I'm going to rank all 73 episodes of Game Of Thrones, from worst to best, giving you my rationale behind each placement. I'm considering how much I enjoyed watching each episode on my first viewing, how much I even remember the episode, and how I feel about them in hindsight. And this is entirely my personal opinion. Spoilers, obviously. Enjoy!
73) The Iron Throne - Season 8, Episode 6 - Did a single character get a satisfactory ending in this one? Dany's Hitler - dead Hitler at that, Jon's gone into exile in the place he went voluntarily for years, Arya's gone to die a pointless death at sea, Sansa had the north handed to her on a silver platter, and, of course, King Bran the Broken... what. in. Seven. Hells? D&D were wrong, something unites people much better than a good story, and that's a good story with a terrible ending. What a way to end this series.
72) The Long Night - Season 8, Episode 3 - This is it! The Helms Deep of Game of Thrones! The battle that we've been building to for 8 seasons! And did it live up to the expectations? No. God, no. From the Dothraki charging head-on towards an enemy that they know they can't defeat in a straight fight, to Jon screaming at a dragon, to hiding the women and children in a crypt, to Arya coming out of absolutely nowhere to defeat the Night King with a cheeky stab. And the amount of characters who were dead, save for a last minute cut away - I swear Brienne died about 5 times. Although the whole thing was so dark that, for a lot of it, I didn't have the faintest what was going on.
71) The Bells - Season 8, Episode 5 - Varys is terrible at treason, Jaime's a heartless prick, Jon's a blank-faced moron, Arya's invincible, and Dany's a genocidal lunatic. Clearly the people writing this had a full understanding of these characters. The Golden Company were really worth all that set-up, weren't they? I think Jaime's character assassination hurts the most for me, because he was so close to getting a complete, decent character arc. "I never cared much for them, innocent or otherwise", what? And then for him to die by bricks. No.
70) Beyond The Wall - Season 7, Episode 6 - Stupid premise, stupid plot, stupid everything. Why is Thoros anywhere near the front of the group, when he has the power to bring at least one other party member back from the dead (Beric), probably two (Jon). Why does Jon even suspect that Gendry is the fastest, and on that note, how fast IS Gendry, or the raven that he sends to Daenerys? Are they on that rock for multiple weeks? Why did the Night King aim at Viserion, who was flying in the sky, and not Drogon, who was on the ground, closer, with all of the enemy leaders on his back? Why was Dany not utterly devastated at the loss of her child? Why did Jon not stay closer to Drogon, so he could jump on once the other characters were ready? So dumb. At least D&D got their stupid zombie polar bear.
69) No One - Season 6, Episode 8 - Arya's storyline is so stupid. Honey, you were just repeatedly stabbed and then given what is basically heroin. No way you're up for a cross-town foot chase and a subsequent fight. But whatever. And no clue how killing the Waif makes her no one, or why Jaqen thinks that at the very least, but at least she's headed back for Westeros. Nice seeing the brotherhood again, and scenes with Jaime and Brienne are always welcome.
68) The last of the Starks - Season 8, Episode 4 - So Dany kinda forgot about the Iron Fleet and Euron's forces, despite Varys reminding her is the previous scene. She's also kinda forgotten how to see, because from that high in the air, she should have noticed a fleet of ships. Euron kinda forgets how to aim between shooting Rhaegal and failing to shoot the larger, closer, Drogon. And the morons writing this show kinda forgot to show us Arya and Sansa's reaction to the Jon is a Targaryen reveal. Oh and somehow Euron captured Missandei, how he did that is beyond me, much less how the other charaacters knew that she was kidnapped and not dead. And Cersei not just offing Tyrion and Dany and Drogon when she had the chance... I give up. Let's go get a Starbucks.
67) Eastwatch - Season 7, Episode 5 - And so one of the worlds dumbest plans is devised by one of the (supposedly) smartest characters. Anyone who knows Cersei as well as Tyrion does should be entirely aware that seeing proof of the dead would only give her confidence, given that the North would be fighting on two fronts. And if they really want to take a wight, why not use a dragon? How do they expect - on foot - to take a single wight without invoking the wrath of the army... It's good to see Gendry again, I guess.
66) The Dragon and The Wolf - Season 7, Episode 7 - Jon. I get the whole honour thing, but please, please learn to lie. You risked your life on this stupid plan. Your friends risked their lives on this stupid plan. Your queen's child DIED on this stupid plan, and you threw it all away. Idiot. Also, Bronn's really contrived excuse to get off screen, just because his actor and Cersei's couldn't share scenes was really jarring. And the dumb Sansa-Arya rivalry culminated in an even more stupid ending. Littlefinger not even trying to defend himself, who is this man and what has he done with Petyr?
