‘Games of Thrones’ — Season 5: A Look Back at the Most Memorable Moments
Pictured: Tom Wlaschiha, Maisie Williams, Faye Marsay in the season 5 finale of Game of Thrones. Photo Credit: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO.
“The future is sh*t, just like the past.” – Tyrion, Episode 1
Game of Thrones is arguably the most thrilling and shocking show on television. Each season producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss try to top themselves, whether it’s by deviating from the A Song of Ice and Fire books or getting crafty with their CGI tricks. But Season 5 was different in that plotlines slowed and our expectations were unfulfilled — at least until the finale when a season’s worth of action was shoved into one hour. After months of teasing questions (um, HELLO, please someone tell us if Jon Snow is alive!), we’re ready for answers and a more exciting Season 6. But Season 5 wasn’t all bad (yes, I’m thinking of when Ser Jorah and Dany finally made up or when Brienne actually found Sansa). Let’s take a step back to look at some of its most memorable moments.
Ciaran Hinds as Mance Rayder in Season 5 of Game of Thrones. Photo Credit: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO.
10. Mance meets his maker
Mance Rayder (Ciarán Hinds) kicked off Season 5 as the first character to die. Against Jon Snow’s wishes, Stannis Baratheon (Stephen J. Dillane) and Melisandre (Carice van Houten) had the King Beyond the Wall burned alive. But Jon (Kit Harington), who we forget is still in his rebellious teenage years, decided to shoot Mance with an arrow instead as a sign of mercy. That sure didn’t put him in the good graces of his brothers, who had been accusing him of being a Wildling ever since he went undercover. His decision to kill Mance will come back to bite (or stab) him later. Or will it? Jon always comes back, as Sam (John Bradley) says.
Hannah Murray, John Bradley in Season 5 of Game of Thrones. Photo Credit: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO.
9. Sam loses his virginity
Ever since Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) met Gilly (Hannah Murray) in Season 2, their attachment to one another has grown from friendship to romance, and we’ve loved watching every minute of it. At the battle against the Wildlings at the end of Season 4, they had their first kiss. In Season 5, they took their feelings to the next level and lay with one another. Sam was completely bloody and bruised and could barely move, which just goes to show a guy — even a nice guy — will do almost anything to get some. Sam’s funny reaction combined with his wholesome nature made this moment all the more memorable. And now that he and Gilly are headed to the Citadel alone and unchaperoned, who’s to say Sam won’t completely throw his vows out the window for good?
Maisie Williams, Tom Wlaschiha in Season 5 of Game of Thrones. Photo courtesy of HBO.
8. Arya Stark kills Ser Meryn
We are all familiar with Arya’s (Maisie Williams) “kill list,” which is getting smaller and smaller by the season. It is now down to three after the cruel death of Ser Meryn Trant (Ian Beattie), which showed Arya at her most punishing self. I can’t remember seeing anything so violent since the Red Wedding. But now that Arya is blind — “I had to wear these really thick contact lenses that were 16mm thick and hand painted,” Williams said in an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers — whether she can cross off the rest of the names on her list remains to be seen. To truly be a Faceless Man, she is going to have to give up her vows of vengeance.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nell Tiger Free in Season 5 of Game of Thrones. Photo Credit: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO.
7. Jaime and Myrcella bond
Did you know that all of Cersei Lannister’s (Lena Headey) children were born of incest with her brother, Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau)? (I know, shocker!) This is the number one, not-so-well-kept secret in the entirety of Game of Thrones; of course, we never thought their kids believed it. So when their daughter Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free) told Jaime that she’s known the truth all along and embraced him finally as her father and not her uncle, it touched our hearts in a way like never before. And the fact that Myrcella died immediately after, well, that was just the kicker.
Sophie Turner, Iwan Rheon star in Season 5 of Game of Thrones. Photo Credit: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO.
6. Sansa Stark’s wedding night
One of the most shocking (and controversial) scenes this season was the wedding night rape of Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) at the hands of her sadistic husband Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). Although we don’t actually see anything and are left to use our imaginations, like Reek (Alfie Allen), the brutality and rawness of this scene made us want to avert our eyes. Game of Thrones is notorious for pushing the boundaries of violence and nudity, and this isn’t our first rape scene. Even though we’ve seen plenty more before — Dany’s Dothraki wedding comes to mind or images after any battle scene — the fact that this is happening to sweet Sansa makes it feel more wrong.
