haystack/test/samples/dc/documents-stream.response

{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "getative Merkmale\n\nBl\u00fctenknospe von Adansonia digitata\n\nBl\u00fcte von Adansonia digitata (Sektion Adansonia)\n\nBl\u00fcte von Adansonia rubrostipa (Sektion Longitubae)\nDie Adansonia-Arten sind in der Trockenzeit laubabwerfende Laubb\u00e4ume, die Wuchsh\u00f6hen von etwa 5 bis 30 Metern erreichen. Die gewaltigen, unbewehrten St\u00e4mme sind zylindrisch, konisch oder flaschenf\u00f6rmig. Sie tragen f\u00fcr gew\u00f6hnlich kompakte Baumkronen. Die unbewehrten (selten mit konischen Dornen besetzten, z. B. bei Adansonia rubrostipa) Haupt\u00e4ste sind waagerecht oder aufsteigend. Die r\u00f6tlichbraune bis gr\u00fcnliche Borke ist glatt oder bl\u00e4tterig und hat h\u00e4ufig eine gelbe oder gr\u00fcne Photosyntheseschicht nahe der Oberfl\u00e4che. Die Innenschichten bestehen aus z\u00e4hen L\u00e4ngsfasern. Das Holz ist fasrig und weich. Es sondert aus Verletzungen ein geruchloses, klebriges Harz ab. Juvenile Pflanzen sind schlank, mit verj\u00fcngten St\u00e4mmen, die am Grund oft geschwollen sind. Die Internodien an der Spitze der Wachstumszone sind sehr kurz, aber an den Jungtrieben l\u00e4nger. Die spiralig an den Zweigen angeordneten, handf\u00f6rmig gefiederten Laubbl\u00e4tter sind h\u00e4utig bis ledrig. Der Blattstiel ist mit zwei Gelenken versehen (bipulvinat). Die f\u00fcnf bis elf sitzenden oder gestielten Bl\u00e4ttchen sind elliptisch, lanzettlich oder verkehrt lanzettlich, wobei die seitlichen Teilbl\u00e4tter kleiner als die mittleren sind. Die Teilbl\u00e4tter sind kahl bis filzig mit einfachen oder in Gruppen angeordneten Haaren. Die Bl\u00e4ttchen sind meist spitz bis zu einer Spitze zulaufend (apiculat), selten stumpf. Der Blattrand ist ganzrandig oder gez\u00e4hnt. Die Laubbl\u00e4tter werden w\u00e4hrend der Trockenzeit abgeworfen. Die bis 2 Millimeter langen Nebenbl\u00e4tter fallen bald ab; selten sind sie 1 bis 1,5 Zentimeter lang und dauerhaft. Bl\u00fctenst\u00e4nde und Bl\u00fcten\nDie aufrechten und nur bei Adansonia digitata h\u00e4ngenden Bl\u00fcten sitzen einzeln oder selten zu zweit in achselst\u00e4ndigen Bl\u00fctenst\u00e4nden. Diese stehen in Gruppen bis zu f\u00fcnf an den Zweigenden. Bl\u00fctenstiel und Bl\u00fctenstandsstiel sind mehr oder weniger getrennt, Letzterer hat drei fr\u00fch abfallende (caducose) Tragbl\u00e4tter. Die Knospen sind fast kugelf\u00f6rmig, eif\u00f6rmig oder zylindrisch. Die zwittrigen, f\u00fcnfz\u00e4hligen Bl\u00fcten sind radi\u00e4rsymmetrisch bis leicht zygomorph gebaut. Der Bl\u00fctenbecher ist au\u00dfen geschuppt, gr\u00fcn oder braun und im Inneren seidenartig, cremefarben, rosarot oder rot. Am Grund befindet sich ein schmaler Gewebestreifen, der Nektar absondert. Er kann auch eine ringf\u00f6rmige Vertiefung bilden, die durch den Boden der Kelchr\u00f6hre gebildet wird. Die f\u00fcnf Kelchbl\u00e4tter sind mehr oder weniger miteinander verwachsen und ihre Zipfel sind am Bl\u00fctenboden zur\u00fcckgebogen oder gekr\u00fcmmt. Die f\u00fcnf freien, gebogenen Kronbl\u00e4tter sind cremewei\u00df, gelb oder rot. Es sind zahlreiche (100 bis 1100) Staubbl\u00e4tter vorhanden, die gew\u00f6hnlich kahl und wei\u00df oder gelblich sind. Die untere H\u00e4lfte der Staubf\u00e4den ist zu einer R\u00f6hre verwachsen, die zylindrisch oder leicht verj\u00fcngt ist. Die obere H\u00e4lfte der Staubf\u00e4den ist frei. Die Staubbeutel sind frei und gekr\u00fcmmt. [1] Sie sind monothekisch und \u00f6ffnen sich mit einem L\u00e4ngsriss. F\u00fcnf Fruchtbl\u00e4tter sind zu einem oberst\u00e4ndigen (hypogynen) Fruchtknoten verwachsen; er ist konisch bis l\u00e4nglich, braun oder gelblich und filzig mit aufw\u00e4rts zeigenden Haaren. Die zahlreichen anatropen Samenanlagen werden von langen, dichotomischen Nabelstr\u00e4ngen (Funiculi) getragen, die aus sieben bis neun tief eingebetteten Plazenten entstehen. Der Griffel ist einfach, d\u00fcnn, wei\u00df oder dunkelrot und an der Basis dicht filzig. Die Narbe besteht gew\u00f6hnlich aus f\u00fcnf bis zehn gelblichen oder dunkelroten, kurzen Lappen. Fr\u00fcchte und Samen\n\u2192 Hauptartike
