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I suppose it wasn’t until the Baratheons (and Lannisters) took to the throne that the most base incompetencies began, such as not attending meetings. Because none of them gave a shit. Maybe it’s because the knowledge of the song of ice and fire was passed down to all kings, but was not passed, of course, to the usurpers.
@@c.a.honeycutt5046 True, though you could also argue that’s it’s smarter to outsource the bulk of the work to the Hand since they are chosen for their ability to run the Small Council, while the king is chosen solely by birth status.
@@c.a.honeycutt5046 Well, it's not like such incompetency was unheard of among the Targaryens, either. Daeron the Young Dragon and Baelor the Blessed, just off the top of my head, were likely too concerned with warring and praying respectively to care much about day-to-day governance, and Maegor left most of the ruling to his Hand so he could focus on his pet project, the Red Keep.
Possibly the most brilliant moment in the episode for me, and the moment which convinced me that the writers not only read the source material but really *thought* about it heavily; The scene with Daemon in the brothel after Baelon and Aemma's death. In the book, we're told that Daemon and his men had a party the night his nephew died and that Daemon toasted to Baelon "the Heir for a Day" and got thrown out by Viserys as a result. Now, when I read that, I took it at face value, and I imagine Daemon with one hand around a whore, shit-faced, raising his pint and cheering the fact that his baby nephew died and he was still heir. But the show didn't go with that obvious interpretation. Instead, they show us Daemon just before he toasts to Baelon; He's at a party, yes, but he's not celebrating like the rest of his men. He's just sitting there, solemnly, drinking alone. He's not exactly heartbroken and grieving, but he's clearly not happy either. And when he steps up to raise his glass and make a toast, it doesn't seem to me from Matt Smith's acting that he's about to go "WAHEY, TO THE HEIR FOR A DAY, STILL THE PRINCE OF DRAGONSTONE BABEYY!". It seems like he's about to step up, acknowledge his nephew who was heir for a day, and basically acknowledge that some major shit has gone down over the last few days, and then let his men go back to their partying while he went back to his quiet drink. And the brilliance of the scene is that they *cut away* from that toast. We never get to see how Daemon ACTUALLY said it. What we see is Otto Hightower's retelling of it to Viserys the next morning, which heavily implies that Daemon was celebrating and partying it up - when we know for a fact that he wasn't. When Viserys later confronts Daemon about it and Daemon just replies with "Everyone mourns in their own way" I thought he was being flippant at first, but now looking back, I think he was being 100% honest. He wasn't trying to celebrate his nephew's death, he genuinely did make that toast in his honour, even if it was slightly in bad taste. And Otto Hightower took that, and spun it like a pro to turn Viserys against his brother. George RR Martin loves to do this kind of thing, playing with unreliable narrators and making it so that the black-on-white text says one thing but secretly implies something very different. And I really, really appreciate that the writers of this show didn't just take the story about Daemon toasting Baelon at face value and made it into a scene showing Daemon being a dickhead. Instead, they thought about it a little more and realized the deeper, more complex story that could be hidden under that small, seemingly innocuous snippet of story, and expanded it to its full potential. It's way too early to call this sort of thing, and I'd hate to jinx it, but I think if they keep treating the original text with this much respect and this much attention to detail and subtlety... we're in pretty damn good hands.
This actually makes sense, I wasn't completely sure if Daemon was being a dick about the situation, but I guess my disliking for his persona made me prefer to see it that way, well, whether it was how Otto explained it or not doesn't really matter, since it serves as a fuel to the brother's confrontation, but letting it ambigous was the best choice.
I agree, it's interesting though because I had the same impression of Daemon. In fact I think his motivation was to piss off his brother so much that he had no choice but to finally accept his daughter as his heir, seeing as Daemon was depicted as a caring uncle towards her and her needs. But after this comment and learning that fire & blood is in fact a story told through a 3rd party, its made things more ambiguous and I'm left wondering "is he really a great guy who's just wild, or is this just an individual perspective from someone projecting in favor of daemon?" . Not knowing of course makes things all the more intriguing.
