We have a huge Watchers on the Wall Awards category for you all to mull over, this sleepy Sunday! Best Dramatic Scene celebrates the greatest Game of Thrones scenes of the year, the most pulse-pounding, heartrending, memorable moments that had us all glued to the screen. Our readers provided dozens of suggestions for Best Dramatic Scene this year, and now it’s in your hands to narrow our choices down to five! Which scenes left the biggest impression on you? Make your choices!
The standard rules: Select up to FIVE nominees from the poll. You can choose fewer if you like, but you cannot choose more than 5. (Visit the initial WotW Awards post for a complete explanation of the rules and process.)
At the end of 72 hours (Wednesday 11/01/17 at 5PM Eastern Time), whichever five scenes have the most votes will continue on to the finals. The results of the poll will be revealed when it’s time to choose the winner of Best Dramatic Scenes in a few weeks.
Thanks to Greatjon of Slumber for tallying up the initial nominee suggestions. Time to vote!
Sam and Bran reveal the truth of Rhaegar and Lyanna’s marriage, as Dany and Jon come together.
Cersei delivers her revenge on Ellaria and Tyene Sand, in the dungeons
Cersei and Tyrion face off privately, after the initial Dragonpit meetup
Arya has a brief reunion with her wild direwolf Nymeria
Jon bends the knee after the battle beyond the Wall, and accepts Daenerys as his queen
But… honestly, this was very difficult. I chose these candidates but could have easily chosen five completely different ones.
I wanted to vote for all of them.
Good game.
Not hard. I was surprised how many that I chose involved Jaime.
1. Jaime leaves Cersei, winter arrives. This was so beautifully done and acted. We’ve waited forever for this.
2. Theon and Jon. Theon has redemption (leading to his strengthened will to go after Yara), we see how Jon may need to accept HIS two families as well.
3. Arya vs Brienne – such a well choreographed and ‘fun’ scene. A lot revealed to Brienne, Sansa, and LF.
4. Bronn goes Mad Max vs Drogon. Very few times in this whole series have I felt myself at such complete odds with myself by the second as to who I was rooting for! Practically needed a tranquilizer after that.
5. Olenna’s last scene. Because she is the Queen of motherfuckin Thornes.
Runners up: Viserion’s death (wasn’t expecting to feel that sad), Jon petting Drogon, Jaime’s spur of the moment suicide charge, and anything Jorah.
Clearly three powerful non action scenes stand out for me
– Tyrion and Cersei discussing after the dragonpit
– Cersei and Ellaria
– Jon and Theo about Theon’s identity kn ep10
I felt in these chilling 3 scenes the core of what I love in game of thrones
I eliminated a bunch of them from my consideration that I feel belong in other categories, or should I say categories they also fit. I can vote for them in those ones when they come up. 🙂
Clob,
I agree some of these will probably be in other categories
After I chose I noticed a pattern, they are all character meetings or moments that I have been waiting for and was super invested in
– Cersei delivers her revenge on Ellaria and Tyene Sand, in the dungeons (knew it was coming and it was better than expected!)
– Cersei and Tyrion face off privately, after the initial Dragonpit meetup (again, we knew these two would meet again, and it was fantastic)
– Jon and Daenerys finally meet and challenge one another, in the throne room of Dragonstone (long time coming)
– Jaime walks out on Cersei, and as he leaves, we see winter has come to King’s Landing. (again, been waiting for this one 🙂
– Sansa and Arya are reunited in the crypts after years apart (of all the meetings, this is one I really wanted to see the most and I think they captured it perfectly 🙂
Dany’s dragons arrive and scorch the wight army until the Night King takes Viserion down (I’ve been waiting for this exact moment for years. When it happened, I jumped out of my chair, pumped my fist, and literally screamed.)
On the field of fire, Jaime charges Daenerys and Drogon
Daenerys has an emotional homecoming at her family’s ancestral seat Dragonstone (I may have watched this scene more than any other. Emilia’s silent acting and Ramin’s score are stunning).
Cersei and Tyrion face off privately, after the initial Dragonpit meetup (Peter and Lena at their best)
Sam and Bran reveal the truth of Rhaegar and Lyanna’s marriage, as Dany and Jon come together
Honorable Mention: Far, far too many to list. When I was compiling my own list of potential submissions for nominations, it was over 50 scenes long (not an exaggeration). It could very easily have been longer. I wound up nominating 15, and even cutting it down that much was painful (fortunately, many of the others wound up on this nomination list anyway). The only way I was able to cut it down to 5 here was by rationalizing there are certain scenes I’ll be able to vote for in other categories (like Best Death). Whatever makes it through to the final round, I’m sure it will be a killer line-up. With nominees of this caliber, it would be almost be impossible for it not to be. Man, Season 7 was superb!
It was easy to eliminate most of the choices. Only two scenes made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Even now, reading through the list, those two gave me the willies.
Theon & Jon, Cersei & Ellaria, Littlefinger trial, Hound burial, Olenna mic drop.
Nothing with dragons in it. Nothing ‘actiony.’
Theon & Jon
Cersei & Tyrion
Jaime walks out on Cersei
Littlefinger’s Trial
Jon & Beric
It was REALLY hard narrowing this down to 5, lol!
Theon and Jon’s conversation in the Throneroom
Such a wonderful scene, and one that stood out. Great acting, good dialogue, beautifully shot. My favorite scene of the season.
The beach fight where Theon bests Harrag
It was great to see Theon finally win something, to see him smile! But it was more than that. Very touching scene. And as always, well choreographed, and acted. And the final scene with Theon cleansing his face in the sea made it perfect.
Theon’s trauma/PTSD gets triggered by the maiming of ironborn all around him and Euron’s taunting shout “Little Theon!”
