We’ve taken on the near impossible task, selecting our favourite episodes from the hit series.
The latest season of Game of Thrones may have receded into the distance but it will live long in our memory, having started slowly, it built steadily and positively blew our minds in the final two episodes.
The fantasy/drama/historic/romance/epic/porno series is one of the most popular on earth and for six breathless seasons stretching across 60 episodes, it has exhilarated us, enthralled us and disgusted us.
It’s a tribute to writers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and of course George R.R. Martin, that they’ve managed to enamour multiple generations of TV fans behind a genre (fantasy), which many would’ve scoffed at in the past.
They’ve written a series with devastating highs and gut-wrenching lows with scenes designed to extract a response from the viewers… and my God did they get a response from us.
Throughout the six seasons, Game of Thrones has taken us on a tour of our emotions, from the shock of Bran being pushed through the window by Jamie, to the utter devastation at the Red Wedding and the euphoria we felt when Jon Snow reclaimed Winterfell.
We’ve already seen the highest ranked episodes on IMDB, but these are our favourite episodes of the 60… so far.
5. Blackwater: Season 2 Episode 9
The producers of Game of Thrones love to serve us up a classic in the penultimate episode of the season and the second series was no different.
The scheming of Tyrion Lannister came to the fore as Stannis’ forces attack the capital. The secret weapon of the boat filled with wildfire explodes in a fountain of green and exceeds even what book readers could have expected.
Plus there’s the great Tyrion speech to rally the troops on the verge of defeat.
The episode is far more than simply mindless violence as it mixes moments of barnstorming action with quiet, reflective scenes. The fact that the writers manage to do all of this while focusing solely on King’s Landing for the entire episode is quite an achievement.
It’s well worth watching again if you have a spare hour, you won’t regret it…
4. The Rains of Castamere: Season 3 Episode 9
For quite a while, the mere mention of the Red Wedding would render us catatonic. It was too raw, too soon, too brutal to accept. We’re still not quite recovered, but we can talk about it without getting all blubbery and emotional.
It is the single most iconic scene in the books, and there’s no question that Weiss and Benioff did it justice on the small screen. The overwhelming sense of foreboding which is present throughout the episode comes to a head with the murders of Robb Stark, his wife Talisa and his mother Catelyn.
Video via GameofThrones
The episode is so important because it further reinforced the series mantra that nobody is off limits, all men must die. The shock at the deaths would have ripple-on-effects and it taught us viewers an important life lesson for watching Game of Thrones.
Don’t get attached to any character, because they’ll only die and break your heart.
3. The Winds of Winter: Season 6 Episode 10
How on earth could we omit it from our list?
We don’t use this term lightly, but it was easily the greatest season finale in Game of Thrones history… yes we went there.
It was never supposed to happen this way, after the high of Battle of the Bastards, this episode was supposed to be quiet and gentle, setting up the next season of the series. What transpired was a whole season’s worth of drama squashed into a mere hour of television and the results were… spectacular.
We were treated to the emergence of a new Queen (but for how long?), Arya’s revenge, Daenerys finally making her way to Westeros, an alliance in Dorne and Jon Snow proclaimed as King of the North.
We still can’t forget the flash of psychedelic emerald in Lancel Lannister’s eyes as the wildfire ignites before he’s obliterated, along with everyone within the Great Sept of Baelor.
That opening scene will live long in our minds, with that chilling music complimenting the drama on screen perfectly, you can check out that song here.
We barely got a chance to mention the revelations about Jon Snow’s true parentage… that’s how good this episode was.
Video via GameofThrones
2. Hardhome: Season 5 Episode 8
Book readers will have been shocked by this deviation from the George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books, but they definitely wouldn’t be disappointed by it. A jam packed episode which saw two of our favourite characters, Tyrion and Daenerys strike up a pack.
But that was far from the more exciting moment of the episode, no matter how delighted we were that Tyrion and Dani were (figuratively) in bed together.
The real drama came north of the Wall where Jon and other members of the Night’s Watch confronted the White Walkers in the remote Wildling settlement. Out of nowhere, in a rumble of thunder, a shower of mist and then an eerie silence, the dead came a-knocking.
Video via GameofThrones
The utter chaos of Hardhome combined with the sheer tension created by the approaching wights ensures that Hardhome earned its place in our favourite episodes. The Night’s King announced himself to the world in a f*ck you moment when he spread his arms and resurrected the many humans who’s fallen at the hands of his army.
It leaves you wondering at this moment how on earth anyone can defeat the army of the dead…
1. Battle of the Bastards: Season 6 Episode 9
Fresh in our minds, the Battle of the Bastards is one of two episodes from season six which make it on our list. It’s difficult not to include an episode which was so central to this season not just for the showdown between Jon and Ramsey, but for giving the viewers the best battle episode of the series to date and our favourite episode of the six seasons.
That’s saying something…
The battle in the penultimate episode of season six puts the conflicts in Hardhome, Blackwater and Watchers on the Wall in the shade, with all due respect. It took 600 crew members, including four camera crews, 500 extras and 25 stuntmen and women to produce the episode. They gambled on this episode and were rewarded with brilliance.
We’ve already seen how Jon’s near suffocation wasn’t even in the original script, but it was one of the greatest moments of the episode drawing parallels between Jon and Daenerys at the end of season three.
Plus, we got to see Jon beat the crap out of Ramsey, we’ve been waiting for that one for quite a while… even if Wun Wun, the giant, had to die in the process…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIwpmwo7KWQ
Video via GameofThrones
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