If you’re not a fan of the hit HBO show Game of Thrones, your Mondays at the office are probably getting a little frustrating. The show airs Sunday nights, and many workers are finding themselves annoyed with the endless chatter about the plot during meetings, in email chains, and at happy hours.
The Washington Post says that Game of Thrones seems to hit a sweet spot of workplace TV talk: it has high ratings, has won two Emmys, has a complex plot ripe with conspiracy theories and it airs in the summer, when most other shows are on hiatus.
Modupeh Jahamaliah told the Washington Post that she wears headphones on Monday morning while the rest of her colleagues at the D.C. public relations firm Kglobal discuss last night’s episode. She stopped watching the show a few episodes in because there was too much bloodshed and therefore has no idea what her officemates are talking about.
“I think last episode something happened where a guy had no testicles? That was a huge office discussion,” she told the Post.
Some people believe that the show can help the modern workplace. Kevin King, who works at the Washington-based start-up Quorum Analytics, realized that the fantasy show could help him connect with his co-workers. Everyone — including scared new interns — can participate in conversations and bring in their own predictions and theories.
Game of Thrones has 16.1 million viewers across platforms and this season’s first episode was the most-watched season premiere in HBO history.
Some offices are so into the show that they have a 24-hour moratorium on episode recaps so that everyone has a chance to catch up, like the Washington real estate agency West, Lane & Schlager. However, one advantage that non-GOT lovers have is more time. Discussing, rehashing, and theorizing can take up a lot of time during the day.
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