I made a bet with someone that I will explain Game of Thrones in just 15 minutes. Here, below is what I managed to write in 12 minutes and 25 seconds + some cosmetic changes made afterwards. Will it help you if you watched the show? Maybe. Will it help you if you read the books? No. Will it help you if you never read/watched Game of Thrones? Certainly. It's an introduction to the subject, so that you'll get hooked on the idea of what and how plays together. Feel free to shoot me some feedback ;-)
Alright. Here we go. It's not that hard once you simplify everything and get it into a simple equation. Just like math! Even if you don't like math, 1+1=2 is not intimidating, right? Game of Thrones can be easy and fun when you do it the same way. Let's start from the beginning. We'll go slow, easy, and we won't go into all these nerdy details:
1. There is a Kingdom, divided into smaller kingdoms. Think about the United States: it's a country, but it's divided into smaller "countries." Seven Kingdoms is like 50 States of America -> It makes one country but is divided. There are seven kingdoms in it instead of 50 states, so it should actually be easier.
Also:
1.1. On the north, there is a wall, or rather the Wall. Think about the border with Mexico. Yeah. Something like that but the Wall is actually 700 feet tall and makes better job at fighting off illegal immigrants (better known as wildlings, look "also" in 2.). It'll be explained further in expanded edition.
2. There are 7 kingdoms but there are far more families... It's like, there's only 16 presidential candidates but there's far more people in both parties
On request from the editor I'm presenting the main houses (families... it's like last names. In case of John Smith he would be John of the House Smith, his daughter Martha would be Martha of the House Smith and so on), because it will get handy later:
2.1 - Stark -> Rules the North, Eddard "Ned" Stark has been Robert's Hand. Cold as hell
2.2 - Baratheon -> Rules the Stormlands (from the name of its biggest castle - Storm's
End) King Robert's family, going to be explained more in the extended edition
2.3 - Arryn -> Rules the Vale of Arryn, King Robert's previous Hand's family
2.4 - Lannister -> Rules the Westerland, the richest family in Westeros
2.5 - Tully -> Rules the Riverlands, Ned Stark's wife is Catelyn Tully
2.6 - Greyjoy -> Rules the Iron Islands, scumbags, but some people like them (why? no idea)
2.7 - Tyrell -> Rules the Reach, mostly rural, biggest supplier of wheat
2.8 - Martell -> Rules in Dorne, mostly deserts, hot as hell. Martell ruling Dorne is not named as Lord, but as Prince.
2.9 - Targaryen -> Doesn't rule anywhere. Exiled from Westeros and almost completely extinct. For some time married to one of Dothraki's leaders
Also
Wildlings / Free Folk -> People beyond the Wall, north from the North (ruled by Starks), not part of the Seven Kingdoms
Dothraki -> nomads riding horses all day long, attacking everyone who seems weaker, taking slaves... Leader of the horde is named Khal. Khal Drogo married Daenerys Targaryen (look 2.9)
3. Now, there is this fat, ugly, always-drunk king named Robert. He's like the President. Other kingdoms have Lords that are governing them, just like States have their governors. President has his Secretary of State, King has his Hand. Hand basically runs the Seven Kingdoms because King has all better things to do (like eating, sleeping, hunting etc.)
4. The whole story begins when King's Hand is assassinated (look 2.3), and the King goes to the Kingdom of North to request help from his old friend (look 2.1)
5. From now it's all downhill, the story gets crazier with each episode and you start learning that one family, which has been exiled from Seven Kingdoms before the show actually started (look 2.9), wants to come back to power; two biggest families are jumping to each others' throats, and after King Robert dies (spoiler, oops) civil war starts openly; For 4 seasons you don't know who actually killed previous Hand, and when you finally understand who was it, the killer suddenly dies; religious fanatics are wreaking havoc in the capital city; monsters are on their way to the Wall (remember "Winter is Coming" because it's very true)...
6. There is some magic (bringing dead back to life, creating shadows with simple purpose - to kill someone, prophetic dreams etc.), three dragons (there were more of them in ancient times but... but this is a simplified version), religious fanatics, treason, incest, unexpected deaths, beautiful weddings...
7. What is the best in GoT is that there is no "good" and no "evil." Everyone is somewhere in between, everyone tries to get as much for themselves as possible AND stay alive (which actually is not that easy, so don't get too attached). If you ever felt that the "good guys" are winning far too easy, Game of Thrones is what you are looking for!
8. Yes, I really know my shit. Stay tuned for an expended edition ;-)
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