30 MOST SHOCKING MOMENTS IN GAME OF THRONES (warning spoil)
BY JONATHAN HATFULL
FROM ITS VERY FIRST EPISODE, GAME OF THRONES ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS ONE OF THE MOST PROVOCATIVE AND DARING SHOWS ON TV. JOIN US AS WE COUNT DOWN THE TEN MOST SHOCKING MOMENTS OF EACH SEASON SO FAR…
SEASON 1
1. NED KEEPS HIS WORD
EPISODE NINE, ‘BAELOR’
In terms of pure, slack-jawed surprise, nothing on Game Of Thrones has come close to matching the fate that is met by Sean Bean’s Ned Stark. He was our identification point, the lead character and moral centre in a violent, murky and dishonourable world.
His imprisonment was a shock, but there was every reason to think that Ned could somehow find his way out of it. In fact, there was every reason to believe that Ned could somehow keep his head, right up until the very moment that Joffrey ordered the executioner to bring the sword down. It was a brutal message to viewers that nobody was safe.
2. A CROWN FOR A KING
EPISODE SIX, ‘A GOLDEN CROWN’
A nasty end for Viserys Targaryen had been on the cards for a while, but things came to a head when he realised just how powerful younger sister Daenerys had become. He wanted to leave with her, demanding the crown that he was promised, only to discover that Drogo had one for him, and a form-fitting one to boot. Daenerys standing by as her brother has a cauldron of boiling gold poured over his head is fantastically cold, as is her brief eulogy: “He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.”
3. IT’S NOT ABOUT HONOUR
EPISODE SIX, ‘A GOLDEN CROWN’
Facing the prospect of being thrown through the Eyrie’s Sky Door, Tyrion offers a Lannister debt to anyone who’ll fight on his behalf. Quick-witted mercenary Bronn steps up, and promptly establishes his character: an incredibly gifted swordsman with no morals who will willingly cheat when he has to. “You did not fight with honour!” exclaims Lady Arryn. No, he certainly did not. He did win though, and a partnership was born.
4. HEART OF A STALLION
EPISODE SIX, ‘A GOLDEN CROWN’
When it’s revealed that the Khaleesi is with child, she has to go through a pregnancy ritual. Naturally, if you want your child to have the strength of a stallion, you have to eat the heart of a stallion. Raw. Drogo looks proudly on as Dany chews her way through the bleeding organ, and our hearts (and stomachs) went out to her. It was gruesome and stomach-turning, but also another strong reminder of her unflinching dedication.
5. WEDDING NIGHT
EPISODE ONE, ‘WINTER IS COMING’
It’s safe to say that any discussion of whether or not Game Of Thrones was a sexist or even misogynist show began with the treatment of Daenerys at the hands of her new husband Drogo on their wedding night. Daenerys’ unwillingness is as clear as Drogo’s insistence, which frankly means this first union between the two characters is a rape. Subsequently, their union becomes a partnership, which is why it’s so strange that this scene was staged as an assault.
6. UNACCEPTABLE BREASTFEEDING
EPISODE FIVE, ‘THE WOLF AND THE LION’
The rumblings that Lysa Arryn was not entirely with it proved entirely correct when Catelyn Stark arrived with her prisoner Tyrion in tow at the Eyrie to ask her sister for help. If proof was needed that there was more than geography separating Lysa and the eminently sensible Catelyn, it was soon given when we were forced to witness the Lady of the Vale breastfeeding her son Robin, who is of an age where ‘creepy’ doesn’t quite cover it.
7. DEFENESTRATION
EPISODE ONE, ‘WINTER IS COMING’
After the not-insignificant shock of seeing Jaime and Cersei Lannister in the throes of incestuous passion, the first episode took our breath away as the brother and sister chose a brutal way to solve the problem of being discovered by scrappy little wall-climber Bran Stark. The 11-year-old boy freezes as Jaime approaches him and declares “The things I do for love,” before pushing him out of the window. From this point, there was no doubt about what the frosty Lannister clan was capable of.
