The Game of Thrones Season 8 premiere is now just days away. The most popular show on television, GoT has been in absentia for a while—so this is a big deal in more ways than one.
It’s the kind of big deal that will inevitably bring some total Thrones novices to the TV just to see what’s up. They’ll be at a loss, though—unless, perhaps, they watch at least 21 important episodes.
Writing in EW, executive producer and writer Bryan Cogman says those who simply can’t plow through the 67 preceding episodes of the HBO fantasy drama before Sunday can get away with a much more doable list of 21.
Here they are:
- “Winter Is Coming” (Season 1, Episode 1)
- “The Kingsroad” (Season 1, Episode 2)
- “Baelor” (Season 1, Episode 9)
- “Fire and Blood” (Season 1, Episode 10)
- “What Is Dead May Never Die” (Season 2, Episode 3)
- “The Old Gods and the New” (Season 2, Episode 6)
- “Blackwater” (Season 2, Episode 9)
- “Walk of Punishment” (Season 3, Episode 3)
- “And Now His Watch Is Ended” (Season 3, Episode 4)
- “Kissed by Fire” (Season 3, Episode 5)
- “The Rains of Castamere” (Season 3, Episode 9)
- “The Laws of Gods and Men” (Season 4, Episode 6)
- “The Mountain and the Viper” (Season 4, Episode 8)
- “The Children” (Season 4, Episode 10)
- “Hardhome” (Season 5, Episode 8)
- “The Door” (Season 6, Episode 5)
- “Battle of the Bastards” (Season 6, Episode 9)
- “The Winds of Winter” (Season 6, Episode 10)
- “The Queen’s Justice” (Season 7, Episode 3)
- “The Spoils of War” (Season 7, Episode 4)
- “The Dragon and the Wolf” (Season 7, Episode 7)
Anyone ready to do additional homework should check out the EW article, as Cogman goes into considerable and informative detail about his reasoning as to why each episode is so important.
It breaks down to this: Most are linchpins to the show’s overall trajectory, and some are just some damn good entertainment.
Time to get your binge watch on—Game of Thrones premieres for the last time on April 14.