Valar Morghulis

While you could certainly argue that last week's Game of Thrones was the peak of the season for its sheer scope and intensity, I think this week's finale was just as brilliant in a different way. It was one wonderful scene after another, a procession of outstanding character moments.

After Tyrion was enjoying perhaps his all-time high last week, a clever hero of the battlefield, he was brought low this week. He's lost his position as Hand of the King to his father, despite having served magnificently in the role. He's lost his personal soldiers, Bronn, any glory from his pivotal role in the battle -- everything but Shae, who stayed by his side despite it all. (And special acknowledgement to the great makeup job in giving him a grisly scar, particularly gross in the way the bandage stuck as it was peeled away.)

It was a wild ride for Sansa in her one scene this week, and a great performance from actress Sophie Turner, despite her having very few lines in it. She kept up her mask as Joffrey set her aside to claim the ambitious (and oh so oily) Margaery Tyrell, then let the mask drop briefly when only we the audience could see her relief. And then we could see how foolish she was to think this meant she was at all off the hook. Littlefinger was quite apt to call her the worst liar in the court. Should have fled with The Hound last week.

The scene between Varys and Ros (a character not even in the novels) wasn't the most compelling added scene the show has ever presented, but it was interesting to see the Spider working to try to undermine Littlefinger, and he got in several great cutting remarks during the scene.

The scene between Brienne and Jamie was a tense one, carefully written in such a way that I think it was deliberately aimed at book readers. I found myself truly questioning if a particular plot point that doesn't occur to them until early in book three was going to happen here in the season two finale instead. It didn't, but the payoff of the scene was still excellent in the moment when she gave the same "justice" to the three thugs on the road that they gave to their victims.

Oh, Theon. Stupid, weaselly Theon. Maester Luwin did try one last time, and genuinely I think, to help the boy out and give him a shot at redemption. But instead, Theon decided to make a stand... and a speech. I think this was another particularly clever bit of writing, as his speech seemed to crib several memorable turns of phrase from other "rousing speeches" delivered in other films. The resulting feeling: Theon can't do anything right, and he can only to pretend to be things he's seen other people be. His right-hand man knocked him out at the climax of the speech (yay!) and then impaled poor Luwin and left him for dead (boo!).

Stupid for love, Robb Stark secretly married Talisa in violation of his oath to the Freys. Tune in next season to see how that plays out...

Arya had one last moment with Jaqen to conclude her story this season, with him offering her the chance to learn his mysterious assassin art form... before he changed his freaking face! A fun moment from the book, and more fun still to see here in the show (even if Jaqen did adopt a comparatively butt-ugly new identity).

Winterfell is burned to the ground, and Bran, Rickon, Osha, and Hodor (Hodor!) are off seeking Jon Snow at the Wall. At first, I was disappointed that the ruin of Winterfell didn't look as disheartening in the show as I'd imagined it in the book, but then came that wonderful CG-assisted wide shot where we saw the entire keep burning in the background behind them. Yeah, that's the punch to the gut I'd imagined.

Daenerys went through a beautiful, mysterious, and interesting "dream sequence" type thing inside The House of the Undying. She saw herself first in a burned out throne room at King's Landing, then at the gate to the Wall, and then finally in a tent with a welcome return cameo by Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo. It was a great scene with touches of humor, tenderness, and more -- the best material Emilia Clarke has had to play all season. She then came out of her vision with dragon fire blazing, burned the creepy mage alive, imprisoned Xaro "Cask of the Amontillado" style, and seemed to finally be back on track.

Halfhand made the ultimate sacrifice to help plant Jon Snow undercover with the Wildlings, but it was not a sacrifice made in vain. Jon's captors cut him loose on the spot, and have now pledged to take him to see Mance Rayder in a surprisingly large city beyond the Wall.

And finally, we ended on a great sequence with Sam. In my own mind, I imagine the writers and visual effects team collectively going "oh, that's nice what you tried to do last year, The Walking Dead. Top THIS!" Dessicated zombie leader. Freaking rotting zombie horse! Massive undead army! Awesome!

It was a great final episode for the show. And now the long wait for season three begins.