The Spoils of War is one of the finest episodes in Game of Thrones and the most explosive one since Hardhome from season 5. The first three episodes of the season were something of a setup for the mini-climax that this episode provides.
This episode marks the return of Arya in Winterfell and the reunion of the Stark siblings. Moreover, it provides a great take-on on Brienne by Arya that showcases her amazing skills with the sword as well as her skills as a faceless assassin. Littlefinger's encounter with Bran is also fascinating and indicates the beginning of the end for his schemes. Littlefinger is one of the greatest players participating in the Game of Thrones and a man who is three steps ahead of everyone and anticipates everything, but he couldn't have anticipated Bran's knowledge as the Three-Eyed Raven.
Daenerys has been waiting for some time now in Dragonstone, as the Lannister army and Euron Greyjoy's fleet continue to wreak havoc on her allies and even the successful conquest of Casterly Rock by the Unsullied army, proves to be an excellent strategic move by Jaime and Cersei to mislead them. She finally decides to take matter into her own hands and announce her arrival in Westeros by attacking Jaime and his army with Drogon and the Dothraki army, thus providing us with one of the best battle scenes in the whole series and arguably the highlight of the season. The direction and cinematography of the battle is impeccable, as it is gorgeously filmed and displays an excellent color palette throughout the whole duration, it's exquisitely choreographed, the atmosphere is very intense and emotional and moreover the multiple points of view of the characters are fascinating. There is a handheld longshot featuring Bronn making his way across the battlefield which resembles the two-minute Jon Snow's 'Fog of War' sequence in Battle of the Bastards, that is just magnificent at making us feel like we are there alongside the characters of the show fighting. There is also an incredible sequence that is inspired by the opening of Saving Private Ryan and some awe-inspiring sequences in Come and See, when the real sound collapses into oblivion and we focus in the shock of the commander Jaime Lannister, as he surveys the field of carnage brought by the attack, thus providing us with an interesting parallel between Daenerys' actions & motives and the Mad King's actions & motives.
The devastation that Drogon brings on the battlefield reminds me of the helicopter and napalm attack from Apocalypse Now. Also, the POV shots of Daenerys on Drogon's back are very similar to that of the helicopters in Apocalypse Now. This creative decision by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss indicates what they are trying to say about Daenerys' invasion on Westeros. Just like the U.S. intervention against the Vietcong, Daenerys and her lieutenants justify their war against Cersei Lannister as the moral overthrow of a tyrannical regime. But what results in both cases is the indiscriminate slaughter of the people who see themselves fighting against a foreign occupation. This is no small point as George R.R. Martin was a conscientious objector to the conflict in Vietnam. He wrote TSOIAF books to critique the horrors of war among many other things. I can see Daenerys' arc going down the same chaotic, self-defeating, and destructive path as the one the United States took in Vietnam.
On a visual level, this episode is a masterpiece. The scenery is as breathtaking as it is spectacular, the sets are truly beautiful & hugely atmospheric with a meticulous eye for detail, the practical and VFX team has done an incredible job with the visual effects as everything looks incredibly realistic and finally the costumes are some of the best I've ever seen on the small screen. The writing of the episode is one of the most thematically layered, nuanced, passionate and thought-provoking of Game of Thrones and the score is as great as ever. In conclusion this episode is one of the best episodes in Game of Thrones as it has one of the finest battles of the whole series. Has incredible direction &, cinematography, marvelous writing that advances the storyline and great pacing & editing that keep the audience absorbed throughout the whole length, leaving them craving for the next episode.
This episode marks the return of Arya in Winterfell and the reunion of the Stark siblings. Moreover, it provides a great take-on on Brienne by Arya that showcases her amazing skills with the sword as well as her skills as a faceless assassin. Littlefinger's encounter with Bran is also fascinating and indicates the beginning of the end for his schemes. Littlefinger is one of the greatest players participating in the Game of Thrones and a man who is three steps ahead of everyone and anticipates everything, but he couldn't have anticipated Bran's knowledge as the Three-Eyed Raven.
Daenerys has been waiting for some time now in Dragonstone, as the Lannister army and Euron Greyjoy's fleet continue to wreak havoc on her allies and even the successful conquest of Casterly Rock by the Unsullied army, proves to be an excellent strategic move by Jaime and Cersei to mislead them. She finally decides to take matter into her own hands and announce her arrival in Westeros by attacking Jaime and his army with Drogon and the Dothraki army, thus providing us with one of the best battle scenes in the whole series and arguably the highlight of the season. The direction and cinematography of the battle is impeccable, as it is gorgeously filmed and displays an excellent color palette throughout the whole duration, it's exquisitely choreographed, the atmosphere is very intense and emotional and moreover the multiple points of view of the characters are fascinating. There is a handheld longshot featuring Bronn making his way across the battlefield which resembles the two-minute Jon Snow's 'Fog of War' sequence in Battle of the Bastards, that is just magnificent at making us feel like we are there alongside the characters of the show fighting. There is also an incredible sequence that is inspired by the opening of Saving Private Ryan and some awe-inspiring sequences in Come and See, when the real sound collapses into oblivion and we focus in the shock of the commander Jaime Lannister, as he surveys the field of carnage brought by the attack, thus providing us with an interesting parallel between Daenerys' actions & motives and the Mad King's actions & motives.
The devastation that Drogon brings on the battlefield reminds me of the helicopter and napalm attack from Apocalypse Now. Also, the POV shots of Daenerys on Drogon's back are very similar to that of the helicopters in Apocalypse Now. This creative decision by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss indicates what they are trying to say about Daenerys' invasion on Westeros. Just like the U.S. intervention against the Vietcong, Daenerys and her lieutenants justify their war against Cersei Lannister as the moral overthrow of a tyrannical regime. But what results in both cases is the indiscriminate slaughter of the people who see themselves fighting against a foreign occupation. This is no small point as George R.R. Martin was a conscientious objector to the conflict in Vietnam. He wrote TSOIAF books to critique the horrors of war among many other things. I can see Daenerys' arc going down the same chaotic, self-defeating, and destructive path as the one the United States took in Vietnam.
On a visual level, this episode is a masterpiece. The scenery is as breathtaking as it is spectacular, the sets are truly beautiful & hugely atmospheric with a meticulous eye for detail, the practical and VFX team has done an incredible job with the visual effects as everything looks incredibly realistic and finally the costumes are some of the best I've ever seen on the small screen. The writing of the episode is one of the most thematically layered, nuanced, passionate and thought-provoking of Game of Thrones and the score is as great as ever. In conclusion this episode is one of the best episodes in Game of Thrones as it has one of the finest battles of the whole series. Has incredible direction &, cinematography, marvelous writing that advances the storyline and great pacing & editing that keep the audience absorbed throughout the whole length, leaving them craving for the next episode.