Game Of Thrones Season 7 Implications: What "The Spoils Of War" Really Means

While you pick your jaws up off the floor, it's important to realise that "The Spoils Of War" might be the most important episode in Game Of Thrones' history. Well, at least in terms of the great war between the Lannisters and the Targaryens. For all intents and purposes, the war is now over (barring something extraordinary happening), and we can finally start thinking about the issue of Winter coming, rather than the piffling matter of a throne.

The fourth episode was the perfect example of escalation, setting the pieces in place for the first two thirds - as well as seeding important direction for the rest of the season and throwing in a little levity here and there - before one of the most stunning battle sequences ever seen on the small screen. It made the Battle Of The Bastards look like a tickle fight in a pillow factory.

This was the first real chance to see Dany's dragons in full terrifying flow (well, one of them), and there was very much a strong anti-war, anti-violence vibe in there, even with lots of memorably gory shots. There was absolutely no glory in the action, nor any fetishism of the deaths - it was gut-punching, blood-draining and difficult to watch - and the cinematography (particularly when the cameras followed Bronn frantically) was just astonishing.

If you're wondering where the budget went for the season to run to ten episodes, this was a great answer. And since this is only the fourth episode, the idea of even bigger set-pieces coming is almost too much to take.

But the key question right now is simple: what does it all mean?

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14. Could The Golden Company Appear?

As Cersei and Tycho Nestrois talked about the plundered Tyrell gold, their conversation turned to the Golden Company, the large sellsword army founded by the Great Bastard, Aegor Rivers. Cersei mentions them as the support to her forces that could re-establish control of her kingdom, which suggests her plan was to take the fight to Dany (had it not all gone to hell).

Interestingly, Cersei also mentioned to Tycho that she wants things returned that belong to her. Does she mean the North? Tyrion? Gendry? It's a particularly interesting point because it's just so vague.

With the gold back in King's Landing, and no doubt handed over to the Iron Bank, there's a very real chance we will see the Golden Company (there has to be or Cersei has no hope of winning). Ultimately they might not matter, since Cersei has lost her means to actually feed her army (she had planned to use the Tyrell grain stocks, but they've been destroyed), with Dany basically achieving the same as Tyrion's suggested blockade her own way.

Still, it's hugely exciting to hear they might appear. And who is to say they won't be recruited for the final battle with the White Walkers in season 8? They might be motivated by gold, but if there's nobody left to pay them, it's pretty counter-productive to simply sit and watch from a distance.