8. YOU CAN’T TRUST ANYONE
EPISODE SEVEN, ‘YOU WIN OR YOU DIE’
Littlefinger explicitly told Ned Stark not to trust anyone in King’s Landing, and why on earth would you trust a man who you know has feelings for your wife? It’s this kind of na?vet? that leads Ned to believe he can just go ahead and expose the terrible secret of Joffrey’s incestuous ancestry, and Littlefi nger knows which side will offer the biggest reward. “I did warn you not to trust me,” he hisses with his knife to Ned’s throat.
9. KHAL DROGO WINS TO LOSE
EPISODE TEN, ‘FIRE AND BLOOD’
Drogo had never been defeated in battle, he’d poured molten gold over the head of an irritant who displeased him, and it’s just another example of his bad-assdom when he challenges one his men to a duel after being accused of being brainwashed by his “foreign whore.” Although he wins, vengeful slave Mirri Maz Duur poisons his wound, and Daenerys ends up smothering the love of her life with a pillow. It was a sorry end for him, but marked another step in his wife’s development.
10. HERE BE DRAGONS. ACTUAL DRAGONS
EPISODE TEN, ‘FIRE AND BLOOD’
The end of Season One was incredibly tough on Daenerys, as she had sacrificed her unborn child in a failed attempt to save her husband’s life. When she placed her dragon eggs on Drogo’s funeral pyre, we weren’t sure what to expect, even less so when she stepped into the fire herself. However, she emerged – a little sooty but more glorious than ever – with her three baby dragons. The much-talked about monsters were finally here.
11. BATTLE OF THE BLACKWATER
EPISODE NINE, ‘BLACKWATER
Tyrion’s masterplan to defeat Stannis Baratheon’s forces against overwhelming odds was one of the most jaw-dropping sequences that the show had ever delivered. The deadly wildfire that had been laced throughout the Blackwater was set alight, decimating Stannis’ fleet in an inferno of green flames. It was beautifully staged carnage of the kind that we hadn’t really seen before on Game Of Thrones, and our hopes that Joffrey would finally be forced off the Iron Throne and straight to hell were dashed.
12. “DO YOU HAVE ANY NOTION OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CITY IS SACKED?”
EPISODE NINE, ‘BLACKWATER’
Game Of Thrones has never been shy about using the threat of sexual assault to demonstrate how dangerous the world of the show is. As Stannis’ forces approach King’s Landing, Sansa Stark becomes Cersei’s drinking companion, and is told what will happen if the city should fall, namely that “these fine women should be in for a bit of a rape.” Watching the Queen Regent prepare to kill her son Tommen rather than allow him to be taken is one of the season’s more surprisingly heart-rending moments.
SEASON 2
13. DAENERYS GETS WHAT SHE CAME FOR
EPISODE TEN, ‘VALAR MORGHULIS’
When her babies are taken from her, Daenerys is forced to go to the House of the Undying to reclaim them. Visions of Drogo that were meant to force her to linger instead led to greedy warlock Pyat Pree’s doom. Dany orders her dragons to roast the creepy magician alive, before locking the treacherous, lying Xaro and her backstabbing handmaiden Doreah inside the richest man in Qarth’s empty vault and gets her mission back on track.
14. WHITE WALKERS
EPISODE TEN, ‘BLACKWATER’
The White Walkers were the unseen horror of the winter that we kept being told was coming. Season Two ended with our first clear look at these monsters, and what a look it was. It’s a superbly staged horror sequence, as Samwell Tarly, Grenn and Dolorous Edd hear the warning horns. One blast means Jon Snow and Qhorin Halfhand returning, and two means Wildlings. They draw their swords, but a third blast strikes terror into them: White Walkers. Grenn and Edd flee, leaving Sam to cower as the undead army heads south.
15. THEON NEVER REALLY WINS
EPISODE SIX, ‘THE OLD GODS AND THE NEW’
We had spent most of the first season watching Theon Greyjoy embrace everything and everyone that being in the possession of the Starks offered him, but when he was confronted with his father’s disappointment, Theon decided to act. He stormed Winterfell, killed two children – claiming that they were Bran and Rickon Stark – and turned his back on the people who he had sworn fealty to. Watching Theon fall from grace was both horrifying and oddly moving, as his need to be loved continued to show through.
