Ramin Djawadi’s score reaches its zenith here. The rearranged The Rains of Castamere theme becomes the auditory signature of death, while the melancholic cello for the Starks provides a requiem for a house destroyed by its own honor.
And beyond the Wall, Jon Snow walks among wildlings, torn between his oath and his heart, while the army of the dead grows in the darkness.
Robb Stark's downfall is the season's centerpiece. You can argue that his military brilliance was nullified by his political failures—specifically his inability to keep his word to House Frey.