And the best special effect of Game of Thrones Season 5 is…
By Dan Selcke
…Jon Snow shattering the White Walker in “Hardhome.”
This effect wasn’t as elaborate as some of the other ones this season, but there was an immediacy to it that made it stand out. By the time it happened, we were already on the edge of our seats wondering if Jon Snow and company were going to escape the White Walkers’ onslaught alive. When Jon found himself in one-on-one combat with a bearded White Walker general, we were afraid for him. So far as we knew, no one but Sam had ever survived an encounter with a White Walker, and he had dragonglass to help him out. Jon wasn’t as well-equipped.
Or so we thought. When Jon stopped the White Walker’s spear with his Valyrian steel sword, we were gobsmacked (Jon and the White Walker were pretty shocked too, if the looks on their faces were any indication). Before we had time to process that, the two were going at it again, and Jon managed to shatter his opponent into a thousand icy pieces with a single swing of his sword. Suddenly, the game had changed, as humanity gained a new weapon to use in the coming war. It was an intense, revealing moment, and it trounced most of the competition easily.
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The exception was Drogon’s descent on Daznak’s Pit, which was definitely one of the special effects highlights of the year. From Drogon tearing out of the air wrapped in fire to Dany riding her baby into the sky, it was a triumph for the production team. Yes, the special effects had a few seams—the show was rendering a completely fictional monster, after all—but the excitement of finally seeing Drogon let loose more than made up for it.
Season 5 was the most effects-heavy year of the show so far, and even though the White Walker’s death and Drogon’s visit to Daznak’s Pit took the lion’s share of the vote, others had their adherents. Some effects even inspired disagreements. For example, here’s what commenter 123 had to say about Cersei’s walk of shame in “Mother’s Mercy”:
"Can I vote for Lena Headey’s walk of shame to be the worst special effect this season. In some shots it’s painfully obvious her face has been super imposed, it took me right out of the scene. I don’t want to be negative, but it has to be said."
In contrast, Galen Firestone was more complimentary:
"I went with Lena. This was a rare case of a body double where her face had to be seen, and on top of that, there were zero articles of clothing or jewelry to distract from the swap. It was so convincing of a body double effect that people were arguing over whether or not it was actually her. On most of the other effects, you could tell on some level it was an effect. Not this one."
Overall, Season 5 was a banner year for the show’s effects team, and Season 6 promises to be even more elaborate. If the team keeps going in this direction, next year might dazzle our eyes right out of our sockets.