A selection of wonderful moments from the sixth season of Game of Thrones.

Jaime Lannister sits atop his horse in King’s Landing.

6.1 The Red Woman

Best moment: Brienne pledges herself to Sansa, and Sansa accepts.

Why? Truth be told, ‘The Red Woman’ is a bumpy season premiere. Along with setting up the show’s first string of mostly original storylines, the episode attempts a few tonal changes (mostly of the comedic variety) which are uncomfortable to watch at first, especially after the relentless brutality of season 5. There are moments of true beauty in this season opener, though, and the tenderest of them all arrives after Brienne and Podrick rescue Sansa and Theon from Ramsay Bolton’s soldiers. Sensing that the time is right to pledge her services to Sansa once again, Brienne bows in front of her and places her sword at her feet. With some help from Podrick, Sansa swears an oath that Brienne upholds. As much as this is a significant moment for Brienne, it’s also a crucial turning point for Sansa, who trusts a stranger and gets rewarded for the first time in the entire show. This is the start of her rise from Ramsay Bolton’s torture victim to Queen in the North.

Honourable mention: Melisandre reveals her true form.

6.2 Home

Best moment: Jon Snow is resurrected by Melisandre.

Why? Remember the period between the summer of 2015 and the spring of 2016 when the one question on seemingly everybody’s lips was whether Jon Snow would come back from the dead? Well, after hanging on to that question for almost an entire year (and then a whole extra episode or two), Game of Thrones finally answered it. With the mutineers no longer in control at Castle Black, Melisandre is able to perform a ritual with the intention of raising Jon once more. At first it seems as though the ritual has failed, with Jon lying motionless on the table long after Davos, Edd, Tormund and Melisandre have all left the room. But suddenly, in candle-lit silence, Jon’s direwolf Ghost whimpers and rises from his sleep. Another second passes by before Jon suddenly springs back to life, breathing so intensely that it sounds as though he’s drowning in the blood he lost when he was stabbed to death just two episodes before. Cue wild celebrations from those watching around the world.

Honourable mention: Euron Greyjoy arrives at Pyke and murders his brother Balon.

6.3 Oathbreaker

Best moment: Bran sees a vision of Ned Stark at the Tower of Joy.

Why? After his absence for the entire fifth season, Brandon Stark is given quite the reintroduction in the beginning stages of season six. He first goes back into the deep history of the show to uncover secrets about life at Winterfell several years before his birth, and in this episode he starts to tap into fan theories which had been speculated since at least 1998. Accompanied by Max von Sydow’s Three-Eyed Raven, he visits the Tower of Joy, a structure in the south of Westeros. There he witnesses the moment Ned Stark defeated Arthur Dayne in single combat. The truth, however, is that Ned didn’t defeat Arthur Dayne at all. As a spectacular five-way dual-wield sword battle ensues (with terrific single takes and outstanding choreography) it becomes clear that Dayne is twice the swordsman Ned is, and only when Howland Reed stabs Dayne in the back does Ned gain the upper hand. From there, Ned climbs the stairs to enter the tower, only to hear Bran shout “Father!” He turns around to see nobody there. In this scene alone, the past is revealed to be a lie, while two future incidents (with huge ramifications) involving Hodor and Jon Snow are delightfully teased. Season six was well under way by now.

Honourable mention: Varys threatens Vala over the Sons of the Harpy.

6.4 Book of the Stranger

Best moment: Jon and Sansa reunite at Castle Black.

Why? By the end of season 5, it seemed that Game of Thrones took pleasure in making its fans’ lives miserable. Often posed as evidence of this sadism that was apparently present in the writers’ room were the reunions between much-loved characters that were relentlessly teased on dozens of occasions, only for them to go up in smoke at a moment’s notice. That’s why, when we knew Sansa was headed to Castle Black with Brienne and Podrick, we were worried that Jon would leave the fortress before they were able to lay eyes on each other. But after years of heartache, David Benioff & D.B. Weiss finally let us experience an emotional family reunion. It’s hard to hold the tears back as Jon and Sansa first see each other, then slowly begin to realise that they recognise each other, and finally embrace each other, all as the Night’s Watch and wildlings look on. They never much cared for each other in the very earliest days of the show, but the strength of their reunion here is testament to just how convincingly the show managed to make their respective journeys seem like unending trails of hardship and upset. Neither of them are alone again after this moment.

Honourable mention: The High Sparrow’s origin story.

6.5 The Door

Best moment: “Hold the door!”

