The Dance of Dragons

"The Dance of Dragons" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the fifth season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones. The 49th episode overall, "The Dance of Dragons" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss based on material primarily found on George R. R. Martin's novel A Dance with Dragons, from which the title of the episode is derived. It was directed by David Nutter, who also directed the season finale.^[1]

In the episode, Jon Snow allows the surviving wildlings to pass through the Wall at Castle Black. Stannis Baratheon allows Melisandre to sacrifice his daughter, Shireen Baratheon, to the Lord of Light. Arya Stark seeks personal revenge in Braavos. Jaime Lannister strikes a deal with Prince Doran Martell of Dorne to allow Myrcella Baratheon to return home. In Meereen, Daenerys Targaryen is ambushed in a surprise attack by the Sons of the Harpy during a tournament in the fighting pits, eventually escaping with Drogon. "The Dance of Dragons" received a positive response from critics, who mainly lauded its action-packed conclusion on Daznak's Pit, but was polarized by the characterization of Stannis Baratheon.

In the United States, it received a viewership of 7.14 million in its initial broadcast. It won two Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Special Visual Effects, and was submitted by actress Emilia Clarke (who portrayed Daenerys Targaryen) to support her nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

This episode marks the final appearances of Joel Fry (Hizdahr Zo Loraq) and Kerry Ingram (Shireen Baratheon).