Game of Thrones Read Along: Episodes 7-10

by Ivey West

Watching 'Game of Thrones' and trying to read along in the books is quite a challenge. This Readalong post will tell you how far you need to have read for Episodes 7-10 of the second season.

Season two of Game of Thrones has now come to a close. Carla has provided her thoughts on the finale from the non-book-reader’s perspective and the decidedly non-dynamic duo that is me and Bob have also weighed in. For much of the season, I was able to provide these Readalong posts letting folks know exactly how far along in the books to read in order to watch each episode unspoiled. Now that the season is complete, I am now able to fill in the rest of those details.

Unfortunately, things are a little less clear in these episodes. Episode eight introduced a storyline that technically doesn’t start in the book series until A Storm of Swords. In that episode, there are specific chapters from that book represented; however in the finale the storyline continues without specific textual references.

For the seventh episode, “A Man Without Honor,” one would need to have read through Chapter 57: Theon V.

For the eighth episode, “The Prince of Winterfell,” one would need to have also read through Chapter 57: Theon V and also Chapter 2: Jaime I and Chapter 15: Catelyn II from A Storm of Swords.

For the ninth episode, “Blackwater,” one would have need to have read through Chapter 63, Sansa VII.

For the tenth and final episode, “Valar Morghulis,” one would have to have finished A Clash of Kings, which, for the record is Chapter 70: Bran VII. Again, though, Chapters 2 and 15 from A Storm of Swords are required to keep one completely unspoiled.

Now that this season has come to an end, let’s take a look at next season. By all accounts, future seasons’ beginning and ending points will be less and less tied to the timeline of the books. We’ve seen some of that with the chapters from A Storm of Swords sneaking into this season. The timeline for the third season will actually stop mid-book in Storm (those of us that have read the book can hazard a guess as to where) and hopefully a fourth season will be ordered to complete that book. After that, who knows?

My point is this: go ahead and read Storm, and then A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. Why? Because they are great books (Well, two of them are great books … I’ll let you figure that out) and because the series is starting to move – in some areas at least – away from them. Consume both, appreciate both, love both. You’ll be better off for it.

If you’re looking for previous entries, you’ll find them here:

Episode One, “The North Remembers”

Episode Two, “The Night Lands”

Episode Three, “What is Dead May Never Die”

Episode Four, “Garden of Bones”

Episode Five, “The Ghost of Harrenhall” and Episode Six, “The Old Gods and the New”