Top 10 Reasons to Rewatch Game of Thrones
#10: For the World-Building
Everything We Know About the Game of Thrones Prequel
Based on the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series by George R. R. Martin, the world of “Game of Thrones” is rich and detailed. The distinct countries and kingdoms each have their own cultures, languages, religions, traditions and politics. The families have their own complex histories. By now you’ll know your Starks from your Lannisters, the Old Gods of the Forest from the Faith of the Seven, and Westeros from Essos (and if you don’t you’re definitely due a re-watch.) Martin has created a world you can become fully immersed in, and on top of all that, there’s dragons.
#9: For the Plots & Characters You Forgot About
Top 10 Game of Thrones Characters Who Got What They Deserved
As a “Game of Thrones” newbie, it can be a struggle to keep up with the many plot strands and character names. The beauty of returning with hindsight is that now you can get a firmer grasp on all the intricacies. Who was Jon Arryn and who killed him? Why was Tywin at Haarenhaal anyway? Who fought on what side in all these wars they keep referencing? Being able to put names to faces is also surprisingly satisfying. This time you know who lives and who dies, you know when those big scenes are coming and you can appreciate the little details and the early moments you forgot all about.
#8: For the Battles
Top 10 Game of Thrones Battles
“Game of Thrones” is a show that loves long, dialogue heavy scenes, full of detail about the characters and the politics of the world. Because of this the big set pieces feel earned and they always have a massive emotional impact. There are people we care about on both sides, and the show is never afraid to kill off our favourites, so the stakes are always high. In the early seasons, battles were talked about rather than seen, but moments like Tyrion’s speech at Blackwater still packed a punch. As the budget increased so did the spectacle, and by the time you get to the Battle of the Bastards you’re experiencing something really special.
#7: For the Costumes
Top 10 Game of Thrones Easter Eggs in House of the Dragon
For fantasy shows, costume design is important, as good costuming helps us believe in the world and the characters. “Game of Thrones” won multiple awards for it’s costume designer, Michele Clapton and it’s not hard to see why. Each beautifully detailed outfit tells a story or reveals something about the person wearing it. In the case of major players like Cersei, Daenerys or Sansa, a change in look marks a new chapter for their character. Even the very minor characters have their own journey - look out for a maid of Cersei’s whose style changes to mirror her mistress.
#6: For the Characters
Top 20 Best Game of Thrones Characters
What was the real reason that “Game of Thrones” became such a big hit? Was it the politics, the sex, the dragons - or just that we cared about these characters so much? Despite living in a fantasy world, they feel like real people. The good guys sometimes do terrible things and even the villains are allowed their moments of humanity. The family relationships are dysfunctional, endearing and heartbreaking by turns. There are unexpected friendships, doomed romances, a lot of darkness, but also plenty of warmth and humour. We’ve all got our favourites and it’s worth a re-watch just to spend time with them again, however things turned out for them in the end.
#5: For the Pay-Offs
Game of Thrones Season 8: TRAILER BREAKDOWN
There’s a definite satisfaction in bingeing a show that once made us wait weeks - and years - for the answers we craved. Did we always get the results we wanted? No. The ending was a case in point. But when plans work out, mysteries are solved, or justice is served, it’s a thing to behold. It’s not nice to wish death on someone, even if that someone is fictional, but revenge is sweet, and “Game of Thrones” crosses names off lists with style. Call-backs to earlier seasons are all the sweeter on a second watch and spotting the early clues to later events adds an extra layer of enjoyment.
#4: To Get Emotional All Over Again
Top 20 Game of Thrones Moments
For a show that’s been dismissed as nothing but “tits and dragons” it’s amazing how emotional it all was. Emmy-winning performances, heartbreaking dialogue, and storylines that took us through hell and back, all played their part. We invested in the characters and they went through a lot, so when families were reunited, hearts were broken or hopes were dashed, we felt those emotions right along with them. Any show with such a huge cultural impact will bring nostalgia with it, and it’s worth it just to remember that feeling of watching for the first time. But there’s also a reason that this show got us in the feels.
#3: Because the Ending Isn’t as Bad as You Remember
The outcry of disappointment over season 8 was too loud to be ignored, but was it really as terrible as you remember? Maybe. But there was so much anticipation and so few episodes in which to wrap up so many storylines that it was never going to satisfy everyone. No-one wanted Bran on the Iron Throne, but it kind of makes sense. Daenerys’s final turn was definitely not what we wanted, but “Game of Thrones” was never about happy endings and it was signposted. Whatever you thought of that penultimate episode, it was also - dare we say it - gripping TV. We all like to scream at the screen once in a while, and there were some gems amid the wreckage of that final season.
#2: For the Water Cooler Moments
Top 10 Darkest Game of Thrones Moments
By the final season, “Game of Thrones” was a show everyone was talking about - and not just fantasy fans. From the moment Sean Bean’s Ned Stark got his head chopped off, we knew this was a series prepared to take risks. By the time we reached the Red Wedding, the big watercooler moments were earning front page headlines. Oberyn Martell’s combat with the Mountain, the army of the dead at Hardhome … they just kept coming. We watched the big deaths, long awaited battles, and shocking twists and turns with bated breath, and couldn’t wait to discuss the details the next day.
#1: Because the Prequels Are Coming
Top 10 Biggest Game of Thrones Twists
“Game of Thrones” might be over, but HBO isn’t finished with the world that George R.R. Martin created. A number of spin-off series have been in discussion and the first prequel “The House of the Dragon” is coming to our screens in 2022. Starring Paddy Considine, Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, and Rhys Ifans, the series is based on Martin’s book about Targaryen history, “Fire and Blood”. It will be set 200 years before the events in “A Game of Thrones”, during a turbulent period that culminated in the Dance of the Dragons - a civil war between Aegon II and his sister Rhaenyra. Sound confusing? Might be time to re-watch the original series and refresh your knowledge of Targaryen history.