16. MARGAERY TYRELL IS NO FOOL
EPISODE THREE, ‘WHAT IS DEAD MAY NEVER DIE’
There’s no reason to be overly impressed by Margaery Tyrell at first. How bright could she be if she’s marrying Renly Baratheon, a man whose sexuality seems to be Westeros’s worstkept secret? However, on their wedding night she reveals that she knows all about him, including his love for her brother, even offering to leave and fetch Loras herself. This is our first hint of Margaery’s willingness to do whatever it takes to reach the Iron Throne.
17. CHANGING FACE
EPISODE TEN, ‘VALAR MORGHULIS’
With Arya Stark a prisoner of Tywin Lannister, the mysterious Jaqen H’ghar offered her a handy payment in return for saving his life: he would kill any three people she asked him to. An impossible feat, but a man was uniquely talented at appearing and disappearing without a trace, and in the season finale we discovered why. After offering Arya the opportunity to join him in Braavos to become one of the Faceless Men, we see how they get their name, as he turns around with a completely new identity.
18. IT’S A RIOT
EPISODE SIX, ‘THE OLD GODS AND THE NEW’
Joffrey’s heinousness had largely gone unpunished until he and his royal retinue pass through a crowd of starving civilians. It’s not long until one of his subjects heaves a handful of cow dung at the king, and a fullblown riot gets underway as Joffrey orders his men to kill everyone. Sandor ‘The Hound’ Clegane’s actions are just as shocking, rescuing Sansa from a gang of rapists and revealing that there is a heart somewhere underneath his merciless fa?ade.
19. JON SNOW’S STRATEGIC BETRAYAL
EPISODE TEN, ‘VALAR MORGHULIS’
It’s obvious that fiery Ygritte is going to be nothing but trouble, and it’s not long before Jon Snow and his commander Qhorin Halfhand become Wildling prisoners. Qhorin realises the potential for Jon to become a spy for the Night’s Watch, and urges him to play the part, forcing his hand by attacking him. When Jon runs Qhorin through, he whispers “We are the Watchers on the Wall.” Notions of honour and sacrifice suddenly gained real meaning, and the impact on Jon was clear.
20. DEMON SMOKE BABY
EPISODE FOUR, ‘GARDEN OF BONES’
Stannis places his faith in fire priestess Melisandre to take care of his younger brother Renly, and she shuffles the man who would be king off the mortal coil. Right-hand man Davos Seaworth looks on in horror as she gives birth to some kind of smoke demon that slays Renly in his tent. These small glimpses of magic and horror remind us that anything is possible.
21. RED WEDDING
EPISODE NINE, ‘THE RAINS OF CASTAMERE’
Fans of the books could talk about how they knew it was coming, but there’s no denying the sheer impact of the Red Wedding sequence. These were the characters who could be held up as forces for good in this dark, dark world, and to see them so cruelly and brutally cut down was frankly traumatising. After seeing poor Talisa and their unborn son murdered, Robb Stark is shot with a crossbow, while a desperate Catelyn takes Walder Frey’s wife hostage. “I’ll get another,” Frey shrugs, and as Robb is killed by the treacherous Roose Bolton, Cat howls as she slits the girl’s throat, before being killed in turn. Michelle Fairley’s performance is utterly devastating. We’re not sure we’ve gotten over it yet.
22. HIS WATCH IS ENDED
EPISODE FOUR, ‘AND NOW HIS WATCH IS ENDED
The Night’s Watch is made up of men of varying skill who had either volunteered or been press-ganged into taking the black and heading north. With some exceptions, honour had been forced on these men, but they had been kept in line by the formidable Jeor Mormont. When the Watch demanded to take the supplies of the grotesque, lecherous Craster, we assumed that the Old Bear would keep them in line, and it was devastating to see him so cruelly betrayed.
