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My 7 Favorite Scenes from Season Five of Game of Thrones

I will honest with you, people: I didn’t really like Season Five of Game of Thrones. I didn’t like the Dorne subplot, and I hated the Sparrows because they’re a bunch of religious fanatics. I’ve read enough of history to know how dangerous religious fanatics can be. And do I even have to mention what happened to Sansa? I can’t even watch that scene!

Yet despite being the worst season of Game of Thrones, the show still manages to give us some great scenes and memorable moments. With three days left until the final season premieres, who are my favorite moments from Season Five of Game of Thrones.

#7-Cersei Gets Arrested, “The Gift”

Ah, Cersei, too stupid to even realize that you’re in trouble. After finding herself being forced out of power by the Tyrells, Cersei attempts to turn the tables on them by backing the religious movement known as the Sparrows. Initially, her plan works, with Maragery and Loras Tyrell arrested by the Sparrows. It then backfires on her, though, when the Sparrows arrest her for all the crimes she’s committed.

While WatchMojo said that this moment was pratically cathartic, it just isn’t doing it for me. I hate Cersei so much, I doubt I’ll be satisfied unless I see her run out of Westeros or die on-screen. Since it’s being done by the religious fanatics of the Sparrows, I can’t get much satisfaction from it.

#6-Cersei’s Walk of Atonement, “Mother’s Mercy”

After being held captive by the Sparrows for who knows how long (I wasn’t paying attention), Cersei becomes so desperate to return to the Red Keep that she confesses to sleeping her cousin Lancel. The High Sparrow lets her leave, but she forces her to walk naked through the streets all the way back to the Red Keep . And the angry mob of people who jeer and pelt food at her.

As much as I love seeing Cersei get what’s coming to her, again, I could not get any enjoyment from this. I never thought I’d say it, but I actually felt bad for her. The sight of her bloodied and in tears was one of the most pitiful things I’ve ever seen. On the other hand, I’m impressed at how the show’s crew was able to pull this scene off. The way that they combined Lena Headey with her stunt double was well-executed.

#5-Stannis’ Army is Slaughtered, “Mother’s Mercy”

If you read the counterpart to this article, then you know that I did not shed any tears over seeing Stannis Baratheon die. What I did feel bad watching, though, was how easily his army was rundown by Ramsay Bolton. After being sabotaged by Ramsay Bolton, half of Stannis’ army deserted him for burning his only daughter alive. The remaining troops are then run down by Ramsay’s cavalry, while Stannis himself is killed by Brienne of Tarth.

As I said, I didn’t lose any sleep over watching Stannis die. Even so, I thought the way his army was destroyed so easily was sad. This was the man who almost took King’s Landing three seasons ago, dying in the frozen north. It shows just how far the man who could have been king had fallen.

#4- Theon rebels and Sansa Escapes, “Mother’s Mercy”

Thanks to Brienne being distracted by her quest for vengenance against Stannis, she’s not there to see Sansa give the signal for her to be rescued. As Sansa tries to return to her chambers before anyone knows she’s gone, Ramsay’s Harley Quinn, Myranda, and Theon corner him. Before Myranda can do anything, Theon throws her off the balcony. Right as Ramsay returns, Theon and Sansa jump off the walls into the snow below.

This scene’s important to both Sansa and Theon’s stories. The Sansa of Season One would have been too terrified of Myranda to move, but here she openly chooses to die rather than go back to Ramsay. As for Theon, his concern for Sansa’s enough to finally make him rebel against the man who had tortured him for years. It’s a very satisfying moment, and it pays off with both characters, for the first time in years, gaining back their freedom.

#3-Arya Avenges Syrio, “Mother’s Mercy”

Remember how in King’s Landing, Syrio had that awesome swordsmaster from Braavos, Syrio Forel. When Ser Meryn Trant tried to take Arya hostage, Syrio held Meryn and his thugs off with just a wooden sword while Arya escaped, losing his life in the process. Year later, while visiting a brothel in Braavos, Arya disguises herself as an underage prostitute (because that’s Meryn’s fetish) and stabs him to death.

How Ser Meryn got to be a Kingsguard is beyond me. I’m betting it has less to do with his swordskill and more with his ability to kiss people’s butts. After seeing him regularly beat up Sansa in King’s Landing, plus his lies at Tyrion’s trial, I was happy to see Arya kill him. It was another name that both of us could cross off our lists. That’s right, I have my own Game of Thrones hate list.

#2- Drogon Saves Daenerys, “The Dance of Dragons”

Some people just can’t let the past go. After outlawing slavery in Slaver’s Bay, Daenerys Targaryen finds herself facing a rebellion in the form of the Sons of the Harpy. To try and curb people’s concerns, Daenerys decides to re-open Mereen’s fighting pits, only for the Sons of the Harpy to attack en masse. Just when it looks like Daenerys and her allies will die, Drogon appears and drives away the assailants before flying off with his mother.

Since the previous season, Drogon had largely been absent from the show, having left on his own to fly around Essos while his brothers were chained up underneath Mereen. Despite briefly returning, Drogon left after his mother was safe, and wouldn’t appear again until the second half of Season Six. Oh, and he left Daenerys in a field to be captured by Dothraki. Nice job, Drogon.

#1-Massacre at Hardhome, “Hardhome”

I thought the Battles of the Blackwater and Castle Black were brutal, but this was some of the bloodiest fighting I’ve ever seen. While evacuating the Free Folk south of the Wall, the Free Folk settlement of Hardhome comes under attack by the White Walkers and their undead wights. Despite the best efforts of Hardhome’s warriors and the Night’s Watch, the settlement’s overrun.

