r/naath ranks every Game of Thrones episode

The Longest Night
18 min readJun 18, 2020

https://www.reddit.com/r/naath/

r/naath is a simple subreddit. We love (and even live) Game of Thrones, all the way through to the end. How do we rank each episode individually? Well, continue reading, and you’ll be sure to find out. There may be a few surprises!

73. Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken (s5e6) [65.8]

“This is probably the worst episode of the series and it’s still pretty damned good.”

“I don’t hate Dorne, as a non reader (knowing the books story could make big difference). Okay, not the best storyline, but still.”

72. The Last of the Starks (s8e4) [72.0]

“Perhaps should have spread across a couple of episodes, maybe even three. A lot happens and you don’t get that much time to digest it. I love some scenes but find others — especially Rhaegal’s death — to be quite patchy.”

“This seems to be a really divisive episode for many reasons. I personally enjoyed it and it had some really good looking scenes and the ending was amazing and so full of tension.”

“I wish this one was two episodes. That would have given more time with the now-extremely-unhinged Dany. Missandei’s death is my main good takeaway moment.”

71. Lord Snow (s1e3) [72.2]

“A decent episode, but the weakest of the season. The Arya scene with Syrio was great.”

“This episode is OK. It’s one of those episodes which is necessary for the world building, exposition and character development/plot set up.”

“ I remember first watching and feeling like learning about the world was pretty overwhelming and restarting the season, which helped.”

70. Sons of the Harpy (s5e4) [72.5]

“I still don’t get the rage over Ser Barristan’s death. He went down swinging, fought admirably for a dude in his twilight years, and let’s be honest, he wasn’t exactly a main character.”

69. The Night Lands (s2e2) [73.2]

“Tyrion’s season 2 scenes steal every episode.”

“Certainly not the most memorable episode in the roster. Lots of sex if I remember correctly. There are some interesting bits with Craster in the end there.”

68. Valar Dohaeris (s3e1) [73.8]

“Loved this premiere. The story and the world continued to expand and it was fun to see.”

“Mance Rayder’s first scene remains one of my favourites.”

67. Winterfell (s8e1) [75.6]

“It’s decent but it’s probably my least favourite season premiere. Performs a function and was exciting at the time but, in retrospect, is bogged down in recaps and expository dialogue, and never really gets going until the very end.”

“I liked the tension in this episode — it’s an episode to watch how each character deals with opposition in a coalition.”

66. Eastwatch (s7e5) [76.1]

“The opening scene with Daenerys burning the Tarlys is probably the standout. Apart from that, everything does feel a little rushed. Still good though.”

“I think the big moments this does have would have really made me feel something but all squished together it just feels a bit too condensed.”

“I actually really like this episode, especially when they all head out into the blizzard at the end.”

65. Dark Wings, Dark Words (s3e2) [76.4]

“Catelyn’s monologue about Jon gets me every time.”

“Probably the weakest episode of the season.”

64. The Kingsroad (s1e2) [76.9]

“I like this episode a lot because of the conversations with Robert and Ned, and because of the moral dilemmas that come up again many times in the show through different contexts.”

“To be honest, it’s one of my least favorite episodes. Not because it’s bad or anything, it’s an objectively good episode — I just have to skip the last ten minutes of it.”

63. Garden of Bones (s2e4) [77.3]

“The shadow demon is still one of the biggest WTF moments. Really chilling scene.”

“Solid but unspectacular episode. I do wonder how the shadow demon would have been received if it were in S5–8."

62. The Prince of Winterfell (s2e8) [77.4]

“One of my favourite scores from Ramin is ‘Winterfell’ that plays during the last scene. Love this episode.”

“One of my favourite episode endings of the series. Gives me chills every time. I like to think that Bran looks back at moments like this and remembers who he was and how far he’s come.”

61. No One (s6e8) [77.6]

“I always love the twist that trial by combat is outlawed now, but other than that I’ve just never been a fan of this one. The one I look forward to the least whenever I do rewatches.”

“Probably one of the few who doesn’t have an issue with the Arya/Waif stuff. I enjoy this episode.”

60. The Ghost of Harrenhal (s2e5) [77.8]

“Not a very memorable episode for me, but I really watching Arya with Tywin and Jaqen.”

“Memorable for Arya landing her first kill with Jaqen. Otherwise, a solid mid-season episode that sees Renly die and introduces the Tyrells to us.”

59. High Sparrow (s5e3) [78.2]

“I love this episode. I enjoyed all of the scenes in King’s Landing, the North, and Essos.”