65) Winterfell - Season 8, Episode 1 - This was a bit of a nothing episode, to be honest. Arya and Jon's reunion was a bit of a let down, weren't they the closest out of any of the Stark children? Still, this episode had just about the only funny joke of the season, being Tormund's "I've always had blue eyes!" joke. I still hate Euron, and not in a Joffrey-esque he's a despicable person way, but because his character feels poorly written.
64) Home - Season 6, Episode 2 - So Bran's back, which... I didn't even notice that he was gone on my first viewing. The Tyrion - Dragon scene was pretty interesting. Interesting by Meereen standards, anyway! And this episode introduces my absolute least favourite character - Euron Greyjoy. Although this is probably the best that we see him. And, of course, Jon wakes up. So, let's hope that they do something really interesting with him, and that he doesn't become an expressionless plank of wood.
63) Stormborn - Season 7, Episode 2 - Hey, Hot Pie. Nice to see you. No clue why they bothered adding the Nymeria scene, considering how they usually go out of their way to avoid putting the direwolves in, but I suppose that's fine. Also, I'm not entirely sure what Theon was supposed to do at the end - they act like him jumping off the boat was stupid and cowardly, but as Euron had a knife to Yara's throat, any act of aggression on Theon's part would have probably resulted in Yara dying. If I were Theon, I probably would have jumped, too.
62) The Broken Man - Season 6, Episode 7 - Oh, yeah. This is the one where Arya dies. Or at least, pretty sure that getting stabbed multiple times in the stomach, with the knife being twisted while inside of you, and then falling into a sewage filled canal can't be good for you, in a time without antibiotics. So much for this being the show where no one is safe, right? Pretty sure that Kahl Drogo might be pretty annoyed by how he was almost killed by an infection - and only almost because magic happened. Nice to see Sandor back.
61) The Red Woman - Season 6, Episode 1 - So Brienne manages to find Sansa (again), and saves her. Not sure how she knew that Sansa had escaped, considering the previous episode made a point of Brienne missing the candle signal, but I'm pretty sure that Brienne has Sansa GPS tracked, anyway. And Theon does absolutely nothing in this scene, not even ask "who are you?". The Dorne story in this one was... Felt like they knew that no one really liked the Dorne plot so found the quickest way possible to make it just... stop. And Melisandre now super-ages when she takes off the necklace, which she never used to, but OK.
60) A knight of the Seven Kingdoms - Season 8, Episode 2 - This is the final episode which had some real, decent character moments. Seeing Arya with Gendry - I like it, I just wish that their relationship went... anywhere. Jon telling Dany about R+L=J was... ok... but the reveal doesn't have much payoff, and for the character it would have made more sense to wait until after the fight with the Night King but whatever. Brienne being knighted was nice - some nice symmetry that Widow's Wail was used to knight the woman who wielded Oathkeeper, considering that these were the two halves of ice, but I've got no clue whether D&D were smart enough to think of that. Pod's singing was pretty nice.
59) Sons of the Harpy - Season 5, Episode 4 - Justice for Ser Barristan Selmy. His death came out of nowhere, felt entirely arbitrary, and was a stunning departure from the books. Felt like it was only for shock value. I couldn't care less about the sand snakes, or anything else in the Dorne plot, although Jaime using his metal hand to stop a sword was kinda cool.
58) The Queen's Justice - Season 7, Episode 3 - I like the Jaime/Olenna scene, both actors absolutely kill it. It's a fitting end to her character that she get the last laugh, and Jaime's quiet reaction of horror was really powerful. The events leading up to that point felt a little contrived, though, and Jon's "I'm not a Stark" DRAGON moment was really on the nose.
57) Oathbreaker - Season 6, Episode 3 - This one was largely forgettable, to be honest. Jon's story was probably the most interesting, with his executing the mutineers. Of course, it kinda feels weird that we have ne clue who two of them are, and Thorne's ending was pretty good, if dampened by his utter stupidity in the aftermath of the mutiny. Also, Jon walking away at the end is a thousand times funnier when you realise that he isn't leaving the castle.
56) Breaker of Chains - Season 4, Episode 3 - Tywin immediately asserting himself with Tommen was great, but the scene takes a notable turn from there. Jaime basically raping his sister, next to their dead son, was a bit of a departure from the more honourable character we saw built in season 3. The best scenes were of Tyrion in his prison cell, and the relationship between Pod and Tyrion is adorable. Seeing Arya's love-hate relationship with the Hound develop is also really powerful, and Dany's speech to the people of Meereen was very impressive.
