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My 8 Favorite Scenes from Game of Thrones, Season 7

After seven seasons, winter has come. Yet the Seven Kingdoms remains as divided as ever. Dorne and the Reach are in revolt against the Iron Throne, which Cersei Lannister now controls. The North has declared its independence once more with Jon Snow as king, with the Free Folk and the Vale backing him. The Riverlands are in chaos. Daenerys Targaryen is about to make landfall. But the biggest issue at this long list of problems is that the Night King is marching on the Wall!!!

This season wasn’t as epic as the previous one, to be sure. But with only seven episodes this season, and six in the upcoming final season, it was more important that all the remaining pieces be put in place as the storm approaches. And now that they had moved beyond the books, the show was in uncharted territory. There was no telling what would happen now, but it turned out to be awesome.

With one day left before the final season, here are my eight favorite moments from Game of Thrones. That’s right, I’m going one up for this season!

#8- The Band of Seven Moves out, “Eastwatch”

When Jon realizes that he will be unable to convince Cesei and Jaime (or fully convince Daenerys) without proof, he comes up with the craziest plan ever. He will go beyond the wall, capture a wight, and bring it back as proof for Westeros that the threat is real. He won’t be alone, though. Six other battle-tested warriors join him in the Wight Hunt: Ser Jorah Mormont, Gendry, The Hound, Beric Dorrdarrion and Thoros of Myr from the Brotherhood Without Banners, and Tormund Giantsbane of the Free Folk.

Once upon a time, this team up was the kind of thing that only existed in fan fiction. Now, it’s making the fan fiction writers drool. Seeing them together isn’t even the best part, though. That happens in the next episode, where we see the seven of them talk about their experiences, both shared and separate, is amazing to listen to, and one of the best parts of this season.

#7- Daenerys arrives in Dragonstone, “Dragonstone”

Since the moment she was born, Daenerys Targaryen has been living in exile from her homeland. Making her way back to Westeros and taking back the Iron Throne has always been her objective, and at the end of Season Six, she set out with her massive army, her allies, and her dragons. In the final scene of the first episode, Daenerys arrives in Dragonstone for the first time since she was born.

This scene lasted for several minutes, but not a single word of dialogue was spoken. Instead, the actors let their bodies speak for them. From when Daenerys silently kneels down on the beaches of Dragonstone to feel the ground of her home, to her looking around her family’s castle (and tearing down Stannis’ banners), you can feel so much emotion behind it. All while not saying a thing, until the very end, when Daenerys looks at Tyrion and says “Shall we begin?”

#6- Gendry’s Back, “Eastwatch”

When we last saw Gendry, he was rowing all the way back to King’s Landing back in Season Three. After that, he just dropped off the map. It got to the point that people had made memes about Robert Baratheon’s last son.

Knowing that Jon needs all the help he can get, Ser Davos sneaks into King’s Landing to find Gendry, laying low and working as a blacksmith for the people who killed his father. When Davos mentions he has something planned up North, Gendry’s happy to come along… with his giant war hammer

Unlike Joffrey, Gendry is the spitting image of his father: he’s strong, brave, and a good fighter. And since he grew up a commoner, he doesn’t have his father’s vices. So it was disappointing to see him leave in Season Three. The fact that the show chose to bring him back so close to the end means one of two things: either they’re trying to tie up loose ends, or Gendry has a role to play in the Great War.

That said, I hope Gendry lives. After Jon and Daenerys, Gendry’s the person I want to see sit on the Iron Throne. At the very least, he can be legitimized and we can start calling Gendry Baratheon, Lord of the Stormlands. To be honest, I’ve been calling him “Gendry Baratheon” for years now.

#5- Jon Snow and Daenerys First Meet, “The Queen’s Justice”

After Melisandre tells Daenerys and Tyrion about Jon Snow being the King in the North, Daenerys decides to ask him to come to Dragonstone and recruit him in her fight against Cersei. Jon goes to recruit her in the fight against the White Walkers, because she has her dragons, and Dragonstone has a mountain of dragonglass. Their first meeting is awkward and filled with tension, and while the Dragon Queen isn’t convinced about the White Walkers, she does let him mine for dragonglass.

Another moment that once existed only in the annals of fanfiction, this is a major moment for the show. Unknown to all but the audience, Jon and Daenerys are the last members of House Targaryen, and thus blood-related. Which makes the romantic tension growing between them all the more regrettable..

#4- Jaime Finally Leaves Cersei, “The Dragon and the Wolf”

Cersei Lannister doesn’t care about anyone except herself, her children and Jaime. So when Jon and Daenerys ask her to join forces with them, she refuses, then seems to agree when she thinks her unborn son is at risk. Later, Cersei reveals to Jaime that her real plan is to let Jon, Daenerys and the Nigh King exhaust themselves, then fight the winner using her new army of mercenaries.

Just when I thought I wouldn’t find any more reasons to despise Cersei, she pulls this off. She’s willing to let Westeros be destroyed if it means keeping her throne. She’s selfish, short-sighted, spiteful, and worse. Everything that I despise in a ruler. Disgusted at his sister’s willingness to let Westeros die, Jaime finally abandons his sister and rides north by himself to fight in the Great War.

The Jaime Lannister we met in Season One would never have done this, but he’s been through a lot since then. Being captured by Robb Stark, losing his sword hand, and traveling with Brienne have changed him into something better. He finally realizes that his sister has become as evil as the Mad King and wants nothing to do with her anymore. I hope he lives through the Great War.

#3- Jon Proves the White Walkers are Real, “The Dragon and the Wolf”

For years, the Lords of Westeros scoffed at the idea that the White Walkers were real, let alone a threat. If they knew the truth, then maybe they wouldn’t have exhausted themselves in the War of the Five Kings. Jon Snow silences those doubts for good at the meeting in King’s Landing when he presents a captured wight to the Lannisters and Euron Greyjoy.

I will never forget the look on Cersei and Jaime’s faces when they first saw the wight charge at them. When Jaime asked them how many there were, I could tell that this was the most terrifying thing that he had ever seen. Then Euron Greyjoy, who we’ve never seen be scared of anything, pretends to run back to the Iron Islands and hide. Ploy or not, I think that he was truly terrified by what he saw.

This moment makes everyone in the Seven Kingdoms realize that they are facing Armageddon. Regardless of how much they’ve hurt each other over the years, if they don’t fight as one, then there will be nothing left for anyone. Yet Cersei still refuses to help because she’s an idiot.

