Monday, August 7, 2017

Game of Thrones S7 E4: The Spoils of War


The dragons fly and decimate the Lannister army after Daenerys gets tired of losing. In the tradition of “battles that take up the whole back half of an episode of Game of Thrones,” that was very impressive. It was surreal to see the fires devastating the soldiers and horses (although it was a risky plan to unleash the dragon when it could also have burned the Dothraki). It was funny to see the Lannisters putting up their shields, since it was about as effective against the dragon as hiding under a desk would have been against a nuke.

Bronn wins the Westeros competence award, seeing the big picture (with Jaime’s guidance) and attacking Drogon with that spear, then saving Jaime’s life after he makes a run toward Daenerys. I liked the moment of Tyrion trying to dissuade his brother from attacking the queen and her dragon.

Then a cut to credits, of course, as Jaime falls into the water. He could be dead, of course, since anyone can die, but there’s too much story potential in having him tell Cersei that Tyrion is innocent of killing Joffrey. I think he’ll live since I have long thought that Jaime will be the one to kill Cersei. The fortune teller told Cersei her brother would kill her and she assumes it’s Tyrion but what if it’s the brother she loves who kills her? It would be too poetic and ironic to ignore that Jaime would have to slay another monarch, this time the one he loves.

All three surviving Stark siblings are finally together in Winterfell for the first time since the first season. The reunion between Arya and Sansa in front of their father’s statue was moving but realistic. These sisters love each other but never really understood one another and they’ve changed so much in the last few years.

Bran has also changed for the worse, becoming an even more ungrateful little shit than he was. Meera goes to leave and gets a curt “thanks” for dragging Bran through the snow and keeping him alive. I guess becoming the Three-Eyed Raven means you no longer have to show basic compassion for people who have shown it to you. Then she calls him on the fact that a bunch of people died for him. Tell him, Meera! I hope she can now spend some time relaxing with a drink with her family or something, now that she doesn’t have to drag around Captain Ungrateful. The cave drawings in Dragonstone by the Children of the Forest are a reminder that, oh yeah, Bran not only got a few individual people killed but also got a whole race killed. This concludes our latest episode of “I hate Bran.”

I’m really amused by the Iron Bank and I’m not sure why. It’s just funny to see amid all the battles and high stakes that Cersei has to pretty much sit down in one of those cubicles they have at the bank and negotiate such bland transactions. I like how the banker said the bank will miss the Lannisters’ interest payments. I guess even in Westeros they don’t want you paying off loans early.

Meanwhile, Jon is restraining himself from killing Theon. This whole season so far could just be characters reuniting after a long period and dramatically calling each other out on their behavior, and I’m loving it.

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