The Game of Thrones producers are in a bit of a bind right now. It is a tricky situation, but one which will surely come to define every major hit TV show in the future. How do you keep the big moments, twists, and emotional gut punches of your story under wraps, when your audience is following your every move in real life?
The GOT camp is full of holes. Those who are tempted by spoilers can search Google and have pretty much the entirety of the next season (7) laid bare in minutes. It is the kind of world that we live in now. As soon as show favorite Jon Snow died in season five, the GOT geeks were on the case and it didn’t take long for them to find pictures of the actor working on set.
Cue months of frenzied denials about a return from the dead that we all knew was coming long before it actually did. Yet, the important thing about GOT is that it manages to weather the storm of leaks and premature bombshells. This says a lot about the quality of the show and how much it is loved by fans. And with just two more seasons promised before it disappears forever, they’re going to have to make the most of them.
This guide to Game of Thrones ranks all of its seasons to find out which one holds the most heart-stopping stories of all. Here are the rankings from worst to best
6. Season Five
It is surprising how upset a lot of fans still are about the scenes set in Dorne. In amongst all of the splendor and action of season five, there was real dejection at the portrayal of the Sand Snakes. That is one of the reasons why this season is ranked at the bottom. It was also frustrating to see Sansa get so close to safety and independence, only to have her turned into a victim again.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and we know now that better times are on the way for the flame haired one. However, during season five, we were forced to watch her be tortured by the evil Ramsey Bolton. In fact, ‘the scene’ (you know the one) prompted complaints from some viewers, who must have forgotten all of the gruesome torture scenes that came before.
5. Season Six
This was the most recent season and the first to go majorly ‘off the book.’ So, there was always a chance that the producers could put a foot wrong and move too far away from the R.R Martin vision. The general opinion, however, is that they did an amazing job. The only major weakness is that the season slowed down in the middle, particularly when revisiting Arya and her time in Braavos.
At this point, she’d been there almost two whole seasons of GOT and fans got a little bored of watching her fight with The Waif. Many of them had to hold their tongues when the narrative come to fruition too. The youngest Stark was stabbed and still managed to vault down alleyways and staircases in a bid to escape her attacker (a real eye-rolling moment). It was wonderful to see Jon Snow return to life and his duties as Watcher on the Wall, though.
4. Season One
The very first season of Game of Thrones will always have a special place in the heart of fans, especially those who were big fans of the books first. For a while, it was hard to believe that such an epic, expansive tale could ever make it onto the small screen. Luckily, they were proved wrong and season one was filled with exhilarating moments. The long, slow demise of Ned Stark is notable just for how tantalizingly close he came to escaping his fate.
R.R Martin, with the help of some excellent scripts, really brought the heartache of the predicament to life. We also saw the rebirth of Daenerys and the emergence of her three dragons. The first season managed to strike a perfect a balance between the fantasy and the drama elements of the show. It is something that Game of Thrones has continued to do very well and one of the reasons why its audience is so varied.
3. Season Two
Season two is a little underrated in many ways. Perhaps it is because the first outing is remembered as the moment when GOT really hit home and went big. And season three is the moment when it really stretched its legs and sunk its teeth into some crazy storylines. The second season is easy to forget, being sandwiched between so many intense sequences, but it contains the battle of Blackwater, Jaqen H’ghar, and the introduction of The Red Woman.
In fact, Melisandre had quite the entry to Game of Thrones. One moment she was seducing poor, confused Stannis Baratheon, the next she was in a cave giving birth to a smoke monster. No wonder she’s been looking tired in the most recent episodes. Don’t forget that we also saw Theon Greyjoy give in to greed and capture Winterfell in season two. It was a decision that would come to haunt the young warrior for a long time to come.
2. Season Three
There are only two words to remember about season three — Red Wedding. Yes, it’s time for that episode, which was surely one of the most shocking in recent history. Fans of the books knew that it was coming, but show watches didn’t, so there was already a creeping sense of tension right before the season started to air. We all knew that something was coming and that it would be big.
To give credit to the writers, they packed the scene with so much emotion that some viewers were left in tears. It wasn’t just that the Red Wedding was a gruesome end for some beloved characters. It was the way that they want out. After so much fighting and heartache (after losing Ned), they made a fatal mistake and let their guard down. The Red Wedding is visceral, shocking, and it stands proud next to some of the finest television ever made.
1. Season Four
For many reasons, though, season four is the best outing of all for Game of Thrones. For the first time, most of the lead characters had left Westeros entirely. Even Tyrion was out in the world, fending for himself and trying to escape a bloody past. The notable moment was the production of Prince Oberyn Martell, who became a firm fan favorite after just a few episodes.
Well, we all know what happened to him. It was the Red Wedding Mark II. There was danger, exhilaration, and anticipation. The potential for disaster was there, but viewers kept thinking ‘Surely not, they wouldn’t do it to us. Not again.’ Spoiler alert, they did. And it was pretty horrible. There was plenty of retribution in the form of Joffrey’s (much deserved) demise, however, and the fact that Sansa finally escaped his clutches.
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