If you're reading this, you're presumably familiar with the staggering complexity of Game of Thrones. You've fallen madly in love with the nuanced characters, the subtlety of the narrative, and the idea of ancient magic reawakening after thousands of years. Perhaps you're hungry for more pomp and circumstance of Westeros's quasi-medieval society and have already picked up the A Song of Ice and Fire book series, spoilers be damned. If you're just a show fan, however, that's totally fine. But you should know you're missing out on a hell of a lot of vital exposition. Yes, I'm that person. The person who tried (and failed) to pass off her smugness as sympathy for those disillusioned by the Red Wedding. The person who shares filming news on Facebook knowing only a select few friends will recognize the new cast additions. The person who knows you're intimidated by the lengthiness of the books but will recommend you read them anyway. So if you're adventurous, read on, because I'm about to outline the important things coming that may have you sitting up a little straighter next spring. I should offer a disclaimer: I do not possess insider information on Game of Thrones. I am not George R. R. Martin, David Benioff, or D. B. Weiss writing under an alias, and I can't guarantee any of the theories in this article will actually come to fruition. Since the show stays fairly true to its source material, though, I can make educated guesses. Moderate book and show spoilers ahead.