23. LITTLEFINGER’S REVENGE
EPISODE FIVE, ‘THE CLIMB’
Poor Ros had lasted nearly three seasons. However, her mouth gets her into trouble when Littlefinger discovers that she’s been feeding information to his rival Varys. The reveal of her mutilated corpse is one of the most unpleasant scenes in a gruesome season, prompting further debate about the show’s treatment of its female characters. In terms of what it means for the story, it’s another sharp reminder that marriage will not temper Joffrey’s psychosis and that Littlefinger has no interests but his own.
24. DADDY CAN’T HELP YOU NOW
EPISODE THREE, ‘THE WALK OF PUNISHMENT
The Kingslayer had always kept his smug sense of humour. No matter how dire the situation, he could always fall back on his reputation as a swordsman. Until, that is, he got on the wrong side of brutal hunter Locke, who took exception to Jaime using his father Tywin as a threat. “You’re nothing without your daddy,” Locke spits. “Your daddy ain’t here. Never forget that. Here, this should help you remember!” With that, Jaime’s sword hand is gone, and his life will never be the same again.
25. CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT
EPISODE SEVEN, ‘THE BEAR AND THE MAIDEN FAIR’
Jaime lost his famous sword hand, and Theon suffered a similar fate in the Dreadfort. He’s put through some brutal torture, but things only gets worse for him. After a staged escape attempt that nearly sees him – literally – buggered, Theon suffers a flayed pinkie finger and twisted mind games, after which the sadistic Ramsay Snow decides to remove the part of Theon’s body everyone has heard of. The next time we see the psychopath, he’s taking a bite of a large sausage. Not subtle, but definitely effective.
26. DAENERYS BLOWS HER TOP
EPISODE FOUR, ‘AND NOW HIS WATCH IS ENDED’
After spending Season Two watching Daenerys ponder allegiances in Qarth, seeing her attempting to purchase slaves in Astapor didn’t seem like a massive step forward. However, we were surprised to see her agree to trade Drogon, the largest of her dragons, in exchange for the Unsullied slave army. As it turns out, her dragons don’t take orders because they’re not slaves. They listen to their mother sure enough, though, and set slavemaster Kraznys alight. This season we saw a new side to Daenerys: warrior queen.
27. THE ROYAL WEDDING VOW
EPISODE EIGHT, ‘SECOND SONS’
The season saw Tyrion becoming increasingly compassionate and responsible, and there’s no greater example of this than his wedding to Sansa. Tyrion navigates what could be the most awkward ceremony in history, and manages to keep his new bride away from the cackling Joffrey. As the wedding wears on, the increasingly wine-soaked Tyrion refuses to ‘bed’ Sansa in front of the assembled guests, and even threatens to castrate Joffrey. Thanks to Tywin’s intervention he gets away with it… for now.
28. SAM THE SLAYER
EPISODE EIGHT, ‘SECOND SONS’
As Sam fled for the Wall with his beloved Gilly and her baby in tow, it seemed like a prime occasion for the makeshift family to be killed off. All signs point to death as their makeshift refuge is covered in crows, heralding the arrival of a White Walker. Sam is full of surprises, however, and produces the dragonglass blade he found at the Fist of the First Men. Suddenly, the Night’s Watch’s whipping boy becomes a White Walker slayer. It’s inspiring stuff.
29. INTO THE BEAR PIT
EPISODE SEVEN, ‘THE BEAR AND THE MAIDEN FAIR’
We questioned exactly how much the Kingslayer cared about his captor, especially when he was given the opportunity to go home without her, Jaime left Brienne to be put into a dress and thrown into a bear pit. Despite being one of the best fighters on the show, even Brienne has her limits, and a real live bear looked like it was one of them. However, Jaime reveals that their time together wasn’t entirely meaningless, and returns, jumping into the pit to rescue the person who might be the first real friend he’s ever had.
30. DEATH IS NOT THE END
EPISODE FIVE, ‘KISSED BY FIRE’
The Brotherhood Without Banners are an interesting group of uncertain loyalty and morality, especially with Paul Kaye’s Thoros of Myr making for an unlikely holy man. His priesthood credentials are proven when he performs a miracle on his leader Beric Dondarrion, bringing him back to life after his deadly duel with the Hound. We learn that he has died and been brought back to life six times, although actor Richard Dormer gives Beric a hint of tragedy as he tells Arya that nothing comes without a price.
