Season 7 Episode 4 "The Spoils of War" - "Book readers"

Nody

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Liam McPoyle

Considering the reactions in the other thread I was pretty non plussed with this. Good episode bordering on excellent, yes. One of / the best ever, not for me.

eeguy

Can I just say, holy sh*t that was amazing.

From the build up with the sound of the horses hooves, to the appearance of the dothraki, Drogon appearing out of the clouds and the reign of fire and death it was just amazing.

What really impressed me where the little touches. The horses charging over the roasted corpse, the dragon turning soldiers to ash, Bronn pulling the sword out of the guy pinned to the cart, the blood rider with two swords and cutting the legs off Bronns horse, it was just non stop.

Avatar MIA

eeguy wrote: »

Can I just say, holy sh*t that was amazing.

No, see post 2 above.

RobbingBandit

It was a very fast paced episode one of the top three ever for me again seeing as official air time is still several hours away no talky abouty anything for about 4 more hours. Anyone that hasn't seen it is in for a treat.

RoryMac

Who was it that dragged Jamie off the horse?

eeguy

RoryMac wrote: »

Who was it that dragged Jamie off the horse?

Bronn I though.

Liamalone

Hard to beat a good barbecue! Go Drogon!

Kunkka

That shot of Jaime when he turned and watched his soldiers turn to ash was amazing. That 10 minutes of the show was some of the best I've seen, so ****ing intense!

J. Marston

Tyrion's face when he saw the battlefield and what dragon's are actually capable of was amazing.

0byme75341jo28

Good episode but my hatred for Emilia Clarke's terrible depiction of Daenerys is really taking away from some of the scenes. God, I'd have loved for Jaime to have killed her.. obviously wasn't going to happen though for plot armour reasons.

Why was Dany asking Jon what to do after she got the bad news? That really looked like a moment where she was finally going to take charge and show a ruthless streak, and they completely ruined the scene by getting her to ask the rebellious stranger from the North who she's known for about two weeks for advice. They can have as many bloody battle scenes as they want but when that sort of nonsensical sh*te is happening in nearly every episode I have to feel a little let down..

Maybe I'm just more of a book fan :rolleyes:

eviltwin

Well I thought that episode was fantastic. I nearly lost my sh1t at the end. That last ten mins or so.....just bloody brilliant.

rawn

Unbelievable episode. I couldn't breathe during the last ten minutes.

Loved the continuous shot of Bronn fighting through the fire, it was just like Jon fighting during the Battle of the Bastards, very well done.

Amazing episode, the FX on Drogon more than make up for the shorter episodes!

Riddle101

Good episode, all the Starks are now reunited, we get to see the dragons in action, and the battle at the end was epic. Well it wasn't really a battle, more of an slaughter really.

Loved sequence with Bronn. Since he's one of the favorites, i'm sure a lot of people's hearts were racing watching him go.

J. Marston

Jaycee Proud Klutz wrote: »

Good episode but my hatred for Emilia Clarke's terrible depiction of Daenerys is really taking away from some of the scenes. God, I'd have loved for Jaime to have killed her.. obviously wasn't going to happen though for plot armour reasons.

Why was Dany asking Jon what to do after she got the bad news? That really looked like a moment where she was finally going to take charge and show a ruthless streak, and they completely ruined the scene by getting her to ask the rebellious stranger from the North who she's known for about two weeks for advice. They can have as many bloody battle scenes as they want but when that sort of nonsensical sh*te is happening in nearly every episode I have to feel a little let down..

Maybe I'm just more of a book fan :rolleyes:

Probably. If you're moaning about plot armour and stuff like that after the amazing ending to that episode maybe the show just isn't for you.

December2012

Do you think Jaime is definitely dead? I think so, but himself thinks Bronn can save him again

J. Marston

December2012 wrote: »

Do you think Jaime is definitely dead? I think so, but himself thinks Bronn can save him again

Nah. Tyrion was watching him, he'll make sure he's fished out.

tvnutz

December2012 wrote: »

Do you think Jaime is definitely dead? I think so, but himself thinks Bronn can save him again

Nah, he still has to kill Cersei

Billy86

eeguy wrote: »

Can I just say, holy sh*t that was amazing.