#2- Battle on the Goldroad, “The Spoils of War”

After her attempts to use her Westerosi allies to take the Seven Kingdoms falls flat, Daenerys loses patience. Forgoing clever plans, she decides to take the late Olenna’s advice and be a dragon. She launches an all-out attack on the Lannister-Tarly army using her Dothraki and Drogon. The result is a total rout of the Lannister-Tarly forces.

I had thought that the Battle of the Bastards was impressive, but this was one of the most amazing feats in the shows history. Dozens of actors, world-class cinematography, and the fact that this is the first true battle that the dragons have been in, all made for one of the best scenes in the entire show, a personal favorite of mine. Years from now, film students will study how they pulled of this scene.

#1-Jon Snow’s Not a Bastard, “The Dragon and the Wolf”

Last season confirmed that “R+L=J” was true: Jon Snow is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Bran never anyone this, vowing only to tell Jon when he returned. Then Samwell remembered what Gilly read in the High Septon’s diary: Rhaegar had his marriage to Elia Martell annulled. All Bran needed to do was confirm it with his greensight.

Lyanna was never kidnapped: she and Rhaegar fell in love and ran away together to get married in secret. That means that Jon, whose real name is Aegon Targaryen, is legitimate. All this time, all this fighting over who should be on the Iron Throne, and the rightful king has been under everyone’s noses.

To be fair, I disagree with Bran when he says that “Robert’s Rebellion was built on a lie”. I consider it a tragic mistake. I doubt that Rhaegar and Lyanna meant for it to get so out of control. It’s the Mad King’s fault for starting a rebellion. Whether or not this will affect who gets the Iron Throne has yet to be seen. I do know this, though: if Jon and Daenerys keep sleeping with each other, they’re repeating the mistake that brought down the Targaryens in the first place!

Agree with my picks? Ready for the Final Season? Let me know what your favorite moment from this season was.

Click here to see my favorite deaths from this season

The 6 Biggest deaths from Season Seven of Game of Thrones

If the first three seasons of Game of Thrones were the first act, and seasons four through six were the second, then Seasons Seven and Eight are the final act. With the Great War upon the Seven Kingdoms and all who live in them, Season Seven was about putting all the remaining players and pieces of the game into their roles. It also meant clearing away the pieces that weren’t needed for the war to come.

One day remains until the final season of Game of Thrones, and we are going to look at the six biggest deaths of the penultimate season to this legendary show.

#7- House Frey, “Dragonstone”

In the opening scene of Season Seven, there appears to be a flashback of Walder Frey meeting with his sons to discuss House Frey’s plans for the winter. After a quick toast, he then reminds them how they murdered Robb Stark, his army, his wife and unborn child, and mother at the Red Wedding. One by one, the Freys fall to ground, spewing up blood from drinking poisoned wine. It’s then that we see that “Walder Frey” was, in fact, Arya Stark wearing Walder’s face.

While I was already satisifed with the masterminds behind the Red Wedding dead, Arya took it a step further and wiped out everyone who took part in the massacre. The fact that it’s not revealed until the end that it was Arya in disguise was a very satisfying twist. What makes this even cooler, though, is what Arya tells the women who witnessed what happened: that the North remembers, and that winter came for House Frey. That last line’s turns House Stark’s words into not only a warning of bad times will eventually come, but a threat to anyone who incurs House Stark’s wrath.

#6- Olenna Tyrell, “The Queen’s Justice”

After her entire family is killed when Cersei blew up the Sept of Baelor, House Tyrell’s was doomed to extinction, and Olenna Tyrell knew it. So, she decided that she would take Cersei down before she died, allying with House Targaryen to get revenge. Sadly, Jaime Lannister is one step ahead of her, and marches the Lannister army on Highgarden before she can rally her forces, then allowing her to commit suicide by poison.

Olenna Tyrell was one of my favorite characters in the entire show, and I was really sad to see her go. She dished out the best insults! But my sorrow turned to joy when Olenna used her final moments to troll Cersei one last time. She let Jaime and Cersei know that she was the one who killed Joffrey. She may have died, but she got the last laugh!

#5- Randyll Tarly, “Eastwatch”

Despite claiming to be a man of honor and loyalty, when Jaime offered House Tarly the chance to become the new Wardens of the South, Randyll Tarly turned on Olenna Tyrell. Forutnatley, he didn’t get to live long enough to enjoy his new status. After being capture by Daenerys’ army at the Kingsroad, Daenerys burns him and his son Dickon for refusing to bend the knee

This one’s on here less because it helped drive the plot forward, and more because of personal feelings. From the moment I saw Randyll Tarly, I hated him and his Q-ball hairdo. He was a cruel and abusive father who constantly bullied his son Sam because he couldn’t fit his idea of what it means to be a man. He even went so far as to tell Sam that if he didn’t join the Night’s Watch, he would make sure he would “accidentally” die on a hunt.

What’s more, he was also racist, deriding Gilly once he found she was a wildling, and calling her “a thing”. If I were there, I would walk right up to him, punch him square across the jaw, and tell him “Sam may not be perfect, but whatever his faults, he’s more of a man than you’ll ever be”. I’m only sorry that Dickon died with him.

#4- Ellaria and Tyene Sand, “The Queen’s Justice”

When we first met Ellaria, she was Oberyn’s lover and the mother of their children, the Sand Snakes. After the Mountain killed Oberyn, Ellaria became filled with hatred and became determined to destroy Cersei, even killing her innocent daughter, Myrcella, and Oberyn’s brother and nephew to seize power in Dorne. This comes back to bite her when she and her daughter are captured by Euron Greyjoy. Cersei then sentences Ellaria to life in prison, watching as her daughter dies from the same poison used to kill Myrcella.

I may have felt genuinely bad for Ellaria and the Sand Snakes for Oberyn’s death, but that turned to disgust when they murdered Myrcella and their own family. Ellaria was so consumed by her hatred for Cersei that she became that which she hates the most. Ellaria may not have died, but her character’s been written out of the show, so she’s basically dead. And personally, I think that she and her daughter got what they deserved.

#2- Viserion, “Beyond the Wall”

After Jon leads an expedition beyond the Wall to capture a wight as proof of the threat of the Night, they are cornered by his army. Somehow, Daenerys gets word of it in time, and, through the magic of plot convenience, shows up with Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion to rescue Jon’s group. Before anyone can react, though, the Night King wields a icy javelin, takes aim, and pierces Viserion straight through the chest.

