'Game of Thrones' season 5 to have first-ever flashback scene

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Game of Thrones will give fans a rare glimpse into the past during season five.

The HBO fantasy hit has long avoided using narrative flashbacks during its first four years on the air, preferring to keep its action grounded in the show’s present moment. But Thrones will offer its first flashback scene next year, and EW can exclusively report the flashback is currently expected to serve as the season’s opening scene (though this could change in editing).

Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss revealed the season would have a flashback during a Q&A with film students in Spain, where the show is shooting portions of its upcoming season. Here is the quote, which is roughly translated from a Spanish website and was not attributed to a particular producer: “By making the first season, we set a rule: No prophecies, dreams or flashbacks. We failed the first two and this season the third. So yes, this season will finally have flashbacks.”

Though that’s “flashbacks” plural in the translation, I can only confirm that there will be one of them.

Thrones started shooting at the historic Alcázar Palace in Seville last week and will later move on to Osuna. The production also returned to Belfast, Northern Ireland and Dubrovnik, Croatia this year. The series will return to HBO next spring.

For exclusive Game of Thrones news follow me @james_hibberd

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