“High Sparrow is one of the most hateable characters in the show and a terrific bad guy. I love the smugness and arrogance that is portrayed by Jonathan Pryce.”

58. Beyond the Wall (s7e6) [78.6]

“Maybe it was seeing my favourite characters together as a suicide squad that did it for me, or maybe it was watching the Night King getting exactly what he would’ve wanted in an undead dragon, but I love this episode.”

“I understand why people don’t like this episode, but I’m definitely not one of them: the problems with fast-travel and deus ex machina are overwhelmed by the dialogue in part one, and how spectacular the second part is.”

“ I dislike both the beyond the Wall plot line and the Sansa/Arya plotline. The only good thing that came out from this episode, for me, was the excellent music that played when Dany arrived to save everyone.”

57. The Red Woman (s6e1) [78.8]

“Really enjoyed this premiere. After all of the season 5 cliffhangers and a long off season, my excitement was through the roof.”

“Not a great episode, felt like a string of deleted scenes from season 5.”

56. Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things (s1e4) [79.3]

“This was a very good episode. I really enjoyed watching Tyrion and Bran’s interactions.”

“For me, this episode always felt a little unbalanced tonally, but it’s still a compelling hour of TV and does a fantastic job of continuing to build this amazing world.”

55. Blood of My Blood (s6e6) [79.5]

“I love Jaime on his horse going up the stairs. All of Bran’s flashbacks — especially The Mad King. And the returns — Benjen, Edmure and Walder Frey. Great episode.”

“Love this episode, especially the Jaime scene and the Bran flashback. Also loved seeing Horn Hill. Always enjoyed seeing new locales.”

54. The Iron Throne (s8e6) [80.1]

“The first half was fantastic and the second half is a great epilogue. The Stark montage, the music was amazing. All in all fantastic conclusion of the story.”

“For a final episode, this has its flaws, but I cried the whole time back in May 2019, and that’s all Iwanted from the last moments of my favourite show.”

“I do love the sombre tone of the first half of the episode with an actually optimistic conclusion, I’m just not a fan of the way they handled it.”

53. Breaker of Chains (s4e3) [80.4]

“This episode gets hate for the odd Jaime and Cersei scene, but I think the rest of it is fantastic.”

“Love it. Brilliant follow up to the Purple Wedding.”

52. The House of Black and White (s5e2) [80.5]

“The Dany scenes in this episode are great. We can see the first glimpses of how lonely she feels when she’s not being worshipped by her followers. It’s a sign of things to come.”

“Arya arriving at the House of Black and White is one of my favourite scenes of the entire show. I loved how the world kept expanding and getting to see these new fascinating locations. That sense of awe and wonderment. I’ll never forget it.”

51. First of His Name (s4e5) [80.8]

“Love this episode and Tommen’s coronation.”

“I know that not everyone is a fan of how violent things get at Craster’s, but Jon’s decision to go has huge implications for where his character goes in future seasons.”

50. Dragonstone (s7e1) [81.7]

“Strong first episode that does what it should do. Slow paced, with longer scenes than before, because they don’t have that many characters and locations left after season 6.”

“The way this manages to make the story feel like it’s really coming together, with everyone connecting and heading towards Winterfell, will always make me feel excited.”

49. Kill the Boy (s5e5) [81.8]

“This is a brilliant episode. I love the Jon & Aemon scene and Tyrion seeing Drogon fly by is one of my favorite scenes of the entire show. I’ll never forget it.”

“The fight with the Stonemen is really well done and to me I think Valyria looks great. Yes it’s “not like the books” but this isn’t the books.”

48. A Man Without Honor (s2e7) [81.9]

“Aside from ‘Blackwater’, my favourite episode of season 2.”

47. The Wars to Come (s5e1) [81.9]

“Love this premiere, especially Tyrion arriving in Pentos. It’s fun to see a whole new arc begin for Tyrion.”

46. Mhysa (s3e10) [82.5]

“Brilliant finale. In my view, the ending is great and upon re-watches it’s amazing to see Dany the Messiah in that moment and then see her fall at the end.”

“Tywin sends Joffrey to bed without supper. One of the best scenes in the whole show.”

45. Oathbreaker (s6e3) [83.5]

“The start of one of the shows greatest run of episodes. The Tower of Joy, awesome. So great. And Jon Snow executing the traitors, “My watch is ended.” Wonderful episode.”

