With HBO’s mega-hit “Game of Thrones” heading around the final curve toward the finish line, we’re looking back at seven seasons of episodes and picking out the 15 best.
Spoilers ahead.
15. The Bear and the Maiden Fair
Season 3, Episode 7
In Season 3, episode 7, Daenerys was truly coming into her own as a ruler as she laid plans to take over the city of Yunkai and free all the slaves therein. This was also the episode that infamously featured Theon getting castrated by Ramsay Bolton, after having tortured him in previous episodes. The most famous scene of this one, however, was the ending in which Brienne squared off against a live bear with little more than a stick to defend herself, forcing Jaime to put himself in danger to save her.
Season 3, Episode 6
The Wall has remained the most awe-inspiring landmark in “Game of Thrones,” but this episode painted its enormity in a new light. Watching Jon, Ygritte, Tormund, and the rest of the wildlings scale The Wall was a pulse-pounding experience. “The Climb” gets bonus points for having Littlefinger and Varys’ “chaos is a ladder” exchange.
Season 6, Episode 2
Season 6, episode 2 introduced Euron Greyjoy while also killing off Roose Bolton, courtesy of his son Ramsay. Bran also experiences a vision of Winterfell when his father was a child, seeing his uncle Benjen and aunt Lyanna as well. And in a twist ending that almost everyone saw coming, Jon Snow was brought back from the dead by Melisandre.
12. The Lion and the Rose
Season 4, Episode 2
In Season 4, episode 2, fans learned that Ramsay Bolton has successfully turned Theon into his sniveling servant Reek. It also featured a fantastic scene in which Tywin verbally spars with Lady Olenna, aka the Queen of Thorns. But this episode makes the list for one simple reason: Joffrey finally dies. The horrid boy king is living it up at his wedding when he suddenly starts choking. It becomes painfully obvious very quickly that he has been poisoned, and everyone in the kingdom probably wished they had been the ones to administer it.
Season 4, Episode 10
The Season 4 finale saw Daenerys heartbreakingly chain two of her dragons rather than let them kill innocent people, as well as Stannis Baratheon break Mance Rayder’s wildling army. Bran Stark also finally meets the Three-Eyed Raven, and Brienne has a knock-down, drag-out with the Hound. And perhaps one of the last remaining shreds of Tyrion’s convivial nature dies when he not only kills his traitorous former lover, Shae, but also his tyrannical father Tywin.