Here’s the cure to your Game of Thrones hangover!
Another season of Game of Thrones has gone and now the dreaded wait begins. Since the shooting for the next season will not start until October, this time the wait might well be longer. Even though this season was pretty weak, it was still damn good. Game of Thrones is like pizza – even when it is bad, it is still quite good. HBO’s sumptuous fantasy drama has captured so much of our imagination with its gigantic scale, well-drawn characters, intricate plot and stunning art design. So, what to do till the final season hits the screens? You can of course discuss fan theories in those countless forums, but we recommend watching these shows instead. There are tonnes of TV shows that are a lot like Game of Thrones in terms of setting, structure, tone, themes and so on and we present a list of five such shows. These shows may well fill up the Game of Thrones shaped hole in your heart.
(1) Rome
From HBO’s own stables, Rome was an authentic portrayal of the ancient Roman way of life around events surrounding the end of the Republic. Like Game of Thrones, it was full of engrossing characters and depicted a gritty Rome as opposed to the polished marble look viewers were used to in other productions. It also had tonnes of sex and even a bit of incest. It only ran for two seasons, but covered a coherent plot in 22 episodes which began with Julius Caesar’s rise and ended with the beginning of Roman Empire.
(2) Vikings
Michael Hirst’s creation Vikings is a depiction of the ancient Scandinavian raiders whose influence once extended to Africa in south and the Americas in the west. This TV series has a intriguingly shifty protagonist in Ragnar Lothbrok, based on a real life vikings. This show is chock full of complex characters who resemble actual humans instead of characters in a TV series. If all that is not enough to lure you in, this superb trailer sure will.
(3) The Last Kingdom
Based on the amazing book series by British writer Bernard Cornwell, BBC’s The Last Kingdom follows the invasion of Danish vikings of the place that would later be called England. The protagonist is a torn man who loves the viking way of like but is a Northumbrian. His loyalties are so confused that he fights for Alfred (yes, the Alfred the Great) against the people he loves. The title sequence of The Last Kingdom shows a map of England which is being engulfed by a wave but stops just before Wessex – the last kingdom that held out and whose monarch – Alfred – first came up with the idea of England.
(4) The Walking Dead
Although in terms of setting, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead are vastly different, but both shows are pretty similar to each other when it comes to thematic elements. Important characters die horrible deaths and the whole world has a depressive aura. Conscientious people are killed off unless they steel themselves and become ruthless instead.
(5) The Borgias
If you think the Lannisters are the worst family on television, wait till you meet the Borgias. Simply put, the infamous Borgias were Lannisters multiplied by 10. And these people were real as opposed to the Lannisters. The patriarch of the family is Rodrigo Borgia, played by the brilliant Jeremy Irons, who later becomes the pope. Everything you love in Game of Thrones is here. Minus the fantasy elements, of course. The ambition, intrigues and lots of politics.
And that’s the way to cure the Game of Thrones hangover!