44. The Wolf and the Lion (s1e5) [83.7]

“This episode hooked me in completely on the story.”

43. The Gift (s5e7) [84.0]

“Daenerys meeting Tyrion is definitely one of the most legendary and iconic moments… Love finally seeing Dany interact with another main character after all this time. Brilliant episode.”

“Miguel Sapochnik’s first episode, and it’s a good one. I especially enjoyed the King’s Landing scenes.”

42. Stormborn (s7e2) [84.1]

“Great episode and the Euron fight was brilliant. I always wanted a ship battle and they did not disappoint.”

“Varys and Dany’s scene was great. One of the more underrated of Cogman’s episodes.”

41. Winter is Coming (s1e1) [84.1]

“A really good episode. Draws the viewer into the story pretty well.”

“Great introduction. Sets up the story and our main characters, does some world building, establishes some of the lore, and ends with an exciting cliffhanger.”

“It definitely draws the viewer in, but I don’t think they really started to hit their stride until a bit later in the season.”

40. The Queen’s Justice (s7e3) [84.1]

“The best episode of season 7.”

“This is possibly unusual but my favourite scene from this episode is Varys and Melisandre’s conversation on the cliff.”

39. Oathkeeper (s4e4) [84.3]

“Season 4 is just consistent bangers. Favourite season hands down.”

“The first time we saw the Night King. What a scene, I’ll never be tired of it.”

38. The North Remembers (s2e1) [84.6]

“One of my favourite season premieres.”

“Great start to a great season. I know season 2 is always ranked low among the best seasons, but I really enjoy it. I love the introduction to all of the new characters and the expansion of the world.”

37. The Pointy End (s1e8) [84.8]

“When Robb went from side character to the fucking Young Wolf.”

36. Second Sons (s3e8) [85.3]

“Even only for Sam and Gilly’s scene, this is an amazing episode.”

35. The Dragon and the Wolf (s7e7) [85.3]

“One of my favourite finales. I loved seeing everyone come together after all this time. It just felt like a huge event. I loved the scene with Dany arriving at the dragonpit.”

“Pre-final season, this was such an amazing full circle moment, where all the characters were united in Winterfell in the pilot. Now they’re reunited in King’s Landing. For that alone it’s one of my favourites.”

34. What is Dead May Never Die (s2e3) [85.6]

“This one is fantastic for Alfie Allen’s acting alone.”

“Yeah, the writing in this episodes is pretty great. Tyrion’s deceit was hilarious, and I couldn’t help but sympathize with Theon despite not liking his character at that time.”

33. The Bear and the Maiden Fair (s3e7) [85.9]

“I kind of always believed that the song refers to Jorah and Daenerys’ love and, after the TV series’ ending, I wonder if Jorah will not be the one to stab her in the books.”

32. The Broken Man (s6e7) [86.7]

“Love this episode. The Hound’s scenes are great and seeing Ian McShane was a real treat.”

“Lyanna Mormont’s introduction and Sandor’s return make this episode a winner.”

31. Walk of Punishment (s3e3) [86.8]

“The opening scene, with the bad ass introduction of the Blackfish, is so good. You can really feel the world expanding with this episode.”

30. The Old Gods and the New (s2e6) [86.8]

“Gotta say, the scenes at Winterfell in this episode are absolutely incredible. Some of the best in the show. ‘Gods help you, Theon Greyjoy. Now you are truly lost.’ is one of the very, very best lines from the series.”

“Pretty great episode. My third favourite of the season.”

29. Book of the Stranger (s6e4) [87.4]

“Sansa and Jon’s reunion in this episode is probably my favourite reunion in the show.”

“Excellent episode. Jon and Sansa’s reunion and Daernerys emerging from the Dothraki Temple — wonderful.”

28. The Climb (s3e6) [88.6]

“A great monologue and moment by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss that is not in the books.”

“Littlefinger’s amazing” chaos is a ladder speech” gets all the attention and while that’s understandable I would like to give a shout-out to the shot of Jon and Ygritte kissing atop the wall, which remains the most romantic scene in the series.”

27. The Dance of Dragons (s5e9) [88.6]

“There’s a lot of fucked up things in this show, but what happened to Shireen is the only thing that made me genuinely sick to my stomach. Fantastic writing and acting.”

“Shireen’s death is one of the few scenes I can‘t rewatch. I would argue that it is the most horrifying death on the show. Being burned alive is a painful way to go, but what really takes it over the edge is the emotional betrayal by Stannis and Selyse.”

