It's been a busy week in NYC for the Game of Thrones crew, who attended the season four premiere on Tuesday night followed by last night's fan event and sneak peak at Barclays Center. The dragons weren't quite as big in Brooklyn as they were in Lincoln Center, but the crowds certainly were, with huge lines of fans waiting upwards of 30 minutes to get inside the arena. The "no devices" policy can be blamed for some of the backup, as anyone who brought their phone had to relinquish it to staffers before being allowed inside.
A few devoted cosplayers channeled Brienne of Tarth, Melisandre, Margaery Tyrell, Ygritte and others; one couple even did a gender-bending Khal Drogo/Daenerys costume. For the most part people left the dressing up to the show's exhibit section, which included costumes from the series, a replica Iron Throne and free t-shirts for all attendees willing to wait in yet another line.
A marching band offered a rendition of the Game of Throne's theme song before rapper/actor Common took the stage to perform not one but two GOT-inspired rap songs from the collaborative mixtape. Then out came Kristian Nairn (Hodor), who played emcee for the evening. Danny Driscoll, who attended the festivities, says fans could be heard screaming "Hodor" and "Show us your penis" as the actor took the stage. He was joined by creator George R. R. Martin, Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Sibel Kekilli (Shae) and John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), who took questions and then presented lucky bastardexcited fan Mike Ross with a replica Iron Throne as part of a ticket stub raffle.
Driscoll says fans were immensely pleased with the first episode but less pleased with the huge lines to exit the building and retrieve cell phones. For a crowd-free viewing experience, tune into HBO on April 6th for the premiere of season four.
