Non-Game of Thrones fans can sometimes feel like Cersei Lannister on her walk of shame, even if they have no idea who she is. Fortunately, Samuel L. Jackson is giving them a new way to quickly gain the basic GoT fluency they need to deal with the millions of die-hards out there. His video recap of the series covers the first five seasons of the hit series in less than eight minutes. With hilarious and profane commentary along the way, even Thrones loyalists will appreciate it.
Jackson serves as the video’s narrator, and scenes from the series correspond with his retelling. To keep things short and sweet, the recap sticks only the most necessary plot points, but they’re all there: the dynamics between key players, the battle for the Iron Throne, and the looming danger of the White Walkers. It is informative and engaging, even if it doesn’t include the “sick” battles.
Perhaps the best part of the video is how Jackson dresses it up with his own opinions. Not only does he label the sadistic Ramsay Bolton (played by Iwan Rheon) a “d–khead,” he likens Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) to Marie Antoinette and calls her brother Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) “a lush.” There is no mincing of words.
The way clips are integrated to illustrate Jackson’s points is just as fantastic. After he criticizes Cersei’s leadership, for example, the following scene shows just how little she cares about her subjects. “Aha, the people,” she tells Tyrion. “You think I care?”
Ultimately, the recap may bring in new fans, because, as Jackson points out, “all of this is nothing compared to what we didn’t have a chance to get into.” To drive the point home, he references some of the show’s most compelling elements, from the betrayals to the heartbreak to the epic battles. Instead of helping the GoT virgins get by at the water-cooler on post-show Mondays, he may have just given them a new addiction.
With HBO wisely ending the video at season 5, those who haven’t seen the series yet can pick up with the most recent season and watch it during the long wait for season 7.
