The 3 best Game of Thrones episodes (and the 2 worst) according to IMDb

1. The Rains of Castamere (Season 3 Episode 9)

Keeping with the tradition of the big storyline of the season peaking in a shock-inducing penultimate episode, the third season of Game of Thrones produced one of the most jaw-dropping, heart-shattering, and bone-chilling sequences in the history of television. It is not a surprise that the ninth episode of season 3, titled "The Rains of Castamere," has a 9.9 ranking on IMDb.

Better known as ‘The Red Wedding,’ this episode sees Catelyn and Robb Stark and all of his bannermen massacred in a collective conspiracy. Walder Frey’s honor was hurt after Robb broke his vow to wed one of his daughters, marrying Talisa instead. Despite Catelyn’s brother Edmure marrying Roslin Frey in the episode, the Freys carry out a mass assassination of the Stark forces as the eerie "Rains of Castamere" song plays in the background.

However, the Freys were only the executioners of the slaughter, not the judge or jury. Roose Bolton spills the beans on who the mastermind behind the assault was when he slides a knife into Robb’s torso and whispers, chillingly, “The Lannisters send their regards.” Turning Walder Frey’s fury to his advantage, Tywin Lannister orchestrated an attack to eliminate the King in the North, effectively winning the War of the Five Kings for House Lannister. Robb's pregnant wife Talisa and mother Catelyn Stark are also killed in the Red Wedding. No one was spared, not even Robb’s beloved direwolf Grey Wind. Arya Stark nearly gets caught in the chaos but is saved by the Hound, Sandor Clegane.

Several other important moments unfold elsewhere in the episode, such as Bran warging into Hodor and his direwolf Summer, Jon Snow escaping from the wildlings and leaving Ygritte behind, and Daenerys taking control of the slave city of Yunkai. But the Red Wedding is the reason this episode will go down in history.