From the build up with the sound of the horses hooves, to the appearance of the dothraki, Drogon appearing out of the clouds and the reign of fire and death it was just amazing.

What really impressed me where the little touches. The horses charging over the roasted corpse, the dragon turning soldiers to ash, Bronn pulling the sword out of the guy pinned to the cart, the blood rider with two swords and cutting the legs off Bronns horse, it was just non stop.

And the first time in a good long while where it really, genuinely felt like any number of pivotal characters could die. Was actually sure Bronn was a goner on a few occasions because of the whole off camera issue with Lena Headey.

YouSavedMyLife

Jaycee Proud Klutz wrote: »

.

Why was Dany asking Jon what to do after she got the bad news? That really looked like a moment where she was finally going to take charge and show a ruthless streak, and they completely ruined the scene by getting her to ask the rebellious stranger from the North who she's known for about two weeks for advice. They can have as many bloody battle scenes as they want but when that sort of nonsensical sh*te is happening in nearly every episode I have to feel a little let down..

Considering we haven't got up to that point in the books i hope you eat your words when the very same scene is played out in the next book when we get it in 2023 :pac::pac::pac:

Dracarys mo'fos.

That episode was a delight from beginning to end.

I loved the Winterfell scenes. They served as the perfect reintroduction for Arya into a more familiar world for her, as well as give us a decent bit of time with Brienne and Pod. Also, it was nice to get some more insight into 'Not Bran' and his relationship with the remaining Stark children.

The guards at the Winterfell gate, they may have been a little "Oh no you're not" in their reaction to Arya showing up, but it was all believable for me given that the world thought that Arya Stark was dead. I was only afraid that Arya, while waiting on them to tell Sansa of her arrival, was going to leave. She was looking around the much-changed Winterfell courtyard, and I thought that they were swaying towards Arya realising that Winterfell is her past, and have her take off for Kings Landing where her future is.

But no, thankfully she didn't abscond in that fashion. We've had those near-misses with the Stark children almost crossing paths in previous seasons, it's far too late for any of that teasing now. After this episode, ten episodes now remain in total of Game of Thrones. There is a sense of finality on the horizon, a sense of maturing, and I got that from all of those Winterfell scenes.

Arya was always the Stark who (felt she) had to shout the loudest to get a bit more attention or to be taken seriously among her other siblings. We even saw it in Sansa's reaction down in the crypt this episode when Arya first told her about her kill list. Sansa LOLed and almost said "That's cute".

However, going by Bran's comments on Arya's list in front of Sansa, as well as Arya's schooling of Brienne with one hand in the courtyard, the seriousness and presence of Arya Stark was there for all to see and feel by the end of the Winterfell scenes. Sansa looked on as she learned a lot about her sister in that courtyard scene.

Either that, or it could have been a moment of realisation for Sansa - "My younger brother can look into the past and inhabit the body of more or less any living creature he chooses. My older brother was brought back from the dead by the will of a God and is King in the North. F*cking Arya is some kind of mysterious trained assassin and could have carved Brienne of Tarth inside-out there if she wanted to. I'm...Littlefinger's crush." :pac:

Seriously though, the Stark children (including Jonno) are a formidable, weathered, hardened group now. Potentially Westeros' own Justice League of sorts. Sansa is very much part of that, and could be the non-supernatural Batman-type character which centres the group of high-powered members. They have all of that, but Sansa has actual hard-lived experience of the Game. Which is important and something the rest don't have.

Elsewhere in Winterfell - Littlefinger is lying his scrawny ass off to Bran about the origins of that dagger and I wonder if this will be the thread which unravels Littlefinger. He seemed to be quite taken aback and let his mask slip when Bran said to him dead-eyed "Chaos is a ladder". That seemed to signal the end of Littlefinger thinking that he could pull his act with Bran.

- Meera to Bran: "You died in that cave." Yes, Bran did

As for the final battle: The utter horror from the Lannister soldiers when they realised what was closing in on them was so well done. We went from Jaime, Bronn and Dickon (ahaha! - good man Bronn) just shooting the breeze and their men doing similar in a safe environment, to Dothraki, Drogon, Dany, Dracarys and death from above in about two minutes.

