Cersei was married to the king, Robert Baratheon, and has remained in charge in the capital, King’s Landing.What’s next?As the final season approaches, the three houses have pledged to unite their armies along with the Wildlings to fight their common enemy – the White Walkers. After killing his father and fleeing Kings Landing, Tyrion finds a second act as hand to a different queen, Daenerys. He too had a penchant for fire, though it was more about burning people alive. Daenerys, the only surviving member of the family, more or less, was sold into marriage with Dothraki leader Khal Drogo (later killed).Essos: A continent lying across the Narrow Sea from Westeros. The zombie-like creatures have managed to break through the Wall and they have now included one of Daenerys’ dragons among their ranks. Your friends debating plot twists each Sunday on social media didn’t move you. The “Is Jon Snow really dead?” storyline wasn’t enough; not even the “Hold the door!” memes sparked enough interest. Shamed by his origins, Jon Snow joins and soon becomes a leader of the Night’s Watch. Her brother Rhaegar is also crucial to the story for allegedly kidnapping Ned Stark’s sister, Lyanna, before he and his family were killed. Since you don’t have the time (or probably the stamina) to binge watch the past 67 episodes, here’s what you need to know to follow along with a modicum of understanding when the eighth season gets underway on HBO on Sunday.Time and place:George R R Martin, the creator of the book series on which the show is based, has created a world that’s make-believe but feels somewhat real.Daenerys decides to sail across the Narrow Sea and reclaim the Iron Throne held by her father, the mad king. (Some love a little more than normal – the twisted affair between siblings Jaime and Cersei Lannister, for example).The youngest and wittiest Lannister sibling, Tyrion, a dwarf, is the black sheep of the family.

Braavos: A free city in Essos, home to the Iron Bank, to which the Lannisters owe some gold. Eventually though, the Night’s Watch and the Wildlings join forces against something far more terrifying – the Night King and his White Walkers, an army of the frozen undead, who when last seen had come crashing through the Wall.The families:‘Game of Thrones’ is a family affair, with several Great Houses that love, fight, plot and conspire for the Iron Throne, the ultimate power in Westeros. Arya came up through the ranks here.By season eight, the other surviving Starks are Sansa, who went from horrible engagement to horrendous marriages to, now, becoming the mistress of Winterfell; Arya, who survived on the run, picking up some deadly skills along the way; and a disabled Bran, a man with a mystical vision.House TargaryenThe Targaryens ruled Westeros before Robert Baratheon, Ned Stark and others brought them down. Seems his sister still blames him for the death of their mother while giving birth to him. Reluctantly, Ned agrees to become the hand of the king, kind of a ceremonial vice president position and travels south with some of his family. Twins Cersei and Jamie have been lovers since they were kids, becoming the not-so proud parents of Joffrey, who was fixing anchors briefly king, and two others, none of whom survived the show’s run.But now, here you are, with the final season days away from kicking off, finally ready to delve in.

He and his family wife Catelyn; sons Robb, Rickon and Bran; daughters Sansa and Arya; and oh yeah, the illegitimate offspring, Jon Snow are living relatively quietly until they receive a visit from Ned’s old friend Robert Baratheon, now the king.Iron Islands: Home to a naval fleet of warriors led by House Greyjoy, whose heir, Theon Greyjoy, was a ward of the Starks and has been through some rough times since then. Also home to the Faceless, religious types and assassins who worship the Many-Faced God of death and collect faces of the dead from all over the world. It’s like a mash-up of feudal England and Tolkien’s Middle Earth with a healthy dose of ***, violence, conniving, power-grabbing, more ***, more violence and lots of full-frontal nudity. It’s where Daenerys was hiding in the beginning and where the horse-loving Dothraki roam. Things don’t go so well, he loses his head and the family is scattered.The LannistersThe gold-obsessed family you love to hate.. She receives an interesting wedding gift: three dragon eggs. Three families at the heart of the story are:The StarksThe series began with Ned Stark, Warden of the North, at his home, Winterfell.Think of them as a combination of border patrol agents and celibate monks who stand guard at the Wall, which runs across the north of Westeros and keeps out the Wildlings, a fierce nation that doesn’t recognise the kings and princes of Westeros.For seven seasons, you’ve ignored the lure of ‘Game of Thrones.’ The multiple awards didn’t draw you in. Before they hatched, making her the “Mother of Dragons,” the Dothraki queen learned that she can stand in the fire, without getting burned.Some other prominent places:Dragonstone: Former home of House Targaryen, an island where the dragons of the past resided with the family