As far back as the Season 1 prologue the White Walkers have been an omnipresent and insidious undercurrent of the series; while the Great Houses squabbled over precedent, weddings, trials, and subterfuge, the Army of the Dead was slowly building power in the North. Now their time has come.

The Long Night, the Battle for the Dawn, the greatest battle sequence ever put to film, call it what you will the episode delivered an intense and harrowing experience. From the final fiery charge of the Dothraki, to the iron will of the Unsullied foot, to the relentless, merciless onslaught of the Army of the Dead, the episode is filled with the epic battle sequences we’ve come to expect from director Miguel Sapochnik, as well as some intimate character moments in the face of insurmountable odds. This is Day battling Night, Hope in the face of Despair, Life vs. Death… Ice and Fire.