Knee-Jerk Reactions to “The Spoils of War:” Five Best and Worst Moments
Helen Sloan – HBO
VALYRIAN STEEL FIVE: Arya and Sansa do the real hug
After the difficulties with dead-eyed Bran, it was nice to see the two sisters hug it out with some real emotional gusto, and in front of Ned Stark’s statue in the crypt, no less. It was a warm, lovely scene where family ties trumped whatever trauma the two had been through in the interim. Much of our hope for the Stark family future lies with these ladies, and we agree that their “stories aren’t over yet.”
VALYRIAN STEEL FOUR: Arya versus Brienne
What a lot of fun! Brienne wasn’t expecting the little Arya to show up packing professional swordfighting skills. Arya put Syrio’s waterdancing training to excellent use here. And when the experienced Brienne launched Arya backward with a boot to the chest, Arya saw how there was more to swordplay than just weaving steel. Their final matching move, point-to-point and eye-to-eye, was a breathless finish to a very entertaining sequence.
VALYRIAN STEEL THREE: It isn’t fun being the Three-eyed Raven, but it’s necessary
It’s hard to to accept that the boy Bran was (and the man he might have become) have been sacrificed out of necessity for the greater good. Bran’s humanity has been overwhelmed by the responsibility of being the Three-Eyed Raven. But when Bran reminds Littlefinger that “chaos is a ladder,” something Littlefinger said to Varys in private long ago, we know there is an all-seeing watchman in the tower for the good guys. And Littlefinger, stunned, now knows it, too.
VALYRIAN STEEL TWO: Dragonglass and the history of the world
It another beautiful sequence among many, Jon Snow gave Daenerys a tour of the caves under Dragonstone. When he takes her into the petroglyph chamber and shows her evidence of the old alliance the Children of the Forest and the First Men formed to fight the the White Walkers, it seemed like things were reaching a tipping point. He’ll either bend the knee or she”ll get over his refusal, but either way, they’re a team now.
Macall B. Polay – HBO
VALYRIAN STEEL ONE: The New Field of Fire
This action sequence at the end of the episode was a masterpiece. Unlike last week’s taking of Casterly Rock, this sequence pulled us in and carried us through the chaos — the fluidity of it reminded me of the powerful Battle of the Bastards sequence. It was big, epic and sweeping, but it never forgot the stories and the characters at the heart of it. Amidst the dragonfire and carnage, we never lost sight of Dany, Drogon, Jaime and Bronn, characters we care for, fighting for their lives.