As much as we can’t wait for Game of Thrones’ return, we are well aware that it will be the beginning of the end—the end of an era, that is. *sniffle*
But since we’ve already been off book for a couple of seasons now (as the series has followed George R.R. Martin’s outlines for sequels rather than published work), we don’t see any reason “The Sopranos in Middle Earth”—as showrunner David Benioff once described GoT—can’t continue with some fresh new plot lines. No shade to Daenerys, Cersei, Jon Snow and errbody else on Dem Thrones, but this week, Entertainment Weekly teased the spinoff we really want to see…
Because doesn’t black love belong on the Iron Throne, too?
That’s right, we’re talking about the tender love between Daenerys’ lady-in-waiting Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) and warrior Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), who boo up one of EW’s 16 tribute covers to the series, which premieres its final season on April 14. If you recall, Sandei’s and Grey’s (can I call them Sandei and Grey?) smoldering sexual tension finally came to fruition in Season 7 with a love scene that gave us vulnerability and sensuality we rarely see onscreen, let alone in black-on-black love scenes.
Yes, we know Grey is a eunuch. (And yes, we hear the similarities between “Missandei” and “misandry,” but please don’t @ me with the “emasculation of the black man” argument. I don’t write GoT; if Sandei likes it, I love it.) We also know their love story is basically a slave narrative, which literally colors the entire context of the relationship. But we also know that in eight seasons of GoT, these two have emerged as two of the most unsullied (see what I did there?) in the franchise, and frankly, we want to see more.
What do family cookouts look like at King’s Landing? Do they play spades in Westeros? (We could even call the spinoff Game of Spades… Okay, maybe not.) What’s Sandei’s twist-out routine? (Because her curls stay fresh no matter what kind of dragon fire is going on.) How often does Grey have to talk Sandei down off the Wall after she’s endured a full day of the Khaleesi’s microaggressions?
I mean, think about it: the continuation of Sandei’s and Grey’s love story could be like any number of black-led spinoffs that were as good as the originals—like Family Matters was to Perfect Strangers, or Benson to Soap, or Different Strokes to Facts of Life.
Yes, I realize those are all sitcoms, but you catch my drift.
Anyway, like the return of Underground, I know that’ll never happen, but we can dream of a television landscape where two biracial children can find love in a hopeless place and have overdramatic plotlines, can’t we? (I kid, I kid… *turns on Grown-ish*) In the meantime, here’s those other EW covers.
