HBO’s new aftershow delves deep into Game of Thrones — and it’s free for now

By Stephanie Topacio Long April 27, 2016

It’s not hard to find someone to talk Game of Thrones with, but new opinions are always nice. HBO’s new aftershow, After the Thrones, encourages the conversation by bringing viewers GoT recaps, in-depth analysis, and crazy theories, courtesy of hosts Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan. To get fans hooked, HBO has made the first episode available for free on HBO.com, Facebook, and YouTube, with the free sampling set to expire on May 23.

The premium cable network promises a “lively, humorous, and sophisticated look” at the fantasy drama as it unfolds during season 6. Given the amount of twists and turns that routinely occur on Game of Thrones, the series is perfect for an aftershow. Viewers are always eager to dissect “the whos, the whats, the whens, the wheres, (and) the WTFs,” as Ryan calls them in the first After the Thrones episode.

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Greenwald and Ryan jumped right into it in the aftershow’s premiere. Not surprisingly, the first issue addressed on After the Thrones (spoiler alert!) was Jon Snow (played by Kit Harington) — specifically, his death and whether or not he has a future on the show. Like many fans, Greenwald is adamant that the beloved character’s death is just temporary.

“To my mind, the important question is, how and when he is coming back,” says Greenwald in the episode. “Now, call me a member of the Faith Militant if you must, but I am a Jon Snow truther. I remain convinced that he will be back in some shape or form this season.”

The duo’s discussion continues from there, filling over half an hour. While many Game of Thrones fans spend at least that much time engaging in similar conversations weekly, what they don’t have is the ability to seamlessly integrate clips from the show into their conversation, along with an interactive map and other useful visual aids. (At least probably not. There are some serious die-hards out there.)

The GoT faithful won’t want to miss After the Thrones each week. It will be available on Mondays on HBO Now, HBO Go, and HBO On Demand, as well as via other affiliate portals.

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Stephanie Topacio Long

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…

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