HBO
Game of Thrones premiered on HBO on April 17, 2011.
Seven years ago, today, the greatest fantasy television show of all time, Game of Thrones, premiered on HBO.
Think about it. Over the past seven years and seasons, creators D.B Weiss and David Benioff have taken the words of George R. R. Martin and spectacularly brought them to life.
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When the first episode premiered, 2.2 million viewers watched. Sadly, I wasn’t one of them.
I didn’t discover Game of Thrones until the “Rains of Castamere,” otherwise known as the Red Wedding episode. And I wish I was kidding.
I remember my Facebook literally blowing up with reaction videos. I felt so left out, so I felt the need to find out what everyone was freaking out about.
I never thought I would like the series because it seemed so raunchy and gory. But as a Harry Potter, Star Wars, Twilight, and Hunger Games fangirl, how could I not get into a fantasy a popular fantasy series that even my girlfriends liked.
I decided to binge-watch the first three seasons just before season four began and caught up in time to watch “The Lion and the Rose” with the rest of the world. With the help of my brother, Kenny, who is a die-hard Game of Thrones fan (he also read all of the books and the history of Westeros), I became sort of obsessed with theories and re-watching my favorite episodes.
So, in honor of my favorite show’s seventh anniversary, I give you the best episode from each season of Game of Thrones (so far).
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Season 1: “Winter is Coming”
You may not think the first episode is anything special, but for me, it is what got me hooked. Well, maybe not the whole episode, but the very last scene did. Let’s go back.
Think about it. We get our first glimpse of White Walkers. We may not realize it because we end up being so distracted by the fight for the Iron Throne, but these demonic creatures are actually the real enemy.
It’s the first time we see the dire wolves and get to see each of the Stark children, even Ned’s bastard, Jon Snow, name and care for the pups. It’s crazy to think that as the series goes on, every time a dire wolf dies fans are just as angry as if a main character dies.
All the Starks are in one place, and life is good. Then King Robert and the Lannisters show up, and everything goes to hell.
We also get our first glimpse of Daenerys Targaryen and her ridiculous brother Viserys, as he sells his sister to Khal Drogo, the leader of the Dothraki. It’s during the wedding we see three colorful eggs that end up being spectacular dragons and make the show the unique series it is.
But the most memorable part for me, and the event that made me reach for the remote to start the next episode was Jaime Lannister pushing Bran out the window after the young Stark accidentally saw the King Slayer banging his sister, Cersei. I still cringe thinking about it.
HBO
Season 2: “Blackwater”
Game of Thrones is known for their penultimate episodes being amazing. During season one’s, Ned Stark, the seeming hero of the entire show, gets beheaded.
Season two brings us the Battle of Blackwater.
Lord Stannis Baratheon’s fleet is descending upon Blackwater Bay, let by Ser Davos Seaworth. Most of those inside King’s Landing believe Stannis’ army will win. So much so, that the Grand Maester gives Cersei poison to take once the defeat is successful.
But Tyrion has a trick up his small sleeve.
Under the city lies tunnels of wildfire, a green explosive chemical. He sends out a single, unmanned ship into the bay towards Stannis’ ships and Bronn fires a flaming arrow at the bay. The wildfire exploded, killing most of Stannis’ army, but not Stannis. He sends his surviving men to the shore to fight.
Eventually, Stannis’ army is defeated, and just as Cersei is about to give her young son, Tommen, the poison, Tywin Lannister announces that they have won the battle.
This episode stands out because it’s the first time the creators showed us what they could do with a battle scene. Any other fighting scene looked tame until this. We see wildfire for the first time, not knowing we would see it make a return appearance in an even more destructive way.
We also see Tyrion show his tenacity and how crafty he can be in sticky situations. He may have ended the episode with a slash across his face, but he also set himself apart from his more hated relatives.
HBO
Season 3: “The Rains of Castamere”
How can I not pick this episode as most memorable? It is (stupidly) the first episode I ever watched of the series, so it sticks out a bit more for me.
You think everything is going to be O.K. for the Starks. But just when you get comfortable, that’s when they get you.
Robb decides to follow his heart instead of following through with his good will marriage to Walter Frey’s daughter. He tries to make amends with Frey by apologizing and offering his uncle Edmure Tully as a groom instead. We also feel good about his plans to attack Casterly Rock. Everything seems to be good.
At the wedding feast, if we can even call it that, things go downhill quickly.
“The Rains of Castamere” play (with a cameo from band members of Coldplay), which is traditionally a Lannister warning song, raising Catelyn suspicions. It’s such an eerie feeling because you just know something awful is about to happen. And this is where Michelle Fairley is absolutely brilliant; her face says it all. (On a side note, I really wish she was brought back as Lady Stoneheart!)
The rest is too awful. Fan favorites Catelyn, Robb, his wife, and unborn baby, not to mention his men are all killed, betrayed by their own bannermen. The whole sneak attack orchestrated by that weasel Tywin Lannister.
And what might be even more heartbreaking, Arya was only mere feet away from reuniting with her family. I guess it just makes her triumphant revenge on Walter Frey in season seven that much sweeter!
HBO
Season 4: “The Mountain and the Viper”
Many things stand out this season. King Joffrey meets a fitting end. Littlefinger pushes Lysa Arryn through the moon door. Tyrion’s trial where his angry outburst is still one of the most memorable monologues of the entire series. “I did not kill Joffrey, but I wish that I had!” Always gets me.
But nothing gave me more of an emotional rollercoaster ride than episode eight. Because I don’t trust George R. R. Martin as far as I can throw him, I thought for sure he would kill off my favorite character, Tyrion. He always kills the good guys.
So, when he requests a trial by combat, I thought for sure he was toast. But here comes Oberyn, whom we have gotten to know very well throughout season four.
Audiences loved him! I loved him! Not only does he decide to fight on Tyrion’s behalf, but he also has a personal vendetta against the Lannisters. There’s a glimmer of hope for Tyrion.
When it seems as if Oberyn is going to beat Ser Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane, his cockiness gets the best of him, and the Mountain gouges his eyes out, killing him. In a series with many WTF moments, this is right at the top.
Another notable event in this episode is Ser Jorah receiving his pardon for spying on Daenerys all those years ago. When he admits to his actions to her, she exiles him, breaking his heart.
HBO
Season 5: “Hardhome”
This episode marks the first time Jon Snow encounters the Night King with his own eyes.
Jon, Tormund, and other Night’s Watch brothers attempt to recruit wildlings to live beyond the wall so that they are there to help them in the impending war against the White Walkers. After some convincing, about 5,000 wildlings decide to go with them.
Suddenly, they are attacked by wights. Jon, himself, goes toe-to-toe with a White Walker, whom he defeats with his Valyrian steel sword, Longclaw. Many of the wildlings are killed and Jon, Tormund, and the rest who survived fled. But not before the Night King revives the dead wildlings and Night’s Watch brothers, their eyes turning that crystal blue.
This episode is significant because these characters, and the audience, finally understand what they’re up against when it comes to the army of the undead. Jon is the only one who truly gets it. He no longer cares about politics, and he never cared about the Iron Throne. All he knows is nothing matters if they can’t defeat the Night King.
His heart was in the right place by bringing wildlings beyond the wall. But this leads to his eventual downfall with a small group of the Night’s Watch. STUPID OLLY!
This episode also contains the first meeting of Tyrion and Daenerys and the beginning of their beautiful friendship. That’s because Tyrion not only convinces her to spare his life, he also convinces her to employ him as an advisor.
HBO
Season 6: “Battle of the Bastards”
In my opinion, the Battle of the Bastards is not only the best episode of season six, but it’s also the best episode of the entire series.
The episode begins with Daenerys, Tyrion, Missandei, and Grey Worm meeting with the Masters in Meereen. The Masters offer to let Daenerys return to Westeros if she gives up Missandei and the Unsullied army and allows them to kill her dragons. Seriously, don’t make me laugh.
She ends up burning the Masters’ fleet (with the dragons, of course), the Sons of the Harpy are killed by the Dothraki, and the lone Master who survives is ordered to warn the others of Khaleesi’ power. So bad ass!
The rest of “Battle of the Bastards” is dedicated to the battle between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton (formerly Snow).
Ramsay is arguably the vilest, disgusting, and hated character in the series. Jon, on the other hand, is now a legend, having been brought back from the dead by the Red Woman.
Of course, you have trust issues because this is Game of Thrones, after all. But I literally sat on the edge of my chair the entire battle. From Rickon running across the battlefield, only to be killed anyway (why didn’t he run in zigzag?!), to Jon nearly being smothered by his own men, I didn’t breathe the entire time.
I cried when the Stark banners once again hung from Winterfell. But who didn’t?
And in one of the most satisfying events on the show ever, watching Sansa’s subtle smirk as she walks away from Ramsay’s cell as his own hounds eat him… priceless.
HBO
Season 7: “The Dragon and the Wolf”
Finally, we come to the last best episode on our list. And it’s the last episode of season seven.
It’s my favorite because we finally see a dozen of the characters we have been following for seven years finally meet in one place. Many of the actors never even worked together on-screen until now.
Jon, Daenerys, Tyrion, and the Hound meet with Cersei and Jaime to show them a wight and request their help in fighting them. Cersei seems to agree to help, but of course, goes back on her word because she’s Cersei and she doesn’t care about anybody but herself and her unborn child.
Jaime finally breaks away from his psychotic sister/lover/baby mama (again, ew). This is huge because it shows just how far Jaime came from the beginning when he pushed a kid out a window.
Littlefinger, at last, gets his comeuppance after all of his unthinkable actions throughout the series. It’s another satisfying Arya assassination.
What am I forgetting? Oh right, that R + L = J is entirely and utterly true! That’s right, Jon is actually Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Not only that, because he is Rhegar’s legitimate son, he’s the rightful heir to the Iron Throne!
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And then Jon and Daenerys get it on while they sail to Winterfell. That’s great, and all, but this whole revelation means that she’s his aunt. I can’t wait to see what happens when Sam tells them the truth!