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "I picked up the phone, and instantly, I knew it was coming. It was David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the two creators of the show, and they stated the facts. But they did it really nice. I couldn't have asked for a better way to have that news broken to me. Them telling me beforehand really helped me out, otherwise I would have been in a state when I read it in the scripts. I probably would have cried.\" Actress Natalie Dormer, who was cast to play Queen Margaery Tyrell in the show's second season, also made her final appearance as a main cast member for the series. In contrast to Chapman, Dormer found out about her character's impending death approximately six months before the rest of the cast, saying \"I requested while making season 5 that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss release me from working on the show earlier than usual so I could do another project, and they ended up phoning me \u2014 and that was The Call. But I got it six months ahead of normal. They were like, 'We weren't going to tell you this for a few more months, but we're not going to release you now, so you can't do that job you really want to do and we're really sorry about that. But on the bright side, we are going to release you proper in the not-so-distant future.' It was good news, bad news \u2014 no you can't do this, but don't worry, you're going to have lots more opportunities very soon.\" Dormer also stated about her departure, \"It's the longest time I've ever spent playing a character. I'll always have a little yellow rose after my heart, and I think it was just the right length of time, to be honest. It's time for the Westeros story to move on and it's a perfect time for her to exit.\" After appearing as a recurring guest actor in the fifth season, actor Jonathan Pryce was promoted to regular cast member for the sixth season. Prior to being cast as the High Sparrow, Pryce was approached to play another role in one of the previous seasons and refused the part. After being approached with the role of the High Sparrow, Pryce stated that he accepted the role because \"If the role hadn't been what it turned out to be for High Sparrow, I probably would not have been involved. I remember starting out and my agent said 'does the character change the situation or is he just a functionary' and this character changes the situation.\" Pryce added, \"Once I started work on ''Games of Thrones'' I was incredibly impressed with the organization, the crew and they're really good at their job and story telling so I have become a fan of the show.\" Recurring guest actors for the series Eugene Simon, Julian Glover, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Finn Jones, and Ian Gelder, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, Pycelle, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Kevan Lannister, respectively, also made their final appearance in the series. Finn Jones, who was cast concurrently in the leading role for the upcoming television series Marvel's ''Iron Fist'', spoke about his departure saying, \"I had been on ''Thrones'' for six years. It was yearly employment. Now I was at a crossroads and I had to think of what the future is. I was very blessed that something like this has come along at the right moment,\" referring to ''Iron Fist''. Eugene Simon also spoke about his learning of his departure, saying that the showrunners promised a \"huge scene\" for his character in the season finale, with Simon responding, \"for everything that you've done for the last six years, thank you. This is a wonderful way to go. I really, really appreciate it, and I look forward to doing it for you.\" For the scene at the Tower of Joy, Lyanna Stark was portrayed by actress Aisling Franciosi. The Danish comedian Frank Hvam portrayed the clerk at the Citadel, although his lines may have been dubbed as he was not a confident English speaker. ===Filming===\nMiguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his fourth episode for the series. Cathedral of Saint Mary in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Great Sept, with special effects altering parts of the building. \"The Winds o
{"content": "He also said that the main goal of the scene was to \"bring all these intersecting storylines surrounding King's Landing together and end them,\" and that the music in the scene played an important role in reflecting how the scenes played out on screen tonally, praising Ramin Djawadi's opening score. The Girona Cathedral in Girona, Spain stood in for the exterior shots of the Sept of Baelor. Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed King Tommen Baratheon, spoke about filming his death scene, saying \"I was jumping onto a crash mat. Height-wise, I think if I was standing on the floor, it was up to my chest. But the crash mat was pretty thick. I must have done that about 50 times. My face was pretty bruised up. My face took it a little bit.\" Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister, also spoke about his death scene revealing about his discussions with Sapochnik, \"the note was when Lancel was dragging his body, there was a sense of someone who is trying to put aside their pain of being stabbed and being paralyzed as much as possible in order to try to defend what little hope there is left of trying to save the sept and also to save their life. It really only comes down to the very last few nanoseconds of footage that you realize the cause is lost.\" Simon also stated about the filming of Jonathan Pryce's, who portrays the High Sparrow, final scene, \"we had a very big nice round of applause when that took place. I remember that scene very well; we had 200 or so supporting actors in there, all of whom were so committed. They stayed there all day and did wonderful reactions to all the really intense bits. When the first part of the bomb goes off, all of them really, really performed that there was a full-on nuclear explosion going on underneath them.\" He continued, \"We had a big round of applause and celebration after that scene was done because I think we all knew it was going to be pretty monumentous. We said goodbye to countless Tyrells, Kevan Lannister my father, the High Sparrow and dozens of other. It was a pretty extraordinary day.\" In regards to the non-verbal exchange between Jaime and Cersei Lannister when she is sitting on the Iron Throne, Sapochnik stated \"I thought that non-verbal exchange was a very interesting moment but it wasn't clear from the script what exactly Benioff and Weiss wanted. So we just tried a few things, following our noses, drawing from what we knew about these characters and what you see was one of the versions we shot. Interestingly in the edit I still couldn't find a version I felt worked so I actually dropped the moment entirely out of my cut but David and Dan reinstated and to great effect. In fact, I can't really remember the sequence without it anymore. I think he's saying 'don't' and she's saying 'too late.'\" He continued \"The wonderful thing about filmmaking is you make and remake your film or episode a number of times over the duration of its existence. Firstly in the script stage, second is in prep when you plan how you're going to execute it. Third is in production when you actually get there and have to change everything and finally, in the edit, when you realize what you thought something meant means something totally different when put before or after another juxtaposing or complimentary image.\" In the same interview, Sapochnik was also asked about how he went about creating a sense of emotion in the 'King in the North' scene, saying \"It wasn't hard. I think as fans we'd been waiting for it for so long. That said, it was a very difficult scene to shoot. Mainly because it was unusually hot over the two days we shot it, everyone was wearing heavy furs and armor, Kit was actually pretty ill and everyone was crammed into this space full of plates of sheep's tongues and chicken carcasses so it got quite smelly and sticky. It's also quite a long scene and yet Bella did it probably more than a hundred times, only forgetting a line once in the entire time. When we finished the scene she got a standing ovation from all the cast and crew.\" Sapochnik was asked in an 
{"content": "\n\n\"'''The Winds of Winter'''\" is the tenth and final episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the sixtieth overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Cersei Lannister plots to destroy all her immediate enemies with one swift stroke; Arya Stark gets revenge; Jon Snow is declared King in the North by the lords of the Northern houses; Bran Stark learns that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark; Samwell Tarly arrives at the Citadel; and Daenerys Targaryen begins heading to Westeros alongside Tyrion Lannister, her entire army, the Ironborn loyal to Yara Greyjoy, the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, and her three dragons. \"The Winds of Winter\" received universal acclaim from critics, listing it as one of the series' best episodes as well as one of the best television episodes of all time. Critics praised the Great Sept explosion, Lena Headey's performance, Arya's revenge on the Freys, the resolution to the Tower of Joy flashback, and Daenerys going to Westeros as highlights of the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 8.89 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode in the series' history at that time. It was nominated for several awards, including Headey for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Costumes. This episode marks the final appearance for Natalie Dormer (Queen Margaery Tyrell), Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen