By John Keegan and Gregg Wright

Based on the previous two seasons, it was no surprise that the ninth episode of this season served as the real climax, while the final episode served as more of an epilogue and a transition into the next season. That’s the standard format for the show and it will probably remain that way for the rest of its run. I know little of how the books were written, but it stands to reason that this format was chosen simply because it closely follows the storytelling in the books. I haven’t read the books, but I think it fairly likely that the aftermaths of Ned’s death, the Battle of the Blackwater, and the Red Wedding all received an ample amount of description at the ends of each book.