The 101 Greatest Moments of Game of Thrones: #80 – 61

season 2 Game of Thrones teaser poster

The North remembers, and so do Game of Thrones fans. But sometimes we all need a little refresher of what we love about the show, so this week we’re sharing the best of the best from the past six seasons. Yesterday we kicked off the list by counting down numbers 101 through 81 of the greatest moments.

How do we decide what’s great? Very complex process involving ballots, fire magic, Google Docs, swearing, Chipotle- oh and combing through every single episode before we even started the process. Our collective shortlist was hell to compile but a nerd’s gotta do what a nerd’s gotta do. Cutting that incredible (and not-at-all-short) shortlist down to just 101 entries was a terrible challenge. On the upside, we’re more sure than ever that Game of Thrones is consistently the best damn show around.

With that said, welcome to day 2 of our countdown! Please feel free to share your own choices in comments, because what good is a list without a debate? And most of all, enjoy!


 

Dany

80. Jorah Reveals His Greyscale and Daenerys Commands Him to Find a Cure. Episode 605, “The Door”

Oh, be still my beating heart… but not Jorah’s, please! Sadly, his heart may soon turn to stone and beat no longer. Once his quest was done, Jorah’s raison d’être is done as well, and so he finally reveals his greyscale to his queen and prepares to die in peace. This would have been a tragic yet appropriate enough end for the knight, but Dany won’t have it and saves his life by commanding him to find a cure and return to her. Emilia Clarke so rarely gets to play emotionally vulnerable scenes, as Daenerys always needs to appear to be an impassible queen, so this kind of scene is a rare gift. And of course, Iain Glen shines as he always does, bewitching us with his deep raspy voice as he pours his heart out. Hopefully his mission will be a success, but even if it isn’t, this beautiful last scene between Jorah and Dany would be a fitting parting for them both.  – Luka Nieto

Khal Drogo Makes a Speech

79. Enraged After the Attempt on Dany’s Life, Drogo Declares War on Westeros. Episode 107, “You Win or You Die”

Before his untimely death, Khal Drogo gave a compelling and formidable speech rallying the Dothraki behind the Targaryen queen, promising their unborn son the Seven Kingdoms. Drogo’s devotion to Daenerys is staggering in this scene and only makes his death later more devastating – especially when it also means losing a talent like Jason Momoa.  – Nate

Maester Cressen Game of Thrones

78. Maester Cressen’s attempt on Melisandre’s life goes very wrong. Episode 201, “The North Remembers”

At the beginning of season 2, Game of Thrones had the daunting task of introducing a new group of characters into the mix, as it truly became an ensemble show without Ned at the center. The Dragonstone gang’s final, deadly scene in the episode cements the dynamics we’ve come to know well, establishing Stannis’ accidental humor (“A lie. Take it out.”) and his unrelenting nature, Davos’ rough-spoken smarts, and Melisandre’s eerie power. The meeting ends with blood spilling as the good-hearted Maester Cressen (Oliver Ford Davies, stellar in his single episode) gives his life trying to save the king he serves from the influence of the Red priestess. We quickly learn just how powerful Melisandre is. (Or so we thought- as it turns out, deflecting poison was the least of her abilities!)  – Sue the Fury 

77. A Castle Black Dinner Brings a Letter and a Ship. Episode 604, “Book of the Stranger”

Strictly speaking, the ship took off when Tormund spotted Brienne in the Castle Black courtyard and the wildling equivalent of “Foxy Lady” played in his head. But the most surprising and hottest new ship of 2016 really took off in the subsequent dinner scene, when Tormund seductively chewed in Brienne’s direction, much to her bafflement. The moment is the perfect counterbalance for the tension that follows: the reading of Ramsay’s viciously taunting “Come and see” letter, which will sharply raise the stakes for the inevitable Battle of the Bastards, with the Stark kids more determined than ever to reclaim their home.  – Sue the Fury

Barristan Daenerys Valar Dohaeris

76. Barristan Selmy Saves Dany’s Life and Become Her Queensguard, Episode 301 “Valar Dohaeris”

One of those lovely little moments, a rarity in a show like Thrones, when it’s revealed a character you liked in Season One has somehow made it unscathed to the other side of the world and is ready to fight for a cause he believes in.  It’s also a great example of a subplot from the books which was arguably reworked for the better in the TV show. Not only is it a good reveal, it’s just plain nice that Barristan managed to avoid having to serve under Joffrey and got to hang out with the cool kids of Team Dany for a few seasons.  Shame the Sons of the Harpy had to come along and spoil it all…  – Geoffery

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75. The Return of Benjen Stark. Episode 606, “Blood of My Blood”

When Meera and Bran are set upon by wights after escaping the cave, a mysterious hooded figure rides to the rescue and takes out their attackers in spectacular fashion. Wielding a flaming flail, he carries Meera and Bran to safety. Book readers had been waiting to see the “Coldhands” character since the end of season three, so his appearance was a welcome surprise. Even more surprising was the reveal that he was Benjen Stark, left for dead by White Walkers and saved by the Children of the Forest. For the novels, the Coldhands=Benjen idea has been debunked by George R.R. Martin, but at least fans of the theory got to see it play out onscreen. – Vanessa Cole

I Did Warn You Not To Trust Me

74. Littlefinger Betrays Ned. Episode 107, “You Win or You Die”

It’s hard to believe there was a time when everyone didn’t know that Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish is the most untrustworthy, manipulative, self-serving scumbag on Planetos. And yet throughout season one, despite Ned Stark’s misgivings about Catelyn’s dear old friend Petyr, he decided to listen to the man, and accepted his backing when Ned chose to take a stand against Cersei after King Robert’s death. Wrongly believing he had the City Watch safely at his back, Ned made his move in episode 107’s pivotal final scene, and paid the ultimate price. “I did warn you not to trust me,” Littlefinger says slyly and we can’t even blame him. You did warn him, you sonuvabitch. You did. – Sue the Fury 

Daenerys chains her dragons

73. Daenerys Chains the Dragons. Episode 410, “The Children”

The most harrowing yet memorable moment for the Mother of Dragons was when she made the dreaded decision to detain her remaining two children Rhaegal and Viserion in an effort to protect her people. The look of remorse Daenerys gives the dark dungeon, echoing the cries of her children, was a heartbreaking scene made so by Emilia Clarke’s remarkable and empathetic performance.   – Nate

ygritte and jon

72. Ygritte’s Death in Battle. Episode 409, “The Watchers on the Wall”

In the battle for the Wall, Jon and Ygritte were headed for a confrontation. When Ygritte finally had Jon back in her sights, it was a tense and emotional scene. You could see the conflicting feelings of joy and sadness on Jon’s face as he waited for her to shoot, but it seemed Ygritte couldn’t bring herself to do it. Then Olly’s arrow took Ygritte from behind, and Jon held her lovingly as she died. When Ygritte utters her final “You know nothing, Jon Snow,” my heart breaks a little, every time.   – Vanessa Cole

Hound Reveal

71. The Reveal of The Hound. Episode 607, “The Broken Man”

After the ferocious battle between Brienne of Tarth and Sandor Clegane in the season 4 finale, fans were left hanging in the balance wondering the fate of The Hound. Arya may have spared his life, but he was left in no shape to fend for himself, making even someone of his stature an easy target in a vicious land like Westeros. The reveal of Clegane being alive and well in a blissful land of cooperation was a breath of fresh air, made even more gratifying by a guest starring role from Ian McShane as Brother Ray. A slow and peaceful rendition of the Game of Thrones theme made this unique cold open even richer as it sets the pace before making the dramatic reveal. The illuminated valley covered in green was a welcome contrast from the usual snow and destruction. This great moment gives us hope for Sandor as we see he’s not only regained his physical strength but, thanks to Brother Ray, his inner strength as well.  – Nate

Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark and Aidan Gillen as Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish. Credit: Helen Sloan/HBO

70. Sansa Confronts Littlefinger About Arranging Her Marriage to Ramsay. Episode 605, “The Door”

I’m not sure if this scene was conscientiously written in response to the controversy that surrounded Sansa’s storyline in season 5, but it certainly addresses some of the criticisms. Sansa takes Littlefinger to task for his mistakes and affirms that the abuse she suffered under Ramsay has had long-term consequences. “I can still feel it,” she says. “I don’t mean in my tender heart, it still pains me so. I can still feel what he did in my body standing here right now.” Damn.  – Petra

