All 8 Game of Thrones seasons ranked from worst to best

4. Game of Thrones season 5

The fifth season of Game of Thrones is another rollercoaster of emotions. Just like in the seasons we’ve broken down so far, there are some amazing moments as well as truly frustrating ones.

One of the best moments is the epic battle at Hardhome, which sees Jon Snow and the Wildlings facing off against the White Walkers and their army of wights. The special effects are incredible, and the tension is gripping as the Night King raises the dead to join his army. Jon and Tormund together are one of my favorite duos of the whole show, so any scenes of them in battle are awesome to me.

Season 5 is also when Cersei Lannister has to do her walk of shame, which is painful to watch but also so memorable. I still, to this day, can’t believe how messed up that is! And of course, one of the most shocking parts of the season is Jon’s death. The Night’s Watch secretly coming together to kill Jon over his involvement with the Wildlings is chilling. It’s still hard for me to sit through on a rewatch.

One of the most controversial moments in season 5, however, is the sexual assault of Sansa Stark by Ramsay Bolton on their wedding night. This scene is not in the books and is still seen as gratuitous by many. It highlights the show’s poor treatment of female characters, a common criticism of the HBO adaptation. The scene doesn’t have to be that graphic for impact to be made.

While there are some standout moments, there are also some missteps in season 5 that leave us feeling frustrated.