Weekend Warm-up Special Edition: A Complete Retrospective on Game of Thrones

Yes, it is 2024 and we are doing a Game of Thrones retrospective — and no, there is not some kind of tie-in to Bayern Munich.

But why? Let’s discuss that before we really get going.

This was born out of some discussions in the comments of the Weekend Warm-up column, so we wanted to explore why many of us held some resentment toward the show — despite also acknowledging its greatness.

This is a one-off deal where we can explore why we all left the series so bitter (remember this was all triggered by lively discussions about the second season of House of the Dragon — which meandered badly).

Anyway, don’t get used to this kind of thing, but let’s check out from Bayern Munich for a post (and a podcast episode) and then dive back in the wacky world of German football after this very brief respite.

Rating the seasons

If you want to really refresh your memory with full recaps of every episode before you read this section, you can get them here.

Season 1

This set the tone for everything. We were given all of the pertinent, early storylines. We learned so much about the backgrounds and motivation of each character. The acting, suspense, pacing, and storytelling were all flawless. It was near-perfect. Here is a quick summary:

The first season introduces the world of Westeros, a land divided by power struggles among noble families. Eddard Stark, Warden of the North, is summoned to serve as Hand of the King to his old friend, Robert Baratheon. Intrigue unfolds as the Lannisters, led by Queen Cersei and her brother Tyrion, scheme to consolidate power. Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen, a scion of the exiled Targaryen dynasty, begins her rise to power after being married to the Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo. The season ends with shocking twists, including the execution of Ned Stark and the birth of Daenerys’ dragons, setting the stage for a broader conflict.

In the North, Jon Snow, Ned’s illegitimate son, joins the Night’s Watch, a brotherhood sworn to guard the Wall, which separates the realm from mysterious dangers beyond. The discovery of White Walkers and political treachery reveals that both internal and external threats loom over the Seven Kingdoms. Each house maneuvers for survival and dominance, with alliances formed and broken in a land where betrayal is a tool, and honor often comes at a steep price.

Best Episode: Season 1, Episode 9 — “Baelor”

• Joffrey executes Ned Stark.
• Daenerys experiences her Blood Magic fail (baby dies and Khal Drogo becomes an invalid).
• Tyrion has to fight in the vanguard with his Hill Tribes.
• Rob Stark agrees to marry a Frey, so his army can cross The Twins.
• Lord Commander Mormont gives Jon Snow his sword “Longclaw” for saving his life from a wight attack.
• Maester Aemon reveals who he is.

Season Rating: 10.00/10.00

Season 2

A masterful follow-up, which started to really tell the story of “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Qarth was a bit of a drag, but everything else was on-point. Here is a quick summary:

As the War of the Five Kings erupts, chaos spreads across Westeros. Robb Stark declares independence for the North, seeking vengeance for his father’s death, while Stannis and Renly Baratheon both claim the Iron Throne, challenging King Joffrey’s rule. Stannis aligns with the enigmatic priestess Melisandre, whose powers seem tied to a mysterious god, leading to strange and deadly events. Meanwhile, Tyrion Lannister becomes Hand of the King, trying to keep Joffrey’s cruelty in check while navigating the dangerous politics of King’s Landing.

Beyond the Wall, Jon Snow ventures deeper into the wildlands, encountering the enigmatic Wildlings and their charismatic leader, Mance Rayder. Across the sea, Daenerys struggles to protect her small band of followers while seeking allies and resources to reclaim her throne. The season crescendos with the epic Battle of Blackwater, where Stannis’ forces are repelled by Tyrion’s cunning use of wildfire, but the balance of power remains unstable as winter and larger threats loom.

Best Episode: Season 2, Episode 9 — “Blackwater”

• Stannis Baratheon lays siege to King’s Landing.
• Tyrion Lannister uses wildfire to take out part of Stannis’ fleet.
• Joffrey shows his true cowardice.
• Stannis and his men storm the castle walls.
• Tyrion gives a rousing speech to lead the army.
• The Hound unravels and tells Tyrion Lannister: “F—k the Kingsguard. F—k the city. F—k the king.”
• Ser Mandon Moore of the Kingsguard tried to kill Tyrion (at Cersei’s behest), but only slices his face before being killed himself by Podrick Payne.
• The Lannister and Tyrell forces arrive to save the city.
• Cersei was prepared to off herself and Tommen in the event that Stannis was successful with his siege.

Season Rating 9.75/10.00

Season 3

The War of the Five Kings really starts to hit its apex during this season. We had a good balance of storylines and learned much more about the White Walkers. Daenerys’ storylines were slow, but everything else was nicely paced and kept viewers on edge from episode-to-episode. Here is a quick recap:

The third season delves deeper into the War of the Five Kings, as alliances shift and betrayals abound. Robb Stark faces challenges to his leadership, making a fateful decision to marry for love rather than political gain. Meanwhile, the Lannisters consolidate power, with Tywin orchestrating marriages to secure their influence. In the Riverlands, the infamous Red Wedding unfolds, where Robb, his mother Catelyn, and many of their allies are brutally betrayed and killed by the Freys and Boltons. This event significantly shifts the balance of power in favor of House Lannister.

Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys builds her army by liberating the enslaved Unsullied and gaining loyal followers. She begins her conquest in Slaver’s Bay, demonstrating her growing strength as a leader. In the North, Jon Snow continues his mission beyond the Wall, infiltrating the Wildlings and developing a bond with Ygritte. The season also deepens the mystery of the White Walkers, with Samwell Tarly discovering a weapon capable of killing them.

