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Game of Thrones: The Best Scenes by Season

For your inspection and discussion: the best scenes from each of the 7 seasons.
Game Of Thrones Moments
By  · Published on March 27th, 2019

Season Three

Theon’s Confession

Theon And Boltons

“My real father lost his head in King’s Landing”

Remember when we thought Ramsay Bolton was a kindly stranger leading Theon on a spirit journey to self-acceptance? I’d forgotten, too, honestly. Boy how the times change. But twisted mind game or no, Ramsay’s actions have a profound effect on Theon, even early on, and they lead to this impressively moving moment of confession: he didn’t kill his brothers, Ned was the only real father he ever had, and he chose wrongly in betraying Winterfell. Theon’s still a long way from absolution — he may never find it, and he’s certainly not about to get it from Ramsay — but it’s a cathartic moment for the audience to see this man we’ve so relished hating admit so completely to so much guilt.


Jaime Loses His Hand

Jaime Losing Hand

“You’re nothing without your daddy. Your daddy ain’t here. Never forget that. Here, this should help you remember.”

There are a lot of steps on Jaime’s path to redemption, but this is one of the first and probably the biggest. As a knight, so much of Jaime’s identity is tied up in his right hand, and losing it is just the physical boost in the direction of a mental and ideological severance. It’s the necessary rock bottom before his slow rebuilding, born out of one good act (saving Brienne) and one bad act (trying to smooth talk his way too far) that forms the foundation for the much better man and beloved character he grows into.


Daenerys Kills Kraznys

Daenerys Kraznys

“Valyrian is my mother tongue.”

This scene feels like the machinery finally lurching to life. Daenerys gets her army, she keeps her dragon, she frees the slaves, and she looks about as badass as can be surrounded by righteous fire. She comes off as regal, just, and utterly unstoppable — it’s easy to imagine her taking King’s Landing next season. Of course, she doesn’t, and this scene actually leads to some serious stalling along the Valyrian coast that lasts at least one season too long. But at the time it’s magnificent, and Daenerys’ steely reveal that she’s understood every word Kraznys has said, just before she kills him, is immensely satisfying.


Jaime in the Baths

Jaime Bath

“Jaime. My name’s Jaime.”

Can you have baptism imagery in a universe where Christianity doesn’t exist? Yeah, why not. Jaime gets dragged around a lot in Season 3, and with every mile trudged he puts a little more distance between himself and his smarmy alter ego of the first two seasons. But it’s in the baths with Brienne, when he’s broken, exhausted, filthy, and ready to finally tell his side of the Kingslayer story, that the transformation really takes place. His name is Jaime, and he’s a new man.


The Red Wedding

Red Wedding

“The Lannisters send their regards.”

Of course, this is in the top spot. It may not be the best scene in Game of Thrones, but by God, it’s the most famous, and for those of us who hadn’t read the books, it was an incredible kick in the teeth when it aired. By Season 3, we’re used to George R. R. Martin’s blood lust, and the overly convivial tone of the wedding reception is a little bit of a giveaway (never trust a scene that lingers too long on how smoothly things are going), but the sheer enormity of loss in the Red Wedding is shocking. Not only do we lose several named characters, but we also lose an entire storyline, and the one we’ve come to think of as the main one, to boot! It’s a real testament to Martin’s no-nonsense writing. Robb Stark broke a promise, and because he was in love and a king, he thought there’d be no consequences. He thought he was living in a classic story, just like his father. And just like his father, he was incredibly wrong. But his sacrifice wasn’t in vain — from Season 3 on we knew never, ever to take a character’s safety for granted again.


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Liz Baessler is a frequent contributor and infrequent columnist at Film School Rejects. She has an MA in English and a lot of time on her hands. (She/Her)