The house rules
How we work
Five labels. A ceiling for every kind of source. And a public history every time a label moves.
The five labels
- Confirmed
- HBO, Max or the people who make the show have said or shown it clearly: a press release, an executive on record, a trailer, an episode. A cast member confirming their own role counts too.
- Solid
- Visible in official material but needs interpretation — or reported by a trade outlet with a track record (Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter) citing sources — or the cast was seen filming. Very likely, not announced.
- The Read
- Analysis and estimates: Emmy math, release-date models, critics reading the clues. Useful, never a fact — so it sits off the truth scale.
- Rumor
- Going around without enough backing: fan theories, tabloids, single unsourced posts, leaks. Leaks are logged in words only — never photos, video, scripts or links.
- Debunked
- Shown to be false. It stays on the Wall, in public, so you can see which “sure thing” was not.
Every source has a ceiling
A label can never be higher than its source allows. A trade scoop tops out at Solid — even when it later proves right. Only HBO, Max or the people making the show can make something Confirmed.
| Source | Highest label |
|---|---|
| HBO / Max / Mike White on record; press releases | Confirmed |
| Shown explicitly in a trailer, teaser or episode | Confirmed |
| A cast member, crew member or partner about their own involvement | Confirmed |
| Interpreting official footage | Solid |
| Trade reporting with a track record | Solid |
| Cast or crew seen filming | Solid |
| Analysts and estimates | The Read |
| Fans, tabloids, leaks | Rumor |
Labels move. History stays.
When proof arrives, we never delete the old label and never quietly edit the past. The claim moves — Rumor → Confirmed, or Solid → Debunked — and its history stays public with the date and the source of every step. The Log keeps the diary of every change.
What we never do
- We never post leaked footage, set photos, scripts or links to them.
- We never present an estimate as a fact.
- We never use HBO or Max logos as our own branding.
- We never let a claim go up without a source you can click.