Kit Harington: Why the next Game of Thrones episode is 'one of my favorites'

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Game of Thrones star Kit Harington says there are some good reasons to be excited for the mysterious fourth episode of the final season.

The Jon Snow actor told EW that this Sunday’s episode depicting the aftermath of the Battle of Winterfell and the defeat of the Night King is one of his favorites.

“One of my favorite episodes is 4 because the characters have seemingly got what they needed,” Harington says of the roughly 20 main characters still gathered at Winterfell. “The world is safe now. They’re celebrating and saying goodbye to lost friends. But as an audience you’re going, ‘This is only episode 4, something’s going to happen.’ And that’s the cool thing because I think the characters are aware of this as well. There’s something twisted and uncomfortable about it. It’s so Shakespearian.”

Image zoom Helen Sloan/HBO

The approximately 80-minute episode is the final entry of the series directed by Emmy-winner David Nutter, who previously helmed the first two episodes of season 8 (as well as stand-out hours like “The Rains of Castamere”). The episode follows Sunday’s epic battle episode, titled “The Long Night,” which broke ratings HBO records by racking up 17.8 million overnight viewers — the year’s most-watched episode of scripted television.

Regarding the battle, Harington noted that while he was happy Jon learned how to ride one of Dany’s dragon, that in some ways he wanted to be on the ground with the rest of his castmates — despite the rainy, freezing night shoots — rather than cooped up in a studio.

“I was slightly pissed off I was on a dragon, it stops me from fighting in a crowd,” Harington says. “It’s going to look cool but I wanted, in some ways — just as Jon does — to get back down on the ground. The fact he can fly a dragon means he has to but his place is down there amongst the sword swingers. But that whole episode should be mesmerizing.”

Harington’s co-star Emilia Clarke also hyped the upcoming episodes while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live this week: “Episode five is bigger. I mean, four, and five, and six — they’re all insane but, like….Find the biggest TV you can.”

In the episode 4 preview footage, the focus of the Winterfell heroes shifts as Daenerys Targaryen plots to seize the Iron Throne from Cersei Lannister. There are also eight photos which show a mass funeral at Winterfell.

Here’s the promo for episode 4:

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