If you missed the latest episode of Game of Thrones, "The Spoils of War," it's my contractual obligation to ask you what the hell you're doing with your life and to rectify this situation immediately. For those of you who have your act together and watched one of the greatest episodes in the show's history, you were finally able to witness the full strength of Drogon, one of Khaleesi's three powerful dragons.
One of the men behind the camera for the pivotal episode, director Matt Shakman, spilled the beans on the work it took to make it all happen. In an interview with Vulture, Shakman said when the dragons hit the battlefield, he wanted it to look like the introduction of an awe-inspiring weapon.
"I wanted to focus on Jaime and Bronn and what it was like to be on the ground in battle when you see warfare change forever," said Shakman, "when you see this giant weapon from sky, [like] when napalm or the atom bomb was introduced into traditional warfare, and what it was like on the ground."
Watching "The Spoils of War," it was evident that the Game of Thrones crew was not going to hold back from showcasing the brutality of a dragon strike. The stunt men involved got to experience that part up close and personal, as Shakman claims hordes of men were actually set on fire to help preserve the brutality of the scene.
"In one particular shot, we burned 20 stuntmen completely for about 15 seconds, which is the most you can do. It’s a very long 15 seconds as they hold their breath. I understand that is a record," Shakman explained. He felt these efforts were completely necessary to tell the story of the climactic battle. "I think that was essential to telling the story and the scope of what it was like to be in a dragon battle."
So if you're an aspiring stunt man who hopes to one day be part of one of the biggest set pieces in television history, you should probably be prepared to have someone light you on fire. Your cool points will go through the roof, but you have to really be about that life.
"The Spoils of War" was easily one of the most exciting and important episodes in Game of Thrones history, and it's only making us more sad that the show is nearing its end. But hey, if they pack more sequences like that fiery battle scene in, at least they're making those moments count.
