HBO’s Game of Thrones is a show that represents both the triumphant highs and extreme lows of television writing. Based on the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, the show follows various noble houses as they vie for power on the continent of Westeros. Across the sea, an exiled princess plots her return to claim her throne, while in the far north, a greater threat looms.
Beloved for its complex characters, high production value, and engaging political backstabbing, the show sadly dipped off after Season 6 before its eighth and final season killed all fan investment. As HBO gets ready to roll out more shows set in the world of Game of Thrones, it is worth looking back at the best the show had to offer. While things got pretty bad near the end, there’s no denying that, at its best, Game of Thrones produced some of the greatest and most utterly flawless episodes of television.
10 “The Climb”
Season 3, Episode 6
As Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) and Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) meet to discuss the wedding between Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and Ser Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones), King Robb Stark (Richard Madden) arranges a marriage between his uncle, Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies), and a daughter of Walder Frey (David Bradley). In the north, Brandon Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) continues his quest to find the Three-Eyed Raven, and Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) is tortured by Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon). Beyond the Wall, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and a band of wildlings led by Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) prepare to climb the wall as part of Mance Rayder’s (Ciarán Hinds) invasion strategy.
“The Climb” proves that poignant dialogue can be just as riveting as sheer spectacle, showing how the pieces are moving towards their necessary destinations. Despite mainly serving to set up the season’s final stretch, the storylines are gripping due to the fantastic acting showcased through Tywin and Olenna’s scene and Petyr Baelish’s (Aidan Gillen) chilling speech about how chaos is a ladder. The titular climb made by Jon and the wIldlings is a tense, brutal affair that captures the life-or-death situation, which builds to one of the show’s most striking closing shots.
9 “Fire & Blood”
Season 1, Episode 10
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With King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) and Lord Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) dead, Westeros breaks out into a civil war as Robert’s brothers, Stannis (Stephen Dillane) and Renly (Gethin Anthony), declare themselves king on account of King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) being a child of incest, and the lords of the north choose Robb as their King. When Jon hears of the news, he attempts to defect from the Night’s Watch but is brought back by his friends. Across the sea, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) finds that the witch Mirri Maz Duur (Mia Soteriou) has left her sick husband, Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), in a catatonic state, which forces her to mercy kill him.
“Fire & Blood” set the bar high for Game of Thrones season finales, and though not the best, it’s still a stellar episode from beginning to end. Nearly every character gets some fantastic moments to shine, from Robb and Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) grieving over Eddard’s death to Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) taking what little defiance she can against Joffrey. The highlight has to be the final shot where Daenerys not only survives walking onto a funeral pyre but emerges with the first dragons hatched in hundreds of years.
8 “The Laws of Gods and Men”
Season 4, Episode 6
Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) is put on trial for the suspected murder of Joffrey, and though he is innocent, it’s clear that the trial is stacked for him to take the fall. As he fights for his innocence, Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) attempts to rescue her brother, Theon, from Ramsay’s clutches. In Essos, Stannis petitions the Iron Bank for a loan while Daenerys faces the harsh reality of governance over Meereen.
Tyrion’s trial is the main draw of “The Laws of Gods and Men” due to its well-paced tension, the politics behind the scenes, and legendary performance by Dinklage, tapping into the mounting frustration, hopelessness, and unbridled fury perfectly. Tyrion’s now-iconic final speech following the testimony of his former lover, Shae (Sibel Kekilli), is possibly Dinklage’s strongest acting in the show. The rest of the episode is also solid: the Essos scenes highlight Ser Davos Seaworth’s (Liam Cunningham) diplomatic skills as well as the repercussions of Daenerys’ actions, while the battle at the Dreadfort gave us the meme that is shirtless Ramsay.
7 “The Mountain and the Viper”
Season 4, Episode 8
As wildling raiders prepare to attack the Wall, Ramsay sends Theon to convince the Ironborn at Moat Cailin to surrender. Elsewhere, Petyr Baelish is questioned following the sudden death of his wife, Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie), and Daenerys learns a terrible secret regarding her advisor and friend, Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glenn). In King’s Landing, Prince Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) and Ser Gregor Clegane (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) fight to the death to determine Tyrion’s fate.
The titular showdown in “The Mountain and the Viper” is one of the most gripping duels in Game of Thrones, thanks to its narrative significance and Oberyn’s secondary objective of getting justice for his dead sister. Its other storylines are similarly tense and emotionally charged, from Tyrion and his brother, Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), reminiscing about their dead cousin to Daenerys dealing with Jorah’s treachery. Theon’s scenes also stand out thanks to Allen’s stellar performance of a broken man trying to act like his former self.
6 “The Lion and the Rose”
Season 4, Episode 2
With the War of the Five Kings wrapping up, King’s Landing celebrates the wedding of Joffrey and Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer). The celebration is full of tension, however, as Joffrey spends every opportunity he can taunting Tyrion. In the north, Ramsay reunites with his father, Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton), who commands him to retake Moat Calin from the Ironborn.
“The Lion and the Rose” is nothing short of brilliant, from the extravagant design of the so-called Purple Wedding and exquisite outfits to how it masterfully builds tension and suspense before ending with the graphic and well-earned death of Joffrey. Gleeson’s final performance as the boy king is wonderful: every time Tyrion is close by, his smug grin turns into a look of utter contempt and revulsion, helping the audience hate Joffrey even more than they already did. Allen also gets another phenomenal moment of acting when Ramsay further proves his control over Theon by informing him of Robb’s death.