If 'Hardhomme' showed us the powering potential of the the Night King and Ice, 'The Spoils of War' was its equivalent for the dragons and Fire.

The realisation as a viewer/reader that the Dothraki were charging on a Westerosi plain against a Lannister army with Dany and Drogon soaring above, that was goosebumps inducing. When I realised what was happening, I really didn't think the show had the budget mid-season to portray the devastation I imagined happening. In those following minutes, I have to say that the show lived up my imagination. It really was a field of fire.

We didn't have Miguel Sapochnik directing this episode, but it was good to see some of the techniques used in 'Battle of the Bastards' reemployed here. Most notably the tracking shot of Bronn through the battle. It was a horrific scene and you really got a sense of the terror at hand.

Drogon and the dragons being vulnerable to attack is a big thing. Up until now, they just seemed to be such an overpowering asset. Although I don't want to see any of the three dragons get killed, it is good to see that Dany has to be careful and can't just ride in, reigning down fire willy-nilly.

Jaime - He may be a "fúcking idiot", but can you blame him? He got a shot at the enemy and he had to take it. To take that shot, he dashed towards a pissed-off behemoth of a dragon. Yes, he may be an idiot, but he is a bad-ass, brave idiot. I'm surprised he was able to move so quick with those massive balls of titanium he's carrying.

Given the way the episode finished, you'd have to imagine that Jaime will be captured and become a prisoner of Dany's. Jaime faced consequences for letting Tyrion escape execution in Kings Landing before, I wonder will their roles be reversed on Dragonstone in an upcoming episode. Never mind a Tyrion and Jaime reunion, I'd be excited to see a Tyrion and Bronn reunion. Bronn travelled alongside Tyrion first, and if the price is right, he might do it again. That could lead to a lot of Kings Landing intel for Dany.

One final thought for now - Did anyone else think that Dany was getting a bit...amorous towards Jon down in the cave? I thought she was going to hit him with a marriage proposal. I wouldn't rule that out from happening, even if it is revealed that they are cousins. The show/books have spent some time normalising us to the concept of incest through Jaime/Cersei, plus the Targaryen penchant for it has been documented. Jon would be torn with the idea of course, until Sam ravenchats him from the Citadel saying "It's cool, all your clan used to do it, plough away".

Anyway, a Top 5 episode for me, looking forward to watching it again in a few days.

CMOTDibbler

Jaycee Proud Klutz wrote: »

Why was Dany asking Jon what to do after she got the bad news? That really looked like a moment where she was finally going to take charge and show a ruthless streak, and they completely ruined the scene by getting her to ask the rebellious stranger from the North who she's known for about two weeks for advice. They can have as many bloody battle scenes as they want but when that sort of nonsensical sh*te is happening in nearly every episode I have to feel a little let down..

Maybe I'm just more of a book fan :rolleyes:

That was my reaction at first. Why ask Jon? But then I realised that of all of those present, Jon has fought and won battles against tough odds. He's the only other actual leader there and his advice would be very useful. In hindsight, it was actually an intelligent choice.

That's how I took it anyway.

Nody

Was I the only one going WTF?! when the army simply stands there and gets roasted by a dragon? I can on a stretch buy that it's trained to withstand a cavalry assault (it would have been crushed by any normal knight charge but ok, I'll let that one slide) but to have it stand around while being roasted? Sorry but I have to call BS on that. The whole army should have been running after the first fire cone was thrown at them like little girls knowing they got nothing to fight against a bloody dragon which is a mythical creature that no longer is suppose to exist (and is well ingrained in their psyche as the death of all deaths from the history of being conquered by them in the first place with castles melting etc.).

CMOTDibbler

Nody wrote: »

Was I the only one going WTF?! when the army simply stands there and gets roasted by a dragon? I can on a stretch buy that it's trained to withstand a cavalry assault (it would have been crushed by any normal knight charge but ok, I'll let that one slide) but to have it stand around while being roasted? Sorry but I have to call BS on that. The whole army should have been running after the first fire cone was thrown at them like little girls knowing they got nothing to fight against a bloody dragon which is a mythical creature that no longer is suppose to exist (and is well ingrained in their psyche as the death of all deaths from the history of being conquered by them in the first place with castles melting etc.).

