'Games of Thrones' cemented its status as one of the most popular shows on U.S. television on Sunday night (May 27, 2012), delivering an explosive episode which featured 'The Battle of Blackwater'. Fans of George R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' saga - on which the show is based - have been waiting for the epic dual for some time, and it didn't disappoint.

Lord Stannis, played by Stephen Dillane, sends his ships into battle, and his troops outnumber the royal fleet ten to one. However, the Lannister's have a trick up their sleeve, thanks to the savvy thinking of Lord Tyrion Lannister, played by Peter Dinklage. In one of the highlight exchanges from the episode, Tyrion tells Lord Varys, "I'm the captain of the ship, and if the ship goes down, I go with her", to which Varys replies, "That is good to hear, though I'm sure many captains say the same while their ship is afloat". The episode won unanimous praise on Twitter, with singer-songwriter Josh Groban saying, "The battle of blackwater is one of the single greatest things I've ever seen on TV. Bravo". Another user said, "The Battle of Blackwater was done quite brilliantly in the latest episode of gameofthrones".

The fantasy series was picked up for a third season in April 2012, just nine days after its second season premiered to positive reviews.