The budget of this highly hyped television series has doubled due to delays, filming issues and a messy, messy set. The network regret their involvement and are fully prepared for a disappointment. Despite the wonderful cast and esteemed crew, they’re thinking a first season cancellation is the most likely result right now.
I hear the actors are FUMING. Don’t expect it to last more than a season, unless something changes.
If the plan is to just treat it as a limited mini series since it's become such a mess then maybe that's why they took the break? Maybe around Ep 6 HBO told them they weren't getting a Season 2 and to wrap up all their story lines in the finale, hence the rewriting for the final episodes?