It's perhaps surprising, given the immense popularity of the show, that Game of Thrones is only running for two more seasons.
To add to that, they're going to be shortened runs, of seven and six episodes for seasons seven and eight respectively.
So were the showrunners tempted to drag the HBO fantasy epic out for just a teensy bit longer?
Writer Bryan Cogman was asked whether or not the show could have benefited from more episodes, to explore having all the characters finally meet up – and he gave a pretty convincing answer.
"It's true, but there are White Walkers and dragons, and once they come together, the story has to go where it goes," he told Entertainment Weekly.
"There's probably a world where we could have milked this thing for another eight seasons, and that would have been very lucrative for all of us.
"But [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] really wanted to go out on a good high point, and I think we're doing our best to service all those relationships and character combinations. Characters are coming together for a reason, and that's because shit's going down and so the shit has to go down."
Meanwhile, Benioff has been talking up this season's big battle, comparing it to season two's Battle of Blackwater.
"There are magnificent action scenes," he said. "Different from anything we've ever done.
"Everyone is facing something more dangerous to all of them than any danger they are to each other."
