[Review] Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 4 - The Spoils of War: The Most Spectacular Battle Yet!!

Game of Thrones Season 7 hit its halfway mark with its fourth episode. While previous episodes this season had some battles and action, the overall pace was still relatively slow. With "The Spoils of War," we finally got the long-awaited reunions and a battle scene that I consider the most spectacular in the series to date. It certainly lived up to expectations!

I believe this episode had two major highlights, both long-anticipated by viewers: the reunion of the Stark family and the confrontation between the dragon Drogon and the Lannister army. In the previous episode, "The Queen's Justice," Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) finally returned to Winterfell and was reunited with Sansa (Sophie Turner). Although viewers already saw Bran's change last episode, Meera (Ellie Kendrick) reaffirmed in this episode that the Bran we once knew died in the cave, becoming the Three-Eyed Raven. And in this episode, Arya (Maisie Williams) also finally returned to Winterfell, reuniting with Sansa and Bran. Since the second episode of the first season, these characters had been separated in different places, unaware of each other's safety, and later even believing each other to be dead. Thus, audiences had been eagerly anticipating their reunion for seasons.

To some extent, the writers finally satisfied viewer demand in this episode by bringing Bran, Sansa, and Arya back together. However, they deliberately avoided making the scene overly emotional or sentimental. Instead, their reunion under the weirwood tree had no background music, and combined with the desolate snowy landscape, it completely lacked the moving feeling of a long-awaited reunion. Subsequent scenes also confirmed that they are no longer the Bran, Sansa, and Arya of Season 1, making this very different from the reunion everyone had anticipated. At the same time, these scenes intentionally explored Sansa's reaction to Bran and Arya's changes; after all, she saw her siblings becoming strangers, and Littlefinger (Aiden Gillen) was constantly scheming in the background, making her feel that the situation was slipping out of her control. As the plot continues to develop, I believe the trio's relationship will bring important developments to Winterfell's future storyline.

Compared to the Winterfell storyline, Daenerys's storyline was far more impactful and showcased the writers' skill in plot arrangement. This episode first depicted Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) learning that her allies were attacked and her inclination to abandon her principles and attack Westeros, only to be dissuaded by Jon Snow (Kit Harington). Subsequently, the plot didn't immediately clarify Daenerys's plan but shifted to the Winterfell storyline. After the Winterfell segment concluded, the camera then cut to Dragonstone for Jon Snow's reunion with Theon (Alfie Allen). When Theon stated his desire to find Daenerys, Jon Snow simply said she wasn't on Dragonstone, without revealing her whereabouts. Then, the camera shifted to the Roseroad, and we began to realize a major battle was imminent. These scenes were brilliantly arranged; the writers never directly stated Daenerys's decision or used any dialogue to convey it. Instead, they skillfully used location shifts to enhance their narration and utilized visuals to tell the story.

And the subsequent grand battle was incredibly spectacular. It first built suspense through Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Bronn (Jerome Flynn) hearing sounds, then intensified the tension with soldiers preparing for battle, before panning across the vast plains: the Dothraki were coming!! Just as everyone prepared to watch a massive clash between Lannister soldiers and the Dothraki, Bronn urged Jaime to flee, while Jaime asserted his ability to win the battle. At that very moment, Daenerys arrived riding Drogon: this was no ordinary battle, but a battle between humans and a dragon, a battle long-awaited by audiences. Daenerys's single word, "Dracarys," and the deep rumble of Drogon's fire-breathing, were incredibly stylishly shot. What I appreciated most was the director's mise-en-scène in this great battle, instantly transforming the open plain into a fiery inferno, and then viewing the battle from multiple character perspectives. Among them, the most outstanding scene was likely Bronn's long take as he fled across the battlefield. This almost minute-long shot perfectly captured the chaotic and terrifying feeling of a real battlefield, very similar to the style of the Battle of the Bastards in the previous season, but with an even more impactful background this time. The overhead and wide shots of the dragon were also superbly filmed, highlighting the distinct power of a dragon versus mortals. Daenerys's theme music and "Light of the Seven" respectively underscored the terrifying might of the dragon and the tragic plight of mortals, simply elevating the entire scene!! Speaking of realism, after watching the behind-the-scenes featurette, I was even more impressed by the production of this scene and the contributions of the stunt performers!!

Game of Thrones has featured many spectacular battle scenes in the past, including the Battle of Blackwater in Season 2, the Battle of Hardhome in Season 5, and the "Battle of the Bastards" in Season 6, but the "Loot Train Attack" in this episode absolutely surpassed previous battles in its impact. I watched this battle scene several times and still find it incredibly exhilarating! I believe after this climax, the pace of the next episode should ease up a bit. As for Jaime's fate? I doubt he'll die like that, lol.