26. And Now His Watched is Ended (s3e4) [88.6]

“The combination of the mutiny beyond the Wall and (especially) the scenes in Astapor make it one of THE great mid-season episodes.”

“The moment Dany speaks Valyrian and Kraznys realizes she understood him the whole time is one of my favourite moments in the show.”

25. Home (s6e2) [88.7]

“The White Wolf is back.”

“This was the first episode I ever saw live, and holy shit was it an amazing introduction.”

“I thought this was a fantastic episode that marked the beginning of a great season. If anything I was more obsessed after having seen it.”

24. The Long Night (s8e3) [89.2]

“The spectacle, cinematography, character beats/payoffs, editing, music, etc. is absolutely fantastic. The plot armour can be a little annoying, but remember this battle had more character deaths than all the previous battles combined.”

“One of the greatest episodes of television you’ll ever see. A cinematic masterpiece from start to finish.”

“I personally don’t believe this episode should have been one episode nor that it should have a happy ending. But I was open to both and was unfortunately disappointed even with keeping an open mind.”

23. A Golden Crown (s1e6) [89.4]

“Loved the ending here. The actual episode itself is pretty great, with Ned figuring out Joffrey’s parentage.”

“Brilliant episode.”

22. The Bells (s8e5) [89.7]

“The sequence when Dany rejects the surrender and the sack starts is one of the most brutal depictions of war and its horrors. The biggest thing being not the violence of the sack but just what war does to the people fighting. I don’t recall ever being in such a state of shock watching something in my life.”

“This episode doesn’t work for me. I guess some of the action is cool, though, and the visuals are phenomenal, which is one thing that I can wholeheartedly praise.”

“It showcases the first casualty of war: the loss of innocence. The most controversial episode of Game of Thrones, possibly of TV ever. It is an episode I can never really rank.”

21. Valar Morghulis (s2e10) [89.8]

“The cut between Tyrion & Shae and Robb &Talisa getting married, with ‘I Am Hers She Is Mine’ playing, is one of my favourite edits of the show. Up there with Jon’s lineage reveal.”

20. You Win or You Die (s1e7) [89.9]

“After ‘A Golden Crown’, the rest of the season goes at a million miles per hour and is incredible.”

“The Ned and Littlefinger scenes are simply fantastic. Charles Dance with the legendary introduction as well.”

19. Two Swords (s4e1) [90.2]

“This is one of my most anticipated episodes of all time and also the first time watching live which was a lot of fun! The cold open was brilliant, and this premiere also introduced one of my favourite secondary characters: the Red Viper!”

“This episode has one of the best Jaime scenes with the book of the kingsguard. So amazing that later on Brienne fills in his achievements.”

18. Mockingbird (s4e7) [91.1]

“One of my favorite episodes. I love the scenes in the Eyrie.”

“This episode we got a true portrait of Littlefinger’s character. Such a complex guy, and his arc in the Eyrie steals the show in this episode.”

17. The Spoils of War (s7e4) [92.1]

“A fantastic episode. The best episode of season seven, bar none. The Arya and Brienne duel is awesome and the final fight is wonderful.”

“The first episode where you really start to see the destruction to human life that dragons cause.”

16. The Laws of Gods and Men (s4e6) [92.4]

“How Dinklage didn’t win an Emmy for this episode will forever baffle me.”

“Aside Tyrion’s scene (which is Game of Thrones at its peak), I really love Yara’s attempt to save Theon.”

15. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (s8e2) [92.5]

“The amount of great dialogues and interactions in this episode is unbelievable, so is the atmosphere. Some days, I almost find myself thinking that this is my favourite episode of the entire show.”

“My favourite episode of the final season. A really, really beautiful hour and, even though four episodes come after this, the proper “goodbye”, not just for the characters but for the show as well.”

14. Mother’s Mercy (s5e10) [92.8]

“One of my favorite finales. There was some really juicy cliffhangers and of course the legendary and iconic final scene when the Night’s Watch murder Jon. That was a long off season.”

“Lena Headey’s wordless emotional journey during the walk of shame is an acting masterclass. Dorne’s conclusion shouldn’t work as well as it does, but Nikolaj absolutely kills it in that scene.”

13. Kissed by Fire (s3e5) [93.1]

“I think this episode was dope. The fight between beric and Sandor showing us our first resurrection, the scenes with Jaime (and Brienne).”