That's the cool thing about this adaptation. The source material is written as if it's an in-universe history book, and we all know that history books written in the time of absolute kings are VERY inaccurate on what really happened. It lets the showrunners "change" things without actually changing what is in the books.
I love how they set up the contrast between Queen Aemma giving birth and the knights fighting in the tourney early in the episode. “Childbirth is our battlefield” indeed.
Aegon's sister Visenya is the impetus for the Kingsguard. She defended him from assassins and thus created the idea of having a bunch of great warriors defend the king at all times. Visenya was the elder sister and a GREAT warrior and duelist. She wielded Dark Sister first.
Aegon said he had guards to take care of him and Visenya cut his cheek before they could react and used it for her point. I want a show about them so bad.
I really like Daemon, I think people misunderstand him a lot because of all the backstabbing we saw from the OG show but I think he legitimately loves his brother and his family. He knows Otto Hightower is a snake so that's good lol.
You mean like how he said Otto is the second son with nothing to his name and is willing to do anything to grasp power? Huh I wonder who else is a second son and is just as ambitious
@@jac_o7 he’s the second son but you have to understand he’s a prince and heir for a long time so he’s important at this point but later viserys has a lot of kids and non of really live long
I think some people are missing critical information when it comes to the gold cloak round up. Daemon picked and trained commoners from the city. Men who had lived in flea bottom their entire lives. They KNEW who the criminals were.
@@TheAwesome45 his comment has nothing to do with that. People watched the scene and thought the city watch was just attacking random citizens for no reason other than striking fear in their hearts. They knew who the criminals were and went after them.
@@TheAwesome45 The punishments enacted, though gruesome, were the legal punishments for various crimes. Gelding for rapists, hand amputation for left, beheading for killers, etc. The only thing Westeros has that is close to a prison system is the Night's Watch, which is too great a distance away from King's Landing to be able to send every single criminal to.
I love how the High Valyrian sounds so much smoother and ‘native’ compared to Dany’s. She had to learn it almost completely from non-native or common speakers of it. The Targaryens speak it like it’s a noble tongue, and you can feel the history in it
When Daenerys says it's her mothertongue, she isn't being disingenious. Though their parents were not with them, Viserys was old enough to have fluency in High Valyrian at the time of their escape. Knowing what Viserys is like (highly traditional, tribal and considering Dany his sister-wife and Princess of Dragonstone as their parents intended), he would have made sure Daenerys speaks it as well. Since they grew up in Braavos, not Westeros, Daenerys would have spent her entire life outside their home speaking Low Valyrian. It's more likely the language has changed in hundreds of years than Daenerys or Viserys not speaking their mothertongue fluently.
If you not seem it, watch a film called ‘dead man shoes’- Paddy’s Magnus opus as an actor.
2 года назад+280
I remember Game Of Thrones is what introduced me to Blind Wave channel. When it was just Calvin and Eric reacting, and seeing Calvin no longer a sweet summer child. And years later here we are again with the whole squad reacting to HOTD. It's such a full circle moment! ❤️
I believe it was the Red Wedding where people secretly recorded people’s reaction/s (very few atm) that started this whole reaction thing. However I truly enjoyed Blind Wave’s reactions since then.
Gotta say, the timestamps for the discussion points are a GREAT addition. I'm not typically one to skip around the discussion, but sometimes I don't have time for the whole thing after watching Full Length when the discussion portion is just as long as the show itself (not that its a bad thing, its great!), so being able to jump to certain parts of the discussion is fantastic.
@@musicmashup9597 There is no other reactor channel on RUclips or anywhere, where there is a discussion as interesting and "smart" as Blind Wave's. The discussions are objectively great, but you might not enjoy them, which is fine.
Hey guys, just wanna point out two things: Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen Who Never Was, is actually Viserys' cousin, not his sister as was mentioned. She was the daughter of Viserys' father's oldest brother who was first in line for the throne, so she had an even better claim than Viserys himself, which makes it even worse. Also the most famous "Dragon Dream" was that of Daenys the Dreamer, who had a dream about the Doom of Valyria and actually it was from her dream that the Targaryens decided to leave Valyria and settle on Dragonstone. 12 years after the dream, Valyria was destroyed. The Velaryons were actually in Westeros (Driftmark) before the Targaryens moved there! Love this discussion by the way!
I genuinely love Matt Smith’s portrayal of Daemon. He brings so much nuance, so many layers to his personality - he’s not just a brute who enjoys mutilating people: he’s shrewd and savvy, he likes to wheedle the people he can’t stand, he cares deeply for his family despite the treatment he receives from Viserys under Otto Hightower’s influence, he worries that he’ll be pushed even farther away from the family when Viserys’ heir is born, he was the one who is the “most caring, most thoughtful, responsive” person at the funeral scene - quoted from Miguel Sapochnik himself, showing that when Viserys and Rhaenyra are bereft he is more than capable of supporting them and doing whatever is necessary for them.
Honestly perfect casting. He showed throughout Doctor Who that he has the kind, strong face and voice, but can flip it on a dime and control any situation. Love it, hyped to see more of him!
As someone who hasn't read the books I might be way off here but first inpression I got was a mix between tyrian, Jamie and a tiny bit of Ramsey Bolton
@@rossross3689 I think less of Ramsey Bolton! Definitely a mix of Tyrion, Jaime and Tywin. He’s all about family. I think the first scene of him rounding up criminals does him a bit of a disservice - he’s brutal and efficient but not a sadist.
King Viserys seems like a good king and it was smart of him to have Rhaenyra as cup bearer. It's akin to Jon Snow being picked as Jeor Mormont's steward.
he is a nice guy, but he basically laid the foundation for the bloody war to come, idk if that counts as a good king. btw he keeps trying to impregnate his queen for a male heir, despite her health is obviously not looking that good already.
He's not. This episode doesn't delve much into it, but we know from F&B that he's basically too nice and afraid of conflict. Daemon did mention that he's "weak" and how the members of the Small Council are manipulating him for their own ends.
@@maxchen9185 that was more so the pregnancy that made her look unwell as it should as it was close to birth. She just had many miscarriages and babies dead in their carriages and she was tired to the pain of losing so many and the pressure on her to produce a male heir. Otherwise she'd be in healthy condition is what I got from the show.
With regard to the throne cutting Viserys, there's a saying in Westeros, "the Iron Throne rejects those unworthy of sitting on it." Viserys constantly getting cut by it really is a bigger issue and it has Viserys worried. Now it's just an old superstition but with everything that's gone wrong for him, he's concerned.
I love how much of a creepy bastard Daemon is, but that there's still quite a bit of familial love coming from him. He may be Daemon "the Dickhead" Targaryen, but he genuinely loves his brother and wants to help him out. His ambition fucks his decision-making, but that just adds another layer to his character. Such an interesting character and we should definitely be keeping an eye out for any more interesting characters that may be coming up 😉
Daemon is a great character in the books. Hopefully they won't butcher him in the show. Also hopefully we see his conquest of stepstones which were only mentioned in the books
I don't know if they covered this but the books say if the throne cuts you then it means you are unfit to rule. Interesting they portray that so strongly in the first episode.
It’s more like you get cut for trying to sit on the throne in comfort (suggesting laziness, or inattentiveness), so those that do not get cut and are constantly alert are more likely to be good rulers. It’s not a rule though, more a good indicator.
Little refrence: In the scene where viserys is talking about aegons dream and a targaryen needing to be on the throne, the theme playing in the background was daenerys' breaker of chains theme.
When that black guy with white hair brings out the issue of crabfeeder in the first council scene,otto high tower changed the topic abruptly,like he dont wants king's attention to that issue. And when his daughter came to his chambers,he send out a raven to old town secretly. I think he is a snake,but the good thing is daemon knows about him,and daemon is ruthless in protecting his family.