Some might argue that producers do this to shock audiences, but I think it’s to show the sad but realistic truth that this is what medieval times were really like.
Kit Karington as Jon Snow in Season 5 of Game of Thrones. Photo courtesy of HBO.
5. Jon Snow’s death
Anyone who read the books saw it coming, and those who didn’t could not believe their eyes when it happened. We hoped that producers would change Jon’s storyline, as they have for other characters, and keep our favorite heartthrob alive. Alas, that was not the case. The brothers of the Night’s Watch betrayed Jon, their leader, who seemed untouchable, and his death will live in our minds forever.
And yet, there are those who continue to believe that this pretty boy is just faking it. There are fans who say his eyes turned purple at the end and his soul went into Ghost; others argue that the Red Woman returned to The Wall to resurrect Jon with magic; and some think that Jon will be reborn as Azor Ahai when his body is burned on a pyre — like Daenerys at the end of Season 1 (if you believe in the theory R+L=J). But cast members aren’t giving anything away despite nagging questions all year from eager fans (“So, how’s Kit been?” one fan cleverly asked Emilia Clarke). I guess we’ll have to wait and see to find out.
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen with Drogon in Season 5 of Game of Thrones. Photo courtesy of HBO.
4. Dany flies away on Drogon
Many tales have been told of the Targaryens once flying on their enormous dragons, and for the first time we saw this spectacle for ourselves. When chaos ensued at the debut of the fighting pits in Meereen, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) escaped by flying away on Drogon, her biggest and most badass dragon. The spellbound look on everyone’s faces during this moment said it all. I mean, even Tyrion shut up for once. But now Dany is in deep trouble — my guess is that after killing Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) with blood magic and leading the rest of her Dothraki tribe to death and starvation in the Red Waste no Dothraki likes her very much.
Kerry Ingram as Shireen in Season 5 of Game of Thrones. Photo Credit: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO.
3. Shireen’s death
It’s no secret that Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) isn’t the most kind or sympathetic character, but geesh we thought he at least cared about his greyscale-infected daughter — especially after he spent an entire season defending her. Nonetheless, Stannis took Melisandre’s (Carice Anouk Van Houten) advice and burned Shireen (Kerry Ingram) at the stake in order to get closer to the Iron Throne. It’s ironic that in this moment Stannis acts coldly toward his daughter while Shireen’s death finally spurred Selyse’s (Tara Fitzgerald) maternal instinct. Seeing Selyse cry for her daughter and beg to help her made us actually feel sorry for her for once.
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in Season 5 of Game of Thrones. Photo Credit: Macall B. Polay/courtesy of HBO.
2. Cersei’s walk of shame
For me, Joffrey Baratheon’s (Jack Gleeson) death was the one thing in all of Game of Thrones that I was waiting for, and Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) getting what she deserves was the second. Although she hasn’t died just yet, I’ll take her humiliating walk of atonement as a conciliatory prize. The proud lioness had her beautiful golden hair cut off, was stripped bare and forced to walk through a crowd of people who hate her — like we do. But when people are throwing food and excrement in her face and swinging their ugly dicks at her, you can’t help but feel her pain.
Game of Thrones’ season 5, episode 8. Photo: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO.
1.White Walker battle
The battle at the Blackwater in Season 2 was cool, and the Night’s Watch versus Wildlings fight in Season 4 was even better, but Season 5’s slaughter by the White Walkers was the most epic action scene yet. With the help of incredible CGI, White Walkers and Whites came to life, so much so that you thought they were going to jump through your television screen. I hope I wasn’t the only one hiding behind my blanket when the undead lemmings jumped over the snowy cliff and then creepily sprang to life.
And this isn’t even the best battle scene. According to Forbes, the newest season had a production budget of $10 million per episode, much of it put toward “the show’s most epic battle scene yet.”
Tune in this Sunday at 9 p.m. to HBO for an all-new episode of Game of Thrones, Season 6. And stay tuned for our recap of the first episode later this week!
