The 69-minute S6E10 of Game of Thrones was everything a season finale should be. And more. All the pieces in the game of thrones, which started way back in 2011, are set in place for the final showdown that will determine the fate of Westeros. There is a new regent on the Iron Throne, a new king in the North and more than one war coming. Season 6 did leave the best for last.

The highs

The background score: You know how horror films become scarier when the background score is great? Well, the opening score of the episode beautifully builds up the tension as we see all the players in King’s Landing get into place for the trial of Cersei Lannister and Loras Tyrell at the Sept of Baelor. It builds to a breathless crescendo as Lancel Lannister, bleeding to death, drags himself to a pool of dripping wildfire, and watches as a candle floating on it ignites. Kaboom! The pressure is released only as the wildfire roars through the tunnels and blows up everyone inside and outside the Sept, and Cersei smiles in satisfaction as she watches her enemies blow up.

R+L = J: The most popular fan theory is finally confirmed by Bran who flashes back to Ned Stark finding sister Lyanna in the Tower of Joy, bathed in blood. “No one should know,” she whispers, as Ned is handed over a baby boy. Minus points for the crossover shot to the grown Jon Snow. Very subtle, not.

The North remembers: Everyone who’s watched Jon’s journey (whether you had the hots for him or not!) from bastard son to warrior to Lord Commander and a leader is bound to get a few sniffles as the North, led by the again speech-robbing Lyanna Mormont (we want her in every episode!), votes the ‘White Wolf’ Jon Snow, who looks terrified, the new King of the North. 

Sansa’s cold shoulder: Littlefinger made the move we all expected — he wants to marry Sansa and rule the Iron Throne with her by his side. Only Sansa is a badass now and puts him in his place #likeaboss. We don’t think Lord Baelish will let this one lie and the eye contact between Sansa and Littlefinger as Jon is crowned King in the North speaks of conflicts to come. Whether it is between Sansa and Jon or Sansa and Littlefinger over Jon, we’ll have to see.

Ser Davos full of fire: Liam Cunningham, who plays Davos Seaworth, turned out his best yet as he confronted Melisandre with the burnt wooden stag and Shireen’s death. What a performance!

A girl is Arya Stark: The younger Stark girl is back in Westeros. She is shortening her kill list and the Freys are the first to fall. And she doesn’t want to be No One anymore.

Hand of the Queen: Tyrion Lannister has given Daenerys good counsel, even as she finally enters the great game. He, in his usual self-deprecating way, lets her know that she is the first person he has believed in and promises her his counsel “now and always”. It is incredibly moving to see the always acerbic Imp actually struggling to hold back emotion as Daenerys declares him the Hand of the Queen, giving him the recognition he deserves.

All hail Queen Cersei: It has happened. Cersei Lannister has delivered on everything she promised. She promised to burn cities to the ground to protect Tommen and she did it. And in one single blow she killed all her enemies — from the High Sparrow to the Tyrells. Her confession to everything she’s ever done, from killing her husband to “f**king” her brother because “ it feels good”, is chilling. As is the punishment she metes out to Septa Unella. She does lose her only surviving child Tommen, but she is finally ON the throne instead of behind it, like it should be. Maybe we have a Mad Queen now. We need a good villain for the next 13 episodes.

All sail for Westeros: Dany’s army has left for Westeros and what a sight her fleet makes especially as her three dragons soar over them screeching in triumph!

The Lows

Sam and Gilly in the Citadel is really the only part of the episode that we could have done without! Sam’s access to the libraries might have consequences for the final battle (with the Night’s King) to come, but it could have been kept out of this otherwise stupendous episode.

Death count

Hundreds, including the court members of King’s Landing, common people, the High Sparrow and the other Sparrows, Loras, Margaery and Mace Tyrell, Kevan Lannister, Maester Pycelle were killed by Cersei. Arya Stark baking a Frey pie (yep, she baked bits of the Frey sons’ body into the pie) and slitting the throat of Walder Frey with blood flowing out in breaths, was poetic. Tommen Baratheon jumped out of the window after he learnt that Margaery was killed — he could guess by his own mother —  at the Sept. Not that we could drum up any sympathy for him.

Sex and Nudity

There was one naked female, if you are counting. We couldn’t care less.

Best lines

Cersei’s chilling chant of “Shame! Shame! Shame!” as she lets Robert Strong loose on Septa Unella, who had chanted the same when Cersei did her walk of shame.

Arya Stark telling Walter Frey, “They weren’t easy to carve especially Black Walder,” about his son whose big toe is sticking out of a pie, comes close second.

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