Caroline Malaby works in Reston, Va., for Carahsoft, an IT company, and most of her colleagues are men. Many of Malaby’s co-workers are die-hard Washington Redskins fans and often talk about the team at the office. But that doesn’t bother Malaby — she follows the Redskins religiously herself. What she can’t stand is the nonstop chatter about a certain fantasy show.
“Every Monday morning they come in and they’re like, ‘Oh my God, did you see whatever?’ ‘She’s come back.’ ‘I can’t believe he died,’ ” Malaby says. “I just smile and nod.”
“Game of Thrones” has become the office obsession. Some of her colleagues watch the show when it airs Sunday night and again Monday, to make sure they haven’t missed any plot points. During slow meetings, they send emails scheduling watch parties. Some of Malaby’s officemates even go to a “Game of Thrones”-themed pop-up bar in Washington, D.C., after work. She always passes on those happy hours.
“I think I watched the opening credits and I saw a dragon and I was like, ‘Nope,’ ” she says.