Best episode: Season 3, Episode 9 — “The Rains of Castamere” (aka The Red Wedding)

• Daenerys’ forces penetrate and invade Yunkai.
• Jon Snow reveals that he has been working undercover with the Wildlings all along — and kills Orell (the Wildling Warg).
• Bran, who was holed up in an abandoned mill with his “traveling party” wargs into Summer (his direwolf) and attacks the Wildlings with Shaggydog (Rickon’s direwolf) to help Jon.
• Jon escapes the Wildlings, Bran and Rickon split up, Bran heads to an abandoned Night’s Watch castle, the Nightfort. (He will eventually meet up with Samwell Tarly there).
• The Freys, the Boltons, and the Lannisters coordinate an attack on Robb Stark and his forces during the wedding of Edmure Tully to one of Lord Frey’s daughters. Edmure is taken prisoner, Robb and Catelyn Stark are killed, Robb’s wife (Talisa) is killed, Robb’s army is completely wiped out. In what might have been the saddest scene, Robb’s direwolf, Grey Wind, get killed while caged up.
• Just after the slaughter, The Hound and Arya arrive in what was supposed to be a heroic handover of Arya to her mother. That — obviously — did not happen.
• This is still the episode most people refer to as the best in the series.

Season Rating 9.75/10.00

Season 4

Maybe the best season because of how much happened. Every single episode was action-packed and full of intrigue. Many major plot developments advanced the storyline and it was damn near perfect. Here is a quick recap:

Season 4 opens with the fallout from the Red Wedding and the tightening grip of House Lannister on the Iron Throne. However, their dominance is shaken when King Joffrey is poisoned at his wedding feast. Tyrion is accused of the crime and put on trial, leading to a dramatic showdown where Oberyn Martell, championing Tyrion, faces Gregor Clegane in a deadly duel. Oberyn’s gruesome defeat and Tyrion’s subsequent escape mark pivotal moments. Meanwhile, Sansa Stark flees King’s Landing with Littlefinger, setting off a new chain of schemes.

In the North, Jon Snow defends Castle Black from a massive Wildling assault led by Mance Rayder, solidifying his leadership among the Night’s Watch. Across the sea, Daenerys solidifies her rule in Meereen but faces the challenges of governing. Arya Stark continues her journey with the Hound, learning hard lessons about survival and vengeance. The season ends with Tyrion killing his father, Tywin, and Bran Stark discovering his destiny as the Three-Eyed Raven.

Best episode: Season 4, Episode 9 — “The Watchers on the Wall

• This was my personal favorite episode and it should be noted that having “The Mountain and The Viper” precede the episode and “The Children” (featuring The Hound vs. Brienne of Tarth) as the following episode shows just how unbelievable the season. Banger after banger.
• The entire episode was set at Castle Black. We saw the Wildlings’ 100,000-strong army invade from both entrances. There were terrific group fight scenes, Giants riding Mammoths, the self defense systems in The Wall, awesome one v. one fight scenes, Jon’s face off with Ygritte, Ghost tearing through Wildlings…it was fantastic.
• Janos Slynt showed his true colors (again) by hiding during the battle.
• We had seen Jon Snow’s leadership and fighting skills at different points, but this episode brought it all full circle and showed that the actor — and the character — was totally capable of carrying the lead role of the show.

Season Rating 10.00/10.00

Season 5

Coming off of Season 4, this was always going to be tough, but a lot happened. We saw a great flashback to Cersei’s encounter with Maggy the Frog (a witch), giving her the prophecy that would haunt her, Jon Snow’s emergence as leader of the Night’s Watch, the wedding of Margaery and Tommen, and a whole lot more (trust me). Here is a quick recap:

Power struggles intensify as the faith militant rises in King’s Landing, led by the High Sparrow. Cersei Lannister’s attempt to use the Faith to weaken her rivals backfires when she herself is imprisoned, leading to her infamous walk of atonement. In the North, Jon Snow becomes Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and controversially allies with the Wildlings, recognizing the greater threat posed by the White Walkers. His leadership draws both admiration and resentment, culminating in his shocking assassination by mutinous brothers of the Watch.

Meanwhile, in Meereen, Daenerys struggles to maintain order as resistance to her rule grows. She faces rebellion and ultimately rides her dragon Drogon to escape an assassination attempt. Arya Stark trains with the Faceless Men in Braavos, beginning her transformation into a deadly assassin. Sansa Stark suffers under Ramsay Bolton’s cruelty, while Stannis Baratheon meets a grim end after his ill-fated march on Winterfell, leaving the North in chaos.

Best episode: Season 5, Episode 8 — “Hardhome”

• One of the great, all-time episodes of the show.
• Tyrion finally meets Daenerys and she immediately gives Jorah the boot (again).
• Arya starts her first task for the Faceless Men.
• Qyburn visits Cersei in the dungeon and updates her on his experiments with The Mountain.
• Theon reveals to Sansa that he did not kill Bran and Rickon.
• Then…we get to the real meat of the episode. Jon, Tormund, and the crew arrive at Hardhome in an attempt to convince the Wildlings to join them “in the south”, so that they can battle together against the Night King. However…
• The Night King, the White Walkers, and thousands of wights break up the part in the hours after the Wildlings (mostly) agree to join everyone else at Castle Black by way of Stannis’ ships.
• The action and sheer panic is captured magnificently. Everything from the camera work to the music built this up to be a monumental moment in the show.
• As Jon rallies people to fight in an effort to hold off the attack for as long as possible, he realizes that he needs to retrieve the dragonglass before he leaves. In one of the great battles of the show, Jon takes on a White Walker and is able to defeat him with Longclaw, the Valyrian steel sword given to him by Jeor Mormont. Now, Jon at least knows there is more than one way to defeat the White Walkers.
• After taking many casualties, Jon and his crew escape via boat, but are witness to the Night King re-animating thousands of the recently killed Wildlings. At this point, everyone realizes just how screwed they are when The Great War happens.