55) Blood of my Blood - Season 6, Episode 6 - Arya was pretty good in this one, it's pretty interesting to see her internal conflict as she wants to not kill Lady Crane, but also doesn't want to be murdered by the faceless assassins. Also, props to Jaime's incredible stair-climbing horse. Very impressive. The Frey's should probably have already known that they had Edmure hostage - seems like valuable information - and I have no idea how Dany knew that Drogon was anywhere in the vicinity. Her speech was pretty good though, nice callback to Drogo.
54) The Gift - Season 5, Episode 7 - Aemon's death is incredibly upsetting and Sam and Gilly are adorable. Theon and Sansa's storyline continues to be very upsetting to watch, and Stannis continues to be incredibly intimidating and impressive. And Olenna is as incredible as ever in this one. Watching Cersei be arrested is pretty satisfying.
53) Dragonstone - Season 7, Episode 1 - Nice to see Arya using her face changing abilities for the last time, and it's helpful that they're really vague about how face changing actually works, so Arya can basically do whatever. And she gets to meet Ed Sheeran, so good for her. I enjoyed seeing Sandor's development in this one, his new compassion. The "Shall we Begin" line is pretty stilted.
52) Kill the Boy - Season 5, Episode 5 - Any episode where Maester Aemon gives his profound wisdom is at least half-decent, and his speech to Jon was really rather touching. Ramsey forcing interaction between Theon and Sansa was extremely uncomfortable, and I quite enjoyed seeing Roose trying to keep things from getting too awkward. The fight with the stone men was terrifying but entertaining.
51) The Wars to Come - Season 5, Episode 1 - The flashback was cool, although the writers evidently forgot about the child they added in, as mentioned in season 1. Congrats to Jaime and Cersei for resisting the urge to fornicate whenever there's a loved one's corpse in the room. I find seeing Margaery's relaxed nature when it comes to invading Loras's sex life pretty entertaining. Jon's mercy-kill of Mance was a powerful character moment.
50) What is Dead may Never Die - Season 2, Episode 3 - So this episode, we're introduced to Brienne of Tarth. We get a little more familiar with Renly Baratheon. Loras gets VERY familiar with Renly Baratheon. By this point, Arya was firmly in my Favourite Character position, so her scene with Yoren at the end made me smile. Theon solidly fell into the dislike category in this one, not that that takes away from the episode. His motivation made sense, it's just kinda sad to see.
49) The House of Black and White - Season 5, Episode 2 - So, Arya goes to assassin school, good for her. Nice to see Jaqen... or No One... or... Tom Wlaschiha.... again! But assassin's school turns out to be rather monotonous, and this episode also starts the plot to Dorne, so...
48) The Dance of Dragons - Season 5, Episode 9 - Stannis... STANNIS! What...? I can't... How... Kerry Ingram (Shireen) completely nails this scene, absolutely heartbreaking. Detrimental to Stannis as a character, but heartbreaking! And the fighting pit scene was pretty good too. I like the moment where Jorah throws the spear, and it kinda looks like it's aimed at Dany, but it hits the guy behind her. And, well, dragon riding's cool.
47) Valar Dohaeris - Season 3, Episode 1 - I liked getting the chance to see what life is like beyond the wall, and it was interesting for Jon to see who he was fighting. Tormund is absolutely hilarious, Ygritte's adorable, and Mance is so powerful. Also, Barristan's return is pretty cool, although I remember on my first viewing I had all but forgotten who he was. And it's a shame that the Warlocks are set up here, never to be seen again.
46) Book of The Stranger - Season 6, Episode 4 - Jon and Sansa's reunion is probably the most heartwarming of all of the reunions we get. Namely because Bran becomes a soulless bird-boy, and Arya becomes a psycho. But seeing these two back together was pretty nice. Of course, Dany doing the fire-thing again at the end was pretty cool, although it's one of the first major departures from the book (in which Dany isn't truly fire-proof, the first time was a magical event where death paid for life or somesuch). But not gonna hold that too much against the show, the show and books are quite clearly on separate tracks by this point.
45) The Night Lands - Season 2, Episode 2 - Arya and Gendry are so cute together. My favourite scene in the episode, easily. Watching Tyrion walk over Janos Slynt is ever satisfying, and Bronn continues to be incredible. Theon and Yara's initial interactions are very uncomfortable, though not in a way that detracts from my enjoyment of the episode.
