The season finale of Game of Thrones was absolutely stacked with memorable moments, a number of which would have been highlights in any other week, which made this by far the hardest week to do a list of the five best things, but I somehow managed it. Honourable mentions should go to the characters of Bran, Maergery, and Sansa, who all managed memorable moments this week. Bran uncovered the most important secret in the realm, Maergery matched Cersei in a game of wits but ultimately lost because of the High Sparrow, and Sansa continues to be one of the least predictable and intriguing characters on the show. They all stood out but not enough, as I managed to find five better things to highlight this week.

*Spoilers ahead as I look at the Five Best Things in this week’s episode.

THE SOUNDTRACK

I believe this is the first time this season I’ve picked something other than a character or story arc to be a highlight of an episode but I just couldn’t fail to acknowledge the sheer quality of the soundtrack this week. In most episodes the soundtrack has been complimentary, with the odd highlight in between. This week the soundtrack stood out in multiple places but the bookending score for the Sept of Baelor and the Cersei coronation scenes was some of the best music ever on the show, outside of the opening sequence of course. The haunting calm and slow burn of the piano track interspersed with the odd burst of the bad omen provided by the violin provided an incredible build up to the epic conclusion of the Sept of Baelor scene. Ramin Djawadi has typically been known for his testosterone-fueled, fist-pumping soundtracks on movies such as Pacific Rim and Iron Man as well as Game of Thrones, so we can only hope he’s branching out into more subtle, haunting music, as it would make the soundtrack a lot more well-rounded and powerful going forward.

ARYA

I have to admit I didn’t see this coming and the main reason for that was I couldn’t predict the time-jump in Arya’s story. I still haven’t shed my hatred for the wild jumps in time on the show mid-season or even mid-episode and this week was the same. I will speak later of a more favourable style of time-jump but for now I’ll just discuss Arya’s triumphant return to Westeros. This scene was one of the last hanging threads outside of the main plot and with it removed from the playing field it is easier to see how the show is now moving towards its finale. Walder Frey finally got his comeuppance and it is for that reason alone that Arya makes the list this week. She didn’t just manage to kill the man responsible for the despicable murder of her family but she even managed to add some Eric Cartman-level revenge in the process. I’ll let the impossible time-jump with regards Arya go, as it is now comepletely clear I’ll need to get used to it moving forward. The world of Westeros is well established now. We don’t need to be spoon-fed how long it takes to get from point A to point B and all ideas of geographical logic are gone at this point. I understand people think it is a petty hatred of mine but it’s hard to accept the idea that barely a day has passed in the North, yet Arya travelled thousands of miles in the same amount of time. At least the ends more than justified the means this week.

DAENERYS

I honestly can’t believe Daenerys came in at only third on my list this week. I would have never believed the week that Daenerys finally sets sail for Westeros wouldn’t be the highlight of the episode, or even in the top two character moments that week. Her episode wasn’t even solely defined by the final scene. In my opinion, the scene she shares with Tyrion, ordaining him as the Hand of the Queen, was the highlight of the season for both characters. It showed an acceptance from Daenerys that she doesn’t know exactly what she needs to about Westeros and that Tyrion is the perfect man to have by her side. On the other hand, it was also a scene about Tyrion coming full circle. The first time he was ordained Hand of the King he took the role reluctantly, hoping that he could save the realm from Joffrey’s tyranny. His clear emotion this time around showcased two aspects of his character. Not only does he finally respect the job and the power it entails but it shows how much respect he has for Daenerys. Tyrion rarely, if ever, took praise as well as he did this week, and it shows he respects Daenerys’s opinion. The fact that it is reciprocated shows the bond they have grown together. The time jump experienced at the end of this episode was also the perfect kind of jump. It happens outside of everything else, with clear visual indicators of how much time has passed, including dragon statues adorning Daenerys fleet and Varys back by their side. Next season should finally see Daenerys become the central figure she has always threatened to be. The Iron Throne has a target on its head now, and it will take a mighty effort to fight off the Mother of Dragons.

JON

This was another big surprise, as somehow Jon Snow was named King in the North and it wasn’t the biggest thing this week. Not only that but we finally learned the true parentage of Jon Snow, and his rightful place in the realm. It isn’t spoken aloud in this episode but *spoilers if you haven’t heard* it has since been confirmed by HBO online that Jon is the product of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. This makes him nephew to Daenerys and true heir to the Iron Throne. This means little to Jon immediately though as his concern is the impending conflict with the White Walkers. The scene in Winterfell where Lady Mormont chooses to recognise Jon as the King in the North was one of the most spine-tingling moments in the shows history and places Jon at the forefront of the story in the North moving forward. In truth, Jon would have been the highlight of the episode if weren’t for the fact that everything that happened this week was either a reaction to his stellar showing last week or things that were outside of his control (Bran’s vision). It will be an interesting season next year for Jon Snow as there’s only one place his story can go now. He has united the North and has the wildings by his side. He’s hardly going to go South to take on the Lannisters knowing the White Walkers are the biggest threat. We will have to hope the White Walkers come knocking early next season, or Jon’s story could drag for a while until the White Walkers arrive. Let’s hope we don’t spend early next year waiting for Bran to make it to Winterfell because that will make Jon’s story get old really fast.

CERSEI

This week’s episode was owned by Cersei, which is a shock considering how big of a week Jon and Daenerys had. Following the demise of Ramsay, the show was critically missing big enough threats to face. Thankfully, Cersei’s rise to power makes her the biggest human threat on the show. It is going to be an epic showdown between Cersei and Daenerys next year, which is a testament to the show. In early seasons the show could have been seen to be focused on the male side with women mostly in supporting roles, especially before Daenerys rose to power. Now the biggest battle the realm has seen in decades will have two females at the head of each army. This week was especially powerful for Cersei as she managed two of her biggest victories in the simultaneous annihilation of the Sparrows and the Tyrells and her personal revenge on Septa Unella. Though she also faced a massive defeat with the loss of her final child Tommen, a culmination of the prophecy she had been facing since childhood. The victory in the Sept of Baelor greatly outweighed her defeat though, as she epically destroyed her nemeses while also sending a message of intent to the rest of Kings Landing, a fact that is shown through her ordainment as Queen of the Realm. Cersei has zero claim to the throne by blood. She is neither Targaryen nor Baratheon and the only reason her claim for the throne has been allowed is because of the fear she has driven into the hearts of the Kings Landing citizens. It will make for some epic moments next season though as there is no way Daenerys can be seen as anything but the liberator of Kings Landing now. While before the people might have been conflicted with Tommen and their beloved Maergery on the throne, they will be glad to see Cersei ousted at the hands of the Mother of Dragons. Cersei better enjoy her bitter victory for now. There could be dark times ahead for her.

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If you liked my review of this week’s Game of Thrones, why not check out my opinion of the The Five Best Things in Last Week’s Episode “Battle of the Bastards” or follow me on twitter. Thanks.