After years of your friends telling you how great Game of Thrones is, you’re finally getting that free seven-day HBO account to try to watch all seven seasons before the series finale. But, there are some things to consider before watching that no one may have told you.
- No One is Safe
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Getting attached to any GOT character is a sure-fire way to ruin your watching experience. No one is safe. The game is dangerous, and every character is a player. Just know: despite there being a riddle of princes and queens, this show isn’t a fairytale. While you may think, “They couldn’t possibly kill [character name],” GOT is a show without restriction that pushes the envelope of what TV is and can be every single season.
- It’s Detail-Heavy
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It’s not a show you can binge-watch while multitasking. There are complex conversations between characters that continously foreshadow future plot lines and that also give important history that can be important in understanding the show as a whole. Missing even one conversation can leave you confused and wondering how people and ideas connect. Game of Thrones is deliberate in every single scene it displays and nothing holds as a filler.
- There’s Lots of Nudity
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If you’re sensitive to nudity, it’s important to note that the first three seasons are heavy on it, with season one being the heaviest. It dies down quite dramatically in the later seasons where most of the focus is heavy on building towards the battle for the throne and outside forces. However, it’s HBO—a premium cable channel—and seeing explicit nudity is something of the norm there.
- Trigger Warnings
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A lot of the triggers that stem from Game of Thrones add to the show and its character development. But if you’re one who has experienced some of these events in real life, it’s important to be informed that there are triggers such as sexual assault, abuse, rape, depictions of blood and murder, and many more harrowing scenes that some may find too gruesome to continue watching.
- It’s More Than a Show about Kings and Queens
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There’s more to the show than a fight for a throne. There’s themes of redemption, honor, loyalty, family, keeping oaths and sacrifice. It’s more than kings, queens—and yes—dragons. There’s a little bit of something for everyone from romance, to historical drama, to comedy, and fantasy.
- Beware of Spoilers
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And last but not least, if you’re binge-watching before the last season starts, get on it. Fast. Because as soon as the first episode of the last season airs, well, “The night is dark and full of spoilers.”
I hope these details are helpful in preparing you for your binge-watching journey!