Game of Thrones Season 8 is no longer on the way, having recently wrapped up its six-episode run on HBO. Fro anyone who missed out, however, it has already arrived on digital! The series finale aired a little over a week ago on May 19, but fans can now own the entire final season via digital download. That feels like an incredibly quick turnaround time.
Fast forward to May 29, and it will already be available to purchase. Owning the previously aired Season 8 episodes is not all HBO is offering for the money, either! Along with the final six episodes (ever!) of Game of Thrones, the purchase also includes the two-hour making-of feature documentary, The Last Watch.
That doc premiered this past Sunday, May 26, on HBO proper. Fully titled Game of Thrones: The Last Watch, the documentary chronicles the creation of the final season, boasting Jeanie Finlay as director. If nothing else, it's a behind-the-scenes reminder of many weeks of incredible work that went into creating six enthralling weeks of television.
If that is not enough, the digital download of Game of Thrones Season 8 also includes two featurettes that also delve into background info. Those are entitled “The Long Night” and “The Final Season.” Before going into what those probably cover, know that there are spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8 mentioned below.
My guess is that “The Long Night” covers the story that dominated the first half of the season. Such as the imminent arrival of the Night King and his Army of the Dead at House Stark's ancestral home, all of which culminated in the much-buzzed-about Battle of Winterfell. Arya Stark brought the threat to an end with her handy dagger in one of the season’s first big shockers.
Before she could do that, though, there was the most arduous battle of the show's run. As fans know, filming on that was far from pleasant, and it's a process that viewers may get another insightful glimpse into through the digital extra.
As its title hints at, “The Final Season” follows Game of Thrones’ cast and crew as they reflect on the final episodes. Among those interviewed are the showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, while the cast interviews include Peter Dinklage (Tyrion), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), and Lena Headey (Cersei), among others. That should be quite interesting to watch.
To say this is a lot of content would be an understatement. Not to mention being able to have it at your fingertips within two weeks of the series finale airing. I find that pretty impressive!
Among the things that pique my interest in this package are the featurettes and behind-the-scenes material. Those should give fans whole new respect for everything that went into making Game of Thrones’ explosive final chapter.
The cast and crew went all out for the final season, with the latter going out of their way to confuse fans. Various actors were brought on set in an effort to throw onlookers off concerning where Season 8 was headed. Well played!
Years of build-up resolved itself in ways that were tough to imagine as Season 8 began. Those who were surprised are not alone, as star Maisie Williams was among those who thought certain plot points would play out differently in the final stretch.
Game of Thrones' final season has also brought an array of feelings from across the board. Some fans brought a petition to have it remade, while others have created an alternate ending pitch. Both of those have left the internet buzzing, but now the buzz can settle back on the series in question with its digital release.
Game of Thrones Season 8 is now available to own via digital download in all the usual places.