I knew for a long time that the three dragons were going to be a major factor in the war against the White Walkers It’s probably why they hatched when Daenerys’ family failed so many times. But I never thought that the White Walkers would be able to kill a dragon so easily. I shared the look on the group’s faces: shock, then howling rage, and then sadness.

The worst part is that even though he’s dead, Viserion’s not gone. The Night King brought him back as a wight, and it seems he’s more powerful than he was in life. If Drogon and Rhaegal were to fight him now, they could end up losing. I hope that they do not.

#1- Littlefinger, “The Dragon and the Wolf”

Given everything that has happened since Season One, it’s easy to forget how the entire show started with the death of one man: Jon Arryn, King Robert’s Hand and Lord of the Vale. The mystery of his death didn’t even get solved until Season Four when Lysa admitted to poisoning her husband on Littlefinger’s command. And that was before the show even started.

Since then, Littlefinger continued to work in the shadows to amass more power, but all his schemes come undone when he tries to turn Arya and Sansa against each other. With their knowledge, and the fact that Bran can use his greensight to see everything, they finally corner him for everything:

• Getting Lysa Arryn to murder Jon Arryn
• Getting Lysa to lie to Catelyn and Ned, saying that the Lannister’s were behind Jon’s murder
• Betraying Ned Stark and letting him be wrongfully executed
• Murdering Lysa Arryn to gain power in the Vale
• Trying to turn the Stark children against each other.

With the overwhelming evidence, Arya then executes the snake using his Valyrian Steel Dagger, avenging the tens of thousands of deaths that he brought about.

Littlefinger has been on my “GOT Hate List” since I started watching the show, and next Cersei and Euron, he was the one I wanted to see die the most in Season Seven. When I saw the stunned look on his face as Sansa and Arya outed him, I grinned from ear to ear. When he finally died, I wanted to shout out, “YES!! HE’S GONE! HE’S FINALLY GONE!!! I’M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW, I DON’T EVEN CARE THAT CERSEI’S STILL ALIVE!!!!”

That was one of the best moments of my life. The only thing that can top it is seeing Cersei Lannister bite it in the final season.

Do you agree with my picks? Were you as happy as me to see Littlefinger die?

Click here to see my favorite moments from Season Seven

If you guys want to see which characters have the best odds of survival in the final season, click here. It will take you to a website featuring an advanced algorithm that predicts who survives.

6 Biggest Deaths from Season Six of Game of Thrones

Season Six of Game of Thrones had a lot of big deaths as the status quo was once again upended. Then again, this is Game of Thrones, so there really is no status quo, is there? Aside from being my favorite season, Season Six also saw the deaths of several people that I hated. With two days left until the final season, here are the six biggest deaths of Season Six.

#6- The High Sparrow and Everyone Else, “The Winds of Winter”

When Cersei Lannister’s finally backed into a corner by the High Sparrow, what does she end up doing? Destroys everyone and everything that gets in her way. This time, though, she does it on a bigger scale. Using the wildfire caches hidden under the city, Cersei blows up the Sept of Baelor, killing the High Sparrow, Loras, Margarery, and Mace Tyrell, Kevan and Lancel Lannister, and who knows how many others.

This may have been the single greatest killing of major characters the show had seen since the Red Wedding. I had no love for the High Sparrow; I have read enough history books to know what happens when religious factions go too far. But to go that far just to kill a few people? There are no boundaries that Cersei Lanniset will not cross.

#5- Tommen Baratheon, “The Winds of Winter”

Picking up on the deaths of everyone in the Sept of Baelor, King Tommen is completely shattered. He just lost his wife, his faith, and half of his family. Emotionally shattered and unable to go on, Tommen chooses to commit suicide, jumping out his window to his death.

This was a very tragic moment. Unlike his brother, Tommen was actually a good and gentle person. This show has a habit of eating those people alive, though, and he fell under the manipulations of the Tyrells and then the Sparrows. The worst part to all of this, though, is the fact that he died knowing that it was his mother who was the cause for all this.

#4- Roose Bolton, “Home”

This man had it coming for years. Reviled for his killing of Robb Stark at the Red Wedding, Roose Bolton was declared the new Warden of the North, only to have that claim contested by the fact that the Northern Lords hated his guts. His attempts to secure his position by having his son Ramsay marry Sansa backfire with her escape. When it looks like Roose will pass over Ramsay in favor of his newborn son, Ramsay kills his own father via knife to the heart.

This death is notably ironic, given that Roose died the same way he killed Robb Stark. While I have no lost love for seeing him die, as another person got crossed off my hate list, it serves to prove a point: that Ramsay Bolton was too evil for even the ruthless Roose to control. This moment would end up leading to the extinction of House Bolton, something Roose tried so hard to avoid.

#3- Balon Greyjoy, “Home”

After failing in his second rebellion against Westeros, Balon Greyjoy decides to continue trying just for the heck of it. Then, he is met by his younger brother, Euron. When Euron makes his intent to usurp him known, a brief scuffle ensues, only for Balon to be thrown from the rope bridge to his death.

I’m just going to say it: Balon Greyjoy was an idiot. He had no plans for the Iron Islands beyond his petty conquests in the North, causing pointless deaths and exhausting what little resources he had. He was incompetent ruler, and considering he’s partially responsible for how Theon turned out, I wasn’t sad to see him go.

#2- Walder Frey, “The Winds of Winter”

It was hard choosing between this and my number one pick, but I think I made the right choice. After managing to secure Riverrun, the vile Walder Frey his hold on the Riverlands is secured. As he’s waiting for his sons to join him for dinner, he is horrified to find that they have been baked into the pie he is eating. He is then terrified to learn that the servant who gave him the pie is none other than Arya Stark, who proceeds to taunt him before ending his wretched life.

This was quite possibly the icing on the cake to an incredible season for me. With Walder Frey’s death, all of the people who were responsible for the massacre of the Red Wedding had met their ends.

#1- Ramsay Bolton

Let’s review every rotten thing Ramsay has done on the show:

• He maimed, mentally broke, and emasculated Theon Greyjoy (I don’t care if he was being a jerk. No guy should have their privates cut off!)
• He hunted down girls with his dogs for sport
• He killed people after promising to spare them.
• He raped and beat Sansa Stark
• Killed his father, his stepmother, and baby half-brother
• Threatened to march on Winterfell, kill the Free Folk, then make Jon watch as his men gang-raped Sansa before killing him
• Killed Rickon Stark right in front of Jon

Before Euron Greyjoy was introduced, Ramsay was the most evil person in Westeros. So watching Jon beat the s*it out of him was almost carthatic.

