10 Most Underrated ‘Game of Thrones’ Episodes, Ranked
Few fantasy shows have managed to have such a monumental impact on popular culture as Game of Thrones, based on George R. R. Martin‘s A Song of Ice and Fire—a series that will likely remain unfinished. Fans fell in love with its complex web of shifting alliances and political maneuvering, all while magical threats slowly built up in the background. Even after the show’s disastrous final season, new fantasy shows try to re-create the success of the early seasons with their own tangled net of conspiracies and complex characters, to varying degrees of success.
The writing on Game of Thrones resulted in phenomenal episodes that made television history, from the shock and horror of “Baelor” and “The Rains of Castamere” to the destructive impact of “Blackwater” and “The Winds of Winter.” Because these episodes set the bar so high, there are many episodes that have their own fantastic plots, visuals, and character moments but get overlooked.
10
“The Queen’s Justice”
Season 7, Episode 3 (2017)
The new King in the North, Jon Snow (Kit Harington), sails to the island of Dragonstone to meet with Queen Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and ask for her help in the coming battle against the White Walkers. However, the war against Queen Cersei Lannister (Leana Headey) is not going well: Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) has been captured by Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbæk), and Tyrion Lannister’s (Peter Dinklage) plan to take Casterly Rock leads to the fall of Highgarden and the death of Olenna Tyrell (Dame Diana Rigg). Meanwhile, in the North, Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) reunites with her younger brother, Brandon (Isaac Hempstead Wright).
While Bran’s revelation that he saw Sansa on her wedding night is out of place and creepy, “The Queen’s Justice” has some of the juiciest character interactions in Season 7. Jon and Daenerys’ interactions are all that fans could have hoped for, with Daenerys’ entitlement clashing with Jon’s focus on the bigger picture, resulting in a dangerous dance to see who will back down first. But the real star is Olenna: Rigg gives a stellar final performance as the Queen of Thorns, and her honest confession about her part in Joffrey Baratheon’s (Jack Gleeson) murder ensures that she can leave the show having escaped character assassination.
9
“Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things”
Season 1, Episode 4 (2011)
As King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) prepares a lavish tournament to celebrate his friend Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) becoming the new Hand of the King, Eddard gets to work investigating the murder of his predecessor and foster-father, Jon Arryn (John Standing). Meanwhile, Jon makes a new friend in Samwell Tarly (John Bradley), and Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) takes a huge risk when she encounters Tyrion on the road. Across the sea, Daenerys stands up to her brother, Viserys (Harry Lloyd), who is becoming more frustrated that her husband, Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), hasn’t given him his army yet.
“Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things” is a wonderful example of a table-setting episode. Pieces are moved into position for future payoff, such as Daenerys rising above Viserys’ abuse and Catelyn’s capture of Tyrion, while being framed in a way that makes the audience excited to see what they will lead to. Meanwhile, Sam’s introduction is the beginning of his and Jon’s powerful friendship, while the Hand’s Tourney offers us a brief but poignant introduction to Gregor Clegane (Conan Stevens, Ian Whyte, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson).
8
“The Wolf and the Lion”
Season 1, Episode 5 (2011)
As the Hand’s Tourney reaches a violent climax, news of Daenerys’ pregnancy reaches King Robert, who orders her assassinated to prevent any invasion attempts. Eddard resigns as Hand of the King in protest, but remains in King’s Landing to continue his investigation into Jon Arryn’s murder. However, he must also suffer the consequences of his wife’s actions as she takes Tyrion to her sister, Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie).
“The Wolf and the Lion” takes place almost entirely in King’s Landing, which allows audiences to get fully immersed in the city’s political maneuvering at the cost of a lack of variety. There is plenty of action to be found, from the first clash between the Clegane brothers and Eddard’s brief duel with Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), to a mountain ambush that sees the first interaction between Tyrion and Bronn (Jerome Flynn). But the character moments belong to the Baratheons. Robert follows up Eddard’s resignation with one of the best original conversations between him and Cersei about war and their marriage, while his brother Renly’s (Gethin Anthony) talk with his lover, Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones), sees the planting of seeds that will sprout into grand ambitions.
