stormborn

With a title so rife with symbolism as “The Dragon and the Wolf,” the seventh season finale of “Game of Thrones” was fittingly filled with significant imagery.

Every character has reached a significant point in their arc specifically compared to where they were this time last season.

The penultimate episode of every “Game of Thrones” season has historically been action-filled and exciting as it preps for the inevitable chaos of the finale.

With several family-related developments this episode, “Eastwatch” was all about the parents and children of Westeros — their relationships, the patterns of succession and the implications of their respective identities.

Where last week’s episode was an action-packed nailbiter, “Eastwatch” counters back this week with a flurry of equally suspenseful, if slower-moving, plot reveals.

Until now, the concrete explosions of the plot we’ve been expecting for such a long time haven’t quite happened. “The Spoils of War” is one reward “Game of Thrones” viewers are receiving for their patience.

At only 50 minutes in length and subject to a massive leak that spoiled it prematurely, “The Spoils of War” faced its own set of challenges even before its airtime.

This week, we take a look at the parallels between the story arcs of several "Game of Thrones" characters, some of whom are now reunited.