Revelations, reunions, and Drogon – oh my! Game of Thrones’ fourth episode, “The Spoils of War,” was the season’s shortest, but they certainly didn’t skimp on the action. We saw the return of the catspaw dagger from season one, more proof of the White Walker threat, another Stark coming home, and a stunning display of dragon power that should shake Cersei and her allies to their cores. We have several behind the scenes interviews and videos to discuss, so let’s take a look!
Entertainment Weekly brings us the reactions of real life BFFs Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams on their characters – Sansa and Arya Stark – reuniting at last. “Our first scene together was our reunion scene and we f—ed up so many times,” Turner recalls. “We couldn’t keep a straight face! Our relationship is so close, but it’s only that fun side, never the business side…It’s like performing for your mom. When somebody is watching you don’t do it quite as well.”
Williams agrees. “It was the weirdest thing when we shot our first scene together. We were both embarrassed to do our thing in front of each other,” she says. “Later it was fine on set and we could concentrate, but it was so hard to get into character with Sophie in front of me.”
Williams was also apprehensive about the reception their scenes would receive. “I don’t do scenes with women much on this show and I thought it would be like back in season 1 where people constantly compared us,” she confesses. “We’re two completely different girls playing two completely different characters and I thought, ‘Well, it’s going to be that all over again, with people comparing us as characters and as actors.’ So, in the beginning, I was nervous. But then my brain took over and I realized this is actually going to be really good fun.”
For more on how they felt about working together again, head over to EW.
Last night brought us another reunion as well – that of Arya and Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie). In an interview with Newsweek, Christie gives insight into Brienne’s feelings about the Stark girls and her oath to their mother. “Brienne’s mother died when she was young, so she’s never had this mother figure in her life. So she meets this incredible woman and develops a deep love and respect for her,” Christie admits. “She wants to honor Catelyn and the oath that she’s made. Brienne is an intensely loyal and consistent person.”
What does she think about that sparring match with Arya? Christie believes it lead to a “a deep respect and pure love” between the characters. “It took months of training. We did all of it [ourselves] and filmed it over two days,” she says. “The pair of them are matched in skill, and it reaches a climax whereby it’s a total stalemate. We don’t want to kill each other. It’s a total display of those two characters’ skills. It’s quite spectacular—you see the meeting of two warriors.”
Now that both Stark girls have returned home to Winterfell, where does leave Brienne? “She’s spent so many years thinking about Sansa and Arya, and where they might be, and how she can help them, how she can return them home. The deep guilt and pain and regret she feels for somehow not being able to protect both of them from the horrors of the world that they’ve seen,” Christie explains. “You also see Brienne start to entertain something she hasn’t thought about before, which is have these two girls turned out the best way, and what can be done to help them?”
Check out the entire interview at Newsweek.
In another Entertainment Weekly interview, Nikolaj Coster Waldau shares his thoughts on that fiery battle scene and Jaime’s fate. He believes Jaime and his men are the “bad guys,” but that doesn’t make the battle any less horrifying. “Even though Daenerys is the hero and the Lannisters are the villains, being burned alive is not great,” he admits. “It’s a terrifying thing when this monster flamethrower comes along and incinerates thousands and thousands of men who are just doing their job.”
Coster Waldau also gives his opinion of Jaime’s heroic(?) charge toward Daenerys and Drogon. “Jaime is such an idiot that he thinks for a second, ‘If I can do this, I can win the whole thing in a Hail Mary,’” he explains. Jaime’s situation looks dire at the end of the episode, and the script direction isn’t very comforting. The actors were told, “One of our main characters is about to die.” Coster Waldau remains tight-lipped about Jaime’s future, so we’ll have to wait until next week to find out if he survives.
Read the rest at EW.
In our final EW piece, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and director Matt Shakman provide their perspectives on the filming such an epic – and dangerous – scene.
“It was an extraordinary directing from Matt Shakman, who came in with a lot of pressure on his shoulders,” Benioff says. “He’s never done a major battle like this. And it worked because of the massive planning he put into it and the crew really coming together. It’s very difficult to shoot a three-dimensional battle in terms of like the ground forces, the sky element … it was a lot to pull off.” Weiss adds, “It’s the first major battle we’ve ever done that has a cavalry and creature effects — and it happens to include lots of things catching on fire. We’ve never really blown s—t up like we’ve done in this episode.”
