Before season 8 started, I was spending hours looking at predictions, fan theories, the history of Westeros and any GoT related info I could find. I found a couple of awesome websites that have treasure troves of information – the best being The Ringer. They’re literally Maesters over there. But then I remembered I shouldn’t necessarily just be reading GoT lore when I’m supposed to be working. Enter my distraction method of choice that isn’t blatantly obvious to all my surrounding coworkers – podcasts.
How could I have forgotten? I live off podcasts! I’ve written about them copiously. Suddenly, a whole new GoT world opened up. Recaps, predictions, spoilers – any info you could want piped right into your earholes. Instead of starting to climb out of the pit of my obsession, I dug a little deeper. So now it’s time to share my info and drag you all down with me. After a few weeks of testing the many, many podcasts in the realm, I’ve narrowed it down to my four favorites.
Binge Mode
I mentioned The Ringer being a great online resource for GoT info, and Binge Mode is their podcast. It’s hosted by Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion and they seriously know all there is to know about GoT. This podcast is like a finely tuned machine – Mal and Jason seamlessly run through every episode and break it down, adding insight from the books, other GRRM source material and I don’t know where else but they seem to know all this insider info that no normal human could know without spending lifetimes in the Citadel. It’s amazing.
Not only is their info accurate and insightful, they funny too. They constantly crack each other up and it’s a joy to listen to. This podcast is the perfect balance of knowledge and humor. There’s a reason it was the number one podcast in all of iTunes the week of the season premiere. Check out their latest episode below.
Recommended for GoT geeks who still want to laugh at the name Needle and the other many sexual innuendos involved in sticking things with the pointy end.
Boars, Gore, & Swords
Their tagline is “The third greatest Game of Thrones podcast,” but I’m listing them at number two for a few reasons. Firstly, their episodes are waiting in my feed Monday morning which I greatly appreciate, and secondly, this is by far the silliest of the podcasts and I’m into it. You should be able to tell this immediately from the theme song. BG&S is hosted by Ivan Hernandez and Red Scott, both stand-up comedians and, pardon my french, huge nerds (I say that as a fellow nerd in the most loving way possible).
This is the most fun of my GoT podcasts, but that’s not to say it isn’t chock full of good info. Their Twitter is on point too.
The biggest myth in the #GameOfThrones fandom is that incest is in the top 100 concerns of any named character
— Ivan and Red (@boarsgoreswords) April 16, 2019
Check out their latest episode at this link.
Recommended for anyone who screams dun dun Da da DUN DUN with the GoT theme song.
Oysters, Clams & Cockles
Another GoT podcast with a super catchy theme song. OCC feels like the GoT podcast for the youth. They’re the podcast for people who “party like Tyrion and slay like Daenerys.” Out of all the podcasts I’ve listened to, OCC is the most connected to their fan base. They call them the clam fam and every week there’s an episode devoted to listener questions and theories. This podcast is the least technical – they’re not book readers, nor do they get too deep into Westeros history and the tiny details of GRRM’s universe. But it’s great for the typical fan who also wants a podcast recap.
Check out their latest episode below.
Recommended for the least nerdiest of your GoT watching friends.
Game of Thrones the Podcast
These dudes put out like 15 podcasts a week. Ok, I’m pretty sure it’s three if you’re not a Patreon, but still, it’s a lot. They have an immediate “instant take” episode right after the show airs, and then a much, much longer deep dive into every second. Hosts Jim Jones and A.Ron Hubbard have very soothing voices and take you through the facts. They know their shit – A.Ron even co-wrote a couple of books about religion in the Song of Ice and Fire universe. I can’t imagine how much time and research went into that…I read all the released A Song of Ice and Fire books and I literally can’t remember a single detail, let alone wrote my own set of books expanding upon the religious landscape of this fantasy world…
Sometimes I miss the forest for the trees. For example, when someone asks in email, “would Rhaegar’s annulment make Dany a bastard?” I spend an hour browsing legal and religious thought on annulments, instead of thinking, “Yo, Dany isn’t Rhaegar’s child.” Mea culpa! – A.Ron
— Bald Move (@BaldMove) April 19, 2019
Check out their latest episode at this link.
Recommended for the nerdiest of your GoT watching friends.
So as you can see, pretty much all I do is listen to Game of Thrones podcasts. I’ve abandoned all my other listening fodder and spend roughly 6 hours a week filling my ears with opinions on whether Ayra will round out Melisandre’s prophecy by killing Cersei (bitch can get it done), and who is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne (hopefully no one – let’s break the wheel). It turns out, no one else I know cares about all my newfound knowledge, but that won’t stop me from sharing it. I’m not sure what I will do when this season is over…I’m creating some really large holes to fill!
