing the Season 7 scripts in a flurry of Tweets that we added punctuation to for clarity. Clearly, the young Emmy contender's mind was completely blown by what she read, which hopefully means her character, Arya Stark, has some particularly intriguing plotlines coming, now that she's made her way out of Braavos and back into the country she was born in.

Her big reaction to Season 7 is coming just a few short weeks after the actress spoke out about where she sees her character going in the future. At the time, she compared her character to The Hound and noted she doesn't want the happy ending of becoming a Stark again. In fact, she'd prefer the lonely road to some form of familial happiness in the end:

While it was a great moment when Sansa and Jon Snow reunited on Game of Thrones, Arya's future has looked different for quite some time at this point. Because she trained with the House of Black and White and has skills as an assassin, some have speculated that she may finish out the kill list that she started so many seasons ago on the show. Even Lena Headey, who plays Cersei on the series, has speculated that Arya's future lies more in her skill sets than in her Stark loyalty, and that would be very okay with many of us.

Unfortunately, we still have quite some time before we get to catch up with Arya and the rest of the Game of Thrones cast. The show is waiting on winter, so filming hasn't even commenced at this point. Traditionally, we don't even get new episodes until late in the spring, and we'll let you know once HBO announces an actual premiere date. In the meantime, you can find out what we know about the upcoming Season 7.

Game of Thrones developed a pretty solid formula over its first six years on the air. Each season has had ten installments featuring a bloodbath toward the end, and almost every season has had five directors on board to helm episodes. Three of the five directors during Season 6 were even Thrones alums who were back for more. Season 7 will be a different story. The episode count has been cut from 10 to seven, and now the director count has been cut to four.

The four directors who will handle Game of Thrones episodes in Season 7 will be Alan Taylor, Jeremy Podeswa, Mark Mylod, and Matt Shakman, according to EW. This news comes shortly after showrunner David Benioff revealed that he and his co-showrunner Dan Weiss were planning on ending Game of Thrones after Season 8 with a final count of 73 episodes. With what will presumably be seven episodes in Season 7, we will probably only be in for six episodes in Season 8. Luckily, the choice of directors for Season 7 should have the skill to fit as much action into seven episodes as would usually be stretched into ten.

Alan Taylor, Jeremy Podeswa, and Mark Mylod are all veterans of Game of Thrones. Alan Taylor has four early episodes to his name, including the one the featured Ned Stark's heartbreaking death in Season 1 and both the premiere and finale for Season 2. He moved to the big screen for Thor: The Dark World and Terminator: Genisys. Jeremy Podeswa has worked more recently on Game of Thrones with four episodes over the past couple years. He was notably responsible for showing Sansa's controversial rape scene in Season 5's "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" and Jon Snow's resurrection in Season 6's "Home." He was nominated for an Emmy for "Unbowed." Mark Mylod has also directed four episodes, two of which have involved a spotlight on Essos with "Sons of the Harpy" in Season 5 and "No One" in Season 6.

Of the four directors, only Matt Shakman has never contributed to Game of Thrones. Shakman has worked extensively on other projects on the small screen, however. He's helmed nearly forty episodes of the FX comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and he's tackled episodes of shows ranging from Mad Men to The Good Wife. He doesn't exactly have a ton of experience with fantasy series, and jumping into Thrones for the first time in Season 7 means that he could be at quite a disadvantage compared to his fellow directors. Still, he wouldn't have gotten the gig if he didn't have the chops to handle an episode of Game of Thrones, so he could be perfect for what new twists are to come next season.

Unfortunately, we still have quite a wait ahead of us before we get to see how Matt Shakman does compared to Alan Taylor, Jeremy Podeswa, and Mark Mylod. Considering how much shorter Season 7 should be than seasons past, we have to hope that the cut to only four directors will work for the next chapters of the saga of Game of Thrones. For a look at what else we know so far about Season 7, check out our summary.

Futurama made an appearance at Comic-Con last year after being resurrected by Comedy Central and, after the great start to the seventh season, it doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Good news everybody. On top of the incredibly talented voice cast that includes Billy West (Fry, Zoidberg, Professor Farnsworth, Zapp Brannigan), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), and Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker, Calculon, Morbo), the panel also includes creator/executive producer Matt Groening and executive producer David X. Cohen.

12:00 p.m. Okay. So maybe a few minutes after 12? No one's hit the stage yet, but an amazing cosplay Bender is walking the aisles. Bite my shiny metal...