Oh, boy, such strong acting. After having watched Theon cut down man after man during the battle scenes, you could see his whole mind and body shutting down and it was so sad. Certainly made the hairs on my arms stand up.
Jaime charging Drogon/Daenerys, Tyrion and Cersei, The hound at the farmer’s house, Little Finger’s death, Lady Olenna were also nice scenes. I will see if I can choose between them.
First time I had a tough time narrowing it down to five. So (too) many great scenes to choose from! I must have “unclicked” and reclicked several choices.
WhingeNote:
I really wanted to include Arya’s reunion with Nymeria. I had been looking forward to it for a long time. It should have been an emotion-packed, unforgettable scene. But once again, Mr. Blurry Background diluted its power and undermined Maisie’s performance.
A director with the right sensibiities like….Michelle McLaren… would’ve done it justice. Sucks she didn’t get a chance. 😠
– End WhingeNote –
Enemies gather at the Dragonpit in King’s Landing with a wight – This scene is, for me, the crescendo of seven seasons worth of plot development and character interaction. It is tense, it is dramatic and it is a demonstration of the acting talent in this cast. And, after seven seasons, it is a demonstration to the leaders of the Seven Kingdoms that the Army of the Dead is very, very real.
The Wall falls, and the army of the undead march south – This was a visually epic way to end season seven. It was just wow. I loved the lighting in this scene, it really felt as if it were dusk, and the Long Night was falling. And this image, only a few minutes after we’re told of Jon’s true name and claim to the Iron Throne, really calls back to the season one finale, Fire and Blood, in which Lord Commander Mormont asks Jon When dead men and worse come hunting for us in the night, do you think it matters who sits on the Iron Throne? The dead are coming now.
Sam and Bran reveal the truth of Rhaegar and Lyanna’s marriage, as Dany and Jon come together – I loved the way this was put together, and to see Bran and Sam encounter one another again was great. These two may not be fighters, but they will be crucial during the Great War. I got very, very excited at finally getting to see Rhaegar! I loved the way everything was finally spelled out to us, and the reality of the situation – the person with the best claim to the Iron Throne is someone who has never coveted it. I’ve also got a place in my heart for Truth, the piece of music which plays throughout. It isn’t as dramatic as Light of the Seven, but I find it pretty moving.
Jon and Daenerys finally meet and challenge one another, in the throne room of Dragonstone – There were so many amazing scenes with these two, but I limited myself in the shortlist! The first meeting between these two was fantastic, and I loved that this scene was long, drawn-out and tense. Seeing the last two Targaryens come together on Dragonstone, their ancestral home, was awesome. Their arcs have echoed each other since season one, both visually and thematically, and although they were always geographically so far apart, they always seemed to be heading towards each other. To see them finally meet was amazing.
The three surviving Stark children reunite at Winterfell – Sansa, Arya and Bran together again – None of them are the same person they were last time all three of them were together. They have all been forced to change by the circumstances they found themselves in. To have three Starks together (something we hadn’t seen in years) was amazing. This could have been over-done and schmaltzy, but it wasn’t. It was bittersweet.
Honorable Mention: Jon bends the knee after the battle beyond the Wall – It doesn’t get talked about as much as that other boat scene, but I have a deep love and affection for this one, and it was the hardest one to rule out of my final five. It is, for me, the first scene in which they interact as Jon and Dany, not King in the North and Queen of Many Titles. It is such a human moment, when they both allow themselves to be vulnerable in front of each other, and was played beautifully.
Are you also reaching your DSP (Dragon Saturation Point) ? I am. They’ve been great. But it’s A Time for Wolves!
For me the sound of the Dothraki screamers mixed in with the dark rolling clouds, and not knowing exactly what was coming, followed by Jaime saying they could hold them off, at which point he sees Drogon, was my favorite dramatic moment of the season and not listed in the poll.
If my so-called Dragon Saturation Point is capable of being reached, then I have yet to discover it. I remain a long way from doing so. In fact, I’m highly skeptical that such a thing even exists. It sounds fictitious. Unlike dragons, which are very real. 😉
Jared,
I’d be curious to see what was on your List of 50. (Not that I’m suggesting you should type it up.)
The season flew by so fast – too fast – that I really didn’t appreciate many great scenes until I rewatched the episides. I probably have around 10 that I’d nominate for inclusion in the WoW 101 Most Memorable Scenes (rolled out before S7).
I know everybody’s got different perspectives.
I was just kind of surprised that one of my top ten didn’t make it to this Preliminary Round: Sansa & Arya reconciling on the battlements, each quoting Ned, near the end of Episode 7.
I was equally surprised that “Arya confronts Sansa with the catspaw knife” made the cut. (Pun intended.)
(Damn…Didn’t set out to whine…. I was actually gonna ask if (you think) any of your 50 should knock some of the “Most Memorable” out of the top 101.)
Jared,
Maybe DSP should be in an equation with the Direwolf Deprivation Coefficient.
Seriously, the spectacular job they’ve done with dragons* makes the paucity of direwolves more conspicuous.
* My screensaver is the 3 dragons simultaneously flame-broiling the Masters’ ship in Mereen in S6e9. I never get tired of seeing that.
The funny thing is, I’m not one of those people who ever resisted the fantasy elements of ASoIaF/GoT. I love epic-fantasy conventions. I love magic. I love dragons.
But part of the appeal of ‘traditional’ dragons to me is their intelligence and ability to communicate with humans: the fact that you have to outwit them as well as outfight them. They’re not just Godzillaish killing-and-smashing machines. I love Bilbo’s parleys with Smaug, in which he knows that his only chance is to wheedle bits of information out of the dragon by exploiting the creature’s tendency toward egotism.
