Game of Thrones season 6 is building to yet another epic conclusion, and to do it justice, HBO has allotted the finale extra air time. The premium network confirmed Wednesday that episode 10 will be 69 minutes long, making it the fantasy drama series’ longest yet, according to Entertainment Weekly. HBO also unveiled titles for the remaining episodes, so proceed with caution, as they may reveal slight spoilers.
The show can vary in length from week to week, with some episodes hovering around the 50-minute mark and others getting closer to 60 minutes. Every finale aside from season 1 has extended beyond an hour. Season 4’s 66-minute 10th episode comes the closest to the new record being set by the season 6 finale.
The upcoming episode 9 will also be lengthy, clocking in at more than 60 minutes. Called The Battle of the Bastards, many fans believe the title refers to Jon Snow (the illegitimate son of Ned Stark) and Ramsay Bolton (the son born out of wedlock to Roose Bolton). Game of Thrones showrunners have been long been teasing a massive battle this season — previously telling EW that it would be the biggest in the show’s history — so all signs point to episode 9.
We expect the finale to be just as — if not more — exciting, though, especially given that its story gets extra time. Episode 10 is called The Winds of Winter, which you may recognize as the title of the upcoming book in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series., which the TV series is based on. Though Martin had intended to publish the book before season 6 premiered, the manuscript was not ready and it has yet to be released.
As hard as it is to see the sixth season winding down, at least HBO is drawing out the minutes for us. Plan your Sundays accordingly.
