I tried watching "Game of Thrones" a few years ago but lost interest a couple episodes in (many regrets). I decided to give it another try last month, and ended up binging the show in a couple of weeks. Because the sixth season is airing this weekend, I thought I’d compile a list of my ten favorite scenes, although I could probably come up with 50.
(Major spoiler alert, so don’t read this if you’re not up to date/care about spoilers!)
10. Arya hits Joffrey with her sword/Cersei slaps him/Tyrion slaps him
(S1E2, "The Kingsroad"/S2E1, "The North Remembers"/S2E6, "The Old Gods and the New")
Need I say more? King Joffrey Baratheon is one of the most hated characters in TV history and for good reason. After enduring several seasons of him torturing anybody he could get his hands (and bow) on, watching him get slapped is extremely therapeutic.
9. Dany Frees the Unsullied
(S3E4, "And Now His Watch Is Ended")
This is one of the only things I saw coming in the entire series. There was NO way Dany was going to give up one of her dragons, one of her children, just for a couple of thousand soldiers. We were all just waiting for her to say "Drakarys" ("dragon-fire") and for Drogon to burn Kraznys mo Nakloz alive, and rejoiced when it happened.
8. Tyrion’s Speech
(S4E6, "The Laws of Gods and Men")
Tyrion delivers a powerful speech whilst on trial for killing Joffrey, in which he declares he is not on trial for his murder, but rather for "being a dwarf." This is a top scene because Tyrion then demands a trial by combat because he knows he will be sentenced to death by those on the court regardless of his innocence (See #3!).
7. The Night’s Watch Mutiny
(S5E10, "Mother’s Mercy")
We all knew Jon Snow died since the second it happened last year. It was all over everyone's Facebook and Twitter feeds, it was virtually inescapable. However, if you didn’t know how it happened, it was especially painful seeing Jon's brothers of the Night’s Watch turn on him like that, right after winning the battle of Castle Black. Many viewers don't believe Jon is dead, hopefully, we find the truth out soon!
6. Battle of Castle Black
(S4E9, "The Watchers on the Wall")
Basically, this entire episode was amazing. There were tons of epic battle scenes that kept us on the edge of our seats, including attacks on Castle Black from giants and mammoths, and the death of Ygritte left a gaping hole in our hearts.
5. Cersei’s Walk of Atonement
(S5E10, "Mother’s Mercy")
Finally! One of Cersei’s incestuous relationships is brought to light and she’s finally punished by having to walk through the streets of King's Landing naked while civilians spit and throw garbage on her. I like to think of this not only as a punishment for sleeping with her cousin (and brother), but also for just being an all-around horrible person. Can’t wait to see the backlash of this next season!
4. The Purple Wedding
(S4E2, "The Lion and the Rose")
After struggling through three full seasons of watching Joffrey torture and kill everyone around him, this was the most satisfying episode of GoT to date. Although asphyxiation seems like a horrible way to go, I think it's safe to say we all wish he'd died more painfully.
3. The Mountain vs. The Viper
(S4E8, "The Mountain and the Viper")
The Viper is moments away from saving Tyrion's life in his trial by combat. He has The Mountain on his back but hesitates before killing him because he wants him to confess to killing his sister and her children. The Mountain uses this moment to his advantage: he gets up, knocks The Viper’s teeth out, and crushes his skull through his eyes. The image will be ingrained in our minds forever. Thanks a lot, George R.R. Martin.
2. Shireen’s death
(S5E10, "Mother’s Mercy")
I hate Melisandre—I think she’s creepy and selfish and conniving, but convincing Stannis to kill his only daughter is not something anybody expected of her. This scene was almost painful to watch but so brilliant that it’s #2.
1. The Red Wedding
(S3E9, "The Rains of Castamere")
Having not read the books, I, like millions of others, was not expecting this at all. My jaw dropped and stayed dropped for five and a half minutes while the slaughtering of the Stark family took place. In hindsight, we should have realized that there is no such thing as a happy episode in GoT, but I thought that just for once, the writers would be kind...I was wrong.
Welcome back, "Game of Thrones," welcome back.
