Game of Thrones fans, I am coming.

I’m not quite there yet, though. In fact, I’m about 5 years behind you. After putting it off for years, I finally sat down a few weeks ago to begin my Game of Thrones journey. I am on season two episode six and I love it.

Image Source: HBO

Here’s the thing with starting a show late, though: If you do it, it’s better to start a show that either already ended or isn’t very popular. If you start late with a popular show that is still going (say, for example, Game of Thrones) you risk scrolling Facebook or Twitter and being bombarded with spoilers.

If you do decide to start Game of Thrones and, like me, don’t want to wait until it’s over, I have a bit of advice:

1. Wait a few years.

I say this because nearly 6 years ago when people were posting about season one, I guarantee you were not paying attention. Besides, so many posts have happened since then that if you were paying attention to posts at the beginning, it’s likely you don’t remember them. That is, unless it’s, “Winter is Coming,” because if you don’t know that one, you may be living under a rock.

2. On days of new episodes, avoid social media.

I realize this is a hard thing to do, but it really is necessary. Social media is where people go to vent. When people vent, they assume you know what they’re talking about. Therefore, unless you want to know exactly who dies on exactly which episode, STAY AWAY. The season five finale aired while I was still in the middle of of season one and I completely forgot the day that it aired. I was lucky and only saw a post that read, “GAME OF THRONES HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME,” but you may not be so lucky. A coworker recently told me about an app that can block spoilers on your news feed. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m looking forward to checking it out:
http://www.spoilershield.com.

Image Source: joe-roberts

3. Everyone dies – accept it.

That may sound like a spoiler, but I promise it actually makes the show better. Have you ever watched a show where the main character is in a life or death situation? You’re sitting there freaking out for only a few seconds before you think, “Hang on, if they kill off that character that would be the end of the show itself. That character legitimately can’t die.” Well, that’s not the case here. Everyone can die, and everyone will die, so those life or death situations are real.

4. Be prepared to pay attention.

That is the first thing I learned from watching Game of Thrones. There are so many stories and so many characters all progressing at once that if you fall asleep for even a few minutes, you’re pretty much screwed. Get some coffee, turn up the volume, and dive in.

Image Source: Yip-Lee

Being a newcomer to a fandom is tough. It feels a bit like trying to track down your drunk friends three hours after they left; you have to figure out all the places they’ve been, and they already have a hundred crazy stories to tell you. Don’t worry, though, you’ll catch up. Just… try not to binge.