7
“Second Sons”
Season 3, Episode 8 (2013)
Outside the gates of Yunkai, Daenerys meets with the captains of the Second Sons in the hopes of convincing them to side with her. In Westeros, Tyrion and Sansa are forced to marry to give the Lannisters control over Winterfell, Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dilane) reinstates Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) as his Hand of the King, and Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann) takes Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) to the Twins to ransom her to her brother, King Robb (Richard Madden). North of the Wall, Sam and Gilly (Hannah Murray) are attacked by a White Walker, which leads to a major discovery.
The highlight of “Second Sons” is the Lannister wedding, during which Dinklage gives another stellar performance as Tyrion. Between publicly threatening to castrate Joffrey if he makes Sansa undress for the court to refusing to sleep with Sansa until she agrees to it, Dinklage perfectly demonstrates Tyrion’s noble qualities, even when he is stewing in negativity. Stannis and Davos’ scene is also wonderful, reaffirming Stannis’ conviction towards his duty as king and Davos’ loyalty, even if it means biting his tongue around Melisandre (Carice van Houten). The final scene with Sam and the White Walker not only delivers an important piece of lore on how to defeat them, but also sees Sam take another major step in his character growth from sniveling coward to a true brother of the Night’s Watch.
6
“Walk of Punishment”
Season 3, Episode 3 (2013)
With the war currently seeing a lull in the action, King Robb goes to Riverrun to attend his grandfather’s funeral and plan his next move. Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) sends Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen) to wed Lysa Arryn and signs Tyrion to be the new Master of Coin. Elsewhere, Mance Rayder (Ciarán Hinds) sends Jon with a group of Wildings to scale the wall, Daenerys makes plans to acquire an army of Unsullied, and Jaime protects Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) from Roose Bolton’s (Michael McElhatton) men, at great cost.
“Walk of Punishment” is light on action, but makes up for it with shocking twists and setup for future storylines. Riverrun introduces new characters while going over how dire things are for Robb following the Battle of the Blackwater, while Astapor sees Daenerys begin playing politics with arrogant slavers and planting the seeds for her shift towards a liberator. The musical chairs scene with the Small Council is a terrific demonstration of nonverbal acting, as we learn much about each character in the scene based on where they sit in comparison to Tywin. Yet the highlight comes at the end of the episode, where Jaime takes his first step towards self-improvement at the cost of his hand.
5
“The Bear and the Maiden Fair”
Season 3, Episode 7 (2013)
As Jon continues to head south with Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) and Ygritte’s (Rose Leslie) warband, Bran continues his journey north to find the Three-Eyed Raven (Struan Rodger and Max von Sydow). Elsewhere, Robb makes his way to the Twins to marry his uncle, Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies), to Roslin Frey (Alexandra Dowling), and Joffrey confronts Tywin about rumors of Daenerys’s dragons as she arrives at the city of Yunkai. Roose sends some of his men to escort Jaime to King’s Landing, but he decides to rescue Brienne from Locke (Noah Taylor), who has thrown her into a pit with an angry grizzly bear (Bart the Bear 2).
“The Bear and the Maiden Fair” was the third episode written by Martin, and thus contains some sharp dialogue and poignant character progression. Tywin and Joffrey’s talk sees Tywin remind his grandson who is truly in charge through deliberate word choice and little details like walking up the steps to the Iron Throne, while Bran’s story sees his Wildling ally, Osha (Natalia Tena), explain her heartbreaking backstory that once again highlights what is at stake if the White Walkers win. Yet Martin’s best work this episode comes from Jaime’s story, which sees him commit a selfless act that brings him closer to the knight he always wanted to be. Praise must also be given to the effects during the climax, which combines footage from two different locations so seamlessly that you believe the actors are in a pit with a real bear.
4
“Mockingbird”
Season 4, Episode 7 (2014)
After demanding a trial by combat to prove his innocence in Joffrey’s murder, Tyrion learns that Cersei has chosen Ser Gregor to represent the crown, and few people are brave enough to challenge him. In the Riverlands, Arya and Sandor travel through the war-ravaged countryside, while Brienne and her new squire, Podrick Payne (Daniel Portman) are close behind. In the Eyrie, Petyr kisses Sansa, causing Lysa to turn on her own niece in a fit of jealous paranoia.
