George R.R. Martin named his favorite episode of Game of Thrones (that he wrote)

Earlier this month, Vanity Fair put out a list of “25 Perfect TV Episodes From the Last 25 Years.” That’s a long stretch of time. Are any of your favorites on there?

The list definitely included some favorites of A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin, including the Game of Thrones episode “Blackwater,” the one where Stannis Baratheon tries to invade King’s Landing and is repelled by the wily strategies of Tyrion Lannister. We all remember this big boom moment, right?

“The maximalism that propelled Game of Thrones into the pop-culture stratosphere is absent from its very best episode, an hour that’s tightly focused on the hours before, during, and after the titular battle,” writes Hillary Busis. “There are no White Walkers here, or dragons, or voyages across the Narrow Sea. There aren’t clear heroes or villains, either—a hallmark of Martin’s universe that got unfortunately lost as the series progressed.”

"As stern Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) launches his siege on King’s Landing, Martin balances eye-popping action with finely observed, character-driven moments: Bronn (Jerome Flynn) and The Hound’s (Rory McCann) brothel standoff; Sansa (Sophie Turner) saying she’ll pray for the safe return of Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), “just as I pray for the king’s”; Joffrey’s (Jack Gleeson) bluster fading into cowardice as the reality of war sets in; Lena Headey’s Cersei getting increasingly sloshed as she alternately needles Sansa and tries to teach her the ways of the world. All that, plus Tyrion chopping some guy’s leg off with an ax? It makes you yearn for an alternate universe where Martin had written every single Game of Thrones script."

I think I would personally name “The Winds of Winter” as the best Game of Thrones episode, but “Blackwater” is certainly a solid choice.

George R.R. Martin “always want[s] to do better” whenever he writes something new

“Blackwater” was one of four Game of Thrones episodes that Martin wrote himself: the others were “The Pointy End” in season 1, “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” in season 3 and “The Lion and the Rose” in season 4. Writing on his blog, Martin named “Blackwater” as his favorite of those four, although he’s also very happy with how “The Lion and the Rose” turned out. “I have a soft spot for that one.” It’s hard not to love the episode where Joffrey Baratheon dies.

Vanity Fair’s list also includes episodes from shows like The Wire, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, Mad Men, and much more. “I feel very pleased and flattered to be in such great company,” Martin writes. “No work of art is ever truly perfect, of course… but it is very gratifying to hear that maybe you achieved it, or at least came close… for some of your readers (or viewers)… once in a very great while. There is always a next time, though… and regardless of how well (or poorly) one of my tales is received, I always want to do better the next time I sit down in front of the computer.”

We’ll see how close to perfection Martin can get whenever The Winds of Winter comes out…someday…

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