George R. R. Martin has revealed his take on the best television episodes of all time, and shared his thoughts on which episode from Game of Thrones he’s most proud of. One of Martin’s scripts adapted for the fantasy drama made the cut in a publication from Vanity Fair titled 25 Perfect TV Episodes From the Last 25 Years. “I have never claimed to be perfect… but if the good folks at VANITY FAIR want to say so, who I am to argue?,” Martin wrote on his blog.
“Of course, they are not actually saying I am perfect. They are talking about Blackwater, one of the episodes I wrote for GAME OF THRONES. (I scripted four. And yes, Blackwater is my own favorite of those, although I thought The Lion and the Rose turned out very well too, and I have a soft spot for that one),” he added. ‘Blackwater’ is the penultimate episode of Season 2, and depicted Stannis Baratheon’s assault against Kings Landing.
The Battle of Blackwater is by far and away one of the strongest episodes from the series, and confirmed the show’s status as a pop culture hit. As for Martin’s most-loved finale, the episode in question was coveted by Vanity Fair in their poll. The writer worshipped the finale of Six Feet Under, hailing it as “far and away the best finale in the entire history of television, and I cannot imagine how anyone could possibly do better.”
“Anyway… I feel very pleased and flattered to be in such great company. No work of art is ever truly perfect, of course… but it is very gratifying to hear that maybe you achieved it, or at least came close… for some of your readers (or viewers)… once in a very great while. There is always a next time, though… and regardless of how well (or poorly) one of my tales is received, I always want to do better the next time I sit down in front of the computer.”
The list covers an abundance of genres from across the decades, picking out the likes of Friends (‘The One With the Embryos’), Breaking Bad (‘Ozymandias’), The Sopranos (‘The Pine Barrens’), BoJack Horseman (‘Fish Out of Water’), and Black Mirror (‘San Junipero’).
What is your favourite series finale of all time? Let us know!
While we’re at it, give us your verdict on the best Thrones episode too.