The dragons of Planetos are much less interesting to me, because although they are reputed to be as intelligent as humans, their behavior seems no more so than the average dog. It’s nice that they can smell a Targ and show loyalty to their chosen masters, but that’s about as far as it gets, in terms of presenting an intellectual challenge to our characters.
The CGI and creature design on GoT are of extremely high quality, and I can appreciate its dragons as manifestations of screen art. But they don’t engage me at all as ‘characters.’ I didn’t feel any empathy when Viserion died. And I was totally rooting for Bronn to take down Drogon with the scorpion. They just seem like somewhat-sentient WMDs to me.
So yeah, I can admire them as state-of-the-art animation technology, but their scenes don’t qualify much as ‘drama’ in my mind, except insofar as other characters react to them. I’d much rather see two really fine human actors interact.
In my case, it probably also doesn’t help that the dragons are mainly wrapped up in Dany’s storyline, which is the one in which I am least emotionally invested, both in the books and in the show.
It’s too bad you described the Jon and Dany scene the way you did. The powerful thing about that scene was not Jon “bending the knee” but everything before and after. Dany being completely shattered. Jon empathetic. Dany putting no blame on him. Dany wondering if she is worthy of his trust, and that he might lose the support of the north… anyway was perhaps the best dramatic scene of the season but I fear it will get few votes because it happened to contain Jon swearing fealty to Dany which fans still don’t forgive the show for…
Anyway also Jaime charging Dany OMG. I also picked the 2 big deaths. Then I couldn’t decide between Jaime and Cersei or Cersei and Tyrion’s scene but ultimately picked Tyrion’s for balance.
Ten Bears,
I’ve got it in a word document somewhere. Perhaps I’ll go dig it up after a few days. I don’t want to clutter up the comment section now when we have the real nominees to consider (most of my preliminary contenders are among the real nominees anyway).
Sansa and Arya’s reconciliation on the Winterfell battlements was on my list of 50+ that I was considering. Such a beautiful, wonderful scene, one that I thought was the perfect end to their storyline (which I liked quite a bit more than some). If I’d known that no one else was going to nominate it, I would have absolutely done so. Like everyone else, I loved hearing Arya and Sansa quote Ned: (“In Winter we must protect ourselves. Look after one another.”/”When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.”) But my favorite part of the scene is actually what comes immediately after it, when Arya drops her guard completely and admits “I miss him,” and Sansa whispers, with a little hitch in her voice, whispers “Me too.” Oh man. After a beautiful, near-perfect finale that had leaned heavily on the idea of Ned’s legacy being cared on by all of his children, biological or not, that really drew out the tears.
I’d have to go back and check the WOTW list of 101 Most Memorable Moments to re-familiarize myself with what’s on there, but sight unseen, yes: there are at least 10 moments from Season 7 that I would absolutely place on that list if I had sole control of it, and many more than I would give strong consideration to. Some of them would merit Top 10 consideration, in fact.
Jaime’s Charge–I’ve reached Dragon Saturation Point (thanks, Jared), but I had to reluctantly include a Dragon scene. Blimey, that was a ticker kicker. An action scene with characters we’ve known for 7 years and care about deeply. It was superbly filmed and nicely resolved except–Jaime or Bronn should have died. The show pulled its punches on that. Since Jaime is a main and needs his redemption, it should have been Bronn. I’d miss him, but now I’ll think he’s only there for the wisecracks. No castle for you, M8, you should be gloriously dead.
Littlefinger’s trial–The end of an era, the triumph of the Starks over their nemesis, and Littlefinger getting Littler til Arya gives him the flying slash. And the way his Chaos is a Ladder theme dribbles out with his life’s blood. Kudos to Aiden, Sophie, and Maisie for their acting in this scene.
Olenna’s revenge–Badass to the end, she not only makes the big reveal to Jaime, but s tricks him in that she takes the gentle poison before telling she killed Joffrey. Also, her description of Cersei probably contributes to the doubts that plague him to the point that he has the balls to leave her in Ep 7. Free at last!
Jon and Dany’s meeting–Yin and Yang, ice and fire, Wolf and Dragon metaphorically rub up on each other and start the sparks that lead to them literally rubbing up in Ep 7 and presumably making a Targ baby. And now, eventually Spring is coming.
Cersei with Ellaria and Tyene–I’m not a mother, but I was watching Ellaria melt over what she and her daughter will have to endure thanks to the now certifiably Mad Queen. Others take you Cersei! I hope the Valonqar makes you suffer like this. Lena and Indira deserve every accolade for this scene.
HONOURABLE MENTION: I could have voted for 10. But 18 years since starting Book 1, a nominated scene resolved one of my biggest concerns: would Arya go truly dark with vengeance or light with family? The Hot Pie reunion scene, which started with a focused, indifferent Arya wolfing down food and ale, crumbs on her face, barely listening to HP rambling on. Until–she heard about Jon in Winterfell. Suddenly, she was a hopeful, flustered 11YO, hurriedly jumping up and licking her fingers and then offering Hot Pie a warm farewell. It’s not on a par with my five picks, but oh the feels! Unsurprisingly, Maisie nailed it.
I think season 7 in general is much more appreciated when you rewatch it. I loved it when it aired but after seeing this list I went back and watch many of these amazing scenes and WOW. I truly enjoyed season 7.
QueenofThrones,
I adore that scene! Can’t tell you exactly how many times I’ve watched it, but whatever the number is, it’s embarrassingly high. I find it to be one of the most deeply affecting scenes scenes that Game of Thrones has ever delivered, and the single best scene that Emilia done to date on this show (and I think she’s had a lot of great ones – I love her as an actress). If I had a sixth vote, that scene would’ve gotten it. In fact, I’m starting to feel a strong sense of regret about not finding a place for it in my five now. I’m not sure at the moment which of my other choices I would’ve bumped, but if I had it back, I’d make room for that scene somehow.