Season Rating 9.50/10.00

Season 6

Many people will point to this season as the last great season. On the second viewing, it held up well. Admittedly, though, the resurrection was still a waste of time. Anyway, let’s move on. Here is a brief recap:

Season 6 brings major power shifts as several characters reach pivotal moments. Jon Snow is resurrected by Melisandre and reunites with Sansa. Together, they rally support to retake Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton, culminating in the Battle of the Bastards, a brutal and decisive clash that restores Stark control of the North. In King’s Landing, Cersei Lannister eliminates her enemies in one fell swoop by destroying the Sept of Baelor with wildfire, killing the High Sparrow, Queen Margaery, and many others, but losing her last son, Tommen.

Bran Stark, now training with the Three-Eyed Raven, uncovers critical truths about the White Walkers and Jon Snow’s parentage. In the East, Daenerys secures the loyalty of the Dothraki and prepares to sail to Westeros with her army and dragons. Arya Stark returns to Westeros, exacting revenge on the Freys for the Red Wedding. The season ends with multiple players poised for major confrontations as winter finally arrives.

Best episode: Season 6, Episode 9 — “Battle of the Bastards”

• Many, many people say that this is the best episode of the series…and it is hard to argue (though it is not my favorite).
• Before we get going with the real action, Daenerys took on the slavers by using Drogon as a weapon of mass destruction before Rhaegal and Viserion join in the fun. also bust out of the catacombs and join in the fiery spree.
• Later, Yara and Theon land in Meereen to make their pitch to Daenerys for her to let them join her army.
• During a meeting between Jon, Sansa, Davos, Tormund, and Lyanna Mormont and Ramsay, Harald Karstark and Smalljon Umber before the big battle, Jon does one of the most badass things in the show and offers to fight Ramsay 1v1 to settle the score once and for all. Ramsay rejects the offers and off we go.
• The stakes became higher when Smalljon Umber tossed the severed head of Shaggydog (Rickon’s direwolf) on the ground. That did not go over well with anyone.
• Sansa telling Ramsay that he is going to die before riding away was as ice cold. Clearly, she had grown up at this point.
• While meeting with his top associates Jon is advised to wait for the Boltons to attack them — which would have robbed us of an all-time meme!
• In his nervousness ahead of the battle, Davos finds the wooden stag of Princess Shireen in some rubble and surmises that Melisandre burned Shireen to death as a sacrifice.
• As the two armies stare each other down, Ramsay sets Rickon free and allows him to run toward Jon. In typical Ramsay fashion, though, it was all an elaborate ruse of freedom. As Rickon made the jaunt (in a straight line for some reason…have you learned nothing man?). Ramsay unleashes several arrows at Rickon, all of which missed until he almost completes his run…only to take an arrow through the back and heart.
• Unable to control his emotions, Jon charges at Ramsay on a solo mission (where they were at least a couple of hundred meters apart). As Jon is knocked off his horse, he realizes he is facing Ramsay’s calvary and gives us that aforementioned meme.
• Before Jon meets an untimely death, his own cavalry arrives and chaos ensues with one of the most insane battle sequences you will ever see.
• When Ramsay’s army encircles Jon’s forces and Jon is trapped under the mountain of dead bodies, it was one of the most harrowing and uncomfortable scenes ever. I had trouble breathing during it!
• Unbeknownst to Jon, though, Sansa had an ace of her sleeve just when all hope seemed lost as the Knights of the Vale emerged to destroy Ramsay’s forces, which caused him to retreat to Winterfell. As he did that, Tormund, Wun Wun the Giant, and Jon gave chase.
• Wun Wun smashes his way into Winterfell, but dies in the process (really one of the most sad deaths in the show). When Ramsay slings the final bolt into Wun Wun’s eye, Jon goes into a rage-filled beatdown of Ramsay which left him disfigured (not as badly as he would be a little later).
• It should be noted that Jon picking up a shield and slowly walking toward Ramsay as he fired arrows at him, was — again — incredibly badass. Kit Harrington was born to play that part.
• Finally, Sansa caps off the episode but having Ramsay’s own starving dogs eat him alive.

Season Rating 9.50/10.00

Season 7

Ah…now we get to the point where everyone really starts to worry about how this thing will end. There were some great episodes, but this is where time jumps, nonsensical timing issues, and other factors do really start to take away from the storyline.

Here is brief recap:

Daenerys Targaryen arrives in Westeros, establishing her base at Dragonstone and forging alliances with key factions, including Jon Snow. The two form a tenuous partnership, united by their shared goal of defeating the White Walkers. Meanwhile, Cersei Lannister consolidates power in King’s Landing, forming a fragile alliance with Euron Greyjoy and plotting to outmaneuver her enemies. The Stark siblings—Jon, Sansa, Arya, and Bran—reunite at Winterfell, but tensions arise as they confront their individual journeys and the dangers facing the North.

