The most anticipated episode of the season  has come and it was phenomenal.  Here are our favorite moments from this epic episode appropriately named Battle of the Bastards.

Daenerys and Meereen

This episode is all about the strong ladies and it starts with Daenerys returning to Meereen to find it under siege from the Slave Masters. Daenerys speaks to Tyrion about what they can do.  She tells him that she plans on killing the masters and destroying their cities.  It is at this point that Tyrion steps in and reminds her that her father had once wanted to burn down a city as well. We think the story he tells Daenerys of her father wanting to burn down King’s Landing with wildfire really tempers her anger and gets her thinking.  We think that Tyrion will be a wise advisor to Daenerys as he reminds her to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

They agree to meet with the Slave Masters, who wrongly assume she is there to talk terms of surrender.  Daenerys, with three dragons and a Dothraki army behind her, has no intention to do so.  She tells the Masters that they are there to surrender to her.  They laugh, but not for long as Drogon flies into the scene, and scares them stiff.  Daenerys then gets on Drogon’s back and flies out to the ships.

As Drogon is flying over the ships, Viserion and Rhaegal escape captivity and fly up to meet their mother.  Daenerys orders them to lay waste to a few of the ships in the Master’s fleet.

Daenerys has some forethought as she did not destroy all of the ships, just a few as examples. While she is taking out the ships, her Dothraki army is taking back the city from the Sons of the Harpy who are attacking the citizens. On the top of the pyramid as the battle is coming to an end, Greyworm convinces the armed guard that is protecting the Slave Masters to leave which they do.  That leaves the Masters alone, and Tyrion tells them that they have to choose one of them to die as retribution for breaking their pact.  Two of them single out the third and hand him over.  Greyworm kills the two and allows the one chosen to live.  Tyrion reminds him to tell others of this event to remind everyone that anyone who tries to attack Meereen will face the same consequences as the Slave Masters today.

Daenerys wins on many fronts in this episode as she saves the city, gets much needed ships, and spreads the word of her power to all her possible enemies.  But the good fortune does not end there for Daenerys as Theon and Yara make it to Meereen.  After a tense and slightly terse meeting, Yara and Theon ask for Daenerys’s help to take back the Salt Throne for Yara.  Daenerys is slightly surprised by the fact Yara is trying to win the throne, but we think she is secretly pleased.  She agrees to help Yara under the condition that Yara respects the realm of the seven kingdoms.  This means that the Ironborn under Yara’s rule can not reave, plunder or rape as they used to.  At first, Yara is not fully behind this idea as it would mean the end of their way of life, but then she agrees.  We believe that, under Yara’s reign as queen of the Iron Islands, the Ironborn will be led into a new era and expand their territory.

Jon Snow, Sansa, and the Battle of the Bastards

This is, hands down, the best episode in Game of Thrones so far, and it is because of this anticipated battle.  Last we saw, Jon Snow and Sansa were trying to gather houses to their side to fight the Boltons and reclaim Winterfell with not the best results.  Most houses have either already sided with the Boltons or didn’t want to pick a side.

In this episode, Jon Snow, Sansa, and a few others meet with Ramsay to talk terms.  Ramsay wants Sansa back and he wants Jon Snow to kneel to him.  Jon retorts and states that they should face each other one on one as men of honor.  Since Ramsay has no honor, he declines the offer.  What’s interesting is that Sansa is the one who ends the conversation by stating that Ramsay is going to die.

Back in the Stark camp, Jon Snow goes over his tactics with Ser Davos and Tormund.  His plan sounds solid (using a pincher move to surround Ramsay’s men), but he doesn’t ask Sansa her opinion in the matter.  After the meeting, Sansa argues with Jon over his battle plan as he does not know Ramsay nor the mind games and traps Ramsay is prone to use.  Sansa is frustrated that she is not consulted on the matter as she is the one who knows the most about Ramsay.  She doesn’t offer any solid alternative plan, but she does tell Jon that he can not be predictable because Ramsay certainly won’t be.  Since Ramsay has no honor, he will not play by any rules.  She also tells Jon that Rickon is more than likely going to die, and Sansa has already accepted this fact.  Jon, having more of an idealist in him, doesn’t fully  believe that he can’t save their brother, but Sansa knows better.

