▁" This ▁was ▁a ▁thr illing ▁episode ▁with ▁its ▁ped al ▁to ▁the ▁floor , ▁in ▁which ▁new ▁al li ances ▁were ▁made , ▁old ▁ones ▁tested ▁and ▁long - await ed ▁reun ions ▁occurred ▁( h ur rah ▁for ▁Jon ▁and ▁A ry a ' s ▁tender ly ▁script ed ▁meeting ) ". ▁Tod d ▁Van Der W iff ▁of ▁V ox ▁pra ised ▁the ▁episode ' s ▁visual ▁quality , ▁stating , ▁" For ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁I ▁gr ouse ▁about ▁Game ▁of ▁Th ron es , ▁it ' s ▁often ▁cas ually ▁st unning ▁in ▁a ▁way ▁that ▁no ▁other ▁TV ▁show ▁comes ▁close ▁to ▁pulling ▁off ". ▁Ron ▁Hog an ▁of ▁Den ▁of ▁Ge ek ▁similarly ▁highlight ed ▁the ▁episode ' s ▁p acing , ▁while ▁also ▁pra ising ▁John ▁Brad ley ▁who ▁" run s ▁through ▁the ▁entire ▁gam ut ▁of ▁emot ions ▁in ▁a ▁very ▁short ▁time ▁on ▁screen ". ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁negative ▁reviews , ▁W illa ▁P ask in ▁of ▁S late ▁critic ized ▁the ▁show ' s ▁pace , ▁stating ▁" M oment um , ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁we ▁are ▁hurt ling ▁toward ▁some ▁conclusion ▁that ▁will ▁explain ▁it ▁all , ▁has ▁been ▁so ▁encoded ▁into ▁the ▁Game ▁of ▁Th ron es ▁experience ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁any ▁forward ▁motion , ▁the ▁show ▁is ▁... ▁kind ▁of ▁d ull ." ▁ ▁Awards ▁and ▁nomin ations ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁ ▁" W inter f ell " ▁at ▁H BO . com ▁▁▁▁▁