The season builds toward the threat beyond the Wall, as Jon and a small band embark on a dangerous mission to capture a wight to prove the existence of the undead. Their efforts culminate in a stunning battle and the loss of one of Daenerys’ dragons, which is resurrected by the Night King. The season ends with the Night King breaching the Wall, setting the stage for the final battle against the White Walkers.

Best episode: Season 7, Episode 6 — “Beyond the Wall”

• Admittedly this was as close a race as any for best episode of a particular season. Episode 3 – Spoils of War was expertly done as well. Regardless, this was one for the fans in a lot of ways.
• Sansa and Arya’s feud to set up Littlefinger is put into full motion.
• However, the best part of the episode it rowdy crew of misfit who set forth to retrieve a wight and show the rest of the Southerners that, yes, the army of the dead is for real.
• Jon, Tormund, Jorah, Gendry, Beric, Thoros and the Hound all go on the adventure which leads to some of the best banter and interactions of the series. If the writers and showrunner did anything right in the final two seasons, it was letting some of the most interesting characters in the show have their time together in a remote setting.
• The group did encounter a reanimated Polar Bear, which was kinda cool, but probably unnecessary given what was about to happen.
• The conversations and interactions are really what made this episode.
• Now, there was some plot armor here. Why was there a random White Walker leading a small group of wights in a completely random area? Funny enough, it is described as a scouting party…what exactly were they scouting for? Anyway, that scenario, of course, set the stage for the crew to get their hands on a wight, but not before one let out a shrill screech that brought the full army to square off with the Unlucky Seven. Gendry, though, was sent to get help.
• As the entire Army of the Dead starts to surround the ragged band of heroes, they retreat to a small island on a frozen lake, but the wights are scared to advance on it because they would fall through the ice.
• Gendry — aka the fastest man ever running snow — somehow hit Carl Lewis-speed and got back to the wall to send a raven to Daenerys. From there, the raven had to reach Dragonstone, and then Daenerys had to fly beyond the wall (with no real idea of where they really were by the way…okay, you are getting the point of how ludicrous this was).
• The real action kicks off when The Hound starts throwing rocks at the wights and the rocks do not fall through the ice. Uh-oh…everyone realizes the ice is thick enough to hold the weight of the dead an attack ensues.
• Somehow, the band of heroes is holding their own against thousands of the dead (you really had to extend your imagination with this), before Daenerys swoops in and starts lighting up the dead with fire from all three dragons.
• As the Mother of Dragons tries to execute an escape mission with the heroes and the captured wight, The Night King grabs his handy ice spear, ignores a perfectly still dragon on the ground, and throw his best ice javelin at Viserion, who takes the spear in the neck and crashes down through the ice and into the lake for his death.
• Everyone is distraught, but The Night King is grabbing another spear and almost takes out Drogon (carrying all of the heroes).
• Mission accomplished right? Well, Thoros bit the dust and some unnamed members of the Brotherhood Without Banners and Wildlings also went down for the count. Also, Jon Snow gets separated from the pack, submerged in the lake, and everyone assumes he will be dead walking.
• Luckily for Snow, he somehow pulls himself up onto the ice and good ol’ Uncle Benjen swoops in the saves, gives Jon his horse, and takes out a few more wights before meeting his demise…unless you believe Benjen is already dead (his status was unclear, but he did not look “normal”).
• Just as everyone is mourning Jon back at Eastwatch, the horn sounds and Jon arrives with Benjen’s horse, but he is in bad shape.
• Everyone begins to go their separate ways for the next stage of the preparation for The Night King’s invasion, but a funny thing happens back “Beyond The Wall.” The Night King and his army — somehow — have these massive chains (something you might assume would be hard to find up North), which help the Army of the Dead pull Viserion out of the lake to be reanimated by The Night King. In short, the playing field was about to become even more slanted in the way of The Army of the Dead.

Season Rating: 8.75/10.00

Season 8

If the movie Stand By Me taught us any lessons, it is that you must have a good ending to any story. When Gordie LaChance told the Lard Ass Hogan story and did not have a way to wrap it up cohesively, Teddy, Chris, and, Vern let him know about it. The writers for this season should have heeded that advice. Sloppy, forced, rushed, and not well throughout, it was clear the showrunners were in a sprint to end this show and move on with their lives. Unfortunately, they tarnished their own legacy in doing so. It did not need to end this way and leave so many people frustrated and angry. While there were certainly interesting and fun moments, it just did not hit like it should have.

It really didn’t need to end this way.

Here is a brief recap:

The final season sees the climactic battles for the fate of Westeros. The long-anticipated Battle of Winterfell pits the living against the Night King and his undead army. Arya Stark delivers the killing blow to the Night King, ending the threat of the White Walkers. However, the victory comes at great cost, with significant losses among the defenders. As winter’s shadow lifts, the focus shifts back to the Iron Throne, where Daenerys begins her final push for dominance.

Daenerys descends into madness, unleashing dragon fire on King’s Landing despite its surrender, leading to widespread destruction and the deaths of countless civilians. Jon Snow ultimately kills Daenerys to prevent further tyranny, and Bran Stark is chosen as King of Westeros in a council convened to decide the realm’s future. The series concludes with Jon exiled beyond the Wall, Arya embarking on new adventures, and Sansa ruling an independent North, bringing closure to many of the characters’ arcs.

