First Game of Thrones season 8 photos set the stage for a series finale

Austen Goslin (he/him) is an entertainment editor. He writes about the latest TV shows and movies, and particularly loves all things horror.

The first official photos from Game of Thrones season 8 have arrived, and while they don’t give us a ton of information about the mysterious final season (much like HBO’s other cryptic marketing), they do hint at a very well-groomed season. The hair is slick. The coats are delinted. People are coiffed for White Walker battle.

Really, the new images serve to remind us where we last left the characters nearly two years ago. Jon and Daenerys are still in the north and are likely having a few fairly tense meetings as the Mother of Dragons meets her nephew’s (?!) sisters for the first time. Meanwhile, Tyrion can be seen looking a little worried while standing on a balcony in Winterfell, likely fretting about the consequences of Jon and Dany’s alliance, as we saw him do in last season’s final episode.

Arya and Sansa look equally disturbed, which makes sense based on the footage of Sansa reluctantly surrendering her ancestral home to Jon’s new queen. A few other familiar faces fill out the ranks of Jon and Dany’s camp, like Varys, Ser Davos, Brienne, and of course the Three-Eyed Raven, formerly known as Bran Stark.

On the other side of Westeros, Cersei Lannister sits on the Iron Throne and paces the halls of King’s Landing — maybe not in that order! Even with the ice zombies on the march, this show is called “Game of Thrones.” There is a kingdom waiting to be ruled, and Cersei is the one ruling it at the moment.

The only really obscure photo we’re given is of Jaime, whose fate was a little up in the air when we left him in season 7. With his beloved siblings on opposite sides, and Cersei executing a cruel plan that could leave the living in dire straits against the Night King’s army, Jaime seems to have defected to the North, though it’s tough to say exactly where he is in his dimly lit portrait. Based on the darker stone behind him, it’s likely that he’s somewhere in Winterfell, but there’s no distinct wood or architecture to tell us for sure. (Feel that theorizing itch? It’s Game of Thrones time, friends.)

While these faint teases may not be much to go on, every Thrones tease is a good tease — who wasn’t excited for Drogon to show up for a couple of seconds in a Bud Light Super Bowl ad? This batch should keep fans busy until HBO reveals a full trailer for the show’s final season, which debuts on April 14.