HBO
HBO has multiple incredible shows . After all , as the cable internet ’s slogan live , it ’s not boob tube , it ’s HBO . However , few of the web ’s originals can compare to the steamroller that wasGame of Thrones . develop by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and based on George R. R. Martin ’s literary sagaA Song of Ice and Fire , the show followed multiple feuding baronial families struggling to sit on the Iron Throne and rule over the warfare - torn continent of Westeros .
At its vertex , Game of Throneswas the biggest show on Earth , overtop award shows and tally HBO the vainglorious ratings in its history . Across eight seasons and 73 instalment , the show shocked , outrage , and thrilled audience worldwide , cementing its place among television ’s with child achievements . However , even its most devoted buff ca n’t say it remained coherent throughout . Indeed , while some seasons were positively masterful , others were instantly embarrassing , prove that when you playact the biz of thrones , there really is no middle reason .
HBO
8. Season 8 (2019)
There ’s not much to say that has n’t already been said aboutGame of Thronesseason 8 . To describe it , only one word is necessary : awful . From the awful , rush committal to writing to the notoriously dark motion-picture photography to the poor product value and regardless theatrical production , Game of Thronesseason 8 is a trainwreck of spectacular proportion .
If it were n’t for the unbelievable performing — thank R’hllor for Emilia Clarke — it would have no redeemable qualities . Do n’t let the many subsequent think piece fool you : it ’s not good , it has n’t senesce well , and it ’s still inexcusable . It ’s terrible in just about every way that matters .
7. Season 7 (2017)
The openhanded issue with season 7 is that you may feel the urgency to twine the show as tight as possible . Characters stop have levelheaded decisions , and the show starts disrespecting its in - world logical system . Daenerys loses all her ally and two of her dragons because , otherwise , the show would be over in the blink of an optic . Meanwhile , Varys , Littlefinger , and Tyrion , arguablyGame of Thrones ‘ most herculean and intelligent characters , become shadows of their former selves , doomed to always be one footprint behind everyone else . Season 7 is poorly written and even more ill paced , resulting in a rush and uneven wake experience that feels like the staring prelude to the even bad season 8 .
6. Season 5 (2015)
time of year 5 ofGame of Thronesis the early indicant that the king behind the show did n’t needs have it away what they were doing . The season marks a major exit from the book , with storylines shortened and mixed in an effort to keep affair more streamlined . Major plots include Daenerys ruling Meereen with fateful result , Jon becoming Lord Commander at Castle Black , Arya start her breeding in Braavos , Sansa getting marital to Ramsay Snow , Tyrion travel to Essos to encounter Dany , and Cersei and Jaime dealing with the Sparrows in the backwash of Tywin ’s expiry .
Much of what fix time of year 5 seem weak is how much it pales in comparability to its masterful predecessor . The writing is weak , especially concerning the story at Castle Black , and sure narrative choices come across aspure shock valuerather than genuine endeavour to go on the large narration . Season 5 does include a few unbelievable sequence , most notablyHardhome , and a powerful time of year coda . Still , the season is overall odd at best , and let in some of the show ’s most needless and needless plot , put into motion the writers ’ abilities to redeem a satisfying close .
5. Season 1 (2011)
“ You win , or you die , ” the tagline forGame of Thronesseason 1 read , and boy , was it correct . Fantasy ikon and perennial victim Sean Bean starred as Eddard Stark , the baronial head of House Stark , who abandons his patch as Warden of the North to serve as Hand of the King for his longtime Quaker , Robert Baratheon . come at the capital city of King ’s landing place , Ned becomes regard in a dangerous biz of political sympathies and treason .
Season 1 ofGame of Thronesstands out because it ’s the only one with a clear friend . While the show would become a straight tout ensemble as it progressed , time of year 1 is firmly centered around Ned , with Bean embodying the character ’s larger-than-life and ethical qualities to perfection . In addition , this time of year isGame of Thronesat its most contained and intimate , favor politics and machinations over challenging illusion concepts — Daenerys ’ Draco are n’t even hatched yet .
However , what it miss in scope , it piddle up for in narrative clout , clever authorship , and a subversive approach to the usually clearcut fantasy genre . time of year 1 ofGame of Throneslaid the basis for everything that follow , allowingthe show to grow into one of the most pop in televisionand doing most of the heavy lifting to introduce the complicated , yet gripping World of Ice and Fire .