There was something to be said for the build up to the “The Long Night.” The character interactions kept that same Game of Thrones feel and greatness, but the plot was rushed and took away from the overall story.

It might sound like a cop out, but there was no “best episode” of Season 8. Each had good parts to it, but the overall feeling is that it things developed to quickly and that the richness of the show was largely lost. Instead of the best episode recap, let’s talk about where things went wrong…

Where Season 8 went wrong

The premise for season 8 (the big battle of the living vs. the dead, the battle for Westeros) were conceived well and on-track to potentially wrap up in a satisfying way. This is specifically where things went wrong.

The Long Night

This was as intense of an episode as there could have been. Tension certainly ran high for the entirety. Contrary to popular belief, though it was not a terrible episode, but there were issues, Let’s discuss:

• The Dothraki being overrun so easily: The world’s most fearsome fighters were snuffed out so quick (plot armor being what it was, somehow there were a ton of them left over to lay siege to King’s Landing — same for the Unsullied. It’s as if the writers forgot that they killed off most of those groups because they somehow multiple ten-fold in taking over King’s Landing. There could have been a little more fight shown there, but the horde was quickly snuffed out by the dead.
• The lighting: It was too dark. A common complaint, it was just too dark at times to follow what the hell was going on. This was done purposely, but maybe the crew went a little overboard.
• There were too many of the dead: The Night King’s Army was apparently millions of zombies. In a show about magic and dragons, it was too unrealistic to have that many mindless, relentless warriors hard-charging forward into an army that was vastly outnumbered. There is no way that the “heroes” could have held off that kind of attack. It was mind-numbing to give the Night King that many bodies for his army. Even after Drogon torched a big chunk of them, there were still too many.
• There should have been little to no Unsullied left after the Great War: This echoes the first point, but the Unsullied were on the front lines of guarding the castle behind the trench. They all should have been dead, yet there were thousands of them left to take King’s Landing. What a mess. The plot didn’t required there to be that many left over (hello, Drogon did all of the heavy lifting).
• The Arya scene in the library was too long: This could have been cut in half. It just wasn’t that interesting.
• The White Walkers did nothing: For such a fearsome group, they just dressed up and did…nothing, except strut around without having their heads on a swivel. A few of them should have done battle with other major characters. Again, the storyline was built up for seven seasons and when there was a chance to show some good fighting by these fearsome beasts, it went all-for-naught.
• No fight between Jon and The Night King was a fatal mistake: The writers clearly had the idea that everyone would love the swerve of Arya being the hero. They were dead ass wrong. They had built up 7.5 seasons of suspense for when Jon and The Night King would throwdown. Then…they had Jon hiding behind a wall trying not to get torched by blue fire. Drogon and Rhaegal should have killed off Viserion in the air and burnt his body to ashes on ground to alleviate that threat. It was the biggest (or second biggest depending on your perspective) mistake that could have made. The series needed that fight, the fans deserved that fight, the damn book series is titled, “A Song of Fire and Ice”….you don’t always have to try to be the smarted person in the room. Sometimes you just have to deliver what people want — and everyone wanted to see Jon Snow and The Night King 1v1.
• Wasted opportunity for a great battle: There was no defending against a dragon (even with the Scorpion Crossbows), but The Northmen, Dothraki, and Unsullied took no losses in the siege. There should have been a ground battle with the Golden Company (an army of 20,000 doing battle against what was supposed to be the scraps left over from The Long Night) before Daenerys and Drogon torched a good chunk of them.

The rest of Season 8’s issues

• Heel turns: They turned two of the story’s most endearing characters (Daenerys and Grey Worm) into archvillains: If they wanted to go full “Mad Queen”, they needed to develop that more over time. Granted, there were hints of her instability for seasons (they could not be ignored), but she went fully crazy mode in the span of about two episodes.
• Cersei’s refusal to leave: Cersei was one of the most strategic and cunning characters within the show. There is virtually no reason for her to hang in there as long as she did when she could clearly see the war was lost. For someone who always had a fallback plan, the one time she absolutely should have had one, she did not. Cersei was not a “go down with the ship” kind of character. A well-written version of Cersei for this episode would have seen her escape — because that’s how smart and how conniving her character was.
• Too many of the same death: So many people got crushed by debris. The Mountain and The Hound getting crushed was probably the way to go, though, it begs the question how The Mountain didn’t survive considering that he took a knife through the eye and through the hear like it was nothing, Jamie and Cersei escaping to Essos might have made for a better ending as well than just having them be another duo crushed.
• Daenerys wrecking the entire city was way over the top: The destruction and mass murder of innocents was just…too much. There was no redeeming her character at that point and there seemed to be no conscience about the situation except Tyrion, who then had to convince Jon Snow to do something. Also, with how the North loved Jon Snow, there is virtually no way, the men should have disobeyed him like they did.
• The death of Daenerys: Having Jon do it was the right move, but there is ZERO chance that the Unsullied and Dothraki would have taken him prisoner. That was absurd. They needed to play it out a little and probably have Jon do something bad ass like kill off Grey Worm and a Dothraki or five. That whole storyline was poorly thought out and made a mess of Daenerys’ whole arc.
• Jon being banished to The Wall…again: The winner of the Watchers on the Wall battle (Wildling invasion), the victor the Battle of the Bastards, the leader of winning side in The Long Night, and the man who stopped the Mad Queen from eviscerating the rest of the kingdoms left in the world (clearly the plan)…this was his reward….again…DUMB. Just award him the kingship, have him decline, and say he’s moving in with the Wildlings on the other side of The Wall. Basically, the “I’ve had enough of saving everyone’s ass” solution. How the writers came up with his way to end one of the all-time great characters on television was ill-conceived to say the least.
• The appointment of Bran the Broken: On what world did anyone think that the lords and ladies of Westeros — in normal times of conflict — would be able to peacefully appoint a new King/Queen. What a ludicrous plan….dumb…dumb….dumb. With Bran unable to have kids, making him the king was a band-aid that will surely only lead to future conflict. While that was not a problem for these showrunners and writers to deal with, it did leave a sense of thing being left…less than solidified at the end.

