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By now, Game of Thrones stars have gotten pretty good at turning the hype machine for upcoming episodes, and Season 7 is no exception. Maisie Williams is already proclaiming Season 7 as the year Game of Thrones “gets REAL,” while poor Kit Harington appears to have been denied scripts. Still exciting, though!

Sesame Street fans were taken aback to learn that the series had more or less done away with Luis the fix-it man, Bob the music teacher, and Gordon the science teacher, cutting actors Emilio Delgado, Bob McGrath, and Roscoe Orman. Now, Sesame CEO Jeff Dunn steps in to clarify the matter, noting that while the actors aren’t fired altogether, they won’t be seen in the current season.

Human characters may not get as much spotlight on Sesame Street, especially since the big move to HBO, but no less than three fan-favorites are officially leaving the neighborhood. Say goodbye to Luis the fix-it man, Bob the music teacher, and Gordon the science teacher, the actors for which have been cut from the series.

It'll be a cold winter waiting for Game of Thrones Season 7 next summer, but that didn't stop the ever-expanding cast from assembling at Comic-Con 2016 to excite fans and tease what's ahead. Filming won't begin until later this year, but what major details did the major Game-players reveal from the assembled cast in San Diego? Our full panel report!

Game of Thrones bosses David Benioff and Dan Weiss haven’t followed up to confirm a potential 13 episodes between Seasons 7 and 8, let alone the later production date to accommodate winter weather, but we may yet have our first new clue. Reports suggest Game of Thrones Season 7 will shoot partly in Iceland in early 2017, but what does that mean for a start date?

Game of Thrones is normally one to employ its most gruesome and spectacular visuals in moderation, a point well-embodied by The Mountain’s undead (but heavily concealed) transformation. Season 6 offered a brief glimpse of the horror in shadow, but gaze for yourself into Ser Gregor Clegane’s putrid new visage.

The mystery of Jon Snow’s parentage over the years became more of a waiting game for Game of Thrones fans, one with an answer that famously greenlit the HBO series in the first place. We haven’t heard author George R.R. Martin weighing on any of Game of Thrones Season 6's big reveals, but it seems the author had covertly tipped his hand to Jon Snow’s father at least as early as 2002.

Game of Thrones may have left Cersei in a position of power greater than any she’d achieved thus far, even if the new Queen’s reign was likely to be a short one, with Daenerys’ dragon-backed fleet racing for Kings’ Landing. Fans have long-theorized who might be the one to ultimately end Cersei’s life, but who does Lena Headey feel deserves the honor?

The “Battle of the Bastards” may be behind us, but Ser Davos’ fighting days are far from over when Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres. Some new photos see actor Liam Cunningham undergoing some bareknuckle (bare finger stump?) training from UFC fighter Conor McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh, just as The Mountain before him.

Whether or not Game of Thrones’ big “Battle of the Bastards” served any purpose but to unseat Ramsay Bolton, there’s no arguing the technical wizardry of the HBO drama’s first proper battle. And while we’ve gotten a few insights into production, check out the vast layering of FX shots in a new reel, to place soldier after soldier after giant after horse into one frame.

Game of Thrones left us with quite a few upsets by Season 6 finale “The Winds of Winter,” though certain reappearances more than ever exacerbated running questions of how quickly characters traverse the map. Now, writer-producer Bryan Cogman offers a frank answer to said riddle, one which sadly never ends with Arya’s best rendition of “I’m On A Boat.”

‘Game of Thrones’ lit a wildfire under “The Winds of Winter” finale but did our Season 6 end spend more time setting up the endgame than making its big twists worthwhile? And should we consider the mother of all Jon Snow fan-theories confirmed? Find out in our full review!