Varys and Tyrion discuss riddles

69. Tyrion and Varys Discuss Power and Riddles. Episode 203, “What is Dead May Never Die”

The Spider’s riddle serves as a potent thesis statement for Game of Thrones’ theory on power, one that still holds true after countless kings, priests, and rich men of varying repute have come and gone. Mere days into his tenure as Hand of the King, Tyrion has brilliantly navigated the treacherous waters that drowned Ned Stark and established himself as a shrewd and effective political player by wielding deception – or as his stringently honorable predecessor might pejoratively refer to it, a trick – to great effect. Varys, another shrewd man who has weathered many a storm, takes note, and in a conversation that unfolds over a late night glass of wine (as all of the best conversations do), he astutely and succinctly makes a case that the trick is the entire point. Power resides where men believe it resides, and as Tyrion is starting to believe in his own capabilities, the audience is investing our collective belief in him as well. Across realms both real and fictional, Tyrion casts his very large shadow over all. – Jared Kozal

Dark Sansa

68. Having chosen Littlefinger as her ally, Dark Sansa descends. Episode 408, “The Mountain and the Viper”

Though Lysa’s death is shocking in the traditional Game of Thrones way, the truly compelling stuff comes afterwards, when Littlefinger is interrogated for his possible involvement in the apparent suicide by the Lords of the Vale, in particular Lord Royce and Lady Waynwood, played by two wonderful character actors. Things aren’t going well for Petyr… until Sansa comes in and does something I didn’t expect: she overwhelms them with honesty, revealing her identity, and then feeds them the greatest load of bollocks there is, corroborating Petyr’s story. As she cries on Lady Waynwood’s shoulder, she gives Petyr a look. Oh, this look was everything. “I’m playing the game too now.” The show had short-changed Sansa before, particularly in season three, but the culmination of her arc in the fourth season jump-started her character progression in an amazing way, a trend that has only continued since then. Sansa’s last scenes of season four are not only the birth of the so-called Dark Sansa in her raven dress, but also the moment I became convinced she would eventually be Littlefinger’s downfall.  – Luka Nieto

Yoren

67. Yoren Talks About His Past, Before Confronting the Goldcloaks. Episode 203, “What is Dead May Never Die”

Most of the minor characters who get a handful of episodes (at most) on this show get one killer monologue before shuffling off of Westeros’s mortal coil – Maester Luwin, Old Nan, Oberyn Martell. Yoren’s is probably the prototype, though, as we get a sense of what derailed his existence and the feeling that he wouldn’t change it anyway. Six years in, and his death that follows is also still probably the most bad-assed of all of them. “And I buried an axe so far into his head they had to bury him with it.”  – Greatjon of Slumber

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66. Tyrion and Daenerys Meet, and She Decides His Fate. Episode 508, “Hardhome”

Daenerys and Tyrion’s first meeting was a moment five years (for some, twenty-five years) in the making. As such, the sense of anticipation hanging over their initial interaction was as heavy as the blood-soaked history that their families had inflicted upon one another. Yet the cathartic thrill of seeing them share the screen at last lived up to expectations, and ignited newfound hope for two characters who had previously been somewhat adrift – Tyrion searching for solace at the bottom of a flagon, Dany struggling to assert her rule over a foreign and increasingly hostile city. While their early conversations were not entirely free of tension, their rapport was immediately evident; Tyrion’s sage counsel quickly proved to be a tempering influence on Dany’s imperious determination, while Dany’s gift for inspiration lifted Tyrion out of the darkness into which his soul had sunk. Alas, the price of Tyrion’s admission to Dany’s inner circle was a second exile for Jorah – the lovelorn knight would have to walk an even longer path to return to his Khaleesi’s good graces. – Jared Kozal

Syrio Forel Fight

65. Syrio Forel’s Last Stand. Episode 108, “The Pointy End”

Ahhh, the scene that inspired a thousand fandom conspiracy theories! But whether you believe that Syrio Forel, the First Sword of Braavos, died fighting Ser Meryn Trant or not isn’t relevant at the moment. What matters is appreciating the sheer loveliness of the moves as Arya’s beloved waterdancing teacher faces off against a group of guards with only a wooden practice sword. Miltos Yerolemou was a delight from the moment he appeared onscreen as Syrio, and he exited with style. As for Syrio’s ultimate fate…well, what do we say to the god of death?  – Sue the Fury

Theon burns the letter

64. Theon Burns the Letter and Embraces the Ironborn. Episode 203, “What is Dead May Never Die”

When Balon Greyjoy decides that instead of helping King Robb he’ll take advantage of his absence and attack the North, Theon is conflicted. Balon may be his father, but he isn’t a good one, and, though he may not quite realize it yet, his true father in spirit was Ned. And so he writes a letter to his would-be brother Robb… but then burns it, succumbing to his father’s wishes, and finally gets baptized in an ominous scene that screams “You made the wrong choice!” The letter scene is a show-invented character beat, as Theon in the books didn’t feel much remorse about his betrayal (not yet, anyway), but it’s one of the best additions yet. It’s not only the writing that works here; everything comes together for one of the best scenes of season two. Alfie Allen’s striking performance as a tortured Theon, the rising Greyjoy theme during the baptism, the painterly staging of the character surrounded by a literal black void of loneliness….This is where Theon’s tragedy begins, and it will not end for a long time.   – Luka Nieto

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63. Arya Kills Meryn Trant, and Is Blinded In Punishment. Episode 510, “Mother’s Mercy”

One of the many climactic moments of the astounding season 5 finale was when Arya tasted bloody vengeance, killing Meryn Trant. Her satisfying act of revenge didn’t go unnoticed, and she was consequently afflicted for her selfish act against the Many-Faced God. This iconic moment brought Arya into a necessary stage of training at the House of Black and White and taught her how to flip a disadvantage into a sharp edge against her opponents. This scene saw Arya tap into her new skills, coupled with her cunning wit and agility, and brought the young wolf’s fifth season arc full circle. The exhilarating and victorious moment left fans cheering and will forever be remembered as one of her greatest, even though it temporarily cost her her sight. – Nate

Jorah Drogon Ruins of Valyria

62. Poetry and Doom in Valyria. Episode 505, “Kill the Boy”

This is a major turning point for Tyrion: he finds a reason to live after half a season of “drinking himself to death on the way to Meereen”; and the road trip with Jorah we all wanted begins in earnest. After sharing an old poem and the sight of a young dragon, and surviving the stone men, Jorah’s hostility dissipates. Any of these little moments may have made the list, but together there isn’t even a question.  – Luka Nieto

“They held each other close and turned their backs upon the end.
The hills that split asunder and the black that ate the skies;
The flames that shot so high and hot that even dragons burned;
Would never be the final sights that fell upon their eyes.
A fly upon a wall, the waves the sea wind whipped and churned —
The city of a thousand years, and all that men had learned;
The Doom consumed it all alike, and neither of them turned.”

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61. Maester Aemon dies naturally, calling for his brother Egg. Episode 507, “The Gift”

Practically unheard of for Game of Thrones, Maester Aemon passed away of old age at Castle Black – calling out to his brother Egg as he died. One of the truly great people in Westeros, Aemon lived a life of selfless service, doling out advice and wisdom and expecting nothing in return. If anyone deserved a peaceful death, it was Aemon; the sad part is that he never knew his (likely) great grandnephew Jon was at Castle Black with him. On an even sadder note, the actor Peter Vaughan passed last December at the age of 93 – now his watch is truly ended.  – Vanessa Cole


And that wraps it up for today. Join us tomorrow as we resume with number 60 and slide down into our top 50!

Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

95 Comments

  1. 1) The moment when Khal Drogo killed Viserys was my “oooh shit. this show is going to be good” moment.

    2) For some reason, I find Theon burning that letter to be extremely visually appealing.