12:05 "Attention Bob's Burgers fans! You're in the wrong room! Futurama fans! Prepare to watch 8 minutes of never before seen footage! It opens with the handmade title-sequence and a visit to Oktoberfest which is much different in the future. Be back after the screening.

12:14 Bill Morrison is our Roboterator and he gets to including the panel. An unexpected change, no Leela but Amy is here! Lauren Tom! The voice cast induces the upcoming episodes airing this summer. Amy Wong introduces next week. Bender is going fox hunting with Patrick Stewart! The Don Bot introduces a ep where he's going after Zoidberg for stealing his hard stolen money! Farnsworth comes to tell us that his parents are still alive, Bender... "Oh, your God."

12:18 They throw right to fan questions! Was Fry's journey always planned? Verrone (a writer) says no, they make it up as they go along. Groening interrupts saying we have a plan! Cohen corrects, 'had' a plan. Groening apologizes to Verrone. No plans.

12:20 A 'stoner' fan asks how long the characters take to draw and one of the series' directors, Steven Sandoval, says that it depends on the character and that Amy is the hardest. They then tell the questioner to enjoy the drugs.

12:22 A true Comic-Con question is asked next. A 'nerd' wonders about a time-travel inconsistency in the third episode of the season and Cohen says Verrone must explain his mistake. Verrone tries to explain the time travel paradox. Then adds 'deal with it.'

12:25 Zoidberg cosplayer asks if Zoid is ever going to get some action. DiMaggio turns it on the fan and asked if he's going to get any action with that outfit. In a episode coming next year (the second half of the season) Zoidberg will meet a woman who cannot smell anything which is the perfect mate for our smelly crustacean. The cast is answering the questions in many different voices. It's awesome.

12:27 They don't get much hate-mail. Mostly just fan art. Some great and some kind of sad. Futurama fans are 'not haters.' Speaking of the fans, Cohen asks any people dressed as characters to line up at the side for a contest. While they line up, Cohen brings up the 'Not Sure If' meme and has Billy West read a few in person. He's got a bunch of giant cards to actually look like the memes.

12:30 Another drawing competition! Last year Groening went up against one of the staff artists and won (unfairly if you ask me) and this year he's going head to head with Sandoval. 3 minutes of drawing commentated by West and DiMaggio. Groening grabs a head start.

12:33 Sandoval draws at a snail's pace (too much time on Leela's boobs) while the creator is on drawing number four (adding price tags to all). DiMaggio pulls out a Tracy Morgan impression. Groening turns from Futurama to some classic Disney cartoons like Mickey. Sandoval does a great drawing of Leela and Groening reveals a polished drawing at the back of the flip board at the last second for the win! Nope! Bender calls him out as a cheater and strips his title.

12:36 They take a brief moment of bring up Groening's amazing first comic strip Love is Hell and then he is awarded the 2012 Icon Award from SDCC! Well. Deserved! Of course, he goes and shakes it in Sandoval's face.

12:39 Time for the cosplay fashion show! Tons of great outfits. The voice actors compliment the effort in their character's voices. There's a Sal! A bunch of Brain Slugs. The aforementioned Bender and Zoidberg. And the winner is... Zoidberg! The cosplayer does a great physical impersonation with West chiming in with "why not Zoidberg?"

12:41 The prizes are fan-made (illegal merchandise) and all the cosplayers get a small token. The grand prize are the drawings that were done in competition. I want one! It turns out the final polished Leela was actually drawn by Bill Morrison.

12:44 They might have run out of prizes, Cohen says that Groening should give them his Icon Award. Closing out the panel, more footage! A sizzle reel from the upcoming season! A lot to look forward to, Robot Devil!

Futurama's seventh season has been sensational so far. After an excellent back to back premiere that saw the animated series pull off its signature mix of silly and sentimental twice in one night, the show went for full on political satire with "Decision 3012." Really smart with a neat science-fiction inspired time travel twist, last week's episode brilliantly skewered the Republican mis-labelling of Obama and the entire 'birther' movement.

Let's hope the strong start to the new season continues with Wednesday night's "The Thief of Baghead" but, judging by this clip released by Comedy Central, I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. Take a look at the preview called 'Just Take The Damn Picture'...

It's pretty obvious why the clip was called "Just Take the Damn Picture," and not just because it's a line literally uttered by Leela. Bender seems to have taken quite a liking to photography which opens the recent obsession with instagram (not to mention the constant film vs. digital conversation) up for ridicule. The clip also shows that Calculon, the robot soap opera star, will be making an appearance in "The Thief of Baghead" and apparently he gets caught up in an acting competition that puts the loser to death. As Calculon might say, "noooooooooo!!!!!"

