Move Over, ‘The Walking Dead': ‘Game Of Thrones’ Wins At Zombies

When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. But when “Game of Thrones” plays the game of zombies, it just wins. It wins everything.

Sunday’s (May 31) episode “Hardhome” made it clear just what all those ominous threats of coming winter actually mean in Westeros: Not a few months of cold weather and snow flurries, but an invasion from the North by a hungry pack of wights (the “Game of Thrones” version of zombies) and the White Walkers who command them.

Jon Snow and the Wildling encampment were treated to a preview of the carnage to come when a horde of the undead descended upon them. And we, the audience, were treated to a zombie spectacle that’s better than any other currently on TV, including the critically-acclaimed “The Walking Dead.” How did that happen? We round up the six ways that “Game of Thrones” wins at zombie war.

1. 
   

2. The need for speed.

   
3. The wights of “Game of Thrones” have all the horrifying relentlessness of a traditional zombie, but they’re also fast, and it’s terrifying. In terms of sheer fear factor, a frantic, sprinting pack of corpses beats slow, shuffling walkers any day of the week.
4. 
   

5. Bosses with brains.

   
6. Not to mention, an army of the mindless undead becomes so much scarier when they’re being commanded by a cohort of White Walkers who clearly know how to strategize.
7. 
   

8. Minimal mess!

   
9. Killing zombies is a sloppy affair on “The Walking Dead,” as the titular walkers are basically giant meatbags filled with goo who explode at the slightest impact. But when you cleave a wight in two with your sword, they ain’t got time and/or enough fluid circulation to bleed.

10. Two words: ZOMBIE. AVALANCHE.

    

    HBO
     
11. This avalanche of zombies was the single greatest moment on an already totally insane episode. Call us back when your zombies can do this, “Walking Dead.”

12. Instant zombification!

    
     
13. Why twiddle your thumbs for 24 boring hours while the recently-deceased take their sweet time to rise again? In the world of “Game of Thrones,” a pile of dead bodies becomes an army of undead soldiers in seconds, thanks to the awesome power of the Night’s King.

14. And speaking of the Night’s King…

    
     
15. This “Come at me, bro” moment from the wights’ commander-in-chief wins everything for the best post-zombie-attack gloat in the history of television.

~mtv.com