Is Game of Thrones on tonight, July 3?

This time last week, Game of Thrones aired “The Winds of Winter,” an explosive episode where Cersei killed all of her enemies and assumed the Iron Throne, the audience found out Jon Snow’s true lineage, and Daenerys finally set out for Westeros. New episodes of Game of Thrones have always aired on Sundays. Will we get to see the continuing adventures of these characters tonight?

Unfortunately, no. ‘The Winds of Winter” was the season finale of Game of Thrones Season 6. We don’t know exactly how long we’re going to have to wait for the premiere of Season 7, but if history is any guide, it’ll be at least nine months. Every past season of the show has premiered in either March or April, and it’s possible that Season 7 could air later.

Why? Because by most accounts, Season 7 will be shorter than the average season. Up until this point, every season of Game of Thrones has been 10 episodes long. But according to showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, Seasons 7 and 8 will be shorter. Nothing is set in stone yet, but the latest word puts Season 7 at seven episodes, and Season 8 at six.

Again, this isn’t completely certain, but it would track with what other prestige series have done in their final years. Breaking Bad, for instance, broke its final seasons into two shorter halves. We’ll be watching and waiting on reporting on what happens.

• Published on 07/03/2016 at 4:00 AM CDT
• Last updated on 07/03/2016 at 4:00 AM CDT