44) The Ghost of Harrenhal - Season 2, Episode 5 - Jaqen is so cool, isn't he? I absolutely love him! Arya's arc was the real reason that this ranks as high as it does. And Dany's story starts to pick up here, too. Tyrion discovering the wildfire is also a chilling scene.
43) Oathkeeper - Season 4, Episode 4 - Pod is adorable. That could be this entire entry. It's interesting to see Jaime's lingering feelings around his vow to Lady Catelyn, and the relationship develop between him and Brienne. We also see some more of Dany's brutal sense of justice, when she crucifies the slavers. The white walker turning the baby would be much more impactful if that went... anywhere. Still looks cool, I guess.
42) Second Sons - Season 3, Episode 8 - Sam proving himself by killing a white walker was cool, and the Gendry - Melissandre scene was a rollercoaster of emotions. Tryion stole the episode, with his drunkenly threatening Joffrey, and then sparing Sansa from having to sleep with him. Also, not gonna lie, I really like Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis, not that I dislike the change in actor, either.
41) High Sparrow - Season 5, Episode 3 - Petyr's motivations lose me at this point. He starts to feel like he's just a plot point for Sansa, but ok... I enjoyed the wedding, mainly because Cersei's face was immensely satisfying, and seeing Jon make his first moves as Lord Commander was enjoyable. I love that he saw past his own biases and grudges, and made Thorne the First Ranger, and him getting a little justice for Ned through executing Slynt was very satisfying.
40) The Prince Of Winterfell - Season 2, Episode 8 - The events at Harrenhal stole this episode. Jaqen continues to be so cool, and Arya proves herself as smart, confident, and brave. Also, Tyrion's scene with Bronn and Varys was funny, clever, and extremely memorable. And Joffrey's overconfidence is as laughable as it is terrifying.
39) Battle of the Bastards - Season 6, Episode 9 - This is where I really start disliking Sansa. There is no reason not to tell Jon about Littlefinger, and the knights of the Vale. I know some people argue that she didn't know whether or not to trust Petyr, but she should still have told Jon, and let him weigh the pros and cons, but whatever. She's just....gonna let her brother almost die in a fight that he knew he couldn't win, a fight that she pressured him into undertaking. Whatever. But Jon DOESN'T die, because he has insane plot armour that allows him to stand in showers of arrows without becoming a porcupine. At least it's really pretty. I also wish that Theon had stuck with Sansa, so he could be present for Ramsay's execution.
38) First of His Name - Season 4, Episode 5 - I love Arya's water-dancing scene with Sandor, where he gives her a proper reality-check about fighting, in his hilarious, abrasive way. But the best part of the episode was the beyond the wall plot, with Jon's impressive fighting, Hodor absolutely obliterating Locke, and Jon and bran missing each other AGAIN. Ghost's back, which is cool, and Craster's wives taking some agency, and forging their own lives was very powerful.
37) The Door - Season 6, Episode 5 - So this one had some really good scenes, and some really bad ones. Let's start with the bad. The Kingsmoot springs to mind. Euron confessed to both regicide and kinslaying, and no one in the audience is annoyed by this? Like, was Balon that unpopular? What? Not to mention how obnoxious the incessant cock jokes were. Kinvara's here! And does... something. The bloody hand play was an interesting aside, and as an amateur actor myself, it was fun to watch. And then there's the door scene itself. Beautiful, heartbreaking, poignant... and introduces TIME TRAVEL! Wonder what important role that skill will play in the story going forward?
36) The Bear and the Maiden Fair - Season 3, Episode 7 - Jaime really secured his place in my most liked characters in this one. He definitely stepped into it during the bathtub scene in Kissed by Fire, but now he's putting the actions to his words. A one-handed man putting himself between a bear, and someone he couldn't be blamed for wanting to leave behind. Wow. And Tywin's confrontation with Joffrey, in which Tywin shows that he has all of the power, is incredible.
35) The Kingsroad - Season 1, Episode 2 - So what this episode does really well was to establish just how much of a pathetic brat that Joffrey Baratheon was, something which was key to making his actions upon becoming king make so much more sense. We see his propensity to target the weak, threatening a stick-wielding Mycah with a sword, and we see how quickly he breaks down when in such situations, crying once Arya and Nymeria get the upper hand. We learn about his tendency to lie, as he pins the whole affair on Arya and Mycah, and we learn about his mother's sense of cruel justice, killing Lady, despite her being unrelated to the crime. This episode is even more emotional, in hindsight, as this is the last time that Jon and Ned see each other.
