Game of Thrones and the art of Staying Unspoiled

Game of Thrones spoilers are out there for season 7, but there is good reason to ignore them.

We don’t have to tell you that Game of Thrones is, perhaps, the most popular television drama of all time. It is enjoyed the world over and has broken records for HBO. There will only be two seasons left and no new book to accompany them, so fans are hungry for any bit of information that they can get their hands on. That is understandable.

But now that Game of Thrones is gearing up to end and is in fully uncharted waters, there is an argument to be made here for keeping as spoiler free as possible. Not too long ago HBO stopped allowing the media to watch episodes of Game of Thrones early due to an episode leak. That meant that everyone would have to experience new episodes at the same time and that there would be no early reviews. We would all be in it together.

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There is actually something exciting and comforting about that sentiment. Game of Thrones is ending and we are all on the same level. The temptation to peek ahead at what Game of Thrones has in store is strong, but doing so could seriously lessen the impact of one of television’s finest shows.  There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but imagine what it would feel like going into season 7 completely blind, or as blind as possible.

This is different from avoiding spoilers for any other past season. This is the big one. Staying unspoiled is also going to be more difficult now than it ever was before; everyone is going to be reporting on Game of Thrones leaks, and with a higher frequency.

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There’s nothing wrong with wetting the appetite — a leaked image here, a cast spotting there. But try to think twice before going all-in. Who knows when something like Game of Thrones is going to happen again, and wouldn’t you want to experience it in its pure form?

Or just go hog-wild with it.