  2. #62 (Poetry and Doom in Valyria) and #61 (Maester Aemon Dies) were both in my Top 10! Such poetic scenes. I cry foul and demand a recount! 🙂

  3. Drogo’s devotion to Daenerys is staggering in this scene and only makes his death later more devastating – especially when it also means losing a talent like Jason Momoa. – Nate

    Momoa’s talent becomes even more staggering when you realize almost every bit of his dialog was Dothraki. (I think except for Crown for a King, when he pours molten gold over Visery’s head) He filled every syllable, every inflection, with pride and passion, to the point you just knew what he was saying without the english translation at the bottom of the screen. I loved all his scenes. Watch the one when he and the baby are in the tent in the North in Dany’s visions. His love and regret are so palpable just in his facial expressions, and he pronounces every Dothraki phrase as though he were reading a love poem in english.

  4. The only things that I would include in any list of mine are:Valyria,Ygritte’s death which would be way higher than this,Theon burning the letter,Tyrion and Dany,Tyrion and Varys,the pink letter,Dany and the dragons and Dany and Jorah.The other moments vary from meh to just okay.

  5. 62. Poetry and Doom in Valyria. Episode 505, “Kill the Boy”

    One of my favorite favorites. You are right Luka, the whole portion is unforgettable. We had always watched Tyrion proclaim how much he read, that his strength came from books, but hearing him recite poetry for the first time gave us a different glimpse into his psyche. When Jorah chimed in to finish the poem, we also saw that he had once been more than a world-weary soldier in a digustingly dirty yellow shirt. (I’m sure that dirty shirt did it’s own job of helping the Greyscale spread, damn it.) One of the promos for season 5 was a pic of Tyrion seeing a dragon fly by for the first time. I’ve rewound that scene countless times. The expressions of wonder then amazement on Tyrion’s face are hugely entertaining.

  6. Well Done… Great List!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Don’t forget the season 5 scene when Sansa and Littlefinger are in the crypt at Winterfell talking about Sansa’s aunt Lyanna Stark, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and the Tourney at Harrenhal

    Also the Barristan Selmy saving Daenery’s scene should be in the top 40 scenes.

    That was a fantastic final scene of that episode!!

  7. Did 80-61 get reversed for 101-81? Just messin’ with you all. 🙂

    My lengthy post commenting on the list:

    80. I really liked this scene. I remember thinking Daenerys seemed completely different when I first watched it. Not just her demeanor but her look — she had like “Emmy lighting” on her face when she spoke or something. 😛 This is a scene that I would refer to when someone claims the “mad queen” theory as it rebukes any statements that she is.

    79. One of the two scenes that cemented Jason Momoa AS Drogo, along with the tongue ripping scene. Fantastic!

    78. Hmm… The memorable part of the scene is Maester Cressen’s failure, which I don’t think is much of a ‘greatest moment,’ but it did add to the mystery and magic behind Melisandre so that helps.

    77. Tormund eye-balling Brienne… umm yes! Kudos for using that video with that music!

    76. Jedi Knight Selmy enters… Great scene!

    75. How often does one get to see a person squeeze blood out of a rabbit into a glass and then offer it to someone to drink? 🙂

    74. Littlefinger sucks and blows!!

    73. You can’t set up what was the fantastic, brilliant, super “greatest” scene of somehow just #84 without first chaining up two of the dragons. 😉

    72. Olly is the worst Cupid ever!!

    71. How could the confirmation of the as-of-yet unconfirmed return of Sandor not be great!?

    70. No comment… other than Brienne should have cut down Littlefinger in this scene.

    69. Varys and Tyrion together is enough said.

    68. Umm, nice dress? Teased a certain “new Sansa” only to sideline it for a season and a half.

    67. The scene of Yoren’s that I was thinking about in my last post in the other thread. We got to know him better and have stronger feelings for him due to this story he shared in conversation with Arya.

    66. First scene to prove Tyrion and Daenerys would be good together.

    65. Like #67, a scene of Syrio’s I thought of in my post about Arya’s companions.

    64. Theon was maddening for a while, starting with this scene really.

    63. Most expensive death scene also felt like the most deserving. Trant was an a-hole!

    62. Beautiful scene! “Long sullen silences and an occasional punch in the face. The Mormont way.” Great indeed! 🙂

    61. Great scene for Vaughan’s legacy.

  8. Ten Bears: Holy Balls! What’s that, 3 new articles in the space of 20 minutes?

    Shhhh. Don’t knock this abundance. This is totally, totally off-topic, but I’ve also become a big fan of Outlander due to the rave reviews of many on here. They call their off-season Droughtlander, and for good reason. In one year there has been practically NOTHING about their upcoming season three, just one trailer released back in April. It’s annoying. That’s one reason I’m so grateful for WotW. At least there is someone watching and REPORTING the progress of GoT. If someone knows of more news released since April regarding OL, please direct me there, because … like I said, it’s annoying. Thank you for allowing me to bitch.
    Now back to our regularly scheduled comment.

  9. From this bunch my favorite scenes are maester Aemon’s death, Tyrion’s and Jorah’s boat ride through Valyria, Sansa confronting Littlefinger and Theon burning his letter to Robb.

    This I thought was not only a poignant moment in the story, but visually was magnificent.

    I prefer some of yesterday´s scenes to the ones listed today…

  10. 65. Syrio Forel’s Last Stand. Episode 108, “The Pointy End”

    Syrio … he has to be alive somewhere. Didn’t he say “not today” loudly enough? Damn. A character come to life via exceptional writing and even more exceptional casting. Poor old Ned may not have been the brightest when it came to politics, but he did something right as a father: getting Syrio for Arya saved her life.

  11. Clob,

    Yeah….Syrio and Yoren: You and I talked about these scenes in the prior post (#81 – #101), and now here they are!

    Ranking “best” scenes is virtually impossible. Too subjective. Usually….

    “Syrio’s last stand” at #65 is a head-scratcher. We wrote about this in the first segment.

    I thought it was a rare try heroic death, with iconic dialogue, great performances by MW as Arya paralyzed with fright, and Miltos Y. as Syrio resolutely standing his ground and sacrificing himself so that Arya may live.
    A truly iconic moment, capped off with Syrio posing the Q&A to his student for the final time – this time when it’s deadly serious, as he’s squaring off against Meryn F Trant with Arya behind him:

    Syrio: What do we say, to the God of Death?

    Arya (meekly): “Not today.”

    Syrio: “Go…”
    ——————

    Objectively speaking, are there 64 “moments” better thsn this one?
    Well, with 60 episodes, maybe so.

    I’m going to try to take the enlightened approach, and consider that if a favorite scene of mine has made it into the WoW’s 101 Best Moments, that’s recognition enough.

    (The real sh*tstorm will begin when #1 is announced…. I predict there will be accusations of Putin BotNet interference and rigged elections if no poultry is involved. )

  12. “Dark Sansa” is retroactively hilarious when you know what’s coming afterward, since there’s not a trace of her 408 characterization or abilities in any subsequent episode. It remains the only actual game playing she’s done on the show.

    Thronetender,

    It’s a sign of the quality of the actor that so many people want him to still be alive (though that’s also the case in the books). But I’ve seldom seen a theory about how he’d still be around that doesn’t sacrifice everything that Syrio stood for in the process (this is particularly true of all the people who want him to have been a Faceless Man). Syrio Forel was a hero, because he protected a little girl at the cost of his own life.

  13. To Sue the Fury & Co.:

    Just wanted to say that your scene descriptions are really good, and capture why the “moment” was indelible.
    I’m sure I speak many others in saying how we appreciate the wsy you all go the extra mile in preparing and writing your posts.

    (Now back to identifying my Personal Top (Bottom) 10 nominees to join your official selections at #999 and #998.)

  14. Words can’t adequately express how much I adore that poem about the Doom of Valyria (and the entire scene that accompanies it). Just beautiful. I’m glad I didn’t have to write up that one – I would have just babbled on incomprehensibly for far too long. 🙂

    I consider Dany chaining her dragons to be one of the low-key saddest scenes in the entire series, even though no one dies. I’m very glad that Nate chose to highlight Emilia Clarke’s wonderful performance in that moment, which is rendered all the more remarkable when you place it in a real-world context and remember that she was conveying this level of intense grief while acting against a pair of shapeless green heads on sticks. While I’m aware that Clarke’s performance isn’t universally beloved, I personally adore her, and I consider this scene to be some of her very finest work.

