8. "Blackwater"
There were times in season two that I found myself rather disappointed. The creators seemed to have bitten off more than they could chew in their attempt to depict such an intricate world filled with so many characters. Pacing dragged, while simultaneously we jumped around between characters too much and didnt get a chance to invest in them. And then came Blackwater, the second-to-last episode. It continued the Game of Thrones "Psycho 9" tradition, where episode nine has the most Holy Snap! moments of the season (both Ned and Robb met their ends in a ninth episode). For this one, we stayed entirely at Kings Landing, and almost all of what we saw was through Tyrions eyes. The battle feels massive, like it belongs in a multi-million dollar blockbuster, not an HBO show. Every major plot point is solidly struck. Peter Dinklages performance is especially striking. Blackwater was without a doubt Tyrions battle, and Dinklages poise, fear and resilience really hammer that home. Blackwater is one of those magical adaptation moments, where what youre watching is just as gripping as the source material it came from.