Keyword here is almost. Jon realizes that Ramsay is not his to kill, and lets Sansa deliver justice/revenge to the man who hurt her. And we’re just going to watch what happens rather than explain anything.

This wasn’t just the best death of the season, it was one of the best deaths in the entire show. Several things factor into this decision. First is how Ramsay tries to mess with Sansa one last time. In response, Sansa calmly tells him that all memory of him and his house will disappear, showing that she is beyond his abusive influence.

Second is how Ramsay died at the hands of his own hounds, which is ironic for several reasons. The big one, though, is that his demise drives home the lesson that he could never understand. That if you treat those who serve cruelly enough, they will eventually turn on you. It’s why Theon finally escaped, and it’s why his dogs ripped him to pieces. Enjoy burning in hell, Ramsay, and say hi to Joffrey for Sansa.

Wasn’t Season Six the best part of the show? Tell me if you shared Arya and Sansa’s smirks when they killed their respective targets.

Click Here to See my favorite moments from my favorite season.

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.

6 Biggest Deaths from Season 4 of Game of Thrones

You’d think that Game of Thrones would get tired of killing off characters after the Red Wedding, but it doesn’t. While the War of the Five Kings may be ending, the bloodshed doesn’t, as Season Four sees even more long-standing characters meet their fates. Some of them also happen to be people on my Game of Thrones hate list, too.

Four days remain until the final season of Game of Thrones premieres, and there are more characters who bite it. Let’s look at the six biggest deaths from Season 4 of Game of Thrones.

#6- Locke & Night’s Watch Mutineers, “First of His Name”

Back in Season Three, members of the Night’s Watch staying at Craster’s Keep got fed up with the poor way Craster was treating them. In response, they mutinied and killed Craster and Jeor Mormont, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. In Season Four, Jon Snow leads a raid on the Keep, killing all the mutineers and free Craster’s daughter-wives. Unknown to all, one of the Night’s Watch members, Locke, was sent to find and kill Bran Stark on behalf of House Bolton, only to have his neck snapped by Bran when he warges into Hodor

The deaths of the mutineers was refreshing, but these deaths were important as a whole for several reasons. By leading the raid, Jon Snow not only proves himself as the leader that Jeor Mormont saw him to be, but avenges his mentor’s death and keeps the traitors form falling into the hands of Mance Rayder or the White Walkers.

Meanwhile, Locke’s death ensures that the continued survival of Bran Stark remains a secret, allowing him to travel northward to be trained by the Three-Eyed Raven.

#5- Ygritte, “The Watchers on The Wall”

Some of the greatest love stories end in tragedy, or so the story goes. While infiltrating the Free Folk, Jon Snow and Ygritte end up falling for each other. That makes it hurt even more for both when Jon chooses his loyalty to the Night’s Watch over love for Ygritte. Despite vowing to kill him during the Battle of Castle Black, Ygritte hesitates when she has the chance, leading her to be killed via arrow by Olly.

Despite being on opposite sides, Jon Snow and Ygritte truly loved each other and were heartbroken over the fact that they may have to kill each other. Jon remains devastated by Ygritte’s death, making it one of the hardest of the many losses he’s experienced throughout the show. It would be years before Jon’s able to move on from her death. Regretably, the next girl he ends up falling for is his (unknowing) Aunt.

#4- Lysa Arryn, “The Mockingbird”

Game of Thrones hasn’t focused that much on the Vale or Lysa Arryn, but it’s clear to everyone that she’s not mentally sound. When she discovers her new husband, Petyr Baelish, kissed her niece, Sansa Stark, Lysa comes close to throwing the poor girl out the Moon Door. While Littlefinger seems to calm her down by pretending to say that he loves her, he reveals that he’s only ever loved her sister, Catelyn Stark. He then proceeds to push Lysa from the Moon Door to her death.

Aside from showing how manipulative Littlefinger can be, Lysa’s death scene reveals one of the biggest mysteries of the show: the death of Jon Arryn. Lysa says that she was the one who posioned her husband, then lied to Catelyn and said the Lannisters were responsible. All of this was done on the orders of Littlefinger himself. Meaning, all the deaths and chaos that have occurred since the start of the show were because of Littlefinger’s machinations. What a jerk.

#3- Oberyn Martell, “The Mountain and the Viper”

You had one job Oberyn, and that was to kill the Mountain. When Tyrion demands a trial by combat for being accused of Joffrey’s assassination, Prince Oberyn Martell volunteers to be his champion against Cersei’s champion, the Mountain. While Oberyn easily gains the upper hand over the Mountain, he lets his desire to hear the man confess to raping and killing his sister, Elia Martell, and her children with Rhaegar Targaryen. As a result, the Mountain crushes his skull like a grape.

Oberyn’s death was one of the most brutal on the show, and that’s saying something. Aside from sentencing Tyrion to death for a crime he didn’t commit, Oberyn’s demise has far-reaching consequences. It practically dooms any hope of an alliance between the Lannisters and Martell, and leads to even greater death and suffering in the following seasons.

#2- Joffrey, “The Lion and the Rose”

After his Uncle and Grandfather secured his place on the Iron Throne, Joffrey solidified his power by marrying Margaery from the powerful House Tyrell. Yet in the midst of his wedding feast, Joffrey started choking to death without any warning. Despite the assistance of those present, Joffrey died in his mother’s arms.

It may have been the start of a new round of bloodshed and carnage, but fans of Game of Thrones practically danced in the streets in celebration. Joffrey was a rare type of villain in fiction: the kind universally despised by the fans. His death sparked an avalanche of memes and reaction videos celebrating the monster’s death. I can’t think of anything else to say, so here’s a reaction video from Sean TankTop on YouTube:

#1- Tywin Lannister, “The Children”

All his life, Tyrion has been emotionally abused by his cruel father, Tywin Lannister, who refuses to acknowledge any of his merits simply because he’s a dwarf. The straw that broke the camel’s back, though, was letting him be framed for the murder of King Joffrey, sentencing him to death, and even turning the woman he loved against him. Pushed to his breaking point, Tyrion escapes and then kills his own father while he’s on the toilet.

