Here's where to catch Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen on Sunday. Photo courtesy of HBO
This article originally appeared on CultureMap and was written by Craig D. Lindsey.
Sadly, for millions of worldwide fans, Game of Thrones is coming to an end this year.
The immensely popular, Emmy-winning HBO series (based on George R.R. Martin's still-going A Song of Ice and Fire novels) will close out its run with an eighth season of only six episodes. This will be everybody's last chance to catch Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister (her trifling!), and all the other Westeros-based characters you have followed throughout the years.
If you would like to celebrate this show's final season by watching the season premiere on Sunday, April 14 night with a bunch of like-minded individuals, presumably under the influence of alcohol, are you in luck! Here is a rundown of watch parties in and around Houston, where you can take in all of the epic fantasy madness.
Camerata at Paulie's
The Montrose wine bar will be using its watch party as a good time to pour rustic reds and powerful whites from France's Rhône Valley. (If you haven't guessed it already, this party is called the "Game of Rhones Season Premiere.") And feel free to dress as your favorite character. 8-9 pm.
Chuck's Sports Bar & Memorabilia
This League City destination will officially become "Chuckstros" for its watch party, asking all naives and surfs to join "The Chuck's Watch." (Is this all corny? Yes, but we'll let it slide.) There will also be food and drink specials all night. 5-11 pm.
Chuy Benitez's Backyard
Honestly, we don't know who this dude is, but it appears he wants people to know about the watch party that he'll be having in his backyard. Bring your own food, beverages and lawn chairs, but he will have crawfish for those who request it beforehand. 7:30-11:30 pm.
Exit 73 Bar & Grill
Over in Spring, this place will have a full-on feast during its watch party. People can gorge on Targaryen turkey legs, Baratheon burgers, and Theon Greyjoy's sausage-on-a-stick. (That's messed up, man.) If you feel like it, you can also dress as your favorite character. 8-11 pm.
Hotel Ylem
This spot will have a watch party for every episode of Thrones' final season, complete with a themed cocktail/mocktail menu, a rewatch of the previous episode before the new episode starts and dishes from the Chef on the Run Halal food truck. Of course, you can also dress as your favorite character. 6-9 pm.
Liberty Station
Not only will this bar have a watch party, projected onto a large screen, there will also be a pre-show trivia night. Teams of six or fewer will be able to compete, and prizes will go to the top three teams. Trivia starts at 6 and will be finished before the show airs. 6-10 pm.
Continue reading on CultureMap to learn about three more spots to catch Game of Thrones.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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