‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7, Episode 4 review: ‘The Spoils of War’

When the rules of the game are win or die, you become what you couldn’t anticipate and unleash forces you can’t control.

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“Game of Thrones” has become known for its extravagant, daring battle sequences. But even by the standard of “Hardhome” or “Battle of the Bastards,” “The Spoils of War” was an outstanding piece of television, the first episode of  “Game of Thrones” in quite some time that has left me physically shaken and morally stirred. After three weeks of sometimes grindingly expository setup, “The Spoils of War” got things moving, making use of the series’ newfound penchant for quick travel to get the war between Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) truly underway. But the battle that accomplished this was also the culmination of a larger theme developed in earlier scenes: This is an episode about recognizing that someone or something is far more lethal than you think, and trying to adjust your worldview accordingly.

To start at the beginning, when the theme is presented with a bit of a twist, two of the Lannister siblings seem to be underrating the lethality of some of their compatriots…

ALL + MORE HERE: ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7, Episode 4 review: ‘The Spoils of War’ – The Washington Post