The future of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” has been much discussed of late: Season Four lies only a few weeks away, and yesterday the show’s writers revealed they’ve pinpointed the seventh or eighth season as the series’ end. But for newcomers or devotees hankering for a second look, we’ve got a recap of the show’s last season—one of the most shocking and earth-shattering yet.
At the start of Season Three, the Lannisters enjoy a wealth of power over the Iron Throne, but soon found their cushy situation threatened by the arrival of House Tyrell; meanwhile, the Stark family fights to turn their losing position in the war around, and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) finds a new companion in Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney) in her quest to reclaim the Seven Kingdoms. But as a new 25-minute recap shows, situations only tip into positivity before falling into despair, and soon enough a slate of betrayals and Red Weddings abound.
Die-hard fans likely have every frame of Season Three burned into their memories, but if you need a refresher before “Game of Thrones” returns to HBO on April 6th, check out the full video below.