No love for The Hound and Thoros burying the farmer and his daughter? That scene was so beautiful.
It was in my Top Five. Major character-development crux point for Sandor, methinks. Brother Ray’s 12-Step Program seems to be working on him still.
Ivan,
One of the best in S7.
amyboz13,
Bummer! You should have nominated it when nominations were open. 🙂
Mine too! Alfie Allen’s acting craft is so poignant that it makes me want very badly for Theon to be able to make things as right as they can possibly be with the people he has wronged. And Jon being able to find some understanding and forgiveness in his heart for Theon’s terrible choices is a meaningful sign of his character’s growing maturity as well. I found this scene tremendously moving.
Pretty much. More than Jaime idiotically charging Drogon and Bronn targetting Drogon, the initial tension and suspense of the Dothraki charging and then Dany appearing on Drogon out of the sky was the best part of that entire sequence and the most dramatic. In fact I would say it’s the most dramatic sequence of the entire season – the first time we see Dany using her dragons for war against a Westerosi army and a gamechanger. I am surprised that it’s missing here!
Arg!!!!! I cannot do this!!!! Can we vote for 10 and then whittle it down…..? (Never mind, I know the answer to that}
Clob,
Yeah thats what I did as well – I think of a dramatic scene as something smaller, but intense, which is why I ultimately chose
Meera’s farewell to Bran
Grey Worm and Missandie,
Cersei and Ellera,
The Hound buries the farmer and his daughter,
Sansa, Arya and Bran work together to kill Little Finger
And they were? 🙂
So many good scenes to chose from and was hard to decide. Would have been easier to have sub-divided them between ‘action’ (e.g. with CGI/SFX content) and ‘non-action’ scenes.
1. Jon and Daenerys finally meet and challenge one another, in the throne room of Dragonstone I loved it when Davos said “This is Jon Snow – He’s king in the north!” after Missandei reeled off all of Dany’s titles 🙂
2. Jon gets close to the dragon Drogon, and it goes surprisingly well An impressive piece of acting by Harington reacting to a model of a dragon’s head!
3. Dany’s dragons arrive and scorch the wight army until the Night King takes Viserion down A great ‘kick-ass’ scene which we all knew would happen 😛
4. The three surviving Stark children reunite at Winterfell- Sansa, Arya and Bran together again One of the reunions we’ve all been waiting for – and for so long.
5. Olenna Tyrell accepts her fate via Jaime, and sends Cersei a message on her way out of the world The Queen of Thorns always gets in the last word – and this really was her last words!
Arya vs House Frey
Cersei vs Ellaria/Tyene
Bronn vs Drogon
Arya vs Brienne
The Hound burying the farmer & his daughter
But honestly could’ve picked at least twice as many…
Jared,
In the exchange between Arya and Sansa, I’m not sure why I found Sansa’s “you’re still strange and annoying” line so endearing. Maybe because they’d finally gotten past the “You”re an idiot!”/“You’re a liar!” feud of their childhood and this was the first time they behaved as loving sisters.
Sansa: You’re the strongest person I know.
Arya: I believe that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.
Sansa: Well, don’t get used to it. You’re still very strange and annoying.
I should also admit that Sophie was spectacular in that episode. (“Do you deny it!”). I’d never been on the Sansa bandwagon; part of that may have been the strained logic of the Sansa Poole/marry into the Boltons “plan”, concealing the KotV, and
PsychoArya vs. TraitorSansa detours, none of which were her fault.
But she was really good in Episode 7.
I couldn’t not vote for the Dragonpit Summit, the gathering of so many main characters in the finale. The greatest gathering of main characters from disparate storylines in the series, and it managed to do justice to so many character interactions. Also, the southern characters now know about the magical threat beyond the Wall. So much of the series was built into that scene, and they managed to do justice to all of that buildup.
Another event that was built up to for a long time: Jon Snow and Daenerys’ first meeting. I loved all of the Jon/Dany scenes this year. I’d be happy with any of them – the discussion in the cave, the touching conversation when he bends the knee – making it to the final five. I think this scene was a little trickier to do, since it involved other characters like Davos and Tyrion, and there was so much expectation going into their first meeting. Loved how these two similar character butted heads so much, without it feeling contrived.
The last three slots went to scenes that made the most impact with me, often on an emotional level. So I picked Theon and Jon’s conversation in the throne room (my two favorite characters, so I’m biased), the Hound burying the farmer and his daughter (a beautiful and powerful image of redemption), and Grey Worm and Missandei making love (gave me chills). There were a lot of close calls though.
I love that so many of the dramatic scenes this year were character interactions, often intimate ones. So many times there are these wonderful dialogue-heavy scenes that can’t find a home in this category because they aren’t really eventful enough to take the places of the shocking, pop-culture defining moments. Happy to see some of the best character reunions/interactions on the series listed above.
Firannion,
The scene with Sandor burying Rabbit Stew Sally was heartbreaking for me because of the way Sandor was gentle when he lowered her into the ground. And thrn there was the genuine sadness and anger about her death in his exchange with Beric:
Sandor: It’s my fucking luck I end up with a band of fire worshippers.
Beric: Aye. Almost seems like divine justice.
Sandor: There’s no divine justice, you dumb cunt. If there was, you’d be dead…and that girl would be alive.
I watched the S7e1 scenes and then go back and watch the S4 scene when he callously walks away after stealing the farmer’s silver, justifying it because “they’ll both be dead come winter” because “he’s weak.” That Sandor deserved Arya’s
outrage:
“You’re the worst sh*t in the Seven Kingdoms!”
I compare that to the (still foul-mouthed, still-grumpy) guy who seems to be rediscovering his humanity.
