40. Kill The Boy (Season 5, Episode 5)
Other than a quick scene in which Tyrion and Jorah are attacked by Stonemen, “Kill the Boy” is an action-free episode. But it does benefit from several wonderful conversations. For an exposition-heavy show like Thrones, great conversations are major currency. In this episode, we get a Bolton dinner part that tingles the spine; a solemn chat between Maester Aemon and Jon about leadership; and a few excellent Tyrion and Jorah moments. Not to mention the part where Daenerys feeds some of Meereen’s 1% to her dragons. That girl has intimidation methods that put even the Boltons to shame.
39. Mockingbird (Season 4, Episode 7)
“Mockingbird” is all about the return of Hot Pie! (Kidding.) It’s all about the moment where Littlefinger drops Lysa Arryn out the Moon Door after professing his creeper love for Sansa. (Also, not really.) No, this episode is about one single line of dialogue that makes my heart soar: “I will be your champion.”
38. A Golden Crown (Season 1, Episode 6)
Easily remembered as the episode in which Daenerys eats a horse heart and her brother is covered in molten gold by Khal Drogo, “A Golden Crown” is also the introduction of Bronn the Badass at Tyrion’s trial in the Eyrie. Ned does some reading and pieces the whole “Lannister Children of Incest” theory together with some light reading as any good book reader might. But yeah, the horse heart eating scene was gnarly.
37. What is Dead May Never Die (Season 2, Episode 3)
One of the better of the “transition” episodes, “What is Dead May Never Die” is the episode in which Tyrion does some of his best work as Hand of the King. Playing the members of the Small Council against each other in a lie, ultimately placing some trust in Littlefinger and cementing plans to send his niece, Myrcella to Dorne. The big finish is the grisly death of Yoren, a character who was short-lived but influential in pushing Arya Stark toward becoming the sweet little murderer she is today. I miss Yoren.
36. Book of the Stranger (Season 6, Episode 4)
“Book of the Stranger” is the second of the two episodes in season 6 in which things actually start to turn fully away from the misery parade that started in season 5. We are treated to the first Stark child reunion and it finishes with a blazing victory for Daenerys over the patriarchy. It’s also the episode responsible for giving us the great ‘ship that is Brienne and Tormund. I, for one, think that deserves ample recognition.
35. Stormborn (Season 7, Episode 2)
The night-time sea battle in this episode was destined to be underrated and here’s my theory as to why: it’s too dark. It’s not too dark if you’re watching it on a large TV screen. Nor, I’d imagine, would it be dark if projected in a movie theater. But on most people’s TVs and most people’s iPads, a lot of the brilliant choreography and cinematography and commitment to natural light gets lost in the shuffle. Underrated Thrones battle, for sure. This episode is a big one for Arya (as her encounter with Hot Pie helps her get on the right path) and Varys (who has a real moment with his new Queen). Cersei also tries to Make Westeros Great Again, which felt a little on the nose at the time — but then again, it’s all just authoritarianism, man.
34. You Win or You Die (Season 1, Episode 7)
As far as introductions go, you can’t go wrong with being a tough old bastard who is skinning a dead animal while commanding an army. “You Win or You Die” is best remembered for the line that makes up its title — a warning from Cersei to Ned Stark — but it also gave us our first glimpse at the legendary Tywin Lannister. We say goodbye to King Robert and hello to Lord Tywin in the same episode, only to see Ned Stark betrayed and captured before it’s over. It was the episode that pushed season one into its furious final third.
33. Fire and Blood (Season 1, Episode 10)
Season one’s furious final third ends with “Fire and Blood,” the first time we see dragons on-screen. With the unenviable position of following Ned Stark’s death and closing out the first season, the showrunners alongside director Alan Taylor prove that Thrones was about more than the politics of men that claimed the life of its poster-sitting protagonist. The final shot, of Dany and her newly born dragons, solidified Game of Thrones as a show with insane magical promise.
32. Valar Morghulis (Season 2, Episode 10)
The show likes to end seasons on big Daenerys moments. She’s the closer. And while she gets a big scene in the House of the Undying, the Thrones creative brain trust decided to end with a massive army of the undead marching south, on undeniably cool visual. Why they didn’t kill Sam as they marched past is anyone’s guess. And why they still haven’t made it to The Wall three seasons later is also a mystery. But the effects work in that scene alone was top-notch.
31. The Pointy End (Season 1, Episode 8)
The prequel episode to Ned Stark’s untimely death is perhaps one of the first season’s most productive hours. It’s a theme of George R.R. Martin’s work as a screenwriter on this and several other episodes. Despite the long-winded meandering he does with his voluminous books, he thrives when constrained by an hour-long episode. Syrio Forel meets his end, Arya gets her first kill, Ser Barristan retires, Cersei manipulates Sansa, Robb Stark calls together The North (in a killer shot of hundreds of Ravens leaving Winterfell), Drogo has his most intense moment of single combat leading to his fatal scratch, and Lord Umber loses a finger to Robb’s dire wolf. That’s a hell of a lot for an hour of television.
Related Topics: Game of Thrones