MAXGAX.COM
BY JONATHAN HATFULL
FROM ITS VERY FIRST EPISODE, GAME OF THRONES ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS ONE OF THE MOST PROVOCATIVE AND DARING SHOWS ON TV. JOIN US AS WE COUNT DOWN THE TEN MOST SHOCKING MOMENTS OF EACH SEASON SO FAR…
SEASON 1
1. NED KEEPS HIS WORD
EPISODE NINE, ‘BAELOR’
In terms of pure, slack-jawed surprise, nothing on Game Of Thrones has come close to matching the fate that is met by Sean Bean’s Ned Stark. He was our identification point, the lead character and moral centre in a violent, murky and dishonourable world.
His imprisonment was a shock, but there was every reason to think that Ned could somehow find his way out of it. In fact, there was every reason to believe that Ned could somehow keep his head, right up until the very moment that Joffrey ordered the executioner to bring the sword down. It was a brutal message to viewers that nobody was safe.
2. A CROWN FOR A KING
EPISODE SIX, ‘A GOLDEN CROWN’
A nasty end for Viserys Targaryen had been on the cards for a while, but things came to a head when he realised just how powerful younger sister Daenerys had become. He wanted to leave with her, demanding the crown that he was promised, only to discover that Drogo had one for him, and a form-fitting one to boot. Daenerys standing by as her brother has a cauldron of boiling gold poured over his head is fantastically cold, as is her brief eulogy: “He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.”
3. IT’S NOT ABOUT HONOUR
EPISODE SIX, ‘A GOLDEN CROWN’
Facing the prospect of being thrown through the Eyrie’s Sky Door, Tyrion offers a Lannister debt to anyone who’ll fight on his behalf. Quick-witted mercenary Bronn steps up, and promptly establishes his character: an incredibly gifted swordsman with no morals who will willingly cheat when he has to. “You did not fight with honour!” exclaims Lady Arryn. No, he certainly did not. He did win though, and a partnership was born.
4. HEART OF A STALLION
EPISODE SIX, ‘A GOLDEN CROWN’
When it’s revealed that the Khaleesi is with child, she has to go through a pregnancy ritual. Naturally, if you want your child to have the strength of a stallion, you have to eat the heart of a stallion. Raw. Drogo looks proudly on as Dany chews her way through the bleeding organ, and our hearts (and stomachs) went out to her. It was gruesome and stomach-turning, but also another strong reminder of her unflinching dedication.
5. WEDDING NIGHT
EPISODE ONE, ‘WINTER IS COMING’
It’s safe to say that any discussion of whether or not Game Of Thrones was a sexist or even misogynist show began with the treatment of Daenerys at the hands of her new husband Drogo on their wedding night. Daenerys’ unwillingness is as clear as Drogo’s insistence, which frankly means this first union between the two characters is a rape. Subsequently, their union becomes a partnership, which is why it’s so strange that this scene was staged as an assault.
6. UNACCEPTABLE BREASTFEEDING
EPISODE FIVE, ‘THE WOLF AND THE LION’
The rumblings that Lysa Arryn was not entirely with it proved entirely correct when Catelyn Stark arrived with her prisoner Tyrion in tow at the Eyrie to ask her sister for help. If proof was needed that there was more than geography separating Lysa and the eminently sensible Catelyn, it was soon given when we were forced to witness the Lady of the Vale breastfeeding her son Robin, who is of an age where ‘creepy’ doesn’t quite cover it.
7. DEFENESTRATION
EPISODE ONE, ‘WINTER IS COMING’
After the not-insignificant shock of seeing Jaime and Cersei Lannister in the throes of incestuous passion, the first episode took our breath away as the brother and sister chose a brutal way to solve the problem of being discovered by scrappy little wall-climber Bran Stark. The 11-year-old boy freezes as Jaime approaches him and declares “The things I do for love,” before pushing him out of the window. From this point, there was no doubt about what the frosty Lannister clan was capable of.
