All the Game of Thrones season premieres, ranked

6. Season 3, “Valar Dohaeris”

With the blast of a horn and the turn of a page, season 3 makes its entrance with the engrossing “Valar Dohaeris,” which means “all men must serve” in High Valyrian. The episode draws us once again into the spider’s web of political maneuvering in Westeros. It shows us where our favorite characters stood after the events of the thrilling season 2 finale, but feels like a slow simmer preparing to boil.

We get updates on everything, from what’s happening with the Night’s Watch brothers beyond the Wall to Daenerys in the far east. It works and it’s important, but it’s not as dramatically punchy as some of the other premieres on this list.

5. Season 8, “Winterfell”

At the outlet of the show’s climactic final season, “Winterfell” is a powerful prologue full of heartwarming reunions and startling disclosures. The once brooding bastard of Winterfell, Jon Snow, soars through the frosty skies atop a dragon in an unforgettable sequence, while a shocking truth about his lineage is finally revealed to him. The episode is a bursting with important moments, each clamoring for attention.

Not all of them get the attention they deserve. There’s a sense of haste as the episode runs down its check list, a frenzied pace that almost feels strained. This was the last season, and “Winterfell” pulses with a sense of urgency; eventually that urgency would get out of control as the season continued.

Despite its flaws, “Winterfell” is in the middle of our rankings, reminding us that the devil is always in the details.