None of us are ready for Game of Thrones to end, but the inevitable is nigh, so it’s time to start planning for the future.
At SXSW, the Game of Thrones crew again teased about HBO’s interest in doing a spinoff series once this show is over. They loosely talked about continuing a surviving character’s story, but let’s be honest, most of us don’t want that. Once the current characters’ storylines are over, it’s best to leave it be and let it die a Catelyn Stark permanent and un-revived death, before it becomes ridiculous (see Lost and Supernatural).
Instead, let’s see some prequel stories. Let’s see how current characters came to be, what their ancestors had to contend with, or go way back to show Westeros and Essos origins. Here are seven ideas they better should use for a Game of Thrones spinoff series:
Brynden the Three-Eyed Hand
Who wouldn’t want to know how a man came to be one with a tree? That guy must have stories to tell. How did Brynden Targaryen become Brynden Rivers, and how did he then become the Three-Eyed Crow? The tree-man Bran meets has an eventful and diverse past that lends itself well to a television series.
Brynden’s history includes both familiar and new storylines to Game of Thrones fans. As Hand of the King for many years, Brynden had first hand involvement in determining the Iron Throne’s successors. He was also alive during a time when drought and disease were rampant in the city. This part of his history includes the Blackfyre rebellions, which leads directly into his time serving the Night’s Watch, and what followed afterwards.
This series could greatly differ from Game of Thrones, as it wouldn’t require a multitude of characters. It could easily follow Brynden alone, with scattered subplots of supporting characters.
Nymeria’s whereabouts
Before you laugh under the assumption this is a joke, remember that there are plenty of movies starring dogs: Homeward Bound, countless Lassie films, and various Air Buds.
Just think, we could see anything, and anyone. At this point in both Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire, we have no idea where Nymeria is and what she’s been up to. If you’ve read the books, there are certainly clues through Arya’s dreams, but these are just snapshots of a huge picture.
Nymeria has the same mischievous and adventurous spirit as Arya, it would be fun and different to see even one season of Nymeria’s whereabouts and activities. Potentially there could be appearances of favorite characters who she stumbles upon on her travels, or events only mentioned in Game of Thrones but she witnessed.
A dog is a fly on the wall in important conversations. People say anything in front of them because they can’t understand, so with Nymeria, we’re able to eavesdrop on stratagems we previously weren’t able to. It’s a great way to fill in any blanks.
Children of the Forest
The one scene we got in Game of Thrones where we see how the White Walkers came to be was amazing. More of that please!
Following the lives of the Children of the Forest, this series would have loads more magic. It could go as far back as their introduction to the First Men, and follow the tale to show how humans destroyed their land, making them an endangered race. It’s tragic, falling in line perfectly with what Game of Thrones fans are used to.
Doom of Valyria
A Song of Ice and Fire doesn’t just take place in Westeros though. Across the sea, Essos also has interesting histories and origins to explore. The Valyrian Freehold was once an empire habited by shepherds and countrymen, as well as a familiar family to Game of Thrones fans: Targaryens.
It was the Valyrians who discovered dragons and somehow learned to tame them, and this pluckiness is exactly how Valyrians conquered several cities. Just think, it would be a show consisting entirely of Dany’s most badass moments.
This story would also result in the coolest series finale ever, with the Doom of Valyria. Not only would it be amazing for curiosity’s sake to see what actually caused the Doom, but to have a finale where everyone dies would be epic. It’s How to Train Your Dragon meets Pompeii, and who doesn’t love dragons and destruction?
Dornish Conquests
Following the Doom of Valyria, Aegon I Targaryen attempted to conquer the Seven Kingdoms, and he mostly succeeded. The Dornish were the only ones to resist. Though Dorne was frequently fighting against houses of the Red Mountains, Aegon’s Conquest was the start of multiple large conflicts involving Dorne, which carried into Robert’s Rebellion.
Game of Thrones certainly owes Dornishmen their time in the sun, and having a series dedicated to their history gives them the glory they’ve been denied.
Robert’s Rebellion
The most popular choice for a spinoff goes to the story that precedes Game of Thrones. Robert’s Rebellion is the most recent part of history that’s reminiscent of the current series in terms of political turmoil and war, and it wasn’t even that long ago. It takes place during the heyday of Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon, and includes favorites we’ve never seen, like Rhaegar Targaryen.
There have been snippets of this part of history scattered across the series through dialogue and Bran’s warging, but it’s all just a tease. It would be so enriching to the Game of Thrones story to actually see what lead up to the rebellion, and the battles (both verbal and physical) that ensued, culminating with Jaime killing Aerys. We’d get to see how current relationships were created and broken, with dramatic irony making the experience that much more interesting.
Dunk and Egg
Possibly the most obvious choice for a spinoff series is adapting the Tales of Dunk and Egg. The materials are already available to be adapted, there’s no need to create the main story points. It could be a short series run, but of course if they wanted to milk it for all its worth they could easily add content. We’ve already seen in Game of Thrones that they’re capable of adding interesting storylines that weren’t canon (at least, they’re capable most of the time).
Dunk and Egg are also the perfect characters for a Game of Thrones spinoff because of their descendants. They’re distantly related enough to favorites that it would feel like we’re getting a new story without completely leaving behind the one we initially fell in love with.