Hey Youtubers it's Charlie and this weekend is the season 4 finale so I wanted to rank
the previous finales from season 1 to 3.
I always like to look back at all of the seasons after they've come and gone just to see if
I've changed my mind about what my favorite moments were or things I thought they could
have done better.
We can totally do that for Season 4 starting next week, but for now, let's just focus on
that final episode.
If you're finding me for the first time I do game of thrones videos every week including
episode reviews bonus videos and Q&As.
Be sure to subscribe to get everything.
I'm even doing a special giveaway this sunday when I post my finale review.
So this is how we're going to do this.
I'm going to rank each of the previous finales and re-examine them in the larger context
of the books and how the show is changing things.
Careful for spoilers if you're new to the show or you haven't watched any episodes.
Here we go Number 3 - The Season 3 Finale
There was so much that happened in this episode but I feel like everyone still remembers it
as Red Wedding aftermath.
It's like the finale episodes each season are victims of 9th episode oh shit moments.
Everyone is left clinging to this fear-high from red wedding fumes that Jon and Ygritte
in the north and even Daenerys in the east were letdowns.
At no point did I ever feel like any moments in the season 3 finale were wasted, it's just
that the red wedding was such a cultural landmark for television, there was no way they were
going to top that until we got to season 4.
I think Yara and Balon Greyjoy opening that box with Theon's favorite toy and Robb Stark's
Body with Grey Wind's head on it were the few things most people remember just because
they were so graphic.
That's really why I made this my number 3, just because I think they should have made
the Red Wedding the finale.
There were so many other important foreshadowing moments, like Bran passing North of the wall,
Sam and Maester Aemon sending the raven to Stannis about the white walkers.
I think my favorite moment from the finale wasn't Daenerys or Theon's surprise box, it
was Ser Davos helping Gendry escape.
Not just because Gendry is a fan favorite and everyone wants him to find Arya again,
but because I believe there is a divine plan for everyone.
And people survive for a reason.
Gendry rowing aways isn't just a random act of kindness.
It's like the universe of A Song of Ice and Fire saying, you are too important to die,
you are part of a bigger plan.
Yes Dan and Dave have changed George RR Martin's "plan" a little, but largely I think both
the books and the show will end at the same point.
They'll just get there in slightly different ways.
And after Gendry rowed away from Dragonstone I couldn't stop thinking about what the show
was going to do with him.
And we're still wondering.
They could fold the mummer's dragon story into his, he could head east and join the
golden company or he could run into Arya somewhere else.
I can't stop thinking about it and supposedly Joe Dempsie tweeted that he got to work with
Maisie Williams this year.
Because his character has changed so much from the book I have no idea what he's going
to be doing.
So keep your eyes peeled for a cameo in the finale.
Otherwise we'll have to wait to season 5 to find out what happened to him.
On to my second favorite finale - Season 2
Yes this followed Blackwater, but I don't feel like the contrast between episodes was
a great as it was in season 3.
So it was a lot easier for the big holy crap moments to stand out.
Like Arya getting the braavosi coin, the army of white walkers, Theon at Winterfell and
Daenerys in the house of the Undying.
I feel like the house of the undying was definitely the most important part even if the white
walkes were the biggest WTF.
The house of the undying scenes are part of the biggest group of prophecies on the show.
I did a video on my favorite ones, but there are over 50 big ones in the series.
The House of the Undying comprises the largest single concentration of them, so far that
is.
I fully expect George RR Martin to eventually pay off all of the Undying prophecies over
the course of the rest of the books and I know the show will do it.
In a book there aren't any limitations when it comes to the scope of your story.
But on a television show it's apocryphal to tease something major like Daenerys in King's
Landing in the middle of Winter.
And then not deliver on it at some point.
Just for reference, here are some of the biggest prophecies that came out of the house of the
undying:
The Dragon Has Three Heads, Mother of Dragons, Three Fires You Must Light and Daughter of
Death.
I'll add a link in the description.
I explain some of these in greater detail in that other bonus video.
But on to my number 1 Season Finale.
- Season 1
I know it seems weird the way I ranked all these, like they're getting worse as we go
along.
That's not true.
It's just that in the greater context of the series and the books.
The season 1 finale had a much greater impact than the season 2 and 3 finales.
I'm really hoping the season 4 finale changes the trend.
Season 1 episode 10 was really the moment dragons came back into the world.
It was like Daenerys was proving that magic does exist.
Up to that point on the show there wasn't a lot of proof that there was anything different
about the show than any other period story.
Westeros without magic and dragons could totally be medieval western europe.
The dragons changed that.
Because once you say dragons exist, it opens the door for shadow babies, White Walkers
and the stranger knows what else.
To be fair though, the season 1 and two finales in my mind were equally amazing, but I chose
season 1 as my favorite just because of daenerys.
I think that's the scene that made her character so popular for fans of the show.
HBO started using her face more and more to market it even though Tyrion in my mind is
a more important character.
That could always change in one of the future seasons or books, but Daenerys naked with
dragons is what you think of when you think of the show.
If you ever wanted to convince your friends to watch, that's the gif you'd send them.
Daenerys naked with baby dragons.
But now it's your turn.
Which finale has been your favorite so far and what do you want to see in the season
4 finale?
Please use spoiler tags when commenting if you've read the books.
Kit Harington was saying there would definitely be a surprise at the end, he didn't say what,
but make sure you don't leave your television till the episode cuts to black.
I'm just hoping that the Ice and Fire theme of the finale continues and they end on an
oh shit moment in the north.
That could either be something Jon Snow related or Bran related.
I'm not expected a white walker scene since we got that amazing one in episode 4.
But it's another possibility.
Here's how the rest of my game of thrones video schedule this week.
Sunday I'm going to do a bonus video explaining who the children of the forest are be sure
to subscribe to get it.
Then I'll post my finale review after the episode airs.
An monday I'll post my Season 5 predictions video and a finale Q&A.
After that I'll do two more bonus videos during the week.
I haven't decided what they'll be, but starting in two weeks I'll just do weekly bonus videos
on sundays.
Feel free to send me suggestions about what to do once the show goes on break.
Right now click here to learn more about the big prophecies on the show and click here
for that Children of the forest video.
I'll add the annotation as soon as I post it.
Thanks for watching, see you guys tomorrow.
High Fives!