The 6 best (and 5 worst) episodes of Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones “Beyond the Wall” (Season 7, episode 6)
Back to the lazy storytelling with “Beyond the Wall,” written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and directed by Alan Taylor. The penultimate episode of season 7 follows Jon and his crew as they journey beyond the Wall to capture a wight as proof that the undead are coming. Yep, it’s a really dumb idea. Daenerys flies out to help them but sadly, Viserion ends up being killed. In the process, they realize they can kill the whole army if they can kill the Night King.
Similar to most of season 8, this episode goes against logic and features uncharacteristic plot points. Viewers were not convinced these choices would be made by these characters, which really took away from the overall enjoyment of the episode. What’s also weird is that some characters are able to travel to different places much quicker than it’d been suggested to us in previous seasons. It’s like the writers turned their back on established geography for their convenience.
Despite a big battle beyond the Wall, the episode still feels pretty boring.
Verdict: WORST
Game of Thrones “The Mountain and the Viper” (Season 4, episode 8)
Written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and directed by Alex Graves, “The Mountain and the Viper” sees Oberyn Martell’s final appearance in Game of Thrones as he finally gets to confront the Mountain in a trial by combat.
Though we’re sad to see Oberyn go, his death scene is one of the most memorable in Game of Thrones history. And that’s definitely saying something. Pedro Pascal gives a great performance as the Red Viper and is a standout in the show despite being a supporting character in a limited amount of episodes.
“The Mountain and the Viper” also follows Arya and the Hound’s journey to the Eyrie, Littlefinger’s interrogation after Lysa Arryn’s death, and Roose legitimizing his son Ramsay. With Oberyn losing the duel against the Mountain, Twyin then sentences Tyrion to death for Joffrey’s murder. The episode’s narrative and character development make for high emotional stakes and iconic scenes.
Verdict: BEST