Shakman describes his vision for the battle. “I wanted to tell the story of what it would be like to be on the ground in the middle of a dragon attack, to see what it’s like; to be in a napalm attack, to see the birth of a new weapon,” he explains. “And all of a sudden the Lannister army…they encounter something they cannot handle and realize that war has changed forever. Jaime, especially, is a great soldier and realizes this is going to be a new era.”
That leads to Jaime making a split-second decision that may not survive. “There’s a point where we think someone is going to die — either Jaime or Dany,” Shakman says. “And when he charges it’s meant to be the most beautiful death you’ve ever seen. He’s charging through the ash and, in a way, tilting at windmills like Don Quixote. Then he’s obviously saved at the last second — from the dragon fire at least.” It seems everyone wants to keep us guessing until the next episode.
Go to EW for more.
Earlier this year, we reported on New York Mets’ pitcher Noah Syndergaard’s involvement in season 7; he was slated to have a small cameo as a “Lannister general.” If you watch last night’s episode closely, you see Syndergaard using his throwing skills to take out a Dothraki…before unfortunately being roasted to death by Drogon. He took to Twitter after the episode to defend Team Lannister.
Take that you mean Dothraki #shottotheheart #andyouretoblamehttps://t.co/3ZERpVDwvm
— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) August 7, 2017
To my sides defense….they had a FRICKEN DRAGON!!! 🔥🔥🔥
At least I didn’t throw behind him.— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) August 7, 2017
In this week’s “Inside the Episode,” David Benioff and D.B. Weiss discuss Arya’s homecoming, the meaning behind those cave drawings, Daenerys’ predicament, and that big battle.
We go deeper inside the Stark reunion with commentary from Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, and Isaac Hempstead Wright.
Finally, the cast and crew gives a detailed breakdown of “The Loot Train Attack.”
Noah did what he could, but Drogon is the ultimate closer.
Interesting comment by Gwen. Does she mean to stay as a mother figure or a guardian a’la The Hound? Likely both, but that’s such an awesome thought.
Maybe Thormund would find Winterfell to his liking. LOL
“Loot Train Battle” doesn’t have the same ring as Field of Fire, lol
HelloThere,
I agree! I think it’s odd that they decided to call it that.
My guess is the “One of our main characters is about to die” line was just a way of telling the actors how to play the scenes or something. I don’t think they’d have Jaime narrowly avoid getting roasted by dragon fire only to have him drown…
Knowing how fast everyone is getting around the last 2 seasons I’m guessing when Jamie and Bronn swim up to the shore they’ll be on a beach in Essos.
Grayven Reyne,
Drogon was bringing the heat.
Also, I loved this comment on the Making of the Loot Train Attack video:
“When the Daenerys haters & Pro-Dany fans throw shit and argue to death, and you’re just a Jon Snow fan in the middle of it all just sitting there eating popcorn and sipping tea like….”
XD
BigMac,
This whole “choosing team” shit makes the show so much less enjoyable…
I am not pro or anti anyone. I am invested in seeing a story of intriguing characters… I’ve never felt the need to root for anyone. It clouds your ability to appreciate the story telling, and the characters
HelloThere,
Rooting for someone in that way is childish.
The “Loot Train Attack” behind the scenes vid is stunning to watch, almost as exhilarating as the completed product. Some amazing and aggressively visionary talent, for damn sure.
If only Jaime had an archer at his disposal instead of a spear, things may have gone differently during that final bit. Dany was indeed vulnerable while she was on the ground. Would she please wear some light armor while engaging in battle! 🙂
HelloThere,
THIS!
Well said
HelloThere,
I know mau and Mihnea have already said the same, but I could not agree more. The battle in the episode was so great, because you were supporting both sides in it.
What an incredible behind the scenes look at the battle. These people amaze me.
Shakman’s a cutie, wow. 😮
Wonderful battle , this Bronn & Daenerys scene was amazing , most soldiers would turn there backs but Bronn held hes ground , please give the man hes castle .