I won’t lie, I respected Tywin Lannister a great deal for being one of the smartest characters on the show. For all his success at gathering power, it was his failures as a father that did him in. His death would ultimately cause chaos in King’s Landing and enabled the rise of the Sparrows. Even so, watching the jerk die still put a smile on my face.

Agree with my picks? Send me your best reaction video to Joffrey’s death.

Click here to see my favorite scenes from Season Four.

My 7 Favorite Moments from Game of Thrones, Season 4

How does a show like Game of Thrones keep people coming back season after season, regardless of how many characters they may kill off? With incredible acting, an A-List Hollywood movie budget, and raising the stakes. After the infamous end to Season Three with the Red Wedding, the War of the Five Kings seems like it’s over. Yet the storm of betrayal and intrigue remains as strong as ever.

Four days remain until the final season of Game of Thrones premieres, and we continue our week of thrones with my seven favorite moments from Season Four of Game of Thrones. There were actually a lot of scenes I like this season, so picking one was hard.

#7- Drogon Snaps at Daenerys, “Two Swords”

Anyone who’s ever been a parent can attest to the fact that it can be hard at times. Now add in the fact that those kids are dragons, and you’ll see what it’s like for Daenerys Targaryen. While spending family time with her dragons, they started fighting over an animal carcass. When she tries to calm them down, she’s shocked when Drogon angrily roars at her.

We’ve seen Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion grow up with Daenerys. Through that, we can see them as characters in their own right. But this scene serves as a reminder that to Daenerys, and to us, that they are still dragons. They have the power to burn countries to the ground if they were to go berserk.

Maybe I’m over analyzing things, but could this moment be a metaphor about the dangers of letting power get out of control? Or they were just going through their rebellious teen phase. Either way, Dany was taking no chances; she locked Rhaegal and Viserion up in the Pyramid of Mereen at the end of Season Four, and they stayed there for some time.

#6- Sansa Finally Plays the Game, “The Mountain and the Viper”

After finally escaping King’s Landing and the grip of the Lannisters, Sansa ends up in more trouble when her Aunt Lysa threatens to kill her after Littlefinger kissed her. When Littlefinger kills Lysa and is made to stand trial, Sansa reveals her true identity. At the same time, she lies and says that Lysa killed herself in order to protect Littlefinger, which ends up working.

Sansa was subjected to inhumane physical, mental, and emotional abuse at the hands of the Lannisters. Her trauma wasn’t without fruit, though, as she learned to master a very important skill to surviving in Westeros: how to lie. No longer a pawn, Sansa becomes a player in the Game of Thrones in her own right. When you see where she stands at the end of Season Seven, she’s done pretty well, and this is where she started. Thank heavens that the difference between her and Cersei is that she has a conscience.

#5- Bran Meets the Three-Eyed Raven “The Children”

Ever since he got pushed from that tower and crippled, Bran Stark learned that he had powers that most people lacked. He could control the minds of others and could see into the past. After traveling Beyond the Wall and fighting through the Wights, Bran came to the cave that was home to the mysterious Three-Eyed Raven that had been appearing in his dreams since Season One

The Three-Eyed Raven was one of the biggest mysteries on the show: who was he, and what did he want with Bran? As it turns out, Bran had a greater destiny than anyone could imagine. Under the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran learned to master his powers as the new Three-Eyed Raven. With the White Walkers upon humanity, Bran will play a major role in the Great War. On my part, though, I just thought that this was a great example of the “young hero meets wise old mentor” trope. And even if Bran never walks again, he gets a wheelchair; he can rock that Professor Xavier thing!

#4-Tyrion Snaps, “The Laws of Gods and Men”

Tyrion Lannister is one of the best characters in the show, but he’s also gotten some of the worst treatment from people. His resentment to his father and sister had been simmering long before the show started, but then they accused him of killing Joffrey and put him through a kangaroo court. The straw that broke the camel’s back came when they forced his former lover, Shae, to falsely testify against him, finally causing him to snap. And by God, it was glorious!

Some of the best performances come from real-life experiences, and Peter Dinklage has plenty to draw from. In a 2003 interview, he admitted that he grew angry and bitter over his dwarfism, but learned to not let that drag him down. When he, as Tyrion, says he’s been on trial for that all his life, I could tell Dinklage was speaking from his past.

And the anger in his speech! I could practically see the venom he was spitting out at everyone. The look in his eyes as he silently disowned his father, and then the credits playing the instrumental version of “The Rains of Castamare”. It was one of the best moments in the entire show, hands down, and if Peter didn’t win an Emmy for it, then it’s their loss.

#3-Tyrion Kills Tywin

You should notice a trend in these lists by now: a lot of my favorite scenes revolve around the death of a character that I hate. I’m not ashamed to admitting a great deal of satisfaction from watching jerks get their just desserts. And since I already discussed the scene on this post’s counterpart, I want to say why I loved seeing Tywin bite it.

I do not condone murder as a solution, but I can at least understand why some people may be driven to it. Like Tyrion said, his father had been wanting him dead his entire life. He knew Tyrion didn’t kill Joffrey, and he did nothing to save him. While Westeros may see it as kinslaying, Tywin was going to do the same thing. It was justifiable, and Tywin had already committed many atrocities in his life. Most recently was organizing the Red Wedding.

It’s funny: for all his power, Tywin dies at the one time he’s vulnerable: on the toilet.

#2- Battle of Castle Black “The Watchers on The Wall”

Jon Snow’s story may have been slow throughout Season Four, but the penultimate episode brought it to a climax with the Battle of Castle Black. After four seasons of build-up, Mance Rayder and the Free Folk army launch an all-out assault on the Wall. Despite being outnumbered a literal thousand-to-one, the Night’s Watch holds them off, thanks to the efforts of most of the named cast in the Night’s Watch. Except Janos Slynt, who was as useless as they come.

The penultimate episode of each season of Game of Thrones has always been the climax. As the show has gone on, it’s gotten steadily more ambitious with its battles. And it shows in this sequel to the amazing battle in “Blackwater” back in Season Two. They even had the same person directing this episode. Thankfully, every season since then has had at least one epic battle on par with this. The Battle of Castle Black raised the bar on warfare on TV, and the final season will, hopefully, continue that trend.

