Game of Thrones Season 4 Is Still The Best Year Of The Show

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The HBO series, Game of Thrones will end this year with season 8, but no matter how epic a finale showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff deliver, it will have a hard time topping Game of Thrones at its best: season 4.

With just weeks to go before Game of Thrones season 8 premieres, the excitement surrounding the series' return couldn't be higher. When HBO finally released a full trailer, it was immediately dissected for any clues it might offer about the forthcoming season. In the lead up to the premiere, fan theories and speculation are going strong, with predictions of everyone from Jon Snow to no one sitting the Iron Throne in the end. Just how Game of Thrones will end its epic story remains the biggest mystery (even George R.R. Martin doesn't know!), but no matter what happens, it's sure to be watched by millions the world over.

And yet, even with all the excitement over Game of Thrones final season, it's hard to ignore that the series hasn't been as strong in recent seasons. Game of Thrones season 4 really was the peak for the hit HBO series, delivering a phenomenal string of episodes that continue to impact the characters and overall narrative. Here's why Game of Thrones season 4 is still the best year of the show.

GAME OF THRONES SEASON 4 ADAPTED LESS THAN A SINGLE BOOK

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When it began, Game of Thrones was adapting one book from George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series per season. Game of Thrones season 1 covered the events in book one, A Game of Thrones, and season 2 covered the events of book two, A Clash of Kings. For Game of Thrones season 3, however, the HBO series chose to only adapt the first two-thirds of the third novel, A Storm of Swords, leaving roughly the final third of the book for season 4 to cover. This decision is one of the smartest Game of Thrones has ever made, adapting the lengthy novel across two seasons.

Following that most shocking penultimate episode - the infamous Red Wedding in season 3, episode 9, "The Rains of Castamere" - season 4 starts incredibly strong because it's continuing to adapt what are still the climactic events from Storm. Breaking up the third book in this way gives Game of Thrones season 4 a heightened sense of urgency without ever feeling rushed, allowing the material enough room to breath since season 4 still has 10 episodes with which to work. Additionally, some elements from books four and five, A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons, are used to round out the season.

JOFFREY’S DEATH TO TYRION’S ESCAPE IS THE BEST GAME OF THRONES STORY

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Speaking of climactic events, season 4 really kicks it off in episode 2, "The Lion and the Rose" with Joffrey's gruesome death. That murder leads to what is by far the best story Game of Thrones ever tells, with a whodunit mystery and Tyrion's trial driving much of the action in King's Landing. This particular plot has it all: intrigue, political fallout, family drama, crimes of passion, and more.

For the Lannisters, Joffrey's wedding to Margaery should have sealed the deal on their triumph, but instead it's the start of their downfall. Tyrion's trial rips the Lannister family apart, pitting sibling against sibling and child against father. In the end, Tyrion's gone, Cersei's mad, Jaime is deeply conflicted, and Tywin is dead. Without Tywin's steady hand, King's Landing falls into political chaos, creating a power vacuum that's later exploited by the likes of the High Sparrow and Euron Greyjoy, but in the end and most of all by Cersei - consumed by her grief and hatred and left all alone.

BEST NEW CHARACTER INTRODUCTION: OBERYN MARTEL

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Game of Thrones introduces new characters and then disposes of them all the time, but few have left an impression quite like Oberyn Martell. The Dornish Prince arrives on the scene in Game of Thrones season 4 and immediately breathes new life into King's Landing with his charm, confidence, and sexually progressive lifestyle. He openly challenges the Lannisters and makes no secret of his desire for revenge, laying the blame for the death of his sister, Elia, and her children at Tywin's feet. Oberyn brings a new perspective on both past and current events, and his very presence hints at the storytelling potential of a new locale, Dorne (which sadly, Game of Thrones season 5 will absolutely squander).

By far, Oberyn plays his biggest role at Tyrion's trial. As his champion, Oberyn can both prove Tyrion's innocence and get revenge for his family. He's an excellent fighter, perfectly matching his agility and speed against the Mountain's strength, but in a twist of fate (and thanks in large part to his own hubris), he fails. Oberyn's death is another of the HBO series' most shocking moments and another cruel reminder that Game of Thrones almost never has happy endings.

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CHARACTERS EVOLVE IN EXCITING & UNEXPECTED WAYS

Game of Thrones season 4 sees the evolution of several characters, but a few key characters experience changes that are both unexpected and exciting. Jaime and Sansa, and to a lesser extent Bran, are characters who at the start of the show are seemingly going down one path, but come season 4, find themselves moving in brand new directions.

Jaime in Game of Thrones season 4 is just beginning to question everything about his upbringing and current station in life. He's at odds with his family, unsure of what his future holds, and starting to have that change of heart which will see him turn against his sister in time. For Sansa, she finally escapes King's Landing and sets out on the journey that will eventually bring her home, but not before a stopover in the Eyrie where her training as a political player really kicks in to high gear. And Bran begins to more willingly tap into his mystical powers, hinting at what's to come once he meets up with the Three Eyed-Raven.

