I kept thinking that this summer will be devoted to Game of Thrones, that the final six episodes – which are reportedly like mini-movies – will be coming out in June or July. I was prepared for that. I was not prepared for this: last night, HBO released the a stand-alone trailer for the new season AND a release date. The final season will begin… April 14th. Adjustyo’ calendars!! April 14th is actually a pretty sweet spot in the calendar, when you think about it. The awards season is over, most people have done their taxes and April usually sucks in general. But now we’ll be so absorbed in Jon Snow Realness that we’ll be fully occupied for a month and a half. Here’s the new trailer: I believe that this is a stand-alone thing for the trailer, and this is not footage from an actual episode. HBO has done that before, shot stand-alone stuff for a teaser or trailer, and it’s smart. It gives fans something new but maintains the secrecy around the new episodes. It’s evocative too – Jon Snow (Jon Targaryen) walking past his mother’s statute. Sansa walking past her mother’s statute. Arya pulling out her sword when the winter smoke comes down to the Winter fell crypt. G–damn this is going to be good/devastating/infuriating.