34) The Spoils of War - Season 7, Episode 4 - Who doesn't like watching a dragon blow stuff up? Honestly, the thing I really enjoyed was getting to see how awesome the dothraki are! The bit where they all hopped on top of their horses and shot their arrows, mm! That being said, there was stuff in the fight I disliked, namely how bloody stupid Jaime is at the end. There's also the moment where Bronn seems to choose between his loyalties and the bag of gold, which wouldn't be an issue if they actually went anywhere with that. A couple of reunions, Arya and Sansa was heartwarming, considering what a sociopath Arya seems to be for the rest of the season, and seeing Jon reunite with Theon was interesting considering the amount of damage Theon did.
33) A Man without Honour - Season 2, Episode 7 - The standout scene in this one was the scene between Catelyn and Jaime. They knew how to press each other's buttons, and then end really frames it like Cat might kill Jaime in a way that made me believe it. Shae is really cool, with her underlying violence, and her relationship with Sansa is really nice. A lot happens in Qarth, too. The deaths of the Thirteen wasn't particularly sad, but it was a fast-track to making Pyat Pree seem like an actual threat. Also, I didn't believe for a second that the dead boys were Bran and Rickon, but I really did feel sorry for Maester Luwin.
32) Garden of Bones - Season 2, Episode 4 - The Kings Landing antics in this one were really engaging. Seeing Joffrey be... the worst... to Sansa, while Tryion uses his cunning to try and rectify his nephew's damage. And the scene with Ros and the other girl was incredibly memorable. Tywin is absolutely fantastic, as always, and Melisandre's birth scene is haunting. Also nice to see Dany get out of the Red Waste, that part of her plot was very slow.
31) Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken - Season 5, Episode 6 - Whatever you want to say about this episode, it was undeniably memorable. The final scene was... questionable to say the least, but I really want to praise Allen's performance as Theon, in that one. Like, gosh, does he look as appalled and horrified and sick as you'd except him to be! And Arya actually did something this episode, other than washing corpses or being hit with a stick.
30) Lord Snow - Season 1, Episode 3 - This is the first episode in which we get to see some real politicking in Kings Landing, the first time we're truly introduced to the Game of Thrones, so to speak. Ned is a really interesting character to follow here, as his intrinsic sense of honour is set against almost everyone else in the game. We're introduced to stand-out characters such as Littlefinger and Varys, and get to see more of the story behind the tension between Ned and Jaime. Then, across the narrow sea, we get to see Viserys beginning to lose control, with an absolutely stunning performance from Harry Lloyd.
29) The North Remembers - Season 2, Episode 1 - So this episode was mostly about seeing where all of the pieces fell after all of the insanity at the end of Season 1. Commander Mormont's lecture to Jon about needing to learn to follow was a really powerful moment. Seeing Sansa under Joffrey's brutal hand was heartbreaking, and we're introduced to Stannis, who up till now had only been mentioned. We're also introduced to Ser Davos Seaworth, and Lady Melisandre, who act as the angel and devil in Stannis's ear. But by far my favourite scene was that between Robb and Jaime. Mostly because of the direwolf.
28) Mother's Mercy - Season 5, Episode 10 - Can we take a moment to recognise how utterly messed up Cersei's punishment was? And can we take a moment to appreciate how good an actor Lena Headey is? Like, woah! Nice to see Arya cross a name off the list, and nice to see Theon snap out of Reek mode. I think I feel worse about this episode in hindsight than I did at the time, because a lot of the stuff that happens is reversed. The obvious one is that Jon... doesn't stay dead, and very little about his character changes as a result of his dying. And the other was that Brienne chooses vengeance against Stannis over protecting Sansa, but in the next episode she still manages to save Sansa, so what was the point of that?! Also, poor Jaime. Like, poor, poor Jaime...
27) The Pointy End - Season 1, Episode 8 - This episode felt like a lot of the show's larger plots were truly getting going. We see Jon's first encounter with the dead, establishing his storyline, that carries him up through to the start of Season 8. And Thorne is such an interesting window into the world's biases based on birth. Jon can't escape it, even at the edge of the world. And Robb sets off down his path in earnest, rallying the North to fight the Lannisters.
26) Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things - Season 1, Episode 4 - I think I remember the episode so fondly just because of how punchy the ending is, the way everyone draws their swords simultaneously. I also think that this scene works so well because of how likeable Tyrion has been set up to be by this point, giving Jon advice about ignoring the stigma of being a bastard, and giving Bran the saddle so that he can still ride. And as the audience can understand Catelyn's maternal fury towards Tyrion, it really helps to establish how, in Westeros, the good guys and bad guys aren't so black and white.
