Game of Thrones always has tremendous action scenes, and every new season seems to raise the bar. Which ones stood out in season 7? The Small Council is in session.
DAN: Game of Thrones ups its action game almost every year, and while I don’t think anything in season 7 quite reached the highs of the Battle of the Bastards, the Loot Train Attack was spectacular in a completely different way.
I’ve written about this a lot, but it bears repeating: the number one reason the Loot Train Attack is so effective is because it embraces multiple perspectives. In the Battle of the Bastards, there’s no question who we want to win and who we want to lose. But in the Loot Train Attack, we’re torn.* We like Daenerys, and we’ve cheered in the past when she’s ordered her enemies burned to a crisp, but it’s different when Jaime and Bronn are on the receiving end.
The show also did a good job of getting us to sympathize with the Lannister grunts, whether by highlighting their humanity during Arya’s trip south (thank you, Ed Sheeran), or by sneaking in shots of their terrified faces during the battle itself. By comparison, the Dothraki — who are fighting for the “good” team — don’t get many closeups. Morally, the whole thing is very muddied. It’s awesome.
I don’t need to tell you that the armies and the dragon effects look great. Game of Thrones’ production values are pretty unimpeachable at this point. What launches the Loot Train Attack into the stratosphere are the smaller, artsier details. It doesn’t just give us a badass shot of a dragon burning people to ash; we also get one of a rider trampling a dusty body into nothing. We don’t just see Drogon tearing through the sky like hell on wings; we also see him gliding quietly across a lake, almost serene. There’s an ebb and flow to the battle. And of course, all of it is underscored by Ramin Djawadi’s rousing score. I particularly like the brass that plays over the Dothraki charge.
You know what? Maybe it does reach the highs of the Battle of the Bastards, although they’re very different. I’m looking forward to seeing how the show tops itself in the final season.
*Yes, I’m sure there are Lannister or Targaryen partisans out there who wanted one side to demolish the other, but in general, I think a lot of viewers were torn here. I was definitely Team Tyrion, not quite sure who to root for.
RICHARD: Totally agree with Dan. The Loot Train Attack wins best action sequence hands down, for its cinematic breadth, the spectacle, the character perspectives, the special effects and on and on. I’ll bring things down a bit and offer a nod to the Brienne vs. Arya duel in “The Spoils of War.”
Compared to the Loot Train Attack, the simplicity of the Brienne/Arya scene is like a Japanese ink-wash painting of a few, elegant strokes. It’s packed with emotion and fun, with two good characters we love coming together after having taken big steps forward on their journeys — Arya is finally home at Winterfell and Brienne is now proudly in the service of Sansa Stark. We get to see Arya show her stuff against a veteran warrior who at first underestimates her skills, but then shows her a thing or two in the melee, as when Brienne brings her boot to a sword fight.
The choreography of the duel is fantastic. When it ends, both women are locked in a kill move, and disengage with a sense of respect. It’s an entertaining test of arms and a sweet, warm moment. We don’t often get that mix on this show.
SEBASTIAN: I am going go with an outlier here. The Loot Train Attack was very clearly the best of the big action scenes for me, but I think there was an action scene on a much smaller scale that was on par with it and, just maybe, even better in a sense.
The scene I am talking about featured the best acting performance of the episode, in my opinion, from one the best actors on the show. The action is convincing, I like how it is set up, how it ends, and, more importantly, how it tells a story. It performs a function, or rather two specific functions, to be precise: It is a plot twist and a magnificent piece of characterization.
If you haven’t already guessed, I am talking about Theon (probably) killing Harrag on the beach in “The Dragon and the Wolf.” It is a simple, rather small scene, but I like it a lot. It is dirty and gritty with spitting and headbutts and a (highly inefficient) kick to the crotch. You could call it an antithesis to the Sand Snake kind of fights. Harrag is the stronger guy and he does not see Theon as a threat. Theon takes a vicious beating, but he refuses to stay down. It is a metaphor for everything that has happened to him since he crossed paths with Ramsay. He refuses to stay down because he is utterly past caring for his personal well-being.
Another layer is added when Theon gets up a fifth time, having been warned two times that Harrag will kill him if he gets up again. The music is picking up as Harrag seems at a loss as to what to do, not fully prepared to kill Theon. He doesn’t strike him down, but grabs him. He wants to make sure he stays down without actually being forced to kill him and therefore kicks him where it hurts the most, but to his shock it doesn’t. And at that moment, Theon has already won. The tables have turned. One man did not know what he was getting himself into here, but it has been Harrag all along. It’s brilliant. Theon has turned his weakness (actually two weaknesses, to be precise) into a strength.
I hope Alfie Allen gets more great scenes in season 8, but I remain skeptical since he is in collision course with one of the worst-written character in Game of Thrones, period: his uncle Euron Greyjoy.
COREY: Although there are plenty of strong options, I have to go with crazy uncle Euron’s attack on his niece and nephew in “Stormborn.” We heard rumors of a massive sea battle before the season aired, and the end product did not disappoint. I also give it points for originality, as we had yet to see a proper battle at sea before it happened.
Euron’s crazy eyes always looked to be hiding murderous intentions, so it was fun to see him fully unleashed. Unlike some of the other battles on the show, this one came a bit out of nowhere. One minute Yara and Ellaria are getting better acquainted below decks, and the next Euron is smashing his way onto their ship like a pro wrestler.
Also, it’s always nice to see characters killed off. Nothing is more irksome than a grand battle that leaves only extras dead. And I don’t think anyone was mourning the deaths of the Sand Snakes. Two of the most annoying characters on the show wiped out in a few seconds? Thank you very much.
The battle’s conclusion was also iconic. It may be infuriating, but the moment where Theon abandons a stricken Yara and leaps overboard while Euron laughs maniacally is great. Alfie Allen is the show’s secret weapon, and moments like this prove it.
After a few viewings, it occurred to me that as Euron’s ship sails away, there are no shouts of victory coming from it. Euron’s ship is named the Silence because Euron removes the tongues of his crew. Little touches like that are great.
What was your favorite action scene? Choose up to two options on the poll below!