# The Gift (Game of Thrones)
**"The Gift"** is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series *Game of Thrones*, and the 47th episode of the series overall.[1](https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/The_Gift) The episode first aired on HBO on May 24, 2015.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/game_of_thrones/s05/e07)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position in series | Season 5, episode 7; the 47th episode overall[1](https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/The_Gift) |
| First airing | May 24, 2015, HBO[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/game_of_thrones/s05/e07) |
| Writer | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/game_of_thrones/s05/e07) |
| Runtime | 59 minutes[3](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/game-of-thrones/season-5/episode-7-the-gift/) |
| Critical score | 81% Tomatometer from 48 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/game_of_thrones/s05/e07) |
| Audience score | 8.8/10 on IMDb from about 47,000 ratings[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3866846/ratings/) |
## Production
Sapochnik's first assignment on the series preceded "Hardhome", the large-scale battle episode that followed "The Gift" in season five, and he later directed "Battle of the Bastards" in season six.[5](https://time.com/4796712/game-of-thrones-battle-of-the-bastards/) In a 2017 interview with *Time*, Sapochnik said that producers often assign episodes according to a director's skill set, with an element of chance involved, and that he received "Hardhome" only after another director dropped out; he added that having already made "Hardhome" helped build trust going into "Battle of the Bastards".[5](https://time.com/4796712/game-of-thrones-battle-of-the-bastards/)
The episode's principal cast includes [Peter Dinklage](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-dinklage) as [Tyrion Lannister](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyrion-lannister), Lena Headey as [Cersei Lannister](https://www.edgepedia.org/cersei-lannister), Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister, Aidan Gillen as Petyr Baelish, and Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/game_of_thrones/s05/e07) Rotten Tomatoes lists the episode as TV-MA, in the drama and fantasy genres, with Benioff, Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, Ralph Vicinanza, and George R. R. Martin among the executive producers.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/game_of_thrones/s05/e07)
## Story
HBO's synopsis summarizes the episode's parallel threads: "Jon prepares for conflict; Sansa tries to talk to Theon; Brienne waits for a sign; Stannis remains stubborn; Jaime tries to reconnect with family."[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/game_of_thrones/s05/e07) The Guardian's recap observes that the episode took its title literally, presenting a sequence of gifts across the hour.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/may/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-five-episode-seven-the-gift)
**King's Landing.** Lancel Lannister's testimony to the Faith Militant sees Cersei thrown into the dark cells she had previously visited to gloat in Margaery, reversing her plan to use the [High Sparrow](https://www.edgepedia.org/high-sparrow) against the Tyrells.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/may/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-five-episode-seven-the-gift) Littlefinger offers [Olenna Tyrell](https://www.edgepedia.org/olenna-tyrell) what he calls a gift, which the recap reads as a reference to his former employee Olyvar, the witness against Loras and Margaery.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/may/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-five-episode-seven-the-gift) In the dungeons, Qyburn urges Cersei to confess even to false charges in order to leave, and departs with the words "The work continues", a reference to the experiment he is conducting on the Mountain.[7](https://time.com/5517025/game-of-thrones-binge-watch-recaps/)
**Winterfell.** Sansa, locked in her room since her wedding to [Ramsay Bolton](https://www.edgepedia.org/ramsay-bolton), begs [Theon Greyjoy](https://www.edgepedia.org/theon-greyjoy), kept as the servant Reek, to light a candle at the top of the broken tower to signal that she needs help.[7](https://time.com/5517025/game-of-thrones-binge-watch-recaps/) Theon tries to persuade her to obey Ramsay, saying things will only get worse, but Sansa reminds him that he is Theon Greyjoy, not Reek.[7](https://time.com/5517025/game-of-thrones-binge-watch-recaps/) Pressed on the boys he killed in season two, Theon reveals that they were two peasant boys rather than her brothers Bran and Rickon, then rushes from the room.[7](https://time.com/5517025/game-of-thrones-binge-watch-recaps/) Sansa's hopes of escape are thwarted once again.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/may/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-five-episode-seven-the-gift) At a war council, [Roose Bolton](https://www.edgepedia.org/roose-bolton) expects to wear down Stannis Baratheon's army by staying behind Winterfell's walls, while Ramsay insists that all he needs to finish Stannis is "20 good men".