25) Walk of Punishment - Season 3, Episode 3 - Again, the ending steals the episode. Jaime's blood curdling scream, his horror seeming to overshadow the unimaginable pain that he must have been in, cutting to an upbeat, rock rendition of The Bear and The Maiden Fair left me feeling chilled to the core. And there's plenty of other fantastic elements to complement to gut-punch on an ending, even seeing the members of the small council demonstrate their varying levels of overt ambition by which seats they chose, and the (in hindsight) very bittersweet "rescue" of Theon was pretty powerful.
24) Valar Moghulis - Season 2, Episode 10 - here's a lot of stuff I absolutely adore about this episode. Qhorin self-sacrificing himself to Jon's hand, the dragons showing how awesome dragons can be (the shot of Dany with the fire all around her in that scene is gorgeous), and Theon's speech was spectacularly performed. Brienne and Jaime stole the episode, though, as he realises that he underestimated his captor/protector. And Luwin's death was heartbreaking. That said, I've never been a huge fan of Robb + Talisa, and the moment he said those marriage words, I started to doubt him. Also, probably the least eventful wedding in Game Of Thrones.
23) Dark Wings, Dark Words - Season 3, Episode 2 - Lets be real, Olenna Tyrell steals every scene that she's within 100 leagues of. She got me grinning within seconds, and it was nice to see Sansa get a chance to talk to someone who wasn't utterly despicable, for a change. And watching Margaery interact with Joffrey was really interesting, because she knows how to play the game in a way Sansa didn't. We're also introduced to the Brotherhood without Banners in a really cool way. Brienne and Jaime's fight was really interesting to see.
22) The Old Gods and The New - Season 2, Episode 6 - A lot happens in this one. The Winterfell plotline is very tragic, with Bran's asking Theon if he'd always hated them being absolutely gut-wrenching. The conflicting emotions in Theon building as the situation spun further and further out of control in an absolutely brilliant performance from Alfie Allen. Then the riot in Kings Landing showing, in one single event, Joffrey's callousness, Tyrion's situational awareness, and the Hound's sense of righteousness being beyond his loyalty to the crown. And Dany's furious yell of "Where are my dragons?" is incredibly powerful.
21) Mhysa - Season 3, Episode 10 - Arya waking just in time to see Greywind's head stitched onto her brother's corpse is heartbreaking, Yara's speech as she goes to save her brother is very cool, and Sansa's relationship with Tyrion is startlingly sweet. Tywin's cold dismissal of Joffrey was fantastic, easily the best scene of the episode. The visual of Dany riding a sea of the freed slaves is impressive, if a touch cheesy.
20) Winter Is Coming - Season 1, Episode 1 - Wow. What a way to start a show. The opening to this one was utterly chilling, and sets up the looming threat for the entire show. Key characters are quickly and effectively developed, and the ending perfectly established the brutality of the world that they live in. Despite his short stint on the show, Mark Addy's portrayal of Robert Baratheon was stand-out from the get.
19) A Golden Crown - Season 1, Episode 6 - Another episode that really stands out to me for the ending. Viserys's death scene is chilling, and the manner of his death drips with a cruel irony. He craved the crown, and a crown killed him. Poetic, in an absolutely horrific way. Love it, incredible performance from Lloyd in that scene. If there's one thing I dislike about it, it's that this fantastic actor wouldn't be in the show anymore. Also, the scene where Robert hits Cersei is so poetically written. "I will wear this like a badge of honour." "Wear it in silence, or I'll honour you again." One of my favourite exchanges in the show, the wordplay is fantastic.
18) The Lion and the Rose - Season 4, Episode 2 - Let's be honest, this is what we all wanted. Didn't stop Joffrey's death from being extremely powerful. I also love the detail of Olenna re-arranging Sansa's necklace, which is so cool knowing that this is how she committed the crime. It's also so cool that there were so many people to want Joffrey dead, as it burst open the doors to speculation. Headey's performance as Cersei in this scene was phenomenal, to see her grief, her pain, and her overwhelming fury.
17) Two Swords - Season 4, Episode 1 - It truly is a testament to Pedro Pascal's talent as an actor that, in 7 episodes, Oberyn Martell becomes such a powerful, and memorable character, and his first appearance is no exception. He's presented instantly as dangerous and extravagant, his first scene involving him stabbing someone in a brothel. Jon's trial is also extremely memorable. It always makes me laugh when Janos ridicules Jon's assertion that the wildlings have giants, only to see the seriousness of the other faces. And the fight at the inn was fantastic, with Arya getting some well-earned vengeance for what happened to Lommy, whatever the f*ck a Lommy is.