Why? How do you even go about explaining this? Well, after learning that the Children of the Forest were responsible for the creation of the White Walkers, Bran investigates this mystery further but inadvertently causes time-travel chaos. He carelessly allows the Night King to enter his vision, break the spell protecting him, Meera, Summer, Hodor and the Three-Eyed Raven beneath the tree, and launch an assault on the cave. As they flee, Meera’s shouted instructions to Hodor — to “hold the door” containing a horde of wights — pass through Bran’s consciousness, enter his vision, and break the mind of a young Hodor, who hears Meera’s cries from the future and suffers a seizure. The process creates a time loop that ties together at the point of Hodor’s death, creating one of the most heart-breaking revelations in the show’s entire run while also displaying Bran’s ability to affect history. As an audience, I think we presumed that Hodor wound up in the state he did through some traumatic brain injury, not… that. Regardless, Hodor held the door, and we wept like children.

Honourable mention: Daenerys bids farewell to Ser Jorah and orders him to cure his greyscale.

6.6 Blood of My Blood

Best moment: Samwell Tarly and Gilly leave Horn Hill with Heartsbane.

Why? After the climactic events of the previous episode, ‘Blood of My Blood’ slows things down — but that doesn’t mean it’s an episode without significant plot developments elsewhere. While visiting his family home of Horn Hill on his way to the Citadel to become a maester, Sam is given rough treatment by his father (and that’s putting it generously). He’s abused about his weight during dinner, teased about his interests by his brother, and forbidden from claiming Heartsbane, the Tarly family sword, when his father realises that Gilly is wildling. In an act of defiant protest, however, Sam and Gilly steal the sword and head to the Citadel in the middle of the night. Heartsbane is eventually wielded by Ser Jorah Mormont to save the living during the Long Night, proving that Sam was right to claim what was rightfully his.

Honourable mention: Tommen is convinced by Margaery to join the Faith.

6.7 The Broken Man

Best moment: Sandor Clegane is revealed to be alive.

Why? ‘The Broken Man’ is a pastoral pause point concerned with returns, rebirth, and regrowth, and taking centre stage is the Hound’s revival. “It’s never too late to come back”, says Brother Ray to Sandor Clegane, and right he is. The release of excitement when the camera pans up to reveal his shaggy hair and burnt face; the realisation that, no, he didn’t perish in the hills when Arya left him to die in the season 4 finale — it’s all so wonderful. His subsequent conversations with Brother Ray are the heart of this episode, but just watching him re-appear in the flesh is enough to drive any Game of Thrones fan to scream with joy.

Honourable mention: Yara Greyjoy convinces Theon to come back.

6.8 No One

Best moment: Cersei is made aware that trial by combat is now outlawed.

Why? ‘No One’ is my least favourite episode of Game of Thrones. This particular scene is one of its high points, however. After the Hound’s return to the show as part of a group of religious people who follow the Seven, it was theorised that he would travel to King’s Landing and somehow end up in a trial-by-combat against his brother, the Mountain, representing the people who are intending to put Cersei on trial. Cleganebowl was surely guaranteed. Well, this moment brilliantly pours cold water all over that theory, as Tommen is convinced by the High Sparrow to outlaw trial-by-combat in the Seven Kingdoms. Not only is it a great twist to the story, but it also forces Cersei into decisive, explosive action that provides the show with its greatest ever sequence.

Honourable mention: Jaime and Brienne briefly reunite at Riverrun.

6.9 Battle of the Bastards

Best moment: The Stark, wildling, and Vale forces overcome the Boltons and retake Winterfell.

Why? ‘Battle of the Bastards’ might not be Game of Thrones’ best battle-focused episode (that’s ‘Blackwater’), but the horrifying chaos that ensues on the fields outside Winterfell might be its best battle set-piece. As Ramsay’s Bolton-Umber forces meet Jon’s wildling-Mormont army, director Miguel Sapochnik pushes back the boundaries of what television is capable of and produces intensely exciting results. This is an ambitious spectacle that really delivers. Visually, the battle is absolutely stunning, with every swing of every sword thundering with serious impact, while horse hooves and arrows fly about the place in a dizzying swamp of a melee as we follow Jon’s footsteps throughout. As the battle progressed and as it seemed all hope was lost, the Knights of the Vale then charged in to win the battle for Jon’s side. Sansa, a survivor of everything Ramsay put her through, finally notched her first major win in this game. And just like that, the Stark banners were back in Winterfell.

Honourable mention: Daenerys wipes out the slavers and prepares to leave Meereen behind.

6.10 The Winds of Winter

Best moment: Cersei Lannister destroys the Sept of Baelor.

Why? The best sequence in the entire show. Just watch it again.

Honourable mention: Jon Snow is revealed to be the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen.