6. The Mountain And The Viper (Season 4, Episode 8)
As if Season 4 couldnt fit in one shocking featured character death in, they managed to fit in another, as this episode features the fantastic one-on-one duel between Prince Oberyn Martell and Gregor The Mountain Clegane over the guilt of Tyrion Lannister. The episode ends with Oberyns head getting smashed in. Even for longtime GOT fans who may have become desensitized to the growing body count, this one was pretty tough to stomach. The real gem of this episode though wasnt the fight, but the conversation between Jaime and Tyrion in the cells where Tyrion brings up Cousin Orson and his obsession with smashing beetles. Could this be a metaphor for George RR Martins prevalence for taking our beloved characters and smashing them like so many beetles? As Jaime would tell Tyrion when he asked what it all meant, I dont know.