Is it not something similar to standing or marching under cannon fire in the Napoleonic war? Or artilllery in later conflicts?

It wasn't something that I thought unbelievable tbh. There's a horde of cavalry coming at them as well. Once they'd broken through it did become a bit of a clusterfúck though.

bnt

Jaycee Proud Klutz wrote: »

Why was Dany asking Jon what to do after she got the bad news? That really looked like a moment where she was finally going to take charge and show a ruthless streak, and they completely ruined the scene by getting her to ask the rebellious stranger from the North who she's known for about two weeks for advice. They can have as many bloody battle scenes as they want but when that sort of nonsensical sh*te is happening in nearly every episode I have to feel a little let down..

In the absence of Ser Jorah, and the way Tyrion's strategic moves have fallen flat, I have no problem understanding how Dany would ask anyone and everyone for advice at this point.

So both Tyrion and Jon independently gave Dany the same good advice: she can't go using her dragons to attack cities and civilians, which might win her the war but leave only ashes to rule afterwards. But she's finally figured out that she can legitimately use them to attack enemy soldiers in the field. Some of those Lannister troops are going to return to King's Landing or their villages, and tell of what happened out there. The dragons of legend are real after all. :eek:

I have to compliment the producers on how they handled Arya's return to Winterfell. After Sansa's shock at the changes in Bran, is she being set up for more grief? It remains to be seen. When they split up, Arya wasn't much more than an annoying little brat who got Sansa's direwolf killed.

EagererBeaver

December2012 wrote: »

Do you think Jaime is definitely dead? I think so, but himself thinks Bronn can save him again

He's very clearly not dead. If he was, they'd just have let Drogon toast him.

bnt

EagererBeaver wrote: »

He's very clearly not dead. If he was, they'd just have let Drogon toast him.

If he can get that armour unbuckled with one hand, he may have a chance, otherwise we can start making Titanic jokes. But I do hope he gets to see Cersei again some day. At this point, he hasn't had a chance to pass on Olenna Tyrrell's message. I want to see Cersei's face when he does.

RobbingBandit

Don't hurt Bronn, Don't hurt Bronn, Don't hurt Bronn. Hope they call him The Black Rose. Some serious progression made in this episode, what do the Iron Bank do now, they probably won't be getting paid and unlike in the books way back when an alliance with Dany ala with Stannis won't work as she has destroyed the slave trade back in the free cities. Intreging to hear Cersei mention the golden company recently too, could throw a spanner in the works. We need serious progression on who's gonna ride those other two dragons, a very large part of me wanted Bronn to slay Drogon just so he could be Lord Bronn the dragon slayer.

Liam McPoyle

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Don't hurt Bronn, Don't hurt Bronn, Don't hurt Bronn. Hope they call him The Black Rose. Some serious progression made in this episode, what do the Iron Bank do now, they probably won't be getting paid and unlike in the books way back when an alliance with Dany ala with Stannis won't work as she has destroyed the slave trade back in the free cities. Intreging to hear Cersei mention the golden company recently too, could throw a spanner in the works. We need serious progression on who's gonna ride those other two dragons, a very large part of me wanted Bronn to slay Drogon just so he could be Lord Bronn the dragon slayer.

Didn't Tarly tell Jamie that all the gold was safely in Kings Landing?

EagererBeaver

Tell us who the dagger belonged to Bran, you wee mystical prick.

RobbingBandit

Rod Munch wrote: »

Didn't Tarly tell Jamie that all the gold was safely in Kings Landing?

I think I'd heard that but they're still all at or near High garden so I'm not sure.

EagererBeaver

RobbingBandit wrote: »

I think I'd heard that but they're still all at or near High garden so I'm not sure.

The gold is in KL.

RobbingBandit

It was the grain supply in the wagons, wasn't it.

rawn

EagererBeaver wrote:

The gold is in KL.

