Game of Thrones star Kit Harington 'bawled' when he finished reading final script

At long last, winter is coming... for real this time. In a few months, the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones will be upon us, and we will finally see who will win the game, and who will die. 

And although story and plot points for the HBO hit series based on books by George R.R. Martin are under tight lock and key, one thing we do know is that this is an emotional time for fans and stars of the series alike. In fact, GoT star Kit Harington admitted in a new interview with TV Guide that he waited to look at the script until he was with his castmates at the Season 8 table read. And when he did, he “bawled” when he got to the last page of the final script. 

“I read every shock and every beat,” Harington told the magazine. “And at the end of the script, I just bawled.”

Harington is not the only GoT star to reveal that the final script had an intense effect on them after reading it. Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, said that the cast gave the final script an emotional standing ovation after finishing the official read-through. Nathalie Emmanuel, who plays Daenerys Targaryen’s confidante, Missandei, said that fans “will have their mind[s] blown when they watch the final” episode. Maisie Williams, aka Arya Stark, called her character’s final scene in the series “beautiful” and “perfect.”

So, it’s not surprising that the actor who has played Jon Snow since the show premiered back in 2011 was overwhelmed with emotion when he finally saw how everything played out. 

In an abridged version of the article posted on TV Insider, GoT cast members and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were careful not to reveal anything that could be interpreted as spoilers. However, Benioff did tell the publication, “The scope of this [final] season definitely exceeds anything we’ve attempted before.” Considering that this show is responsible for the Blood Wedding and Battle of the Bastards, that really is saying something. 

Weiss and Harington also reminded viewers that GoT’s heroes have another situation — apart from the Army of the Dead marching south with an undead dragon. We learned in the show's Season 7 finale that not only are Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and Snow related, but Snow is in fact the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. This doesn’t just complicate their (now intimately romantic) relationship, but also their strategic alliance to reclaim the throne for Daenerys. 

“From a dramatic standpoint, it makes things interesting, because the story is no longer about who Jon’s parents are. It’s about what happens when Jon finds out,” said Weiss. That’s certainly an understatement, although these two crazy kids wouldn’t be the first incestuous couple in Westeros. 

Meanwhile, Harington noted that “Jon is someone who plays by the book. He cannot lie. Finding out about Dany would be very hard for him.”

Game of Thrones returns to HBO for its final season in April.