(Photo Credit: HBO)
Game of Thrones
Season 7, Episode 4
By Garrett Yoshitomi
The going’s been a
little slow for Game of Thrones season
seven- surprising given the amount of hype it received, during the offseason. Sure, there have
been a handful of moments that made us place our fingers at the edge of our
chairs- Arya Stark mass murdering the Frey’s, Euron Greyjoy’s attack on the
Iron Fleet, to name a few. But, they weren’t quite the seat-gripping,
pulse-pounding action scenes we were promised. I was underwhelmed with how
truncated last week’s Casterly Rock siege felt. It was the long-awaited first
clash between Dany and Cersei’s forces, and the real fighting- not Tyrion’s
narration of how the Unsullied would fail to storm Casterly Rock- lasted for only
about a minute. Although with hindsight, it makes sense that this skirmish was
kept short, given that it was militarily speaking, the less important battle of
the episode. The more important battle- the Lannister’s assault on Highgarden-
was skipped over entirely, and while the showrunners defended this choice,
arguing that the Tyrell army was so outclassed by the Lannister’s that showing
even a second of fighting would have been a waste of time, it’s hard to see
this hand wave-y ‘yada yada-ing’ as anything other than miserly HBO tugging on
its purse strings.
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| (Photo Credit: HBO) |
And yet, if all the
budgetary restraints of the first three episodes, meant that there was enough
gold in the coffers to produce “The Spoils of War,” then I’ll be the first to
admit that it was an Iron Price well worth paying. “The Spoils of War” has a
finale for the ages- a literal fire fight, six years in the making, between Dany,
Drogon, and her Dothraki, against Jaime, Bronn, and the Lannister-Tarly army,
fresh off their victory at Highgarden. It would be easy for a high fantasy
drama like Game of Thrones to forego
plot and character development, in favor of effects heavy battle episodes like
“Hardhome” or “The Spoils of War.” Its seasons could easily be constructed
around one or two action-packed moments in the finale, while the rest of the
episodes are pumped with filler-ish side plots that tread water (I’m looking at
you The Walking Dead). But, Game of Thrones goes a different route. With
so many characters and coalescing storylines, every second of GoT screen time must be maximized to its
fullest narrative utility. Every cut, every leitmotif must achieve or convey
something beyond the mere action taking place on screen. Because of this
detailed storytelling, we’re much more invested in the fates of our favorite
characters, when the action heavy scenes do finally hit. Even supporting
characters, like Bronn, manage to capture a significant portion of our affection,
despite an inconsistent role in the central story.
(Photo Credit: HBO)
Bronn hasn’t had a
whole lot to do since his adventures in Dorne, in season five. He accompanied
Jaime during the siege of Riverrun, last season, but for the most part,
everybody’s favorite sellsword turned knight has been lying low. That all
changed this week, as Ser Bronn of the Blackwater makes his mark on season
seven with a bullet, err, ballista bolt, and manages to hold his own, while
sharing screen time with heavy hitters like a CGI dragon, a horde of Dothraki,
and even Jaime Lannister, himself. It’s strange to think that we met Bronn all the
way back in season one. There aren’t many characters who have managed to make
it this far, and the ones who have are considerably more major than Bronn. But,
here we are six years later, and Bronn is still doing work. We get a couple of
classic Bronn quips, before the fighting gets underway. And, once things start
heating up, he’s arguably the character we’re supposed to feel the most
invested, as he gets close to a majority of the screen time, including a
trademark Game of Thrones long shot.
This episode’s not
all dragon fire and charbroiled Lannister’s, though. We also get three quarters
of a full Stark family reunion, as Arya finally makes her way back to
Winterfell, her first time home since the first episode of season one. It’s
been a long road for Arya- from teaming up with the Hound, to joining a crazy
death cult- the youngest Stark daughter has experienced her fair share of
hardship throughout the series. And, while she was never murdered, like her
half-brother, Jon, or chased by the Night King’s army, like her full-brother,
Bran, Arya had to face her challenges mostly alone, something neither Jon, with
his Night’s Watch, nor Bran, with Hodor and co., ever had to experience.
Despite her untamable thirst for adventure, and newfound proficiency in “sticking
them with the pointy end,” Arya has always been the heart and soul of the Stark
children, and it shows when she’s able to elicit something resembling an
emotional response from Bran, when the two are reunited beneath the Weirwood
tree.
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| (Photo Credit: HBO) |
Bran’s lack of
emotion has been a sticking point this season, letting the wind out of the
sails, just a bit, during his long-awaited return to Winterfell. His cool
indifference towards those close to him, as well as his reluctance to divulge information
regarding his powers, make Bran difficult to like, especially at this point in
the show, when the relationships between characters, who have long been
separated, are proving to be the most impactful. It was obvious that Bran would
change, to some degree, after his training with the Three-eyed Raven, but the
change has been extreme, too extreme, even, given how little time has passed
between the end of season six and the start of season seven. Bran will be an
important, vital, character in the upcoming war against the White Walkers, but
he certainly isn’t winning himself any fan points with his emotional detachment
towards Sansa and Arya.
We’re officially past the halfway point of season seven, and things are finally,
truly starting to ramp up. “The Spoils of War” will likely go down as one of Game of Thrones’ best, and for good
reason. As compelling as Thrones’ complex
web of characters and storylines is, television is a visual medium, and action-driven
episodes, like “The Spoils of War,” are what ultimately move the needle for the
enjoyment of us watching at home. With only three weeks left to go in the
season, it’s likely that we get at least one more episode that stacks up
action-wise, to this week’s. Winter is here, after all, and the White Walkers
are slowly marching towards Eastwatch- one of the last manned castles of the
Night’s Watch, and where Jon sent Tormund and the rest of the wildlings, back
in the season premiere.
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