Game Of Thrones: 10 Perfect Episodes
Revisiting the episodes that made Game of Thrones a cultural phenomenon.
Under the guise of "subverting expectations", David Benioff and D.B. Weiss promised so much, but gave so little.
Like jilted lovers left high and dry after a long and tumultuous relationship, fans were left asking themselves what had they done to deserve such pain after giving so much time to something they loved.
But the reason so many were outraged with the finale was due to the sheer brilliance of the writing during its earlier stages - back when the show runners didn't rely merely on visual spectacle to distract from the many plot holes and unresolved narratives. Having said that even the later seasons contained some incredibly strong episodes.
With House of the Dragon set to hit screens in 2022, three years after the final episode of Thrones, perhaps enough time has elapsed for us all to take the plunge back into the world of Westeros.
Let's do what we all do best when a toxic ex suddenly comes back into our life with new promises - focus only on the good times and ignore all the things they did to hurt us.
This list chronicles those episodes of Game of Thrones that made us fall in love with the show in the first place. The episodes that excited us, captivated us, left us in tears and above all, made us come back for more.
10. And Now His Watch Is Ended (Season 3 - Episode 4)
For a fairly early episode this had one of the most satisfying climaxes throughout the entire series. It wasn't often that the credit roll left the audience cheering. But, when Dany freed the unsullied, slaughtered the slavers and marched from the gates of Astapor, fans were waving their Targaryen flags.
Dany had some of her best dialogue in this episode, particularly during that satisfying scene when she outwitted the slavers and revealed she could speak Valyrian. It was the moment of triumph viewers had been waiting three seasons for.
But this episode wasn't without its darker points. With the Nights Watch barely keeping it together after being ambushed by Walkers one season earlier, the survivors were held up in Craster's Keep. But, sure enough it wasn't long before everything descended into mutinous mayhem. Lord Commander Mormont was savagely killed, leaving Sam and Gilly to flee into the Walker infested forrest.
We also had more of Ramsey Snow's games in this episode, as he sadistically toyed with Theon. It was one moment in many that established the Bastard of Bolton as the most twisted villain in television history.
It was a great example of the writers giving each moment its due attention. Every scene and every line of dialogue had purpose, it was just brilliant TV.