8. YOU CAN’T TRUST ANYONE
EPISODE SEVEN, ‘YOU WIN OR YOU DIE’
Littlefinger explicitly told Ned Stark not to trust anyone in King’s Landing, and why on earth would you trust a man who you know has feelings for your wife? It’s this kind of na?vet? that leads Ned to believe he can just go ahead and expose the terrible secret of Joffrey’s incestuous ancestry, and Littlefi nger knows which side will offer the biggest reward. “I did warn you not to trust me,” he hisses with his knife to Ned’s throat.
9. KHAL DROGO WINS TO LOSE
EPISODE TEN, ‘FIRE AND BLOOD’
Drogo had never been defeated in battle, he’d poured molten gold over the head of an irritant who displeased him, and it’s just another example of his bad-assdom when he challenges one his men to a duel after being accused of being brainwashed by his “foreign whore.” Although he wins, vengeful slave Mirri Maz Duur poisons his wound, and Daenerys ends up smothering the love of her life with a pillow. It was a sorry end for him, but marked another step in his wife’s development.
10. HERE BE DRAGONS. ACTUAL DRAGONS
EPISODE TEN, ‘FIRE AND BLOOD’
The end of Season One was incredibly tough on Daenerys, as she had sacrificed her unborn child in a failed attempt to save her husband’s life. When she placed her dragon eggs on Drogo’s funeral pyre, we weren’t sure what to expect, even less so when she stepped into the fire herself. However, she emerged – a little sooty but more glorious than ever – with her three baby dragons. The much-talked about monsters were finally here.
11. BATTLE OF THE BLACKWATER
EPISODE NINE, ‘BLACKWATER
Tyrion’s masterplan to defeat Stannis Baratheon’s forces against overwhelming odds was one of the most jaw-dropping sequences that the show had ever delivered. The deadly wildfire that had been laced throughout the Blackwater was set alight, decimating Stannis’ fleet in an inferno of green flames. It was beautifully staged carnage of the kind that we hadn’t really seen before on Game Of Thrones, and our hopes that Joffrey would finally be forced off the Iron Throne and straight to hell were dashed.
12. “DO YOU HAVE ANY NOTION OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CITY IS SACKED?”
EPISODE NINE, ‘BLACKWATER’
Game Of Thrones has never been shy about using the threat of sexual assault to demonstrate how dangerous the world of the show is. As Stannis’ forces approach King’s Landing, Sansa Stark becomes Cersei’s drinking companion, and is told what will happen if the city should fall, namely that “these fine women should be in for a bit of a rape.” Watching the Queen Regent prepare to kill her son Tommen rather than allow him to be taken is one of the season’s more surprisingly heart-rending moments.
SEASON 2
13. DAENERYS GETS WHAT SHE CAME FOR
EPISODE TEN, ‘VALAR MORGHULIS’
When her babies are taken from her, Daenerys is forced to go to the House of the Undying to reclaim them. Visions of Drogo that were meant to force her to linger instead led to greedy warlock Pyat Pree’s doom. Dany orders her dragons to roast the creepy magician alive, before locking the treacherous, lying Xaro and her backstabbing handmaiden Doreah inside the richest man in Qarth’s empty vault and gets her mission back on track.
14. WHITE WALKERS
EPISODE TEN, ‘BLACKWATER’
The White Walkers were the unseen horror of the winter that we kept being told was coming. Season Two ended with our first clear look at these monsters, and what a look it was. It’s a superbly staged horror sequence, as Samwell Tarly, Grenn and Dolorous Edd hear the warning horns. One blast means Jon Snow and Qhorin Halfhand returning, and two means Wildlings. They draw their swords, but a third blast strikes terror into them: White Walkers. Grenn and Edd flee, leaving Sam to cower as the undead army heads south.
15. THEON NEVER REALLY WINS
EPISODE SIX, ‘THE OLD GODS AND THE NEW’
We had spent most of the first season watching Theon Greyjoy embrace everything and everyone that being in the possession of the Starks offered him, but when he was confronted with his father’s disappointment, Theon decided to act. He stormed Winterfell, killed two children – claiming that they were Bran and Rickon Stark – and turned his back on the people who he had sworn fealty to. Watching Theon fall from grace was both horrifying and oddly moving, as his need to be loved continued to show through.