  15. Thronetender:
    Drogo’s devotion to Daenerys is staggering in this scene and only makes his death later more devastating – especially when it also means losing a talent like Jason Momoa.– Nate

    Momoa’s talent becomes even more staggering when you realize almost every bit of his dialog was Dothraki. (I think except for Crown for a King, when he pours molten gold over Visery’s head) He filled every syllable, every inflection, with pride and passion, to the point you just knew what he was saying without the english translation at the bottom of the screen. I loved all his scenes. Watch the one when he and the baby are in the tent in the North in Dany’s visions. His love and regret are so palpable just in his facial expressions, and he pronounces every Dothraki phrase as though he were reading a love poem in english.

    Bang on the money absolutely gorgeous. Exceptionally well said 🙂

  16. Ten Bears,

    I’m going to try to take the enlightened approach, and consider that if a favorite scene of mine has made it into the WoW’s 101 Best Moments, that’s recognition enough.

    My thought exactly. I can’t really argue with any of the scenes so far (except that Aryas saying goodbye to needle really needed to be higher), but so far I have been thrilled by how many fav scenes of mine have already been included

    I knew Alfie was an extraordinary actor by that scene when he is debating himself. You see it in his face in his body, and while I hated him for what he did at Winterfell I realized I was watching a master class in acting in that scene. He has since not disappointed

  17. Jared,

    Allow me to chime in here, if it’s okay..
    I understand that the actors really have to be commended for rendering believable performances interacting with fictional creatures – sometimes nothing more than a tennis ball on a stick during filming.

    It’s easy to overlook the fantastic work the CGI crew has done bringing dragons to life, and I don’t mean just the way they insert the computer generated creature into the frame so it looks like the actor is touching it or sitting on it.
    The dragons behave and move like real animals because they behave and move like real birds, who in turn are the direct descendants of dinosaurs.*
    When Dany chained the two dragons, they cried like a caged bird would who’s gotten used to the freedom to come and go. After Tyrion unbolted the first dragon’s collar, the second one craned his neck just as a bird would who wants his neck massaged.
    Best of all? The closing shot of S6e10, when the dragons fly into the frame, then skim the surface of the water with their wingtips. Real birds like to play, and lovecskimming the surface like that. (Wouldn’t you if you could fly?) Even the dragons’ takeoffs and landings are based on avian physiology, adjusted for scale.

    Yes, these are all little things, and easy to overlook Still, it’s nice to know the showrunners go the extra mile. And it’s a little bit easier to suspend disbelief when you’re watching a dragon exhibiting familiar behaviors from the natural world.

    * I’m pretty familiar with avian behavior. Not an expert. Just life experience.
    Movies like “Jurassic Park” made it seem that it was a big, recent scientific discovery that birds are descendants of dinosaurs. Anybody who’s ever seen a wet parakeet after a bath knew that a long time ago.

    PS: It’s too far off topic here, but a poster recently asked (half-jokingly) how Dany stays on her dragon in mid-flight, and mounts and dismounts. There are biological answers for that. As soon as the Forum Registration Gods decide to accept my confirmation code, maybe I’ll post it there for the two people including my sister who’d read it

  18. Clob: 77. Tormund eye-balling Brienne… umm yes! Kudos for using that video with that music!

    That one caught us all off guard. His hilarious attentions to her were the thing we didn’t know we wanted, and now we can’t forget them. Lol. I think I read somewhere that they almost didn’t put those scenes in – so glad they did.

  19. The Last Dragon named No One,

    You’re probably aware that Jason Mamoa haa remained a huge fan of the show, and Dany/Emilia in particular. He still addresses twitter and instagram posts to “Moon of My Life” and “Khaleesi.”

    I get a kick out of that. Khal Drogo-Aquaman fanboying like the rest of us. 🌙🌞⭐️✨

  20. Clob: 63. Most expensive death scene also felt like the most deserving. Trant was an a-hole!

    Hell, I wanted to clock him just for saying all those pretty young girls were “too old.” I was screaming at the tv screen, calling him a pervert and every other thing. The scene where Arya kills him so viciously put me in mild shock, though. Granted, she had killed before, but not quite like this, and it’s where I started to worry about her. Didn’t mourn Trant, though. Enough of that guy. As usual, young Maisie absolutely nailed it. I may be worried about the character, but the actress will go far, no doubt about that.

  21. Thronetender: I wanted to clock him just for saying all those pretty young girls were “too old.” I was screaming at the tv screen, calling him a pervert and every other thing.

    To me, it was interesting that the showrunners felt the need to add that deplorable aspect to Trant’s character. Wasn’t he bad enough from Arya’s perspective? I thought it was a little forced and it manipulated the audience to reeeeeaaallllyyyy want Arya (not really in FM mode) to go all stabby-stabby on him. Damn that was an extremely gratuitous scene! They reeeaaally wanted to show Arya’s vengeance, didn’t they? Regardless of how she killed him though, she violated the supposed FM creed….which had its consequences.

  22. Oh Jorah bear. One of Emilia’s best emotive scenes, imo, is in Dany’s goodbye to him. I may have ‘heh’d a bit at her commanding him to heal himself (would that we all could!), but what a fantastic scene.

    Jorah, Tyrion, Valyria, and the Doom. Loved it. Hoping Jorah’s reaction at hearing of his father makes this list.

    Houndie Houndie Houndie!!!! *bounce bounce*

    So glad Tyrion and Gary’s little tete a tete made it in here. And Yoren.

    Much as I never really cared for Ygritte, Jon did, so that scene was sad. Tempered by me nervously waiting for Jon to get schmucked as he sat there out in the middle of battle for dramatic effect.

    Alas, poor Yoren, we hardly knew thee.

  23. Hodors Bastard: Syrio Forel

    Wasn’t Ser Meryn Trant that despicable in the books?

    Also the scene shows the first sign that Arya was still Arya Stark and not a Faceless Man and that

    Arya “Stark” wanted to avenge her close friend Syrio Forel’s death.

  24. Will drogo fighting maego make the cut because that’s one of the badass scenes from season 1..
    At this rate iam afraid there won’t be any dany scenes in top 30..

    Most of dany’s enotional scene is here with jorah and her dragons ..iam sure the HOtu will make the list but for me the Scend between dany and drogo and rhaego in the tent is emotional and also the scene where dany kills drogo ..I hope these two also make the list ..

    The scene iam looking forward that gets picked in the next list is daenerys locking Xaro everything from where Emilia says nothing and large enough to buy a ship to xaro shouting khaleesi and jorah giving the orders in dothraki and dany walking with her babies while dothraki are st work and all the while Djawadi’s beautiful track on the background…

  25. Sue the Fury,

    I was counting. Or so I thought. 🤔

    Is it just me, or has it felt like the time since S6s10 ended has flown by faster than intervals between seasons, despite this year’s 3-month delay? It feels like it was only a few weeks ago that little Lyanna was consecutively shaming three because they each “refused the call.”

    The community has certainly been kept engaged this off-season, thanks to you. I wonder if the average number of WoW articles + comments per month this offseason exceeded the average in every prior year. (I’m not suggesting anyone should crunch the numbers. There’s too much going on with too little time remaining!)

  26. Pigeon:

    So glad Tyrion and Gary’s little tete a tete made it in here.

    Um…obviously Varys goes by the code name ‘Gary’. Yes.

    My favourite part of the Brienne/Tormund scene is Edd’s expression.

  27. Looking back, that scene with Sansa wearing her new dress looking at Baelish seductively is downright depressing.

    She was ready to use her sexuality to appease him (which is a sad fact by itself) and he still sold her to the Boltons.

  28. firstone: Also the scene shows the first sign that Arya was still Arya Stark and not a Faceless Man and that

    Of course, we knew that, regardless of the extra “too old” stuff. Cruel Meryn was on Arya’s list, regardless of his depicted Braavos depravity. My point was, which was debated endlessly during S5, why the need to introduce the extra crap and be so extreme? Because it was HBO? She knew how to kill a man quite efficiently and effectively, in FM mode or not.

