That was a magnificent series of Game of Thrones wasn’t it?! It’s hard to believe that it’s come and gone so quickly!

Following its epic conclusion last week, I have chosen to release my Top 10 favourite moments from this season while it’s still fresh in everyone’s minds.

From death and resurrection to thrilling fights and a rather meaty pie….here is my lineup for Series 6….

 

10# – Jon and Sansa reunite

EPISODE: Book of the Stranger

Since the beginning of Series 1, there had been a few occasions where the Stark family had just about missed each other e.g. Arya at the Twins during the Red Wedding. But fans got the chance to finally celebrate a Stark reunion when a weary Sansa (Sophie Turner) arrived at Castle Black much to the surprise of her recently-revived half-brother Jon Snow. The pair’s heartwarming hug left many viewers a little teary-eyed especially after everything they had gone through over the past five series.

 

9# – Tommen commits suicide

EPISODE: The Winds of Winter

The first of many incredible moments from the spectacular finale ‘The Winds of Winter’ saw King Tommen Baratheon (Dean-Charles Chapman) left floored by the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor. Having been manipulated for the past couple of series by his mother Cersei and the High Sparrow, the naive young ruler finally made the shocking decision to take his own life. The removal of his crown all but confirmed his intention before he stood on the window ledge and fell to his death. A cruel end for someone who wanted to become a better leader yet tragically chose to take the meaning of ‘King’s Landing’ quite literally!

 

8# – Jon is proclaimed King of the North

EPISODE: The Winds of Winter

A more light-hearted moment from that same episode saw Jon Snow receive strong backing from Northern houses in the aftermatch of his victory over Ramsay Bolton at the battle of Winterfell. With some lords reluctant to help fight against the White Walkers, it was young ruler Lyanna Mormont (a wonderful Bella Ramsey) who would make the key difference by proclaiming Jon as the King of the North. This eventually led to the other houses supporting him and their chants were enough to give us goosebumps as the White Wolf cemented his status as the man to save them all. All together now….”The King of the North! The King of the North!”

 

7# – Jon Snow awakens

EPISODE: Home

Another Jon Snow selection comes from the dramatic last scene of ‘Home’ as the dead Lord Commander found himself being successfully revived by Melisandre (Carice Van Houten). Many audiences knew that there was always a chance that Jon would come back to life even when hope looked all but lost when the Red Priestess seemed to have failed with her objective. However we all found ourselves cheering with joy the moment that he let out that loud gasp. This crucial event would ultimately become the making of Jon during the remainder of this exhilarating series.

 

6# – Hold the Door

EPISODE: The Door

The tissues came out for the devastating ending of the fifth episode as fans finally discovered the true meaning behind Hodor’s (Kristian Nairn) name. Having been utilised as a comedic supporting character throughout the series, the gentle giant’s backstory was revealed in tragic circumstances as he bravely “held the door” to protect Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Meera Reed (Ellie Kendrick) from the vicious onslaught of White Walkers. The uncomfortable sight of a young Hodor suffering a seizure and shouting the same three words over and over again left many of us traumatised albeit fascinated by the twist regarding his name. Damn you Bran for messing around with those visions!

 

5# – Ramsay Bolton’s death

EPISODE: Battle of the Bastards

A more satisfying climax to an episode came in the spectacular ‘Battle of the Bastards’ installment as the sadistic Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) finally got his just deserts at the hands of his vengeful wife Sansa. Having already suffered a lot of blows to the face by Jon Snow earlier on, the former Warden of the North couldn’t resist taunting Sansa one last time whilst being held captive. However his comeuppance would come in delightfully brutal fashion as his hungry hounds would proceed to eat him and bring an end to his despicable life. The scene was then perfectly capped off by Sansa showing a celebratory smirk that would have been shared by millions of viewers!

 

4# – Wildfire destroys the Great Sept of Baelor

EPISODE: The Winds of Winter

The masterful opening twenty minutes of the landmark series finale left many of us stunned as Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) finally took her revenge on those who had underestimated her in the past. With the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce), Margery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) and the rest of the Tyrell family all based inside the Great Sept of Baelor, the cunning Queen Mother decided to “burn them all” by unleashing wildfire that would wipe out her enemies in swift fashion. The build-up to this shocking sequence is brilliantly edited while full marks must also go to composer Ramin Djawadi for delivering another mesmerising score in the form of ‘Light of the Seven’. At the moment, Cersei is the new ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, for now anyway….

 

3# – Daenerys destroys the temple

EPISODE: Book of the Stranger

Ramin Djawadi’s wonderful music for Game of Thrones comes into play again for this top three selection as Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) enjoyed another hell-yeah moment that would help her regain the Dothraki support. With the Khals threatening to violate her inside the temple of the Dosh Khaleen, the Mother of Dragons decided to use her immunity towards fire to her advantage in order to overcome the dastardly group. However the most epic part is saved for the stunned Dothraki people as she emerges from the flames in all her naked glory whilst earning their newfound loyalty. Kudos to Emilia for making the brave decision to go nude again although it’s Djawadi’s haunting “Khaleesi” score that makes the sequence even better. Now go get that Iron Throne Dany!

 

2# – Jon faces off against the calvary

EPISODE: Battle of the Bastards

Just shy of being number one is the thrilling start of the battle of Winterfell as Jon Snow makes the bold decision to tackle Ramsay Bolton’s soldiers head on following the shock killing of his younger half-brother Rickon (Art Parkinson). The majestic shot of Jon pulling out his sword and preparing for the onslaught of horsemen is sensational to watch as we get tense about whether the former Lord Commander will survive (again!). Fortunately his own men come crashing to the rescue which leads to a ferocious fight that is captured spectacularly as we get an amazing tracking shot of Jon caught up in the middle of the violence that is going on around him. It’s rivetting stuff for a television episode that is worthy of the big screen and thankfully it enables us to celebrate a rare victory for the good guys on a show that has always been ruthless.

 

1# – Arya kills Walder Frey

EPISODE: The Winds of Winter

In the end, I’ve opted for another fist-pumping scene that many, many fans had been waiting for since Series 3. Despite only featuring in a few episodes, the despicable Lord Walder Frey (played sinisterly by the underrated David Bradley) had caused plenty of treachery during his time on the show not least when he orchestrated the devastating events of The Red Wedding which led to the deaths of Catelyn, Robb and Talisa Stark. Having already seen fellow Northern villain Ramsay Bolton suffer a brutal death in the previous installment, it was only fitting that Frey got his own comeuppance via another Stark child. While many fans were left frustrated by Arya (Maisie Williams) and her time on Braavos during Series 6, her shock appearance at the Twins all but proved that her training was worth it as she served revenge on Frey. As if feeding him his sons inside some pies wasn’t bad enough, she then proceeded to cut his throat in the same way that her mother was killed back in that devastating episode. The North most certainly remembered what you did Frey and it was fantastic to watch!

 

Honourable mentions: Melisandre reveals her ancient self (The Red Woman),
Tyrion talks to the dragons (Home), The Tower of Joy fight sequence (Oathkeeper),
Jon executes the Night’s Watch traitors (Oathkeeper), the Hound kills the Brotherhood men (No One), The Waif chases Arya (No One), Dany and Tyrion meet Theon and Yara (Battle of the Bastards), Rickon’s death (Battle of the Bastards), the Knights of the Vale come to the rescue (Battle of the Bastards), Cersei gets revenge on Septa Unella (The Winds of Winter).