'Game of Thrones' Spoilers: To End at Season 7, or Season 8, as Pace of HBO Show Quickens

Much as most "Game of Thrones" fans would want the HBO show to go on forever, readers of the book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" know that there is a timeline in place — a beginning and an end, even if that ending still has to be written.

A look at Season 5 gives viewers an insight into the schedule that HBO's showrunners have in their own heads. The pace has picked up considerably with the first four seasons covering the first three books, and Season 5 seemingly flying through two books. It looks highly likely that the series will end at Season 7, or at most Season 8.

Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have hinted in the past that their dream length for the series is seven seasons. This view is different from that of HBO executives who would like to see at least 10 years of the show. This is understandable considering that "Game of Thrones" is HBO's current flagship series. It may be safe to assume that these two camps may reach a happy middle ground. Some fans speculate maybe a run until Season 8, with more episodes than normal.

Looking at Season 5, five of the most significant plotlines in "A Feast of Crows" and "A Dance with Dragons" seem on track to reach their end by the end of the season based on the current pace. These plotlines are: Cersei versus the Sparrows, Arya and the Faceless Man, Jon assuming command of the Night's Watch, Tyrion travelling to Mereen, and Daenerys's troubles with ruling the city.

There may be significant "cuts" from the books to fit everything into the season, with many characters never seeing the light of day on TV. The showrunners of the series have been known to get away with that in the past.

What is quite impressive is how Benioff and Weiss combined a lot of plotlines and even put their own spin on things, like Jamie going to Dorne instead of the Riverlands, and with Bronn accompanying him. The best though is the combination of Sansa, Littlefinger, Roose Bolton, Ramsey Bolton, Theon/Reek, Brienne and Pod in one single storyline which never happened in the books. Littlefinger has promised Sansa to Ramsey to acquire more power and allies from Roose. Brienne and Pod will attempt to save Sansa. And maybe Theon will have a role to play when Ramsey tries to pull Sansa into his own warped world. Come to think of it, who is worse: Joffrey or Ramsey? Poor Sansa.

Seasons 6 and 7 will be a race that the series will definitely win over the books. "Winds of Winter" might finally get released before Season 6 is aired. However, the last book, "A Dream of Spring," is expected to take years before it gets released. Hence the series will likely end before the books are completed.

Whether HBO and the showrunners decide to end everything by Season 7, or Season 8, we will just wait and see. One thing's for sure, Season 5 will cover everything that has been written thus far.