Incredible episode..shot beautifully except for final scene..no matter your opinion on book purists or show purists that was very Hollywood ending. Best part of show is characters aren’t invincible and the adrenaline of 2 main characters against each other is washed by the superhero save at last second. Jamie my fav character but that wouldnt of been a beautiful way to go and bronn jumping out of the “way” of a direct flame ? Questionable to say the least
Tyrion to Daenerys after destroying the wagons filled with food:
“You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”
Top 3 episode for me with WotW and Hardhome. Don’t know if we’ll ever see another spectacle like that again.
mau,
I will say I wouldn’t mind seeing Littlefinger iced or fired. He’s a tiresome presence.
KGuard,
They’ve more than earned the right to go a bit hollywood, especially when it comes to spectacle.
Knight of the Walkers,
My mum was cheering and worried “Someone is going to die” and then looking at me and ” I dont want anyone to die”
Lol
Last week it was ‘Well done Lannisters!’
This week it was ‘Well-done Lannisters’.
Grammar matters.
KGuard,
It’s a fantasy series. Even George used the ‘saved at the last second from sure death’ trope countless times. Why is this show held to such standards that even other prestige shows aren’t? Breaking Bad did the same type of thing, but I never saw people complain about it. So why is it so essential that a fantasy series be held to such a “realness” standard? It’s a dramatic cliffhanger meant to tantalize the audience into anticipating the next episode. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
That behind-the-scenes featurette on the Loot Train Battle (a.k.a. the Field of Fire 2.0) was incredible – almost as awe-inspiring as the battle itself. We Game of Thrones fans are so unbelievably lucky to have such an incredibly talented, dedicated, and passionate crew working on this show that we love. Writers, directors, actors, producers, stunt teams, VFX specialists … everyone involved deserves to be commended for their hard work. It’s paying off in spectacular fashion.
I’m so just damn grateful to have some of the finest filmmaking professionals in the world working on this story and delivering it to our screens every Sunday in such a breathtaking and inspiring way. That may sound sappy, but I don’t care. It’s the truth.
Shakman didn’t disappoint. He’s right there with Sapochnik and his “Hardhome” now.
This was just so much better done than Drogon’s outing in the Daznak Pit. I wasn’t thrown out of character a single time in the whole episode. Everything just flowed together, made sense, worked.
Really very well done, show. Thank you all castmen (and castwomen), stuntmen (and stuntwomen) and crewmen (and crewwomen).
Btw, stop mentioning the F-16 D&D, you mean the A-10 Warthog.
Tbf when I saw that scene I was considering the fact that he is thinking about that blank page in the KG book in the White Tower, with none of his heroic deeds written down
Two ways of looking at it, his life is a blank page and gaining agency to write what you want on it
And secondly there’s the issue of him not being truly recognised for his heroism or respected, he sacrificed his honour to save KL and it is a Knightly ethic to sacrifice your life if it is to get Dany and ensure the Dragon Napalm horror he just saw can’t get inflicted on anyone else
This, the last 20 mins of Hardhome and the last 20 mins of this episode are the best sequence of TV I’ve ever seen
But Shaq man gave a great overhead perspective of the whole battle and what is happening tactically in terms of breaking formation and strategically in terms of Dany’s decision to toast much of the Reach’s grain supplies which I suspect she may regret later
Gave a great sense of the chaos with random burning people etc but great character development within all that from the horror of Jaimie witnessing people burned to crisp right next to him
to Bronn staggering around and with the knife trick not working etc and being outwitted on the horse you get a feel that he is getting overwhelmed and feeling over his head and ready to pack in his association with Jaimie etc
Dany also plunging from the air must have been terrifying and will probably humble her and make her more cautious about how she utilises the Dragons
After seeing this video, I can totally understand why it takes over a year to make seven episodes.
I just want to say… I have been waiting for a bajillion years for my two favorite characters to meet – but did not particularly expect them to be attempting to kill one another when they did! I have been looking forward to a Dany – Jaime conversation for decades and if I don’t get one next episode I will be most displeased. Not to mention Tyrion – Jaime (if Dany even gives them a chance to connect which I could see her being rightfully wary of).
