Day 6 : Game of Thrones - Spoils of War - Review

SPOILERS AHEAD (REALLY?)

This was the shortest episode of the whole show. But also by far the most watched, the highest rated and the most badass episode ever!

HBO did fumble the ball a bit when it comes to the episode. They were caught up in a large scale hacking incident, a big chunk of content and sensitive information was stolen from their servers. Including this episode, which was leaked into the internet a few days ahead of telecast. A lot many people did see it beforehand. But I guess due to the sheer goodwill of most of the fans still stuck around till the actual telecast, giving this episode the highest viewers of the entire series. And they were all rewarded for their wait, this was the best episode of the season so far. Maybe even better than BOB episode last season (?)

Give this guy a bunch of Castles already! 

At the very this was definitely an episode where every minute of screen time was something significant. So without much dillydallying ourselves let’s get into it.

The show starts in the Reach right where it ended last episode, Highgarden. Jaime is still pissed off with that last zinger the Queen of Thorns left this planet with. Bronn does question him about it, but Jaime doesn’t spill a word. This is something that Cersei would have to know of first. Instead Jaime hands him a big bag of gold, something that was promised. And a Lannister always pays his debts.

Then we are taken the most important Lannister in the Seven Kingdoms – Queen Cersei. She is meeting with the delegate from the Iron Bank (Mycroft Holmes, they are clearly running short of British actors). Cersei tells him about them taking over House Tyrell and that the Bank would be getting all their debt paid in full. There is a bit of high talk and kiss-assing, in the end Cersei is recommended to enlist the services of the Golden Company. They are a band of swords for hire, notoriously savage and extremely efficient. Readers of the book would recall this is where the Aegon Targaryen is. He is the only surviving son of Rhaegar Targaryen, a major character. Seems pretty fishy introducing him so late in the game. Or maybe that is just a coincidence, maybe this would be a character only living in the book and not the show.

Then we are taken to Winterfell, to Bran. Meera is leaving. Bran, being the aloof cold-hearted guy he’s got to be now, tells her goodbye and good riddance. The guy clearly is undergoing his own version of PTSD. He has seen too much, he knows too much. But there is not much he can do now without inadvertently changing the future by a lot. He is the only person we know for sure is going to survive, he could possible save and protect many others. But we don’t know what would get altered if he does. Also there is Littlefinger coming in and gifting him the Valyrian steel dagger that was used to slit his throat first season. But Bran already knows, and also throws in the ‘Chaos is a ladder’ call back to let Petyr know that he knows.

Then we get to see our favorite assassin in Westeros at the gates of her home. She meets Sansa, she meets Bran. The family is back together. I am so happy. This fills me with so much joy. The three kids where never really that close to begin with. But they have all been through a lot and that shared period of torment has brought them all together as a family. Arya likes Sansa becoming Lady Stark. Sansa likes that she has a lil sword wielding badass for sister now. And they both are equally confused as to what their brother has now turned into. Bran gives the dagger to Arya. We already know it is Valyrian steel, and about its magical powers. So we can expect a lot out of it in the hands of Arya now. Also, there is this neat little training waterdance sword fight between Brienne and Arya, at the end of which they both become instant besties. I love that!

Then we come to Dragonstone, Jon is taking the Dragon Queen into the caves below her castle where all the dragonglass is. There in the cave he shows her old cave paintings made by the Children of the Forest. They depict them and men fighting together against their common enemies, the Others. He almost convinces her to join her armies with his to defeat the common enemy in the North, she simply says she will when he bends the knee. Damn, that woman is persistent. They come out of the cave to find Tyrion and Varys giving them the bad news about their defeat in Casterly Rock. Dany is pissed off. Starts lashing out everyone. She immediately wants to take her three dragons and burn down the Red Keep. Jon has seen more battle, and loyal subjects than her. He advices restraint, using her dragons to burn down castles would only alienate her to her people. In a bit, Theon shows up in Dragonstone to get Dany’s help. But she is already gone.

Then comes the big climax of the show. The Loot Train Attack. Jaime and his troop is marching towards Kings Landing. The wagons with gold have already reached the gates, the food and other loot is proceeding rather slowly along the path. And that’s when they hear the sound. They sound of thousands of hoofs pounding ground, it sounds like approaching thunder. And there it is, a big horde of Dothraki fighters. Bronn asks Jaime to turn back and go to the castle, he is a commander not a foot soldier. Jaime says nah, I’m good, and we can take them. As if in reply comes Drogon’s screech. ‘Forget something, bruh?’ Damn the look on their sorry faces! Gold. Then there is the whole glorious battle sequence, see it to believe it. In Bronn, who probably has more guts than all of Westeros, takes up one of Qyburn’s scorpions and aims at Drogon, you know the giant fire-breathing dragon flying directly towards him. He fires a couple gets one into the dragon’s shoulder. The dragon lands with Dany, not before burning down the scorpion first, Drogon is smart. They had by then almost won the war, the Dothraki is finishing up the last few of the Lannister army. Dany now on the ground beside her dragon/child, tries to remove the spear lodged into his shoulder. Jaime sees this as an opportunity, picks up a spear and rushes at her like a jousting idiot. He is almost there, Drogon sees Jaime, breathes fire on him. Jaime is saved at the last moment, and pushed into inexplicably sudden deep water.

THE END.

(Goosebumps.)