@@kmjkmjkmj otto's name was mentioned several time throughout the episode,while corolys's name was only mentioned (that i know of) at the oath ceremony at the end.
@@kmjkmjkmj Corlys velaryon is a made up name from a made up language. Otto Hightower sounds like a steel worker from Pittsburgh. Definitely his black skin that made his name easy to forget 🙄. Always a victim
Corlys Velaryon is the Master of Ships and lord Admiral. Stannis had that job for Robert. He’s married to Rhaenys Targaryen the Queen who never was. She is King Viserys cousin not his sister. Her dad was Viserys dad’s older brother. As the only child of the 1st born son many feel she should have been Queen thus the title.
Corlys Velaryon is also a famous explorer. He went on several voyages into the eastern seas both north and south of Essos. His explorations and trades made his family richer than even the Lannisters for a time. Also since he is the only living Westerosi lord to have travelled the seas around Essos he is as famous as a great knight in the eyes of Westeros.
Why are people of Velaryon BLACK? The Velaryons are from Old Valyria, and their genes give them WHITE skin and WHITE hair. Why is he BLACK?? In ASOIAF, only people from the Summer Isles are BLACK, and Slaves are also mostly black, but VELARYONS ARE NOT BLACK. This is so silly
@@theawesomeman9821 They said there was too many white people in the show so they had to force the diversity in like they always do even when it doesn’t make any sense.
i love Aaron. just needs to be said how empathetic this man is. no matter the religion, the reason, the gender, the niche, the nuance, he always always and v inconspicuously, empathizes with the conditions of "life" that the characters are living under. his having kids and having seen his wife through four labors... I just wanted to see his reaction here and he did not disappoint ❤️
Daemon Targaryen aka the Rogue Prince is my favorite Targaryen in the lore of ASOIAF and WOW !!! Matt Smith portrayal of the character is nothing less than perfection, he embodied what I imagined for this character in live action format. Even doe I might get pushed back IMO Daemon is the best/coolest Targaryen in the whole Targaryen lore, and I'm hype that the show runner's cast the perfect actor for this character.
That's how the spartans saw it the only way to get your name on your Grave stone was to die in battle where as a woman needed to die in child birth to get hers
I understand now what a Spartan tradition meant when it comed to women dying in childbirth. It is said that Spartans who die in war are buried with honors and tombstones as do women who die at childbirth because of their wars in the birthing bed. Queen Aemma's death was as visceral and brutal as any clash of knights as depicted in the Tourney scene. That is a masterclass in storytelling
Just a little clarification: Rhaenys, the queen who never was, is the king's cousin not sister. Her father was the original heir until he died and then Visery's father became the heir...until he died. So they were both the first born child of the two heirs which is why their claims were so equal and a counsel had to be called to settle the succession (and avoid a civil war).
solid first episode, I understand folks being skepitical cause this story has complex characters, that do certain things, and writers and audiences have issues comprehending that. Interested how folks will see Daemon and Alicent as the show goes on.
No, it's a fake history book with broad strokes of the story and it takes place over a long period of time. There's actually a lot in the book that this won't cover even with multiple seasons.
RE: the three-eyed raven, he's born (checks math) 63 years after this episode (he is the great grandson one of the characters.) He was a Targaryen bastard (but not a Blackfyre) and was almost certainly one of the guys that offered Maester Aemon the throne (and got exiled to the wall for the extremely sketchy shit he did to secure the succession.) For further information: read the Dunk and Egg stories.
LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO. I havnt had blindwave content to watch recently and THIS. My friend forced me to watch the first 3 episodes. So excited to see yalls reactions
46:20 The funny thing about this is my is my grandads wives son (its complicated, don't ask) was actually an editor on GOT, he was Emmy nominated for the premiere of Season 7 and 8 and finale of season 7, and is back for this series aswell.
