The fifth season of Game of Thrones is contentious among fans. Many believe that Season 5 was subpar and despite the adaptable material from George R.R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons, signaled the beginning of the show's slow decline in quality. However, the season also featured several iconic moments, with several fans feeling that much of the season's criticism was unwarranted.
Either way, Season 5 was a controversial installment for GoT. Several characters, like Sansa, were given vastly different arcs to their book counterparts, which enraged viewers. Season 5 isn't without its merits, however, and some scenes arguably sured the expectations of viewers.
Great: Daenerys Flies On Drogon For The First Time
Daenerys Targaryen struggled to reconcile her identity as the Mother of Dragons with her anti-slavery conquest in Slaver's Bay throughout Season 5. The Targaryen queen locked her dragons in the catacombs of the Great Pyramid and focused her efforts on ruling Meereen.
The suppression of Dany's true identity culminated in "The Dance of Dragons." Daenerys takes to the skies on Drogon's back for the first time after being attacked by the Sons of the Harpy, and becomes the first dragonrider in over a century.
Disappointing: Ser Barristan Selmy's Death
Barristan Selmy's death was one of the show's earliest diversions from the books, and for many, signaled the slow decline of the series. Although Ser Barristan survives in the books and leads the defense of Meereen in Daenerys' absence, his show counterpart was abruptly killed off early in the fifth season.
Ser Barristan was overwhelmed and overpowered by the Sons of the Harpy following a surprise ambush. Many fans were disappointed by this lackluster death for one of Westeros' most skilled warriors.
Great: Hardhome
The wintery collision between the wildlings and the Army of the Dead in "Hardhome" remains one of the best battle sequences in the entire series..
Viewers witnessed the chilling power of the Night King as the army of wights decimated the wildlings. Jon proved himself as the show's hero by defeating a White Walker with Longclaw before sharing a tense staredown with the Night King in their first confrontation.
Disappointing: The Fall Of Stannis Baratheon
Stannis fans were dismayed to see the Baratheon monarch's negative character arc in Season 5 of Game of Thrones. Not only was Stannis obliterated by Ramsay Bolton in battle, but the rightful king allowed Melisandre to sacrifice his daughter Shireen, a decision that many fans felt was uncharacteristic and in poor taste.
Shireen's death was the most horrifying scene of Season 5. It was hard to sympathize with Stannis afterward and his off-screen death at the hands of Brienne of Tarth was an anticlimactic ending for his character.
Great: Tyrion Meets Daenerys
Tyrion's alliance with Daenerys ultimately contributed to the Targaryen queen's downfall, but it was great to see the two characters interact for the first time in Season 5. Dany had been isolated from the narrative in Westeros until then, and meeting Tyrion began to close the gap between the stories within the series.
Tyrion and Daenerys initially appeared to be a political dream team. The Mother of Dragons had immense firepower in her arsenal whereas Tyrion had proved himself to be one of the sharpest minds in the Seven Kingdoms.
Disappointing: The Sand Snakes
The entire Dorne plot was entirely mismanaged and remains one of the show's poorest adaptations from the books. Doran Martell's role was greatly diminished and the Sand Snakes were more cartoon-ish than compelling.
The Sand Snakes also delivered some of the show's most cringe-worthy lines. Despite their position as one of the most powerful and mysterious political players in Westeros, House Martell failed to live up to the high standards of their book counterparts.
Good: Cersei Gets Her Comeuppance
Fans waited five seasons to see Cersei Lannister get what she deserved and Game of Thrones didn't disappoint. The disgraced Lannister queen's schemes backfired as she was made to endure a walk of atonement throughout King's Landing by the Faith Militant.
Cersei initially armed the Faith Militant and awarded the High Sparrow power to incarcerate Margaery and Loras Tyrell. The Lannister's crimes finally caught up with her, however, as she was betrayed by people she viewed as pawns.
Disappointing: Sansa's Marriage To Ramsay Bolton
Another divisive digression from the books in Season 5 was Sansa Stark's marriage to Ramsay Bolton. Instead of remaining in the Vale and learning from Littlefinger, Sansa returned to Winterfell and married Ramsay as part of a puzzling plot to overthrow the Boltons and retake the North.
Ramsay assaulting Sansa on their wedding night in "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" was one of the most controversial scenes in the series. Before the release of Season 8, this episode held the lowest rating of any GoT episode on IMDb.
Good: Jon Snow Dies?
Season 5 delivered one of the most shocking and unexpected deaths in the series. Jon Snow was betrayed by his Night's Watch brothers after allowing the wildlings to cross the Wall. The Lord Commander was stabbed repeatedly before being left to bleed to death in the snow.
Fans theorized that Jon wouldn't stay dead for long due to Melisandre's return to Castle Black. His speculated resurrection occupied the fan conversation until the release of Season 6.
Disappointing: Arya's Braavosi Adventures
Arya's story in Season 5 promised mystical intrigue as the character voyaged to Braavos to become a Faceless Man. However, her adventures at the House of Black and White were underwhelming. The Faceless Men's abilities were never fully explained and Arya's training felt flat and bland.
Although it was fun to see Jaqen H'ghar again, Arya's new role with was anticlimactic. The character spent more time cleaning corpses and being beaten by the Waif than developing her skills. Like many plotlines in Season 5, Arya's arc was disappointing.