A grim shadow hangs over “Mockingbird,” casting nearly every storyline with a sense of foreboding dread. You feel the hopelessness of Tyrion’s situation as he loses what few allies he had left, especially Bronn, leading to a touching scene where Tyrion understands Bronn’s decision, though neither man is happy about it. This makes the final scene with Prince Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) even better, as he emerges as both the metaphorical and physical light in the darkness that restores Tyrion’s spirits. Meanwhile, Lysa’s attack on Sansa shows how far she has fallen from House Tully’s words of “family, duty, honor,” and leads to one of Game of Thrones‘ most shocking betrayals, courtesy of Littlefinger.
3
“Two Swords”
Season 4, Episode 1 (2014)
On the eve of Joffrey’s wedding to Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer), Tywin has Eddard’s Valyrian Steel greatsword, Ice, melted down into two new blades for House Lannister. As he presents one to Jaime, Tyrion welcomes Prince Oberyn to the city, while Sansa makes a new ally. Elsewhere, Jon tries to convince the Night’s Watch that his time with the Wildlings was as a spy, and Sandor and Arya have an interesting time acquiring some chicken to eat.
“Two Swords” is a phenomenal start to Season 4 and makes great use of its time to remind the audience of what has happened and introduce new characters. The melting of Ice in the cold opening reinforces that House Lannister is at the peak of its power and acts as a final insult to Eddard’s memory. Oberyn’s introduction made him a fan favorite thanks to how perfectly it captures his passionate yet unpredictable personality. Then there is Arya and Sandor: following a tense reunion with Polliver (Andy Kellegher), the two get caught up in a brutal tavern brawl that ends with Arya reclaiming her sword, Needle, and taking another step on her road to becoming an assassin.
2
“The Old Gods and the New”
Season 2, Episode 6 (2012)
As Robb battles the Lannisters in the south, Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) takes Winterfell, but this costs him the respect of those he used to call friends. In Harrenhal, Arya tries to navigate her dangerous position as Tywin’s cupbearer while secretly working with Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha), while tensions reach a boiling point in King’s Landing that turns into a riot. Beyond the Wall, Jon meets a young Wildling named Ygritte and, after failing to kill her, gets separated from the rest of the Night’s Watch.
“The Old Gods and the New” is all about rising tensions and how the characters react to them. The riots are an appropriately chaotic storm of violence and mayhem, yet levity can be found through Tyrion slapping Joffrey, and kindness through Sandor’s rescue of Sansa. Jon and Ygritte’s meeting is the first step towards humanizing the Wildlings, and Robb’s war camp sees him both grow closer to Lady Talisa (Oona Chaplin) and sets up Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) when Roose offers to have his son retake Winterfell. Speaking of Winterfell, that is where the best character drama happens, as Theon kills Ser Rodrik Cassel (Ron Donachie) to send a message to his men and the people of Winterfell. Allen’s nonverbal acting perfectly conveys the turmoil behind Theon’s eyes, while Wright goes all out as he screams in pure agony and heartbreak.
1
“Kissed by Fire”
Season 3, Episode 5 (2013)
As Jon travels with the Wildlings, Ygritte lures him into a hidden cave to make him break his vow of celibacy and test his commitment. In King’s Landing, Tywin plans to use his children as pawns to stop the Tyrells from overreaching, while at Riverrun, Robb must make a difficult choice regarding one of his insubordinate lords. Jaime and Brienne are brought to Harrenhal, where Jaime makes a shocking confession, and Sandor Clegane fights for his life against the leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners, Ser Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer).
“Kissed by Fire” is an episode that has it all, from gripping, character-driven drama to intense action. Sandor’s duel with Beric is one of the most intense and claustrophobic fights in the show, enhanced by Beric’s flaming sword and how masterfully McCann channels Sandor’s fear. On the drama side, Jon’s budding relationship with Ygritte is building towards its inevitable tragic end, while Robb’s dilemma serves as a reminder that winning battles does not guarantee winning the war. However, the crowning moment of dramatic storytelling comes from Jaime, who confesses to Brienne why he killed Aerys II Targaryen (David Rintoul). Between Waldau’s performance as a man on the verge of exhaustion and the dialogue that has you glued to your seat, it not only serves as contextualization for Jaime’s entire character but a shining example of how Game of Thrones‘ lifeblood was always its character moments, not its dragons or impressive battles.
