Warning: This article contains spoilers about the latest episode of Game of Thrones.

Season 5, episode 9 of Game of Thrones has to win the award for worst transition in TV history.

To witness King Stannis Baratheon burn his own daughter at the stake while her mother looked on screaming was one of the worst things this show has ever done. But for it to then transition to the sunny slaughter of Meereen's fighting pits was more upsetting than a Dothraki wedding.

As far as Stannis goes, at least we can all agree now that he's basically done.

"The Mannis" has had his supporters over the years, both in the books and in the show. But if the show's events are at all indicative of what's going to happen in the next Song of Ice and Fire book, then everyone who's been rooting for King Stannis, even in the source material, is going to be eating crow in the end.

Whatever redeeming qualities he may have, the dude just sacrificed his own daughter. #NotMyKing.

I believe I can fly

At least that battle in Meereen popped off hard. It may have begun as a B-grade Gladiator knock-off (Y'all couldn't even throw a bear or a lion in the mix for the fighting pits' grand re-opening? Weak), but the Sons of the Harpy's final coup was surprisingly affecting.

Dany's been wrestling all season with the two sides of her regal identity — that of her true self (the woman who frees slaves and loves her subjects) and that of her father, the Mad King Aerys.

She may not have agreed with what goes down in the pits, but she gave in for the good of her people, making the hard decision but, arguably, the right one. And, it turns out, that wasn't enough.

Fly, Dany. Fly. Image: HBO

My heart skipped a beat when the Sons emerged from the crowd. I knew it was coming, but I broke out in a cold sweat anyway. It was truly chilling.

And I don't even care that Drogon's rescue operation looked more like a mid-season Quidditch match than the Season 5 climax of the best show on TV (despite all my complaints with this season, that still stands). Watching Dany fly away astride her prodigal son — in the series' lore, making her the first Targaryen to ride a dragon in well over a century — was immensely satisfying.

A fitting end

What's Jon going to do with all those Wildlings/Free Folk? Will Arya get her revenge against Meryn Fookin' Trant? And how pissed is Davos going to be when he finds out what Stannis did?

All those question and more will be answered next week, during the season 5 finale of Game of Thrones.

And, hopefully, we're finally done with Dorne.

The events in the Water Garden ended peacefully, with no major character deaths and no big reveals whatsoever. In other words, all that could have been accomplished with a raven asking for Myrcella's return. It was a fitting end for the lamest storyline this show has ever done.

Who sent the Lannister daughter's necklace to King's Landing? Probably Ellaria, but more importantly, who cares?

In the books, Prince Doran is a master manipulator and a force to be reckoned with when he plays the Game of Thrones, despite his physical disadvantages. He and Areo Hotah foil the Sand Snakes' plan in the source material not because it's a stupid plan, like it was in the show, but because through their ignorance Oberyn's bastard daughters have jeopardized some of the plots Doran's been designing for decades.

In the show, Doran is just a sad old man who simply wants to avoid a war, and the Dornish storyline ended with a slapstick punchline as silly old big-axed Areo sucker-punched poor Blue Balls Bronn for a laugh.

And a good time was had by all?

BONUS: What is the 'Game of Thrones' fan theory R+L=J?