1:03:20 Gladly! The three eyed raven we know from GOT is actually Brynden Rivers, one of Aegon IV’s Great Bastards, and the chief loyalist among them. He was hand of the king for a really long time, for much of the early Blackfyre rebellions, a running theme of which was his rivalry with Aegor Rivers, his half brother and the founder of the Golden Company. Eventually, after dishonorably murdered a Blackfyre claimant after promising him protection, he was stripped of his title and was sent to the wall, where he was lord commander for a time, before going off into the far north and becoming the weird tree thing we know him as. He wouldn’t have been born by the time of HOTD, though he is impossibly old.
Dragon dreams inspired Daenerys to hatch the eggs (in the books)… Dunk and Egg is littered with dragon dreams. The Targaryens fled old Valyria because of Daenys’s dragon dream - she is remembered as “daenys the dreamer”… The dragon dream from Aegon was a huge revelation as far as I’m concerned… almost as good as “hold the door” for book enthusiasts
Love the costume design for this show. They make it look older than GoT by using clothes that we think of as older like Rhaenyra's Tudor hood. I want that whoooole coronation outfit
thats not a high thing to bloat :D anything was better than s7 s8.... but i must agree this look promising, i have some nostalgia to s1 when we did not knew much and it was so interesting to dive to lore, sad we know what happened after 170 yuears in GOt, its bittersweet feeling to know that all got fucked up and what happened in this show kidna dont matter much, but stories of these characters are really intriguing
@@NostalgicMem0ries thats ridiculous even in our history there are great stories that we enjoy, even though we are living in the present and know how events have transpired.
@@jac_o7 i meant more about failure of last seasons, than dark or brutal history of GOT. how unfinished, rushed and terrible it was written etc. until grrm finishes books, its really sad to think about bran in throne, simp john snow, or insane danny... it could been written way smarter, i bet he will twist some things knowing how mad fans were after end of tv show. and yeah i agree we can enjoy history of german tribes or ancient rome, even knowing that they became fasist and nacist in future :)
I love the design of the throne in this show. In the books it's described more like a mountain of swords that was meltedinto steps and a chair at the top. This is a great compromise between the GOT version and book throne.
24:37 I’m sure Eric knows, he just didn’t mention it, but the Targaryens were able to escape Valyria before the Doom because Daenys Targaryen had a vision of the Doom 12 years before it happened.
I have always loved Blind Wave GOT reactions. What a time it was back then. Former crew member Shane would be missed. He was so passionate about GOT back then.
This, I like Rick but I feel he’s somewhat disinterested in HotD the dynamic definitely feels different but Blindwave will always be my fav reactor Channel
Actually the reveal that Aegon's dragon dream was about the Long Night lends credence to the theory that the Mad King was obsessed with fire because of the anticipation of the Others. Of course this doesn't confirm it, but think about it. If every Targaryan heir / ruler is told about this and are made responsible for preventing it; that explains a lot of Targaryan behaviour- like the full maintenance of the night's watch (which used to be at it's peak with fully manned castles) and it could also explain Aerys' obsession with wildfire.
I love Eric and calvin geeking out over this universe lol. Brings me back to the OG GoT reactions of that duo, one of the best reaction series on RUclips.
@@maliziosoeperverso1697 Is it ever said that he isn't? It makes no difference within the context of the game of thrones tv show but within the context of their conversation it clarifies that he shouldn't be there at this time period unless they're changing canon for literally no reason either way. As it is now there's no reason it couldn't be bloodraven and there is a (minor) reason for it to be bloodraven.
@@larochejaquelein3680 people with more context than whats being discussed weighing in is so fucking annoying lmao youre so cool you read the book congrats
4:06 Eric is on that Maester's conspiracy ting and I love it. 10:34 Fantastic shot! Thank you Miguel Sapochnik. 25:42 She's his cousin Eric. Viserys is the old kings Grandson by the kings second son. Rhaenys is the old kings grandaughter by the kings first son. Making her the rightful Queen imo.
Good point, glad you highlighted that, Princess Rhaenys is King Jaehaery's granddaughter by his eldest son that survived past infancy, Viserys is also one of The Old King's grandchildren but by his younger deceased son, Baelon ,hence why Viserys wishes to name his new heir after his father.
Just so everyone knows, the jester they're talking about named "Mushroom" knows all of the backstabbing and what not because everyone at court thought he was a simpleton, which is why the Targaryens and other nobles were comfortable talking about things infront of Mushroom. So my money is on that he was infact, telling the truth for most of his "testimonies" lol
When they were talking about if there were any other dragon dreams we know of: The doom of Valyria is the best example of it, the whole reason the Targaryens were the only dragonriders that survived the doom was because they moved to Dragonstone after Daenys the Dreamer had a dream about Valyria burning to the ground. And Daenerys has some dreams that could be considered dragon dreams in the main books as well.
They weren’t the only dragon riders that survived. There were others, specifically a dude whose name I forget who was in qohor I believe. He eventually tried to “reconquer” Valyria. He and his entire army ended up disappearing
Oh yes, sorry guys! It seems I have forgotten some things over time, but what I said about the Dragon Dreams still stands, it was the reason the Targaryens survived. I am sure there are other examples I have also forgotten.
@@mt6897 No, you’re quite right, the other valyrians mentioned mostly "survived" due to luck for not being there at the time of the doom. Targaryens moved to Westeros because they "knew" it would happen and were actually mocked by the other families because of it.
I loved how they reference the Long Night, and how a Targaryen has to be on the Iron Throne, exactly like how htey must always be a Stark at Winterfell for the exact same reason. which make Jon's linage seems even cooler.
@@EllioColeman doubt it considering they played Danaerys' theme during that scene. He was also never king and couldn't unite the night's watch nevermind the realm.
The Three Eyed Raven is Brynden Rivers aka Lord Bloodraven who was one of the illegitimate children of Aegon the Unworthy. He fought for Daeron Targaryen (the second) in the Blackfyre Rebellion, later served as Master of Whisperers for another couple kings, before eventually being sentenced to the Wall. I love him, he is my favorite character.
Yes! Brynden Rivers aka Bloodraven was the illegitimate son of Aegon the Fourth and Melissa Blackwood (who's house worship the Old Gods). He served as Hand of the King and Master of Whispers for 25 years under King Aerys the First and Maekar the First. He stopped three of the Blackfyre Rebellions and was sent to The Wall....and became Lord Commander of the Night's Watch for 13 years. He went north of The Wall and was not seen for decades until found by Jojen & Meera Reed, Summer, Hodor and the current Brandon Stark
Amazing pilot. The hightowers seem very interesting and I can't wait to learn more about Otto. King vicerys is compelling, the princesses are really well cast. I'm so excited for episode 2
i remember finding Blind Wave through game of thrones season 5 and that was when i found the very best reaction channel. i feel like this show is going to be something special. and im glad im still here watching you guys :)
I had my doubts given how the wig looks on Matt Smith but damn when he’s given a tv series to do he always hits it out of the park (can’t say the same about his movies though lol), didn’t expect paddy constantine but certainly a welcome suprise
People forget that while Game of Thrones had disappointing seasons 7 and 8, the first seasons were good. With seasons 1-4 being outstanding. I think this series will be great. Hopefully, these creators learned from the mistakes the other two guys made at the end of game of thrones.
"They know." I almost wonder that myself. It's said that dragons are smarter than men, far smarter than men. I wonder if Syrax knew JUST who was in the shroud....who she was cremating.
Even animals in this world could know that, by scent if nothing else. There always seemed a magic or mystical side to their connections with their riders, so I think they know.
I like having a section for "Rick's thoughts." Mostly because I enjoy that Rick can sometimes temper enthusiasm and Eric's tendency to let things slide. Sometimes he errs on the side of a bit too pedantic but it works, I think. I think Aaron might be better at arguing his points sometimes when it's just two.
A cool thing about the historical context that I just noticed: Game of Thrones was heavily inspired by the War of the Roses, which took place between 1455 and 1485. This series takes place 172 years prior to Game of Thrones, and 100 years after Aegon's Conquest; roughly 240 years prior to the War of the Roses, the Magna Carta was signed, preceding the First Barons' War, and 150 years before that was the Norman Conquest. I've never read Fire and Blood, but I wonder if this series will similarly parallel events of the 13th Century, maybe even the Barons' War. In that, numerous English barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, a certification of promises made by John's great-grandfather Henry I. John immediately went back on it, which caused the barons to go to France's King Philippe II, triggering civil war. John was killed within the year as he visited Newark. Unrelated, I was quite pleased to see Sian Brooke as Aemma, Viserys's wife, after binging Sherlock just last week. The woman who played Euros Holmes and gave what I thought was a terrifyingly psychotic performance as her, is a perfect choice for any Targaryen in my eyes.
I really liked this more than I thought I would. My only complaints really are that Lords were just killing each other and/or letting their sons be killed during a Tourney which is super weird even though they try to explain it by the long peace causing people to be itching to fight... I still can't imagine Lords and Knights being okay with such murder in a tourney since they would just be losing heirs and important warriors and it would start lots of feuds. That and I didn't like that Daemon only lost to Criston Cole because he was cocky and celebrating early -- Daemon is an absolute badass that is much better than most fighters, but it was suggested that Criston Cole was always supposed to be just a bit better than him as a warrior (not counting him using his dragon) as he's legitimately one of the most skilled knights in the history of Westeros in terms of personal combat ability. That said, I thought this was a very solid premiere and a good episode to pull people back into the world and introduce audiences to many of the major characters that will be integral to the story they're telling with the Dance.
I think turning this story into a show was so smart considering there is a lot of wiggle room with how the characters interact and behave because the book was much more vague in the characterization than ASOIAF was
I loved the first episode. I hope they expand on magic and the lore because this is the height of the Targaryen Dynasty and dragons which must impact the magic in the world.
Its not explicitly stated in the books, but George has said that Aegon and the Valyrians knew that the "Doom of Men" would come out of the North of Westeros. Thats why Aegon united the 7 kingdoms, and its why the Valyrians were slowly making their way west from Essos during their time. George said this years before House of the Dragon was a thing. So he was always planning on it being part of the books eventually.
Small nitpicks on the CGI here and there but overall it was a fantastic first episode. I love how even at 4k the characters and costumes look like they belong and don't have that flawless just got my skin care treatment done look that Netflix and Amazon shows have. Can't wait for next week.
@@joetheblu3 because the aerial shot of kings landing and the dragon fire looked a bit cheap? Like I said, those were about the only things but overall it was a great first episode in every other aspect.
Yes the cgi not being perfect and the iron throne not being a copy of the books are my complaints, wich are the ones im happy to have! Story and dialog are the most important and it shined in this ep imo. Way better than top notch cgi but bland story
I kind of wonder if Viserys has a condition that makes him unable to feel ANY pain, not just the candle fire at the end... when they're looking at his wound on his back he seems as though he can't even tell it's there, and when he cuts himself on the throne the "sound" of the cut plays and he doesn't react, then only when he touches his face does he realize he's bleeding. Also, I don't know if this was intentional or not, but when Daemon is dueling Criston Cole, it's very obvious that Cole's armor does not fit him well (huge plate gaps whenever he moves, especially on the breastplate), while Daemon's is perfectly tailored to him, and I wonder if that's because Cole couldn't afford tailored armor (he's stated to be a commoner by Rhaenyra's guard), so he just scrounged together whatever he could find for the tourney. Of course, it could just be the costumers not giving a fuck about the accuracy of the armor fit too, lol.
The importance of Oldtown (Hightower's seat of power) also comes from the fact that, before Aegon's Conquest and King's Landing's creation, it was Seven Kingdoms' largest city.
the young actresses are only for a few episodes. they are not the main actresses for Alicent and Rhaneara. There is going to be several time jumps. both versions of them are in the trailer.