16. MARGAERY TYRELL IS NO FOOL
EPISODE THREE, ‘WHAT IS DEAD MAY NEVER DIE’
There’s no reason to be overly impressed by Margaery Tyrell at first. How bright could she be if she’s marrying Renly Baratheon, a man whose sexuality seems to be Westeros’s worstkept secret? However, on their wedding night she reveals that she knows all about him, including his love for her brother, even offering to leave and fetch Loras herself. This is our first hint of Margaery’s willingness to do whatever it takes to reach the Iron Throne.
17. CHANGING FACE
EPISODE TEN, ‘VALAR MORGHULIS’
With Arya Stark a prisoner of Tywin Lannister, the mysterious Jaqen H’ghar offered her a handy payment in return for saving his life: he would kill any three people she asked him to. An impossible feat, but a man was uniquely talented at appearing and disappearing without a trace, and in the season finale we discovered why. After offering Arya the opportunity to join him in Braavos to become one of the Faceless Men, we see how they get their name, as he turns around with a completely new identity.
18. IT’S A RIOT
EPISODE SIX, ‘THE OLD GODS AND THE NEW’
Joffrey’s heinousness had largely gone unpunished until he and his royal retinue pass through a crowd of starving civilians. It’s not long until one of his subjects heaves a handful of cow dung at the king, and a fullblown riot gets underway as Joffrey orders his men to kill everyone. Sandor ‘The Hound’ Clegane’s actions are just as shocking, rescuing Sansa from a gang of rapists and revealing that there is a heart somewhere underneath his merciless fa?ade.
19. JON SNOW’S STRATEGIC BETRAYAL
EPISODE TEN, ‘VALAR MORGHULIS’
It’s obvious that fiery Ygritte is going to be nothing but trouble, and it’s not long before Jon Snow and his commander Qhorin Halfhand become Wildling prisoners. Qhorin realises the potential for Jon to become a spy for the Night’s Watch, and urges him to play the part, forcing his hand by attacking him. When Jon runs Qhorin through, he whispers “We are the Watchers on the Wall.” Notions of honour and sacrifice suddenly gained real meaning, and the impact on Jon was clear.
20. DEMON SMOKE BABY
EPISODE FOUR, ‘GARDEN OF BONES’
Stannis places his faith in fire priestess Melisandre to take care of his younger brother Renly, and she shuffles the man who would be king off the mortal coil. Right-hand man Davos Seaworth looks on in horror as she gives birth to some kind of smoke demon that slays Renly in his tent. These small glimpses of magic and horror remind us that anything is possible.
21. RED WEDDING
EPISODE NINE, ‘THE RAINS OF CASTAMERE’
Fans of the books could talk about how they knew it was coming, but there’s no denying the sheer impact of the Red Wedding sequence. These were the characters who could be held up as forces for good in this dark, dark world, and to see them so cruelly and brutally cut down was frankly traumatising. After seeing poor Talisa and their unborn son murdered, Robb Stark is shot with a crossbow, while a desperate Catelyn takes Walder Frey’s wife hostage. “I’ll get another,” Frey shrugs, and as Robb is killed by the treacherous Roose Bolton, Cat howls as she slits the girl’s throat, before being killed in turn. Michelle Fairley’s performance is utterly devastating. We’re not sure we’ve gotten over it yet.
22. HIS WATCH IS ENDED
EPISODE FOUR, ‘AND NOW HIS WATCH IS ENDED
The Night’s Watch is made up of men of varying skill who had either volunteered or been press-ganged into taking the black and heading north. With some exceptions, honour had been forced on these men, but they had been kept in line by the formidable Jeor Mormont. When the Watch demanded to take the supplies of the grotesque, lecherous Craster, we assumed that the Old Bear would keep them in line, and it was devastating to see him so cruelly betrayed.
23. LITTLEFINGER’S REVENGE
EPISODE FIVE, ‘THE CLIMB’
Poor Ros had lasted nearly three seasons. However, her mouth gets her into trouble when Littlefinger discovers that she’s been feeding information to his rival Varys. The reveal of her mutilated corpse is one of the most unpleasant scenes in a gruesome season, prompting further debate about the show’s treatment of its female characters. In terms of what it means for the story, it’s another sharp reminder that marriage will not temper Joffrey’s psychosis and that Littlefinger has no interests but his own.