#1- Joffrey dies, “The Lion and the Rose”

Since I’m a latecomer to the show, I was able to binge through the first few seasons. Meaning I wasn’t able to endure the headache that was Joffrey Baratheon for years on end like some other fans did. That said, when I saw him die, I could understand how the fans celebrated the end to this three year-long headache

And the way Cersei reacted! Even if I didn’t know the truth before hand, I knew that Cersei was stupidly jumping to conclusions by saying Tyrion did it. And eventually, her stupidity would end up killing hundreds of people over the next few seasons. Her reaction would be funny if it didn’t lead to so much pain in the end.

Do you agree with my picks? What were your favorite moments from Season Four? Let me know in the comments below.

For my list of favorite deaths this season, click here.

The 6 biggest deaths from Season 3 of Game of Thrones

If I could divide Game of Thrones into a play or a movie series, then I think Season Three would be the end of the first part. One of the bloodiest seasons in the show, this saw a lot deaths across the board, with major, secondary, and minor characters all biting it. By season’s end, a lot of players had been taken out of the game.

Let’s just ignore the obvious pick for the number one spot, though, and remember that this season had a lot of other deaths. Here are the six biggest deaths for Season Three of Game of Thrones

#6- Ser Jeor Mormont, “And Now His Watch is Ended”

Ser Jeor Mormont was an important secondary character in the early seasons of the show. At the start, he was Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, becoming Jon Snow’s mentor, and even giving him his family’s sword, Longclaw. He essentially molded Jon into the leader that he would become. But Game of Thrones has a habit of killing off good men in awful ways. When members of the Night’s Watch mutiny at Craster’s Keep, Jeor is murdered by the mutineers in the process.

This death had a big impact on our two main characters in the Night’s Watch, Samwell and Jon. Without Jon or Jeor to protect him, Sam is forced to fight his own battles and become more of a warrior. As for Jon, Jeor’s faith in him proves to be well-placed, as he becomes the leader the Night’s Watch needs in the fight against Mance Rayder’s army, and eventually, one of the leaders Westeros needs for the fight against the White Walkers

#5- White Walker, “Second Sons”

In Season Two, Jon discovered that Craster had been sacrificing any sons his daugther-wives bore to the White Walkers in exchange for safety. Even after he was killed, the White Walkers intended to collect on that deal, coming after Gilly and her newborn son. Samwell Tarly managed to step up to protect the woman he loved, and slew the White Walker with a dragonglass dagger.

Aside from giving Sam the first of several badass moments, this was a pivotal moment in the show. Until now, the White Walkers appeared invincible. Having learned their weakness to dragonglass, Sam would bring that knowledge back to the Night’s Watch and humanity. That was the first step to preparing for the coming war against the White Walker.

#4- Beric Dondarrion, “Kissed by Fire”

After the Hound slays the leader of the Brotherhood without Banners, Lord Beric Dondarrion, in a Trial by Combat, everyone’s shocked to see Beric stand up, alive and unharmed. Apparently, the Red Priest, Thoros of Myr, has the power to bring Beric back from the dead. Even more shocking is the fact that this is the sixth time that he has done it.

Game of Thrones has already delved into the supernatural before: dragons, wights, White Walkers, and blood magic. But this was one of the craziest things that I had ever seen on the show. It started to make me believe that the Lord of Light may be real, and that he’s playing a role in the events of the show.

#3- Kraznys mo Nakloz, “And Now His Watch is Ended”

This man was one of the Good Masters, the Ruling Slave Master Elites of the city of Astapor. Under him, thousands of people were enslaved and subjected to horrible conditions. Then he made the mistake of trying to look down on Daenerys Targaryen. After tricking him into trading all of his Unsullied slaver-warriors in exchange for her dragon, Drogon, the Dragon Queen has him burned to death while the Unsullied kill all the other slave masters.

From the moment this man appeared, he had stuck his nose down on Daenerys, insulting her in Valryian and thinking she was just some stupid woman. The moment when he realizes that not only could she understand what he was saying, but tricked him, his face gives off a look of pure fear. We all shared that smug look on Daenerys’ face as Drogon barbecued the guy.

#2- Richard Karstark, “Kissed by Fire

When the North decides to declare itself independent, Rickard Karstark is one of the first of the Northern Lords to call Robb Stark the King in the North. As time went, his faith in his king waned. Frustrated at Robb’s decision to break his promise to marry Walder Frey’s daughter and losing two of his sons in the war, Rickard murdered two boys from House Lannister in cold blood. This led to Robb executing him for treason, but not before Rickard renounced him as his king.

While Rickard Karstark may have been a minor character, his death would have a big impact on the show. Without him, a good portion of Robb’s army left to return home, leaving him without enough men to continue fighting. This led Robb to return to ask Walder Frey for help, and that led to the horrible events that were to come..

#1- Everyone at the Red Wedding, “Rains of Castamare”

Where do we even begin with this? To start off, Walder Frey said he was willing to reopen his alliance with Robb Stark if his maternal uncle married one of his daughters. As it turns out, the wedding was a trap. The Freys, aided by the Stark’s own bannermen from House Bolton, turned on their guests, and slaughtered almost all of them. Just watch the video.

Even before I started watching Game of Thrones, I had heard about the Red Wedding. It’s one of the most famous moments in recent television history. A good part of the Stark characters were killed off, their army was destroyed, and the balance of power in Westeros had gone to the Lannisters. It also put all the people responsible for the massacre on my hate list. No other scene was as famous in Season Three as the Red Wedding.

Agree with my picks? Let me know what your favorite deaths were from this season

Click here for my favorite moments of Season Three.

My 7 Favorite Moments from Game of Thrones, Season 3

As Game of Thrones entered its third season, the War of the Five Kings was well underway, and the field was always shifting. Renly Baratheon was dead, while his brother lost his chance at the Iron Throne. Sansa was still a prisoner in King’s Landing, but no longer engaged to King Joffrey. The North was in chaos thanks to the Ironborn, while Daenerys sought an army to take the Iron Throne. On top of that, the White Walkers were not only real, but they getting stronger with each passing day, yet no one in the Seven Kingdoms noticed.

Season Three gave us some of the show’s best moments, and by the end of is, a good chunk of the cast would be written off the board. With five days remaining until the beginning of the end, here are my 7 favorite moments from Season Three.

#7- Sam Kills a White Walker, “Second Sons”

I talked about this in my counterpart to this post, so I will just say why I like it. I like Sam. He could stand to lose some pounds, sure, but he’s got one of the biggest hearts of anyone on this show. And when people need him the most, he’s always stepped up. And he ends up being more of a fighter than people give him credit for. I hope he and Gilly get to spend the rest of their days together, oaths or not.