5 “Baelor”
Season 1, Episode 9
After Catelyn Stark negotiates with Lord Walder Frey of the Twins, Robb and his northern army successfully defeat Jaime and take him prisoner. In King’s Landing, Varys (Conleth Hill) tells Eddard to confess to conspiring against the memory of his friend, King Robert, to spare the lives of his daughters. Meanwhile, Daenerys risks using blood magic to save the life of her husband.
“Baelor” cast a huge shadow for the rest of the show by ending with the shocking execution of Eddard Stark, who, up to this point, had been the show’s principal character. Beyond its heartbreaking climax, the rest of the episode is gripping, from Catelyn’s negotiations with Walder Frey to a duel between Ser Jorah and one of Drogo’s bloodriders, Qotho (Dar Salim). Jon Snow also has an amazing conversation with Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan), where the old man tells him of the pain of living with one’s choices.
4 “The Winds of Winter”
Season 6, Episode 10
As everyone prepares for the trials of Queen Margaery and Cersei, Lancel Lannister (Eugene Simon) discovers a massive stockpile of Wildfire beneath the Sept of Baelor. On Cersei’s order, it’s detonated, destroying the Sept and all of her enemies, though it also leads to her final child, King Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman), committing suicide. Elsewhere, Jon becomes King in the North, and Daenerys embarks on her long-awaited invasion of Westeros.
“The Winds of Winter” might be the best final episode of Game of Thrones‘s eight seasons. Everything leading up to the destruction of the Sept is masterfully executed, from Ramin Djawadi‘s haunting music to the escalating sense of dread as the characters slowly piece together that something is wrong. Headey delivers one of her strongest turns in the show, and watching Cersei claim her revenge against the Sparrows is immensely satisfying, even if the Tyrells are collateral damage. The rest of the episode is filled with stellar acting as well, such as Arya’s (Maisie Williams) cold assassination of Walder Frey or Davos letting out all of his raw emotions when he confronts Melisandre (Carice van Houten) over the brutal death of Princess Shireen (Kerry Ingram).
3 “The Rains of Castamere”
Season 3, Episode 9
When Jon refuses to kill an old man, Tormund’s wildlings turn on him, but he is saved by a nearby Bran and his direwolf, Summer. Realizing things will only get more dangerous from here on, Bran separates from his brother, Rickon (Art Parkinson), and their wildling friend, Osha (Natalia Tena). In the east, Daenerys sends her best soldiers to infiltrate the city of Yunkai, while at the Twins, Robb and his army attend the wedding of Edmure and Roslin Frey (Alexandra Dowling).
“The Rains of Castamere” is one of the most gripping episodes of television, thanks to the shocking and game-changing Red Wedding. The brutality of the massacre is highlighted by Fairley’s legendary performance, especially as she desperately tries to plead for her son’s life before giving into absolute despair at his death. Though overshadowed by the ending, the scene of Brann leaving Rickon is also powerful, and Parkinson does a great job capturing Rickon’s heartbreak at having to leave his brother.
2 “Blackwater”
Season 2, Episode 9
Night falls upon King’s Landing, and the Lannisters prepare to defend the city from Stannis’ incoming invasion. Though they kill many of his soldiers using a ship loaded with wildfire, Stannis refuses to surrender and orders his men to land. As the battle rages on, Cersei gets drunk while waiting things out with the other highborn ladies and mocks Sansa for trying to maintain an optimistic attitude.
“Blackwater” was the first episode to focus on a single storyline and remains one of Game of Thrones‘s best episodes for its character work and action. Along with the phenomenal wildfire explosion, “Blackwater” set the bar for how brutal and ambitious the show could be, using practical effects to highlight the barbaric ways medieval weaponry could kill someone. In between the actions, there are also some fantastic character developments, such as Tyrion taking command of the defense when Joffrey panics, Sandor Clegane’s (Rory McCann) fear of fire leading to him forsaking the Lannisters, and the biting exchanges between the increasingly jaded Cersei and a terrified Sansa.
1 “The Watchers on the Wall”
Season 4, Episode 9
Standing vigil on the wall, the brothers of the Night’s Watch behold as Mance Rayder sets the woods on fire, signaling his attack on the Wall. As mammoths and giants attempt to break through the main gate, Tormund’s raiders attack Castle Black from the south. Jon is forced to take command when Ser Alliser Thorne (Owen Teale) is injured, leading to a confrontation between him and his wildling love, Ygrette (Rose Leslie).
Director Niel Marshall returned from “Blackwater” to deliver an episode that manages to surpass it. While there is no wow moment akin to the wildfire explosion, the actual battle is a masterclass of staging and execution, rich with spectacle and emotional payoff. The character bits, including Sam showing his bravery and Alliser displaying heroism and bravery, show a more complex side to their character. The tragic deaths of Ygritte and characters like Pyp (Josef Altin) and Grenn (Mark Stanley) are also quite emotional, cementing “The Watchers on the Wall” as one of the most impactful episodes in Game of Thrones.
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