I hope that NCW’s comments about Dany’s crew being the good guys may signal something about a future turn thataway… 🙂
Two other stray thoughts I’ve been pondering:
I still do not believe that Tyrion intentionally sabotaged Dany’s war effort, but I now firmly believe that he was being conservative and subconsciously holding out hope that somehow, there would be a miracle and, Dany’s Dragons would never have to confront the Lannisters directly. Tyrion was not stupid, but he was rationalizing his emotional urge to protect Lannister forces (and Jaime) by saying it would help Dany in the long run (when really it was just a very messy plan). Classic Heart vs Head issue.
With Jaime presumably captured by Dany’s forces, I don’t see how there can be time for Jaime to be the one to kill Cersei this season. It would require him to do an extremely rapid turn against her, escape / be released, get back to King’s landing, and kill Cersei, all in the span of 3 episodes. Therefore, if Jaime is going to be doing that, I think it means Cersei will live to see Season 8. Given that the Eastwatch battle will be happening soon, making the Northern threat more real, I suspect Dany may also choose a moment soon to turn her attention northward, again bolstering the idea that Cersei may still be on the IT at the end of the season.
The actors were told, “One of our main characters is about to die.”
Wait, what? It’s not going to be Jaime, that’s for sure, there is too much left of his story. Then, … Bronn? NOOOOOOOOOO! oh darn, this week’s wait just got worse. They wouldn’t kill Bronn, would they? Damn. With the exception of Littlefinger, there is no one else I want to see die. I’d be happy if the series ended with all of our current characters finding some way to live when all of this is done. I know that’s impossible, but not Bronn, not now.
If you haven’t watched the behind-the-scenes vid for the “Loot Train Attack” go do so immediately. Holy crap that was impressive. The amount of thought and planning and talent behind that sequence is crazy.
Totally. Remember my speculative thoughts a few weeks back that Tyrion seemed to have an ulterior motive with regards to this invasion? I like the way you put it that Tyrion may have “subconsciously” subverted the invasion strategy by avoiding “fire and blood.” A sneaky Casterly Rock infiltration (that stranded the Unsullied) and an “indigenous” approach to taking KL (using Dornish and Reach forces)…both failures because they didn’t use Dany’s air force effectively. It seems like KL will be taken the “fire and blood” way regardless.
What I liked about the episode was that Dany finally did something truly assertive in Westeros, listening to the advice of Tyrion and Jon, but then demonstrating to each her formidable capability (with only one dragon!). I thought she was reserved by not deploying R&V! A good move. Too bad Jon wasn’t there to witness it. But Tyrion was…and I believe he was tested, regardless of his past motivations. It wasn’t part of the plan….but what dreamworld is he living in? She has to continually demonstrate her force to enemies, her crew and remaining allies. Her air force matters.
I still don’t know what will become of the Dothraki after all is said and done (I suspect a dire future for them) but Dany sure garnered their respect during this battle!
If Jaime survives (as a hostage?), the convos between him and Dany/Tyrion should be excellent. Bronn and Tyrion too!
Awesome episode! The end battle sequence was perfection except for one small niggling problem for me. With the stakes that high, someone needed to die. I thought Jaime was wearing double-strength full-body Valyrian plot armor, and Bronn’s was triple-strength. It was a little unbelievable that Bronn survived.
Preach it. A major part of this fandom is so extremely into the choosing sides that it makes for very dull discussions.
Agreed 100%. I now see this as Tyrion’s great conflict in the series; watching him on that hill, overlooking the battle, I kept wondering: why did you ever go and pledge yourself to someone in Essos who wanted to destroy your family?? You should have never done that; your heart was never in it.
Now he is reaping the fruits of that betrayal against his family. I will be interested to see how his story ends – season 7 has surprised me very much about Tyrion’s arc.
Violator,
Punctuation.
To me it seemed pretty obvious that nobody would die. They wouldn’t kill Dany in the middle of the penultimate season (or ever lol) and Drogon is the plot armor dragon so… Jaime’s story is also clearly not done. No way he goes out like this.
