Game of Thrones’ spin-off series House of the Dragon is set to premier its second season on Sunday, June 16th. What better way to fill the time until then than by watching – or rewatching! – all eight seasons of GOT.
You’ll certainly get your fill of all things brutality, bloodshed and betrayal, making every moment worth the anticipation.
Whether you’re looking for a refresher or curious about what to expect from this mega-popular HBO series, here’s everything you need to know about Game of Thrones, including where to watch in Australia.
WHAT IS THE PLOT OF GAME OF THRONES?
Game of Thrones is a medieval series, set in the fictional continent of Westeros, which has unpredictable seasons and is divided into the Seven Kingdoms and the lands beyond “the Wall” – a massive ice wall. The Seven Kingdoms are a collection of formerly independent realms unified under a single monarch who sits on the Iron Throne.
The series centres on various noble houses engaged in a complex, multifaceted war for the Iron Throne. There are shifting alliances, conflicts and betrayals.
The show gives viewers a front row seat to everything from gruesome deaths, romance and battles to graphic and violent birth scenes as well as the consumption of a horse heart. There are also dragons, eventually.
Pretty much anything goes in this shocking, yet incredibly popular, series. In fact, GOT’s sprawling cast, drama and multiple, interwoven storylines earned it a spot as one of the most popular television shows of all time.
And even though the series concluded in 2019, it seems people still haven’t had their fill. Game of Thrones is ranked as the 39th most popular show online and 3rd most popular TV show on HBO.
CAN YOU WATCH HOUSE OF THE DRAGON BEFORE GAME OF THRONES?
Yes, absolutely. House of the Dragon, which features an entirely different cast, builds on Game of Thrones but doesn’t heavily rely on it for context.
So even without any context for the world, those interested in skipping Game of Thrones to go straight into House of the Dragon will still be able to understand and follow the storyline.
Although, watching Game of Thrones beforehand could make viewing House of the Dragon a richer experience since several of the noble houses remain the same.
WHO ARE THE MAIN HOUSES IN GAME OF THRONES?
The Targaryens, Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons, Greyjoys, Tullys, Arryns, Martells and Tyrells make up the nine houses in Game of Thrones.
The key houses in GOT include:
- The Starks are the rulers of the North.
- The Lannisters are a wealthy family from the West tied to the royal line.
- The Baratheons hold the Iron Throne at the beginning.
- The Targaryens once ruled with dragons, which are thought to be extinct as the story begins.
HOW LONG IS IT BETWEEN HOUSE OF THE DRAGON AND GAME OF THRONES?
House of The Dragon, the first GOT spinoff, is set 200 years before Game of Thrones. It’s adapted from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, which takes place roughly 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.
WAS ANY ACTOR IN EVERY EPISODE OF GOT?
No. There wasn’t a cast member that appeared in every GOT episode. However, there were some that appeared more often than the others.
Before we get into who they were, here’s a fun fact for you. According to IMDB, 852 actors appeared in the sprawling epic.
OK, now back to the actors who made the most appearances.
The actors below appeared in GOT most often:
- Tyrion Lannister, played by Peter Dinklage, takes home the crown as the character who was seen most in GOT. He appeared in 67 of the 73 episodes.
- Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) was next, appearing in 62 episodes.
- Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), daughter of King Aerys II Targaryen (“The Mad King”), played by Scottish actor David Rintoul, tied with Cersei at 62 episodes as well. This is despite the actress suffering two brain aneurysms while filming Game of Thrones.
- Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) appeared in 59 episodes.
- Arya Stark, played by Maisie Williams, appeared in 59 episodes as well throughout all eight seasons.
WHY DOES DAENERYS CALL HERSELF KHALEESI?
Khaleesi means “queen” in the (fictional) language Dothraki, which explains why Daenerys was called this in the first few seasons of Game of Thrones by her followers.
However, Khaleesi is just one of Daenerys’ many titles. The leading character introduces herself with a mouthful of titles: “Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons.”
You’d be mistaken if you assumed Daenerys just added on these fanciful titles to make herself seem more impressive. Instead, each of her titles represents an aspect of her birthright or achievements.
For example, First of Her Name, signifies that Daenerys is the first queen of her name to rule the Seven Kingdoms. And Mother of Dragons came to light when Daenerys managed to hatch three living, fire-breathing dragons from petrified eggs at a time when dragons were thought to be extinct.
WHERE TO WATCH GAME OF THRONES IN AUSTRALIA
There are eight seasons, with 73 episodes that range from 50 to 82 minutes in the Game of Thrones series.
If you are keen to indulge in the entire GOT series, it would take you 70 hours and 14 minutes to watch. That’s just under three entire days if watched back-to-back with no breaks.
Whether you decide to take on the incredible three-day-marathon challenge or simply take your time to savour the series, you can find the entire season of HBO’s Game of Thrones streaming on Foxtel, Foxtel Now and BINGE.
Stream all episodes now with a 7-day free trial from BINGE. START FREE TRIAL.