-bye bye house Frey
-Theon fighting Harrag
Somehow this scene reminded me of the one in season 2 when he went to Pyke and the water priest(can’t remember the name) shoved his face in water, him kneeling by the water gave me the feeling that he’s finally back
-Hotpie reunion
-littlefinger’s trial
-Dany meets her allies in Dragonstone’s throne room, I loved that scene!
The scene between Dinklage and Headey in 7×07 was the highlight of the season for me.
Such a raw, real, emotional scene, magnificently written and superbly acted.
And really showed how Cersei and Tyrion are the heart and soul of HBOs Game of Thrones IMO. Perhaps the two most memorable and incredible characters from a series defined by memorable characters.
A close second was Jaime leaving Cersei. IMO, far superior than the books where Jaime leaves over adultery.
What am I missing? I cannot question the collective judgment of commenters about what constitutes an awesome dramatic scene, and I realize everyone has “favorite scenes” that didn’t make the poll. However, I saw that one of the nominees is:
“Gendry makes a run for Eastwatch, in hopes of getting help for the others.”
I watched Gendry running on snow; falling down and getting up; running some more; and then telling Davos they have to fire off a ravengram.
Which part of that sequence was one of
“the most pulse-pounding, heartrending, memorable moments that had us all glued to the screen” ?
Ten Bears,
“I cannot question the collective judgment of commenters about what constitutes an awesome dramatic scene” well…you kinda are though 😛
It wouldn’t be one of my top five scenes, but everyone has their favorites.
Didn’t look for anything but Bronn v. Drogon. Between the cinematography (long tracking shot/editing/color) and the first actual INNER conflict of East v. West it takes the TITLE hands down. No contest, not even close. Stop the voting. Go watch it again!
Wow, this was tough. In the end I voted for:
– Tyrion and Cersei face of privately
– Jaime abandons Cersei
– Varys defends himself against Daenerys’ accusations
– Jaime charges at Daenerys and Drogon
– Cersei punishes Ellaria and Tyene
My runners-up were:
– the Queen of Thorns gives her regards
– the Hound buries the farmer and his daughter
– Varys and Melisandre
– Jon speaks with Theon
– the enemies gather at the dragonpit and see the wight
–
I didn’t vote for that here. There’s nothing wrong with doing so, but I personally consider that an awesome part of the awesome FoF2 battle, which will be my vote in that category. 🙂
My choices:
– Cersei delivers her revenge on Ellaria and Tyene Sand, in the dungeons – The ultimate dramatic scene IMO. It scared me, gave me chills, made me cry and I thought about it the following days after the episode ended. Brilliant job from all the actresses!
– Cersei and Tyrion face off privately, after the initial Dragonpit meetup – Lena and Peter scenes are always extremely good, and this was no exception. After so long, after so many treasons and hatred, the confront.
– Olenna Tyrell accepts her fate via Jaime, and sends Cersei a message on her way out of the world – My second favourite. A very intense scene. Also, a small revenge after what Cersei did to Olenna. Joffrey died long ago, the Tyrells are gone. She “only” admit it. And yet, it was almost like killing Joffrey all over again.
– Jaime walks out on Cersei, and as he leaves, we see winter has come to King’s Landing. – Jaime finally made his choice and got free from Cersei, her madness and their love. A big milestone for the “Kingslayer”. Probably the biggest one.
– Sansa and Arya are reunited in the crypts after years apart – The North Remembers! I waited so long for this! All my Stark emotions all over again. At last!
Honourable Mentions:
-The Hound buries the farmer and the young girl – a beautiful redeeming scene of one of the characters that grew the most after all these years.
-Confronted by Euron in battle, Theon jumps overboard and abandons Yara – Was Theon truly a coward? Was he a hero? What values did he truly choose? Conflicted, creepy and heartbreaking.
-The three surviving Stark children reunite at Winterfell- Sansa, Arya and Bran together again – Starks!!! That’s all I have to say!
I voted for two of these scenes as best deaths (Olenna’s and Tyene’s), but it was impossible not to include them here too. These two were my favourites.
If you notice, almost all the scenes include Lannisters. And this was the reason, when asked, I chose them as my favourite house so many times. Not because of their actions, but because of their actors. By far the best ones.
Only five!!!!! This is so hard. Probably I will change my mind ten times afterwards, but I ended up choosing scenes that are significant for the overall story.
QoT’s final scene just because it was so good. You won but you also lost Jaimie…
Jon and Daeny’s first encounter. I remember all the expectations and misgivings on these forums about it, and I thought it was a very well carried scene between two leaders with charisma and limited experience for the task at hand, who knew very little about each other, who had preconceptions about each other as well, who agreed to meet based on Tyrion’s recommendations, and who needed to state their points very clearly.
The scene when the Night’s King takes down Viserion. Triumph and heartbreak just a few seconds apart.
Drogon’s and Jon’s one on one moment moved me a lot. After that I needed no additional info to know about Jon’s heritage.
The Wall falling down… I could sense it happening after the NK took Viserion, but still had that “oh shit” quality about it.
Finally, I chose Littlefinger’s trial because to me it marked the end of an era in Westeros. With Cersei still around we know there’s still political scheming, but the schemers role had become more and more irrelevant with the new developments. Plus I felt Aidan Gillen really covered a lot of emotional ground in one short scene. For me it was the moment that completed the generational change that had been taking place for 7 seasons.
There are a bunch of exceptional dramatic scenes in the list that I did not pick maybe because I felt they were not as definitive or that did add an important element but I felt left a few things unclear or lose for interpretation:
Cersei and Tyrion’s private meeting. As usual, Dinklage and Heady excelled in this.
Meera’s farewell was heartwrenching, but felt like this noble character was rushed through a back door.
