Spoils of War Musings

Wow.

Game of Thrones Episode 4 is one of the best episodes I've seen. It concluded some things, set up other things, and had one of the best battle scenes ever filmed. It was so good I've watched it like three times now. It isn't getting old. One of the reasons it worked so well is because we really only had three dedicated locations. No Sam. No Band of Brothers. We just focused on Winterfell, Dragonstone, and the area between Kingslanding and the Reach. This made for more intense scenes and I think the episode needed that.

WINTERFELL

We start with Littlefinger giving Bran the dagger that was used in season one to try and kill him. Sam saw a drawing of this dagger in a book on the first episode, so it's clearly an important and historical Valyrian steel blade. LF tries to do his usual oily charm thing on Bran, but Bran not only doesn't care, he manages to creep LF out in the process. The older man leaves as Meera is walking in to tell Bran she was going home.

This scene hurt me. In the books, Bran is deeply in love with Meera but it's weird because she's quite a few years older than him. They're basically the same age on the show, so a relationship would be more plausible, especially as it's fairly clear she cares for him too. Unfortunately, being the 3 Eyed Raven has made Bran emotionless and almost inhuman now. The sweetness that was once between them is gone now and Meera knows the person Bran was is dead. She leaves in tears.

Arya comes home to Winterfell and it's amazing. Her first scene is her looking over a hill down on her home in something close to awe. When she gets there, no one recognizes her. She has to threaten guards and then sneak around to get into the crypts. Sansa joins her there and hugs her. Their conversation is awkward, but they never got along and things have been horrible for both of them over the last several years. They still love each other, that is certain. Moreover, there seems to be a respect now.

When Arya sees Bran in the Godswood, he gives her the dagger that LF gave him, knowing she'll get more use out of it. After this is one of the most heartwarming scenes in the series. The three remaining Stark children walk back into the main courtyard of the castle. Arya is pushing Bran's wheelchair, with Sansa walking beside them. There is only music for the first part of this scene, but we watch as people look at them, their faces full of emotion. Some clearly remember Ned and the other Starks. Others are happy the family has returned.

The most poignant of these is Brienne. She made an oath to Lady Stark that she would return her children safely to their home. Pod tells Brienne that she did this and she reminds him that she did next to nothing to make it actually happen, but still, here they are. Their mother would be happy.

Later Brienne agrees to train Arya and spars with her. This is such a good scene! It's beautifully done because each little sequence of it is a call back to the various people who have trained Arya along the way. Sansa and LF watch them. Sansa seems to finally understand the accomplishments of her little sister while LF seems to be thinking of ways to use that to his advantage. The scene ends with Sansa walking away and LF eyeing Arya like a new possibility.

DRAGONSTONE

Jon finds some cave art done by the Children of the Forrest and shows it to Dany. There are a lot of spirals and depictions of the White Walkers. She tells him she will defend the North but he still needs to swear to her. It's their usual impass. Some people don't buy the chemistry between them but in this scene, I certainly did.

When they leave the caves, Tyrion is there with Varys to inform them that Castlery Rock has been taken but it wasn't really a victory. Dany realizes that Tyrion's plans are backfiring and decides to take matters into her own hands. She does, however, ask Jon for his advice, clearly more as a note of a respected equal than anything else. His advice is only not to burn innocent people.

Davos seems to have realized there is a clear solution to the Dany/Jon problem. He isn't to the point of suggesting marriage yet, but he does talk to Jon about how he clearly likes her. Jon dismisses this, claiming he has no time for such things, but Davos knows it's there. They talk with Messandei about Dany and what she's really like. Messandei explains to Jon that those who follow Dany do so because they believe in her, not because of her bloodlines (which would not matter to people from the East anyway). He perhaps begins to realize she is far more like Mance in that regard than the usual queen/king.

All of this is interrupted by Theon and his ship of Iron Born arriving to ask Dany to help them save Yara. Jon is very angry with Theon and tells him that it's only because he saved Sansa that will keep Jon from killing him. Then again, Jon at this point has no idea what hell Theon has been through to get him to where he is.

That is, perhaps, the biggest problem with people reuniting after long epic journeys. Everyone has changed and while they understand why THEY personally have changed, it's harder to accept in other people. Sansa and Arya acknowledge this to each other the best, but even they have a difficult time accepting how much Bran has changed.

I think I'm going to save the battle section of this recap for tomorrow because I have tons to say about it.

FINAL MUSINGS

Okay, so Davos has a wife and as he followed Stannis, I'm assuming she lives somewhere near Dragonstone. Are we ever going to talk about that?

Speaking of Dragonstone, the location where it is filmed is stunningly beautiful.

Dany and Tyrion are starting to fight. That makes me sad, but it's understandable.

I read this theory that Varys is already betraying Dany. So far, he's done nothing to really help her. He's not getting any spy information to her, and yet Cersei's armies have consistently been very prepared for any of Dany's plans. Either the writers have forgotten how skilled this person is supposed to be or Varys is selling her out. Because in the same episode that Hot Pie knew Jon was King in the North, Varys didn't. If HOT PIE is running a better spy network than Varys, everyone is doomed.

After everything Meera Reed has gone through, I hope she not only survives the winter and the wars to come but has a happy, beautiful life.

Bran through LF's "Chaos is a Ladder" line back in his face. It scared the old scumbucket!

Battle tomorrow