The Critical Corner

Next week’s episode of Game of Thrones is surely an exciting one, as the long-hyped “Battle for Winterfell” is finally upon us (and bringing with it a mammoth 82-minute length with the longest battle ever recorded in TV and Movie history). As exciting as that prospect is, it is always good to remember that, before they had the budget they have now, Game of Thrones thrived and shined on its world building, its rich characters and its extensive, morally grey character development. We care about the crazy journey most of the characters still alive have taken, and with next week presumably bringing the demise of many long-time players, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” was a triumph of longform storytelling, and a welcome final calm before the storm. As great as many moments from last week’s episode, “Winterfell”, were, there was a nagging sense for some that the limited time of this abbreviated final season meant that any table setting and slow build up ...

After a year and a half of waiting since we last saw the Night King using the recently resurrected Viserion to blast the Wall into pieces, it was going to be impossible for the Season 8 premiere to live up to such a long wait, especially with all the hype surrounding this shortened final season. Despite that, while “Winterfell” doesn’t come out of the gate roaring, the episode offers enough great character moments, reunions and important developments to rise above the usual slow Game of Thrones opening. For a series so defined by its sprawling, expansive narrative, nothing says more about the current state of the series than the current scope of the episode (perfectly captured in the newly updated opening credits), which happens almost entirely around Winterfell and Kings Landing. The series has contracted its story into something a little more cohesive, while still featuring enough characters within places to not feel like it’s gotten too small. While the ...

In the words of the honorary members of the Night's Watch: "Now our watch has ended".  73 episodes later, "Game of Thrones" has come to and end. Many will debate the legacy of the series thanks to the mixed quality of its final episodes. But as those debates rage the internet, we can always look back and remember the episodes that stand tall as the ones that made their mark on the TV landscape. It was a close call, with many almost making the list, but ultimately, there could only be 25 winners. Without much further ado, here are the 25 best episodes of Game of Thrones. SPOILERS AHEAD 25. The Dragon and the Wolf (Season 7, Episode 7) The Season 7 finale had the unenviable task of righting the ship after the show took a big quality hit for the first time in its history with the penultimate episode, “ Beyond the Wall ”. Fortunately, “ The Dragon and the Wolf ” proved to be a fine return to form as the show contracted its story to...