In case you’ve been living under a rock since 2011, Game of Thrones (GoT) is a TV show based on the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. Simply put, it is a medieval-style drama with nine noble families battling against one another for the Iron Throne in Westeros. It is a thrilling, entertaining and intriguing series filled with utter gore, a whole bunch of nudity and incredible battle scenes. Read more to discover some of my favourite episodes of GoT.
Season 4 – Episode 2 “The Lion and the Rose”
There is so much that goes on in this episode, but there is only one reason why it is on my re-watch list, and it is simply because Joffrey dies. During the celebration feast of Joffrey and Margaery’s wedding at King’s Landing, Joffrey is being the crude little monster he is. The dwarves put on a performance with jousting, fighting and sexual acts, leaving Sansa full of grief, the Tyrell’s full of disgust and Joffrey absolutely delighted. Once the performance ends, Joffrey decides to humiliate Tyrion by pouring wine all over his head and then proceeds to order him to fetch some more wine for him. The marvelous scene finally ends with Joffrey choking on his wine, collapsing on the ground, vomiting while in excruciating pain and finally dying with blood rushing from his nose. The crowd only wished to be cheering in joy, but the cries and whales of Cersei are deafening and there ends the purple wedding.
Season 1 – Episode 9 “Baelor”
With King Robert dead, the Iron Throne is up for grabs. Queen Cersei is less concerned about the news of her incest son spreading and more focused on the claim to the throne by Robert’s brother, Stannis. Eddard Stark is urged to confess to treason and head to the Wall for the sake of his daughters, Sansa and Arya, and he reluctantly agrees by making a false confession before the Great Sept of Baelor. Joffrey, being the ruthless and heartless beast he is, calls Cersei and Sansa soft and commands Ser Ilyn Payne to bring him the traitor’s head, and so comes the infamous death of the beloved Ned Stark. In the Riverlands, Robb’s army reaches the Twins and prepares to battle the Lannister army. The Lannisters win the battle, but it was used as a diversion for Robb to attack Riverrun and capture Sir Jaime himself. This episode told one truth: no one is safe in Game of Thrones.
Season 3 – Episode 9 “The Rains of Castamere”
The red wedding: probably the most exhilarating yet heartbreaking episode of GoT. With Robb’s decision to marry Talisa instead of one of Walder Frey’s daughters, as he promised to, Frey begins the brutal and cunning slaughter of the Stark army. If the repeated stabbing of pregnant Talisa in the stomach wasn’t gory enough, Catelyn watches her son get stabbed in the heart and Walder Frey maliciously proceeds to slice her throat. Though it was obvious that no one was safe from death in Game of Thrones, this episode was absolutely shocking and only left me wanting more.
Season 2 – Episode 10 “Valar Morghulis”
With the Battle of the Blackwater over, Tyrion Lannister awakens in King’s Landing from the wound he suffered. To add insult to the injury, he is informed that he is no longer the Hand of the King and is put into a tiny room. Tywin is named Hand of the King and with the cultivation of the Lannister-Tyrell alliance, Loras requests Joffrey marry Margaery instead of Sansa, but that doesn’t stop Joffrey from tormenting Sansa. Meanwhile, Winterfell is under siege by Ramsay Bolton’s army and Bran, Hodor, Rickon and Osha sneak out of the Winterfell crypts to join Jon Snow at the Wall. The most thrilling scene of the episode doesn’t come until the end though when the White Walkers are seen approaching the Wall by a terrified Sam.
Game of Thrones is one of the most thrilling, gory and ruthless television series I have ever watched. Even though season eight was not up to par for most people, I surprisingly enjoyed it and still appreciate watching the entire series repeatedly! Thanks for reading about some of my favourite GoT episodes and hopefully the experience is as entertaining as it was for me.