“Most underrated episode of the entire show. Beric vs. Sandor, Jon’s first time with Ygritte, Shireen’s introduction, Jorah and Barristan discuss Dany, Grey Worm’s introduction, Karstark betrayal and Robb’s beheading, Jaime and Brienne in Harrenhal, the Lannister closing scene…”

12. The Door (s6e5) [93.4]

“Love the cinematography, music and editing during the Hodor sequence. Perfectly done to maximize the emotional response in the viewer.”

“Legendary episode! One of my all time favourites. This is the episode that makes it clear that what is happening in the universe has already happened, and will happen again the exact way it was always going to happen.”

“Another fantastic episode. The Hodor bit is so heart-breaking — the look on Bran’s face as he realises he caused all this. No wonder he becomes a robot — all the stuff he’s seen.”

11. Blackwater (s2e9) [93.9]

“Blackwater is one of my favourite episodes and it comes close to being my favorite battle episode, right behind The Long Night. It still holds up and the script is fantastic by George R. R. Martin, the dialogue is maybe the best it’s ever been.”

“Look at how Tyrion reacts to seeing his enemies being burned en masse. He took absolutely no pleasure.”

10. Fire and Blood (s1e10) [94.4]

“The Daenerys scenes are iconic and among her best in the show.”

9. Baelor (s1e9) [94.8]

“Brilliant episode. Ned’s beheading is one of the most legendary and iconic moments in television history.”

“Still a top ten episode and not only because of Ned’s beheading, but because of literally every scene before it is also incredible.”

8. The Watchers on the Wall (s4e9) [95.2]

“Incredible episode. So many amazing scenes. Another place where the TV show did a particular event better than the books.”

“A battle that is in some ways forgotten about — but one that really is excellent. Grenn and the giant at the gate. Allisers speech. The scythe at the top of the Wall. Giants riding Mammoths!”

7. Battle of the Bastards (s6e9) [95.7]

“Without question one of the greatest episodes of the show and one of the great episodes of TV. I rank it second on my overall list of episodes.”

“It’s the scenes between Davos and Tormund, Jon and Sansa, Mel and Jon that truly make this something special beyond action movie.”

6. The Lion and the Rose (s4e2) [95.9]

“One of the greatest episodes in television history. The “Purple Wedding” is as legendary and iconic as it gets.”

“The tension during the wedding was almost unbearable. It was so uncomfortable to watch. Jack Gleeson did such a great job with Joffrey, it was almost sad to see him die. He was an amazing bad guy and brilliantly acted.”

5. The Mountain and the Viper (s4e8) [96.6]

“Oberyn is one of my favorite characters. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I remember frantically texting back and forth with a friend after the episode, we couldn’t believe what we had witnessed.”

“Oberyn’s skull explosion is one of the few things that I have only been able to see once.”

4. The Winds of Winter (s6e10) [96.6]

“The perfect conclusion of season 6 and probably the best episode of Game of Thrones.”

“My favourite episode of the whole show. No matter how many times I watch it, I end up feeling everything like it’s the first time all over again.”

“The entire ~10 minute build-up before the Sept goes up when Light of the Seven is playing is probably the most confused and stressed I have ever been watching anything in my life.”

3. The Children (s4e10) [97.1]

“One of the greatest finales in television history. “The Children” track playing at the end is also one of my favourites. I was in awe and wonderment as to what to expect for season 5 with Arya sailing away. I’ll never forget it.”

“This was the show’s first Emmy nominated episode — which was also a new beginning.”

2. Hardhome (s5e8) [97.5]

“I mean, one of the shows greatest ever episodes. Hands down. The episode that really puts Miguel Sapochnik on the map, the shows best director.”

“The Hardhome massacre might be the best sequence of the entire show.”

“One of the most legendary and iconic episodes in television history. I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed and I remember playing the episode on repeat for the rest of the night! I’ll never forget it.”

1. The Rains of Castamere (s3e9) [97.8]

“There are some episodes which can’t be described in words and this is definitely one of them.”

“The worst part was that Robb was my favourite character and because of episodes like this one, no show can compete with Game of Thrones for me.”

“Probably the most iconic Game of Thrones episode after ‘Baelor’. George is a cruel man.”

SEASON 1 AVERAGE: 84.95

SEASON 2 AVERAGE: 82.83

SEASON 3 AVERAGE: 85.88

SEASON 4 AVERAGE: 90.40

SEASON 5 AVERAGE: 82.36

SEASON 6 AVERAGE: 86.79

SEASON 7 AVERAGE: 83.14

SEASON 8 AVERAGE: 83.18

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