From the moment we found out that “Hardhome” director Miguel Sapochnik was returning to direct “Battle of the Bastards,” and that it would feature the largest battle ever filmed for Thrones, the excitement has been palpable. In fact, “Battle of the Bastards” may have been the most anticipated episode in the history of Game of Thrones. For six seasons, loyal House Stark supporters have watched the members of this once proud house get betrayed, beaten, tortured, and murdered by their enemies. It was time for some payback.
According to IMDb, the episode lived up to the hype. “Battle of the Bastards” is currently this highest rated episode on the site, with nearly 32 thousand user votes and a rating of 10/10 stars.
To put this in perspective, Episode 309, “Rains of Castamere,” which featured the infamous Red Wedding, currently has a total of 43,433 votes and a 9.9 user rating. Episode 508, “Hardhome,” also received a 9.9 user rating, with 46,854 votes counted. IMDb has a list of every Game of Thrones episode, how many users voted, and the user rating each one received.
For further perspective, here’s how each season’s penultimate episode rated on the site.
- Episode 109, “Baelor” received a 9.5 user rating, with 14,685 votes being placed.
- Episode 209, “Blackwater” received a 9.7 user rating, with 17,766 votes being placed.
- Episode 309, “The Rains of Castamere” received a 9.9 user rating, with 43,433 votes being placed.
- Episode 409, “The Watchers on the Wall” received a 9.5 user rating, with 18,489 votes being placed.
- Episode 509, “The Dance of Dragons” received a 9.4 user rating, with 20,714 votes being placed.
Both “Blackwater,” and “The Watchers on the Wall” featured massive battles, while “Baelor” and “The Rains of Castamere” sported highly anticipated moments from the books (Ned’s death and the Red Wedding respectively). “The Dance of Dragons” is the lowest rated of the penultimate episodes, but it followed “Hardhome,” which is the third highest rated episode of Game of Thrones overall.
It’s only been a day since “Battle of the Bastards” aired for the first time. The number of votes placed is sure to rise as time goes on, so the user rating could change down the line. However, a quick look at the ratings metric shows that an overwhelming number of users gave the episode a perfect 10/10 stars. IMDb updates its episode ratings on a daily basis, so tomorrow may tell a different story.
h/t Reddit