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Hardhome

episode of Game of Thrones (S5 E8)

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJun 24, 2026
Entity authorityQ20019915
Source-derived summary

"Hardhome" is the eighth episode of the fifth season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 48th overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. It first aired on May 31, 2015.

The episode's main plot focuses on the battle against the Army of the Dead at Hardhome, in which Jon Snow leads a rare cooperative effort between the Night's Watch and the Free Folk against the undead soldiers led by the Night King. The battle is mentioned, but not seen, in Martin's novel from which the fifth season is adapted, A Dance with Dragons. Other plotlines in the episode include Tyrion Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen meeting in Meereen, Cersei Lannister suffering from thirst in her cell, and Theon Greyjoy revealing to Sansa Stark that her brothers Bran and Rickon are alive.

The episode received acclaim from critics and fans, with many hailing it as one of the series' best episodes, praising the Hardhome attack sequence, action, visuals, performances, final scene, and the first interactions between Tyrion and Daenerys. It achieved a viewership of 7.01 million during its initial airing in the United States. At the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, "Hardhome" was nominated for six awards, and was Peter Dinklage's pick to support his nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, which he won.

Plot

In Braavos

Arya takes the identity of Lanna, an oyster seller, and is sent by Jaqen to assassinate the "Thin Man," a dishonest insurance salesman.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Hardhome” as episode of Game of Thrones (S5 E8). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Hardhome, episode and Game.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—2015—that can be checked directly. The authority record carries competing date values—2015-05-31, 2016-02-14—which should remain separate until their references and qualifiers are resolved. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Hardhome, episode and Game providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q20019915. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2015.

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Hardhome” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.