Futurama returns with “The Thief of Baghead,” Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on Comedy Central. It stars Billy West, Katey Sagal and John DiMaggio. It was created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen.

"Made From 100% Recycled Pixels"

Futurama finally returned last week and to kick off the long awaited seventh season, Comedy Central went with a back to back, two episode premiere. And what a premiere! Both "The Bots and the Bees" and "A Farewell to Arms" were excellent examples of the series' ability to blend the ridiculous with an overwhelming about of heart to great success. Tragic, beautiful and, most importantly, hilarious they were the perfect way to start the new season. But not every episode of Futurama needs to feature such a touching emotional story and this week's "Decision 3012" forgoes the sentiment in exchange for all out political satire.

"Thank you, Senator. A thoughtful and lucid answer. You will be destroyed! Question two. The environment, yes or no?"

For the first time I can remember (and I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong), the title sequence transitions right into the beginning of the episode with 'Free Beer' on the video billboard prompting Bender to jump ship. After crashing into a few things on the way down, including Coward Man, Bender finds the source of the free beer (and a Love Boat inspired robot bartender) which is, well, was being given out at President of Earth Nixon' campaign rally. Let the satirizing begin! Mentioned in Nixon's speech are the usual targets at any Republican stop - Space Aliens, Earth jobs, border fences, the poor - and, because she couldn't disagree more, it inspires Leela to take an interest in politics and attend the 3012 debate.

Morbo serves as the perfect moderator and the sequence introduces us to the Barack Obama stand-in Senator Chris Zaxxar Travers. Amidst the other candidates and their soundbites, Travers stands out as a voice of reason and is immediately booed. I particularly enjoyed the 'boo' that followed the mere mention of 'reputable scientists' but at least the smart and idealistic representative from Hawaii was able to make an impression on Leela and she soon pays a visit to his campaign headquarters, formerly the location of One-Hour Hotdog. Don't worry, you can still grab a dog there if you're willing to wait. Leela's put in charge of his presidential run and, after a tidy montage, Travers comes out of The Choosening with his Party's nomination. And an understudy in case he's caught with a dead girl, live boy or sexy space ghost.

"We don't want a foreigner, we want someone born here!"

Of course, Bender can't let Leela have all the fun and he's soon offering his underhanded services to the incumbent. After making sure he's only 40% wire, Nixon (one of my favorite characters, Futurama's answer to Mr. Burns) brings Bender aboard to help give Travers the old McGovern treatment and the first step includes digging up a little dirt. After a record 13 sleazy strip club visits, a tremendous urine sample and an All The President's Men inspired meeting with 'Big Throat' (played perfectly by Hedonismbot), Bender still can't seem to find anything they could possibly use to tarnish Travers' name. Except, well, his name. Too bad he wasn't a sex-dodger but his alien-sounding name will suffice. Time for a jowl movement.

At the next town hall, Bender calls out the candidate for having an exotic middle name like Zaxxar and demands to see Travers 'Earth Certificate' so he can immediately claim it's fake. The rest of "Decision 3012" becomes focused on satirizing the 'birther' movement in particular and Futurama couldn't do a better job. Just when Bender manages to raise suspicion about the Senator's place of birth, aided by the rumor hounds over at Fox quote unquote news and redneck hollerin', the robot unselfishly crosses party lines and put his differences aside to aid in a break-in. Leela decides to expose Travers medical records, even though he specifically asked he not to, in order to put the non-sense to rest and that means Giraffe-ing their way into the hospital in Kenya where he was born. Tomorrow. That's right, Christopher Zaxxar Travers is from the future.

"Mankind entrusted me with its last remaining suit and tie and sent me back in time."

It's a delicious science-fiction twist that allows Futurama to take the 'Earther' joke to its extreme. Instead of showing the doubters the long form certificate of birth, the series decides to show the rednecks, yokels and would-be revolutionary robots the candidates actual birth. First, there's the quick joke about the Lion and the 'zebra entrance' (which made me laugh hysterically) before the Senator begins his flashback to the future explaining his mission. Although the sequence contains more than a few good lines, the brief bit where Travers tells his tale is probably the weakest part of the otherwise fantastic episode. It's fun watching Bender's future ascent to power by leading a robo-revolt but it wasn't as clever or well crafted as the rest of "Decision 3012."