  29. Is it just me, or has it felt like the time since S6s10 ended has flown by faster than intervals between seasons, despite this year’s 3-month delay? It feels like it was only a few weeks ago that little Lyanna was consecutively shaming three because they each “refused the call.”

    No not just you – I have felt engaged for most of this long wait, had fun, interacted with some amazing people and have a finer tuned perspective of the story based on those discussions. Not sure if its flown by, but its been much easier thanks to the good folk of WOTW

    Ten Bears,

    Best of all? The closing shot of S6e10, when the dragons fly into the frame, then skim the surface of the water with their wingtips. Real birds like to play, and lovec skimming the surface like that. (Wouldn’t you if you could fly?) Even the dragons’ takeoffs and landings are based on avian physiology, adjusted for scale.

    I just watched this yesterday and had the same feeling – they look just like birds, and was awe struck by how natural it all looked.The people behind this are pure genius. Even earlier in the episode when Dragon is landing, and takes off with Dany on his back to destroy the fleet – I could believe that dragons were real.

  30. Hodors Bastard,

    To me, it was interesting that the showrunners felt the need to add that deplorable aspect to Trant’s character. Wasn’t he bad enough from Arya’s perspective? I thought it was a little forced and it manipulated the audience to reeeeeaaallllyyyy want Arya (not really in FM mode) to go all stabby-stabby on him. Damn that was an extremely gratuitous scene!

    I totally agree – if they wanted to be sure the audiences knew why she wanted to kill him, there could have been a conversation between Arya and Hound about how he helped with Neds execution, he beat Sansa at Joffreys command, and other misdeeds. But he was already on her list, she didn’t need to be reminded or have any other reason to kill him. This little extra was just not nec, and made me feel really uncomfortable.

  31. Hodors Bastard,

    Yeah, maybe it was overkill (pun intended) to show Meryn F Trant as a full-blown pedophile-sadist, except that it had been strongly hinted at all along: I think Bronn remarked that MFT was better at beating little girls than sword fighting. MFT got right into it when Joffrey wanted to teach Sansa “a lesson”, ripping open her dress and hitting her; he was about to whack her with his sword when Tyrion put a stop to it; and I think MFT punched and bloodied her lip when Joffrey made Sansa look at severed heads. Like a modern-day sex tourist, MFT committed his worst crimes in foreign countries.
    He got what he had coming. Ironically, MFT got on Arya’s list for killing Syrio Ferel, but she avenged her sister too without knowing it.

    The best part of the way Arya took out MFT was….

    [attrmpting to edit/to be cont.]

  32. Jared: I consider Dany chaining her dragons to be one of the low-key saddest scenes in the entire series, even though no one dies. I’m very glad that Nate chose to highlight Emilia Clarke’s wonderful performance in that moment, which is rendered all the more remarkable when you place it in a real-world context and remember that she was conveying this level of intense grief while acting against a pair of shapeless green heads on sticks. While I’m aware that Clarke’s performance isn’t universally beloved, I personally adore her, and I consider this scene to be some of her very finest work.

    I can’t remember offhand which episode it refers to but when Iain Glenn is commenting on one of the episodes in season 6 GoT (on the bluray but it has been uploaded to YouTube) he says words to the effect that Emilia doesn’t realise how good she is. I think Iain Glenn is a skilled enough actor to know what he’s talking about (though no doubt there will be some detractors). I’ve always liked Emilia (and Sophie who has been criticised some people) – there hasn’t been anyone in the GoT cast that I’ve really not taken to but as the old adage goes one can’t please all the people all the time and some people hold views differing from mine.

  33. Ten Bears: Like a modern-day sex tourist, MFT committed his worst crimes in foreign countries.
    He got what he had coming. Ironically, MFT got on Arya’s list for killing Syrio Ferel, but she avenged her sister too without knowing it.

    No argument there from me. But watch the scene again…they spent several minutes on him saying “Too old, too old.” Ok, ok, ok…we get it…Meryn’s a really bad guy…worse than an abuser of Sansa and killing Syrio. The thing is…We knew he was not leaving Braavos. I think Arya stabbed him in the eyes and face for each time he said “Too old.” Yay…she’s really a Stark and not an FM!!! OMG, really? Do folks need to be hit over the head with a brick to understand that???

    ash: his little extra was just not nec, and made me feel really uncomfortable.

    Yeah…and I enjoy being uncomfortable watching this show! For some reason, I thought it was “overkill” (to steal Ten Bears’ word).

  34. 60. Littlefinger invents tighty whities. His only customer: Joffrey.

    59. Arya hocks a loogie into Sansa’s ham sandwich and watches in delight as Sansa eats the whole thing! Gross!

    58. Bronn gives serious thought to chucking all this materialist shite and becoming a shaman. He gives it a little more thought and goes drinking and whoring for three months.

    57. Ros and her mates buy a 1966 Volkswagen camper and blow that popcorn stand called King’s Landing. (Saddest episode ever.)

    56. Only a half days ride from Winterfell, a weary Arya stops into Trader Joe’s for some free trade almonds and accepts a full-time job as cashier/throat slitter.

  35. 18 days until the Season 7 first episode –

    Do anyone reading this know if the Red Carpet Season 7 premiere will take place next Saturday July 1st or Sunday July 2nd?

    Does anyone know how many days before the Season 6 Red Carpet event was it announced to the public?

  36. Ten Bears,

    I agree, it’s fascinating stuff! The degree to which the team behind the show goes to make the dragons seem like living, realistic creatures that could plausibly exist in our world is a tremendous asset for everyone invested in the show. If you do decide to write that post, I’d like to read it. I’ll keep an eye out! 🙂

  37. Dame of Mercia,

    I remember watching that commentary as well! Iain Glen’s opinion of Emilia counts for a lot in my estimation – he’s a brilliant actor himself, and he’s spent more time with her than any other cast member on the show – from rehearsals to long days on set to the final cut that ends up on screen. It’s great to know that he thinks so highly of her, and Emilia seems equally impressed with him as well, which is undoubtedly part of the reason why they work so well together.

    I just finished “The Mountain and the Viper” as part of my annual full-series rewatch in advance of the new season. It features the scene in which Dany first banishes Jorah, and her performance towards him in that scene is righteous in its restrained fury, as befits her heartbroken rage at learning that her dearest friend and closet advisor betrayed her in such an intimate and complete way. Yet for some reason, I always remember that Emilia gave an interview to some outlet after that episode aired in which she stated that as Dany was banishing Jorah, all that she (Emilia) wanted to do while they were filming the scene was throw herself around Iain’s ankles and shout “Don’t leave!” (I think I remember it because it mirrored the audience’s reaction as well – or mine, at least). Fortunately, Jorah’s like a bad penny – he always finds his way back to her, and as a result, we’ve been fortunate enough to see Iain and Emilia share at least one scene in every single season of the show to date. Quite a feat!

    (There are so few cast members left who have appeared in every single season of the show – 13, by my rough count – that Iain and Emilia stand as one of the only pairs of actors who hold that distinction. In fact, the only other pair that I can name who have shared at least one scene in all six seasons of the show to date are Sophie Turner and Aidan Gillen. It’s an exclusive club, in any respect).

  38. A great group of scenes! I like them all but the one that stands out for me is Maester Aemon’s death. Sam’s devotion to the man, Gilly’s kindness towards him, Aemon’s mind shifting between the present and past, and his death were so emotional. The line “I dreamed I was old” is a favorite of mine.

    Looking forward to the next batch!

  39. firstone:
    18 days until the Season 7 first episode –

    Do anyone reading this know if the Red Carpet Season 7 premiere will take place next Saturday July 1st or Sunday July 2nd?

    Does anyone know how many days before the Season 6 Red Carpet event was it announced to the public?

    Red Carpet not happening this weekend. The Season 6 Red Carpet was announced months in advance. No idea why they haven’t said anything yet but something seems really weird something may have gone wrong.

  40. Ten Bears:
    Sue the Fury,

    I was counting. Or so I thought. 🤔

    Is it just me, or has it felt like the time since S6s10 ended has flown by faster than intervals between seasons, despite this year’s 3-month delay? It feels like it was only a few weeks ago that little Lyanna was consecutively shaming three because they each “refused the call.”

