Video: Samuel L. Jackson recaps Game of Thrones, complete with profanity

Between this and the revelation that the Pokémon GO people want to make an augmented reality game set in Westeros, it’s been an odd day for Game of Thrones news.

Anyway, HBO hired actor Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, The Avengers, a jillion other things) to recap the first five seasons of Game of Thrones, with some teases for the sixth. The video is intended as a beginner’s guide to the show. If there’s anyone out there who’s thinking of catching up on Game of Thrones but is intimidated by the complex storylines or number of characters, let Jackson’s profanity-laden summary take you away.

“F**k those dragons!” is among the top five things I never expected Samuel L. Jackson to say back when the series started in 2011, but we’ve come a long way since then. I also love how he blows through massive chunks of Seasons 1, 2 and 3: “Some time has passed now, and all hell has broken loose because of some things I don’t have time to explain.” That’s one way to cut through the minutia.

Also, points for summing up Bran’s six-season journey: “Bran…Bran trippin’.”

Although this is a supposedly a video meant to catch newbies up on the show, the fact that Jackson only teases Season 6 makes it seem more like a marketing ploy for the upcoming Season 6 Blu-ray boxset. But it’s still fun, and a testament to how big the show has gotten. HBO can now afford to hire a major name like Jackson for a promo video. The popularity of Game of Thrones has grown by leaps and bounds since the early days, but we may have seen nothing yet.