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Winter has arrived in Westeros, and it’s worse than anyone could imagine.

Released this past summer, the penultimate season of Game of Thrones aired with only seven episodes opposed to the usual ten per season. However, the lack of ten episodes did not damage the season in the slightest. If anything, it heightened the stakes and delivered a sharp, clean flow to audiences that will surely keep the anticipation very much alive until the final season due at the latest in 2019.

The high fantasy series has easily become one of the best television programs since its debut in 2011 and has captured the attention of many with its brutal action sequences, charming characters and seductive drama.

The seventh season has perhaps been one of the best. With exciting and nail-biting plots happening back to back until the final episode, bingeing it cannot be helped. The game for the Iron Throne is drawing to a close, and everyone is eager to know who shall claim it after all the tragedy and bloodshed of previous seasons.

But alas, there is no crowning in this season.

There is a different war to fight before the final struggle for the wretched throne. That war is one with the White Walkers, the undead who have been an approaching threat for a long time.

Characters who, until now, have never before interacted, band together to seek a strategy ensuring the defeat of the undead. It’s safe to say that one of these interactions include Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, two huge characters and influences in the series.

Another interaction is the long-awaited reunion between the surviving Stark children, separated for nearly six seasons while they each faced difficult journeys.

Where there are light-hearted moments, there are always the darkest of scenes. Of course, when it comes to Game of Thrones, there’s always betrayal and heart-breakingly brutal deaths. One death, in particular, was tremendously sorrowful, especially when watching the reaction of the character who loved them the most. What was the worse, was the aftermath of the death that is guaranteed to have viewers biting their nails and yelling in distress at the heavens. The aftermath calls for tremendous trouble for surviving characters, and unfortunately, leads to the horrifying events of the season finale.

In terms of entertainment, it was genius. The more distress and emotion the show rises from the audience, the better.

The seventh season of Game of Thrones was an extraordinary example of high-quality entertainment. It brought its usual kick and themes along with nonstop plots and dramas ensuring the forgiveness of its viewers for the shorter season. The lack of episodes meant nothing as the seven episodes were all well worth the wait. For those who have not yet watched Game of Thrones, it is highly recommended to aboard the fanbase and to binge all seven seasons to join in the anticipation of the eighth and final season that will finally reveal who earns the Iron Throne.