I liked the long trekking shot of Bronn (very visceral) and seeing him lose his precious gold almost brought a tear to my eye. I was like: “When the hell did I become a Bronn fan?” lmao
Tyrion is not sabotaging Dany lol. It’s clear that he wants to help her win, but he wants to do it as peacefully as possible, so that the people in Westeros see her as being better than the Targs that came before. He also is aware that if something happens to her, then the whole conquest is over, which is different than Aegon’s conquest. When Aegon conquered the 7 kingdoms, he was not the only Targaryen who did it. He had 2 sisters who were dragonriders and could take over in case something went wrong. This also allowed them to fight multiple battles at the same time with their dragons. As Dany is the only dragonrider and has two unclaimed dragons, this is not possible.
It’s also clear that show Tyrion wants to try and save his family and he’s hoping that if Dany conquers, his siblings can be spared. He is particularly concerned about Jaime. Remember that if Jaime hadn’t saved him in season 4, Tyrion would not be alive and advising Dany.
Jared,
This, 1000%
I think we’ll only truly appreciate just how talented every department on the show is once it’s all over, and all we have to watch is regular television.
So grateful to D&D for bringing George’s vision to the screen for our pleasure 🙂
Middlerabbit,
You don’t need a full stop there. It’s not a sentence.
But those horses got absolutely roasted though…
I think that you’ve articulated Tyrion’s mindset – conscious and subconscious – perfectly here. It will be extremely interesting to watch him wrestle with that dilemma anew in the next episode, now that he’s seen his queen reduce his family’s army to ash firsthand, and witnessed his brother come within seconds of a fiery death. Perhaps he’ll be more willing to openly acknowledge those feelings that he was trying to conceal before, both from Dany and from himself.
alwayswinter,
Well said! 🙂
As I watched this episode, I remembered the statement we heard Sansa make in one of this season’s trailers, “When the cold wind blows the lone wolf dies…but the pack survives”. Applying that statement to the three current queens of Westeros, Cersei, Daenerys and Sansa, I am going to bet, Sansa will be the only one to survive.
Both Daenerys and Cersei seem obsessed with acquiring power for the sake of power through fear and intimidation. Cersei could not care less about the people of Westeros and actually seems to despise them. Daenerys has zero ties to Westeros and has said nothing about what she will do to better the lives of the people she intends to rule. Sure she said she wants peace, but that is an illusion as peace has never really lasted in the Seven Kingdoms and Daenerys’s approach to ruling seems no different than that of her ancestors’.
Both Cersei and Daenerys are on track to alienate everyone who are part of their packs. Cersei will eventually alienate Jaime and we saw Daenerys turn on Tyrion yesterday. If they both continue on their quest for power for the sake of power, they will be left isolated and alone and when the cold wind blows…
Sansa, on the other hand, is now surrounded by the remaining Stark pack. Bran and Arya have returned home. We see Sansa exercising her power as Lady Stark for the good of her people, such as worrying about grain stores so that her people can eat during the winter. Sansa is not seeking power for power’s sake and is certainly not intimidating people to support her. The people will be loyal to Sansa because she will be loyal to them, and with the combined strengths of Bran, a virtual master of human intelligence through his gift of omniscience, Arya, a master assassin, and Sansa who has learned the game of realpolitic from master manipulators like Littlefinger and Cersei, it will be the Stark pack that will survive to win the ultimate battle.
Princessmara,
Jon and Dany are the two main protagonists.
We’re meant to root for both of them though I know some people have trouble with that.
Violator,
Oh!!!!! I think you get the Stannis grammar award
BigMac,
Are you kidding? It was an epic death! He was literally weighted down by his lanister armor. It was a poetic ending to a man who could never escape his family and do what he knew was the right thing.
QueenofThrones,
Dudes, Jamie is dead! It is time for us all to accept he has joined Dave’s locker in the great deep lake that just appeared out of no where!
Thronetender,
It’s Jamie!! He dies and Cersi never finds out the truth about Joffery’s death. It’s a perfect ending for Jamie’s arch.
When watching the battle again, I must say that I wish they would have given us a Dothroki Greyworm, another fighter to follow on Dany’s team that is the face of the Dothroki the way Greyworm is the face of the Unsullied. The other side had Jamie, Bronn, Dickon and Randyll, even the shaking soldier (I feel your fear) as known people, but the Dothroki are just a horde / bodyguards – I wish a few of those Khals from last season had been decent so Dany could have recruited them as fighters with personalities. Well, we did get that one guy but Bronn up and shoots him. 🙂
I don’t know, it was fun rooting against Joffrey, Ramsey, The Freys, hell even now Cersei and Euron, I love to hate these characters, and this show is great in that it also makes it even more complicated when you start to actually like them too (a little) that you miss them when they are gone, even though you are glad that they are dead, lol
But I understand where you are coming from, I also hate it when people hate-on characters who are obviously ‘good’ characters and trying to twist everything to a negative. The characters are not perfect, all of them make mistakes or questionable decisions, but for the most part they are all coming from a ‘I want to do good’ POV. I understand having favorites, but that doesn’t mean that everyone else is bad/evil in comparison…
I don’t know, I also kinda find it funny when I read comments and the lengths people theorize or interpret a character facial expressions or action in order to prove their quite bias point is hilarious – bottom line, don’t let it bother you – read it laugh, and move on – it will help keep you sane!
Nymeria the wolf,
Yes, the magically appearing lake that Drogon is shown to fly over and land next to and is shown on screen pretty much every 10 seconds really came out of nowhere.
It’s okay, I get it. Dragons can be distracting.
Agree 100% – I couldn’t have said it better. Watching the ‘Loot Train Attack’ video really brings it home how scenes like this are created and all the planning that goes into making them. Not surprising it took them 3 weeks to film it.
Kudos to all those guys who work behind the scenes , who are perfectionists in what the do and all to bring a 15/20 minute mind blowing experience to all us viewers. I had to chuckle when Emila said, “You can imagine it being on the the back of a reptile breathing fire at your command…. That’s just huge 🙂
Wow that bts video of that battle was incredible, all that hard work the crew put in was amazing there was so much involved in creating it definitely one of my fave all time GOT moments, they deserve awards for that.
Exactly what I was thinking: https://68.media.tumblr.com/c59037cf3c343185df9723eaa4c77018/tumblr_oud3ke4EEW1ws60n5o1_1280.png
Knight of the Walkers,
Am I the only one who was not rooting for the Lannisters? LOL
Jack Bauer 24,
Really? LOL
About the rights/wrongs/morals of a Dany+Jon partnership. Targs have often intermarried throughout history and it has caused them inbreeding problems… but if you are trying to get offspring to inherit what is probably a recessive allele of ‘dragon control’, there is little option for them to do much else.
as some of the very last targs, jon and dany really need to breed in order to have any chance of passing on the trait to their kids, otherwise dragon riders will very likely die out for good.
so whilst a little weird, there is a very good reason for it in that particular case.
Punctuation. /Stannis
Lol anyway, thanks for the laugh 😀
I was just thinking.. maybe that photo shoot of the four Stark siblings was a tease and we would actually get them all together
OH MY GOD I WOULD DIE
Maybe they’re saving Field of Fire for something down the line..? Agree that Loot train battle doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, lol.
*Coffee all over desk*
Are they also mermen and in league with Varys?
One thing I haven’t seen anyone talking about…when Jaime gives Bronx his gold and Brown asks for Highgarden, Jaime tells him he doesn’t want it and says “the more you own the more it weighs you down.”
I hope this isn’t foreshadowing to the puddle/deep water horizon…
LOL no dont’ worry. Only weirdos would root for Cersei to win…
I was hoping Jaime would live (and was pretty sure he would), ad I kinda felt bat for DickOn, but other than that I was cheering and giggling with glee during the whole attack. I’m sure I’ll get lectured by someone about the evils of WMD or Dany being an “imperialist” or whatever. *smh*
Exactly. I’m rooting for this amazing TV show and all the amazing characters.
Like a huge portion of fans, I have Stark symphaties, that’s how it all started all those years ago. And Dany’s amazing first season before she got bogged down in Essos… And I came to the show in S3 (before seeing S1 or S2 or reading the books! Yes, it was a bit confusing, lol!), which is arguably Jaime’s best season, so I’m a Jaime fan. And Dany sacking Astapor! And this fierce little tomboy, and all the wonderfully devious political intrigues… Oh, I just love all the characters. I even love to loathe Littlefinger or Cersei. (OK, Ramsay I just loathed… But he was played so well by Iwan Rheon that I kind of had to admire it.)
I really dislike the mentality that if you like one character/faction, you somehow “must” “hate” another. Black and white either/or, it’s happening all the time in parts of the fandom. Starks/Lannisters, Jon/Dany, Arya/Sansa etc. As if you weren’t allowed to like both and see both sides, the good and the bad. That’s a disservice to the wonderfully complex and morally compromised, grey characters GRRM and then D&D have written.
That’s why I have problems about unconditional admiration of “badassery”, from whichever side. I really dislike characters who are all “badass” all the time, and GoT doesn’t have those, no matter what some fans like to think.
I don’t mind occassional “badassery”, especially when it comes from an unexpected source. Who can forget Sam in S4, telling Pyp to “Open the FUCKING gate!” The first (and only?) time Sam used a swearword, to get Gilly and baby safe into CB.
Characters who have many more “badass” moments, such as Arya, would be diminished if they never showed any vulnerability, or just plain normal human interaction. Think of Arya with Lady Crane or the nice Lannister soldiers. Or Arya’s delighted smile when she sparrs with Brienne and they end up evenly matched and with mutual respect and admiration.
Oh, and one more thing. The strong denial in parts of the fandom of any Dany/Jon (or Emilia/Kit) chemistry, the strong aversion and denial to any hook-up between these two characters often comes from a place of seeing one or the other as the “ultimate hero”. Rabid Jon and Dany fans have battled it out for years on the internet, it just doesn’t fit their respective headcanons that Jon and Dany could actually ally and even develop a romantic relationship. I can hear the screams of impotent rage even here in my back garden.
For me, Jon and Dany meeting, they’ve been intrigued and even a bit attracted from the start, and it’s increasing, the more they get to know each other. (Thank you, dad, Davos, for totally embarrassing your King!) In the cave (and we know about Jon and girls in caves, even if Dany doesn’t, haha!) Jon and Dany connect for the first time. Jon gently takes her arm and leads her, later she steps closer and closer to him. The air was just zinging with sexual tension… But she chooses to kill the moment with “bend the knee”. However, outside, after hearing the news from Tyrion and Varys, Dany turns to Jon for advice, as a test. So she obviously has some regard and respect for this brooding Northman.
Sorry for having written an essay. And I haven’t even got into the Stark reunions or the fire battle, lol!
A couple of important lines generally overlooked.
Jaime: After the war, there’ll be plenty of open castles. Basically the Great Families have been destroyed. If Jon and Dany get together, it’s partly because there’s no one left in the aristocracy. The whole structure will have to be rebuilt…or not. The LAnnisters are down to three members. The Starks have four I(Jon is half Stark, no matter what) and Dany thinks she’s the last of the Targs (not quite right, but at best there are two).
On top of that, Cersei and Dany have both had prophesies of no more kids. Sansa probably is not in the mood for men right now and we have never seen Arya show any romantic interest. For the men, Tyrion and Dany are friends, that’s it. Jaime is a muddled mess. Jon…well, he’s Jon.
Added to that we have Missandei declaring that Dany’s followers CHOOSE to follow her, not just because she’s the child of a king they don’t know.
So we have a crumbling aristocracy and a leader who is not into dynasties at all…not surprising since she can’t have kids.
By the end, we can assume that at least one of the women (almost certainly Cersei) will be dead, Dany or anyone else taking it over would be over Cersei’s dead body and we saw her ready to die in Blackwater.
If Cersei wins, none of the other women survive. Which would not be the bittersweet ending Martin promised.
I’m pretty sure Jaime won’t die. He’s the only one Cersei talks to and his death would really leave her bereft. My guess is that it was Randyll Tarly dead. If Dickson survives, will be bend the knee and if not will Dany kill him? He would be a cute life partner for Meera Reed.
Quick guess: Both Jaime and Bronn survive. Bronn might switch sides or at least join Tyrion.
Black Raven,
Exactly! I’m always impressed with just how committed the production is to using high-grade practical effects whenever possible. Real fire, real horses, and real stuntmen, all interacting with real sets in real locations. With so many fantastical elements in play, it would be so easy for them to outsource everything to the computers, but they incorporate as many physical elements into each shot as possible and use to CGI to enhance and complement, not to build from scratch. Even things like the dragons are grounded in real-world physics and design elements, and further enhanced by having Emilia deliver her performance while riding a giant high-tech mechanical bull rather than just flailing about in front of a green screen making intense faces. The results speak for themselves – they’re spectacular to witness.
And to be clear, I’m not someone who just reflexively dismisses CGI – it’s an incredibly useful tool, and many movies & TV shows, including this one, wield it to amazing effect. But I’m glad that Game of Thrones is committed to going above and beyond the call of duty.
talvikorppi,
Perfectly stated! 🙂
Rabelais,
I like your speculations.
One thing we ought to remember is that high lords and ladies don’t marry for love. They marry for alliance, and hope the two grow to love each other, like Ned and Cat. Of course, if a dynastic marriage starts with mutual attraction, all the better.
“his siblings”? Maybe Jamie, but not sure about Mad Cersei, who’s done nothing but “pinching his tiny cock” (can you hear Oberyn’s voice) and try to get rid of him for years now…
Jack Bauer 24,
You can’t be serious?? That would suck, since we have a loooot of unfinished business with the 13th Lord Commander, you know! …and I would strongly assume there’s yet a bit of action with something called White Walkers and wights and firebreathing dragons, dead ice giants, flaming swords, dragonglass and Valerian steel, red magic, warging, maybe a Direwolf (or two), not to mention large armies and single assasins……… I wouldn’t worry so much about lack of action and entertaiment 😉
Haha of course not…You craaaazy!! 🙂
Death by photo!!! …that would be a first! LOL
I’m so divided about a 4-way reunion… I don’t think D&D will let us have it, but at least just give us a Jon/Arya-meeting, pleeeease!!!
I think they meet next episode, this isnt a spoiler, just watch the preveiw for next week, maybe it wont be a four way reunion, but Jon is seen at the war room table at Dragon Stone talking about how Bran seen the WWs marching toward the wall. Right now Jon doesnt even know he is alive, he sure isnt talking about what Bran seen without seeing him.
Rabelais,
“we have never seen Arya show any romantic interest…”
__________
Ummm… You did watch her face when she was checking out shirtless Gendry in Harrenhall (right before Jaqen tossed The Tickler to his death)? And the way Arya told Gendry “I could be your family” when he informed her he’d be staying with the Brotherhood?
(To be fair, I read in an article
Just because a character isn’t shown pursuing a romantic coupling doesn’t mean she should be dismissed as a fully-rounded individual. (And let’s not forget where Sansa’s fawning over “My Prince, my Prince” got her.)
talvikorppi,
Just wanted to let you know I thoroughly enjoyed what you wrote. Please don’t apologize for having written an “essay”! I hope you’ll write more of them.
Rabelais,
Ten Bears summed up my thoughts on Arya and romance. It may be on the cards for her, but not yet. There are indeed hints about her and Gendry. But blimey, how could she fall in love so far? First she was too young, and by the time she was at the right age for interest in boys, she was in the HoB&W fighting for her identity and her soul. And then she was in Westeros being a very dangerous person bringing justice to those who committed heinous crimes against her family. A romance would have diverted her and us. If she ever marries, it will only be with love for someone who would grant her a good deal of autonomy.
Ironically, what almost nobody notices is that for all Sansa’s‘ association with Romance, she has never been in love. She had crushes on two inappropriate handsome males, and was crushed. She craved position and power and luxury and good looks. Only the latter criterion precluded her falling in love with Tyrion or properly appreciating Sandor. If Sandor had looked like Loras, she would have let him take her from KL. And then she attracted Creepyfinger, mainly because she was ‘key to the North’, Cat 2.0, and marrying her would complete his crusade to destroy the Starks. I’m glad neither GRRM nor D&D have dragged Arya into this morass.