After the first few episodes every season, every minute of Game of Thrones translates to a nervous countdown to Episode 9, an episode perhaps more awaited than the season premiere. That’s when important heads get chopped, favourite characters get truncated and most significantly the show gets a new direction. Ned Stark’s beheading, the Battle of the Blackwater and the Red Wedding all happened in the ninth hour of past seasons. An hour of television rightfully dreaded and anticipated in equal measure.

That hour for Season 5 came early on Monday for us. In the run-up, websites had floated betting odds on who will get killed off. Someone we want to see dead, like a Ramsay Bolton. Or someone we want to see lead, like a Jon Snow. After last week’s incredible showdown featuring the army of the undead in Hardhome, many thought that the big hour has already happened for this year and the ninth episode will be low on death and drama.

Well, let’s just say: “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” And if you have plans to watch, you should stop reading right here.
Because The Dance with Dragons — that’s the name of the episode, same as the title of George R.R. Martin’s fifth novel in A Song of Ice and Fire series — has both death and drama. Loads of it. And those last 15 minutes manage the incredible — bettering the Hardhome battle experience of last week!

Let’s start with the death. This tease has been happening for some weeks now. Yes, Princess Shireen Baratheon is the big casualty of S05E09. Stannis has been undecided on carrying out Melisandre’s dreadful demand but when a few more of his men are killed off on the route to Winterfell, he makes the choice. “Sometimes the person has to choose; sometimes the world forces his hand. He must fulfil his destiny and become who he is meant to be.”

Almost like a public beheading, little Shireen is burnt alive in front of the Baratheon troops as a “token of faith”. “Cleanse her with fire and that its light may lead our way,” the Red Priestess prays to her Lord, as the father looks on and the mother finally breaks down. Whatever goodwill Stannis had gained through this season is gone in that one moment of madness and now you are not that sure whether you would want a daughter-killer on the Iron Throne.

Up at The Wall, there is a moment of stress as Jon Snow arrives with all those Wildlings he could save at Hardhome. Alliser Thorne looks on, takes his time and finally opens the gate. Clearly, the Night’s Watch members are not very happy to see the Free Folk in their midst. “You have a good heart Jon Snow; it’ll get us all killed,” Thorne spells out.
Down in Dorne, there are more good hearts. Prince Doran Martell frees Jaime Lannister and gives Ellaria Sand a second chance. He is also okay with Jaime taking Myrcella back to King’s Landing. His one condition: “The engagement of Myrcella and Trystane must stand.” Ellaria, of course, is not too happy that Doran wants to break bread with the Lannisters and has the best line of the episode. “It’s always changing who we’re supposed to love and who we’re not. The only thing that stays the same is that we want who we want.”

And all Arya wants is revenge. Meryn Trant has showed up in Braavos alongside Mace Tyrell. The man’s on the Stark girl’s list for having killed her sword-fighting teacher Syrio Forel, who was a Braavosi himself. She follows Trant to a brothel in town pretending to be the oyster girl. That her target is looking to bed underage girls at the whorehouse will make Arya’s job that much easier in the next episode, it seems.

That brings us to the piece de resistance of the episode. And perhaps the season. In Meereen, the Great Games are on, in a huge arena resembling the Colosseum, and Jorah Mormont shows up in the field to reach out to his Khaleesi, who watches on, alongside Tyrion Lannister, her new adviser. There is a sudden attack by the Sons of the Harpy and in a flash hundreds of the masked men appear out of nowhere and surround Team Daenerys in the centre of the arena.

When it seems evident that we are going to lose ‘the’ Targaryen and ‘the’ Lannister, the mother closes her eyes and the favourite son comes to the rescue. Yes, Drogon returns and instantly starts barbecuing the Harpies. 

Then comes the clincher. After an intense eye-to-eye moment between mother and son, Daenerys of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, mounts a dragon. Just like her ancestors used to, hundreds of years back. She whispers to Drogon: “Fly!” And we are witness to unforgettable images of Dany riding the huge animal up, up and away. It’s a breathtaking sight, even if it is largely generated on a computer. 

And in terms of its significance, it’s difficult to beat. With Tyrion by her side and now Drogon to ride, that one remaining Targaryen is powerful enough to win the game of thrones. What possibly can challenge her? Maybe someone who can ride the same dragon by getting inside his mind. That’s a Stark prospect. For another season.

Catch the Season 5 finale of GoT on June 15, 6.30am on HBO Defined