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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 7

Jon and Daenerys Meet

Jon And Dany Meet

“This is Jon Snow… He’s King in the North.”

There’s a lot of misery and death in Game of Thrones, and with each passing year, it only seems to get heavier. So there’s a certain amount of praise to be given to the moments of comic relief, and maybe none are as pure, as well-delivered, and as genuinely funny as Davos’ introduction of Jon to Daenerys. Of course, it leads to a much bigger meeting of minds, wills, and… bodies, and it deserves credit for being the starting point of what is likely to be the most important alliance of the show. But on its own, it serves as a lovely, comedic moment in a sea of drama.


The Wall Falls

The Wall Falls

“Run! Run! Run!”

Are the mechanics and decisions behind Viserion’s death sound? Not really, no. But they do get us where we need to be for this scene, so a lot can be forgiven. Having stood for so long most people don’t even remember why it’s important, the Wall comes down horrifyingly easily and, in doing so, reminds us one last time just how important it was. It’s a huge spectacle that, even though you know it’s coming, is still awe-inspiring. If there were ever any doubt as to what the final showdown would be, this clinches it. The die has been cast, and an enemy that’s been growing since literally the first scene of the series is finally upon us. And by all accounts, it seems unstoppable.


Olenna’s Death

Olenna Death

“Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me.”

No matter who she shared the screen with, Olenna Tyrell was always the cleverest, bluntest, and coolest one by a mile. But her death scene, a somber and static five-minute conversation with Jaime, puts her a cut above even her past self. Calm and collected while mourning her family and her people, she has a frank and earnest discussion with an obviously troubled Jaime as he offers her a painless, dignified death and she all but foretells his downfall at Cersei’s behest. It truly feels like a meeting of the minds, two of Westeros’ sanest people laying all their cards on the table… until Olenna drinks the poison Jaime’s given her and reveals, from the safety of the near-grave, that she was the one responsible for Joffrey’s death. It’s a ferocious final barb, really directed at Cersei but cutting down Jaime, in all his redemption-arc-show-of-mercy goodness, in the process. Olenna Tyrell dies how she lived: clear-eyed, spitting venom, and ten steps ahead of everyone else.


Jaime Leaves Cersei

Jaime Leaves Cersei

“I don’t believe you.”

It finally comes to this. Is it Olenna’s dying words, Cersei’s pathological obstinacy, or just the next inevitable step in Jaime’s long journey into humanity? It’s probably some of each as, after years of devotion, Jaime comes up against the wall that is Cersei, and he turns around and walks away. It’s an incredible scene, and when Jaime starts to wonder if Cersei really will kill him, the fear and love that show through his bravado are heart-wrenching. In the end, Cersei has just enough of herself left to let him go, but it’s clear that something unmendable has been broken. As Cersei points out, it’s not just the two of them left. There’s another Lannister on the way, someone new to protect. Jaime is no longer essential.


The Loot Train Attack

Loot Train Attack

“Dracarys”

If there were ever a war scene to rival the Battle of the Bastards, this is it. It’s bigger, it’s brighter, and importantly, we care deeply about people on both sides. For years now we’ve been cheering for Daenerys and her dragons, but for the first time we’re seeing the devastation of a dragon attack from the business end, and Bronn can’t get that complicated Scorpion bow assembled fast enough. All of a sudden, this is a meeting of beloved characters that we’re not sure we want, and there doesn’t seem to be a good way out. The loot train attack is a spectacle and a feat of television, but it’s also a reminder that some the characters we care about the most are on opposite sides. When Jaime races at Daenerys with a spear, what kind of outcome are we supposed to want? The show cheats a little bit, saving them both. (It cheats a little more by rendering Jaime’s armor-laden descent into the river inconsequential in the next episode). But there’s a heavy knowledge that devastation and heartbreak on all sides are almost certainly on the way.

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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)