It was perhaps the most chaotic and surprising episode of Game of Thrones to ever reach broadcast. With just two episodes left to tell the end of their story, screenwriters David Benioff and D. B. Weiss threw everything at the wall, with the hopes that much of it would stick, without leaving a bad taste in the mouth of their audience. Whilst there are no doubt those who are furious with the outcome of this, it's hard to deny that the events of the series' penultimate episode were always going to happen. With all that being said, it doesn't make the episode any less shocking. Here are some of the biggest OMG moments from one of television's most thrilling 75 minutes. There will, of course, be spoilers...
7. Daenerys sentenced Varys to death
We get it. You don't betray your Queen, even if you think somebody else may be better suited for the throne. But still, it hurt to see Varys on the receiving end of a gobful of fire in an execution by the last remaining female Targaryen. She showed one of her cards here; bend the knee or become Drogon's latest snack. Exactly how this will all play out for Jon in next week's series finale remains to be seen...
6. Tyrion put family ahead of his Queen
It seemed as though Tyrion was done with the Lannister clan for good, but we know he's always had a soft spot for his brother, Jaime. He says that he's the reason he even survived childhood, and had always promised to repay the debt of being freed whilst kept prisoner under Cersei's rule. Still, to see him release Jaime as Daenerys' prisoner in the hopes that he could finally convince Cersei to surrender and flee was a major surprise. He put his family first, and it could mean he meets his maker in next week's episode.
5. The Iron Fleet and Golden Company fell quickly
After seeing how easily the Iron Fleet took down Rhaegal in last week's episode, it was strange to then see Daenerys and Drogon bring the entirety of their forces to their knees. It didn't end over the sea though, as the pair then launched an attack from behind, doing away with many of the Golden Company members and allowing the Dothraki and Unsullied warriors to do the rest. This led to the surviving members of the army fighting on Cersei's behalf to drop their swords, and this is where the violence SHOULD have ended...
4. Daenerys turned on her people despite their surrender
Unfortunately, seeing Missandei murdered at the hands of Cersei last week has proven to be too much for Daenerys to handle. She turned on the thousands of innocent people she would be tasked with protecting, should she ever make it to the Iron Throne, and reignited the spark for vengeance that so many thought she'd be able to resist. It was horrific to watch so many civilians slaughtered, and as a viewer we were left wondering just who was left to root for.
3. Arya resisted temptation to take down Cersei
As one of the strongest willed people in the entire series, it was strange to see Arya turn around at the final moment at the advice of The Hound, even if going ahead with her plan to murder Cersei would have also seen her draw her last breath. In this moment, we saw Arya finally realise that being with her family when all is said and done is more important than revenge. The Hound taught her an incredible lesson, ensuring that she would at least have a chance to do something more with her life.
2. The Hound and The Mountain both died
Cleganebowl finally happened, on the stairs of the Red Keep. The Mountain threw his loyalties to his maker and Cersei aside in a bid to go to war with his brother for one last time, proving indestructible despite taking several stabs to the body, neck, and even one to the brain. In the end, when all hope looked lost for The Hound, he decided to take one for the team and threw not only himself, but his sibling out of the side of the building, falling several hundred feet into fire and flame, confirming the death of the pair. A truly sombre moment in an episode packed full of them.
1. Jaime and Cersei died together
So, the prophecy wasn't fulfilled. Jaime didn't kill Cersei, for mercy or otherwise. It turned out that Cersei had been worrying for decades about one of her siblings murdering her for no reason at all. She did still however, meet her end. Attempting an escape with Jaime to start a new life with their unborn child, they headed down to the depths of the Red Keep, where Tyrion had a boat waiting for them. Despite their best efforts however, the destruction of the Keep meant that their exit was blocked by rubble, and the rest of the building came crashing down on top of the pair. A strangely romantic end for the incestuous couple.
Game of Thrones concludes with its final episode next Sunday (May 19) on HBO in the US, and next Monday (May 20) on Sky Atlantic in the UK.
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