Like Fry, the ultimate representative of the dumb demographic, says, "if it's on TV, then it has to be real," so the Travers campaign decides to broadcast the birth live in order to finally put the issue to rest. The way Futurama portrays the media circus is perfect: the reporter announcing the candidate's crowning before cutting to Morbo 'down at the pelvis' with the yokels watching it all unfold live on the big screen. And despite the crowds' doubts, they do witness a birth and, wouldn't you know it, he has his eyes! The event puts the man who travelled back in time ahead in the polls and Travers is soon elected the next President of Earth. But don't get too excited, Bender quickly exposes the paradox of politics, I mean, time travel and that nothing is going to change because if Nixon never won then Travers never came back. It's Politics 101.

"Wow. It really doesn't matter who you vote for."

Forget Politics 101, "Decision 3012" was Futurama teaching satire 101 and all other comedies should take note. The series once again showed that they have some of the smartest writers on television (this episode penned by Patric Verrone, who's been with the show since the first season) and pulled off another brilliantly Swift-ian installment. Everyone always mentions the sentimental episodes when discussing the most memorable of the series but something has to be said for the ones that instead focus on skewering a specific subject and/or just shooting for laughs. "Decision 3012" probably won't be talked about as one of the all-time greats - and both of last week's shows absolutely belong in that discussion - but it was an immensely satisfying parody of the United States' political process.

Futurama returns with “The Thief of Baghead,” Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on Comedy Central. It stars Billy West, Katey Sagal and John DiMaggio. It was created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen. NIXON ALWAYS WINS!

Futurama started Season 7 with two fantastic episodes. Playing as a back-to-back, special one-hour premiere, "The Bots and the Bees" and "A Farewell to Arms" featured everything we have come to love about Matt Groening and David X. Cohen's show. The one-time Fox, now Comedy Central series is still the same whip-smart, irreverent and sentimental animated adventure from before the switch, which should comes as no surprise since the majority of the writers, even after the extended hiatus, also made the transition.

Last week's "TBatB" was written by Eric Hosted, who's been with Futurama from the beginning, and even though “A Farewell to Arms,” featured a script from a relative newcomer this series in Josh Weinstein, he wrote for The Simpsons during the glory years (and even served as show-runner) so I'd say he's more than familiar with the heir's sensibility. This week's "Decision 3012" was written by Patric Verrone who, like Hosted, has been with Futurama since the very first season, meaning, we're probably in for another incredible show. Here's a clip called a 'Crowded Field of Candidates' from the upcoming episode, take a look...

One thing is for certain, there is no one better to keep the puny human presidential candidates in line than Morbo. The brief snippet from "Decision 3012" is funny - Leela comes to get involved in the political process only to be immediately silenced and then find herself the solo supporter of the common sense candidate - but also oddly reminds me of the recent premiere of Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom (which you can watch in its entirety here). Seriously, just watch the opening scene and tell me there aren't similar... one's just a little sillier.

Futurama airs Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET for a special one-hour premiere on Comedy Central. It stars Billy West, Katey Sagal and John DiMaggio. It was created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen.

If Futurama is trying to suggest the annoying replicability and ubiquity of memes, well, they've certainly made their point. Comedy Central has been using the same meme-central marketing strategy to get people aware of the seventh season premiere tomorrow night but what started out as a nice nod to fan created content has become, for lack of a better word, a little grating. Again, that could be the point with Groening making a comment on internet culture but he seems smart enough to know when something isn't working and it's time to walk away... oh right, The Simpsons.

Still, if you were hoping for a much more original and satisfying announcement to mark the return of what is arguably the best animated show on television, don't despair, Comedy Central and Futurama came through. And with only one day to spare. (I didn't mean for that to rhyme.) In the final promotional video for tomorrow's two-episode, one-hour premiere - "The Bots and The Bees" and "A Farewell to Arms" - the series has given the animators a day off and recreated the opening title sequence in live action. And it's pretty impressive. Take a look.

They certainly don't live up to the painstaking work that must have gone into recreating the Futurama titles by hand (and tentacle) but some of the new meme-spots featuring characters other than Fry are worth a look. Yes, even after all that griping, some of them aren't so bad. If you'd like to check out the overwhelming amount of short promos (with the originals based off the fan created Futurama 'not sure if' meme), including vids with Zapp, Zoidberg and Professor Farnsworth, head over the 'Fry Memes' Playlist on Comedy Central's YouTube page.

Futurama returns Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET for a special one-hour premiere on Comedy Central. It stars Billy West, Katey Sagal and John DiMaggio. It was created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen.

