George RR Martin is the author of the fantasy saga A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted into the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, which ended in 2019.
The author, who had previous screenwriting experience on The Twilight Zone, wrote several episodes of the television series, including “The Pointy End,” “Blackwater,” “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” and “The Lion and the Rose”.
In response to a Vanity Fair article that listed “Blackwater” among the “25 Perfect TV Episodes of the Last 25 Years,” George R.R. Martin revealed which of these is his favorite
The author humbly does not consider it the perfect episode, even if he declared that “Blackwater” is his favorite episode of all those he wrote for Game of Thrones. He also likes “The Lion and the Rose” from the fourth season:
“I’ve never claimed to be perfect… but if the good people at VANITY FAIR want to say that, who am I to argue? Just kidding, of course, they’re not saying I’m perfect. They’re talking about “Blackwater,” one of the episodes I wrote for Game of Thrones. (I’ve written four of them. And yes, “Blackwater” is my favorite, although I think “The Lion and the Rose” turned out really well too, and I’m partial to that too).”
Airing on May 27, 2012, Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 9 “Blackwater” is widely regarded as one of the best episodes of the show.
Directed by Neil Marshall, the episode depicted the Battle of Blackwater Bay in which Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), the reigning Hand of the King, leads Lannister forces in defense of King’s Landing against a naval invasion by Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), who aims to take the Iron Throne for himself.
The episode, in addition to representing intense and well-executed moments of action and characters, marked a series of important innovations for the television series.
The Battle of Blackwater Bay was the show’s first major battle sequence, something Game of Thrones would become known for, as the “Battle of the Bastards.”
Before “Blackwater,” battles occurred off-screen: This was the first episode to take place entirely in a single location, allowing tension to continually build without any easing. The episode also features a number of memorable moments, including Tyrion using wildfire to blow up the Baratheon fleet in a blinding explosion and later giving a rousing speech to inspire the Lannister army to victory.