It's back for another season, and if you are HBO-less like me, you feel lost around the water cooler when your co-workers start talking about Game of Thrones. But because the show is so complex, there are a few general statements you can say that can make it appear like you watch the show. Here are five-and-half ways to pretend you watch Game of Thrones:
1. "Peter Dinklage is amazing!"
Playing Tyrion Lannister, this disgruntled family outcast steals the show. Without getting too film-critic-nerdy about it, he is rad! Trust me, if you simply sing his praises around others who watch the show, you will appear to be one of them.
2. "Can you believe they killed what's-his-or-her-name!? I was just starting to like him or her!"
When watching Game of Thrones, you can't fall in love with any of the characters (men, women, or eunuchs) because as soon as you do, they die. It's just sort of a thing that happens on the show. Talking about death is almost always a safe bet because odds are someone of significance died in this week's episode. The additional beauty of this statement is you don't have to know the character names. Saying "what's his/her name" will suffice because even fans of the show can't always keep the names straight.
3. "Romantically involved siblings are gross!"
This is something that should go without saying, but chiming in with this at least proves you've watched an episode or two. The additional advantage of this comment is that people will likely not want to follow up, because, well, where do you really go with that topic at work? By going this route, it will look like you watch the show with the added benefit of not worrying about being challenged with show-specific follow-up questions that you won't know the answers to.
4. "Geez, how long does it take for winter to come? They are still wearing shorts and tank tops under their armor in Westeros."
"Winter is coming" is an often used tagline on the show, but now into the fifth season, it appears that the arrival of winter is taking a bit longer than advertised, with many of the kingdoms still enjoying tropical weather or desert-like conditions. You can also throw in a quip like, "I wish our winters were that nice! Huh? Am I right?" Saying something like this could change the topic to your local weather, which you don't need HBO to be an expert on ... you simply need a window.
5. "Jon Snow is dreamy/Khaleesi is hot."
These are the two heartthrobs of the show (at least until one of them dies) so whatever your gender preference, simply blurt this out and it will seem like you are a regular Game of Thrones groupie.
And five-and-a-half: "I like dragons."
This is just a fun thing to say. And while it may not make you an internet star like saying "I like turtles," I think you'll still enjoy it.
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Jack Stahlmann is a corporate speaker and Huffington Post blogger. He can be reached at www.dontflinchguy.com