Game of Thrones season 8 filmed a fake scene in a literal fortress to cover up one of the show’s biggest deaths

Image credit: HBO

There are precautions and then there are Game of Thrones season 8 precautions. Of course, you want to ensure the biggest secrets and spoilers are kept under wraps until each episode airs but, as this ridiculous counter-measure proves, Game of Thrones always goes the extra mile.

Featuring a very real fortress, two of the show’s biggest actors filming a fake scene, and a now-dead character keeping their fate under wraps in the most time-consuming way possible, here’s how to stop spoilers, Game of Thrones-style.

As pointed out by Winter is Coming, a re-surfaced shot of both Cersei and Jon Snow meeting in King’s Landing is proof that Game of Thrones season 8 was partial to a few sneaky fake scenes to throw fans and leakers off the scent.

Of course, Cersei and Jon never do meet during the course of Game of Thrones season 8 – at least not face to face as suggested by this Reddit post. To make things even more surreal, this was all filmed at the Bokar Fortress in Croatia. All that effort – plus costumes – just to trick everybody about Cersei’s death. Amazing.

Even more shots have been uncovered too, with Jon walking down the stone steps of, presumably, part of the Red Keep to try and broker some peace between Dany and Cersei. It goes to show you the lengths the showrunners, cast, and crew have gone to, just to cover up moments as shocking as Cersei’s death-by-bricks in Game of Thrones season 8, episode 5.

Unless, bear with me: This is actually a scene from the Game of Thrones season 8 finale and this is a real plot twist disguised as a fake plot twist to hide the fact that Cersei is still alive. We’re in the endgame now, boys and girls, and my mind is suitably frazzled enough to think they could try and pull something like that. Thanks, Dan and Dave. See you Sunday.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.