The Game of Thrones: 8 years. 8 seasons. 72 episodes aired. A cast of thousands. And it all ends on Sunday.
Somewhere around 2002, I had been chatting with some friends about wanting to read another science fiction/fantasy epic (I think I had just finished reading the entire Dune series) and someone suggested I check out the books by George RR Martin. I picked up A Game of Thrones, not knowing what to expect. I immediately fell in love with the Starks, had my heart broken (like a million times) and joined the line of fans eagerly waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for the next book.
Then they announced that the books were being adapted into a TV series. I was cautiously optimistic and was absolutely hooked from episode 1. Of course, for the first several seasons, I kind of knew what to expect and had to bite my tongue to keep from spoiling the big moments (Ned Stark, Red Wedding, etc) for my husband, family and friends, none of whom had read the books. Then, as the TV show passed the plotline of the books, I joined the legions of fans who sat at home, immersed in GoT lore, working up theories and trying to figure out who would win it all. From the start (books and TV) I have never wavered in my own personal “want”: I don’t care who rules Westeros, I just want some of the Starks to survive and thrive.
Season 8 has been… bittersweet. It’s the end and although I know all great shows should end before they sputter out, this season has been a disappointment. I think most GoT fans will agree with me when I say that the storylines would have benefitted from a full season rather than a condensed 6 episodes. But, I’m not here to bemoan the poor decisions of TV executives. Today, I’m sharing 5 ways I’ll be saying farewell to one of my favourite TV shows of all time.
(The Amazon and Book Depository links are Affiliate Links. Click here to read my Advertising & Affiliate Disclaimer)
Cook up a Game of Thrones feast
I purchased A Feast of Ice & Fire: The Official Companion Cookbook years ago when I was obsessed with collecting cookbooks. With an introduction from GRRM himself, this cookbook, by Chelsea Monroe-Cassell & Sariann Lehrer offers a unique take on the recipes that pop up in the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Each recipe comes in two versions: a old-school version based on original recipes from medieval, Roman and Elizabethan cookbooks and then a modern version, made easier for the currently available ingredients and cookware.
I’ve already made a few of the recipes in this book, like Applecakes, Iced Blueberries in Sweet Cream, Sister’s Stew and Lemon Cakes (hi Sansa!) but will be working my way through the cookbook this summer to try and prolong my journey through Westeros.
You can purchase your own copy of A Feast of Ice & Fire here: AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY
Drink enough to make Tyrion proud
Whether you’re into wine, beer or whisky, there’s an alcoholic beverage worthy of Westeros for you. I haven’t tried the wine, but I do have some of the beer and on Sunday, I’ll be toasting the final episode with a glass of Johnny ‘White’ Walker. There’s better GoT whiskies out there, but the fact that this one has a hidden message that only shows up when the bottle is ice-cold makes it one of my favourites.
Listen to the Game of Thrones soundtrack on repeat
Ramin Djawadi is a musical genius. If you don’t believe me, re-watch Game of Thrones and pay VERY close attention to the music. Each House and major character have their own theme and the subtle change in music can sometimes give you hints to what is happening. Examples: When Jon and Daenerys partner up, their individual themes are combined to make a new musical score. Or when a little girl shows up at Winterfell to talk with Davos, a song that Shireen sings in a previous season starts playing in the background. Genius.
Since I work from home, I generally need to have music or some other form of background noise because the silence really gets to me. But if I play music with words, I get distracted because I start singing along (off-key) so usually I have instrumental music on. I’m definitely going to have all the Game of Thrones soundtrack on repeat for the next few weeks!
Put Ghost on a pedestal
This is the saddest Game of Thrones screenshot that I have ever seen. Don’t you just want to run up and give this brave, loyal direwolf the cuddliest of hugs? He deserved better. This lazy end to a storyline (and even more insulting explanation about “CGI costing too much”) alone made Season 8 the worst of the bunch. So my little Funko Pop! Ghost will be sitting on my desk next to me for a long time to come. (You can see him hanging out with my whisky above and guarding my frozen blueberries below).
Start re-reading A Song of Ice and Fire
Well, now that the shows are done, I’m going to pull out my old copies of A Song of Ice and Fire and start re-reading them. Since they’re a million pages long (ok, I’m rounding up. According to Wikipedia, the first 5 books total 4,228 pages), maybe by the time I finish the 5 books the next one (there are supposedly going to be 7 books in total) will have come out (HAHAHAHAHA)
Haven’t read the books yet? You can buy the 5-book set on AMAZON.
[rara_divider color=”#545454″ style=”solid” thickness=”1px” width=”100%” mar_top=”20px” mar_bot=”20px”]
Well, that’s how I’ll be mourning the ending of Game of Thrones. If you watch the shows, I’d love to hear what you think and how you’ll be moving past the show’s ending. Also, let me know if you’ve ever read the books!
Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
