*obviously HUGE SPOILERS FOLLOW*
*The following article is an excerpt from Tres's Three Pointers. To read the whole article, click here*
It’s been almost a full two weeks since the end of Game of Thrones and now that we’ve had time to think about the season and show as a whole, we can start making some big picture assessments. So I wanted to start that by ranking the top 10 moments from the last season of Game of Thrones.
There were plenty of moments to choose from, but there can only be 10! I also did a little bit of cheating by combining some scenes together and including a montage (it’s the only one in the season so you know which one I’m talking about).
Let’s get right into this with Number 10
10) Jaime sees Bran at the end of Episode 1. – Winterfell
To me, this was a moment the show didn’t have to give us, but they did. Like most of Season 8, they could have just skipped over a minor plot like this and left Jaime’s attempted murder of Bran unresolved. Instead they delivered a subtly hilarious moment and the internet created dozens of high-quality memes as a result. Plus Jaime’s reaction when he turns and sees Bran is priceless. It is the last person he wanted to see, and it ended up being the first person he ran into. Thus this moment is number 10.
9) Clegane Bowl!! – The Bells
GET HYPE! This battle was absolutely brutal and lived up to all the hype we expected of these two brothers. Juxtaposed with the destruction of King’s Landing and fire burning down the Red Keep in the background, the battle between the two Clegane brothers rivaled some of the best battles in show history.
This battle also started out satisfyingly as Qyburn was chucked into a rock and killed by his own creation. Couple that with Cersei awkwardly trying to exit stage left before the two fought, you had some needed brevity in a scene that you knew would end poorly for each character.
Finally the fact that they both killed each other in the process was a poetic sendoff and the only way this fight between the two could have actually ended.
8) The Arrow Shot (the end of the Dothraki) – The Long Night
This scene ended up not having a massive impact in the show long-term, but in the moment, it was jarring because of how majestic and frightening the single shot of the Dothraki light going out was. You saw Dany lose her army in front of her and you understood how powerful the army of the dead really was. It was a perfect tone setter for an incredible episode.
7) Jorah saves Dany – The Long Night
When Dany was surrounded by the dead, you thought that she was doomed (she did have plot armor, but it was still dramatic). Then Jorah emerged and took several swords to the gut protecting her. Dany, in a desperate attempt to help Jorah, picked up a sword of her own and they fought off the dead together until Jorah’s end. He never collapsed either until every single dead wight coming her way was finished. He died the only way he wanted to, at his Khaleesi’s side protecting her.
6) Dany burns down King’s Landing – The Bells
This turn by Dany from liberator to mass murder was sudden and unearned in many ways, but the devastation and digital effects surrounding it were amazing. Emilia Clarke’s face portrayed pain, anger, and heartbreak all at once as you saw the turn happening in real time.
The fire itself was incredibly realistic, and the absolute fear and shock on every character’s face was horrifying to watch as they were witnessing the horror before them unfold.
This scene was also a massive turning point in the show because it officially solidified Dany’s turn from being a hero to a villain. We knew as well that because there was no turning back, either Arya or Jon would have to kill her in order to protect the realm.
As a 6a, I also want to include this shot:
5) Jon kills Dany – The Iron Throne
This moment was effectively the end of the show. All of the real drama was over, and Jon finally became a king slayer as he betrayed his honor and committed regicide. As Jon went to stab Dany, they both embraced like lovers for one last time…then the sound of the knife being driven into the gut of a character was heard. At first, we couldn’t tell who killed who, but then, we saw the look in Dany’s eyes, and we saw blood drip from her mouth. At this moment we knew Jon went through with his final act to defend the realm. This tragic scene, coupled with Drogon’s destruction of the Iron Throne, was a truly moving scene both literally and symbolically.
It symbolized the breaking of the wheel just like how Dany had always imagined. And while she did not live to see her vision, her dream was fulfilled, nonetheless.
4) Sam reveals Jon’s parentage to him
Having just heard the news about his family from Dany himself, Sam is then forced to reveal life changing news to Jon. He is burdened with the biggest secret in all of Westeros and one of the driving forces in the story up until this point (obviously the reveal ended up not meaning much after, but it was still a big deal in the moment). It was also a reveal we were waiting for since the first Tower of Joy scene in Season 6. Book fans had been waiting for over 20 years to hear this news.
The mystery of Jon’s parentage is just one of the many, world building secrets that made watching this show so enjoyable. The news also complicated his relationship with Dany and was one of the contributing factors that caused Dany to feel even more isolated and broken.
3) Fire Side Chats with our favorite B-Level characters (plus the knighting of Brienne) – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Jaime and Tyrion sit alone by the fire in the Winterfell Great Hall. They talk about their impending doomed when they are interrupted by Brienne and Podrick. Then Tormund, along with his Giant’s Milk, arrives followed shortly by Davos. All of the sudden we have some of our favorite characters all together in a room and the scene did not disappoint.
Tyrion does his best to get everyone drunk and talking. Tormund tells perhaps the greatest story of all time about how he suckled at the teat of a giant when he was 10 years old. Podrick busts out his beautiful voice as he sings a rendition of “Jenny’s Song” which ended up being foreshadowing for Jon and Dany’s doomed relationship.
Finally the scene culminates in the knighting of Brienne as she finally earns the reward for her courage and bravery that she has deserved all along. And to make it even better, Jaime is the one who knights her. There is not a better character in the entire show who could have done that for her because of the history they shared together. It was a true exemplification of their love for each other.
2) Arya kills the Night King – The Long Night
All hope is lost. Theon has just died trying to protect Bran, Jon can’t get past Viserion, and Dany is surrounded by the dead. It seems like Bran is about to die and the Night King is about to win when suddenly Arya leaps from behind him, switches her dagger and drives her Valyrian steel dagger into the heart of the Night King.
This kill was a payoff after multiple seasons of setup (although maybe not intentionally) – ARTICLE ABOUT NK. From Melisandre’s words to Arya in Season 3 about her shutting “blue eyes”, to her training to be a super ninja at the House of Black and White, to Bran placing the dagger in Arya’s hand at the Godswood last season; Arya’s kill of the Night King was earned and satisfying.
It also ended the biggest bad in the entire series and her single action saved the entire realm. I jumped off my couch and screamed when she made the kill, so this scene comes in at number two for me.
1) A Time for Wolves Montage
The number one on this list is absolutely no surprise and it deserves to be the top spot for multiple reasons.
This final montage, despite my issues with the finale as a whole, was perfect to me in just about every way. It ended with the Starks all fulfilling their life’s goals. Arya got to be an explorer and set out to discover “what’s west of Westeros”, Sansa finally earned the title of “Queen in the North”, and Jon got to be free of the political drama that he hated so much. Plus Jon pet Ghost which was super emotional, and I was so proud of him for finally going back and doing what she should have done in Episode 4!
This story was always about the Starks and so it made sense that the show ended by showing you where all the Starks ended their story. It also gave us a sense that these characters all have many more adventure ahead of them in their journeys as they now are free to do what they want. Jon can explore the north and see what else is out there besides wildlings and “Ice Spiders as big as hounds”. Arya can find out if Krakens exist and Sansa will have plenty of more political drama to deal with as she attempts to govern a now independent nature.
This final montage reminded who the story was about while also leaving us with a feeling of joy for the places each of these characters ended up in. Because of those reasons, the final montage to end the show is the best moment from all of Season 8.
*all photos are screenshots taken from HBONOW.com