Well ladies and gentlemen, it has been an honour talking with you here, unsullied by the spoiler-laden words of those who through arcane power and reading have acquired knowledge of the future of the show.
One month ago to this day, I laid the foundations for this thread. Tired by the ceaseless and uncensored chatter of book readers who felt that by cloaking a singe word within black text they had hidden future events, I decreed that no more would such indirect comments subtly plant the seeds of an inevitable spoiler. "No more!" I declared, and upon declaring so I heard a few whispered hushed tones in return: "No more." I was aghast! I had no idea that there were others who held the criminally laissez-faire attitudes of the book readers in such similarly seething contempt. "Yes my friend!" I shouted to my new wayward companions, "no more spoilers, be they direct, indirect, forged to be self-congratulatory or simply in-jokes lacking the subtlety their posters mistakenly presumed they possessed! No more!"
And then lo, I head a greater intonation of my message returned once more back to me. "No more!" they cried, in greater numbers and greater boldness than before. "NO MORE!" I declared above the thronging crowd! "We shall forge a new path! A daring path where our people may discuss, debate, argue, fight, explore, analyse, enjoy and joke on all aspects of the show, without fear of our innocence becoming besmirched, our titillation trampled, suprise soiled, and predictions and postulations pummelled!" And then with greater resonance and resounding applause a final triumphant return was granted me as the assembled great crowd of anonymous non-readers cried out in unison and unity: "NO MORE!"
And so it was that we created together a space to talk freely amongst ourselves on the shows merits and flaws, and anything in between. I may have created this thread, but it was you all that filled it and gave it the breath of life and jollity. And for that I thank you all together and individually. It has been the best of times, with no worst of times in sight.
But now my friends, the hour grows late, and I find that I must leave you to ascend to a higher plane of existence. No long ago I finally began reading the books, beginning with A Game of Thrones, until tonight I stand on the precipice: the final hundred pages of A Storm of Swords await me, and so I must plunge soon into the rivers of uncertainty, chart the deserts of the unknown, and trek through the wilderness that lies beyond the show itself. I am unafraid my friends so I ask you not to fear for me in turn, but know that once this great step is taken, there is no going back. If I look back now I am lost, and to do so is as great a folly as Lot's wife looking back upon the destruction of their home. And so I must now leave you all here, my friends and children. Perhaps some of you some day shall join me in the sun, perhaps you shall not. Whatever becomes of your fates, know this: I shall never betray you as other book readers have done so cruelly in the past. You may not find it in yourselves to forgive me, but I ask you to gaze deeply into your heart's past and find it in yourselves to not let the wrongdoings wrought upon you then to sway your understanding of the present. I leave with a heavy and weary heart, but I leave this thread to you all, to continue to maintenance and use for years to come. That is my legacy and gift to you all, and I hope that you shall welcome other non-readers with open arms and warm tidings. I am saddened I shall never talk with them, but know that I shall always be with them in spirit.
And so I say, adieu.