    The community has certainly been kept engaged this off-season, thanks to you.I wonder if the average number of WoW articles + comments per month this offseason exceeded the average in every prior year. (I’m not suggesting anyone should crunch the numbers. There’s too much going on with too little time remaining!)

    It’s felt like ages for me. Over one year now since S6 finale. Only 18 days to go! The wait between S5 and S6 was bad though because of Jon’s death and the other cliffhangers. That was dreadful. I fear the wait between S7 and S8 will be terribly horrifying .

  41. So long as the #1 ranked scene is the one with the line,

    “The dwarf lives until we find a cock merchant.”

    Because that is the best line ever broadcast on American television.

  42. All great choices again from the team. One of my favourites from that group was Yoren’s bedtime story to Arya. On why he joined the NW after killing Willem for murdering his brother –

    I would think about him when I was working, when I was drinking, when I was having a shit (that line creased me up laughing) – It got to the point when I would say his name every night before I went to bed – Willem, Willem, Willem – A prayer almost – Now one day, Willem came riding back into town and I buried an axe so deep into Willem’s skull, they had to bury him with it!” Here’s the full scene….

    Just watched S503 on Sky Atlantic last night when Tyrion and Varys arrive in Volantis. Another great one liner from Tyrion after the door man at the brothel says, “Its good luck to rub a dwarf’s head” to which Tyrion replies, “Its even better luck to suck a dwarf’s cock” – hehe 😀 😀

  43. Do folks need to be hit over the head with a brick to understand that???

    The point of the scene was not to show what a miserable excuse for a human being Meryn F. Trant was, since we already knew that. The point of the scene was to show what Arya Stark has become. The mischievous young girl, who bested her brother at archery and snuck under a borrowed helmet to view the king’s arrival, has become a person who can torment and kill an incapacitated victim.

  44. Thronetender,

    I really appreciate this comment, because it’s all too easy to write someone like Jason Momoa off just because he happens to be ripped and incredibly handsome. (The same goes for women who happen to have incredible figures and/or beautiful faces.) He brought what could have been a terribly two-dimensional character to life in all his proud, bloodthirsty, loving, vulnerable, doubting self, and ought to be better commended for it than he usually is.

  45. Jared:

    I consider Dany chaining her dragons to be one of the low-key saddest scenes in the entire series, even though no one dies. I’m very glad that Nate chose to highlight Emilia Clarke’s wonderful performance in that moment, which is rendered all the more remarkable when you place it in a real-world context and remember that she was conveying this level of intense grief while acting against a pair of shapeless green heads on sticks. While I’m aware that Clarke’s performance isn’t universally beloved, I personally adore her, and I consider this scene to be some of her very finest work.

    Saner Half just watched the series for the first time, and while he loved all the older, experienced actors’ performances, the only young actor he loved from the beginning was Maisie Williams. For a long time, he wrote off Emilia Clarke as “a well-cast ass” (following the entering-the-bathtub scene in S1). But this scene, locking up her “children,” really got to him. Hers is not his favorite storyline, but by the time we got to the end of S6 and the dragons flying over her fleet, he turned to me and said, “There’s some really cool shit going on here.” He wouldn’t have felt that way without the moments such as this one.

  46. Hodors Bastard,

    There’s a part of me that hated the fact that they added that aspect to Trant’s character, and there’s the other part of me that really likes the facts that 1) it was foreshadowed by the Hound telling Arya, “some men like to beat little girls” (and of course, the Hound had given Sansa his cloak after Tyrion stopped one of Meryn’s beatings instigated by Joffrey), and 2) in real life, it happens far. More. Often. Than we’d like to believe it does.

    So, again… mixed feelings.

  47. Apologies to everyone for the string of comments; as I’ve noted before, I prefer to respond to several comments at once, but if I do so my comments get caught in Spam.

    Moving on…

    I do not wish to beat a proverbial dead horse in regards to where Sansa’s story line wound up going in S6, but when I saw her descend the staircase in her amazing winged dress, I immediately thought of the most iconic dress in Gigi. The context is a bit different (to say the least!), but I do wonder if I’m alone in this or if others thought the same…

    https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/59/ba/d2/59bad2f349912acea09be58d3857e308.jpg

  48. Wolfish: I really appreciate this comment, because it’s all too easy to write someone like Jason Momoa off just because he happens to be ripped and incredibly handsome

    Oh yes indeed, he is Still ripped and incredibly handsome. And very very talented.

  49. Thronetender:
    62. Poetry and Doom in Valyria. Episode 505, “Kill the Boy”

    When Jorah chimed in to finish the poem, we also saw that he had once been more than a world-weary soldier in a digustingly dirty yellow shirt. (I’m sure that dirty shirt did it’s own job of helping the Greyscale spread, damn it.)

    Take that back! Jorah’s yellow shirt may be the single sexiest article of male clothing in the show. Combine with the blue neck ribbon thing for maximum effect. You will now apologize in sight of gods and men for that highly insensitive comment.

  50. Bit off topic… but I want episode titles now. Episode one’s at the very least!!!! C’mon HBO can the titles be that much of a spoiler.

  51. A few thoughts:

    1) Drogo’s speech; I LOVE this scene! The delivery is stunning, and a great display of Drogo’s power.

    2) Tormund and Brienne; I didn’t know I wanted this until I watched it! Tormund and Brienne don’t say a word to each other in season six, and it is testament to the actors that they don’t need to. Another part of this scene I love is the look on Edd’s face when he picks up on Tormund checking Brienne out. Hilarious!! The wider scene is beautifully played, and as well as setting up Jon and Sansa’s arc for the rest of the season, it kind of helps (along with the arrival of Sansa herself) give Jon back some sort of purpose beyond going south and getting warm. I also like the underlying tension between Jon and Edd, which comes out when the letter arrives and Jon says he isn’t Lord Commander any more.

    3) Stark reunion; I love how, like Sansa and Jon, this was a reunion between two Starks who didn’t actually have a proper scene together before. And Uncle Benjen had been missing for a long time, so it was great to get closure on where he’d been. One of the things that intrigued me was Benjen speaking of the Three-Eyed Raven sending for him and being saved by the Children of the Forest – it brings up so many questions we didn’t really get answered on what Benjen knows about Bran and his powers.

    4) Ygritte’s death; I have watched 409 and 410 countless times, and I still don’t know if I find it harder to watch her death or the scene where Jon builds her funeral pyre. Ygritte isn’t the first person Jon has lost, but it is the first time someone he truly loves dies in front of him. Jon Snow doesn’t smile much, but the one he gives Ygritte just before she dies is so full of love, and so heart-wrenching that it gets me every time. Also, there are some great visual and/or thematic parallels between Jon and Robb’s arcs, and Jon cradling Ygritte’s body as Robb held Talisa’s is one of them.

    5) Return of the Hound; so, so delighted to see the Hound back! Some of the best scenes in Thrones (and which I expect to see higher up the list) are the Hound and Arya travelling through the Riverlands in seasons three and four. I cheered his return when I was watching this episode – very loudly!

    6) Tyrion & Varys; these two always have great scenes together, but my favorites tend to be from season two. And this is one of them.

    7) Tyrion & Daenerys; These two characters coming together gave us the first meeting between a Targaryen and a Lannister since Jaime killed the Mad King! This scene from 508 gave us so much to look forward to with this team-up. Tyrion and Daenerys are a great combo, and I can’t wait to see them together in Westeros.

    8) Theon; this was a beautifully shot scene in which Theon’s arc for the rest of the season and beyond was really set up. I wonder how many times Theon wanted to go back and stop himself from burning that letter to Robb?

    9) Arya killing Meryn Trant; I love the sense of Northern justice about this scene. As was the case with Ned in 101 when he beheads Will the Ranger, Arya tells Meryn Trant who she is, that she’s sentenced him to death, and why she has done so. Also, by the time she removes the face to show us she’s Arya, our inner vigilante has come out and we just want Trant to die already.

    10) Maester Aemon; the only recurring character to die of natural causes, and bizarrely it affects me a lot more than many of the murders that have taken place. It is a beautiful and simple scene, in which Maester Aemon dies believing his family lost to him (not knowing, as we did not for another season, that he had family close by. So sad). All scenes featuring Maester Aemon were fantastic, but this was one of the best.

