The nobleman and ladies of King's Landing have gathered to witness the judgement of Tyrion Lannister in the form of a fight to the death between the Red Viper of Dorne Oberyn Martell and the Mountain That Rides Ser Gregor Clegane. For the Mountain this is just another fight, but Oberyn has been waiting for this moment for near 20 years. "Elia Martell. You raped her. You murdered her. You killed her children," he says over and over as they engage in an epic duel with intensely emotional stakes. Oberyn dominates for most of the fight, eventually pinning him to the ground with his spear. Instead of finishing him off though, Oberyn insists on getting a confession. This proves a fatal mistake, as the Mountain grabs Oberyn by the leg, punches his teeth out, and gouges his eyes out until his head explodes just like Orson's beetles. Ellaria Sand screams in horror, and Tyrion is left speechless as he is judged guilty and sentenced to death. This was a highly anticipated moment for those who have read the books, and for the most part it delivered. The emotional stakes were properly set up and all the major beats of the scene were accurately portrayed. The fight choreography was fantastic, especially in regards to the fighting style of the Red Viper, which was suitably both deadly and flamboyant. Pedro Pascal's performance is perfection; his escalating grief and anger is so intense it is palpable. The whole scene is spectacular from beginning to end, trolling the audience with the hope that Oberyn will win only to be punctuated by one of the best death scenes of the series. A terrific send off to a great character. He will be sorely missed. And now what of Tyrion? He is usually able to get out of situations like this, but it is looking increasingly likely that he is heading for the chopping block. Could the show really kill off Tyrion?
