Game of Thrones season 7 episode 4: ‘The Spoils of War’ will be the series' shortest episode ever

Meanwhile, the finale will be the show's longest

Game of Thrones seventh season has been one very fast ride; two castles have been taken over (Casterly Rock and Highgarden), two fleets of ships have been destroyed, two beloved characters have met for the first time (Jon and Danny), one Stark reunion has taken place (Bran and Sansa), and a fan-favourite has died (Olenna Tyrell).

Episode four — titled ‘The Spoils of War’— will zoom on by even faster, being the shortest episode of Game of Thrones in the HBO show’s history.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the episode clocks in at just 50 minutes, considerably shorter than the three episodes already aired, which were all around the hour mark.

As many fans are aware, season seven only contains seven episodes, meaning the shortest season will contain shortest episode.

However, there’s a silver lining; not only will proceedings return to normal with episode five, itself running for 59 minutes, but the season finale will be the show’s longest ever episode, at more than 80 minutes.

“One [episode] will be our longest episode ever — it’s coming in around 90 minutes,” showrunner David Benioff previously said. “Another is going to be our shortest episode at 50 minutes.”

HBO has undergone a major leak, the script for ‘The Spoils of War’ being uploaded online (read at your own peril). For those avoiding spoilers, the network has released official promotional material, including photos and trailer.

Meanwhile, we’ve been analysing the already aired third episode, searching out references and easter eggs you may have missed. Game of Thrones airs on Sky Atlantic and is available on NOW TV.

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