Yes. And she roasted their food supply. I wonder if they'll take Highgarden

EagererBeaver

rawn wrote: »

Yes. And she roasted their food supply. I wonder if they'll take Highgarden

Highgarden means nothing strategically. The food, gold and Tyrell army is gone. At the start of the ep Jaime was telling Bronn about how he didn't want it.

I imagine they'll collect whatever food they can from the Reach and head for KL.

turnikett1

I kinda think Jaime drowning at the bottom of the lake would be a fitting end. Especially with him being the only who knows who poisoned Joffrey. Unfortunate, I really like Jaime, but apt. Doubt it though, he's got too much "Plot armour" or whatever.

rawn

turnikett1 wrote:

I kinda think Jaime drowning at the bottom of the lake would be a fitting end. Especially with him being the only who knows who poisoned Joffrey. Unfortunate, I really like Jaime, but apt. Doubt it though, he's got too much "Plot armour" or whatever.

He would be a valuable (and interesting) prisoner anyways.

Tigger

Another method of dragon killing appears to be imprisonment. After Aegon Targaryen III emerged victorious in the Dance of the Dragons, he had all the surviving beasts chained up. They apparently died in captivity. However, Daenerys’ two dragons, Rhaegal and Viserion, survived a long imprisonment in Meereen, although they did not grow as much as their brother Drogon — as Tyrion notes, confining dragons to a small space stunts their growth. It is also rumored that the dragons locked up by Aegon III were actually poisoned by the maesters, who hate all forms of magic.

Poisoned by the maesters

I think today's episode shows that three dragons is too much they could melt any city they wanted if Danny wasn't as adverse to calaroral damage as she is.
The white walkers wouldn't have an answer either so in a bit worried that Drogon is in trouble via poisoning

juneg

Tigger wrote: »

Poisoned by the maesters

I think today's episode shows that three dragons is too much they could melt any city they wanted if Danny wasn't as adverse to calaroral damage as she is.
The white walkers wouldn't have an answer either so in a bit worried that Drogon is in trouble via poisoning

If the night king gets hold of one of the dragons he'll have the answer right enough. I read a nice children's book by George RR Martin called "the Ice Dragon"...

CMOTDibbler

juneg wrote: »

If the night king gets hold of one of the dragons he'll have the answer right enough. I read a nice children's book by George RR Martin called "the Ice Dragon"...

Different type of creature though. It was actually made of ice iirc.

CMOTDibbler

rawn wrote: »

He would be a valuable (and interesting) prisoner anyways.

Prisoner exchange perhaps? Ellaria and Yara are still alive one presumes.

I imagine they will keep him prisioner ,but cersei wont trade him, and he sees her for all her lies

Turtyturd

Wouldn't surprise me to see him taken prisoner only for Tyrion to return the favour and arrange his escape.

I really like Bronn but oddly enough when it came down to him or the dragon I found myself rooting for the dragon.

The battle is the first time in a long time the South stuff has really come close to what's going on in the North for me.

Really enjoyed the Winterfell stuff although didn't think Little Finger was going to make it out of the episode. Arya and Brienne training was brilliant.

Would've loved to see Jon end Theon...such a pathetic character.

bnt

It's been so long since I'd read the first book, I'd forgotten the significance of that dagger, so I went back and looked it up. It was the dagger used in the attempt to kill Bran, but that's only where the mystery started.

The dagger is what alerted Catelyn to the danger facing Ned and her daughters at King's Landing, so she went there and met Littlefinger and Varys. Littlefinger admitted it was his, but that he'd lost it to Tyrion in a bet at the jousting ... which was not quite true. It was on the strength of that lie that Catelyn captured Tyrion (by chance) and took him to Winterfell, giving the Lannisters an excuse to go after the Starks. But it was Littlefinger who had sent the assassin to kill Bran, with his dagger. We know how he got the dagger back: Catelyn gave it to Ned, and Littlefinger took it from Ned while betraying him to the Lannisters.

So here we are, years later: Littlefinger gives the dagger to Bran, who knows that it was used in the attempt to kill him, but doesn't care about that any more. So he gives it to Arya, and I have a feeling it's going to be important at some point.