  52. I really enjoy going thru the lists and remembering all these great moments, I appreciate the time and effort in doing this, but…

    These moments just seemed to but just so thrown up and the air, with no particular order of impact, importance, surprise, or reveal.

    72, 74, and 75 should really top these 20 moments, and with the exception of those 3, how are any of these a greater moment than the Tower of Joy fight?! It’s by the biggest travesty of this list so far, you actually get to see Sir Dayne in all his glory, a prime Ned Stark fighting, even Howland Reed is shown and has an impact on the story.

  53. Hodors Bastard: Of course, we knew that, regardless of the extra “too old” stuff. Cruel Meryn was on Arya’s list, regardless of his depicted Braavos depravity. My point was, which was debated endlessly during S5, why the need to introduce the extra crap and be so extreme? Because it was HBO? She knew how to kill a man quite efficiently and effectively, in FM mode or not.

    Hodors Bastard,

    Not sure if this has been responded to yet as I’m still reading through the thread, but I completely agree with you. I thought the child molestation stuff they added in there was unnecessary and felt a bit too much like whoever made that decision went overboard with needing the audience to hate Meryn Trant even more, as if it was hard to hate him already. Seemed a bit tacked on and patronizing to the audience to me.

  54. I’ve never seen someone so thirsty for red carpet information and put so much emphasis on it’s importance. It’s kind of amusing. Well, the first 100 posts about it were amusing anyway.

  55. 72. This might be my favorite moment on this part of the list. Not because Ygritte dies, but because it’s the last time Jon Snow and she get to share a tender moment together. Incredibly sad, but a touching scene nonetheless. Sniffles. (Excuse me, I’ve…I’ve got something in my eye.)

    67. Love this one with Yoren and Arya. This is a great example of a quieter scene that’s just as gripping as any action sequence the show has ever done.

    66. A fantastic scene in an overall fantastic episode! It became immediately apparent during this moment that Daenerys and Tyrion had the chemistry we all hoped they would have together. I look forward to many more interactions between these two.

    65. Ah, what can we say about the beloved Syrio Forel that hasn’t already been said? Any scene with him in it was terrific.

    64. Oh Theon. Poor, poor Theon. This is like watching a car crash in slow motion. The first scene where he begins his descent towards reekdom. Why didn’t you take Luwin’s advice and use the secret Winterfell passages and get the hell out of there dammit?!?

    62. Loved seeing Tyrion’s look when he sees Drogon and then the subsequent Stonemen scene was both creepy and exciting!

    61. And now his watch is ended. Hopefully somewhere someway Maester Aemon knows that Daenerys is not the only Targaryen left in the world.

    Tried to be as brief as possible

  56. Wolfish,
    Mr Derp,
    Truthfully, the atrocity of MFT’s actions wasn’t what made me wonder why – it’s a world of extremes, btw – it was the need to force another vileness upon the viewer immediately before the extreme stabby-stabby.

    Just as a silly analogy…
    Before LF gets his due, maybe they’ll show a scene of him engaging in necrophilia with Lysa’s corpse or screwing a sheep with a Sansa mask….just to ensure that all viewers understand he is a baaaaaad man.

  57. Just wonderful, reading so many amazing scenes. And the descriptions are fantastic.

    I do think some of those are meh, and GOT meh standards are still amazing.
    I also think theres a bunch from yesterday that deserve to be higher than many of those.
    I also think some scenes I would love on this list aren’t going to make the cut.
    But again this is subjective and just my opinion.

    Love this 🙂

  58. Wolfish,

    I think they made MT so loathsome to put us at odds with us cheering Arya’s vigilantism… Here is a traumatized young girl not only taking revenge against her enemies (who happen to be horrible human beings), but she is also doing it in the most gruesome ways. And we all cheer (I know I did). But, should we? Don’t get me wrong, MT deserved punishment for what he did. But was Arya’s almost religious ritual before killing him just, or even necessary? Should we be OK with torture before execution?

    (A similar case could be made with the carving of the Freys and the involuntary cannibalism of Walder Frey.)

    I think it’s in our nature to take pleasure in seeing the hateful antagonists of our heroes and heroines being butchered while ignoring/forgiving that those we favor are descending into darkness. And cheering while they do so…

  59. Dee Stark,

    Fully agree with you Dee!!

    Even those scenes that one might consider farcical or cringeworthy (“where are my dragons” scene, “bad pussy” scene, et al.) have become memetic.

  60. 2) in real life, it happens far. More. Often. Than we’d like to believe it does.

    Yes, it does. And Im glad it made people uncomfortable. But to me it felt tacked on and not nec for the story.

    Wolfish,

    I haven’t watched Gigi since I was a little girl so didn’t remember that dress – wow! Wonder if that photo gave them the idea.

    A Dornish Tyrell,

    I think it’s in our nature to take pleasure in seeing the hateful antagonists of our heroes and heroines being butchered while ignoring/forgiving that those we favor are descending into darkness. And cheering while they do so…

    I wish there was a way to link to similar discussions in other threads, because it really was a great one early this spring (not that we can’t have another, but it was a discussion that got me thinking, a lot. ) Anyway – justice, revenge, mercy, forgiveness are all mixed up here in thousands of conflicted ways. It is a puzzle. I think as a reader/watcher, seeing someone get their commupance (sp) feels so damn good (similar to seeing Sansa walk away with a smile while Ramsey got his). But does someone taking revenge nec mean they are descending into darkness aka Cersei? Does an evil person who does a good need nec become a knight in shining armour? (thinking of the book I am reading now, Dangerous Liasons, where this comes up frequently). People have used revenge to excuse horrible acts and wars that have killed untold number of people (See Balkans for one example). Its so hard to stop once it starts. Can we ever just say enough, have mercy and forgive? I don’t know if we humans can do that. Not sure what the answer is.

  61. It’s so obvious that the lack of a red carpet this year is a hint that Melisandre will die this season. ⊚ ◡ ⊚

  62. ash,

    I regret missing that conversation… Sadly I have more questions than answers regarding this topic (I wish ACME was here with her clever and eloquent insights.)

    When you ask: “But does someone taking revenge nec mean they are descending into darkness aka Cersei?” I would reply, it depends: if your revenge takes the form of a rapid execution, then no… if it involves physical or psychological torture before executing someone, then yes. Cersei torturing the septa, Arya ritualistic killing of MT and WF, Sansa feeding Ramsay to his dogs, Dany crucifying the masters, etc… Again, don’t get me wrong, many of those people deserved some sort of punishment. But I think there were faster, cleaner ways to do it… and by choosing more gruesome forms of execution, our protagonists indeed descended into darkness.

    ash: People have used revenge to excuse horrible acts

    I know I’m quoting you out of context, but I think you nailed it here and it was precisely what I was trying (and failing miserably) to convey… Yes, MT is a horrible person, but the way Arya executed him was horrible as well. And we excuse Arya’s gruesome act in the name of her revenge.

  63. Mr Fixit: You will now apologize in sight of gods and men for that highly insensitive comment.

    Ah, another die-hard Sir Friend Zone fan, I see. Well, I guess since he outright proclaimed his love to her and she ordered him to be well instead of pushing him off the rock, he’s no longer friend zone, he’s now Damn-I-gotta-find-a-doctor-fast Zone. I admire Jorah’s tenacity and Iain Glen’s lovely voice is a pleasure unto itself.

    However, I will NOT apologize about that disgusting shirt. Nope. I groaned every time I saw that thing, as in Come ON HBO, you have money to put curlicues and sigils atop every post and doorway, surely Dany would spare one new dress/pants outfit to get Jorah a clean shirt. Actually, I thought the character would have far more pride than that, but maybe not. You and Pigeon should get together – she LOVES Jorah. Every time he walks, it’s like a cricket mating call to her. 🙂

  64. Alba Stark: I cheered his return when I was watching this episode – very loudly!

    So did I. It surprised me that I was as happy as I was to see him come back. But I did cheer. His return had been debated in one of the “we didn’t see him die, so he isn’t dead” threads that happen on here every so often. But, his return really got to me. Rory commands the screen. You could watch that man just stand and scratch his ass and be happy as can be that you saw it.