This was one of the most terrifying moments in the entire show’s run. We had seen the wights in action before, but never in numbers this great. It was akin to seeing a medieval zombie apocalypse. The most terrifying part, though, was the Night King himself. Without saying a word, he quietly raised his arms and reanimated everyone who died as a wight. The fact that there was none of the show’s iconic music present highlighted the sheer terror of the evil that Jon would one day have to face.

Like my picks? What were the moments you liked? Tell me in the comments.

Click here to see the best deaths of the season.

The 6 Biggest Deaths in Season Five of Game of Thrones

Season Five may not have been my favorite season of Game of Thrones, but even the show’s weaker seasons are still pretty darn good. As always, new characters both new and old continue to die, and this season had some deaths that would have big impacts on the show.

With the show entering a new period with most of the Five Kings dead, here are the six biggest deaths in Season Five of Game of Thrones.

#6- Mance Rayder, “The Wars to Come”

A former member of the Night’s Watch and the King-Beyond-the-Wall, Mance Rayder was able to unite the diverse Free Folk for a massive push to get past the Wall. Rather than through charisma or conquest, he united them with the simple truth that if they didn’t get south of the Wall, the White Walkers would kill them all. Despite his best efforts, he is defeated by the Night’s Watch and Stannis Baratheon and captured. Rather than bend the knee to Stannis, Mance chooses to be burned at the stake. Instead of dying in flames, he meets a merciful end via arrow to the heart, courtesy of Jon Snow.

Jon’s decision to mercy-kill Mance stems from the mutual respect and friendship that developed between the two during Jon’s time amongst the Free Folk. Inspired by Mance and his experiences with the Free Folk, Jon vows to protect Mance’s people from the White Walkers. Indeed, it’s Jon’s decision to give Mance a quick death that proves to Tormund Giantsbane and the other Free Folk that he can be trusted. He may be gone, but Mance’s will to protect his people lives on in Jon Snow.

#5-Myrcella Baratheon, “Mother’s Mercy”

Back in Season Two, Tyrion used his position as Hand of the King to send Cersei’s only daughter, Myrcella Baratheon, to Dorne to marry Prince Trystane. Against all odds, she and Trystane fall in love before Myrcella’s forced to return to King’s Landing at the behest of Jaime Lannister and Bronn. Tragically, she is poisoned by Ellaria Sand in vengenance for the death of Oberyn Martell, and she dies in Jaime’s arms.

What makes this death so tragic is that mere moments before, she reveals that she’s aware that her uncle Jaime is her biological father. Instead of being disgusted, she’s happy that he’s her father. For the first time, this gives Jaime the chance to be a father. Then she dies. I’ve seen some messed up things on this show, but that was one of biggest.

#4- Aemon Targaryen, “The Gift”

Despite being a Targaryen, Maester Aemon was relegated to being a side character during his time on the show. Having given up his royal heritage and a chance at the Iron Throne, Aemon chose to serve as the Maester of the Night’s Watch. There, he served as mentor to both Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly, but still lamented the fact that he could do nothing to help his only (known) living relative left, Daenerys. He ended up dying in his sleep from old age.

There are two main reasons why Aemon got on this list rather than other, more important people. The first is that he had helped to shape Samwell and Jon into the men that they would become. Second is the fact that he died of old age. On a show this blood-soaked, can you imagine how much of an achievement that is? He’s earned it.

#3- Stannis Baratheon, “Mother’s Mercy”

After Joffrey was revealed to be a bastard in every sense of the word, it seemed as though Stannis was the rightful king. Yet his actions over the series have shown otherwise. Killing his own brother to gain his army was bad enough, but at the end of Season Five, he was desperate enough to burn his own daughter to the Lord of Light. It was pointless in the end, as what few forces he had left were massacred by Ramsay Bolton, while Stannis himself was killed by Brienne of Tarth in revenge for his murder of Renly.

I never like Stannis, but after seeing him let his own daughter be sacrificed, I lost all respect for him. Anyone willing to do that to their own family doesn’t deserve to be a king. When the end came for him, all I felt was a mixture of pity and disappointment. As for Brienne, she managed to fulfill her vow to avenge Renly’s death. In Game of Thrones, it’s rare to see someone keep a promise like that.

#2- The White Walker, “Hardhome”

After managing to convince the Free Folk to join the Night’s Watch in the coming war against the White Walkers, it seems like things are finally going Jon Snow’s way. That feeling is immediately shattered when the White Walkers descend on the Free Folk settlement of Hardhome and kill almost everyone in it. In the midst of the rout, Jon Snow learns something that not even the White Walkers knew: while normal weapons shatter against the ice weapons of the White Walkers, Valyrian Steel doesn’t. Moreover, all it takes is being touched by Valyrian Steel for a White Walker to shatter, as shown when Jon Snow kills one in combat.

While the death of this nameless enemy may not seem as important, it’s probably the biggest revelation since Sam learned that Dragonglass kills White Walkers. There are multiple theories as to why Valyrian Steel can do this, but I think that it’s because dragons are somehow

#1- Jon Snow, “Mother’s Mercy”

One of the first things that Jon Snow did as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch was bring back as many of the Free Folk as he possibly could. Even though his brother’s knew that they needed all the help they could get for the fight against the White Walkers, members like Alliser Thorne and Olly couldn’t forgive the Free Folk. In one of the most shocking scenes in the entire show, members of the Night’s Watch mutinied and killed Jon.

While the show was just following what happens in the books, fans lost it when Jon died. He wasn’t just one of the show’s most popular characters, he was also one of the few left that were good. Watching him die was like getting your heart torn out. Thankfully, all would be made right with the world in the next season. But fans had to spend an entire year mourning the loss of the Bastard of Winterfell.

Agree with my picks? I’m not changing my top spot, though.

To see my favorite moments from Season Five, click here.