The inevitable post about Game of Thrones

As much as I consider myself a pop culture fanatic, I also get into TV shows considerably later than everyone else.  Consider that I got into Lost, How I Met Your Mother, and Mad Men after their second seasons had already aired and finished on TV.  And I'll admit it -- I have never seen an episode of Breaking Bad or Downtown Abbey, watched only two episodes of The Walking Dead (which I liked), and only started watching 30 Rock in earnest this year, which is a shame because it is simply hilarious.

And then there's Game of Thrones.  

I only read the books because my husband had gone through all of them and had only praise.  It took me a really long time to get through the books that are out.  My first impression was not that enthusiastic and after reading the fifth book, I still haven't warmed to the series.

As for the show, I had watched a few episodes and again, was not super excited to watch it.  In fact, I kept having the tendency of falling asleep.  "But how?!" you scream.  It took me a really long to stop falling asleep while watching The Godfather and realize how brilliant of a film that is, so maybe this the same.

However, I'm forcing myself to watch this season because I've already read the books.  More importantly, it's for the water cooler talk.  God, I can't escape it.  Even though season four is only two episodes in, it's everywhere.  I can't be the annoying person that asks, "So, did that happen in the latest episode?  Oh, did I just spoil something?  Uh, sorry."  Because that's what will inevitably happen and has happened for the past two weeks.  True, I could just read the reviews for experts on The AV Club and that would save me the hour of watching the show, but then I feel like I'm raining on everyone's parade.

(Stop reading here if you don't want to read any spoilers.  I mean it.  I'm bringing in stuff from the books.)

I suppose this season of Game of Thrones will also be my favorite considering I liked the third book the most.  Aaaaaaand spoiler alert -- there's lots of deaths.  Is it weird that I'm looking forward to them?  Joffrey's death in the second episode of season four was one of those, "Hell yeah!" TV moments.  I was wondering if that would happen in the first episodes, and I'm glad that the writers hadn't pushed it towards later in the season.  I also can't wait for Tywin and Shae to die and see Peter Dinklage's acting in that particular scene.  He has added a lot of subtlety to the character that is probably one of the main reasons that I haven't said, "Screw the water cooler talk" yet.

With only ten episodes per season, I will probably be watching it, but Game of Thrones definitely has lower priority than Mad Men.

On a related note, this article about a professor at a community college near my hometown who was arrested because, as the AV Club put it, his shirt "threatened community college kingdom," makes me cringe.  I so don't want to be that person who doesn't get really obvious pop culture references.