  65. Thronetender:

    You and Pigeon should get together – she LOVES Jorah. Every time he walks, it’s like a cricket mating call to her.

    /coffee out nose

  66. Catspaw Assassin: It’s so obvious that the lack of a red carpet this year is a hint that Melisandre will die this season. ⊚ ◡ ⊚

    What do they do at a GoT red carpet event, anyway? At a movie red-carpet, the movie is watched, isn’t it? (Thus, get a glimpse at the extent of my worldly knowledge. Sigh) They can’t watch all 10 hours of the show, or in this case it would be 7 hours. Is a video made of the high points of the season? I wouldn’t care. I’d love to be in that room with all those people who have occupied my thoughts for all these years. To see all the men, clean and beautiful, dressed in an immaculate tuxedo, and all the ladies in gowns, smiling and being their wonderful selves. Sorry Sue, don’t be angry. I love watching red-carpet events and reading about them. A Game of Thrones red carpet would be excellent to see.

  67. A Dornish Tyrell,

    I see your point – perhaps just killing them with a knife quickly would have been better. Not as good for the show perhaps, as those scenes were amazing. But yes, Neds and Jons punishment was swift, and perhaps more just.

    (I wish ACME was here with her clever and eloquent insights.)

    That conversation was the first time I ‘met’ her here, and she is all that! Wolfish, Wimsey and many others were also involved and it was amazing how long it went on with no flaming, tho the conversations get a bit heated. Wish there was a way to save them or archive ones that really interest us.

  68. ash: People have used revenge to excuse horrible acts and wars that have killed untold number of people (See Balkans for one example). Its so hard to stop once it starts. Can we ever just say enough, have mercy and forgive? I don’t know if we humans can do that. Not sure what the answer is.

    What people who are hell-bent on revenge fail to realize is that even though some revenge may be warranted under certain conditions, revenge is as addictive as any narcotic, and the consequences are far more dire. All the hallmarks of addiction are there in carrying out revenge: thoughts of the act preoccupies the user, until it controls his/her/their lives. There may be a feeling of euphoria at first, but it wears off quickly, and more and more is needed to gain the same high; the act is carried out without regard to wider consequences, until lives everywhere are damaged beyond repair. The act is rarely as fulfilling as it was expected to be.

    Someone has to be wise enough to have control, to say No, this will not be done, or at least, this much and no more. Such wisdom has been rare in the world so far. It will take the combined talent of like minds to stop the damage going on in this world in the name of revenge.

  69. Thronetender: Ah, another die-hard Sir Friend Zone fan, I see. Well, I guess since he outright proclaimed his love to her and she ordered him to be well instead of pushing him off the rock, he’s no longer friend zone, he’s now Damn-I-gotta-find-a-doctor-fast Zone.I admire Jorah’s tenacity and Iain Glen’s lovely voice is a pleasure unto itself.

    However, I will NOT apologize about that disgusting shirt. Nope. I groaned every time I saw that thing, as in Come ON HBO, you have money to put curlicues and sigils atop every post and doorway, surely Dany would spare one new dress/pants outfit to get Jorah a clean shirt. Actually, I thought the character would have far more pride than that, but maybe not.You and Pigeon should get together – she LOVES Jorah. Every time he walks, it’s like a cricket mating call to her.🙂

    Hey now! I resemble that remark!….I do that with Sandor as well. 😜

  70. Thronetender,

    Why repair what isn’t broken? The Yellow Shirt is The One True Shirt of Westeros and as such needs to be worn for all to see. No obscuring pieces of clothing over it, please, as Jorah mistakenly used to wear in the beginning. I just re-watched the first season and was rather distressed by Jorah’s superfluous garments. Only thanks to my trained eyes that knew what to look for was I on occasion able to glean whiffs of yellowness that tried to break free. Thankfully, the intervening item of clothing — a very ugly and undeserving brown quilted tunic — seems to have been sacrificed with Mirri Maz Duur on Khal Drogo’s funeral pyre and has not been seen since.

  71. Mr Fixit: seems to have been sacrificed with Mirri Maz Duur on Khal Drogo’s funeral pyre and has not been seen since.

    Ok, I get it, you like your men stripped down to their ultimate essence. Not a bad way to think, lol. (but that shirt was still fucking ugly)

  72. Thronetender,

    A

    ll the hallmarks of addiction are there in carrying out revenge: thoughts of the act preoccupies the user, until it controls his/her/their lives. There may be a feeling of euphoria at first, but it wears off quickly, and more and more is needed to gain the same high; the act is carried out without regard to wider consequences, until lives everywhere are damaged beyond repair. The act is rarely as fulfilling as it was expected to be.

    Interesting – never really thought of it that way but it makes sense. Yes, control is the answer, but I suspect those who think they are in control are just fooling themselves.

  73. ash,

    The posts are all archived, so the easiest thing to do might be to keep a list with links and short descriptions. I’m enough of a nerd to do things like this in Excel. (Go ahead, laugh!)

  74. Wolfish,

    Wed. 5:28 pm. Q: Do you get automatic notifications of replies?

    I only ask because I’ve got a few in the hopper to you but my “posting window” is narrow. (Something to do with certain types of ad banners fighting with JavaScript.)
    When the window “opens” I can post and reply with ease. Otherwise…like now…scrolling is slow, keyboard starts to freeze, the site can crash at any moment, and hitting “post comment” is a crap shoot.

    Sigh… I miss the days of pens and 100 brightness, 32 lb paper….

  75. ash,

    On the homepage, if you scroll down you’ll see a number of different links on the right side of the page (for WotW on social media, the Westworld page, “Popular Posts on the Wall,” etc.). If you keep scrolling you’ll eventually see the following:

    WotW Archives

    June 2017 (44)
    May 2017 (43)
    (etc., etc.)

    If you click on any month, you’ll see all the posts that were made that month. Then, when you click on any individual post you can copy-and-paste the link into a document or spreadsheet (e.g., “It Is Known: ‘The Red Woman'”, http://watchersonthewall.com/known-red-woman/).

    Hope that helps. It’s a little clunky, but some conversations are worth revisiting!

  76. Ten Bears,

    I don’t, just because I haven’t figured out how to filter notifications. When I first started commenting I got notifications, and immediately shut them off because I wound up with 200+ emails from WotW!

  77. Wolfish,

    Excellent! I also saw that you can get all the features like recaps and interviews! Do you remember when that discussion was? I thought it was in March coz I remember recouperating from surgery then and so I had lots of time to be on the net. But none of the post names look familiar…From now on I will write down the post names so I can copy them. Thanks! .

  78. Thronetender,

    What do they do at a GoT red carpet event, anyway?

    I have absolutely no idea. Pals of mine in the show biz attend these things mostly for the free booze.

  79. Pigeon,

    I never really “liked” her either. The only time I did I think was in the cave when they got in the water and you could tell how much in love she was. The actress, Leslie, did a great job playing her though. Having said that, I’ve been wanting to change my username since the day after I took it. 🙂

  80. Thronetender: What do they do at a GoT red carpet event, anyway? At a movie red-carpet, the movie is watched, isn’t it? (Thus, get a glimpse at the extent of my worldly knowledge. Sigh) They can’t watch all 10 hours of the show, or in this case it would be 7 hours. Is a video made of the high points of the season?

    They screen the first episode of the season. Everyone in attendance has to sign a non-disclosure agreement effective until the official airdate.

  81. Alba Stark: Tyrion & Daenerys; These two characters coming together gave us the first meeting between a Targaryen and a Lannister since Jaime killed the Mad King!

    Well, not exactly. Tyrion hung out with Maester Aemon during his sojourn at the Wall. And knowing how well-read he is, one would presume that Tyrion knew exactly which Aemon this was. We just don’t get to see that recognition scene, alas.

  82. Firannion: Well, not exactly.Tyrion hung out with Maester Aemon during his sojourn at the Wall.And knowing how well-read he is, one would presume that Tyrion knew exactly which Aemon this was.We just don’t get to see that recognition scene, alas.

    I had completely forgotten that scene! This is what happens when I reply without thinking!

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