Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Unless you have been living under a rock or away from civilization, surely you must know that final season of ‘Game of Thrones’ has already aired on HBO. The epic fantasy had its concluding run from April 14, 2019, to May 19, 2019. Although the series had started off based on the novels of George R.R. Martin, titled ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’, the show soon took on a life of its own and began to gallop ahead of the content of the novels, and with this advancement came deviations, so much so that the author has now come forth and said that he will ensure his books end in a different way. Anyway, with its liberal use of violence, politics, and sex, ‘Game of Thrones‘ rose above being merely a show and became more of a unifying cultural phenomenon.
Seven seasons of political scheming, sexual manipulations, and good old-fashioned executions built up to a final season that left many gaping in wonder, and quite a few disgruntled with the way D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, the show’s creators, handled matters.
Nonetheless, if you have not seen the show by now, you must have gotten spoilers. While we are sorry you will not have the thrill of a spoiler-free experience, it is worth watching the final season for the grand and well-shot battle scenes (no, ‘The Battle of Winterfell‘ was not too dark to see!). If you have managed to avoid spoilers, we applaud you and assure you that you are in for a season of twists and turns. Anyhow, be it first time watcher or someone who wants to rewatch the season since they are missing ‘Game of Thrones’, we bring you the best places to stream it from. However, before that, let us quickly walk you through ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8.
What is Game of Thrones Season 8 About?
‘Game of Thrones’ has taken a long time to head towards its final stage. Over the seasons we have seen several potentially major characters killed off, to finally come to the incidents of Season 8. To briefly make you aware of what went down, right from the start of the season, the greatest threat that Westeros (the fictional land where the show is based) is facing, is the White Walker army, headed by the Night King. With the potential to wipe out all life force, this is not a foe to be trifled with. Oh, and before we forget, he has a dragon as well. Things are tense right from the start as almost anyone and everyone flock to Winterfell, which is the first major line of defense against the White Walkers. We are made aware that the Night King will try to kill Bran Stark, who is now the Three-Eyed Raven and is essentially omnipresent.
The battle lines are drawn, everyone has their work cut out, and the first couple of episodes are spent in the anticipation of the battle. What was shaped up to be one of the biggest and toughest battles was wrapped up in one episode, with Arya Stark and her ninja assassin skills forming one of the highlights of the episode and the entire show, in fact.
However, lives are lost, but there is little time to mourn because Daenerys Targaryen, who brought her armies and her dragons to Westeros only helped Jon Snow and the Northerners to fight the White Walkers because she loves Jon and also because she thought of them as the bigger threat. With this threat eliminated, she now squarely focuses on her destiny, the Iron Throne in King’s Landing where Cersei Lannister sits with an army of her own. Cersei is pretty much the archetypal evil queen, so we expected her to fall sooner or later. Things are never so simple in ‘Game of Thrones’ because Jon is made aware of his true identity as Aegon Targaryen, which makes him the rightful heir to the throne and drives a wedge between him and his lover cum aunt, Daenerys.
By the time, Daenerys and her armies attack King’s Landing, she is left with only one dragon and has gone to a dark place where she ends up harming civilians. Jon is more distraught than ever, and by the time we reach the season finale, the narrative takes a surprising turn, and we have an unexpected king who is chosen for the throne. All the storylines are neatly wrapped up, although a little hastily as some might argue, bringing to an end one of the greatest shows on earth. You must be getting impatient by now about where to see ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8, and we do not want to keep you waiting. So, here are your options on you can watch it.
Is Game of Thrones Season 8 on Netflix?
Whenever we think of streaming shows, our mind goes to Netflix since the platform has been providing us with premium content for some time. However, HBO rarely licenses its shows to Netflix and it certainly is not going to do so for one of its most valuable contents, vis a vis, ‘Game of Thrones’. Don’t let that ruin your mood though. If you are in the mood to Netflix and chill and want something like ‘Game of Thrones’, there are shows that can fill that void. ‘Frontier‘ springs to mind immediately, because Jason Momoa, who played Khal Drogo in ‘Game of Thrones’ is the star of ‘Frontier’. Moreover, the powerplay involved as one man tries to stop a big company’s monopoly with several other vested interests all having their own agendas, will remind you of Westeros and the politics that made ‘Game of Thrones’ as loved as it was, right to the end.
Speaking of politics, you can also check out ‘The Tudors‘ which delves into the life of King Henry VIII. If you enjoyed the many lovemaking scenes on ‘Game of Thrones’, this series will gratify you as well. We also recommend you check out ‘Borgia‘ and ‘The Borgias‘, the former being a Netflix series, and the latter being a Showtime series available on Netflix. They look at the powerful Borgia family as it takes over the papacy. Witness real-life power politics in the hallowed halls of the Vatican and do not miss out on the several lovemaking scenes that could give ‘Game of Thrones’ a run for its money. If you still not satisfied, we have more shows like Game of Thrones here.
Is Game of Thrones Season 8 on Hulu?
If you are a Hulu subscriber you have no reason to worry. There is a nifty system which allows you to add the HBO pack to your existing subscription, irrespective of which plan you are on. All it costs is $14.99 a month. Considering this lets you access all of HBO’s content including ‘Chernobyl‘ we would say this is a fantastic bargain. You can watch ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8 on Hulu, here.
Is Game of Thrones Season 8 on Amazon Prime?
If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you cannot watch ‘Game of Thrones’ for free. However, you can use it to purchase episodes of ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8 and watch them. Each HD episode costs $3.99. Alternately, you can purchase the HBO subscription for a month, which costs $14.99. If you are confused about what to do, we have done the math for you to help you with the better bargain. The final season of the ‘Game of Thrones’, in its entirety, costs around $23.94. On the other hand, the monthly subscription is much lower and gives you access to all of HBO’s content. It really is a no brainer. You can watch Season 8 of the show here.
Where Can I Stream Game of Thrones Season 8 Online?
If you are looking to stream ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8 online, and do not happen to have a Hulu or Amazon Prime subscription, you have nothing to worry about. Since this is an HBO show, you can easily stream it on HBO Now or HBO Go. However, you need to have a subscription to these streaming platforms in order to access the content.
Can I Watch Game of Thrones Season 8 Online For Free?
It is tough to access ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8 online for free since HBO is bent on getting the best out of their golden goose monetarily. However, where there is a will, there is a way, and we have some hacks that you can try if you want to watch the final season without having to pay for it.
Firstly, the most obvious way is to use the free trial offered by HBO on Amazon Prime, which lasts for 7 days. Even if you don’t binge the show, six episodes in seven days can be easily covered, and voila, you have the final episode for free. You can essentially pull off the same stunt with HBO Now, HBO Go, and The Roku Channel.
However, we recommend that you pay for consuming art such as this since a lot of money went into the production of the episodes, and ‘Game of Thrones’ has been plagued by piracy, so we urge you to be conscientious viewers.
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