Matt Groening's Futurama is back in less than a week. The seventh season of the Emmy winning animated program, same as the sixth, will be split into separate 13-episode runs with '7A' beginning on Wednesday night and then '7B' airing sometime in (early) 2013. Comedy Central started advertising for the first run not too long ago and adopted the popular Futurama 'Not Sure If' meme as the primary marketing strategy. There are now a bunch more of those promos on the Comedy Central YouTube page but the network has also released preview clips for the two-part premiere.

Season 7 opens with back-to-back episodes called "The Bots and the Bees" and "A Farewell to Arms" and in the first, Bender and Bev (the office soda machine) have unprotected robot sex which results in a bastard son. Somebody's been watching too much Game of Thrones. Bender's new boy, appropriately named Ben, is a chip off the old block except when it comes to following in his dad's profession. They may be able to rob several different places together (people, liquor stores, banks) but they will never bend as father and son. That's what you get when your mom is a vending machine. Here's the clip called 'Bender's Bastard.'

Following "TBatB" is Futurama's spoof of the Mayan 2012 doomsday prophecy called “A Farewell to Arms.” Of course, with the show being set in the future, this time the ancient prophecy predicts that the end of the world will occur in 3012. In the clip, 'The World Is Ending Again,' we see the beginning of the extinction event which has taken the form of a catastrophic sun-spot cycle! And don't count on Coward Man to save the day.

"I was crazy before it was cool." Futurama returns Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET for a special one-hour premiere on Comedy Central. It stars Billy West, Katey Sagal and John DiMaggio. It was created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen.

In three weeks, a new season of Futurama starts with back-to-back episodes, "The Bots and the Bees" and "A Farewell to Arms." The animated series was famously cancelled by Fox only to find life with a sixth and now seventh season at Comedy Central. Season 7 starts this summer and, same as the last, will be split into two 13 episode runs (7A in June and 7B returning in in 2013). A month ago, the network released the first tease for the upcoming season which played with the popular 'not sure if' Futurama meme.

This time, Comedy Central dropped another two new teases that again contain no actual footage from the upcoming season but instead try to piggy back on the popularity of the gag. The 'not sure if' has many incarnations but it has never, until now, featured the voice of Philip J. Fry. That's right, this time they brought in the big guns to truly help the promotional campaign go viral with master voice-actor Billy West providing audio to accompany the type-face. The first mentions how people only remember birthdays because of social media (not sure the relevance) while the the second provides fans with a really great soundbite to use for their own answering machines.

Futurama has also uploaded a gallery of Season 7A official images to their Facebook page not only to get fans excited for the series' return but also to let them into the process as most of the images are rough sketches and storyboards. Here are three photos from the collection, all from the night of the premiere, but I really recommend heading over to check out the rest. The first two come from the first episode, "The Bots and the Bees," which has Bender father a child with Bev, the office soda machine. I'm not too sure what's going on with Fry or why he's glowing radioactive green.

Here's one of the aforementioned 'behind the scenes' photos from the gallery which features a few rough sketches, as well as notes, for Bender's off-spring. The gallery also shows a few storyboards from the episode and it looks like father, like son with 'Bender Jr.' getting into a little bit of trouble.

This image is from the second episode of the night, "A Farewell to Arms," which pokes fun at the Mayan end of the world prophecy but instead of 2012, it's 3012. It's a nice pic to showcase Futurama's often gorgeous (and overlooked) animation as well as get us wondering how Leela hurt that leg. Probably averting the end of the world. Just another day at Planet Express.

Futurama returns Wednesday, June 20 at 10 p.m. ET on Comedy Central. It stars Billy West, Katey Sagal and John DiMaggio. It was created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen.

Two weeks before production is set to begin, Thomas Gibson has declared he will, in fact, return to Criminal Minds. If you read Mack’s article a few weeks ago, you know how big this deal is. For weeks, there was glitch after glitch as Gibson, who plays Agent Hotchner on the show, declined to sign a new contract and writers grew more edgy as production dates edged closer and no story arcs could be written.

All the waiting paid off -- for Gibson at least -- as Deadline is reporting Hotch has signed on for two more years. His new salary, which lands somewhere in the seven-figure range, will more than double what he made in contracts past. I guess he’s a real hot commodity, because there were rumors when the two Criminal Minds leading ladies were first curbed from their roles, high salary costs were the main reason.

I’m not sure if anyone ever really believed Thomas Gibson would leave the show. He’s still been responsible for recent press junkets and the like. Still, Criminal Minds writers, who have been at the drawing board for over a month, doubtless could have used an earlier okay-go from CBS and Gibson. Maybe they’ll write in something really gruesome as payback. Although, they’ve already taken the liberty to kill off Hotchner’s wife. How much more can one man take?