Tonight in HD: December 5

SoHo Highlight: Game of Thrones (Sky 10, 8.30, 5.1) Ned confronts Cersei about her secrets; Jon takes his Night’s Watch vows; Drogo promises to lead the Dorthraki to King’s Landing. The Atlantic said episode seven “finally kicked its ‘game of thrones’ into high gear” following what The AV Club dubbed warned was “a truly shocking death, both in how abruptly it happens and in how appropriately sad and pathetic it is … It’s nice to see Game of Thrones rise to the challenge it set itself with all the characters, all the plot machinery and all the table-setting of the last six episodes. A lot of shows start out that way and don’t know how to close — but this doesn’t seem like one of them.” Concurred Time: “Like a battering ram in a siege, Game of Thrones took a while to roll into place. But now that it’s in motion, its momentum gets more undeniable week by week. And You Win or You Die was the series’ most thrilling and thematically rich hour to date.” Or, as The Guardian put it: “Gratuitous sex, brutal slaughter and a disembowled deer brighten up an episode in which trouble looms for King Robert.” ✭✭✭✭

Shortland Street (TV2, 7.00)

Friends (TV2, 6.30, R) Phoebe tries to teach Joey to speak French for an audition; Rachel’s father has a heart attack. ✭✭✭

Shortland Street (TV2, 7.00) Wendy’s answers fail to satisfy Jasmine; Luke receives a chilling message; Bella’s relaxation turns to terror. ✭✭✭

Criminal Minds (TV One, 8.30, R) Hotchner’s showdown with the reaper comes to its shocking conclusion in the 100th episode. ✭✭

The Mentalist (TV2, 8.30) When a prison guard is stabbed to death outside of a jewellery store, Jane visits the state prison to find the killer while Rigsby questions his own father about the murder. ✭✭

Shameless (TV2, 11.00) Even though Kevin is already married, the Gallaghers help to pull off the fake wedding of the year when Veronica’s mother offers a cash gift for her wedding day. ✭✭✭✭