EagererBeaver

bnt wrote: »

But it was Littlefinger who had sent the assassin to kill Bran, with his dagger.

You don't know that. It's one possibility.

Tigger

bnt wrote: »

It's been so long since I'd read the first book, I'd forgotten the significance of that dagger, so I went back and looked it up. It was the dagger used in the attempt to kill Bran, but that's only where the mystery started.

The dagger is what alerted Catelyn to the danger facing Ned and her daughters at King's Landing, so she went there and met Littlefinger and Varys. Littlefinger admitted it was his, but that he'd lost it to Tyrion in a bet at the jousting ... which was not quite true. It was on the strength of that lie that Catelyn captured Tyrion (by chance) and took him to Winterfell, giving the Lannisters an excuse to go after the Starks. But it was Littlefinger who had sent the assassin to kill Bran, with his dagger. We know how he got the dagger back: Catelyn gave it to Ned, and Littlefinger took it from Ned while betraying him to the Lannisters.

So here we are, years later: Littlefinger gives the dagger to Bran, who knows that it was used in the attempt to kill him, but doesn't care about that any more. So he gives it to Arya, and I have a feeling it's going to be important at some point.

Is say Arya will kill zombies with it and probably a main character as well. The nights king would be nice .

OneOfThem Stumbled

eeguy wrote: »

What really impressed me where the little touches. The horses charging over the roasted corpse, the dragon turning soldiers to ash, Bronn pulling the sword out of the guy pinned to the cart, the blood rider with two swords and cutting the legs off Bronns horse, it was just non stop.

Good news: the same director is going to be doing another episode this season.

The name of this episode?

Oh... just "Eastwatch" :D:D

Tigger

juneg wrote: »

If the night king gets hold of one of the dragons he'll have the answer right enough. I read a nice children's book by George RR Martin called "the Ice Dragon"...

Yeah I'd say that the nk will reanimate a dragon and it will breath ice instead of fire. Otherwise it's too easy.

Danjamin1

bnt wrote: »

It's been so long since I'd read the first book, I'd forgotten the significance of that dagger, so I went back and looked it up. It was the dagger used in the attempt to kill Bran, but that's only where the mystery started.

The dagger is what alerted Catelyn to the danger facing Ned and her daughters at King's Landing, so she went there and met Littlefinger and Varys. Littlefinger admitted it was his, but that he'd lost it to Tyrion in a bet at the jousting ... which was not quite true. It was on the strength of that lie that Catelyn captured Tyrion (by chance) and took him to Winterfell, giving the Lannisters an excuse to go after the Starks. But it was Littlefinger who had sent the assassin to kill Bran, with his dagger. We know how he got the dagger back: Catelyn gave it to Ned, and Littlefinger took it from Ned while betraying him to the Lannisters.

So here we are, years later: Littlefinger gives the dagger to Bran, who knows that it was used in the attempt to kill him, but doesn't care about that any more. So he gives it to Arya, and I have a feeling it's going to be important at some point.

IIRC it was Joffrey who sent the assassin, think he said as much himself? Could be wrong.

That episode made up for the weak writing. Great shot of Bronn looking desperately at his spilled sack of gold when the Dothraki was bearing down on him.

EagererBeaver

Danjamin1 wrote: »

IIRC it was Joffrey who sent the assassin, think he said as much himself? Could be wrong.

Tyrion and Jaime have a discussion where they agree they think Joffrey was responsible in a misguided attempt to impress Robert. Never confirmed though.

CMOTDibbler

Danjamin1 wrote: »

IIRC it was Joffrey who sent the assassin, think he said as much himself? Could be wrong.

That episode made up for the weak writing. Great shot of Bronn looking desperately at his spilled sack of gold when the Dothraki was bearing down on him.

I don't think so. What reason would he have? As well as the difficulty of him having that dagger. Fat chance Tyrion giving it to him.

And way too subtle for "I am the king" Joffrey.

The only ones with a real motive to kill Bran at the time would have been Jaime and Cersei. An assassin is not Jaime's style, but Cersei wouldn't blink. However if someone had an inkling that they had a motive...

Edit: As per above, how would that impress Robert? And wouldn't he have to tell him?