16) Mockingbird - Season 4, Episode 7 - A couple of really stand-out moments in this one. The biggest one in this episode is Oberyn's speech to Tyrion, where we really see Oberyn's motivations, ending with his announcement that he'll stand champion for Tyrion at the trial. The other moment that really stood out was Lysa's death, where we see how cold Littlefinger truly is. Although Petyr's love for Sansa is definitely a little uncomfortable, considering how he pined after Sansa's mother for years.
15) The Children - Season 4, Episode 10 - I'll admit, my opinion of this episode dropped significantly after reading the books, and anyone out there who has read the books will know why. Justice for Tysha, amirite? Still, this episode was very good, and Tyrion's conversation with Tywin was fantastic. Dance was amazing as ever, and Peter Dinklage killed it. And Tyrion, thanks for killing Tywin before he could fall victim to the terrible writing of the later seasons.
14) The Winds of Winter - Season 6, Episode 10 - The music in the sept scene was incredible. I mean, it's fantastic throughout the show, but it really shines here. Hats off, Djawadi. Hats off. And it looks beautiful. Tommen's death was really powerful and (I'm sorry) but that's why they call it Kings Landing! This is also where we get the R+L=J reveal, I wonder if they'll do... anything... with that! And it's nice to see Arya getting some vengeance on House Frey, although it's jarring how quickly she got to Westeros, and that she's now emotionless enough to kill two people and cook them. That's cold.
13) The Climb - Season 3, Episode 6 - I'll be honest, Littlefinger's monologue pushed this way up the rankings. I burst out into chills the moment that the words "chaos is a ladder" are uttered. Seeing what Theon is being put through makes him go from one of my most disliked characters to one of the most sympathetic at an insane speed, and the shot of Jon and Ygritte at the top of the wall is beautiful.
12) You Win or You Die - Season 1, Episode 7 - Some brilliant performances from the Lannisters in this one. Charles Dance comes in strong with his performance of Tywin Lannister, a performance that never falters. Incredible. Also, fantastic call to introduce Tywin, not surrounded by finery or gold, but getting his hands dirty, butchering a stag (the Baratheon sigil), especially when standing next to Jaime, with his golden hair and shining armour. Because a lion does not concern himself with the opinions of the sheep, and Twyin will get his hands dirty to protect his position. And then, there's Cersei's ever memorable monologue that absolutely stole the episode, showing Ned just how brutal the game is, a game that he wasn't willing to play. And Littlefinger's "I did warn you not to trust me", chills. Every time.
11) The Wolf and the Lion - Season 1, Episode 5 - First real action packed episode, this one, starting with the skirmish on the mountain pass. Bronn starts to demonstrate how funny he is, and establishing his relationship with Tyrion. Another stand-out Robert Baratheon episode, with the famous "Go get the breastplate stretcher!" line. I absolutely love the Clegane v Clegane fight, there's something so satisfying in how Sandor drops to one knee, allowing him to both show respect to the king, and dodge his brother's sword. And then wrapping things up with Ned vs Jaime, including the death of Jory Cassel, really sets the stage for how high the stakes are, and how much higher they are going to get.
10) Fire and Blood - Season 1, Episode 10 - I think the scene that really stuck in my memory was the one between Catelyn and Robb. They never mention what happened, but it's all there in the visuals. Catelyn's deep internalisation of her sorrows against Robb's outburst of rage and grief. Robb's furious claim that he'll "kill them all" against Catelyn's more rational determination to save her daughters. This scene hurt. And the spine chilling cries of "the king in the north!" as the Northmen turn to Robb to be their leader. Oh. And Dragons. Dragons happened.
9) And Now his Watch is Ended - Season 3, Episode 4 - So I wasn't a huge fan of Dany's storyline, but this episode, wow. The looks on every face when they realise that Dany can speak High Valyrian, and the moment of ice cold silence after she says "Dracarys". The ensuing attack is visually stunning, powerful, satisfying, and under it all, there's a foreboding sense of "what else is she capable of"? Commander Mormont's death is tragic, and watching Margaery twist Joffrey around her little finger is ever powerful.
8)Hardhome - Of course, the battle of Hardhome was the standout here, and the Night King raising the dead was a sickening reminder of the stakes. If only he proved to be anything close to the threat he was shown to be! I think my favourite moment was when Jon called for his brothers in the Nights Watch to follow, near the start of the battle.