The best season? Easy — Season 4

The emergence of Oberyn Martell, the first real look at Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane, Jamie Lannister returns to King’s Landing, the death of King Joffrey, the escape of Sansa, the imprisonment of Tyrion, Ramsay Bolton taking center stage as Roose Bolton schemes to kill Bran, Jon leading the Night’s Watch to kill the mutineers, and two absolute banger episodes in “Episode 8: The Mountain and the Viper” and “Episode 9: The Watchers on the Wall.”

This was prime television the best of those early seasons, which were all classic.

What we did not get enough of?

• Flashbacks: Every flashback was nailed to perfection (Cersei’s encounter with Molly the Frog, Ned Stark vs. Ser Arthur Dayne, Ned Stark finding Lyanna, the making of The Night King, etc). The story is so deep and so rich, flashbacks to any point in the history of Westeros would have worked. The show runners, though, might not have wanted to dive too far into those waters. Whatever the case, it seemed like a lost opportunity to show some of the rich history of Westeros.
• The Children of the Forest: We needed to know more about The Children of the Forest. Whether that needed to happen through flashbacks or some other means, they played such a key role in the storyline, but barely had any screen time.
• The pre-battle scenes in “Beyond the Wall”: Watching all of those characters interact while hunting the White Walkers and wights was fantastic. Sometimes, listening to characters talk and interact is boring, but not this. When facing a situation that was almost assuredly going to result in death for some of the group, there was a true uniqueness to the interplay and interactions. Just a great watch.

Under-exposed characters

• Ser Arthur Dayne: Shown only in one of the show’s great flashbacks, Dayne’s legendary status as a fighter was on full display. It would have been great to see more flashbacks of him and learn more about his character.
• The Three-Eyed Raven: We know some…but not enough. The transition from the old man to Bran was rushed and we did not learn much about the old man (his motivations, why he was holed up in a Westwood beyond the wall rather than one in the South.
• Howland Reed: The man is at the seminal moment of the show’s big reveal and we know NOTHING about him.
• Kraster: How did he make the deal with the Night King. Were his sons the White Walkers “generals”? How did they grow? There was just a lot there to unpack and no information.
• Mance Rayder: How did he end up beyond the wall? How was he able to bring all of the tribes and clans together? Why did not — at least — try to barter with the Night’s Watch when he knew what was coming?
• Qhorin Halfhand: A legendary ranger for the Night’s Watch. Cunning, brave, willing to give his life for the Watch, but we barely knew anything else about him. In the little bit we saw, he was tremendous.
• Daario Naharis: The treatment of Daario Naharis was odd to say the least. He had an important role on the show for two seasons or so, then was written off — even when he was supposed to be a legendary warrior (you know, just the kind of guy you would want at your side if you were invading Westeros).
• The damn direwolves: They got such a raw deal throughout the show.

What storylines could have been deftly ditched or cut down majorly?

• Faith Militant: I understood the point of it, but it occupied too much time and could have been handled and presented far more quickly. In reality, it was dumb because any army from any of the big houses could have crush the army of The High Sparrow. It just wasn’t well thought out and there were other ways to kill off those characters to get the same effect.
• Slaver’s Bay: It was too much there. From city to city, we just saw too much of these cities when other Westeros-based storylines were ignored.
• The Resurrection: The show avoided many pitfalls, but the resurrection seems like it was wholly unnecessary and the show really just glossed over the inherent magic and sorcery of the whole situation like it was no big deal. Maybe just have Ser Alliser Thorne and Jon Snow come to blows or something else, but the resurrection plotline was too long and drawn out.
• Dorne: There was really no point in this. They could have killed off Myrcella without wasting so much time in Dorne. While it was a little fun to see Jamie and Bronn working together, there was too might time wasted on a storyline that yielded very little interest. It could have been a great storyline if they truly invested into it, but to half ass it, just made it useless. Even when it looked like they would join forces with Daenerys, they were quickly slaughtered by Euron Greyjoy. There really was little point to any of this.

What storylines were ignored?

• What in the hell were Rickon and Asha doing?: The writers blew this one. It was almost as if they forgot about this story. Rickon should have been a more important character. Less time spent in Slaver’s Bay or in Dorne could have yielded more time to follow the path of Rickon and Asha. How long were they prisoners of the Umbers?
• Benjen Stark: The definition of plot armor. Only showing up in an unwinnable situation to save a character who had no right being saved, the writers botched this so badly. We needed to know more about what happened to him and how he ended up somewhere between the living and the dead. The character portrayed was great, but the character’s arc was horrid because there was no rhyme, nor reason to anything about him, why he was the way he was, and how he had an uncanny knack for saving Starks.
• Mystery Lady: Who was the mystery lady in Qarth who spoke to Jorah Mormont, warned him about the Warlocks, and seemed to have inside info on…everything?
• Catch and release: Why did the White Walkers allow Will (the guy from the very first scene of the show who is beheaded by Ned Stark) and Samwell Tarly live after they were both seen?

