If you look at the opening titles it shows the world from the perspective of north of the Wall, and it's tracking the advance of the army of the dead. In Ep 1 it reaches as far as Last Hearth. In Ep 2, you see it advance on Winterfell. There would only be a point to this if it continues all the way through Ep 6 and the map of the [Seven Kingdoms] is slowly taken over by the Night King.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 24, 2019 16:18 UTC