Game of Thrones: Das Lied von Eis und Feuer Hardhome (2011– ) Online

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
	Peter Dinklage	-	Tyrion Lannister
	Lena Headey	-	Cersei Lannister
	Emilia Clarke	-	Daenerys Targaryen
	Kit Harington	-	Jon Snow
	Sophie Turner	-	Sansa Stark
	Maisie Williams	-	Arya Stark
	John Bradley	-	Samwell Tarly
	Hannah Murray	-	Gilly
	Kristofer Hivju	-	Tormund Giantsbane
	Alfie Allen	-	Theon Greyjoy
	Nathalie Emmanuel	-	Missandei
	Tom Wlaschiha	-	Jaqen H'ghar
	Michael McElhatton	-	Roose Bolton
	Iwan Rheon	-	Ramsay Bolton
	Iain Glen	-	Jorah Mormont

This episode required a heavy budget for CGI, and it got to the point where the visual effects crew had to ask HBO for more money.

This episode became the highest rated episode (on IMDB) of the series with a rating of 9.9 in just a few hours after it aired. This average was surpassed by Troonide mäng: Battle of the Bastards (2016), with almost twice as many ratings.

Fifty stunt performers and two hundred extras worked on the Hardhome sequences for a sixteen day filming period over three weeks in a cold, rainy November. The mantra on set used to cope with the gruelling filming conditions was "Go hard or go home".

The director of this episode, Miguel Sapochnik, used Spielberg's Jaws as a reference for the attack. The idea was to make it like a scene from a horror movie, instead of an action or battle movie.

The language Wun Wun speaks in to Eddison Tollett is the Old Tongue of the First Men, a language brought to Westeros over 12,000 years prior and extinct except beyond the Wall.

Ian Whyte, who portrays the giant Wun Wun, also played Gregor "the Mountain" Clegane in season two.

American heavy metal band Mastodon band members Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher and Brent Hinds portrayed "Wildlings."

Wun Wun's full name, according to the novels, is Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun.

Ramsay's words "We hit first, and hit hard, and leave a feast for the crows" are a reference to the title of the fourth novel "A Feast for Crows" in the series of "A Song of Ice and Fire", on which the TV show is based.

Jon does not travel to Hardhome in the novel, but instead sends Cotter Pyke to take the Wildings to Castle Black in ships. Since Cotter Pyke is not a POV character, the events at Hardhome take place off-screen. Some time later, Jon receives a message from Pyke, informing that they are under attack of both wildlings and wights. By the point the novels reached, the outcome of the conflict is unknown.

The episode title refers to an abandoned fishing village located beyond the Wall, formerly inhabited by the Wildlings.

Karsi is a character original to the series and a composite of two female leaders and raiders, Morna White Mask and Mother Mole.

The episode won 3 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour).

The highest billing Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams have received so far.

In the novel, Kevan Lannister returns to King's Landing to take Cersei's place as Regent, while Mace Tyrell is named Hand of the King.

In the books, Arya's alias is the "Cat of the Canals" rather than "Lana". Her alias in the books is briefly alluded to with a shot of a cat running out in front of her as she says, "Every morning, I make my way down to the canals."

The battle of Hardhome is the only large-scale battle to take place in the eighth episode of a season. The other major battle scenes of the first six seasons (which featured ten episodes each) all took place in the penultimate episode: the battle of Blackwater Bay (Troonide mäng: Blackwater (2012)), the siege of Castle Black (Troonide mäng: The Watchers on the Wall (2014)) and the battle of Winterfell (Troonide mäng: Battle of the Bastards (2016)).

This episode was Peter Dinklage's submission in the Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category in the 2015 Emmy Awards- his fifth nomination for the show and second win.

Kit Harington (Jon Snow) said this episode took "three to four weeks of shooting for a sequence that should add up to 20 minutes." He added: "[The Battle of Castle Black in Season 4, Episode 9] last year was the hardest thing I've ever done. This [episode] was twice as hard as that. It was exhausting."

The battle sequence at Hardhome required over 400 extras and 50 stuntmen.

This is the first time the White Walkers/Others have interacted with any prominent characters since Samwell Tarly killed one, a scene from the third novel adapted in the third season. In the novels they have not appeared since then, though George R.R. Martin has stated they will appear in the forthcoming sixth novel.

The script description for Jon arriving by boat to Hardhome said "He looks like George Washington crossing the Delware, except with much better hair".

Karsi says "I hate Thenns" to Tormund, mirroring his own line to Ygritte in Troonide mäng: Two Swords (2014).

This episode confirms a popular fan theory that Valyrian steel can kill White Walkers. In the books, the only two known methods of killing a White Walker are obsidian (also known as dragonglass) and "dragonsteel", which is believed to be Valyrian steel. In the novels, only dragonglass was confirmed to kill White Walkers after Sam stabbed one in the third book.

The trailers for the fifth season and this episode edited the battle footage to imply it was a confrontation between the Night's Watch and the Wildlings, to keep the presence of the White Walkers and their undead wight army a surprise.

The Night's Watchman, who tells Jon to leave when the White Walkers first attack, is the same one who sees him first when he returns to Castle Black in Troonide mäng: Valar Morghulis (2012).

In the books, Theon doesn't tell Sansa (or anyone else) the truth about Bran and Rickon.

The Night King's look was achieved using silicon prosthetics aided by half an inch of "digital ice".

In the books, Jon offers the Wildlings to join the Night's Watch, not to settle in the lands south of the Wall.

In the books, wights are slow and clumsy. The first three seasons portrayed them similarly until season four's finale Troonide mäng: The Children (2014).

In the books, Cersei is charged not only with fornication, treason, incest and Robert's murder, but also with the murder of the second High Septon, who was murdered by Osney Kettleblack at Cersei's command.

Sam tells Olly "Sometimes, a man has to make hard choices - choices that might look wrong to others but you know are right, in the long run" - a foreshadowing of Jon's murder, which Olly participates in. Sam goes on to say about Jon "He always comes back" - a foreshadowing of Jon's resurrection in season 6.

In the books, Lord of Bones is held prisoner at Castle Black. Melisandre uses magic to disguise him as Mance Rayder and vice-versa. Thus Lord of Bones is executed, while Mance is still alive.

In the books, Tommen does not starve himself while Cersei and Margaery are imprisoned.

In the books, neither Jon nor anyone else gives dragonglass weapons to the Wildlings.

In the books, Jorah Mormont and Tyrion have not appeared yet before Daenerys ever since they were brought to Meereen by the slavers.

In the books, Jorah Mormont is held in a cage by Yezzan's overseer.

In the books, Cersei is not beaten by the septas who demand that she confesses.

In the books, the Boltons learn about Stannis' moves from a traitor in his host - Arnolf Karstark.

In the books, the old man does not talk to Arya, nor buys anything from her.

In the books, it is not Ramsay but Hosteen Frey who suggests to attack Stannis rather than wait in Winterfell.

In the books, Jon meets Wun Wun at the Haunted Forest near Castle Black.

In the books, Tormund has one daughter named Munda, not two.