Cersei’s revenge. Despite all hatred between the two women, their vulnerabilities came afloat in this scene. This is a meaningful moment as it marked the downfall of one of Westeros most important families. But perhaps because of the show’s handling of Dorne it was not as significant to me in this sense as Olenna’s death.
Jon’s conversation with Beric about death to me was so important for Jon. I could see his expression changing as he finally understood what his role and mission were. I mean, he knew them but he could not articulate it well. He was able to reconcile his former vows with his current situation. In essence he was doing the same (being the shield that guards the realm of men) but now with the clout to do it more effectively. This is the scene I was most torn about, because I thought I could have picked it over LF’s scene. Anyway…
All of Theon’s scenes listed were wonderful to me. But I think they must be taken as one to understand there are no miraculous cures for his tragedy, but there is always a chance for growth and redemption by understanding were he came from and who he is now.
The season opener with Arya delivering Winter to the Freys was at the same time satisfying and horrifying: our girl had turned into a mass murderer (who could still forgive some innocents but still…)
And finally, one of my favorite scenes that I did not see in the list (maybe it was but I’m checking this on my phone) was the meeting of the magnificent seven at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea’s ice cells. It was a magnificent, hilarious and also dramatic way to let us know our team of superb fighters had to overcome important differences and misconceptions about each other. Perhaps it will make it to the funny scenes?
Ummm…are you making a pun, or do you really not understand the definition of “inner conflict” as a characteristic of drama? It definitely does not mean literal fighting within a country’s borders. It does mean a character or characters having to choose among incompatible feelings, beliefs, experiences or past behavior patterns. It’s “internal” in the sense of happening inside someone’s head, before it demonstrates itself in some sort of action observable to the audience.
One could make a very strong case for Bronn’s attempt to take down Drogon being the best Action scene in Season 7. I might even vote for it in that category. But it doesn’t really fit the prevailing critical standard of what makes drama drama. Bronn doesn’t hesitate to seize his opportunity to try to stop the rampaging WMD that’s turning people to ash all around him. Battle is what he’s best at. He may be caught up in the middle of a conflict in the most literal sense, but he’s not at all conflicted about what he needs to do – even without the offer of a bag of gold as an incentive.
Yes, there’s some character development here, insofar as this scene reinforces our growing awareness that Bronn’s bluster about being solely motivated by a sellsword’s rewards of cash, castles, promotions and advantageous marriages is really just a pose. But his only inner conflict in this scene is dropping his annoyance with Jaime in favor of saving his skin one more time, and that barely takes a moment when people start getting roasted. He’s not really that fussed about taking personal risks on someone else’s behalf.
So there’s a bit of irony here for sure, which is always entertaining. But there are plenty of other scenes on this list with much better arguments for topping the Dramatic Scene category.
GhostCR,
About the Eastwatch ice cells scene in S7e5: It was sure shaping up to be an indelible dramatic moment, with Beric delivering a stirring speech…until he started in again with his Lord of Light spiel, and Sandor had to shut him up. Which probably made the ice cell encounter eligible in the “funniest scene” category.
Beric: “Here we all are at the edge of the world at the same moment heading in the same direction for the same reason.”
Davos: “Our reasons aren’t your reasons.”
Beric: “It doesn’t matter what we think our reasons are. There’s a greater purpose at work and we serve it together whether we know it or not. We may take the steps but the Lord of Light…”
Sandor: “For f*ck’s sake, will you shut your hole! (to Jon) Are we coming with you or not?”
Clob,
I’m with you there. While it’s not for me to define terms for anyone else or to say that action scenes can’t be dramatic, for me, a really “dramatic” moment is usually character- and dialogue-driven: like a character finally coming into his own (speeches proclaiming Jon KitN last season), or capping off a momentous event with an apt pronouncement (e.g., Arya “If people ask you what happened here…” etc.)
Speaking only for myself, “the most pulse-pounding, heartrending, memorable moments that had us all glued to the screen” [the description of “best dramatic scenes” above the poll] are “quieter” and more personal.
Which is why one of my favorites is Sam’s emphatic declaration “You are not dying today, Ser Jorah” in the S7e2 exchange below:
Jorah: “What are you doing?”
Samwell: “You’re Jorah Mormont, the only son of Jeor Mormont. My name is Samwell Tarly, Sworn Brother of the Night’s Watch, training to serve as maester at Castle Black. I knew your father. I was with him when he died.”
(Slight pause)
“You are not dying today, Ser Jorah.”
Gentle rebuke duly noted and internalized. I was having a channeling-long-absent-Wimsey moment. My apologies to any I may have offended.
Ten Bears,
I had to include that one because of That’s not you
This season was so horribly disappointing that I can’t even come up with five scenes I find suitably adequate. I don’t know when everyone forgot how to act but very few scenes felt a satisfying emotional punch.
Firannion,
No rebuke intended! Gentle or otherwise!
Now I’m rebuking myself if I somehow unwittingly wrote something that could be construed as a rebuke. 🤥
Firannion,
Self-rebuke cont….
By definition, “the most pulse-pounding, heartrending, memorable moments that had us all glued to the screen” [the description of “best dramatic scenes” above the poll] include “high-octane” action scenes.
I was really just expressing my own personal preference for “heartrending, memorable moments”* during character interactions or actors’ line deliveries. Those keep me “glued to the screen” because I like to rewind and rewatch them.
I should offer you an anticipatory counterapology, if there is such a thing.
* P.S. Now I wonder if “heartrending” and “pulse-pounding” are mutually excusive. Gotta check the dictionary and ponder that. Sandor gently lowering Sally’s body into the grave was heartrending but not pulse-pounding.
Sue the Fury,
I was just curious, that’s all. The fact that enough people nominated the Gendry sprint (marathon?) back to Eastwatch means that it resonated with the audience. I’m the first to admit that sometimes I overlook (or don’t hear) things the first time around. The audience at large – well, the true GoT afficionados drawn to your site – pick up on all of the little nuances.
