This article refers only to seasons 1-7 there are no season 8 spoilers
Queue the theme tune…...'Winter' has been coming for 8 long years and now it’s all over!!! *puts Iron throne on eBay*. Game of Thrones has been a pop culture phenomenon that has taken the world by storm for the best part of a decade and has influenced; fashion, common vernacular,and the entire genre of fantasy story-telling. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't at least heard of Game of Thrones, or engaged in the annual tradition of the late autumnal cries of ‘Winter Is Coming’ (in your best Sean Bean as Ned Stark accent). It would take over 62 hours to (re) watch Game of Thrones in its entirety, (that amounts to flying to the Croatian filming location from London almost 25 times!) but in another nod to internet meme culture - ‘ain't nobody got time for that’.
With Season 8 coming to a controversial close, we look back on previous seasons and the wonder that is the world of Westeros and the characters we love to love and love to hate within it. So, here are some of our favourite moments from seasons 1-7:
Best Of...
Of course, no list of ‘best GOT moments’ would be complete without Daenerys Targaryen being the boss that she is! ‘And now his watch is ended’ saw the mother of dragons take charge! “Dracarys” - in a single word, the effervescent Dany became the ‘breaker of chains’, just to add more to her shopping list of titles. In this episode, the spirited Targaryen played the ol’ switcheroo on the slave masters of Astapor, leading them into a false sense of security only to then blow their minds by commanding her scaly baby, Drogon, to fire up the ancient pipes and fire the slave masters in a very literal sense! Pow, in one move she solidifies her position as an icon of the people, wise beyond expectations (whaaat….she could speak the language all along! Who knew!!!) and a real contender for the ultimate prize - the iron throne!
Remaining in the Targaryen realm, this next moment is brought to you by the incomparable Khal Drogo, ruler of the Dothraki Horselords and all round brute. In Season 1 episode 6 ‘A Golden Crown’ we see the custom of gift-giving taken to a whole new level, with Khal Drogo presenting his new brother-in law with an unforgettable gift and giving us as an audience the glorious one -liner from the great Khaleesi herself ‘Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon’ *mic drop* .
Having promised a gold crown to top-off the alliance gained through the marriage of Drogo to his sister, Viserys got the ultimate payback for fierce sibling torment as Drogo pours molten gold onto the would-be dragon kings head - boiling him alive. In all fairness, he should perhaps have been more specific in his request for a SOLID gold crown - hey ho! The gilded one was no more.
Switching now to the Lannisters and the episode ‘Mother's Mercy’ season 5 episode 10. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! This episode was instantly meme’d and parodied but its greatest victory was the way it humanised the notorious Cersei Lannister.
Westerosi society is a complex one and the parading of the once regal Queen Mother laid bare through the streets, shamed in front of her people was poignant and shocking.
Talking of shocking - five words…..’The Mountain and the Viper’! This episode in season 4 left me completely speechless, Oberyn however had bigger problems! This episode had it all; humour, scandal, and brutality. The enigmatic Oberyn Martell was out to seek vengeance against House Lannister for their role in the death of his family… what he didn’t forSEE was the sheer chaos that Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane would bring to the table.
In a show of acrobatic delight and world-class skill, it looked as if the Viper was going to live up to his deadly pseudonym, queue the behemoth not only confessing to his role in the Martell family deaths but then casually crushing Oberyn’s skull like an overripe pear you forgot about in the bottom of your rucksack.
Put me right off my jammie doughnut!!!
Stunning fan art - credit to Scodo
Season 6 episode 5 brought us the unforgettably heartbreaking episode ‘The Door’ which saddened and confused audiences in equal measure. Bran ‘Flakes’ Stark is trying to get to grips with his newfound magical talents, but rather than pulling a rabbit out of a hat, the little lord takes a note out of Doc Browns play-book with a telepathic twist and reveals the fate of beloved Hodor.
Fleeing from a raid on the cave where the solemn Bran had been holed up with Meera Reed and Hodor, Meeras plea’s of ‘hold the door’ are psychically burned into the mind of servant boy Willas decades earlier as Bran runs around in time and space ultimately breaking the mind of Willas - reducing his vocabulary and identity to the newly meaningful ‘Hodor’.
This time/mind-bending moment chained the two unlikely brethren together with Hodor's existence revolving around this moment which he had experienced as a child - knowing his fate lay in the protection of the young Stark boy to his own detriment.
The revelation during this episode was breathtakingly sad.
Going way back to 2011, Episode 9 of season 1 saw the first real ‘shocker’ moment in Game of Thrones. In the episode entitled ’Baelor’, we found out that no matter the status or prominence of a character, no one was safe! In a cast of majority green actors, Sean Bean was certainly the most well-known among the early cast. As Ned Stark, Sean played the top-billed, undisputed hero of the show, he was the face of Game of Thrones in the advertising and marketing for the programme and Ned Stark represented a heroic figure fighting for justice and truth in an unjust regime.
That was until King Joffrey dropped an axe on his lovely northern neck eliciting an audible gasp from audiences that rippled around the globe! How could they! But….he’s Sharpe!
This moment united those who had read the books and those who had only seen the show in a solid realisation that no character was safe from grisly death and the predictability we see in some shows, allowing us to sit comfortably in the knowledge that ‘they wouldn't kill off [XXXX] they’re one of the main characters!’. This would not be a trope that Game of Thrones would rest on. Exhilarating!
