Kit Harington Had No Trouble Naming His Favorite Game Of Thrones Episode

HBO's smash hit fantasy series "Game of Thrones" has been off the air since 2019, and it's safe to assume the years since have brought a welcome bit of peace and quiet to many of the series' stars. The show's eight-season run was, after all, a bit of a whirlwind, with "Game of Thrones" rising from relative obscurity in early seasons to become a full-blown cultural phenomenon later in the game. Of course, the show also ended amid a bit of controversy as embarrassing production gaffes (via The Guardian) highlighted a final run of episodes some long-time fans of the show had already deemed unworthy of their predecessors (per NBC News).

Few stars were perhaps more relieved to see the series end than Kit Harrington, who portrayed Jon Snow in all eight seasons of "Game of Thrones." The series was, astonishingly, the actor's first professional gig (per People). While the show made a legit star of Harrington, his struggles both during the series' run, and after its end have been well-documented. Nonetheless, "Game of Thrones" remains a career highlight for the actor, who told Men's Journal in a 2018 interview, "I've felt very fortunate to even be in it ..."

During that same interview, Harrington was asked to name his favorite episode of "Game of Thrones." And no, it did not take long for the actor to pick one. 

Kit Harrington said his favorite episode of "Game of Thrones" is one that centered largely around his own character Jon Snow, with the actor telling Men's Journal, "My favorite episode would probably be 'Hardhome' in Season 5." It's probably safe to say that episode is also a favorite among many "Game of Thrones" diehards as it proved a pivotal moment in series lore. In Harrington's own words, "Hardhome" in particular stands out because it forever changed the scale of the series. 

"It felt like that was where the show ramped up a little bit and became even bigger," he said. "'Thrones' is always massive, but 'Hardhome' was just on a massive scale and at the time was one of the biggest things we had ever done." 

The actor's estimation is hardly an overstatement, as the episode is overflowing with major plot developments. Of course, the episode's biggest developments come when Snow and his band of Wildling allies make the trek to the titular settlement to recruit fighters against the coming army of White Walkers. That fight begins sooner than expected as said army promptly lays siege to the icy port. 

The ensuing battle was indeed the biggest, most thrilling set piece the series had yet seen. And as the chaos reigned, it fatefully reveals that White Walkers can indeed be killed, but that the undead army will still be considerably harder to defeat than anyone could've anticipated. Those reveals are very much of the iconic nature in the grand scheme of "Game of Thrones" mythology. And yes, they only bolster Harrington's assertions that "Hardhome"  undoubtedly ranks among the series' finest hours.