Season 6 of Game of Thrones has come and gone faster than wildfire and many of us have been left wondering what we’re going to do with ourselves for the next year. Add to that the news from showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss that season 7 will likely debut later than the typical March and April, and we’re in for a long winter of waiting. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for filling the void left by our beloved Westerosians.
Watch another “sword and sandal boots” Drama.
With three seasons under its belt Vikings, on The History Channel, will definitely fill a decent chunk of the time between now and Game of Thrones Season 7. The show follows farmer and possible descendant of Odin, Ragnar Lothbrok as he challenges his local chieftain for supremacy and the right to sail west to conquer new lands. Though popular and well reviewed, Vikings is a little tamer than Thrones without the content freedom HBO provides. If you want your violence a little bloodier and characters a little more nude from time to time, give HBO’s underappreciated and cancelled to soon Rome or Starz’s, Treasure Island prequel, Black Sails a try.
Read the Books.
The most recent tome in A Song of Ice and Fire, A Dance with Dragons, came out in 2011 and fans of the literary series have been hounding George R. R. Martin for the next installment, The Winds of Winter, ever since. I had never read the books myself and just recently started A Game of Thrones in an effort to read more in general, and be able to obsess further over the series by ingesting every bit of information out there. The upside to starting now is that much like binge watching a TV series to get current, you may be able to finish the books just in time for Martin to finally release Winds. Then you’ll only have to suffer along with fans waiting for the final chapter, A Dream of Spring. Though the series does largely follow the books, most notably the first, through its first five seasons, they’re definitely worth reading. You get more insight into the characters thoughts and there are deviations for sure.
Try to Get Your Mind Out of Westeros.
Sometimes when you simply can’t wait for more of something it’s best to focus your attention elsewhere. There’s certainly no shortage of non-GOT entertainment out there for you to consume, but allow me to recommend something about as opposite Thrones as you can get – Netflix’s Lady Dynamite. Comedian Maria Bamford’s semi-autobiographical show about her own mental breakdown, comedy, and love life, is a bit hard to pin down. Surreal, frank, and hilarious, Dynamite sets a precedent in its opening scene. If you’re on board, it’s likely you’ll enjoy the whole twelve episode season. Bamford’s slightly askew perspective not your thing? Try dedicating yourself to a classic show with a huge back catalog. Netflix has all ten seasons of Friends and all eleven of Cheers to fill the giant Drogon shaped hole in your life.
Give into the Obsession.
Never going to get your mind off4 Game of Thrones? Well, I can’t argue with you too much there. If you want to feed the beast and go full string and thumbtack wall hypothesizing about Thrones there is no shortage of YouTubers ready to give you a deep dive into Westeros, especially season 6. Filup Molina (New Rockstars) is one of the best recappers I’ve come across. He goes through each episode of the most recent season with a fine toothed comb leaving no detail and the possible meaning behind it, unturned. His breakdowns are always at least 30 minutes, giving your Game of Thrones brain a lot to chew on. Looking for something a little less down the rabbit hole? Check out Alt Shift X for his self-described “quick, clear explanations”. Recaps run about 15 minutes or less.
New Rockstars
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4xEo4XxrSJZ7bsCnBh2aPppaKv-x4e34
Alt Shift X
