Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
The fifth season of Game of Thrones was crazy-exciting, at times horrifically offensive, and altogether spellbinding to watch. It’s also over.
It’s going to be tough waiting ten months to find out how Daenerys will be received by the Dothraki, if Sansa and Theon survived their fall, and if Jon Snow really truly is as dead as dead can be. So, to tie you over until spring 2016, we’ve assembled a list of great titles on streaming that play on the same themes of Game of Thrones and that feature some of our favorite faces from the show.
Say a prayer to the Lord of Light and stream one of these tonight — for the night is dark and full of terrors, and your favorite streaming app can light the way.
If you're jones-ing for some epic period drama (with an HBO twist)... Check out 'Rome.'
Rome is one of my favorite television shows of all time and I will find any excuse to talk about it. In any event, Rome is essentially Game of Thrones without all the magic. Oh, and it’s based on the real history surrounding the foundation of the Roman empire. The show is chock full of battles, love affairs, murders, and ancient families waging political warfare. [Watch Rome on HBO NOW, HBO GO, or Amazon Prime]
If you're already missing that amazing cast… Check out Acorn TV’s "Before The Throne"
Fantasy is a tricky genre to pull off. It needs scope and spectacle to be sure, but it also needs talented actors who can make you believe in the emotional reality of the story. Game of Thrones has one of the most prestigious casts in television and right now Acorn TV — that purveyor of high class British television — has curated a playlist called “Before the Throne.” You can see Margaery Tyrell strut her stuff on a detective show, Littlefinger go gay in Queer as Folk, and Ned Stark strip down in Lady Chatterley. [Watch “Before The Throne” on Acorn TV]
If you want more dirt on the war that inspired it all... Watch 'The White Queen'
While it’s true that George RR Martin was inspired by a variety of historical figures and literary sagas, there’s one real life war whose legacy is all over Game of Thrones: the War of the Roses. The White Queen is a sexy look at the lives of the women whose passions influenced the politics of the era. Be careful, though. Even though the Yorks and Lancasters can be easily compared to the Starks and Lannisters, that doesn’t mean Game of Thrones will win the way the War of the Roses did… You know, with a marriage between the displaced house of York and the invading, dragon-banner toting, House of Tudor. [Watch The White Queen on Amazon Prime]
If you're obsessed with dem dragons... There's always 'The Hobbit' Trilogy
It was pretty awesome when Drogon swooped into the arena and saved Daenerys from the Sons of the Harpy. If you can’t wait until next year to see more dragons, more flying, and more people being burnt to a crisp, you can always watch The Hobbit trilogy. Not only is it classic high fantasy, but you can check out Benedict Cumberbatch bringing the infamous dragon Smaug to life. [Watch The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on HBO NOW or HBO GO]
If you can’t get enough Dinklage… Watch ‘The Station Agent’
There wasn’t enough Tyrion this season, was there? In the past, he’s visited the wall, fought at the Battle of the Blackwater, and run the show at King’s Landing. This season, he was just dragged all over the place. If you need to see more of the Dink, you can catch him in this summer’s Pixels or in the classic indie drama, The Station Agent. [Watch The Station Agent on Netflix]
If you’re stanning for Queen Cersei… Revisit '300.'
Oh Cersei… After surviving her walk of literal shame — No, really, I still can’t believe a woman followed her the whole way crying out “shame!” — Cersei might be beaten down, but she remains unbroken. If you want to see just what kind of ferocity Lena Headey can bring, check out the crazy action epic 300. Headey plays real life Spartan queen Gorgo, who was as legendary for her beauty as she was for her wit and power.[Where to stream 300]
If you wanted more fighting pits action… Try ‘Spartacus’
Season five brought us to the fighting pits of Meereen and we got a taste for the grisly glory of Ancient Roman gladiatorial games. If you wished Game of Thrones had spent more time there and less time in the Water Gardens of Dorne, you might really dig Spartacus. The show has an insanely loyal fan base, which may be in part due to the high stakes drama, or to the full-frontal male nudity. Man up, Daario. [Watch Spartacus on Netflix]
If you’re worried about Jon Snow… There’s 'Pompeii'
Sunday night’s fifth season finale left our beloved Lord Commander in mortal peril. While the internet debates whether or not he’s dead for good, get your Kit Harington fix in the swords and sandal spectacle, Pompeii. Warning: he might be in even more danger in this flick. [Where to stream Pompeii]
If you love the Sand Snakes and you don’t care who knows it… You need to watch 'Whale Rider'
Rosabell Laurenti Sellers isn’t the only sexy Sand Snake with a child star past. You may recall that the actress who plays Obara, Keisha Castle-Hughes, was rocketed to international stardom when she was nominated for an Oscar at the tender age of 13 for her astonishing performance in Whale Rider. After that she appeared opposite a young Oscar Isaac in The Nativity Story and then left the public eye to have a child at the young age of 17. [Watch Whale Rider on Hulu]
If you love period dramas, but stopped watching 'Game of Thrones because it got too upsetting… Get ready for ‘Poldark’
We know that a lot of people stopped watching Game of Thrones this season because it got a bit too unsettling. There was a lot of rape, murder, and a little girl was burned at the stake. If you miss the time when period drama came without a side of sexual assault, gore, and torture, then you might want to check out Masterpiece’s newest BBC drama. Poldark is an enchanting yarn about a swashbuckling hero who has to rebuild his life after the Revolutionary War. So far, we haven’t seen any rape. There’s some brawling and some sexy times, but it’s all quite tame, sweet, and earnest. Poldark premieres this Sunday, June 21. [Check out Poldark at PBS]
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