Baratheon), Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell), Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister), Ian Gelder (Kevan Lannister), Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell), Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle), and Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis). ==Plot==\n\n===At the Twins===\nWalder Frey celebrates the recapture of Riverrun with the Lannisters. Some time later, Walder eats dinner alone, wondering why his sons have yet to arrive. His servant reveals that she baked them into the meat pie he has been eating, and then removes her face to reveal that she is actually Arya Stark, before cutting Walder's throat. ===In King's Landing===\nOn the day of Cersei's and Loras' trials, the High Sparrow, the Faith and the court gather in the Great Sept. However Cersei remains in her chambers, while Ser Gregor prevents Tommen from leaving his quarters. Meanwhile, Qyburn summons Grand Maester Pycelle to his laboratory, where his child spies stab Pycelle to death. Loras confesses to his crimes and atones by giving up his name and title, and joins the Faith Militant. After Cersei fails to appear, Lancel is sent to retrieve her. Lancel follows one of Cersei's spies beneath the Sept, and finds a wildfire cache about to explode, but is stabbed before he can disarm the cache. Inside the Sept, Margaery, realizing that Cersei has set a trap, warns the crowd to leave, but the High Sparrow prevents anyone from leaving. The wildfire ignites and destroys the Great Sept, killing everyone inside. The sole survivor of the Faith Militant's destruction is Septa Unella, whom Cersei leaves with Gregor to be tortured. Tommen witnesses the explosion from the Red Keep; after being informed of Margaery's death, he takes his own life by jumping out of a window. Cersei orders Qyburn to cremate his remains and scatter the ashes at the ruins of the Great Sept, where Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tywin were interred. As Jaime and Bronn return from the Riverlands, they view the burning ruins of the Great Sept. Jaime subsequently arrives at the Red Keep to witness Cersei being crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. ===At Oldtown===\nAs Samwell and Gilly arrive at Oldtown, they witness the Citadel releasing countless white ravens to announce the arrival of winter. They report to the Citadel, and Sam is scheduled to meet the Archmaester. In the meantime, Sam is granted access to the library. ===At Winterfell===\nDavos confronts Melisandre about Shireen's death. Melisandre admits to burning Shireen alive, but points out that she did it
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "I wanted a distinct, strong silhouette, so I squared her shoulders. I also wanted the dress to skim her ankles, so that you could see her feet\u2014again, strength. The silver shoulders are decorated in a similar manner to Jaime's gold hand\u2014the one person that she still has something with.\" Clapton also noted that every part of the dress represents something, saying, \"There is no 'decoration' to Cersei.\" She stated that she additionally chose to make the dress black in order to represent mourning, as well as a \"deadness inside her.\" Clapton, in a separate interview, was also asked about the meaning and representation of Cersei's crown, saying \"I chose to make it in silver with just wisps of gold to try to show her isolation, her mental disentangling from her family. There is no reference to Baratheon; there is no need anymore. She doesn't have to try and prove a link. The center of the crown is the lion sigil abstracted \u2014 its mane represents the Iron Throne, her desire. She has made it her own \u2014 she is reborn.\" Clapton revealed as well that King Tommen Baratheon's costume was intended to show how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, as he is weighted down with jeweled finery, with Clapton saying \"He was a nice boy. Too nice for this.\" ===Musical score===\nComposer Ramin Djawadi created the episode's musical score. The musical score for \"The Winds of Winter\" was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on the series since its inception, and additionally composed the show's main theme. In an interview, Djawadi spoke about the score he created for the beginning of the episode, titled \"Light of the Seven\", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, \"The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about 'The Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score.\" He continued, \"It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction.\" Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, \"The Rains of Castamere\", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, with Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying \"The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately \u2014 the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well.\" Asked in a separate interview about the overall process of composing the music and how it is used in the episode, Djawadi revealed \"I sit with David and Dan and we do what's called a spotting session where we watch the entire episode and then discuss when music should start and stop. Everybody's very involved with that. And it constantly gets played with. What I love about ''Game of Thrones'' is that the positioning of the music is so well done, because it's not overdone. When the music cuts in, it really has something to say.\" \"Light of the Seven\" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart on its release. The episode also featured the show's main theme during the \"King in the North\" scene with Jon Snow at Winterfell. Critical praise was directed towards the musical score for the episode, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the \"real winner\" of the season finale. ==Recepti
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "Elsewhere, there were big reveals and revenge kills that helped everything add up to a very surprising and satisfying season finale.\" He continued by praising how the trial sequence played out on screen, writing \"The actual staging and pacing of the trial and violent reckoning was really cool, with everyone getting dressed and little puzzle pieces falling into place, little birds leading men to their deaths, and Ramin Djawadi's excellent score.\" He gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10. Michael Calia of ''The Wall Street Journal'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing \"It's a good thing\u00a0... that the season finale was full of massive developments, tying up several plot threads while leaving some others dangling in the most tantalizing way. This was the most complete episode of ''Game of Thrones'' yet, and possibly the best.\" He also wrote, \"Dany and her fleet are finally sailing to Westeros, her great dragons casting shadows over the waves. It's on.\" Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also praised the direction of the King's Landing story, and Lena Headey's portrayal of Cersei, saying in his review \"Ms. Headey's performance was but one element in a sequence that, technically, ranks among the show's best. Miguel Sapochnik, who directed last week's battle-heavy episode, brought a different kind of precision and urgency to Sunday's installment. Cersei's scheme unspooled amid insistent strings and a series of shots \u2014 those vicious little birds taking out Pycelle, Lancel and the dwindling candle-fuse, Margaery's growing concern and rising tension in the Sept \u2014 that built inexorably to the High Sparrow's realization that he wasn't as smart as he thought.\" James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated he felt the episode introduced new conflicts to look forward to in the next season, saying \"Though the finale shifted from the battlefield, the events were, if anything, far more seismic, with game-changing revelations and huge moves from every corner of the realm that established some very clear new conflicts going into season 7.\" Sarah Larson of ''The New Yorker'' wrote in her review, \"It's a beautiful image. Boats, clouds, sun, dragons, and two female ship captains, pointing their armada toward a Westeros ruled by a queen.\" James Hunt of WhatCulture wrote in his review, \"What a way to go out. Season 6 has already proved to be a great season of TV, but it saved its best for last.\" Tim Surette of TV.com called the episode, \"the best episode ever.\" Brian Lowry of CNN wrote in his review for the episode, \"At this point it's hard to second-guess producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who, working with Martin, have created a series for the ages.