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Lest you think the Big Little Lies Season 2 casting of Meryl Streep might eat into the budget, HBO won’t skimp on our second trip to Monterey. The whole of Season 1’s expansive cast has formally signed on for the Emmy-winner’s 2019 return, including our beloved wine-sloshed Laura Dern.

We’ll spend the entirety of 2018 without Game of Thrones, but the final season’s 2019 bow may feel like we never left. Star Maisie Williams seemingly let slip exactly when Season 8 will air its first episode, and it feels wonderfully familiar.

If there’s one thing we agree on after seven Game of Thrones seasons, it’s that dragons remain as lifelike and awe-inspiring as ever. There may be a good, sexy reason for the former, as new insight from sound designer Paula Fairfield reveals that Drogon’s cries around Daenerys may have a more … uh, “sensual” source in nature.

It’s been some time since Game of Thrones’ penultimate season faced a rash of leaks, as did other HBO programs stolen by a hacker extortionist. Now, federal authorities have officially identified the perpetrator as an Iranian national with his very own wanted poster.

You’d be hard-pressed to top the one-off, wine-soaked perfection of Big Little Lies, but HBO can’t help flying a little closer to that Monterey sun. A new report suggest Season 2 is officially a go, with production earmarked for 2018.

We don’t know if True Detective can make Season 3 work, let alone start revisiting past characters, but one hope for a Rust and Marty reunion may be dashed. Woody Harrelson isn’t interested in any kind of return to HBO’s True Detective, even if his partner says otherwise.

We all felt queasy with Game of Thrones’ latest love scene, and not just for the incest. There’s also the matter of Kit Harington’s real-life fiancée Rose Leslie (RIP, Ygritte), but true love wins: Game of Thrones will shut down Season 8 production so the whole cast can celebrate those crazy kids’ nuptials, and – shut up – you’re crying.

HBO will confirm few details of the eighth and final Game of Thrones season; perhaps least of all whether we’ll wait until 2019 to see it. That said, star Liam Cunningham may have guaranteed the fantasy blockbuster will sit out 2018 with an update on production.

The fight is just beginning for one of Hollywood’s most revered comediennes. Veep and Seinfeld favorite Julia Louis-Dreyfus took the courageous step of announcing her own breast cancer diagnosis over Twitter, pivoting the discussion to healthcare as HBO answers questions about Veep’s final season.

Game of Thrones producers knew by Season 7 that filming details would inevitably leak out; to which they posed that certain scenes were staged for exactly that purpose. Few were necessarily fooled, but Season 8 may go the extra mile to film several endings to the Song of Ice and Fire saga.

Game of Thrones Season 7 upended more than a few theories about the overall story, but Cersei in particular seemed to upset one of the show’s own prophecies. Now, Lena Headey’s reaction to Cersei meeting Daenerys puts the infamous premonition in play, potentially revealing a major twist next season.

Just when you thought the end of Game of Thrones Season 7 might cut you a break from must-see shows, in swoops fall TV with dozens upon dozens of new and returning TV series; enough to drive your DVR to self-immolation. Join us for a sneak peek!