Exactly ten years ago, Game of Thrones aired The Winds of Winter, a season six finale that many fans still consider one of the greatest episodes of television ever made.
The episode packed more jaw-dropping moments into 69 minutes than most series manage across an entire season, and it was at the height of the show's powers, delivering an unforgettable hour that completely hijacked the internet and left millions of people staring silently at a blank TV screen during the credits.
One of the show's longest-running fan theories surrounding Jon Snow's true parentage was finally resolved, Cersei Lannister was crowned queen after she obliterated the Great Sept of Baelor with wildfire, and Tommen's devastating suicide, Arya Stark's unforgettable revenge on Walder Frey, and Daenerys Targaryen's finally setting sail for Westeros all made it a truly unforgettable episode.
As fans marked the episode's 10th anniversary on social media, many admitted that television has never quite reached the same heights since, with some declaring that it was the real definition of peak television and others writing that TV literally never reached this level of hype again.
Even viewers who remain bitterly disappointed by how Game of Thrones eventually ended admitted that this particular episode remains almost untouchable, with one fan insisting that no matter what they think of the final season, this episode remains one of the greatest hours of television ever made.
The episode currently boasts one of the highest ratings in television history on IMDb, with viewers praising everything from its nerve-shredding opening sequence to its shocking deaths and cinematic scale.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about The Winds of Winter is how relentlessly it rewarded years of patience, delivering long-awaited payoffs to long-running storylines, confirming fan theories, and bringing villains to justice in spectacular fashion.
It was the episode that made viewers cheer as Arya served Walder Frey's sons in a pie, gasp as Cersei wiped out half the cast in a single explosion, and collectively lose their minds as Daenerys' fleet finally sailed across the Narrow Sea.
Whether you loved or loathed where Game of Thrones ultimately ended up, one thing seems beyond dispute: for one unforgettable hour in June 2016, television really did feel like the most exciting place on Earth.
