It is not unusual for the ninth episode of a Game of Thrones season to leave people gaping, mostly in shock (remember Ned Stark’s beheading and the Red Wedding in seasons 1 and 3?), but sometimes also in awe. And the ninth episode of Season 6 was better still because it combined the two in the best way possible. The Battle of the Bastards was fought and won and it was glorious.

The High

You would expect an episode titled Battle of the Bastards to focus solely on the fight between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton, but the show instead opens with a fireball being hurled into Meereen where Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion are having a conversation. About her penchant for violence, just like her father, the Mad King. So, Dany takes Tyrion’s advice and negotiates instead, only the negotiations with the Masters ends with what Dany wanted and what we’ve been waiting for — Dany riding Drogon, soaring over the skies of Meereen, and setting the Masters’ fleet on fire. What is even better is the added thrill of Viserion and Rhaegal joining the flame-throwing spectacle. Three dragons roaring fire at a calm ‘Dracarys’ from Dany is spectacular!

The Higher

This was the costliest episode of the show and every penny spent on perfecting the battle for Winterfell was worth it. From the build-up to the act and the aftermath, every scene was perfectly pitched.

Jon and Ramsay’s meeting on the eve of battle is a study in character definitions — Jon’s honour and bravery versus Ramsay’s cruelty and cunning. The bastard by name versus the bastard by nature.

There is more than one winning moment in the pre-battle build-up. Sansa struggles to impress on Jon the extent of Ramsay’s cruelty. Her calm prediction of Rickon Stark’s death and her plea not to underestimate Ramsay exposes Jon’s naivete. Tormund and Davos on the other hand spend time sharing pre-battle rituals. While Tormund wants a strong drink — “a jug of soured goat milk stronger than any of the grape water you southern twats like sucking on” — before a good night’s sleep, Davos just wants to “think and walk... so far from the camp that no one can hear me shitting my guts out”. The scene where Davos is standing in front of what he realises was Shireen Baratheon’s pyre with the sun coming up behind and the battle horns blowing deserves a definite mention for cinematography.

You knew Sansa was right and Rickon was going to die but the sight of arrows sticking out of the youngest Stark’s chest as he races towards Jon is a stab in the heart. What follows is a beautifully shot battle sequence that just doesn’t stick to wide shots of clashing armies. It goes inside the battle from Jon’s POV as he foolhardily runs in only to have the Bolton cavalry charging at him. He is soon engulfed amidst flailing horses, flying limbs, spilling guts and fountains of blood as the two armies clash. At one point all you can do is stare numbly at the blood and gore on display, feeling as stifled as Jon buried under the bodies of those fallen in battle.

Things are not going well for Jon and Co. and who should ride to the rescue but Sansa with men from The Vale led by Littlefinger. Her smile of satisfaction as they turn the tide speaks volumes. Littlefinger’s smile is less comforting, as the preview of episode 10 shows, he is definitely going to want a price for his help.

The Highest

Once Wun Wun the Giant gives up his life (why don’t the giants have proper armour?!?) to break open the door to Winterfell, Jon takes on Ramsay and every punch he throws at Ramsay makes our hearts lighter.

The sight of the Stark banner being unfurled at Winterfell will give even the hardest nuts the feels but nothing can beat the satisfaction that the audience gets when Sansa gets her revenge. 

She not only calmly promises Ramsay, “Your words will disappear, your house will disappear, your name will disappear, all memory of you will disappear”, but pays him back in his own coin. She sets his starving hounds on him. You cannot but rejoice as one of the hounds licks the blood on Ramsay’s face before going in for a nice crunchy bite. The camera moves away, and Sansa almost turns away too, and you can’t help but want to be in Sansa’s place and watch that “bastard” Bolton suffer every bite. There couldn’t have been a more fitting death. This is what was missing when Joffrey died! 

Special mention

The conversation between Dany and Yara Greyjoy, both daughters with terrible fathers,who want their rightful thrones and a chance to make things better, is empowering if nothing else. Tyrion sparkles and it is good to see Theon having a not-so-bad day.

Body count

Hundreds? Thousands? Who knows? We can only say that there were all manners of death — beheading, burning, stabbing, throat-cutting, throat-biting (yep Tormund tore Karstark’s throat out with his teeth), gut-spilling, impaling... and not to forget hound-feeding. 

Sex and nudity

Who the hell even cares?!

Best line

“You think he is going to fall into your trap, he won’t. He’s the one who lays traps.... Just don’t do what he wants you to do,” Sansa tells Jon about Ramsay. Jon should have listened.

GoT season finale airs on June 28 at 10pm on Star World Premier HD