THE TRUTH OF LITTLEFINGER REVEALED

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Along with Sansa's political awakening, the episodes spent in the Eyrie finally reveal the truth about Littlefinger - he's been pulling everyone's strings from the very beginning. Before they even arrive in the Vale, Littlefinger explains to Sansa how he orchestrated Joffrey's murder and her escape from the capital, though he stops just short of naming the Tyrells as his accomplices. But this is only a precursor for the bombshell he later drops.

After being reintroduced to Lysa, Sansa's aunt and his soon-to-be wife, it's revealed that Littlefinger was also behind the murder of Jon Arryn, arranging for Lysa to poison her previous husband and frame the Lannisters. And up until this point, most assume Littlefinger is a man who thrives on chaos, but in revealing his role in the murder that kicks off the central conflict between House Stark and House Lannister, Littlefinger demonstrates that he is far more calculating and dangerous than anyone (except perhaps Varys) thought him capable of being.

ARYA, HOUND, BRIENNE, & PODRICK IN THE RIVERLANDS

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Game of Thrones season 4 pairs characters together who previously wouldn't have interacted much at all. Jaime's sword training with Bronn is an example of this, beginning their friendship just as Bronn and Tyrion's is ending. However, the best examples are the two pairs traveling through the Riverlands: Arya and the Hound, and Brienne and Podrick. Though they've been brought together for very different reasons, both traveling partners learn to rely on each other as they navigate the dangerous Riverlands, earning each others' respect in the process. Their paths dovetail nicely, too, ending in what's easily one of the best single combats ever featured on Game of Thrones.

Most fascinatingly, however, both Arya and the Hound as well as Brienne and Pod witness the plight of the small folk first hand during their travels. Following the War of the Five Kings, the Riverlands are an absolute mess and the burden of rebuilding is passed on to the poor people who have no choice but to live there. Game of Thrones is so often occupied with the troubles of nobles that this alternate focus on the lives of peasants is excellent, reminding the characters (as well as viewers) of the real hardships these people face while the highborn fight among themselves.

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DAENERYS’ STORY STILL HAS MOMENTUM

By the time Game of Thrones reaches season 4, Daenerys is well on her to becoming a true conqueror. She has her army and a righteous cause - liberate every slave in Slaver's Bay. After taking Meereen, she cements herself as a power player in Essos and she smartly uses this as an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of ruling. The decision delays her return to Westeros, and unfortunately, later seasons have her remain in Meereen for too long, but in Game of Thrones season 4 there's still a purpose to Daenerys time in Essos.

Along with learning to be a better ruler, Game of Thrones season 4 throws even more challenges at Daenerys. Her children, the dragons, are becoming much more difficult to control, threatening the very people Daenerys wants to protect and in response, she must chain them up. And if that weren't enough, the truth of Jorah's earlier betrayal of being a spy for King Robert is finally revealed, forcing Daenerys to banish her closest advisor and dearest friend. Game of Thrones season 4 puts Daenerys through the ringer, but the lessons she learns are important ones if she ever hopes to sit the Iron Throne.

THE WATCHERS ON THE WALL SET A NEW BAR

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When it comes to episodes centered on a battle, Game of Thrones season 2, episode 9, "Blackwater" was a tremendous feat. Come Game of Thrones season 4, however, the budget increases and the production is able to really go for it in depicting a large scale battle. Like "Blackwater", season 4 episode 9 "The Watchers on the Wall" focuses on a single location, Castle Black, as it follows the wildlings' two-prong attack and the Night's Watch's desperate attempt at repelling them.

The whole episode is an action-packed event, with the fighting taking place on several different fronts - atop The Wall, in the castle yard, and in the tunnel below. Not only is the whole episode a thrilling, cinematic battle of which Game of Thrones had (up until that point) never done, but it's a battle with emotional stakes. Sam and Gilly grow closer, with Sam kissing her before racing off to fight, and the camaraderie between Jon and his brothers is tested in dramatic fashion. Characters die and they are mourned, but of course, none so much as Ygritte. Her dying in Jon's arms is a turning point in not just the battle but his arc, and afterwards, Jon is never the same again.

WHY LATER GAME OF THRONES COULDN’T MATCH SEASON 4

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Game of Thrones season 4 is still the best season of the show because it didn't just adapt the material in spectacular fashion, it elevates it. Beginning where it does in the narrative, season 4 never lets up, building and building to a climax of events - Bran arriving at the Three-Eyed Raven, Tyrion murdering Shae and Tywin, Stannis coming to The Wall, to name only a few - that the show has yet to top it.

Game of Thrones season 4 is the final season to still have the novels as a guide, and the plotting is stronger than in any of the following seasons. Season 4 is the final season that Martin himself pens an episode, contributing the stellar "The Lion and the Rose". And finally, Game of Thrones season 4 is the last season that can spend time developing its characters and their relationships without the impending war with the White Walkers overtaking everything.

Game of Thrones season 4 is the series at its best, delivering top notch drama and thrills in equal measure while continuing to tease bigger things to come. And though Game of Thrones season 8 is expected to be an epic finale for the series, even it will never match the greatness of season 4.