The 6 best (and 5 worst) episodes of Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” (Season 5, Episode 6)

Written by Bryan Cogman and directed by Jeremy Podeswa, “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” created controversy among fans and critics for its inclusion of violent sexual assault. Deviating from the source material, this episode sees Sansa Stark abused by Ramsay Bolton in a disturbing and exploitative scene. The changes to Sansa’s storyline were surprising, and though I don’t mind diversions from the books, I don’t understand why the show needed to be so graphic. Was it just for shock value? It feels really icky.

Sansa’s marriage to Ramsay and the abuse she suffers create tonal inconsistency in the episode. Elsewhere in “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken,” Jaqen shows Arya the Faceless Men chamber while Jaime and Bronn sneak into Dorne to try and get Myrcella back. The juxtaposition between these storylines and Sansa’s feels jarring.

Verdict: WORST

Game of Thrones “The Rains of Castamere” (Season 3, episode 9)

Without fail, this episode blows me away no matter how many times I watch it. I just watched it last night, in fact, and was overcome with emotions by the end. “The Rains of Castamere” was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and directed by David Nutter, and features one of the most shocking death scenes of the entire show. Of course, we’re talking about the Red Wedding.

The episode sees the Stark army arrive at the Twins for Edmure Tully’s marriage to Roslin Frey. Tensions are high from the start as Catelyn and Robb wonder how they’ll be treated. Remember, Robb was promised to one of Walder Frey’s daughters but broke his promise to marry Talisa. Now, to win them back, Robb has to make a formal apology and Edmure must marry the girl.

Things seem to be going well… until they aren’t. After Edmure and Roslin are taken away for their bedding, the Freys begin slaughtering the Starks. Catelyn, Robb, and Talisa all end up dying. Meanwhile, the Hound and Arya make it to the Twins just as the battle breaks out, and they realize it’s too late.

“The Rains of Castamere” is so carefully crafted and the attention to detail put into it is amazing. The performances, the production value, and the narrative element of surprise make for one of the most iconic episodes in TV history.

Verdict: BEST