Game of Thrones: 10 Best Moments From The Children

9. Stannis To The Rescue

After surviving the night against the first wave of Wildlings, Jon makes his way into the Wildling camp to kill Mance Rayder under the guise of a peaceful negotiation. The two actually have a pleasant conversation given the circumstances; drinking to the dead on both sides. Things turn south when it becomes apparent to Mance that Jon is there to kill him. However, their conversation is cut off by the sounds of war horns. Suddenly Mance and his army are hit on both sides by an immense army. Seeing his people being cut down, Mance calls for them to stand down. Jon is just as confused as anybody until it is revealed that the army belongs to Stannis Baratheon, who has arrived in aid to the Night's Watch. What must first be mentioned is that this scene proves how criminally underused Ciaran Hinds as Mance Rayder has been. Despite being in only a handful of scenes last season, the chemistry between him and Jon Snow is terrific here, giving the viewer a real sense of the respect they have for each other. Then Stannis and his army arrive in an epic reveal. Scenes like this really show how far the series has come in terms of scope; a scene like this would have been impossible back in the first season. It's great to see Stannis make good on his word to head north and get involved with the greater threat of the White Walkers. We also got to see how much Mance cares about the safety of his people in his ability to recognize an unwinnable situation. This was a great scene that entwined the stories of Jon and Stannis at the moment when their stories were starting to stagnate a bit, and the interactions between the casts of each will be exciting to see play out next season.