4. Season 6 (2016)
In more ways than one , season 6 is the finish ofGame of Thrones ‘ golden age . The patch sees Cersei plotting her retaliation against the Sparrows , who are becoming more serious by the second . Meanwhile , Jon and Sansa rally the Northern houses against Ramsay , Tyrion shinny to rule Meereen while Daenerys is kidnapped by the Dothraki , Arya retain her grooming in the House of Black and White , and Bran begin his journeying to becoming the Three - Eyed Raven .
Although far more odd than its predecessors , season 6 ofGame of Thronessoars on the strong point of some of the show ’s best efforts . Episodes likeThe Door , Blood of My Blood , Battle of the son of a bitch , andThe Winds of Winterrank among the good of the 21st century , allow aloneGame of Thrones . Ramin Djawadi ’s score also reaches unexampled heights this time of year , especially during the last episode , where the now - iconic tuneLight of the Sevenplays during the plosion of the gravid Sept of Baelor .
Season 6 isGame of Thronesin overdrive , pitch one showstopping sequence after another without fall back momentum . It expertly flux rooter divine service and part development , setting the degree for an epical showdown that , sadly , would never come .
3. Season 3 (2013)
time of year 3 ofGame of Throneslives in constant infamy . It have the ending of the War of the Five Kings and the unexpected marriage between Sansa and Tyrion , which is direct by Tywin . Jaime Bond with Brienne on his way back to King ’s landing place , Jon pass more sentence with the Free Folk , Arya and the Hound form an unbelievable family relationship during their locomotion , and Daenerys lento amasses an regular army of her own .
self-coloured and narratively coherent as it construct up to a harrowing finale , time of year 3 ofGame of Thronesis centre television . The duos of Jaime and Brienne and Arya and the Hound are surprisingly heartwarming , while Dany ’s increase influence in Essos cement her as a New pop refinement icon .
However , it’sthe infamous and outright traumatizing Red Weddingthat dominates any conversation about time of year 3 . The event marked a turning head forGame of Thrones , as it killed off multiple main characters in a shocking and brute episode that challenge consultation ’ expectations and changed television system for goodness . Season 3 did a lot of thing right , but in many ways , its legacy amounts toThe Rains of Castamere , an instalment that rank among goggle box ’s all - time greatest ever produced .
2. Season 2 (2012)
Season 2 ofGame of Thronesgreatly benefit from incredible dialogue , perhaps the best in the show ’s eight years . Tyrion and Cersei apportion some of the best interactions in the show ’s account , which are elevated even further by Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey ’s one - of - a - sort chemistry . likewise , Tywin and Arya form an unlikely , yet mesmerizing duo , with Charles Dance and Maisie Williams delivering some of the okay work on the show .
The season lead to the nearly - sodding episodeBlackwater , which feature one of the show ’s most ambitious battle sequence . Overall , time of year 2 ofGame of Thronesis cohesive and satisfying , yet still lurid and unpredictable . It successfully expands the show ’s lore , introduce new characters , and plants seeds that would blossom for eld to come .
1. Season 4 (2014)
Game of Thronesundoubtedly peak with time of year 4 . The show ’s fourth year feature monumental plot line , from Joffrey ’s death at the Purple Wedding to Tyrion ’s subsequent trial for his apparent murder . Sansa finally escapes King ’s landing place , Arya cover her journey with the Hound , Jon prepares Castle Black against the Free Folk ’s forthcoming tone-beginning , and Daenerys take over Meereen , abolish thraldom and sending Essos into political topsy-turvyness and societal unrest .
time of year 4 sees every expression ofGame of Thronesoperating at meridian electrical capacity . Every constituent , from the authorship to the playacting , directing , and theatrical production , is spectacular , and the player get some of their strong material . The time of year ’s MVP is undoubtedly Tyrion , with Dinklage cede arguably his finest performance in the show during the seminal episodeThe Laws of Gods and Men . However , many other actors strike , includingthe new Mr. Fantastic , Pedro Pascal , whose Oberyn Martell is a highlight of the time of year .
Headey , Harington , Clarke , and Dance are also notable , as are Gwendolyn Christie and the ever - underrated Natalie Dormer . time of year 4 ofGame of Thronesis the closest thing to perfection that we ’ll ever see on our television screens , offering a hardiness , challenging , and utterly unforgettable narrative that cemented the show as a New entertainment masterpiece — up until that point , anyway .
