Game of Thrones 5 Worst Episodes According to Critics

Game of Thrones’ 5 Worst Episodes, According to Critics

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While Game of Thrones boasted a fairly high average on Rotten Tomatoes, one season, in particular, was responsible for many of its worst episodes.

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Game of Thrones 5 Worst Episodes According to Critics

Early in its run, Game of Thrones brought enthusiastic critical success for HBO, barely ever dipping into rotten territory on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer. Critics took issue with some elements of the series, but as a whole, their opinions remained mostly positive. However, as fans well know, that trend changed in later seasons. Of the five lowest-rated Game of Thrones episodes, four took place in the final season. Much has been written of the contributing factors for this shocking decline in quality, including the lack of detailed source material for Season 8, as well as the showrunners’ decision to condense and conclude the series very quickly. Before the spin-offs are released, let’s take a look at the five most reviled episodes of Game of Thrones and why critics felt they fell short.

Season 8, Episode 3, “The Long Night” – 74

Game of Thrones 5 Worst Episodes According to Critics

So, let’s be honest, 74 percent really isn’t a terrible rating. Game of Thrones’ fifth-worst episode includes moments of genuine terror and excitement, continuing the show’s trend of effective battle sequences. “The Long Night” explores the attempt to defend Winterfell from attack, but the forces of the living are quickly overrun by hordes of undead. The episode demonstrates an ability to sustain terror and evoke surprise. Victory seems impossible until Arya pulls off a sneak attack and skewers the Night King, causing his zombie ice minions to crumble away.

While reviews tilted toward the positive, some writers were irritated by how murky and dark the scenes were. As Spencer Kornhaber at The Atlantic wrote, “I’m satisfied, but my eyes need a rest.” Others worried the show might have reached its peak too early, but Jamie Broadnax at Black Girl Nerds found she was satisfied, praising the “haunting score” and adding, “What is remarkable about this episode is that the women have full autonomy and take control as true warriors prepared to fight and destroy.”

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Season 8, Episode 4, “The Last of the Starks” – 58

Game of Thrones 5 Worst Episodes According to Critics

Taking a significant dive down the Tomatometer, “The Last of the Starks” explores the events following “The Long Night,” and sets the tone for the small handful of remaining episodes. Daenerys is hellbent on traveling directly to King’s Landing now that the army of the dead has been defeated, but others aren’t convinced. There’s some bickering that reveals tensions between the allies before a strategy is set in motion. As Daenerys approaches Dragonstone with her ships and dragons, she is attacked. Rhaegal is killed and Missandei captured. Tyrion tries to convince Cersei of the wisdom of surrender, but she chooses to taunt the opposing army by executing Missandei instead.

Some critics were underwhelmed by the way the episode spent so much time moving its pieces around. Writing for The Stranger, Suzzette Smith complained, “We got an 80-minute housekeeping reset that swapped out surprises for engagement.” In Vulture, Kathryn VanArendonk expressed her annoyance by saying, “Even under that best-case scenario, though it’s hard to imagine the last two episodes of Game of Thrones could fully recover from the way ‘The Last of the Starks’ betrays Brienne, Sansa, and Missandei.”

Season 5, Episode 6, “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” – 54

Game of Thrones 5 Worst Episodes According to Critics

“Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” holds the unique honor of being the only Game of Thrones episode on this list that isn’t from the final season. Critics weren’t wild about this Season 5 episode, especially one ruthless, hard-to-watch moment. In “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken,” Arya spends more time knocking around Braavos with the Faceless Men, training and cleaning dead people. Bronn and Jaime manage to get themselves arrested in Dorne, while Tyrion and Jorah are captured on their journey to find Daenerys. In King’s Landing, Cersei and Littlefinger manipulate each other and Loras and Margaery contend with the increasingly powerful Faith Militant. But, the most notable event of the episode is the violent treatment of Sansa at the hands of her new bridegroom, Ramsay.

David Malitz wrote for the Washington Post that, “Tonight’s closing scene with Ramsay Bolton and Sansa was just flat-out disgusting.” He wasn’t the only critic who disliked the scene. In Myles McNutt’s review for the AV Club, he pointed out that, “Three of the show’s main female characters have now been raped, and yet the show has struggled to make this a part of their character history.”

Season 8, Episode 5, “The Bells” – 49

Game of Thrones 5 Worst Episodes According to Critics

In the second-to-the-last episode of Game of Thrones, the long-awaited battle for Winterfell commences, with the Iron Throne waiting at the end. Daenerys’ mental stability worsens as she grieves the loss of her close friends. It’s not the only challenge she has to contend with, as Varys betrays her and Jon Snow seems less in love than he once was. The battle to take King’s Landing turns into a slaughter as Daenerys refuses to accept the city’s surrender, finding that she prefers the taste of revenge. Tons of notable characters die, but Arya, who witnesses the attack, is able to escape the smoldering city.

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Some critics enjoyed the episode, such as Steve Johnson of the Chicago Tribune who wrote, “I found the ensuing battle reasonably worthy of the years of hype and expectation about it in ‘GoT’ fandom.” Others, such as Tasha Robinson writing for The Verge, didn’t agree. Frustrated by the impulsivity of the characters, she claimed that the events of the episode “don’t feel like fitting conclusions to all the careful character buildup and elaborate schemes that preceded them.”

Season 8, Episode 6, “The Iron Throne” – 48

It’s a unique kind of pain when a show’s finale is the worst-ranked episode of the series. Unfortunately, that’s the case for Game of Thrones, with the infamous final episode rubbing salt in the wounds of many watchers. “The Iron Throne” unfolds in the aftermath of the battle for King’s Landing. Daenerys comfortably settles into her new role as the Mad Queen, giving an ominous speech that doesn’t seem very promising or hopeful for the people of Westeros. Jon Snow dolefully stabs his lover for the good of the world, ending her short reign. After the dust settles, most of the other characters gather to decide who will be the new king. Bran is chosen and life in the Seven Kingdoms chugs onward.

Sarah Rense, writing for Esquire, claimed, “After Daenerys died, there was so little adversity in the show it felt like the conclusion of a Disney movie. The final season and the final episode were so empty of deeper character analysis the actors had to fill in the blanks.” Many other critics agreed and even those who enjoyed the episode had a few caveats, such as Alci Rengifo at Entertainment Voice, who admitted, “The final curtain call may have been rushed, but it was still a glorious journey worth taking.”

Link Source : https://www.cbr.com/game-of-thrones-worst-episodes-critics/

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