On its eighth season, the television series Game of Thrones (GoT) is ending. The final episode is guaranteed to be a bittersweet moment for the series that has captivated popular imagination since its start. Next Sunday, the question of life after Game of Thrones will loom large, particularly for its production network HBO, which is loath to lose the over $1 billion franchise and will start the production of a GOT prequel successor show in later 2019.
An often overlooked aspect of the Game of Thrones craze is the plethora of creative content on social media and video games that it has inspired, such as art, fanfiction, and a vast Minecraft recreation of Westeros. The platform for much of this content has been YouTube. Video essays, geeky recaps, and comedy sketches have all been uploaded to the site in the series’ eight-year history. As the Age of GoT comes to an end, here are some of the best Game of Thrones’ inspired videos and series.
Game of Thrones Episode Breakdowns (GameSpot Universe)
There are a lot of Game of Thrones recap videos; however, the episode breakdowns from GameSpot (now GameSpot Universe) go beyond the episode. Hosts Lucy James and Ryan Peterson incorporate previous seasons, fan theories, the books, and musings by George R.R. Martin into a narrative that pleases both diehard fans and GoT novices, giving a more in-depth understanding of the series’ world. For fans with the time (some GameSpot episode breakdowns are as long as the episodes they cover), the YouTube channel hosts some of the best discussions on the franchise.
Similar to the series that it covers, GameSpot’s episode breakdowns have received a massive upgrade in production value since they began in season 6 with only mics and a grey wall as the background. In their most recent video, the room is now decked out in full Game of Thrones memorabilia, fitting for the last season. Although GameSpot is likely to end their Game of Thrones breakdowns with the conclusion of the eighth season, their videos are a good source for those seeking to find things they didn’t catch earlier or better understand fan theories and book prophecies, even if many of them failed to be fulfilled in the final season.
Gay of Thrones (Funny or Die)
A much shorter episode recap, Funny or Die’s Gay of Thrones is less about content than comedy. The show stars Jonathan Van Ness and was the star’s first breakout media moment before he became part of Queer Eye’s Fab Five. While grooming a celebrity guest, Van Ness runs through the drama of the latest episode of Game of Thrones complete with nicknames ( Arya “Baby Kill Bill” Stark, “Evil Red Riding Hood” Melisandre, and Daenerys “Christina Aguilera” Targaryen), extreme sass, and nice tips (like how exactly someone should douche). The show has also managed to bring in big-name stars like Tiffany Haddish, Amanda Seales, D’Arcy Carden, Game of Thrones’ own Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), and even features a cameo by George R.R. Martin.
With the conclusion of Game of Thrones fast approaching, it’s almost guaranteed that Gay of Thrones will go all out with its humor, guest stars, and Van Ness’ amazing grooming skills. With its source material wrapping up and its top star becoming increasingly busy with Queer Eye, Gay of Thrones was lucky to have an eighth season at all, and it will certainly be its last. Van Ness has moved on to bigger projects. Still, the comedy in each video is timeless, and there may be a little bit of a plot….
Medieval Land Fun-Time World (Bad Lip Reading)
Game of Thrones is a dark, gritty story that subverts the fantasy genre constantly. It is therefore obviously the target for online creatives trying to subvert its dark subversions. In the subversive category, there are plenty of good candidates that transform the Game of Thrones narrative. Game of Thrones as a Seinfeld Sitcom by matincomedy and RAMSAY BOLTON: The Ultimate Kindest Man in Westeros by Reynauld both completely turn the story on its head; however, they can’t compete with the masterpiece that is Medieval Land Fun-Time World.
With almost 30 million views since it was uploaded five years ago, the Bad Lip Reading (BLR) production is hilarious. The video is perfectly edited, dubbed, and misread to turn the drama and suspense of Game of Thrones’ first season into an unintelligible random mess of a trailer about the opening of a medieval theme park, kitten meat burgers, and iPhones for babies. There hasn’t been a Medieval Land Fun-Time World sequel yet, but maybe the final season will instill the channel’s creator(s) with reason to give us one.
School of Thrones (Will Save Productions)
This three-episode Game of Thrones-inspired high school YouTube series is extremely underrated. Created in 2013, it follows the Targaryens, Starks, Lannisters, Greyjoys, and Baratheons as they take on the struggles of high school with Prom just around the corner. Although its characters and plot are much simpler than in the source material, the School of Thrones story is sweet, allowing us to see a different (younger) take on many of the characters now dead in Game of Thrones’ 8th season. It also correctly predicts Jonerys and that Daenerys will indeed burn it all down.
Sage Hyden on Game of Thrones (Just Write)
Just Write is the YouTube channel of creator Sage Hyden’s video essays and commentary on writing, literature, film, and television, including some on Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones video essays range from those who give the showrunners Dan Benioff and D.B. Weiss praise to outright derision; however, Hyden’s commentary is a bit more complex and contemplative than most. He has at times admired the series, using it as an example in a “writing lessons” video that explains the importance of building empathy in good storytelling, but he has become more critical Benioff and Weiss’ storytelling ability in season 7.
Yet even in criticism, Hyden shies away from ranting but instead decides to take an insightful dive into what can be learned from both failure and success in storytelling. Hyden has not made a video on Game of Thrones during its last season, but he is definitely watching it and is not impressed, commenting under a video by Hello Future Me that rewrote the Battle of Winterfell “I'm just gonna pretend this is what actually happened.” Perhaps another video is soon in the making.
