Game of Thrones season 8 episode 3: Cinematographer defends darkness in The Long Night

Fabian Wagner says episode was intended to look this way

*Warning: the story below contains spoilers for Game of Thrones season eight episode three *

Many Game of Thrones fans have complained that The Long Night was too dark – but the episode’s cinematographer has now defended the aesthetic.

Fabian Wagner, who worked on the Battle of Winterfell, told TMZ of the eight season's third episode: “I know it wasn’t too dark because I shot it.”

Battle scenes in The Long Night, according to Wagner, were always supposed to look disorienting (echoing the conditions of real-life combat), though they were never meant to confuse viewers.

The cinematographer, who has previously worked on other episodes of Game of Thrones as well as Sherlock‘s second series, said viewers might want to watch The Long Night in as dark a room as possible to optimise their viewing experience.

He also recommended avoiding possible light pollution from phones and other sources.

According to Wagner, the episode’s darkness may also be due to the compression of the episode as it appears on screen.

The Long Night was the longest Game of Thrones episode to date, with a running time of one hour and 22 minutes. It’s the fantasy drama’s 70th episode overall.

Game of Thrones is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK, and on HBO in the US.