Game of Thrones

That time of year is upon us again, as this coming Thursday, July 14 sees the announcement of the 2016 Emmy Awards nominations, in a field that seems tougher by each year. Favorites like Game of Thrones hit new levels of spectacle this year, while newcomers like UnREAL and Mr. Robot could split the nominations wide open.

Game of Thrones can be hard enough for fans to keep keep straight, but if ever six seasons of un-pronouncable names and changing alliances should stick, it’d be Samuel L. Jackson recapping the realm. Yes, it seems Jackson hates the Lannisters about as much as he hates Foggy Nelson, recapping the entirety of Game of Thrones in a new video.

With dozens upon dozens of main characters, complex intersecting plots, and a detailed off-screen history, there’s no denying that ‘Game of Thrones’ can be a difficult show to follow. Even as a diehard fan I often refer to Wikipedia pages and read recaps to keep up with the events of the show. But is it actually that hard to understand? Can a total ‘Thrones’ newbie jump into the show six seasons in and figure out what’s happening?

Trailer-crafting can prove every much an art as filmmaking itself, and whether or not Suicide Squad manages to right the course of DC movies, the David Ayer villain thriller will have given us several great promos. So great, in fact, that even your aversion to mash-up trailers wouldn’t dare extend to this pretty spectacular pairing with Game of Thrones.

The mystery of Jon Snow’s parentage over the years became more of a waiting game for Game of Thrones fans, one with an answer that famously greenlit the HBO series in the first place. We haven’t heard author George R.R. Martin weighing on any of Game of Thrones Season 6's big reveals, but it seems the author had covertly tipped his hand to Jon Snow’s father at least as early as 2002.

Game of Thrones may have left Cersei in a position of power greater than any she’d achieved thus far, even if the new Queen’s reign was likely to be a short one, with Daenerys’ dragon-backed fleet racing for Kings’ Landing. Fans have long-theorized who might be the one to ultimately end Cersei’s life, but who does Lena Headey feel deserves the honor?

Game of Thrones Season 6 gave the internet plenty to chew on, between the baddest li’l lady in the North, or Tormund’s sexy bread-eyes for Brienne, most recently setting alight a fleet’s worth of ships for Yara and Daenerys. Said subtle flirtations weren’t in the written script, according to Gemma Whelan, who says “Emilia and I both enjoy the idea” of continuing their relationship in Season 7.

Winter is coming. It’s the phrase bookmarking dozens of Game of Thrones conversations, the motto for the Stark family itself, and now the fans anxious for bane of Season 7. A new interview sees showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss confirming Game of Thrones Season 7 will both shoot, and likely premiere later than usual, owing partially to a need for more wintery landscapes.

Plenty of actors have missed out on Game of Thrones over the years, but rarely does the billion-dollar dragon saga lack the funding to cast its notable names. Such was apparently the case for revered actor Brian Cox, who turned down a role early in the series, a decision he now regrets (but still wants to be paid handsomely for).

The “Battle of the Bastards” may be behind us, but Ser Davos’ fighting days are far from over when Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres. Some new photos see actor Liam Cunningham undergoing some bareknuckle (bare finger stump?) training from UFC fighter Conor McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh, just as The Mountain before him.

If the Golden Globes can reward Lady Gaga, surely ScreenCrush can recognize TV’s best too, right? Right? By gum, we’re going to try.

Game of Thrones’ recent finale didn’t quite leave us with the kind of mystery that drove anticipation for Season 6, though at least one major paternal twist seems to have spurred fan investigation anew. So much so, in fact, that even Siri appears to have been sworn to secrecy by HBO.