[7](https://time.com/5517025/game-of-thrones-binge-watch-recaps/) Stannis, for his part, rejects Melisandre's gift of victory in exchange for his daughter, at least for the time being.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/may/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-five-episode-seven-the-gift)
**Castle Black.** Sam and Gilly are threatened by two Night's Watch brothers before Jon's direwolf Ghost intervenes, and Gilly and Sam sleep together, a scene the Guardian calls one of the show's few straightforwardly tender ones.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/may/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-five-episode-seven-the-gift) Maester Aemon Targaryen, played by [Peter Vaughan](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-vaughan), dies in this episode.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/may/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-five-episode-seven-the-gift)
**Essos and Dorne.** The fighting pits of Meereen have reopened, and Daenerys attends to show her support.[8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/05/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-5-episode-7-the-gift/) [Jorah Mormont](https://www.edgepedia.org/jorah-mormont) delivers Tyrion to Daenerys there, announcing himself with the line the Guardian highlights: "I'm the gift, I'm Tyrion Lannister."[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/may/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-five-episode-seven-the-gift) In Dorne, Tyene Sand spares Bronn's life, one of the episode's smaller literal gifts.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/may/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-five-episode-seven-the-gift)
## Reception
The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus describes "The Gift" as "a jam-packed installment that delivers long-awaited plot turns in a satisfying manner, even though it continues a disturbing theme from the previous episode", referring to "[Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken](https://www.edgepedia.org/unbowed-unbent-unbroken)", which had drawn controversy for its depiction of Sansa's rape.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/game_of_thrones/s05/e07) In Rotten Tomatoes' episode-by-episode ranking of the whole series, "The Gift" placed 62nd with an 85% score in that compilation.[9](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/best-worst-game-thrones-episodes-173929607.html)
Reviewers were divided in emphasis. Den of Geek found the hour helter-skelter enough that its critic considered, two-thirds of the way through, giving an episode of *Game of Thrones* less than three stars for the first time.[10](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/game-of-thrones-the-gift-review-tyrion-daenerys-cersei-lannister/) A season-five retrospective called it "yet another conflicted mid-fifth-season episode, torn between the compelling and the gratuitous".[11](https://ourplanetburke.com/2019/04/02/game-of-thrones-season-5-review-episode-scores/) The Ringer's retrospective rankings treat the episode as the appetizer leading up to "Hardhome".[12](https://thrones.theringer.com/) Viewers rated it more warmly: its IMDb average stands at 8.8 out of 10.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3866846/ratings/)
## References
1. [The Gift, A Wiki of Ice and Fire](https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/The_Gift)
2. [Game of Thrones: Season 5, Episode 7 "The Gift", Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/game_of_thrones/s05/e07)
3. [Game of Thrones season 5, The Gift reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/game-of-thrones/season-5/episode-7-the-gift/)
4. ["Game of Thrones" The Gift (TV Episode 2015) Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3866846/ratings/)
5. [The Making of 'Battle of the Bastards,' Game of Thrones's Most Ambitious Episode, Time](https://time.com/4796712/game-of-thrones-battle-of-the-bastards/)
6. [Game of Thrones recap: season five, episode seven – The Gift, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/may/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-five-episode-seven-the-gift)
7. [Your Ultimate Guide to Binge-Watching Every Game of Thrones Episode, Time](https://time.com/5517025/game-of-thrones-binge-watch-recaps/)
8. [Game of Thrones recap, season 5, episode 7: The Gift, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/05/25/game-of-thrones-recap-season-5-episode-7-the-gift/)
9. [The Best and Worst Game of Thrones Episodes, According to Rotten Tomatoes, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/best-worst-game-thrones-episodes-173929607.html)
10. [Game of Thrones: The Gift Review, Den of Geek](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/game-of-thrones-the-gift-review-tyrion-daenerys-cersei-lannister/)
11. [Game of Thrones Season 5 Review & Episode Scores, Our Planet Burke](https://ourplanetburke.com/2019/04/02/game-of-thrones-season-5-review-episode-scores/)
12. [The Ringer's Definitive Game of Thrones Episode Rankings](https://thrones.theringer.com/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Seasons, episodes, and installments › Episodes and serial chapters › Individual episode articles › General episode articles › Fantasy and medieval drama episodes*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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