WARNING: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season six.
"Game of Thrones" season six episode nine "The Battle of the Bastards" had arguably the most epic battle ever brought to TV. With giants, gory deaths, and all the markers of a real-life battle, fans were literally on the edge of their seats.
And now they’re comparing the episode’s battle to one of the most famous movie battles in "The Lord of the Rings" series, which set the bar for medieval warfare on film.
You could even argue that "Game of Thrones" blew "Lord of the Rings" battles out of the water — in a way, it was more visceral, more gory, and more uncomfortable than its movie predecessor.
In "The Two Towers," things aren't looking well for Aragorn, King Theoden, and his people during the Battle of Helm's Deep who were overtaken by thousands of Orcs. It wasn't until Gandalf came swooping in with a cavalry to turn the tide that Aragorn was able to chase away the Orcs.
As well, in the final movie of the trilogy, "Return of the King," Aragorn and the Grey Company, along with the Army of the Dead, are able to attack the Mordor army in a vulnerable area and allow the Men of Gondor and Rohirrim to exploit that tactical advantage. It's a swelling, emotional moment.
A similar tide turn occurred in "Game of Thrones" when Littlefinger entered the fray with his Knights of the Vale and Sansa by his side. His cavalry was able to break the phalanx around Jon’s soldiers and lend serious numbers to his side, thus turning the tide of the battle and eventually leading to Jon and Sansa’s victory over Ramsay Bolton.
And people are noticing the similarities:
—Ana (@Jet__Girl) June 20, 2016
—Kyle (@Koil1990) June 20, 2016
—Jime Sagot (@JimeSagot) June 20, 2016
—Dez Edwards (@DezEddy101) June 20, 2016
The resemblance goes beyond mere plot. "Game of Thrones" Battle of the Bastards was the most expensive episode ever, according to EW. And while many of the episodes in season six cost more than $10 million, with all of the CGI, live horses, 600 crew members, and over 500 extras, it’s no surprise this epic battle exceeded that number.
The "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was also extremely expensive to film, with an estimated budget of $281 million for the entire series, or around $94 million per film.
Unsurprisingly, it’s not cheap to have characters play-fight for weeks on end.