Best characters

• Jon Snow: Jon Snow was always the hero. While it took me (a non-book reader) a while to realize that show was actually centered around Jon, it was clear he had the best role, the most intriguing storylines, and the best role. Throughout the show, Jon Snow was one of the only characters who stayed true to himself, which was an anomaly in this world. Moreover, Kit Harrington absolutely killed the role and was fantastic.
• The Hound: Sandor Clegane had one of the oddest, most intense, and somewhat heart-warming arcs (though he was driven by an insatiable need for revenge against his brother and was as gruff as anyone in that world). There was always good in The Hound, but we only saw some glimpses of it early. He was one of the few people equipped to handle the cruelty of this world and he thrived in it.
• Jamie Lannister: Perhaps the most complex character in the show. Jamie Lannister went from arrogant and hate-filled to noble to someone who accepted he has fatal flaws he cannot fight (his love for Cersei) was truly one of the few great arcs from start to finish on the show. Jamie Lannister — more than anyone — has the best part on the show because he got a chance to do it all. Jon Snow might have been the best character and the star, but Nikolaj Coster-Waldau portrays the pain of the reality of Jamie Lannister’s flaws and torment so well.
• Tormund: A blast of a character who morphed from vicious wilding to loyal friend to lusting (for Brienne of Tarth) warrior. There were few characters as much fun as Tormund. His evolution from when we first saw him to his final scenes was a hoot to watch.
• Tyrion Lannister: A great character, but one whose “pie in the sky” view of what he wanted to see rather than what actually was created conflict and made him extremely complex. Intelligent, but flawed, Tyrion Lannister was arguable one of the two or three biggest roles on the show.
• Olenna Tyrell: Sharp-tongued, savvy, and hilarious, Olenna Tyrell was a one-of-a-kind character. Able to match wits with anyone — and an expert in using her status as a powerful female to usurp power in almost every situation — she was entirely devious and intelligent. Always thinking one step ahead and always looking to wield her power over some unsuspecting sap.
• Bronn: Always looking out for himself — and actively seeking out ways to advance his standing — the sellsword advance all the way up to Master of Coin by the end of the show. All along the way, his character was shady, quick-witted, brave, and smart — yet never vulnerable. Always looking out for No.1, Bronn of the Blackwater way a top notch character.
• Brienne of Tarth: Naive, extremely vulnerable, yet brave and heroic, Brienne was one of the most loyal and innocent characters of the show. One of the few who truly never wavered on her duties or beliefs. Her taking the time to write the final page on Jamie Lannister for the Kingsguard book was one of the few great moments from the show’s final season.

Worst characters (in a good way…they elicited the most hatred out of you)

• Ramsay Bolton: No character elicited more hatred than Ramsay (Snow) Bolton. He was truly evil in every way and the perfect foil to carry the show’s tension as it slowly built up the storyline for the Night King. It was a perfect portrayal because everyone hated him.
• Tywin Lannister: Just class all-around. Self-serving, hypocritical, and just short of evil, Charles Dance put on a show in portraying one of the best written characters in the show. From his first appearance to his last, he carried every scene he was in.
• Cersei Lannister: Similar to her father, there was never a crack in Cersei Lannister’s character – she was devious, flawed, and vengeful until the very end. Lena Headey was nothing short of incredible from start to finish.
• Theon Greyjoy: When Theon turned in the Starks…Man, that was something and people were irate. Alfie Allen navigated the role so well, going from cocky teenager to conflicted try-hard to beaten dog to PTSD survivor to his final arc — as a hero. Just a wild ride for this character, who drew out hate in droves when he turned on Robb Stark and later became a coward.
• Littlefinger: There was no one who should have ever trusted Littlefinger. He was always only looking out for his own best interest, trying to secure something (The Iron Throne) that was never going to be achievable for him. What a performance from Aidan Gillen.
• The High Sparrow: No one — and I mean no one — liked The High Sparrow or the Faith Militant. Part of that was because the storyline was wholly unnecessary, but the other reason was because Jonathan Pryce portrayed role as such a self-righteous pr*ck that you could not help, but hate the “holier than thou” act that he put on in every scene.

Worst characters (underdeveloped or poorly written)