#6- Jaime Loses his Sword Hand, “Walk of Punishment”

After being held captive by Robb Stark for more than a year or so, Jaime Lannister found himself a free man. Catelyn Stark entrusted Brienne of Tarth to get him to King’s Landing in exchange for Sansa’s freedom. At the start of Season Three, though, the pair were captured by Bolton soldiers. When Jaime tried to defend Brienne from being assaulted, the soldier’s leader responded by cutting of Jaime’s sword hand.

The loss of his sword hand marked a key moment in Jaime’s character development. Much of his identity was tied with him being the best swordsman in Westeros. While he did re-learn how to use a sword, everyone knew that he wasn’t as strong as before. This experience greatly humbled Jaime, though, setting him on the road from being the arrogant jerk he started off as to the hero he would become.

#5- Podrick the Sex God, “Walk of Punishment”

Podrick Payne may not be the smartest, strongest, or bravest fighter in Westeros, but his good-nature and honesty have won him a lot of good friends. After saving Tyrion’s life during the Battle of the Blackwater, Tyrion decides to thank him by giving him a reward: getting him laid at a brothel. To Tyrion and Bronn’s surprise, he comes back with the money he gave Pod: they did it for free.

I found this scene to be both hilarious and fascinating at the same time. Somehow, Podrick is so good at pleasing women that they refused payment. It also reminded of the only other guy in fiction that I know of that can satisfy women to that extent. Granted, he ends up doing it in his sleep, but he’s good-natured like Podrick.

#4- “Chaos is a Ladder” “The Climb”

Littlefinger and Varys are the two biggest spymasters in the entire show, with eyes and ears virtually everywhere in the show. Yet they both have different motives behind their actions: Varys works for the good of the people of the Seven Kingdoms, while Littlefinger works to gain power for himself. As the two verbally spar in the throne room over the nature of the realm and chaos, Littlefinger delivers a monologue on how “chaos is a ladder” that anyone can use to gain more power. Not everyone succeeds, but those who do will be rewarded for the climb.

We all knew Littlefinger was the last person you’d want to trust, but his motives were never made clear before now. This monologue showed how he has used the War of the Five Kings to gain more power for himself: by causing trouble, then letting everyone else tear each other apart over it. This ends up foreshadowing future revelations that Littlefinger is responsible for more of the events of the show than people realize.

What makes this scene so great is what happens towards the end. As Baelish continues his speech, we then cut to the dead body of his prostitute Ros, killed by Joffrey for spying for Varys. This scene is then immediately followed by the sight of Ygritte and Jon Snow’s group climbing up an abandoned section of the Wall. Driving the metaphor home with a literal example of a difficult climb was an amazing story-telling decision.

#3- Olenna Tyrell’s First Appearance, “Dark Wings, Dark Words”

After Margaery becomes engaged to Joffrey, her grandmother, Olenna Tyrell, comes to King’s Landing to help oversee the preparations for their wedding. One of the first things she does, though, is speak with Sansa to learn more about what Joffrey’s like. After initial hesitation out of fear of being overheard, Sansa comes out and admits the truth: Joffrey’s a monster. Olenna is unsurprised, just disappointed

From the moment we first see her, I had one thought about Olenna Tyrell: “Man, she is sassy as hell. Holy cow, I like her!” Cunning and witty to a fault, Olenna’s everything that Cersei Lannister wishes she could be: someone who’s good at the game of thrones. I can’t tell how many times a sharp remark from her made me smile. She may not have been on the show as much as others, but she was one of the best players the game had to offer.

#2- Jaime Admits the Truth, “Kissed by Fire”

Throughout Game of Thrones, Jaime Lannister was more commonly known by his moniker “Kingslayer”. He got it for breaking his Kingsguard oath and killing King Aerys Targaryen, but his reason was left unclear. After being humbled by his time in captivity and the loss of his sword hand, Jaime admits to Brienne the truth.

When it became apparent that Robert’s Rebellion was going to succeed, the Mad King ordered his pyromancers to place wildfire underneath King’s Landing. He planned to burn everyone and everything in King’s Landing; he thought he would be reborn from the ashes as a dragon. Jaime, horrified, chose to put an end to the Mad King before he commit genocide.

For me, this moment made me rethink my opinion of Jaime. Don’t get me wrong, his winning personality and sleeping with his sister wasn’t doing him any favors. A knight breaking their oaths is a serious crime in Westeros. But given that Aerys was planning to kill hundreds of thousands of people, I think that Jaime was justified in killing him, saving all those people in the process.

From then on, my initial hatred of Jaime turned into a grudging respect as he began to transition from being the villain we first saw into someone willing to defy his sister to do what’s right and protect the Seven Kingdoms. If Westeros survives the Great War, I hope people will come to see him as a hero. He’s made a lot of mistakes, but he’s more of a knight than most of the people in the show.

#1- The Red Wedding, “The Rains of Castamare”

I don’t think I need to explain anything about this choice, or what happened. Even before I started watching the show, I had heard about the infamous Red Wedding. There have been references to it and parodies in pop culture by who knows how many people. Whenever I see something similar about to happen in fiction, I call it “A Red Wedding Scenario”. This was easily the most important scene from Season Three.

What’s more, the impact of this scene would have a long-reaching impact on the show and House Stark. They lost Winterfell for years, and any members that weren’t already running had to go into hiding. It would be another three seasons before the Starks got their justice for this horrific event, and it would be glorious.

Do you agree with my picks? What were your favorite moments from Season Three that didn’t make it on this list? Let me in the comments below!

Click here to see my six favorite deaths from Season Three. The number one pick will not surprise you.

My 7 Favorite Moments from Game of Thrones, Season Two

Whereas Season One saw the breakdown of order in the Seven Kingdoms, Season Two of Game of Thrones starts off with the drums of war already playing. And heads are going to roll like there’s no tomorrow.

While Season One was good, I think Season Two is where Game of Thrones began to find its foothold and define what it was. With a second season, the story began to be bolder in what it tried to adapt from the books, and it was made all the better for it.

With six days left until Season Eight, let’s go back and look at my 7 favorite moments from Season Two of Game of Thrones.

#6- Purging of Robert’s Bastard’s, “The North Remembers”

It’s an open secret in King’s Landing that Robert Baratheon was not a faithful husband. King Robert often visited taverns and brothels to sleep with any pretty girl in a futile attempt to fill the hole made by the fact that he lost the woman he loved to a Prince. As a result, he ended up having at least a dozen bastard children, who all had a better claim to the Iron Throne then Joffrey. To keep his throne secure, Joffrey ordered the Gold Cloaks to kill every one of Robert’s bastards in King’s Landing.