Jumping from season one to season 7 for a moment, episode 7 ‘the dragon and the wolf’ was a visual masterpiece! Giving cue to ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’, the entire fandom were treated to the delight of the initial threat introduced at the beginning of the series literally marching into reality as we meet the Night King and his army of the undead as they stomp their icy skeletal way into Westeros.
The pièce de résistance was at Eastwatch as the Azure eyed Night King, astride the undead Viserion, roars through the grey skies blasting a hole through Jon Snow’s precious wall with intense cerulean dragon fire! Is it ice? is it fire? Who knows but what we do know is that it was both badass and beautiful in equal measure!!!! This episode left us with the ache of panic as the undead march through the Wall and on to the world of the living!
The final ‘most memorable moments’ is a bounce back to season 3. In episode 9, the transparently named ‘rains of castamere’ instalment reminded us of George R.R. Martins taste for the rejection of tradition and order, as we experienced what is now known as the Red Wedding.
In this episode, the haunting Robb Stark heads off, pregnant wife in tow, to attend the wedding of his uncle Edmure to the surprisingly vulgar daughter of Lord Frey. This would not seem too unusual, after-all we are hanging-out in a world of political unions. After a seemingly uneventful ceremony things take quite the dramatic turn.
Roose Bolton slyly nods to his chainmail-clad arm and the attendees of the wedding and the audience simultaneously realise what is going on! With the Lannisters house anthem ambiantly sound-tracking the ensuing chaos and blood bath, we lose more main characters to the mind of George R.R. Martin and the writers of Game of Thrones.
The screeches of a mourning Caitlyn Stark ring in the ears long after she meets her own fate. The lyrics become more poignant…’but now the rains weep o’er his hall with no one there to hear…’ foreshadowing the sentiments of May 2019 as the epic tale of Westeros; the men, women, children and creatures of the houses, Baratheon, Lannister, Stark and Targaryan draws to a conclusion.
The Pen is Mightier than the Sword...
What a ride!!!! Regardless of the opinions around the final season, Game of Thrones has been an intense viewing experience with a cinematic feel, complex story arcs and memorable characters. As the old adage goes ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’ - although this may not have been true for some in the Game of Thrones world (I'm looking at you Varys!) it is certainly true for those at Montegrappa who have celebrated all things Game of Thrones with their limited edition collection of pens. As Game of Thrones has captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, this collection of writing instruments will capture the attention of pen aficionados and Game of Thrones fans alike!
Montegrappa's Game of Thrones collection of writing instruments represents each of the four key families: Baratheon, Lannister, Stark and Targaryen. Each House has a rollerball, ballpoint and fountain pens available, with unique features alluding to individual sigils and emblems of the house.
In a nod to the vision and production of the TV series itself, the barrels and caps are made to the highest quality standards with colourful lacquered surfaces and trims fashioned of palladium, 18k gold plate or bronze plate. Montegrappa describes the detailing for each house:
Baratheon Montegrappa Pen Range:
Coloured a sombre charcoal, but accented in contrasting yellow gold, the House Baratheon pen features a stag's head for its pocket clip, with a stag rampant on the cap's top, above the motto, "Ours Is The Fury". A fleur-de-lis pattern decorates the cap.
Lannister Montegrappa Pen Range:
For House Lannister, a regal red accented in contrasting yellow gold is the dominant colour. The House Lannister pen features a lion's head for its pocket clip, and a lion rampant on the cap's top, above the motto, "Hear Me Roar". A floral pattern, reminiscent of the Tudor Rose, decorates the cap.
Stark Montegrappa Pen Range:
With House Stark's northern origins, the colour chosen for the family's pen is a silvery-white, accented in palladium, conveying winter. The cap is patterned with a runic symbol reminiscent of Norse artistry. A direwolf's head forms the pocket clip, while the top of the cap shows the direwolf's profile, above the motto, "Winter Is Coming."
Targaryen Montegrappa Pen Range:
Only a fiery, metallic red against a coal-black background could represent House Targaryen. Naturally, a dragon's head forms the pocket clip, while a dragon coils above the legend, "Fire and Blood", on the cap's top. A filigree pattern graces the cap.
Westeros Montegrappa Pen Range:
After the continent that is to King's Landing, Dorne, the Iron Islands and other pivotal locations from the series, this latest addition to the line up celebrates the series with a combination of lordly black resin with sigils of all the houses and that most martial of materials: stainless steel.
For those with a dedicated connection to the franchise, and deep pockets, Montegrappa offers the opportunity to invest in one of their limited edition pieces. The artisans at Montegrappa have outdone themselves with these luxurious items worthy of the Kings and Queens of Westeros themselves! The design encompasses detailing akin to the iron throne and the swords of the seven kingdoms
The Iron Throne Pen is limited to 300 fountain pens and 300 rollerball pens in Sterling Silver with Vermeil accents, denoting the year of settlement of the last of the Targaryen Kings (300AC). 7 exclusive fountain pens and 7 rollerball pens cast in solid 18ct gold represent the number of Kingdoms. The fountain pen is piston fed with an 18ct gold nib engraved with an image of the throne itself available in Fine, Medium or Broad styles.
These are incredibly luxurious and desirable mementos of what will go down in history as one of the most ambitious and successful series’ ever made.
