Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss faced an impossible task: bringing one of the greatest dark fantasy epics ever written — George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire — to television. We all have opinions on how well they succeeded, especially with the ending, but there’s no denying Benioff and Weiss produced some masterful episodes along the way.

If you want to revisit the best of Benioff and Weiss’s fantasy TV work, there’s an easy way: check out the 10 highest-rated Game of Thrones episodes on IMDb. Though everyone has their own favorites — I’m still partial to the very first episode, “Winter is Coming,” and its shocking ending — these episodes are widely regarded as the pinnacle of the series.

If you thought “The Battle of the Bastards” went the extra mile with a stellar episode packed with masterful combat, you won’t be surprised to find “Blackwater” just as phenomenal. This time, the focus is on Tyrion and the Lannisters, who must fight off Stannis Baratheon’s (Stephen Dillane) fleet as it assaults King’s Landing.

Before season 6 of Game of Thrones sent production costs soaring, “Blackwater” was one of the show's most expensive episodes, largely because of its intense naval combat and enthralling visuals. Even all these years later, few battles in Game of Thrones are as mesmerizing as the wildfire explosion at Blackwater Bay.

Some Game of Thrones deaths leave you weeping in despair — like Catelyn and Robb’s at the Red Wedding — while others bring tears of pure joy.

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