Why the Penultimate Episode of Game of Thrones Is Always the Best

This is the episode that first showed viewers that Game of Thrones had no qualms about killing off lead characters who everyone likes. In the penultimate episode of season one, King Joffrey, in typical human-scum fashion, almost makes everyone think he's going to show Ned Stark mercy — and then sentences him to death, right in front of his daughters.

That's what most people remember about this episode. However, there's a lot more going on that makes this episode so interesting and sets up a lot of later action. Daenerys puts her trust in Mirri Maz Duur to heal her husband's wounds (which as we now know goes very wrong). Catelyn Stark and Walder Frey strike up their fateful deal: the Freys will join the Starks in their war against the Lannisters, in exchange for Robb marrying one of Lord Frey's daughters. Robb also wins his first major battle against the Lannisters and captures freaking Jaime Lannister himself. And then there's the minor detail that Maester Aemon at Castle Black is actually Aemon Targaryen. No big deal.

This episode stands out simply because of the fact that it's the first episode of Game of Thrones to focus only on one location: King's Landing, under attack by Stannis Baratheon. And this battle hit home the fact that the Lannisters are not ones to mess with, even for someone with the Lord of Light (supposedly) on their side. But "Blackwater" also reveals a lot about the character of the Lannisters themselves: Tyrion discovered some serious courage and leadership, we saw the depths of Joffrey's cowardice, and we saw Cersei's selfish bitterness about the limitations of being born female come to light — and it is revealed just how far she is willing to go to protect her children.

All that character development is still broken up by moments of serious awe and badassery. The incredibly destructive power of wildfire, the Hound getting fed up with risking his life for a king he despises (and instead offering his aid to poor Sansa), and the revelation that someone high up in King's Landing is out to get Tyrion killed. Lots of action for only one location.

At this point in Game of Thrones, everyone felt like the Starks had been through enough. And in season three it sort of seemed like things were looking up: Robb Stark meets a nice girl and is going to be a dad, and the Hound is on his way to The Twins to give Arya back to Robb and Catelyn.

And then, in "The Rains of Castamere," it falls apart so fast. Robb dies; his wife, Talisa, dies; their unborn baby dies; Robb's direwolf, Grey Wind, dies; and then Catelyn dies after watching it all. In one fell swoop, the Starks are almost decimated, and their war against the Lannisters ends, thanks to the betrayal by the Freys and Boltons at what came to be called The Red Wedding.

As if that wasn't enough, the wildlings that Jon Snow had tenuously persuaded to trust him finally realize his true loyalties and turn on him. He barely escapes thanks to Bran's warging into Summer but never realizes that Bran is the one who helps him. This is also when Bran tells Osha to bring Rickon to the Umbers to stay safe. There's no way for Bran to have known it at the time, but we know now that going to the Umbers is definitely not safe for Rickon.

The episode tries to lighten things up by giving Daenerys another victory over the slave masters in Yunkai thanks to her soon-to-be boy-toy Daario Naharis, but come on. Like any of us were ever going to be happy again.

This is another Game of Thrones episode taking places in only one location — and again focusing on one battle. It's definitely one of those episodes that had audiences holding their breath almost the entire time. "Blackwater" is impressive, but the battle at Castle Black in "The Watchers on the Wall" is wholly different. This episode shows that a battle on Game of Thrones could still be epic, even if it isn't between the well-trained armies of great houses: that scythe swinging across the Wall, the huge forest fire, and freaking GIANTS.

But this episode really belongs to Jon Snow. He is torn between two worlds: that of his sworn brothers in the Night's Watch (the only family he really has left) and that of the girl he loves. He loses two of his best Night's Watch buddies in the battle, not to mention the irreplaceable Ygritte herself. As if this guy isn't brooding enough.

And after all of that, after Ygritte dies in his arms and the wildlings finally retreat for the night, Jon takes on the responsibility of protecting his brothers yet again by going back outside the Wall to find Mance Rayder. It's only fitting for a man who had shown time and time again how far he was willing to go to do what he believed was right — no matter what the sacrifice might be for himself.

This is a roller coaster of an episode, to be sure.

Jon Snow brings the wildlings he saves from Hardhome back to Castle Black, which makes a lot of people unhappy, especially Alliser Thorne. Arya discovers that Meryn Trant is in Braavos and practically begging to be killed on account of being a pedophile creep — except she can't kill him if she truly wants to be a Faceless Man. Jaime and Bronn are allowed to leave Dorne safely and take Myrcella home with them, though Ellaria Sand is not happy about it at all.

And then Stannis burns Shireen alive. Perhaps never before had an episode of Game of Thrones managed to take a character that viewers were sort of coming around to and make everyone hate him so quickly. Bad Stannis. Even at the last second, when Selyse changes her mind and tries to save her only child, Stannis doesn't budge.

But at the end of the episode is a scene that almost made everyone forget about the rest. Drogon swoops in at just the right moment to save his mom (and the day), and Daenerys rides him off into the sunset. Epic, to say the least. Tyrion finally realizes the potential power behind the queen he's serving, and the Sons of the Harpy realize they might have gotten in over their heads.

When it almost seemed like the fourth episode, "The Spoils of War," in which Daenerys vanquishes the Lannister army with Drogon, might be season seven's best, the penultimate episode tops it. In "Beyond the Wall," Daenerys's hand is forced again when Jon and his gang are ambushed by hundreds of wights and White Walkers, and she flies in two dragons to save them. The insanity of Viserion and Drogon breathing deadly fire over the enemy is replicated, but this time, there's a stunning, tragic death: Viserion, who is shot down by the Night King. Oh, and then the Night King casually pulls him from icy water and turns him into an ice dragon. It's simply the gnarliest thing that's ever happened on this show, is all.

And then there's this: Jon and Daenerys hold hands and make obvious, in-love goo-goo eyes at each other, because they're endgame.