**WARNING: Spoilers lie ahead**
“There’s no way he’s going to kill Ned Stark,” I thought to myself as I watched the first season of Game of Thrones this past summer. “He’s basically the Frodo Baggins of this tale, he’s obviously going to win the Iron Throne,” I repeated as that evil bastard Joffrey gave his speech about how he would not tolerate traitors in his realm. “But the show already told me that this is all part of a plan, one where Ned will be saved, and Joffrey already agreed to it,” I thought as Joffrey raised his sword. And then he cut off Ned’s head. Whoops.
For those of you have not started watching (or reading) the Game of Thrones series, do yourself a favor and stop reading this article, get a friend’s HBOGo password, and don’t do anything for the next week but get caught up. What I described above is a relatively small twist in the plot, but at the time of viewing, it was the equivalent of if Voldemort were to kill Harry Potter at the end of the Sorcerer’s Stone, knowing there were six books yet to come. Unlike most stories, which follow a relatively basic story arc behind a main character, Game of Thrones portrays an epic war from the perspective of all sides of the conflict. The author of the books, George R.R. Martin, has stated that the inspiration for his books is loosely based on the War of the Roses (a time in England when multiple families were fighting for the throne), and then he threw in other elements of history, including the armies of Ghenghis Khan and the Vikings. Casual.
In addition to ridiculous plot twists, an attractive cast, extremely well developed characters, and a story that puts almost every other fantasy tale to shame, Game of Thrones is utterly fascinating. There are almost no good guys in this tale, only slightly less bad ones. But I, and practically every other person who has started the show, can’t stop watching. I cannot wait to find out how the three (out of thousands) somewhat good characters will seek their fortunes. But more importantly, I want to see what awful endings the most evil characters in the show will meet.
Since midterm season is in full swing, and we are all looking for new and entertaining ways to procrastinate, what do you have to lose? Just find somebody who has already seen the show to text while you watch. It’s a wild ride.