On the day of the battle, it becomes clear that Ramsay has no shame or boundaries as Sansa warned about. We see the field littered with burning wood X’s with flayed men on them.  One thing we will give Ramsay credit for is that he does have a shrewd understanding of how to undermine an opponent’s confidence.

Ramsay adds more salt to the wound as he brings a bound Rickon to the front of the battle line.  We watch as he cuts his ties and tells Rickon to run to Jon.  Everyone at that moment knew that Ramsay was not going to let Rickon go that easily.  Jon realizes this as well, and he races across the open field between the two armies to save Rickon.  We watch in horror as Rickon and Jon race towards each other as Ramsay fires arrow after arrow around Rickon.  Just as Jon reaches Rickon, Ramsay’s arrow hits him and Rickon dies right in front of Jon’s eyes.  This scene was heartbreaking to watch.

And this is when Ramsay orders his cavalry forward.  Luckily for Jon, Ser Davos has the forethought to do the same as Jon charges Ramsay’s forces alone. His horse gets taken down by arrows and Jon falls from his horse.   Alone, he stands and faces the oncoming cavalry.  Just as they are about to crash into him, his cavalry rushes up from behind and saves him.

It then becomes a mad melee of arrows, falling horses, people being crushed and stampeded and people fighting on foot.  Jon fights like a wild demon, and, through sheer luck and agility, Jon manages to survive the falling arrows.  Unfortunately, Jon finds himself completely surrounded.  In a horrible scene, we watch as Jon’s army is forced in on itself with Jon in the center.

What’s most interesting about this particular part is the historical reference this part is making.  The producers of the show stated that they referred to the historical battle of Cannae between the Carthaginians and Hannibal versus the Roman army in the second Punic War (216 B.C.).  In that very real historic event the Romans found themselves surrounded on all sides and were slaughtered to the very last man.  This is what it looks like will happen to Jon and his men as Bolton’s men contract in.  The one giant that is in Jon’s army does what he can to break the hold, but to no avail.

And that is when we hear the most wonderful sound in this episode which the sound of a horn of an approaching army.  Rushing forward on horseback are the Knights of the Vail who break the lines around Jon’s army.  Sitting on horse in the distance is Sansa and Littlefinger and we finally know for sure who it was that Sansa sent the letter to.  In our opinion, Sansa wins this battle as it is her shrewd thinking that brought the extra men they needed.

Ramsay, seeing the tide has turned against him, flees the battle and rides back to Winterfell.  Jon sees this, and chases after Ramsay on foot.  Since the battle took place just outside of Winterfell, he doesn’t have far to run.  Tormund and the giant go with Jon, and the giant breaks down the door to Winterfell.  Jon’s men flood in.  The giant is shot several times, but is ultimately killed by Ramsay with an arrow to the eye.  Jon watches as the giant dies which is so sad to see.

With Jon’s men and Ramsay’s men at a standstill as they both have arrows drawn on each other, Ramsay suggests one on one combat.  He starts shooting arrows at Jon.  Furious, Jon grabs a shield and blocks Ramsay’s arrows as he storms up to him.  He knocks Ramsay down and proceeds to beat the crap out of him.  Jon would have killed him, but stops when he sees Sansa, who has come inside the castle.  He stops and Ramsay is taken hostage.

The final scene is probably one of the most vindicating scenes in the whole episode and one that had fans cheering.  Sansa goes down to the dungeons where Ramsay keeps his hounds.  This is where Ramsay himself is now tied up.  She watches as the hounds come out of their cages and eat Ramsay alive.  What’s interesting for Sansa’s character is that, not once, does she turn away and when she is walking away from the dungeon, she has a small little smile. We think that in this episode Sansa truly becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Notable moment and questions:

-While Ser Davos is walking and thinking before the battle of the bastards, he finds the little stag figurine that he made for Shireen amongst burnt logs of a pyre.  He now knows what has happened to Shireen and he knows who is responsible.  In the preview of the next episode, we see that this will be a big part as Ser Davos confronts Melisandre.

-Where was ghost in the battle of the bastards?  Will we see him again?  We really hope so.