7) The Laws of Gods and Men - Season 4, Episode 6 - Tyrion's trial. MAN, Tyrion's trial. Seeing all of Tyrion's past actions coming back to haunt him, while there's nothing he can do to defend himself. Jaime willing to sacrifice his role in the kingsguard in order to protect his little brother. Tyrion's feeling of utter betrayal at Shae's testimony, leading into one of the most powerful, chilling, memorable monologues of the show, ending with the statement "I demand a trial by combat!" that shakes the roof with the uproar. Wow. And then accented with the tragic scene of Theon unable to trust his sister, after his last failed escape attempt, as well as Dany seeing the fallout of her brutal system of punishment.
6) Kissed By Fire - Season 3, Episode 5 - Can we take a moment to truly appreciate Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, the incredible actor behind Jaime? The bathtub scene brings tears to my eyes every single time. How did this guy go from the most despicable sister-screwing, attempted child murderer in episode 1, to one of the most sympathetic, multilayered characters I've ever seen? Ugh, beautiful scene! Beric returning from the dead is unsettlingly powerful, and seeing Robb's utter fury as he executes Lord Karstark is chilling. And Ygritte and Jon are really cute together.
5) The Mountain and the Viper - Season 4, Episode 8 - So let's start with stuff other that the big fight. Seeing Sansa outsmart people for the first (and regrettably, just about the last) time was fantastic, and seeing her embrace a life with Littlefinger was pretty powerful. Arya's reaction to Lysa's death was hilarious. I felt so sorry for Jorah when he was banished, but I understand Dany's motivation entirely. Now, the fight. I love how quickly each of the champions establish themselves, Oberyn with flourishes and flair, the Mountain as a totally immovable force. Oberyn's desire to hear Clegane confess is entirely believable, and results in possibly the most brutal death in the entire show.
4) Blackwater - Season 2, Episode 9 - The first really major on-screen battle, and it did not disappoint. Tyrion was a stand-out character, this episode, both with his cunning in his plan with the wildfire, and with his speech to rally the men. Sandor Clegane goes from hilariously tough and brazen, to worn down and sympathetic, in a way that feels utterly believable. Watching Sansa's eyes open to the reality that life isn't a fairytale, as exemplified with Cersei is engaging, and the final scene between Cersei and Tommen in heart-wrenching, especially the relief in Cersei's eyes when she saw her father. Also the explosion was stunning to see.
3) Baelor - Season 1, Episode 9 - Man. This one still hurts. It started off so good for the Starks, with their victory in Whispering Wood. Robb showing his military competence really gave me hope that maybe he could save Ned. And then the tone drops when we head over to Dany's storyline, with Drogo succumbing to his infection, and Dany being taken into the tent as she goes into labour. And then it happened. Ned was our main character, every rule of television dictated that he would survive and yet... The bitter irony of him being killed by his own sword, the way the world slowed down. Seeing his daughters' reactions. Seeing Cersei plead with her son to see reason, exemplifying just how irrational Joffrey was being. Wow. Incredible.
2) The Rains of Castamere - Season 3, Episode 9 - So I thought Baelor hurt. Then this episode happened. Before we get to you-know-what, lets touch on the other stuff. Jon and Bran getting so close, but missing each other by the skin of their teeth, Jon telling Orell that he was "right the whole time" before killing his human form, and Dany winning Yunkai, already a pretty hefty episode. And then there's the red wedding itself. The fact that it seems, for a moment, that things might just work out... Edmure is besotted with his new bride, Talisa tells Robb that she wants to name the child for Ne, and it seems that Arya might finally be reunited with her family. But then... Catelyn's face when she hears the Rains of Castamere, Robb's utter shock as everything devolves into chaos, and Arya having to watch helplessly as Greywind is killed.... And can we talk about Michelle Fairley's performance? Her scream is utterly spine chilling.
1) The Watchers on the Wall - Season 4, Episode 9 - I'll admit, this is probably too high for what the episode is, but I have a real soft spot for this one. The cinematography was utterly gorgeous, especially that sweeping longshot that shows all the fights around castle black. And the shot from Ghost's perspective, There were some impressive match-ups in this one. Thorne and Tormund really stood out. Seeing Jon take command was great, the scythe was very cool, and the moment when a giant shot someone off the wall, leaving them skewered on the ground, wow. I know it's an odd one to say is my favourite, but I absolutely adore this episode.
Comments