\" Willa Paskin of ''Slate'' wrote in his review, \"Revenge, a dish ''Game of Thrones'' has almost always made taste awful, served hot or cold, became, in the finale, a delicacy. \" ===Accolades===\n\nYear\n\nAward\n\nCategory\n\nNominee(s)\n\nResult\n\n2016\n\n68th Primetime Emmy Awards\n\nOutstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie\n\nChloe Aubry  Michele Clapton  Sheena Wichary\n\nOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series\n\nLena Headey\n\nGold Derby TV Awards 2016\n\nBest Drama Episode\n\nBritish Society of Cinematographers\n\nBest Cinematography in a Television Drama\n\nFabian Wagner\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Association\n\nFilm Music Composition Of The Year\n\nRamin Djawadi for \"Light of the Seven\"\n\n2017\n\nIGN Awards\n\nBest TV Episode\n\nIGN People's Choice Award\n\nBest TV Episode\n\n69th Writers Guild of America Awards\n\nEpisodic Drama\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\nVisual Effects Society Awards 2016\n\nOutstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project\n\nEdmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, and Cheri Fojtik \u2013 Citadel\n\nUSC Scripter Award\n\nBest Adapted Screenplay\n\nDavid Benioff  D. B. Weiss\n\n==References==\n\n==External links==\n\n*  at HBO.com\n*\n*", "content_type": "text", "score": null, "meta": {"pipeline_id": 
{"content": "Daario is reluctant, admitting his love for her, but complies. Daenerys proclaims Tyrion the Hand of the Queen, and the two of them, along with their extensive forces from Essos and their new alliances of the Ironborn, Dorne, and Highgarden, finally depart for Westeros in a massive armada, with her dragons flying above. ==Production==\n\n===Writing===\nThe episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. \"The Winds of Winter\" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was the longest in the show's history, to that point, with a run time of 68 minutes. In the \"Inside the Episode\" segment published by HBO shortly after the airing of the episode, Benioff spoke about the relationship between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow at this point in the season, saying \"Over the course of this season they've come to really rely upon each other, but she doesn't really trust him completely. She didn't tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger, she didn't tell him that she summoned the Knights of the Vale, there's definitely a little hint of conflict there. So I think there's a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy, and that relationship will be crucial to watch.\" Benioff continued by referencing the declaration of Jon Snow as King of the North, noting \"We see the second 'King in the North!' scene with Jon and I think it was important to us that it evoked in that first 'King in the North!' scene. Very different circumstances, different environment. In some ways, the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King in the North but it didn't go so well for the previous King in the North. So I think we have to be a little worried for Jon and at the same time it's a pretty big reversal and, you know, for a character who was dead at the beginning of the season to be declared king at the end of it. He's done well. He's done well in ten short episodes.\" Weiss also noted about the death of King Tommen Baratheon, \"Meanwhile, while the explosion is happening, Tommen is alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him, and if she had been there, he wouldn't have gone out that window. She failed him, and she alone failed him here.\" Benioff continued about portraying the mindset of Cersei Lannister, saying \"I think the idea of Cersei without her children is a pretty terrifying prospect. It was the one thing that really humanized her, you know, her love for her kids. And as much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly really did love her children, and now those children are gone, and all she's got is power.\" In a subsequent interview after the episode airing, Weiss stated that Cersei's mindset following the ramifications of this episode will play an important role in the story for the next season. In an interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, Wright was asked about the significance of Bran witnessing the scene at the Tower of Joy, saying \"I don't think Bran knows why this is significant, but he knows that it is significant because he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't earth-shattering, because everything we've learned so far during his visions has been pretty big and important, from the creation of the first White Walker to the origins of Hodor. This is clearly another important milestone in the history of Westeros. For Bran, he sat there thinking, 'This isn't my brother. This is my cousin somehow, but who's the dad? And why have I been shown this? If I find out who the dad is and why I need to know who the dad is, then let Jon know quick.'\" The scene reveals neither Lyanna Stark's son's name nor his father's, with the transition between the newborn's face and Jon Snow's visually conveying the identity. HBO released an infographic shortly after the episode aired, confirming Ned Stark as Jon's guardian, and Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen as his pa