‘Game of Thrones’: 9 Facts About ‘The Last of the Starks’ Episode (PHOTOS)
Fires and Pyres
Though the actors really laid on that burning pyre, there was a layer of glass between them and the fire that allowed a realistic effect.
Special Effects Magic
During the opening scene of the episode, there were only a few real pyres on set as the rest were added in with special effects. The final onscreen result makes it look much larger than it was in person.
Emotional Goodbyes
This episode included a lot of emotional goodbyes off camera as the cast bid farewell to stars like Alfie Allen and Iain Glen. The episode’s director David Nutter revealed that Sophie Turner’s emotional reaction on camera was fueled by the idea that Sansa would never get to say goodbye to Theon (Allen) alive.
Fun Feasts
The cast revealed that the feast scene was the first day back to set for most of them and “it was like coming back to school,” Sophie Turner said. Along with it being one of their first scenes of the season, they also had a lot of fun — as is evident in the behind-the-scenes video.
Wildings or Writers?
Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss made cameo appearances in the episode as wildlings. The men were part of the feast scene in which Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) drinks wine out of a horn.
Missing Missandei
When filming her death scene, actress Nathalie Emmanuel shot her scenes in a sound stage to avoid spoilers by filming outside. By standing in front of green screens the effects team was able to superimpose her into the scene on the outdoor wall.
Closer to the Ground
In the scene on the walls of King’s Landing, the stars were filmed on a lower platform outdoors. The more accessible staging allowed for better close-ups and clearer dialogue.
‘Honey, I Killed a Dragon’
Pilou Asbæk, who plays Euron Greyjoy, revealed that he let it slip to his wife that he killed a dragon during filming. “You have to talk to someone, right?” he said.
Bigger and Better Scorpions
Those scorpions seen in the episode didn’t just seem huge — they are huge. According to the show’s weapons master, the new and improved scorpions are 65 percent bigger than the one seen in Season 7.
Game of Thrones continues to shock and excite fans as it heads into its final installments, but there are plenty of behind-the-scenes moments to learn about in the show’s “Game Revealed” YouTube videos.
In the latest entry for the episode “The Last of the Starks,” plenty of interesting facts were revealed, including special effects secrets, personal moments and funny tidbits. From the emotional goodbyes that were said to the shocking visual scenes, there’s no shortage of information when it comes to this special look into “The Last of the Starks.”
Click through the gallery above for some highlight facts from the episode, and for a full look into the installment, watch the video below.
Game of Thrones, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO
