With the series finale of Game of Thrones looming on the [very distant] horizon, I thought it would be fun to reflect back on the long journey we have thus far had. Everyone always talks about the “epic 9’s” with reference to how climactic the penultimate episodes usually are. But TV season finales are a tricky business. No matter the episode count, be it 10 or 7 for GoT, 11-13 for many cable shows, and 20-24 frequently for network shows, one thing is for certain: the storylines from the season need to come to a close, but the ongoing plotting needs to ensure the pieces are in place for the following season to have a launching pad. In which season did the GoT team best succeed in accomplishing this task?
Well, art is in the eye of the beholder, fellow Watchers – and it is upon you whom I now rely. I would love your input into helping me determine which is the best season finale and why. Please follow ALL the directions to participate in this exciting endeavor!
Below you’ll find descriptions of each season finale, with the moments I find best exemplify them highlighted by me. Should you like to defend your [one and only one] choice, we welcome it! In the comments, at the beginning of your post please write “Season #” including the season number itself, before you launch into your passionate explanation of why your choice is the correct one. For example, if I voted for the season 1 finale, I’d write “Season 1 – I liked this because…” I will be scavenging the comments like a raccoon in the night, selecting my favorite defenses and sharing them in a soon-to-be follow up to this post. You are as welcome to be as detailed or as succinct as you’d like, but to give you your best shot at being highlighted by the teacher in the next post (That’s me – I’m the teacher now), I’d recommend no more than a paragraph in your explanation. You have one week to take part in the poll!
To help you make your decision, here’s a recap, as told by me on what happened in each season’s finales:
Season 1 – ‘Fire and Blood‘ – Tyrion arrives in King’s Landing, Robb is declared King in the North, Jon ventures north of The Wall, Daenerys is unburnt, and dragons are no longer extinct
Season 2 – ‘Valar Morghulis‘ – Margaery is betrothed to Joffrey, Tyrion wakes up, scarred from Blackwater, Robb marries Talisa, Sam sees the army of the dead, Jon joins the wildlings, Arya escapes Harrenhal and receives a penny for her troubles
Season 3 – ‘Mhysa‘ – Jaime returns to King’s Landing, ‘Boy’ is revealed to be Ramsay, Reek is born, Daenerys frees Yunkai, Sansa receives grim news, Yara receives an unmarked package from Amazon, Gendry sets sail (for 4 seasons), Sam and Bran cross paths, Ygritte is sad
Season 4 – ‘The Children‘ – Tyrion kills Shae and Tywin, then escapes, Brienne fights the Hound, Stannis saves The Wall, Arya sails for Braavos, Bran arrives at a treehouse, Daenerys gives her children a time out
Season 5 – ‘Mother’s Mercy‘ – Jon gets killed, Sam heads for Oldtown, Cersei walks shamefully, Stannis meets his bitter end, Daenerys is recaptured by Dothraki, Reek and Sansa go skydiving without a parachute, Bronn needs a bad pussy, Myrcella is poisoned, Arya goes blind
Season 6 – ‘The Winds of Winter’ – Cersei murders everyone and becomes Queen, Walder Frey unknowingly becomes a cannibal, then is killed by No One, Jon is declared King in the North, Bran learns that Jon is Lyanna Stark’s son, Daenerys sails home
Season 7 – ‘The Dragon and the Wolf‘ – Cersei learns the truth, then breaks her word, Jaime abandons Cersei, Jon is confirmed to be Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar Targaryen, and the true heir to the Iron Throne, Jon Aegon and Daenerys do it, Littlefinger is caught in a web of lies, The Wall comes down
Season 6 – Purely for the amazing first 20 minutes, and the greatest score ever.
Season #6 – Even it was just the last image of the dragons flying over the Narrow Sea and Dany and the Gang looking bad-ass, it would be enough. But, add in the chills at “The WHITE WOLF! THE KING IN THE NORTH!” cut with “Promise me, Ned” and then Cersei Mad Queening her way through life and Arya’s dead-eyed stare while killing Walder AND Jaime’s look at Cersei… and it’s the best.
6 is my favorite.
If I had to rank them it would be 6-7-4-1-3-2-5
cercei blowing shit up episode!
it had amazing moments big and small.
Mike,
second that.
Hanadix,
OOOH RANKINGS
6 – We agree
4 – I still rank Brienne-Hound, “I have always been your son” and Arya running from the Westeros side of the boat to the Essos side as the music swells above the rest
7 – So, we just flip-flopped. I can’t say anything really wrong with it, but 4 stirs me more
1 – It’s been a while since I watched it (Season 1 doesn’t hold up for me now) but sure, whatevers.
2 – I have it higher. The Faceless Man scene gets me every time.
5 – Stannis’ death gets me every time. The regret Dillane pours into every scene in the finale just gets me. Plus, I’m a sucker for Theon comeback scenes.
3- I literally have no memory of it except Dany getting tossed around. I read the summary, but… this means no for me.
Season 6 – What WorfWWorfington said.
Season #6 is my favourite, mainly because of the first 15 minutes. I must say that season # 7 is a close second. My ranking is 6>7>4>5>1>2>3.
The winds of winter is my favorite episode of tv ever made
1. S6
2. S7
3. S4
4. S5
5. S1
6. S2
7. S3
I hope S8 finale will be the best.
The Children, Season 4
Probably because I haven’t read the books by that time and what happened totally took me off guard. The Tyrion’s, Bran’s and Arya’s stories reached a pivotal cornerstone, any of which set be a page-turner for their charecter development and in the same time presented in a really adventurous, promising and non-cliffhanger type of way. Whereas in any other finale, also in the last one, everything for the next season was somehow already staged, things were highly anticipated (left for the stabbing at Castle Back)
Season 4 – The culmination and apotheosis of Act I. A non stop succession of powerfwul dialogues, intense emotional moments and stunning set-pieces tying up a lot of things while opening so much more for the road to come. Sure, that could sum up all finales, but season 4 is still unique in that way. Especially after the grandiose WotW where feeling the “heaviness” of the battle due to budget constraints (which is a feeling kinda lost on the next battles, which are impressive as hell, sure, but where there doesnt seem to be any budget limitations which makes them less… gritty).
Anyway, back to the finale, pet favorite scene : the Hound’s final (or is it ?) monologue to Arya.
S-6 e S-7 are the best.
The Winds is one of the best episodes ever and just so beautifully played. Dragon & Wolf comes close, its really one of my favorites.
Then comes S-4 in a third place, as said above its just get a feelings of ‘full of possibilities’ or looking to the open road of future, which I really love.
The other seasons could be laid in any other imo, the the less impressive is S-3.
6-7-5-4-1-3-2
Every season finale was full of iconic scenes except S3’s.
S6
S7&4 it’s a tie
S5
S1
S2
S3
mau,
It’s nice to see we have the same ranking. I usually agree with the things you write.
Season 6 – I like it because it was perfect. Perfect score. Perfect plot. Perfect twists. Perfect death (Walder Frey’s). Confirmed R+L=J. And was a perfect contrast from where that season started.
HelloThere,
Same here.. most watched for me too.
Definitely Season 6 “Winds of Winter”! Everything about it was pure gold! The music throughout the episode really helped set the feel for each scene. Almost all of the big characters had big moments in that episode…Daenerys sailing to Westeros to claim the Iron Throne, Cersei blowing up the Sept of Baelor, Tommen, Jon becoming King in the North with that look between Sansa & Littlefinger, & of course Arya gets her revenge on the Freys, & finally R+L=J is confirmed.
“Winds of Winter” was the most exciting finale episode for me. Not to mention it perfectly set up Season 7 without being too much of a cliffhanger.
1 and 4 are the best.
Season 1 ends the “prologue” and sets up the main story in an incredibly powerful way, with the one-two-three punch of Robb declared King in the North, Jon heading beyond the wall, and the birth of the dragons.
And Season 4, as others have said, is the culmination of Act I, with Tyrion & Arya’s endings being especially tragic and poignant.
Season 6 gets all the hype for the opening scene & music, but the early seasons were when the story hit the hardest and felt the most earned.
Season #1 Seeing Unburnt Dany and the baby dragons was wonderful. I had not yet read the books which left me so excited to learn where all the characters would go from there.
Season 6 –
I voted before looking at the comments and hoped there’d be a bigger range, but that was perhaps the best episode of the entire series. Everything about Cersei’s revenge was perfect. It was the most suspenseful sequence in the whole series, the acting was great, the pacing was spot on and the score beautiful. Plus, two things that I think most fans had been waiting for the whole time happened. Dany finally heads home and R+L=J was finally confirmed.
Season 1 > 6 > 4 > 5 > 7 > 2 > 3
Season one, the birth of the dragons (and the false narrative of the King in the North revenging his family). It’s obvious in hindsight, but I didn’t know anything about Thrones then and I hadn’t completely expected that the dragons would hatch after all, especially because the previous episodes already changed my expectations (Viserys dead, Robert dead, Ned dead, Drogo dead). At this point, Jon was just a side character and Daenerys took the lead.
(Edit: I’m starting to think the picture at the top primed my decision, but still, I keep it as it is)
Finale 6 is of course very close: Daenerys sails and Jon’s parentage is revealed. As a whole, it is probably the best episode.
4 is a superb episode, but the big events are mainly for the minor characters (and I knew the books by then, so it was less surprising). I’ve put 7 behind 5 because it’s too recent to decide where it should go, but probably higher in the list, and 5 is thematically very consistent because all characters are a low point in the narrative. 2 and 3 suffer from coming behind Blackwater and the Rains of Castamere.
Drakoen,
Great 😀
This was a fun idea. Can we have more stuff like this? How about organizing all the episodes into a March Madness type bracket and letting us narrow the field down to the number one episode? IO9 has done a similar thing and it’s a lot of fun.
4, 6, 5, 2, 7, 1, 3
Tyrion’s escape and the fight over Arya seals the deal.
WorfWWorfington,
Yeah, season 6 had a lot of emotional moments that had been building up for a few seasons. And that beautiful score! And “Promise me Ned”…sigh.
Season 6 for me. Besides the beautiful score and shocking explosion, we finally got confirmation of R+L=J.
6-4-1-7-3-5-2
6, 7, 4, 5, 2, 1, 3
1, 6, 4, 7 – my top finales, in that order.
It was close, but S1 gets my vote. The ghosts of that finale haunt the whole story – and first impressions are the most powerful.
1. S6
2. S7
3. S4
4. S1
5. S5
6. S2
7. S3
Agreed. The Children was dramatic without being contrived. It is the closest Game of Thrones has come to Shakespeare.
“The Winds of Winter” will be the hands-down winner of this poll, easy. Some random few have other choices, but we’re talking about the majority ‘best episode’ of the series so far, not just among finale episodes.
It is my choice as well (because)… Most of the penultimate episodes during the series have been big, and none came any bigger than season 6’s “Battle of the Bastards.” TWoW had to stand up against the most exciting episode of the series a week after it aired. Not only did it do well but for many it was even better. They chose to go big and different for that finale with new music, including the unused piano, a wordless montage building tension, all slowly building to the amazing and horrific explosion. The rest of the scenes were fantastic as well; “Shame,” Tommen, Jaime/Walder, the exposure of Melisandre’s killing of Shireen, Daenerys/Tyrion’s discussion with her appointing him Hand, Arya taking out Walder, KitN, Cersei taking the throne… and Daenerys finally setting sail for Westeros. The episode reached very big points for so many of the storylines.
Season 6. IMO there was so much movement forward in that episode and as a viewer it was a rich delight of music, acting, editing, cinematography, and more.
S4 – The Children
After that amazing journey north and the wight gauntlet, Bran meets the 3-Eyed Raven, who tells him, “You will never walk, Brandon Stark. But you will fly.”
Brienne dropping the greatest ass-kicking in the show’s history(Sorry Jon & Ramsey) on The Hound.
Tyrion & Shae’s Bad Breakup, Tywin doesn’t shit gold, and Varys bids farewell to every doorbell in King’s Landing ringing off the hook.
Arya grabs The Hound’s last farthing and catches the bus to Braavos. Syrio would have been proud.
Season 6 – Last two episodes:
Ep9 – Battle of Meereen and the BotB and
Ep10 – When Cersei blows up the Sept of Baelor!
Mike,
Exactly what I was going to say, plus the addition of Freycide and the Dany finally leaving Essos, this one just beats Seasons 1 and 4.
1. Episode 6.10: “The Winds of Winter” (#1 episode overall)
2. Episode 7.7: “The Dragon and the Wolf” (#6 overall)
3. Episode 1.10: “Fire and Blood” (#8 overall)
4. Episode 2.10: “Valar Morghulis” (#16 overall)
5. Episode 4.10: “The Children” (#17 overall)
6. Episode 5.10: “Mother’s Mercy” (#28 overall)
7. Episode 3.10: “Mhysa” (#47 overall)
Very tough choice for me between S1 and S6. I finally had to choose S1 because it’s more impactful – for me – storywise. S6 has the unfair advantage of having the greatest musical score in GoT history! 🙂
Season #6: “My name is Arya Stark. I want you to know that. The last thing you’re ever going to see, is a Stark smiling down at you as you die.”
#TheyWerentEasyToCarve
I went with S4 finale because it was the turning point for many of the characters: Tyrion, Arya the Hound, Varys, Jamie, etc. to where we are today in the series. It changed the course of their “lives”.
S6 and S1 were close seconds. The rest were all good and in any order is fine by me.
Season 1 all the way.
Ranking: 1>4>6>7>2>3>5
My favourite is season 4, ‘The Children’ for the same reasons as the others who have posted about it.
Clob,
Yeah, it looks like S6 “The Winds of Winter” will take the Gold, and S4 “The Children” the Silver…unless the latter mounts a furious comeback.
Season 7
Season 6. No-brainer here.
I vote an up! on that!
Wonder how this will compare with the individual best episode per season?
Season 4 – The song the children works perfect for season 4! Tyrion and Tywin both have award winning performances. Season 4 The Children has a more real feel compared to season 6 The winds of winter.
Season 1 – I liked it because I was a sweet summer child then, unsullied in the ways of ASOIAF and completely enthralled by the plot juggernaut that blew past Ned’s execution so fearlessly. I knew that it was a show I could trust to entertain me without pandering, obvious plot devices and maudlin romance.
As most people have already stated season 6 is my personal favorite because of how much momentum it built. The whole framework of the entire show changed. There were so many emotional moments and shockers and the dialogue was amazing. Cercei’s talk with Septa Ulena gave me chills “your Gods have forsaken you, this is your God now” right before the Mountain took off his helmet. The music was haunting and is still stuck in my head until this day. We had the coronation of two rulers and the embark of a journey to Westeros. Brans revelation for Jon was brilliantly choreographed too, and we got the first glimpse of the Citadel in all of it’s beautiful glory (and that music , chills ).
The Season 6 finale, “The Winds of Winter” stands in my opinion as the greatest episode of this entire remarkable series, and my favorite hour of any television show ever. Thanks to Miguel Sapochnik’s visionary direction, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’s exceptional writing, superlative work from the entire cast, and of course, Ramin Djawadi’s transcendent score, every single individual beat in the entire hour is extraordinary. All of those elements seamlessly unite to create a complete product that achieves the titanic task of becoming something even greater than the sum of its many incredible parts. The opening sequence in King’s Landing, with Sapochnik’s visual brilliance and Djawadi’s musical genius woven together in perfect harmony, may be the single best scene the show has done to date. And that was only the beginning of what this finale had to offer. Jon became King in the North! Cersei seized power in the south! Dany finally left the east behind and sailed west, towards home and the promise of the endgame! The story’s most important theory was confirmed! And so much more! I still occasionally tear up on rewatch, but fittingly enough, often at different points than I did during that first viewing. The episode is that rich and rewarding. There’s always something new to discover.
I will say that the Season 7 finale, “The Dragon and the Wolf”, comes much closer to challenging for the crown than I would have thought possible. It’s a Top 5 episode of the entire series for me as well. The Season 4 finale, “The Children”, is in my Top 10. Then it’s Season 5 (“Mother’s Mercy”), Season 1 (“Fire and Blood”), Season 2 (“Valar Morghulis”), and Season 3 (“Mhysa”). But they’re all great. For all of the justifiable talk about how the penultimate episodes are the highlights of the season, Game of Thrones does finales extremely well.
Dave in San Diego,
“Syrio would have been proud.”
——–
That might be best exemplified by S5, ie: Syrio S1: “All men are made of water, you know this? When you pierce them, the water leaks out. And they die.”
Arya vs. Meryn F. Trant, S5e10….
Arya: “Do you know who I am? I’m Arya Stark.”
MFT: “Can’t talk. Bleeding out…. Owww!”
As per usual, everything that Jared said is spot on.
I am surprised there is not more love for season 5. To me it was the most heartbreaking and terrifying episode of entire series. I still remember how scared i felt the first time watching it. The fact that a tv show is capable of making me feel such a way is why i love this show so much. Stannis final moments… Just wow.
Jared,
I think that since S4 the last episodes were bigger and better than penultimate episodes.
Season 6
My Finale Ranking
1. S6 – “The Winds of Winter”
2. S4 – “The Children”
3. S1 – “Fire and Blood”
4. S7 – “The Dragon and the Wolf”
5. S2 – “Valar Morghulis”
6. S5 – “Mother’s Mercy”
7. S3 – “Mhysa”
My Top 3 Overall
1. “The Winds of Winter”
2. “Battle of the Bastards”
3. “The Children”
The Mother’s Mercy. So much had happened, so much was going to be happening. And Jon was dead.
6>1>4>7>5>2>3.
As others have pointed out, The Winds of Winter is not only the best finale, it’s the best episode the show has ever mader.
“The Dragon and the Wolf” had one of the most powerful visual moments in the show.
Windows of Winter was awesome for the reasons others have said…The score, the getting dressed details, the little birds stabbing, the countdown to boom was really something….. I also love seeing Arya on the boat on her way to Braavos in season 4…
6,4,1,7,2,5,3 for me.
I am not saying season 7 finale was bad but Fire and Blood is so good. The birth of the dragons pulled it front of season 7.
It’s amazing when you think about how much content is put into the season Finales, and then you think about how many characters and plot lines there are, it’s an amazing juggling act just to make the story coherent, the whole cast of this show deserves a lot of accolades for how consistent they have been with all this.
I agree. This was an emotional scene for me with Djawadi’s music and seeing snow come to Kings Landing. It was moving seeing Jaime take the black (well not at the wall) with his new black horse (others mentioned his horse is usually white), his black cape flowing in the wind and his new northern attire. It really made me very excited for season 8 to see Jaime’s new arc without Cersei (finally) and Winter really finally arriving.
Season 6 finale is the clear winner for me.
And this description of the Season 6 finale made me laugh out loud
I couldn’t agree more, mau! That atmosphere was so calm and peaceful, yet eeriely disturbing and foreboding – the long deep breath before the great plunge……. !
Riverhawk,
In agreement. Every finale has been amazing but Mother’s Mercy struck a chord with me. Jon laying in the snow, bleeding out, was unnerving for me. He and Arya are my favourite book and show characters.
The best sequence in a finale was the whole Cersei/Sept of Balor ‘Light of the Seven’ arrangement.
For the best finale over all it was close but I voted season 4.
I’m joining the party with season 06 being my number one. Going through the others, my number seven was just as easy to pick, and then I went through a process of elimination with the others before wounding up where I did. After reading comments, I came up with the same thought as many with number four being my second choice as well. (My last pick, not so popular, LOL!)
S06 – The Winds of Winter – The first 20 minutes, the final shot, everything of the entire season led so perfectly into that finale. It was just perfection. I honestly don’t think there was one single note in that entire episode that was false.
S04 – The Children – From the Brienne/Arya/Hound/Podrick scenes (the quiet ones with Brienne and Podrick, so lovely, to the not-so-lovely goodbye with Arya and Sandor, and that massive fight with Brienne and the Hound) to all of the Tyrion-related scenes, along with the fiery Children scenes both of the first and dragon-y kind were so good.
S01 – Fire and Blood – The fall-out from not only Ned’s death, but also Drogo’s death and how those close to them reacted made this one so strong, plus that final shot of Dany in the fire with the baby dragons remains one of the most iconic shots of this series for a reason.
S05 – Mother’s Mercy – Powerful acting, redemption, and another iconic final shot (hello, “For the Watch”) and a fabulous season finale that was a culmination of the entire season bringing so many threads together.
S02 – Valar Morghulis – I never liked the Robb/Talisa story (it’s one of my least favorite changes from book-to-show) so the heavy feature of that hurt this one. The fall-out of Blackwater always bothered me so (even if it totally made sense). Other than Arya’s storyline, there just wasn’t much I liked watching all that much about this one.
S03 – Myhsa – This section of Daenerys’ story was one of my least favorite, the torture of Theon (Reek) = not fun, Jaime was back in King’s Landing and with Cersei and away from Brienne, sigh. So, yeah, it was a great episode, but aside from Davos being his usual awesome self, it just never really did much for me.
S07 – The Dragon and the Wolf – Of all of them, this is the only one that I didn’t think was great. It had great moments, but didn’t connect; there was no flow. It was rushed and badly paced, enough about it didn’t made sense plot-wise and character-wise to bother me. Worth of all, every “climax” that happened wasn’t earned enough throughout the season. (No, D&D, seven episodes were not enough to fully tell the story, to allow the momentum to build and breathe… one needs build-up, story and character beats for tension and climax to have full power. *sigh*) I was so disappointed. I have never felt that way at the end of a GOT finale. The only positive is that I wasn’t left yearning for the next season. (So, erm, yay? I won’t be beside myself until we start to get closer to season 08.) Other than a few scenes here and there, I was just left going, “Really?” because the build-up the last two episodes to rush to this finale had been so poor. (It didn’t help that the penultimate episode was, in my opinion, literally the worst episode of the show ever–the only other episode of GOT that I simply did not like–so the set-up for the finale was not good.) I’m hoping when I rewatch the entire season without any expectation and knowing exactly what is to come, I’ll enjoy it better because upon first watch… I was not a happy camper.
Season 4 is my favorite finale. From Stannis’ arrival at the Wall (a wonderful sequence), Bran meeting the Three-Eyed Raven, Tyrion’s escape and attack on Shae and Tywin (some of the best acting he’s ever done is with Charles Dance on that toilet) and the brutal Hound vs Brienne fight, it was just perfect for me.
My least favorite is Season 5. I can barely remember what happened to be honest, apart from Cersei’s walk of shame.
Season 4.
(4>6>1>5>7>2>3, I think, but they’re all at least good.)
“The Children” mesmerized me from start to finish. There’s a lot of talk about how Bran’s group going up against the wights was cheesy, but I loved it. It helps that I sort of prefer the look of the Children of the Forest in that episode versus what we got in Season 6, too, although they’re both cool designs. There’s such a foreboding vibe to the King’s Landing sequences, and it really plays to my long-held belief that Game of Thrones is a show told in four acts. This is part of a long and rather off-topic conversation, but I view the first season as the first act, the second through fourth as the second act, and… well, so on. (We’re midway through the fourth act, as you might have guessed.) So with “The Children”, we’re seeing the climax of several arcs, the crescendo that presses those arcs into boldly fresh scenarios from “The Wars to Come” onward.
You can really see this with Tyrion and with King’s Landing in general. By the end of the episode, he’s gone. He’s elsewhere, sailing to drunken rants and — eventually — a better cause. Tywin is dead, leaving the realm to the Tyrells. It’s Tommen’s crown, now, but it’s the Tyrells who are basking. And that’ll bring the High Sparrow, and all that comes with him, and thus, King’s Landing is a remarkably different place very soon. You can feel that aforementioned foreboding; Tywin cast a very long shadow, and Tyrion blasted that shadow twice with a stylish crossbow.
Arya’s arc sets sail, too, but first there’s my personal favorite duel in the series. Brienne versus The Hound is gorgeous and hideous in all the right ways. Simultaneously. The music is infectious, the cinematography is captivating, the opposing belief systems on trial here are masterfully captured in each and every shot. I wasn’t sure who to root for, and I loved it. I’m not opposed to more straightforward scenarios in this franchise; you’ll never catch me complaining that the White Walkers are a “boring” threat, because I love end-of-the-world threats aplenty. But part of what makes Game of Thrones so beautiful is all the grey in-between the black-and-white. The greyscale, if you will, is off the charts. (I’m terrible.)
Jon’s meeting with Mance is stellar. To Grenn and Mag. Stannis’ arrival is so sudden, so triumphant, so sweeping. This is the first scene Jon and Davos ever meet, too, y’know! Davos tries to put Jon in his place to little avail. It’s great looking back at this stuff. I guess if I had to complain about anything, it’d maybe be the fact that the cap-off to Daenerys’ fourth-season story isn’t all that powerful to me; I really like her, but I don’t feel too strongly about her content this year. It kind of flies in the face of my previous statement about four acts, because Daenerys’ story doesn’t really feel like it’s hitting a major climax here like most of the rest of them. But that’s OK. Chaining the dragons still feels like a suitable gut punch. She’s lost Jorah, and now she feels like she’s losing them. She’s gained so much, but is she losing herself along the way?
This is just a wonderful episode and I can never shut up about it. That last scene, with that music — that music! — accompanying Arya on that ship, floors me.
The Season 4 was my favorite!
Arya on the ship to Braavos was thrilling! And the epic “Brienne vs the Hound” fight scene was awesome and probably my second-fav scene in the whole series thus far. My FAV scene (as if you asked) is Tormund giving Brienne that goofy look and she rolls her eyes at the camera…it just tickles me so 🙂
Manny K,
Septa Unella: “I’m ready to meet the gods,”
Cersei: “What? Now? Today? You’re not going to die today. You’re not going to die for quite a while. …Ser Gregor!”
Piss off Cersei and you get an agonizing, slow death. (Hello Ellaria.)
Actually, the Cersei-Unella scene from S6e10 is such a guilty pleasure. I felt so bad for enjoying it so much. 😬
Season 6! All hail King Miguel, King-Beyond-the-Camera. This finale rises above all others. If Sapochnik doesn’t direct the final two episodes of Season 8, I may cry.
This episode is my favorite for many of the reasons mentioned, but my favorite reason has not yet been said. I will never forget Baby Bear Mormont rising and spitting out these words:
JenniferH,
Wah!!
Season 7 for me it was Epic! The Wall came down in a fittingly climatic sequence. After seven seasons of impenetrability and in a way that was not foreseen. The wight attacking Cersei and then the subsequent dialogue between Cersei and Tyrion back in her chambers was intense and edge of the seat stuff. Then the demise of Littlefinger. Hoist by his own petard when his schemes over reached and rebounded on him. And did I mention the Wall came down. Epic!
Season 6 WoW was operatic but it was easier to see these things coming and didn’t pack the same intense visceral punch as S7. I found S7 overwhelming and S6 just absorbing and revealing.
After that I am S1 you cant go past Ned’s beheading to let lose the chaos that followed. Then I am S4, S5, S3 and then S2.
If Winds doesn’t win in a landslide, I will be quite surprised.
Winds of Winter is the absolute epitome of Thrones and stands as one of the best episodes of television ever produced. The episode begins with the absolutely singular and nearly wordless opening trial sequence, all to the tune of Ramin Djawadi’s best work, “Light of the Seven.” This sequence broke the mold with a unique sequence that was as suspenseful as it was grandiose. This episode lays the foundation for Jaime’s eventual break from Cersei, as Waldau facial-acts the hell out of two scenes wherein Lord Frey toasts their shared kingslaying history and Jaime returns to find his sister crowned and his son dead. This episode boasts incredible and cathartic character moments as Jon is crowned King in the North, Davos confronts Melisandre for burning Shireen, and Tyrion is finally recognized and appreciated by being promoted to Daenerys’ Hand. I would also be remiss to not mention the epic and stirring scenes of Walder Frey’s murder and Daenerys finally setting sail for Westeros. This episode is packed with all-timer Game of Thrones scenes without feeling stuffed, expertly balancing intimate character beats with blockbuster-level spectacle.
That’s not to say that this was an easy decision, however. Surprising even myself, I very nearly chose The Dragon and the Wolf. Maybe this is recency bias, but the dragon pit, the two-hander scenes of Tyrion-Cersei/Jon-Theon/Jaime-Cersei, and Littlefinger’s trial all stand as some of the most excellent scenes the show has ever put out. In the end, the opening trial scene of TWOW gave it the slight edge over TDATW.
1) Season 6 (King in the North, R+L=J, sept burning, Dany sails home)
2) Season 7 (Starks justice, boatsex, White Walkers)
3) Season 1 (Tyrion becomes hand of the king, birth of dragons, King in the North)
4) Season 4 (Stannis saves the Wall, Tyrion kills Tywin, Brienne fights with Hound)
5) Season 3 (nothing special, but I like the sequence with Boltons)
6) Season 2 (I don’t like Qarth, but the scene in KL was very good)
7) Season 5 (Stannis and Jon are dead, so i hate it)
Tyrion doesn’t arrive in King’s Landing in 1×10, he gets there in 2×01 during Joffrey’s name day events…
1×10 holds a very special place in my heart. It created the perfect bridge into season 2 after Ned’s death (it’s hard to explain the impact Baelor had on show viewers at the time, and 1×10 proved the show was so much more than Ned Stark). Even as someone who’s not a big Dany fan, the way that scene was handled was just perfect – ‘… and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.’ The way it handled the fallout from Ned’s death was fantastic – the Stark family’s grief, Sansa coming close to pushing Joffrey off the battlements, the King in the North scene, Cat and Jaime’s conversation, Jon going north, Arya killing a boy… It all just felt really organic, and it set them all up so well.
This, I think, is where 3×10 failed. The fallout from the Red Wedding didn’t feel as well done and as natural and cohesive. A lot of conversations and confrontations were at the most only hinted at but not explored – Sansa finding out, Jon finding out, Brienne and Jaime finding out (as well as Jaime’s reunion with the rest of his family), etc. And the White Savior ending with Dany still angers me – plus, it didn’t really resonate with people and felt anticlimactic after the “Dracarys” moment of 3×04.
6>5>1=7>2=4>3
Mother’s Metcy is extremely underrated. The best episode of the series when it came out. Winds us all-around better paced, executed and more satisfying, so it takes the cake. But it’s still up there.
Dorian,
Arya becoming blind after killing Meryn Trant and proving she isn’t really “no one”. For the Watch. Walk of Shame. Myrcella dies in Jaime’s arms. Dany and the Dothraki. Stannis vs Ramsay. Sansa and Theon’s escape from Winterfell.
I started to write this way earlier on Thursday, then had other pressing business, and was almost going to skip writing anything, until I reread what David wrote: “I will be scavenging the comments like a raccoon in the night, selecting my favorite defenses and sharing them in a soon-to-be follow up to this post.” Ok, Racoon Boy, I offer the following as fare for you to scavenge.
Season 7 – The Dragon and the Wolf
We got definitive answers! We got characters finally doing what we, for years, hoped they would do. The Wall fell! We got unprecedented occurances, yet there is still enough suspense that the wait until we next see Game of Thrones seems particularly cruel.
Without a doubt, even the most casual viewer now knows that Jon Snow is really Aegon Targaryen, the true-born, legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark Targaryen, with even greater right to the Iron Throne than his beloved (Aunt) Daenerys. Jon (he shall remain Jon to me until such time that he, himself, knows his true name and parentage.) found the courage to love again, and with a very worthy partner.
I thought the boatsex was lovely; they are both beautiful people, and and the scene was well done. Indeed, I feel lucky to have lived long enough to see that – heck, Kit’s perfect behind was a history-making thing of beauty in and of itself. Plus, there is still enough delicious suspense left to want to see exactly what will come of this new-found attachment.
Jaime is FINALLY on his way elsewhere, having called Cersei’s bluff, and walking out. He didn’t/couldn’t kill her, but her calling him stupid and threatening to allow Frankengoon to have his way with him, was the last fucking straw. Better, he actually looked happy, content, at peace with his decision, as though he realizes consciously, at last, what a dope he’s been all these years regarding her. Best, he’s not only seriously looking to redeem himself, it seems he has an idea that he is at his best with Brienne, and he’s heading in her direction. This positive and absolute action, after reading for years and years that he was going to leave because of Lancel, or because of wildfire, or just because she was a bitch, was a worthy pay-off to all the other seasons.
Bran, starting to give full throttle to his powers, and we see them doing something useful, like pinning Lord Petyr Baelish to the wall, like a fly, and helping the girls determine with certainty that LF needed to be done-in for all the devastation his plotting unleashed on the Starks and the rest of the kingdom. Sam and Gilly safe at Winterfell; Theon leaving Reek behind. So much good stuff.
In fact, just about everything that happened in this episode not only answered old questions, but propelled the story forward in delicious ways. Yes, the finale of Season 6 was wonderful, but this one was so very satisfying on so many levels, I have to rate it my fav.
Cazaril,
I agree, but I just want to add one thing. Ramin Djawadi’s score is absolutely brilliant. Honourable mention to The Winds of Winter, who will most probably win the vote.
I was going to vote for season 6 because of the ToJ and the Sept explosion, but then I read the season 4 finale script and it was indeed beautiful with great moments that highlighted all the characters properly.
My vote goes to season 4, episode 10. A solid conclusion to a solid season.
That’s a tough one!! I will vote 2 episodes in my first place and I will explain below why, though I’ve only voted for the ‘dragon and the wolf’ in the poll.
#season 6 ‘The winds of winter’ was an artistic masterpiece. The opening sequence, the music, everything was so artistically perceived and orchestrated; it could have been compared to ballet dancing. It will stay in my mind as the most ‘fragile’ sensitive piece of work in its whole in the show.
#season7 ‘The dragon and the Wolf’ , which I voted and will defend this episode as many times as I have to! Where to start?
We got this unbelievable VFX. Excellent, excellent acting, writing, atmosphere, rythm. The ending scene with the WW marching through the ruins of the Wall in that disturbing ‘silence’ was a pure hype and agony moment. The haunting scenes of KL with the snowflakes falling; Dany+Jon – Raegar+Lyanna sequence was pure gold.
I see this episode ( and season) as the ‘part 1 ‘of the ending season, and as such it had to work both as a season finale and as a bridge to the next. I wholeheartedly believe that not only did they manage to nail both, but they managed to break ground on TV once again. This episode was robust, rough like the Winter – as it should be – with a few human, vulnerable moments to emphasize the contrast. Hands down the most wonderfully agonising episode in the series, as we move to the main dish, season 8. So, to me, season 7 finale has the 1st place in my heart, right next to season 6 finale, for different reasons. Both were excellent. 🙂
For me Season 6 and Season 7 finale are ties for different reasons… Season 6 is obvious of the shock of Cersei murdering everyone and Danny sailing to Westeros, but Season 7 had its payoff, I mean this was just great in terms of characters being in 1 place, all those reunions and first time interactions, it was well played by the actors, loved it!
For me season #6 slightly edges out season 4, mainly because WoW remains the most well crafted episode in the series so far, be it direction, music, acting, with every single scene being emotionally satisfying. The ToJ reveal, with the shot cutting to adult Jon, the Sept explosion, Cersei as queen, Jon as KitN, Dany finally setting sail, every scene memorable in it’s own way.
The ranking is 6>4>1>7>5>2>3.
Flayed Potatoes,
Do you have a link to the script? I would love to read it.
Flayed Potatoes,
Do I have to beg you?
Do it. Do it.
Kill me. Kill me. Kill me!
😢
Season 7 finale nearly took it but no it’s still Winds of Winter.Best episode of the series.Even though I have honestly loved all the finale even the more quiet ones.
My vote: 6>7>1>4>3>2
Tough to rate them since all so good. 6 takes the cake for me because of the incredible godfather like sept scene and all the payoffs felt unambiguously good. Dany coming home, Jon KITN, Tyrion Hand.
7 was great as an episode/ work of art but the payoffs felt more melancholy to me and a lot of things didn’t go as well as I had hoped after 6. Dany’s invasion of Westeros stalled out, Tyrion turned into a bad hand, big cloud hanging over Jon/ Dany romance, WW crossed the wall in large part due to tragic mistakes the characters made, Cersei still cooking up smart but evil plans etc.
1: Dragons and the Unburnt was what hooked me to the show and the story.
Doesnt tyrion come to kingslanding in season 2
Which is what shocks joffrey on his name Day
It was between season 1 and season 6 and I chose season 1.
Season 6 and the Sept of Balor was brilliant but I decided to go with which episode had the best last scene. For me this was undoubtedly Dany rising from the ashes with 3 baby dragons. It was potent, majestic and completely mesmerising; rounding off one of the better seasons of GoT.
Season 6, because as a book reader I knew most of the huge plot points of seasons 1-5. Those seasons I was watching and enjoying, but half the enjoyment was watching my unsullied wife and friends and seeing what they thought.
Season 6 however, was a far different experience for me. Just about everything was beyond the books at that point. The finale episode had the hard task of following the battle of the bastards, and it did it amazingly. I was on the edge of my seat that whole season, and for the first time really felt the rush of being an unsullied, and that final episode was in my opinion the best of the season.
ghost of winterfell,
At 8:32 am under Glass Candles article, I cited two transcript sites – but don’t vouch for their accuracy.
ghost of winterfell,
Ten Bears,
Here it is 😀
http://www.emmys.com/sites/default/files/Downloads/Ep410_The_Children_Script.pdf
Jared,
Jared: I just LOVE the way you write. It’s truly a pleasure to read your comments.
It’s easy to pick apart the 5% of GoT that’s a little screwy sometimes. It’s a bit harder to explain why the other 95% is truly glorious. I’m glad you remind us of that. Thanks!
Season #1 – For a season that started with everyone living in (relative) harmony, only to lead us up and down on a roller coaster of emotions, this finale fully established what kind of show this would be. All the survivors of the season were sent off on their own separate paths, setting up a number of plots that would carry through for seasons to come. Never have I been more curious as to what would happen next.
With the return of dragons, the show also firmly re-rooted itself into fantasy and gave us one of the most awe-inducing moments in the series to date.
Flayed Potatoes,
Cool. Thanks! 55-page script of “The Children.” I wonder if this is the original draft or the shooting script. Well, I’ll read it and find out.
6-7-4-1-5-2-3
Thinking back to the first King in da Norf scene and it still gives me goosebumps!
Flayed Potatoes,
Addendum to above:
The script of “The Children” is apparently the version submitted for Emmy consideration, right?
Just from reading the first two pages (Jon going by himself to meet with Mance), it appears there’s much more detail than what we saw in the as-aired episode.
I’d be curious to know if that detail was in there but I missed it because of my substandard TV.
Anybody have any impressions?
Since we’re doing these, what are the Episode 9s (or 6, in case of Season 7)
3 – Rains of Castamere – Still incredibly haunting today
1 – Baelor – The moment GOT arrived
6 – The Battle of the Bastards – OK, I still don’t know why Sansa kept it a secret, but the rest of the episode was absolutely stunning. And I think, when it’s all said and done, we’re going to thank Kristopher for Tormund. He has been menacing, funny, terrified, badass and even romantic. The sheer terror in his eyes gets me every time.
2 – Blackwater – HALFMAN! HALFMAN! HALFMAN!
4 – Watchers on the Wall – Re-watch it and then re-watch Hardhome/BoftheBastards. They’ve actually shown Jon growing as a soldier/leader.
7 – Beyond the Wall – I get the flaws. I do. But the Jon/Jorah scene will never not be one of my favorites.
5- The Dance of Dragons – I will never watch this episode again. It’s not bad and the moment when Dany rides Drogon is chill-worthy, but I just cannot handle the Shireen screams. Props to Dillane for somehow seeming to age 10 years for every scream. (But, Hardhome is the best Episode 8 by far)
I think 6 is going to be the winner. The whole episode is a masterpiece but the blowing up of the Sept of Baelor and Tommen killing himself… just wow. There really is no more powerful a finale than that. Most of the finales are denouements from the penultimate episode but few of them really pack as much punch as the episode that preceded it. The differences between 7, 4, and 1 are very fine and you could pretty much consider those a tie, for me.
6, 7, 4, 1, 5, 2, 3
Season #6
Although it is a very close with S4 & S5, in my opinion, S6 takes the cake. They open up with the most perfect 20 minutes of the entire series, giving us the long-awaited trial right away, with perfect build up. Then, after we finally get the ending to the Tower of Joy scene, Jon gets named King of the North, which I personally think is the most emotional and tear jerking scenes in the entire show, hands down. The (so-called) bastard has finally risen from the lowest point he could’ve started in S1, to the highest by S6. This is made even better by the fact that all the lords of the North truly believe in him. Then No-one shows her most badass self and takes revenge for the most deceitful, messed-up event in the entire series. And finally, Dany sails home in one of the most epic shots of the entire series, with hundreds upon hundreds of ships at her back and three dragons flying above. All around, this was the most epic episode of the whole series for me.
Season 4, but whoa lordy is it a tough choice!
I’d say “The Children” is my favorite season finale because season 4 on the whole had terrific story arcs and most of them all concluded in “The Children”. The payoff was satisfying more than any other season finale. Though, I hate watching the part where Dany locks up her dragons. That’s the only part of this episode I don’t like.
Season 6 is a close second I think. Echoing the sentiment of many others, this episode gets a nod because of the first 20 minutes or so. It was just mesmerizing. However, take the song out and to me Winds of Winter isn’t quite as good as The Children.
4 > 6 > 2 > 1 > 5 > 7 > 3
I just read the script. Very interesting what details were omitted; what dialogue was changed or condensed; how the actors delivered their lines; how the director followed or departed from the stage directions; etc.
But the script itself is a great piece of writing. So descriptive!
PS Most of the changes seemed to be in the opening segment of Jon going to meet with/kill Mance + the arrival of Stannis & Co.; and Jojen’s death-by-skeletal wights. The original script focused alot more on Jojen’s self-sacrifice.
Flayed Potatoes,
Thank you!
Riverhawk,
I agree! It was an episode where I actually felt bad for Cersei, and that speaks volumes.
If we are voting strictly off the idea of a season finale, ie: closing a seasons individual story lines while also setting up an exciting and intriguing future that keeps fans hooked then this is my personal ranking.
4- As others have said this episode evoked so many emotions while also providing so many possibilities for the characters.
5- As a book reader this season finale was amazing in that we had no idea what came next!
1- This is part of the season that started it all. This finale left us all awed enough to wait for season 2!
6- Again as a book fan this answered so many questions and set us up for the end game.
7- Even though this episode was more than amazing I enjoyed it mainly because of all the the moments I wanted to see as a fan. Nothing too unexpected in the end.
2- I feel this was an important episode but still falls near the bottom.
3- I agree with what others have said, this one tends to fade in the memory
8- I don’t care how awesomely amazing this is going to be, its the last one ever so I don’t like it ha
For me, in order:
6, 4, 1, 2, 7, 5, 3
Season 6 – I liked ‘The Winds of Winter’ for the simple fact that it made me happy. “Uplifting” is a proper word to describe it. This story can be depressing at times. So much so that certain viewers actually learned to expect misery. They’re disappointed when characters don’t die, or when a fan favorite survives against the odds. I suppose it’s a form of conditioning. A lot of the criticism I’ve heard from these later seasons is that the show isn’t the same as it used to be, or that they “promised” a different story. What they don’t realise is that subverting expectations works both ways. Apparently you don’t get any points for subverting the subversion.
I read some comments from people who liked the season 5 finale (Mother’s Mercy). I’m actually curious, because that was the most depressing finale for me. Jon was dead, Arya was blind and Dany was captured. Even Cersei had that walk of shame. Every character’s season arc ended in a terrible place. Imagine if that was the series finale. Or imagine if that was the last place we left these characters for years on end (wink wink). I’d hate that.
I hope season 8 ends in a happy place. I don’t need too much bitter taste in my sweets.
Season 4.
It would’ve been Season 6 until Jon bent the knee in Season 7 and the King in the North scene subsequently went from being one of the most gratifying scenes in the entire history of the show to being effectively redundant just 6 episodes later.
Season 1 is my favorite finale because when the Daenerys and baby dragons scene (and Jorah, don’t forget him), when that went to black my husband and I, on the edge of the sofa, turned to each other. And you know our expressions, I’m sure. Every episode transports us still.
FP, my conclusions reflect yours. I also choose 4.10, in part because I think 6.10 is so outstanding it will win anyway. It’s like a mountain range of peaks, mighty but also overwhelming.
But The Children is so organic, coherent, emotional, and in keeping with its role as conclusion of the first half of the saga. It is also the show’s appropriate and fond farewell to the parental crutch of the books. In a way, Seasons 5-8 are the Children of Seasons 1-4. It’s also one of those rare episodes so unified that every story it tells is reflective of the title: Tyrion and Tywin, Sansa saving Littlefinger, Bran and the childlike Hodor plus the two Reed children finding the 3ER, Dany penning up two of her children, Jon and Mance, Brienne and Sandor fighting to be surrogate parent to Arya, a child who probably needs neither. And the stirring end when she sails towards Braavos for a new beginning. I think 4.10 is GoT at its quiet best.
Hard to choose because they’re all good, but forced to I’d pick “Valar Morghulis,” especially for the final shots of Arya with the stirring and soaring chords of “The Children” accompanying her journey away from captivity and into her mysterious future.
Ten Bears,
Tyrion’s scenes also read a bit differently to me (the blood and scratches).
Stark Raven’ Rad,
Yey! 🙂
That was rough, a toss up between 4 and 6; 4 finale changed many characters arcs, but the two scenes for me that make it so good where Arya sails off, and Tyrion giving Tywin and Shae what they deserved. Spot on perfect
Tho of 6 gets chosen I wouldn’t be unhappy.
nvm
Yes, you said it much better than I did. Exactly
Season 1 – I liked this because… of the last scene, Dany shows everyone she is a true force to be reckoned with and gives life to dragons after being extinct for years.
It gives me goosebumps the same I had when reading the book. It ties a knot in my chest seeing her rise and everyone bow down as “for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.”
Granted it was dawn in the show, and it looked beautiful too.
Subvert the subversion all you want – I agree with you that the story can be very depressing at times, and that we have been so inundated with shocking violence, we’ve come to expect it as normal, therefore somehow more desirable. Shocking violence is neither more normal nor desirable to me. I’m strongly hoping for much more of the sweet than the bitter. That’s why I voted for the ending of season 7 as my favorite – after a horrible downward spiral for most of the characters, things are looking up.
I second that! 🙂
For me it’s still season 1 only because I hadn’t read the books yet, Ned’s death was still a shock and seeing 3 little dragons at the end was one of the most awesome I had ever seen on TV.
Season #6 – Ramin Diawadi’s perfect music for the opening 20 or so minutes, which was a masterpiece of film-making, like a short film in its own right, not just a sequence in a TV show. Also, the episode not only neatly tied up the season but also all previous seasons and set the table for the end game, the last two seasons. Perfection!
Season #7 – After re-watch upon re-watch, The Dragon and the Wolf has become my favorite. Truth is a beautiful piece of music and speaks to the tragedy of the story it ultimately tells. From the ensemble piece at the Dragonpit to smaller intimate scenes such as the dramatic meeting between Cersei and Tyrion, this episode was Thrones in a nutshell. We had the politicking and backstabbing. The scheming and stabbing. And dragons. And, after teasing it out for seven seasons, we finally had full confirmation that the heir to the Iron Throne is someone who has never coveted it. The final scene shows us the fall of the Wall, signifying the beginning of the Long Night. Which in turn takes us back to the truth about Jon and his birthright – and to what Commander Mormont asked Jon himself in the very first finale…….When dead men and worse come hunting for us in the night, do you think it matters who sits on the Iron Throne?
Season 4 no contest
Winds of Winter isn’t just the best GOT season finale and the best episode of the series (IMO), is one of the best things I ever watched.
Ranking:
1. Winds of Winter
2. The Children
3. The Dragon and the Wolf
4. Fire and Blood
5. Mother’s Mercy
6. Vallar Morghulis
7. Mhysa
Season 1 – ‘Fire and Blood‘
After Ned’s beheading I wasn’t sure what to expect from this show (I was unsullied). Rob being declared the King in the North gave us hope for the Starks and we feared for Arya and her new path. The birth of the dragons was a game changer and I love the music as Dany emerges from the pyre. Finally, Mormont’s speech as Jon ventures beyond the wall set the tone for the looming Others. It was a great set-up for the next season and confirmed that a larger story was still unfolding. It also reaffirmed that this was not your typical fantasy show.
Season 6 – I didn’t anticipate what Cersei was up to, so she blew up my mind alongside her enemies. Plus Jon’s parentage being revealed was a moment we’ve all been waiting for for years. Both scenes matched with their musical scores just made that episode one of the greatest ever and left me in awe and suspension while waiting for season 7.
Season Six. It’s pretty much a perfect episode throughout, and the best episode of the entire show for me, and much of that is due to the first 15 to 20 minutes in King’s Landing. Even at the times I change my mind about my favorite episode, I never waver on those 20 minutes being my favorite Game of Thrones sequence ever. From the now iconic Light of the Seven / Mad Queen theme and the editing the special effects to Headey’s and Dormer’s acting, it’s just GOT at its best.
Awww I missed this fun article.
For me it is definitely Season 6 finale. Everything, from start to finish.. especially the Sept explosion and Jon KITN scene, are flawless.
Season 7 finale is not far behind.
If I were to rank, it would be as follows:
S6
S7
S4
S1
S5
S2
S3
Season 6! …and thanks to the last two posts, my reason can be made be rather short 🙂
Luka, you picked my brains about the first 20 minutes.
Dee, you got my overall finale ranking down perfectly!
Just have to add: although many fans were probably more shocked by Cersei’s “kabooom”, my personal biggest WTF-moment in S6E10 was Tommen’s Olympic dive without water in the pool – in spite of Maggie’s prophesy. Didn’t see that one coming…AT ALL…and remember how I just silently sat there in a state of shock, as I hadn’t done since the silent credits after “The Red Wedding” or the revelation of the reason behind Hodor’s name!
Found it so disturbing to watch a boy commit suicide because of a mother’s actions. Hmm…come to think of it, it’s the only suicide we’ve ever seen on GoT, isn’t it?
(Damn the wait for S8 will be looooong! 🙁 )
Season 4: A Finale has to capture the “finally” moments, and yet with a multi-season opus like GoT it has to build expectation towards the next season. Season 4 did that for me like none other. Arya’s final scene was a refreshing change to Danaerys or the Whitewalkers closing out the season. She finally moves on to potentially exciting unforeseen prospects. And her final scene with the Hound after the brilliant fight scene is a jewel. Tyrion makes a similar move escaping Westeros to set up an exciting storyline for the next season, while leaving the chess board open in King’s Landing. Bran finally reached the Three-Eyed-Raven. It was all starting to look very exciting indeed for the future. The elements added by the surprising sweep of Stannis’ forces to help Jon and the beautiful farewell to Ygritte were great.
ditto, my ranking as well and for pretty much the same reasons
i think season 3 finale was a breather after ep 9. most people forget there was an episode after the red wedding lol,
although the only highlight of the s3 finale is the small council scene with Joffery insulting mighty Tywin (i miss this little shit) and immediately going “i f*cked up”
Season 6# I’m late to this one as I catch up on WotW articles over the past week but Winters of Winter winds it for me. For me this is the most perfect hour of television I have ever seen and here are my key highlights:
– So many arcs we’ve followed over the prior five seasons reach a peak, we see Jon become King of the North, rising from a bastard, we see Dany finally heading to Westeros, we see Cersei gain her revenge on the Tyrells/High Sparrow. This episode told me what was coming in Winds of Winter and I loved it.
– The musical score is just perfect, the opening 15-20 minutes are superbly written and acted but the music just adds an extra level.
– I do not believe there is a single weak scene in the entire episode.