We rank the episodes of Game of Thrones season 7 from worst to best

2. “The Queen’s Justice”

“The Queen’s Justice” didn’t generate the hype of some of the other episodes this season. It didn’t have the splashy set pieces of “The Spoils of War” and “Beyond the Wall” or the epic sprawl of “The Dragon and the Wolf.” But in its own quiet way, this was the episode of the year. It made good on meetings viewers had been looking forward to for ages, sent a fan favorite character off in style, and did it all while coloring comfortably within the lines of the Game of Thrones playbook.

We have to start with the meeting between Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, something fans had been fantasizing about for literally decades. The temptation in scenes like this is to underline how important they are with swelling music, flashy camerawork, or flowery dialogue. As when Tyrion and Dany met back in season 5, the show didn’t fall into this trap. It stayed true to Jon and Dany’s characters, presenting them as two stubborn leaders struggling to see each other’s points of view while their advisors try to keep things from spinning out of control. It’s got drama, it’s got tension, it’s got humor (Davos’ shortcomings as a Hype Man may be the laugh-out-loud moment of the season). It works on a political level, an interpersonal level, and maybe even a romantic level. It’s a splendid payoff to a story that’s been building for a very long time.

Over in King’s Landing, the Lannister twins are also in fine form, particularly Cersei, who has a scene-stealing turn as a ferocious black widow in a dungeon under the Red Keep. Lena Headey has always been excellent, but Cersei’s queenship gave her new meat to sink her teeth into, and she goes for it.

Sansa has a solid week, too; we see her competently run Winterfell and reunite with Bran. Their reunion isn’t as moving as the one between Sansa and Jon in season 6, but considering where Bran’s head is at these days, there’s no way it could have been. Love him or hate him, this episode sets up the new, detached Bran very well. And if Sansa had any doubts about his abilities, they were dispelled in the Winterfell godswood when he reveals intimate knowledge of the most horrible night of the life — It’s an effectively creepy moment.

So the episode is packed with good scenes, but it saves the best for last. Tyrion has devised a plan whereby the Unsullied will storm and take Casterly Rock, which they do. The twist: Jaime saw this coming, abandoned the Lannister stronghold (which, unbeknownst to Tyrion, wasn’t as valuable as it once was), and sacked Highgarden, which was plump with cash. It’s a fun surprise and a credible way to turn the tables on Daenerys, who at first seemed like she was going to roll over the Seven Kingdoms unopposed.

The final scene, where Jaime confronts Lady Olenna and executes her with poison, is a scorcher. Olenna is beaten, but before she goes, she turns the tables one last time, revealing to Jaime that it was she — not Tyrion — who killed Joffrey. Suddenly, it becomes clear how much of the pain and loss the Lannisters have gone through in the last few years was self-inflicted. Even in death, Olenna came out ahead. (Also, maybe this will be the scene that finally convinces the Emmy voters to give Diana Rigg a statue for her work as Olenna? Here’s hoping.)

“The Queen’s Justice” isn’t perfect. Like other episodes this season, the accelerated pace means that it sometimes takes plot shortcuts. Euron’s ability to warp around the world so he can torch the Unsullied ships is a head-scratcher, and we can’t help but wonder why the Tyrell army didn’t put up a better fight at Highgarden. But like “Stormborn,” “The Queen’s Justice” delivers where it matters, and it delivers hard.