War is about to erupt between the Boltons and the Forresters. Gared is still hunting for the North Grove. Mira is stuck as a pawn in a political game, and one more member of the Forrester family is dead. After more than half a year, we've reached the final episode of the first season of Telltale's Game of Thrones titled The Ice Dragon.

Things start off with Gared finally close to the North Grove, a blessing since Cotter is suffering from his injuries. After a tussle with a polar bear, they arrive to find the place inhabited by people who seem rather emotionless, except for a brother and sister duo. The brother is a seer who seems to have control over the bear while the sister has similar control over the people. It is here that Gared discovers a small population of ironwood in the grove. You discover the siblings' secret and make a big decision about the fate of Cotter and what happens when the inhabitants of the grove learn of the lord's death.

Gared's sections in this episode are evenly filled with dialogue and action; both are important since you're finally seeing some progress now that the grove has been found. This is especially true of the ending sequence, which presents a few avenues where the story can continue from this point now that you can learn what each of the siblings thinks and what their respective powers are. As I've said before, Gared's sections have been rather hit-and-miss, and this one is rather intriguing. It's lengthy enough that you'll feel this was his episode more than anyone else's. He's also the only one to have a decent ending, which isn't the case with everyone else.

Back in King's Landing, the game catches up with Mira as things begin to crumble around her. Her position with Lady Margery is in jeopardy, as a decision has to be made about which handmaiden should be let go. On top of that, she's finally seen as a suspect in the murder of one of the guards. She turns to an ally for help, only to find herself set up and waiting for a verdict to come in.

For all of the political intrigue and cunning in Mira's previous episodes, this one felt like the resolution had gone wrong. Though you can choose yourself over friends to maintain your standing, no amount of weaseling can help you avoid capture. What hurts more is that the final decision you make in the game only lets you choose between a bad situation and an even worse one. Thankfully, her section is short this time around, so there isn't much time spent agonizing over her eventual no-win situation.

Depending on who you let live at the end of the last episode, the final character you get to control here is either Rodrik or Asher. That choice also determines if the pit fighters will happy or disgusted with your leadership. Nevertheless, war is finally upon the house, with the Bolton army marching toward the keep. With the numbers low, the decision is made to rescue the youngest Forrester child from the Bolton camp.

Of all of the sections in this episode, this has to be both the most satisfying and gut-wrenching. Like Gared's episode, there's a great deal of action and discussion, so every action produces excitement. Just like the previous episode, however, there is one instantly recognizable part where you know you're facing a decision that'll completely change the path of the game. You're instantly told the outcome if you choose to go after one person, but the outcome of the other decision is just as bad, although it's a slower burn. No matter the case, you'll take some satisfaction in finally being able to fight against one of your major antagonists in a very satisfying, gory conclusion.

Without giving away too much, the ending of the season is going to tear up players. Some will be taken aback by how things go despite the argument that the events leading up to the episode were clearly telegraphed. Others will argue that the nature of the books and HBO show should numb you to what happens here and that the suffering makes the tale intriguing. The lack of finality to the various story threads means that there is a way for the Forrester house tale to continue, but with everything that has happened up to this point, it may be best if the focus were placed elsewhere if another season arises.

One of the nicer touches at the end of this season is the major players of the series speaking about the characters of the house and the major decisions they made to get to this point. There's some nice character perspective on these events and lots of great hints about the major decision points in the story. There's also the usual stat summary of the choices the public has made, but this time, it covers the series as a whole instead of this particular episode. It's a nice touch that might give you some ideas to play through again with different choices in the highlighted areas.

As said in the review of the first episode of Game of Thrones, this was going to be a wild ride, and the final episode proved that. Just about every moment was tense, and there were a few moments where the overall outcome, while still damning, would've played out a bit differently before arriving at that conclusion. Fans who have a better understanding of the George R. R. Martin world will likely be able to cope with how it concluded. Everyone else will be shocked or dismayed. No matter which group you belong to, this series is worth checking out, even if the longer-than-usual wait made it painful to bear.

Score: 8.0/10