I know that I am about six years late to be jumping on the "Game of Thrones" bandwagon, but, hey, better late than never, right? It has always been difficult for me to catch on to a TV series and stick with it, so when my friends and boyfriend told me to start watching "Game of Thrones" I was a little indifferent. I mean, I’ve tried series like “The Walking Dead,” “Vampire Diaries,” “Pretty Little Liars,” “House of Cards,” and so on. Yes, they’re amazing and addicting in the first couple of seasons, but after a while, I lose interest and give up. However, this series I think has won. Sure it can give me anxiety and make me want to cover my ears and eyes while running for the hill, but it somehow keeps me wanting more.
If you’re a late bloomer to “Game of Thrones” like myself and you plan to start watching this TV show that will take over your life, then there are a few things I think you should know. I was definitely not prepared with the content that this show provides and I’m still trying to get used to it (I’m only on season 4). So, here are a few things I think you should take into consideration before you decide to watch:
Recommended for you
First of all, it is on HBO.
I say this because I was that person who searched all on Netflix for it for an hour and was so confused as to how everyone was watching it. Then when someone finally informed me it was on HBO, I learned that HBO, like Netflix, has a monthly subscription, but HBO costs $14.99 per month. I almost cried along with my bank account when I found out. However, you could be like me and take advantage of the free trial period and hope to finish the 6 seasons within a month. I have about two weeks left to finish two seasons. I can do it.
It WILL take over your life.
I’m not joking about this. It will seriously become all you think about. You will be mourning character deaths for days, or celebrating their victories with them. There was once a day where I watched almost two seasons straight through without stopping. So, be prepared to not have a life or be social unless it’s to discuss "GOT."
The writers don’t care about killing off characters.
I’m sure a lot of people may have told you this before, but it’s truer than you would think. It could be the main character who the audience loves and adores and they will kill him/her off out of nowhere. You’ll just be sitting at your computer or television screen in shock, wondering what just happened, and how in the world they could kill your favorite character! It’s been a week and I’m still not over some.
Beware of the boobs.
I now understand why so many guys love this show. I was NOT prepared for the nudity when I started watching. There is a reason why this is not on public television. The story of the series isn’t necessarily based around sex or nudity, but they do make sure to throw in a naked women or a sex scene about every five minutes. So, make sure you are aware of your audience around you before pressing the play button.
Beware of all mature themes actually.
Not only is there extreme nudity, but there is a lot of violence and dark themes. Those scenes are the ones where I want to stop watching and have to close my eyes because of how gruesome it can be. However, I don’t because it’s just that intense and addicting. The series does say it is rated Mature for nudity, profanity, extreme violence, and so on, so I guess I was warned. However, you don’t quite understand how much they push the M rating until you begin watching,
Make sure you pay attention.
What I love about this show is how much detail there is in every scene. Even the introduction scene before every episode changes and goes along with the story. There are scenes in the beginning that foreshadow the future that you don’t really realize until they happen. Then you have that moment of, “Oh yeah! Now that makes sense.” Every episode seems to give you a little clue or glimpse as to what’s going to happen and then something totally different could. It definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat and wanting to watch more.
You may start relating everything back to "GOT."
This may sound a little weird, but it’s true. You don’t really realize it until someone brings it up. My boyfriend and I were cooking dinner one night and we realized we were somehow able to relate it back to "Game of Thrones." You even start to think in their dialect and accent. I recently was at a job interview and I had to catch myself before I called the woman interviewing me “Me Lady.”
The “evil” characters will make you want to pull your hair out.
They really will. There will be characters you love, but even more than that there will be characters you hate and despise so much that it will drive you crazy. Hence, making you want to watch it more and more to see what happens to them or if they die.
All in all, the show really does live up to all the hype. I hope that this helped prepare you all for your next binge-worthy television show and that you love it as much as I do.
