Battle of the Bastards

This episode is to the series what Goodbye Farewell, and Amen was to Mash, and Ozymandias to Breaking Bad...a classic series episode that prepares the viewer for what's next in the future. The battle scenes in this episode are the best ever made for television, and at a big cost. The locations where this show is filmed is very exotic, and the characters and dragons rule the show. The music is amazing as well as the pace of the show. If you have to see just one episode of GOT, this is the one.

Every once in a while you come across something that you know outright to be a masterpiece. It doesn't happen very often and usually even the greatest feats of cinema you have to watch a few times to appreciate the grandeur you have just witnessed.

Game of Thrones is known for its strong 9th episodes on almost every season. Season 6 is no different with "Battle of the Bastards". It's a one hour television episode that truly feels like a massive budget blockbuster movie.

This episode gives Game of Thrones fans almost one hour spectacle filled with action. However, the action is paced superbly with absolutely wonderfully acted and written dialogue. The episode involves many great changes, twists and turns. Episode director Miguel Sapochnik (also known for his another masterpiece episode "Hardhome") proves himself to be once and for all one of the greatest talents in the television and movie industry today.

There are dozens of shots in this episode that I can't even begin to comprehend how on earth were they filmed. The action coordination combined with the great camera angles make some of the most memorable scenes I have ever seen in television.

I don't want to go too much on details about the story itself, since this is best experienced without knowing too much about what is going to happen. All I can say is that all the story lines involved in this episode move forward just perfectly. Watching it all unfold on the screen creates an emotional roller coaster I've never seen in a Game of Thrones episode before. And that is saying a lot, considering how magnificent feats Game of Thrones has managed to pull through during its six seasons.

I can safely say that this is my favorite Game of Thrones episode so far and season 6 is on it's way to become my favorite season. Something I didn't expect myself ever saying after finishing season 4 almost two years ago.

Holy hell! What a battle! This episode contained the single greatest battle sequence ever made for television, and I would even say it ranks high compared to movies. Miguel Sapochnik is now officially the best director on Game of Thrones (he also did last year's Hardhome). The pacing, the cinematography, the acting, the writing; everything in here was perfect. It depicts the horrors of war in such a brutal and stunning way. It feels like they've finally got the budget to take the series to the scale they've always wanted it at. Just an all around epic episode. It also plays sharp contrast to last week's episode, which I personally found slightly disappointing.

Surprisingly, the episode isn't just set in one location (although it almost is). We also check in with Meereen, which is good because I thought the cliffhanger they were left on last episode would stretch for two weeks. It didn't. The episode leaps right into it. This was quite a smart pacing decision; by opening the episode with a battle, you prevent people from getting fed up with the long stretch of character scenes that precedes the other battle. Just the right amount of time was spent in Meereen this episode.

But then, of course, it's on to the main event. The Battle of the Bastards. As with all the other big battle episodes in Game of Thrones, we check in with all the characters who will be fighting in the battle. It reminds us of the stakes, develops character, and builds anticipation.

In this episode, we see that Ramsay is in fact a brilliant strategist. His battle plan is horrifying, manipulative, and very well thought out. The effects on the ground are very well portrayed. There is one tracking shot that follows a character through the battle that absolutely blew me away. It captures the sheer senselessness, the pure chaos of battle in such a mind-blowing way.

The only thing I found even marginally disappointing about this episode was the character deaths; I wish there were more of them! But that's probably just me being masochistic.

What an absolutely fantastic ride of an episode, I hope the finale delivers.

I just can't describe this. It was hyped up. The fight was coming. The fight that I just witnessed was the single most intense hour of television I have ever seen. I normally don't write reviews but this one needed it. I was wondering how it would play out, but this...I can't describe it. There were moments throughout the season, the subtle build-ups, the exposition, the intensity, that led me to believe this season would not disappoint. I did not expect it to culminate the way it did. I did not expect the production, the battle itself, everything came together as perfect as anything I've ever seen. I'm not one to get easily influenced physically by movies or TV, but my adrenaline was rushing through the entire episode. Game of Thrones topped everything they have ever done and I can't wait to see the consequences and results of the events in this episode.

Came to 'Game of Thrones' fairly late in the game and due to being so busy the binge-watching was gradual. Have found myself truly loving the show, very quickly becoming one of my favourites. It totally lives up to the hype and not only does it do the brilliant source material justice (a rarity in television) it is on its own merits one of the finest, most addictive and consistently compelling shows in recent years and quality-wise it puts a lot of films in recent years to shame.

Having been very underwhelmed, like many fans, by "No One" (for me a rare less-than-good episode of 'Game of Thrones' up to this point), it was a real relief to see Season 6 and 'Game of Thrones' in fact on top form with Season 6's penultimate episode. While a fan of "Home", "Book of the Stranger" and "The Door", it's this episode that is a contender for the magnum opus of the season and is among the show's very best.

Not only because of the spectacular action, with the thrilling and uncompromising choreography and some of the best visuals of the entire show (the special effects especially, an asset nearly-consistently very good and those here is one of the finest examples).

Every bit as well done are the intimately detailed character work, with Sansa and Jon the most interesting and relatable they've been all season and Ramsay perhaps at his most despicable (quite a distinction for a character as evil as he), and the emotional impact in a chilling and affecting way. The episode contains one of the show's most satisfying deaths too. Character relationships (especially Sansa and Jon), tense revelations and character and plot progression are all done well here.

All the acting is never less than very good, with Kit Harington and Iwan Rheon superb, a real intensity in their conflict.

Visually, it looks amazing, as one would expect for 'Game of Thrones'. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.

One cannot not mention the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.

Writing is layered, passionate and sensitive throughout.

In summary, the very meaning of epic in a thrilling way. 10/10 Bethany Cox