I was disgusted by the fact that Joffrey was willing to murder babies simply because they existed, but I couldn’t help but smirk at how his PR would take a huge hit. He was already on thin ice for killing Ned Stark and starting the War of the Five Kings, but this made him sink even further. Most importantly, though, is the fact the bastard that mattered the most, Gendry, slipped through Joffrey’s fingers. Hopefully, he will live through Season Eight and become the next Lord of the Stormlands.

#6- Jon and Ygritte’s First Meeting, “the Old Gods and the New”

How can we forget the fiery Ygritte, Jon Snow’s first great love? While scouting for the location of the Free Folk’s camp, Jon Snow’s group gets attacked by Free Folk scouts. They kill all but one, only for Jon to be shocked to find out it’s a woman. Despite attempting to kill her, Ygritte manages to lead Jon away from his group, leaving them alone together as night falls.

From the moment they first meet, Ygritte was aware that Jon found her attractive, and uses that to mess with him on several occasions. By Season Three, the two had fallen in love with each other, which made their separation all the more heart-breaking. On a meta note, their actors, Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie, got married in June 2018. Assuming they don’t split up in the future, it will be like Jon and Ygritte getting their happy ending. Plus, if they ever have kids, this will make for one heck of a story on how they met.

#5- Brienne of Tarth introduced, “What is Dead May Never Die”

After fleeing King’s Landing in the wake of Robert’s imminent passing, Renly crowns himself as King of the Seven Kingdoms, on the basis that he’d be a better king than his brother Stannis. Next time we see him, he’s already amassed a huge army and secured an alliance with the Reach by marrying his boyfriend’s sister, Margaery Tyrell. Said boyfriend then gets his butt whooped by a mystery knight. Imagine everyone’s shock when it’s revealed that Ser Loras was beaten not by a man, but a woman: Brienne of Tarth.

Westeros has had its fill of strong women, from Olenna Tyrell to Daenerys Targaryen. Only a few have taken up a sword in battle, and Brienne’s one of the best. Despite being looked down on for her gender, Renly was right to recognize her for her skill as a warrior first and foremost. Since then, Brienne has proven to be among the best fighters in the series, even beating the Hound in combat. When the White Walkers invade, she’ll be fighting there on the frontlines

#4- Riot in King’s Landing, “The Old Gods and the New”

Just when people thought Joffrey reached the pinnacle of pointless cruelty, he lowered the bar yet again. While returning to the Red Keep, a mob of commoners starts throwing insults at Joffrey. When he gets hit in the face with manure (which, admittedly, most people would be pissed at), Joffrey loses it and orders his guards to “kill them all”. This leads to a full scale riot in King’s Landing as Joffrey’s guards are nearly overwhelmed by the mob.

This moment reinforces the fact that, even if he was Robert’s son, Joffrey is not fit to be King of anything. King of fictional morons, maybe, but I doubt that all the Patrick Star’s and Homer Simpsons would put up with him either.

This scene filled me with a mixture of disgust and shock. We all knew that Joffrey was an idiot, but no one thought he’d be dumb enough to start a city-wide riot. Adding on to the list of trauma she went through, Sansa was almost raped by some of the rioters while Joffrey refused to look for her. When Joffrey eventually died, I felt no pity for him whatsoever.

#3- “The Queen Mustn’t Know”, “What is Dead May Never Die”

After being made Hand of the King in his father’s abscence, Tyrion had found himself undermined by his sister at every chance she got. Realizing that someone on the Small Council was ratting on him, Tyrion comes up with a clever way to find out who the mole is. He tells each member of his plans to wed Myrcella Baratheon, but gives a different man for each one. When Cersei predictably gets mad at him, she inadvertently gives away her informant: Grand Maester Pycelle.

This exchange shows off how Tyrion Lannister is one of the smartest people in the Seven Kingdoms, and why he’s one of my favorite characters. Tricking three members of the Small Council, two of which run the biggest spy networks in the show, is an insanely impressive feat. Even Varys is willing to give him props for what he did, saying “Well played, my lord Hand”.

The icing on the cake to all this is that pissed Cersei off beyond belief, and I find that extremely funny.

#2- The Battle of Blackwater, “Blackwater”

I couldn’t choose just one moment from this episode, so I just picked the whole thing.

The culmination of the events of the entire season, the penultimate episode saw Stannis Baratheon launch an all-out assault on King’s Landing in order to take the throne he saw as his (No one cares that Daenerys is still alive, I guess). With Joffrey incapable of doing anything helpful, it is up to Tyrion to lead the outnumbered defenders of the city. Stannis’ forces came close to breaking through the gates, with Stannis himself making it onto the ramparts. In the end, though, the arrival of the armies of Tywin Lannister and House Martell force him to retreat.

This episode marked the first time Game of Thrones ever attempted a large-scale battle, making it one of the most ambitious undertakings in the history of TV. With a good portion of the series cast, and the inclusion of hundreds of extras, made for an episode on par with a Hollywood blockbuster. The best part, though, is that this is just a taste of what was to come in future seasons. And Season Eight is looking to have battle scenes on par with the Battle of Helm’s Deep from Lord of the Rings. I can’t wait!

#1- The White Walkers Are Real, ”
Valar Morghulis”

After the climactic battle that occurred in the last episode, what could Game of Thrones possibly do to top it for its season finale? Set the fans up for even crazier moments. And this was the moment where we finally saw the face of the true enemy.

As Samwell Tarly and the other members of the Night’s Watch are out scouting, they are terrified when their Brothers blast their horns three times, heralding the approach of the Wights and White Walkers. As Sam is left behind, he is terrified to see a horde of Wights advancing on the Night’s Watch encampment. It gets worse. At the head of the undead legion, riding a zombified horse, is a White Walker.

We had only caught brief glimpses of the White Walkers. This would mark the first time that we had ever seen a White Walker in its entirety; not even the books had done this. And they are like something straight out of a horror film. Their gaunt and icy appearance, those supernaturally blue eyes, and a language that sounds like the cracking of ice. This is the evil that the Seven Kingdoms would eventually have to face, and it is absolutely terrifying to see.

Do you Agree With My Picks? Here are my Picks for Biggest Deaths of Season Two.