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.
