Short Summary is an original series in which I write brief reviews of movies, TV shows, video games, books, and more. Spoiler alert, just in case!

“The Spoils of War”

Wow, we’re already half way through season 7, and “The Spoils of War” certainly doesn’t cause a mid-season slump. There’s a lot to talk about, so this post is a little longer than the others!

Bronn actually gets to speak during this episode. He’s always made a point to undercut any tension with humor in his scenes, whether he’s aware of what’s really going on or not. Jaime is upset and probably conflicted now. With the knowledge that Olenna poisoned Joffrey, will his feelings toward both Tyrion and Cersei change? There’s still the matter of Tyrion killing Tywin, though, so that makes Jaime even more confused, I bet.

At Winterfell, Littlefinger continues to be vague as hell and, for some reason, gives Bran the knife that was nearly used to kill him. Bran displays his powers as the Three Eyed Raven once more by repeating the phrase “Chaos is a ladder,” which is yet another callback for this season. Littlefinger is noticeably shaken; Bran really has seen things that no other man has seen.

Once Littlefinger leaves Bran alone, poor Meera gets shoved out of the show for the foreseeable future. Her one purpose has been fulfilled, and there’s no reason to have her back that I can tell. Unfortunately, I think her time on Game of Thrones is over.

Another Stark reunion happens during this episode, and it’s between Arya and Sansa, arguably the two children that always have been and couldn’t be farther apart. Arya is a fighter, and Sansa is a lady. However, both traveled horrible roads to get there. They meet up with Bran, and he uses his powers to show that he’s seen Arya as well. He gives Arya the aforementioned knife, knowing that she’ll put it to much better use. Sansa has got to be freaked out, being the only normal sibling left.

Also, Arya spars with Brienne, which is totally awesome. You get to see two experts who practice very different styles of combat. Podrick remains a stand-up guy and tells Brienne that she kept her promise to Catelyn Stark. Brienne denies that and almost says for the hundredth time that she’s not a lady. At last, she simply thanks him. That was a short but sweet moment.

Then, at Dragonstone, Jon shows Daenerys the obsidian cave he plans to mine. It’s got ancient carvings that basically make his case for him: the White Walkers are real, and the Children of the Forest and the First Men joined together to fight their common enemy. Dany finally accepts the truth and agrees to fight with the North, yet Jon still has to bend the knee. He continues to have his reservations about that.

When they emerge from the cave, Tyrion shares the news that they won Casterly Rock and lost Highgarden simultaneously. Daenerys now questions Tyrion’s intentions and loyalty. She flat-out asks Jon for his counsel instead of any of her remaining advisers, and Jon delivers. He says that if she burns everything down, then she’ll be no better than her ancestors, echoing Tyrion’s advice.

Theon makes it back to Dragonstone and stands face-to-face with Jon, who is understandably angry. Theon may have helped Sansa escape the Boltons on the one hand, yet on the other, he betrayed Robb and drove Bran and Rickon from Winterfell. So Jon puts off killing Theon for the moment. Theon wants to talk to Dany; however, he’s informed that she’s gone.

This is when “The Spoils of War” gets absolutely insane. Daenerys has taken Drogon and the Dothraki hoarde to meet Jaime and his forces in the field. The war cries and stampeding horses were one thing. But, people, I had goosebumps all over and tears in my eyes when Drogon flew into frame. It. Was. Epic. This was a big win and one that Dany desperately needed. The dragons can absolutely devastate any opposing force.

Jaime even takes a shot at killing Dany and nearly gets burnt to a crisp. However, Bronn gets Jaime out of the way in the nick of time, sending him into a nearby lake… with armor on. The episode ends ambiguously with Jaime fading into the dark water. I firmly believe that Jaime won’t die, not from this. It would be extremely disappointing if he did and handled quite poorly. His fate will be decided next week!