And sometimes it all comes down to personal preference anyway.
Ten Bears,
We could work up a regular Alphonse-and-Gaston routine here!
I suppose that once your heart has been rent apart, your pulse would very soon stop pounding. But perhaps that’s being too literal…
Ten Bears,
I agree with you, but yeah everyone has their favs. I think it might help to have a list of awards and give a definition of what the mods are thinking of for each one. My idea of dramatic scenes are the moments that are more dialogue than action, but are intense and powerful. I think everyone has their own definition, but I’d like to know what the mods define it as.
What a list!!!! This is why I divided my suggestions a few weeks ago into “duets” and “ensemble” scenes. A lot of hard choices. And a lot of amazing acting.
Firannion,
None taken (and I miss Wimsey, and Wolfish as well)
I agree with your choices, especially the Jaime/Queen of Thorns scene. That was fabulous. I might add the Littlefinger trial/death scene…though I know that’s not terribly popular.
I’m back with the phrase “Embarrassment of riches.”
more options or resources than one knows what to do with.
“picking a highlight from such an embarrassment of riches is hard”
…because that’s exactly what this category is. So many of you are so passionate about scenes, and your explanations of why you are so passionate were so excellent, it brought back the whole season for me. I thought it was a great season and look forward to watching it again, backed by all of the insight provided here from all of you.
I’m with you, that’s the first one I looked for. The whole sequence, from the stroll down the path which united the likes of Tyrion and Bronn, Bronn and Pod, and Brienne and Sandor, to Cersei’s entrance, then Dany’s much better entrance on Drogon, were wonderful enhancements to all the drama that followed. Jon tried his best to make the bad-asses understand and believe, but it took the wight’s decayed fingers almost reaching Cersei’s throat to awaken her to the true threat. The whole thing lived up to the hype and is worthy of many re-watches.
I also chose Arya getting revenge on the Freys, Jaime leaving Cersei, Jon and Dany coming together so beautifully while Bran narrates that he is really Aegon Targaryan and that the war was started on a lie.
I’m glad to see you on here, and I also have wondered where old “Hanging Gun” Wimsey has gotten to.
Thronetender,
“Hanging Gun Wimsey.” That’s catchy! Sounds like the name of a legendary gunslinger in a Western movie. Or a no-nonsense judge who dispenses quick frontier justice. 🤠.
I too have wondered where he’s gone. Let me see if I can find the incantation to summon him…. Ah, here it is:
“Wimsey, cast your light upon us. Show us the truth. Come to us in our darkness and lead us into the light. Wimsey give us wisdom. For the night is dark, and full of terrors.”
What, nothing about Drogon strafing the Loot Train??
Yeah, you’ve got to love the Hound. Knows how to cut through all the shite.
lol, glad you got a chuckle out of that. I’ve commented before on how much I appreciate a well-hung gun. 🙂
I thought it was a great scene, but I categorized it as a “best death,” leaving a vote open for dramatic scene. Same with Olenna’s death – it had plenty of drama, but I’d vote it as a best death.
More than one person must have listed it, or it wouldn’t have made the list. Do you watch the Ozzyman reviews on YouTube? They are hilarious. A good way to brighten any day with a laugh. Watch his review of that episode. He speeded up Gendry’s run, it’s funny. You’ll appreciate it.
* Enemies gather at the Dragonpit in King’s Landing with a wight
* The Hound buries the farmer and the young girl
* Bronn goes after Drogon on the Field of Fire
* Arya and Brienne spar in the courtyard at Winterfell
* Jaime walks out on Cersei, and as he leaves, we see winter has come to King’s Landing.
Oh, and……derp!
Thronetender,
Always watch Ozzyman Reviews. He takes the time and effort to summarize the episode in rapid fire fashion, and then provide a thematic analysis. (Other “reviewers” just sit around and babble. ) Ozzyman’s “Hardhome” review is classic.
Anyway, about the Gendry running scene: I didn’t mean to question anyone who nominated it. I realize enough people selected it or it wouldn’t have made the cut. I honestly wanted to know what I missed, ie, why it was dramatic. There have been many occasions in the past when something flew right over my head, and I didn’t pick up on it until a rewatch, or someone mentioned it here.
I would’ve also added the Nymeria/Arya meeting, but I was personally disappointed with it. Look, I get it. Nymeria isn’t the same, she’s on her own now with her own pack of wolves, but couldn’t Nymeria have at least given Arya a nod or something affectionate before leaving? That would’ve made the scene much more dramatic, in my opinion. Instead, it just felt cold.
*Troubled Tyrion and Varys discuss the differences between Aerys II and Daenerys*
How did this one make the list?
Mr Derp,
See my “WhingeNote” about the Arya-Nymeria scene, 10/29/17, 6:55 pm Comment.
Ten Bears,
Thanks for the time stamp. I suppose I couldve just hit CTRL F and searched your posts, but damn, you’ve got so many it would’ve taken all day!
It just wasn’t a satisfying scene to me. In fact, most of the reunions in the past 2 seasons have fallen flat for me, but ymmv.
Hopefully, one of these days we’ll get a happy reunion that won’t have some frustrating fallout attached to it.
To me, the “gold standard” for reunion scenes is Jon-Sansa, and apparently, they were never really that close growing up. It had the buildup from both perspectives – Sansa with Brienne and Pod at Castle Black gate, and Jon inside his office when the horn sounds. It had Sansa riding in looking around tentatively, and Jon appearing at the balcony and walking down the stairs. It had that speechless, can’t-believe-my-eyes moment. And then of course the swelling music while they run into each other’s arms.