• Daenerys Targaryen: At one point, she was young, scared, impressionable, and endearing. As she got older, she became wise to the ways of the harsh world she was living. Constantly torn between trying to do what she perceived to be right vs. doing everything possible to get back on the Iron Throne, Daenerys show cracks in her foundation throughout each season. Scarred by her insecurity, irrational decisions, and Targaryen incest-fueled DNA, the character started to teetering right around season five when it became clear the writers did not know how this was all going to end up for her. By season, there was no redeeming value in her as she had truly become The Mad Queen, who was intent on ruling the world and torching anyone who got in her way. The writers probably thought they were doing a good thing, but it became a predictable cliche thanks to all of the Easter Eggs throughout each season. Instead of really become someone who was going to break the wheel, she became the worst ruler of them all — one with total and utter disregard for innocent life everywhere.
• Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane: The carousel of actors who played the Mountain (three in all — Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson was easily the best), probably played a role in why we saw so little of him. but for a man who did so much damage to Westeros, he was barely featured. There was SO much that could have been done with this character. We needed at least one scene of him ransacking a village and for him to look far more formidable during his fight with Oberyn Martell. This was a lost opportunity. Instead of The Mountain being one of the more interesting figures of the show, he was an afterthought. In world portrayed to be so cruel, The Mountain should have thrived and been featured more.
• Robb Stark: To be clear, Robb Stark was portrayed excellently by Richard Madden. He was also a very formidable character in many ways, but the show writers made him appear to be distracted and love struck during a time of war and vengeance. The Red Wedding was a necessity, but by that point the writers had turned Robb into Pepe LePew.
• Stannis Baratheon: Man, the writers certainly gave every reason for viewers to hate Stannis didn’t, they? The prospect of a great warrior becoming brainwashed by religious fanaticism seemed appealing on the surface, but we did not get to see enough of Stannis doing what he does best — fighting and leading battles. Still, only a few characters drew such a response from viewers. Stephen Dillane was an excellent choice to portray Stannis and was tremendous.
• The Night King: Okay, so he had every right to be pissed at the children of the Forest for turning him into a monster, but we knew virtually nothing else about him. What was his motivation? Why was he chosen to become the Night King (there had to be a reason that particular man was selected)? What was his immediate reaction to being “turned”. Did the Children of the Forest know exactly what they were creating? Would plunging Dragonglass into any other person’s heart create another Night King or was there more magic to it than that?
• Sansa Stark: Her arc was fascinating and her development was intriguing, but she was almost mini-Cersei by end of the show. It was just too much, too soon with the hardcore act. By the end, she was always battling Arya or Jon and it just became too much before she was officially crowned as King of the North. The character was actually fine and developing nicely through season six, but in seasons seven and eight, it was far too big of a shift. Like Daenerys Targaryen, it was too much, too quickly.
• Euron Greyjoy: A swashbuckling wild man, Euron was written to be too cartoonish. The actor had the look and the character had an interesting arc, but often was made out to be an unserious clown. He was a serious warrior both in strategy, cunningness, aggression, and fighting ability. The actor deserved better writing in portraying that character,

Most annoying parts of Game of Thrones

• The Long Night: The awful lighting. A horde of Dothraki death riders is eliminated with ease by the dead — even though we saw an unorganized band of Wildlings put up somewhat of a fight at Hardhome. The way-too-long hunt for Arya in the Winterfell library. Arya making the final kill on The Night King. I mean…how much more can we put in here? Scroll below, because this is a lot.
• The Mad Queen: We always knew Daenerys had “Mad Queen” potential, but it seemed way to too forced with how it played out.
• Who were the rest of the White Walkers? What happened to Craster’s kids? There were no answers to those questions: We have any idea of who The Night King was thanks to the Three-Eyed Raven, but who were the other White Walkers. Did they have any other significance. Similarly, we can assume that Craster’s undead, blue-eyed kids were not on some expedited maturity plan, so what happened to them? Did they turn into White Walkers? Did they die when The Night King was killed? Were they purposely left unaddressed in the event there would be a spin-off? I’m not saying thew story needed to address every open-ended item, but maybe Jon and the boys on the expedition to secure a member of the dead army could have run into a group that was not the main army and done battle. Perhaps, even addressing some of those questions. There were opportunities.
• Tyrion turning on Varys: Tyrion already knew Daenerys was flawed and was likely going to be a loose cannon of a queen, so to turn on one of his best friends was — again — some plot armor needed to further a storyline.. Varys was an underrated character (again perfectly portrayed), who was one of the few characters focused on ensuring the ruler of Westeros was going to be a deserving monarch rather than the mess that had been sitting on the Iron Throne for years.
• Dismissing the White Walkers: How dismissive everyone was of the imminent threat of the White Walkers? They were truly terrible people.
• Ignoring the obvious: Tyrion and Varys both knew Daenerys was not going to be a good queen early in Season 7. It was obvious she had Mad Queen tendencies and Tyrion still plowed forward — even while tossing his best mate under the bus.
• The time jumps — especially starting in Season 6 — thoroughly jacked up the timing: Season 7 wasn’t bad. It really wasn’t, but you could absolutely tell there was a loss of focus on the depth of the storytelling had taken a backseat to rushing toward the end. Season 7, Episode 3 is where the sprint toward the end started. The big reason — to me — that many people started to sour on the storytelling because none of the timing really made sense toward the end of Season 6 through the end of the show.

The final verdict

In the end, Game of Thrones was, indeed, better than I remembered and some of the bitterness I had initially felt (not all of it mind you) had eased with the second viewing. Maybe it was the fact that I was more prepared for the letdown or maybe I just grew an appreciation for the greater story. Either way, it was a better watch the second time around.

And, yes, at one point I had Game of Thrones slotted to be the best show ever. Even after this exercise, it falls somewhere behind Breaking Bad and The Wire, but with The Sopranos.

It was a tremendous show with incredible performances littered through. While it was surely exhausting and the showrunners could have done far better with the ending, it does not take as much away from the overall greatness of the show.

So, I guess, the moral of this story is I am less scorned than before and more appreciative of what I saw. However, it will also irk me (even just a little) that the showrunners and writers were so close to perfection and just could not push the ball over the goal line. They came close, just could not get the job fully done.

Looking for more discussion on the topic? Then check out our Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show: Special Edition on Patreon, Spotify, or below: