cjasaunders

Once again the plot continues apace, with a couple of stunning jaw-drop moments and incredible plot twists. The intrigue, complexity and depth of story are once off the charts, with a slow first half setting you up for a lighting fast second half. This was a hell of a kick-off for what feels like an even more exciting section, as all of the pieces start to come together.

In a way, it's almost depressing that these slower episodes naturally get lower ratings because they aren't all flash, glamour and dramatic battle scenes. What has always made AoT incredible is the depth and complexity of the characters, and the gritty realism of the situations and journeys they go through

Even the newer characters have already gone through intense journeys of development, and this episode once again drives several important characters forward. It also manages to effortlessly maintain a perfect narrative structure, with a twist at the end of the episode tying it all together perfectly, and the pacing makes the episode absolutely fly by without ever feeling rushed. So much information is provided from contextual cues without needing to explain anything to the watcher.

Genuinely, this is a masterpiece of TV, and I hope all future shows learn from it.

I recall when this episode aired live. The build-up to the release had been huge, and it had dominated every conversation I had had the previous week. The tension from the previous episodes had been building higher and higher, and here we had finally reached the epic conclusion of the show. I was texting my friends as the episode aired, placing bets on the app, getting into the episode like I never have since (I tried with Game of Thrones, and we all know how that went).

Then it ended. And, as with many of the greatest episodes, I sat through the complete silence and contemplation through the credits, processing what I had witnessed. And after I stood up to make some food and move on with my live, I started maniacally and involuntarily laughing, for minutes on end. I'm not the only one to have had this reaction - others tell me they cried, others tell me they had to punch something. The show, over the weeks, had produced so much tension, so much pressure building up, that it unexpectedly forced a need for an emotional outlet.

I judge art (and this is art) by what emotional impact it has on me and others. And by that ruling, this episode could never be anything but a 10/10.

An ending will never please everyone. I'd wager we'll never see a finale hit 10.0/10 on this site - some people will be unhappy whatever is produced (and I wouldn't have it any other way). But as endings go, this is, in my opinion, the best I have seen so far. It closes off every story thread in a way that is satisfying, says just the right amount, and feels right. When people claim "No show has a perfect ending, though", I point to this episode every time. This has set the bar for everything since, and seven years later, nothing else has come close.