24. DADDY CAN’T HELP YOU NOW
EPISODE THREE, ‘THE WALK OF PUNISHMENT
The Kingslayer had always kept his smug sense of humour. No matter how dire the situation, he could always fall back on his reputation as a swordsman. Until, that is, he got on the wrong side of brutal hunter Locke, who took exception to Jaime using his father Tywin as a threat. “You’re nothing without your daddy,” Locke spits. “Your daddy ain’t here. Never forget that. Here, this should help you remember!” With that, Jaime’s sword hand is gone, and his life will never be the same again.
25. CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT
EPISODE SEVEN, ‘THE BEAR AND THE MAIDEN FAIR’
Jaime lost his famous sword hand, and Theon suffered a similar fate in the Dreadfort. He’s put through some brutal torture, but things only gets worse for him. After a staged escape attempt that nearly sees him – literally – buggered, Theon suffers a flayed pinkie finger and twisted mind games, after which the sadistic Ramsay Snow decides to remove the part of Theon’s body everyone has heard of. The next time we see the psychopath, he’s taking a bite of a large sausage. Not subtle, but definitely effective.
26. DAENERYS BLOWS HER TOP
EPISODE FOUR, ‘AND NOW HIS WATCH IS ENDED’
After spending Season Two watching Daenerys ponder allegiances in Qarth, seeing her attempting to purchase slaves in Astapor didn’t seem like a massive step forward. However, we were surprised to see her agree to trade Drogon, the largest of her dragons, in exchange for the Unsullied slave army. As it turns out, her dragons don’t take orders because they’re not slaves. They listen to their mother sure enough, though, and set slavemaster Kraznys alight. This season we saw a new side to Daenerys: warrior queen.
27. THE ROYAL WEDDING VOW
EPISODE EIGHT, ‘SECOND SONS’
The season saw Tyrion becoming increasingly compassionate and responsible, and there’s no greater example of this than his wedding to Sansa. Tyrion navigates what could be the most awkward ceremony in history, and manages to keep his new bride away from the cackling Joffrey. As the wedding wears on, the increasingly wine-soaked Tyrion refuses to ‘bed’ Sansa in front of the assembled guests, and even threatens to castrate Joffrey. Thanks to Tywin’s intervention he gets away with it… for now.
28. SAM THE SLAYER
EPISODE EIGHT, ‘SECOND SONS’
As Sam fled for the Wall with his beloved Gilly and her baby in tow, it seemed like a prime occasion for the makeshift family to be killed off. All signs point to death as their makeshift refuge is covered in crows, heralding the arrival of a White Walker. Sam is full of surprises, however, and produces the dragonglass blade he found at the Fist of the First Men. Suddenly, the Night’s Watch’s whipping boy becomes a White Walker slayer. It’s inspiring stuff.
29. INTO THE BEAR PIT
EPISODE SEVEN, ‘THE BEAR AND THE MAIDEN FAIR’
We questioned exactly how much the Kingslayer cared about his captor, especially when he was given the opportunity to go home without her, Jaime left Brienne to be put into a dress and thrown into a bear pit. Despite being one of the best fighters on the show, even Brienne has her limits, and a real live bear looked like it was one of them. However, Jaime reveals that their time together wasn’t entirely meaningless, and returns, jumping into the pit to rescue the person who might be the first real friend he’s ever had.
30. DEATH IS NOT THE END
EPISODE FIVE, ‘KISSED BY FIRE’
The Brotherhood Without Banners are an interesting group of uncertain loyalty and morality, especially with Paul Kaye’s Thoros of Myr making for an unlikely holy man. His priesthood credentials are proven when he performs a miracle on his leader Beric Dondarrion, bringing him back to life after his deadly duel with the Hound. We learn that he has died and been brought back to life six times, although actor Richard Dormer gives Beric a hint of tragedy as he tells Arya that nothing comes without a price.
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