It could be that the accelerated pace of S7 didn’t leave enough “breathing room” for satisfying reunion scenes like Jon-Sansa. I really hope a S8 episode slows down long enough for a proper Jon + Arya reunion. And The Hound + Little Bird + Wolf Girl. With no fallout, of course.
Ah, Thingus Overheaderous – I’ve had that ailment many times while watching this show. Thank goodness for this site.
Thronetender,
Arya’s neat dagger flip in E4 happened so fast I didn’t notice it until my ninth or tenth rewatch of the sparring scene. (I’d been replaying the nifty dagger twirl she did before the fight, when she showed the dagger to Brienne.)
And when Jon was walking up the path at Dragonstone with Tyrion and ducked for the dragon, I didn’t make the connection to what he was saying at the time, “I’m not a Stark”, until I read it here. So yes, when the dragon flew over his head, the import flew over my head.
The two revenge scenes are the best:
1. Cersei’s revenge in the dungeon.
2. Olenna’s revenge on Cersei.
gerdhansel,
In the top 5 at least.
Damn, had to leave out Meera for Nymeria…not much wolf scenes after all.
Not that I’m surprised there were more cliches this season, but seeing these scenes listed made me see how many there are. Even my mother knew the dragons will arrive at the last possible moment to save the frozen few, and that was before they even took off from Dragonstone. While watching the melee she was constantly switching between two lines: “Aw, can’t watch this, too much violence” and “Come on, little dragons, what are you waiting for”. Helped a lot to pass the scene.
Winners in this category in the past.
S1
Ned’s execution
S2
Theon seizes Winterfell, executes Ser Rodrik
S3
The Red Wedding
S4
Oberyn visits Tyrion’s cell, and the Imps finds a champion
S5
The Night’s King raises the dead at Hardhome
S6
The Night King attacks the cave, Bran wargs, and Hodor holds the door.
mau,
Huh, I could’ve sworn that Littlefinger’s sexposition scene won for season 1 hands down 🙂
mau,
Interesting – were they all in episode 9 of the seasons? Defintely all were heart rending and heart pounding.
ash,
According to the list, seasons 2, 4, 5, and 6 were not episode 9’s.
Ser Rod’s botched beheading was in season 2, episode 6
Oberyn’s champion scene was season 4, episode 7
Hardhome was season 5, episode 8
Hold the door was season 6, episode 5
Mr Derp,
“play with her ass” teh peak of dramatic writing!
That’s still possibly my least favorite scene of the entire series. There may be something else but if someone were to ask I’d think of this scene first every time. I have nothing against the nudity – prefer it actually. 😛 It was just far too long and cemented my dislike early of listening to Aidan’s raspy, whispering, lengthy ramblings.
Clob,
My least favorite scene is Sansa’s scene with Margaery in 307.
Ten Bears,
I had to include that one beacause of ” That’s not you”
Was the scene where Olena tells Daenerys to “be a dragon” included? That was paramount to me. Later Daenerys ignores Tyrion and flies her dragons into (2) battles and roasts Sam’s dad and brother despite his advice. I think she was following Olena’s advice.
Mr Derp,
ok thanks.
And I totally agree about LF season 1 whorehouse monologue as the worst of the entire show. I fast forward it every time I rewatch.
Clob,
You didn’t think all of LF’s S7 scenes were worse? And none of them had …scenic background activity. (Apparently, someone decided that nudity and direwolves should be kept to a minimum.)
In fact, all of LF’s word salad mumbo jumbo in S7 made me appreciate Sansa’s shutdowns and putdowns. Like when he was pestering her and wanted to know what’d make her happy, and she said some peace and quiet; and (my favorite) at the end of a conversation, something like: “No need to get in the last word, Lord Baelish. I’m sure it’ll be something clever.”
I’m not sure if the High Hypocrite’s droning on about the gods wasn’t worse than LF’s dime store Sun Tzu advice. Like Ash, I fast-forward boring scenes upon rewatch; for me, that includes most LF and all High Sparrow speeches.
PS As a result of S7e7, I’m now a recovering Sansaphobic. Sophie was terrific in that episode. Do you deny it!
You’re right, they were all pretty mind-numbing.
You reminded me that he had an equal. My brain must be working to forget. Those ten to fifteen minute smug monologues by HS were worthy of my least favorite scenes list as well. I too zoom past those on rewatches.
Yep, I’ve mentioned it several times since and during season 7 that Sophie redeemed herself in my eyes. Regardless of (perhaps) a script that required less I thought she did superb in S7.
Yes, me also. In reply to:
noirgirl,
The reason I didn’t include LF’s death scene (which was of course also very dramatic) was simply that it was one I’d already voted for in the ‘Best Death’ scene category. Its somewhat difficult to decide as in any death scene; and certainly of a principle character such as Lady Olenna or Littlefinger, they will fall into both the ‘Most Dramatic’ and ‘Best Death’ scene categories.
Clob,
Yes, I did note that you’d mentioned Sophie had redeemed herself. (I just wanted to use the line, “Do you deny it!”)
In retrospect, I’m thinking the writers didn’t do her any favors by having Sansa say and do things that nobody could really explain, and then leaving Sophie twisting in the wind trying to act out scenes with no underlying logical motivation for her character, eg, agreeing to the [book-divergent] marry-into-the-Boltons plan; concealing the KotV from Jon; worrying about the S1 scroll to Robb; trusting LF after announcing only a fool would trust LF; etc.
If the writers and showrunners couldn’t adequately explain these character decisions, it really wasn’t fair to expect Sophie to sell them.
Nevertheless, everything she did in S7e7 was superb. The LF ambush trial scene was a highlight, but my favorite: Her last scene with Arya on the battlements. Just a beautiful, wonderful moment: Sansa finally assuming the role of caring, concerned big sister.