Most episodes of Game of Thrones, with only a handful of single location exceptions, take place throughout the land of Westeros (and sometimes Essos), following several different storylines during their hour-long runtime. The best episodes in the series expertly juggle these plotlines, creating a compelling overall story as they cut throughout each character's arc.
However, some subplots have the misfortune of playing second fiddle to the most iconic A-stories in the entire show. While each of these plotlines makes for a fantastic story, they often feel forgotten, especially when compared to another plot point from the same episode.
1. The first major battle in the series
Game of Thrones traditionally pulls out all the stops for the penultimate episode of a season, and the ninth episode of season 1, "Baelor," is no exception. A bulk of the story follows Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), who learns that his father, Tywin (Charles Dance), plans on placing him and his Hill Tribes at the front of the Lannister Army's vanguard in their upcoming clash with the Starks, which Tyrion deduces is a scheme to get him killed. He storms off to his tent, where his sellsword Bronn (Jerome Flynn) introduces him to a prostituted named Shae (Sibel Kekilli). Tyrion spends what he believes to be his last night alive with these two, telling them the tragic tale of his first wife, Tysha. However, Tyrion miraculously ends up surviving the battle after taking a friendly fire hammer strike to the head and falling unconscious, missing the fighting entirely.
This storyline became an early standout of Game of Thrones, providing more depth to Tyrion's character and earning Dinklage his first Emmy. However, when most fans think about "Baelor," they don't think about Tyrion. Instead, the episode's crowning achievement is the execution of Ned Stark (Sean Bean), a turning point for not only Thrones but the entire medium of television. Ned's death proved that no one is safe, and even the series lead can meet his maker.
2. Jon is explosed as a traitor
Jon Snow's (Kit Harrington) season 3 storyline follows his under cover infiltration of the Free Folk. He acts as a traitor to the Night's Watch in order to uncover the wildlings' secrets, befriending them along the way. He even falls in love with a Free Folk woman, Ygritte (Rose Leslie). However, Jon is forced to come clean and turn on his wildling "allies" after refusing to kill an innocent man at their behest, resulting in an epic fight and a tearful goodbye to Ygritte.
However, this all takes place during the ninth episode of the season, "The Rains of Castamere," which has become one of the most infamous hours in television history. Season 3's penultimate outing features the Red Wedding, the brutal butchering of King Robb Stark (Richard Madden), his mother Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), his wife Talisa (Oona Chaplin), and many of his Northern lords at his uncle Edmure Tully's (Tobias Menzies) wedding, while their guards were down. This unexpected slaughter shattered fans' hearts, making everything that took place before it feel forgettable in comparison.
3. Jorah's banishment
Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) had served as Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) chief advisor and closest friend since the very beginning of the series. This is why his banishment in season 4, episode 8, "The Mountain and the Viper," hits so hard. While audiences know that Jorah has fully devoted himself to his queen, Daenerys can no longer trust him after discovering he'd once spied on her in hopes of receiving a royal pardon from King Robert Baratheon. As a consequence, Daenerys must banish Jorah from Meereen, closing the book on one of her most meaningful relationships.
In contrast, as the episode's title suggests, the climax follows the trial by combat between Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal), the "Red Viper of Dorne," and Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane (Hafþór JúlÃus Björnsson), all to determine Tyrion's guilt. Oberyn has the upper hand for most of the fight, but gets himself burtally killed by the Mountain after becoming overconfident and trying too hard to goad his opponent into confessing to the murder of his sister, Queen Elia Martell. Oberyn's shocking and brutal demise is enough to completely eclipse everything that came before it.
4. Tyrion meets Daenerys
Season 5 marks Jorah's grand return to Meereen. After his banishment, he seeks to win back Daenerys' favor by presenting her with "a gift," Tyrion. The eighth episode of the season, "Hardhome," featuers the first full conversation between Tyrion and Daenerys, as she welcomes him into her service and the Westeros and Essos storylines finally begin to merge. This scene also includes the first instance of Daenerys' famous "break the wheel" metaphor, representing how she wants to change Westerosi politics forever.
However, this plot point cannot compete with the epic battle of Hardhome, the first major clash between the forces of the living and the dead. Jon teams up with the wildlings, making several key discoveries about the White Walkers in the process, including their weakness to Valyrian steel and their ability to raise the dead. "Hardhome" turns the undead storyline into the series' focal point, overshadowing Tyrion and Daenerys.
5. Daenerys vs. the Wise Masters
Daenerys' three season-long storyline as the Queen of Meereen comes to its climax in season 6, episode 9, "Battle of the Bastards." After decimating the slavers' fleets on dragonback and eliminating the threat of the Sons of the Harpy once and for all, Dany meets with Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan), forging an alliance that promises a large enough fleet to bring her armies across the Narrow Sea. After all this time, she is finally ready to sail for Westeros.
However, the rest of the episode focuses on the titular Battle of the Bastards, where Jon Snow takes back Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). Filled to the brim with an epic battle, a long awaited death scene, and the Starks' return to their iconic home castle, it's hard to think about any other storylines when watching "Battle of the Bastards."
Add us as a preferred source on Google