The second season of HBO's popular fantasy series Game of Thrones concluded Sunday night, after earning praise throughout its second season as a game-changing drama, polarizing critics with its relentless nudity, and being criticized by some for being too complicated. (Warning: Spoilers lie ahead.) The finale dealt with the fallout from the previous episode's Battle of Blackwater, in which the Lannisters defeated Stannis Baratheon's army. Among the episode's biggest twists: Tyrion Lannister finds himself powerless, both Joffrey and Robb Stark break engagements, Daenerys Targaryan makes a major power play, and the Whitewalkers return. Did the episode live up to the series' high standard?
It managed to top last season: Last season's finale concluded with one of the year's most striking visuals, says John Kubicek at Buddy TV: The arrival of Daenerys Targaryan's baby dragons. That jaw-dropping (and much discussed) moment set the bar incredibly high for the season two finale, but somehow Game of Thrones managed to top it with another flabbergasting image. In the episode's closing moments, the Whitewalkers slowly walked through a blizzard, led by a giant white zombie with crystal blue eyes, atop a horse and as "creepy and amazing as the baby dragons looked last season."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why does Elon Musk take his son everywhere?Talking Point With his four-year-old 'emotional support human' by his side, what message is the world's richest man sending?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why are sinkholes becoming more common?Podcast Plus, will Saudi investment help create the "Netflix of sport"? And why has New Zealand's new tourism campaign met with a savage reception?
-
How Poland became Europe's military powerThe Explainer Warsaw has made its armed forces a priority as it looks to protect its borders and stay close to the US
