Getty Hafthor Bjornsson (L) and Pedro Pascal (R) arrive for the "Game of Thrones" eighth and final season premiere.
The final season of Game of Thrones premieres on April 14, and fans of the hit HBO show are taking these final few days to catch up on their GOT knowledge and rewatch some of the series biggest and most significant episodes.
Ahead of Game of Thrones season 8, we compiled a list of the episodes we’ll be watching (at least) once more, freshening up on the details of major turning points and relationship dynamics on the show. While fans know that much of the twists and action-packed sequences happened toward the end of each season, making those season finale and penultimate episodes automatically memorable, the episodes on this list also add to the hype of teased character reunions and conflicts, and serve as a reminder of why Game of Thrones is considered one of the biggest shows of all time.
Though every episode of the show has a role to play in getting the story to its final season, since there isn’t time to rewatch them all, here are the episodes we recommend watching again before the season 8 premiere. Beware of spoilers below, related to seasons 1 through 7 of the show:
‘Winter Is Coming’ (Season 1, Episode 1)
Before watching the series come to an end, it’s both nostalgic and necessary to go back to the very beginning and remember just how it all started. So much was set into motion in that very first episode, and it’s striking to see how much the still-living characters, and the actors who play them, have grown over the last 10 years. Plus, the pilot is a not-so-subtle reminder that if Jaime Lannister is actually heading up to Winterfell this season, an uncomfortable reunion with the Starks, Bran especially, can be expected.
‘Baelor’ (Season 1, Episode 9)
Season 1 episode 9 was the moment non-book readers realized that in the universe of Game of Thrones, no character is safe. With one episode still to go in the first season, the series’ beloved protagonist was swiftly killed off, changing the game entirely. For many of the final season’s major characters, it can be argued that Ned Stark’s death was the catalyst that brought them down their respective paths.
Though Ned Stark had been dead for the majority of GOT, he has been referenced often by the show’s remaining characters, especially his surviving children. Now that Bran, Arya, Sansa, and Jon are all back in their childhood home together and potentially fighting for their lives within it, Ned Stark and the lessons he taught them will no doubt continue to be a guiding force.
‘Blackwater’ (Season 2, Episode 9)
Since the “Battle of Winterfell” is rumored to be the longest battle in cinematic history (it took 55 nights to film), it makes sense to go back to the first big battle shown on Game of Thrones by rewatching season two’s “Blackwater.” Moreover, Tyrion Lannister and Davos Seaworth, who were on opposite sides during Blackwater, are allies now that their respective rulers have joined forces.
And while “Battle of the Bastards” was a longer and more visual battle, looking back on “Blackwater” not only how far the show has come, but how its single-location, battle-focused episodes are still packed with character and plot development amidst the violence and gore.
‘Kissed By Fire’ (Season 3, Episode 5)
Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman created his own rewatch list for Entertainment Weekly and included this episode, saying “This is my favorite of the episodes I’ve written, partially because the finished product most closely resembles its very first draft. But it’s also one of our best “smaller,” character-focused episodes. I put ‘smaller’ in quotes as we still found room for a big sword fight (Beric vs. The Hound). The episode’s centerpiece is the long, impeccably acted two-hander between Jaime and Brienne – quite possibly the best thing I’ll ever be associated with.” For someone so closely tied to the series since its beginning to say this one was his favorite to write, it’s certainly worth another look. Moreover, while many of the episodes on this list highlight major plot points and story shifts, this episode highlights the strength of GOT’s characters and the scenes in which they are left to interact with one another.
For Cogman’s complete list of episodes to rewatch before season 8, click here.
‘The Rains of Castamere’ (Season 3, Episode 9)
If Ned Stark’s death wasn’t enough to spark major conflict between the Stark and Lannister houses, the infamous Red Wedding certainly was. And by the end of the season 7 finale, Jaime Lannister appeared to be heading North, Tyrion Lannister was on a boat heading to Winterfell, and Cersei Lannister had (falsely) agreed to support the Northern fight against the dead. The knowledge that the Starks and Lannisters are now meant to be so closely intertwined may not go over well once it spreads among the Stark house and their allies.
Hardhome (Season 5, Episode 8)
Hardhome was the first time viewers truly saw what the White Walkers and their army of the dead were capable of, as they quickly decimated a population of thousands, just to bring them all back as Wights. It’s also the first time viewers learned that Valyrian Steel, in addition to Dragonglass, is capable of killing White Walkers. Currently, Jon, Brienne, Jaime, Samwell, and Arya are all known to be carrying Valyrian weapons, and they’re all either in or headed to the North.
The Winds of Winter (Season 6, Episode 10)
Although much of the season 8 teasers and trailers have focused on the battle of the living vs. the dead, Cersei Lannister is still a major threat Daenerys, Jon, and company. The Winds of Winter proved what she is capable of and the steps she will take to protect her family; with Jaime gone, no one in King’s Landing to check her power, and an unused stash of Wildfire still at her disposal, season 6 episode 10 solidified Queen Cersei as a dangerous antagonist.
The Dragon and the Wolf (Season 7, Episode 7)
Of course, since season 8 episode 1 should pick up shortly after where the season 7 finale left off, it makes sense to watch this episode before the premiere. And it’s a solid refresher on the inherent awkwardness Jon and Dany are going to face once they learn that they’re related and that Jon’s the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.