"beat the dragon knight." Daemon is not the drsgon knight. That would be his grandson, Aemon. Who would be the only Targaryen to join the Kingsguard. He also wielded Daemon's sword, Dark-sister.
The way the camera goes soft whilst focusing on Viserys when he has to make the decision for the C-Section is so real to how true fear and horror and hopelessness feels. Then seeing him lose both was an ultimate gut punch.
SPOILERS!!! I have no idea Viseyrs decide that. I just always though Aemma is too weak after the difficult deliveries and passed away, making the death of the heir a lot more tragic. This changes my perspective toward Viserys, now it looks like he’s actually wanted to be rid of Aemma as she told him “this is the last” which makes his decision in the future very irrational. Should’ve make the death a tragic one, Aemma died and the Baby succumbed hours later because his mother’s not there. Viserys in grief and ridden with guild decide to make Rhaenyra his heir as a token of his love to Aemma, and later force her to marry Rhaenys’s son as an apologize to her as well because the whole succession is burdening his minds.
@@AlexS-oj8qf I have no idea what show you were watching if you thought for a second that Viserys wanted to be rid of Aemma in those scenes. He was clearly nervous that she wouldn’t provide him when she said it was the last time, but I felt like he accepted that because he shared her pain. He was also clearly devastated to lose her.
You guys. Those sets. Wow....the sets look amazing and the music is straight fire. This series looks like it is going to be SO good. I hope they take their time and do not rush anything.
As shown in this very episode, even queens can die giving birth. So even if a woman is the best leader they've ever had, people will always look at it as a risk for the line of succession. Imagine if the ruler and their heir both die without a clear next in line, the entire kingdom would be at war with each other.
Yea at the Joust sword fight scene I was screaming "STOP CUTTING" and it immediately cut to them cutting open the queens stomach and I screamed again "STOP CUTTING".
episode 1 is a pleasant surprise , wow , the books are finished thats why the script is strong and i like how this show stays faithfull to the books . This is top tier television .
The idea that as soon as the prophecy wasn't passed to the heir and the Targ succession was broken is what sets the White Walkers into motion is peak Martin Shame it all amounts to a really bad night
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Watch the Full Length Reaction HERE: blindwavellc.com/house-of-the-dragon-1x01-full/
Dude what about the owl house and amphibia
hey check out Nikki & Steven Reacts.
Was that enough sleezy leeching off game of thrones for ads or ate we doing this all season?
@@Stax2High ok dude. Blind Wave rarely does ads and provides a shit ton of free content
@@nottherealben language sir.
Say what you will about Viserys, but unlike any of the GOT kings, he actually attends his small council meetings.
Well, the majority of kings in Westerosi history did.
I suppose it wasn’t until the Baratheons (and Lannisters) took to the throne that the most base incompetencies began, such as not attending meetings. Because none of them gave a shit. Maybe it’s because the knowledge of the song of ice and fire was passed down to all kings, but was not passed, of course, to the usurpers.
@@c.a.honeycutt5046 True, though you could also argue that’s it’s smarter to outsource the bulk of the work to the Hand since they are chosen for their ability to run the Small Council, while the king is chosen solely by birth status.
@@c.a.honeycutt5046 Well, it's not like such incompetency was unheard of among the Targaryens, either. Daeron the Young Dragon and Baelor the Blessed, just off the top of my head, were likely too concerned with warring and praying respectively to care much about day-to-day governance, and Maegor left most of the ruling to his Hand so he could focus on his pet project, the Red Keep.
Possibly the most brilliant moment in the episode for me, and the moment which convinced me that the writers not only read the source material but really *thought* about it heavily; The scene with Daemon in the brothel after Baelon and Aemma's death.
In the book, we're told that Daemon and his men had a party the night his nephew died and that Daemon toasted to Baelon "the Heir for a Day" and got thrown out by Viserys as a result. Now, when I read that, I took it at face value, and I imagine Daemon with one hand around a whore, shit-faced, raising his pint and cheering the fact that his baby nephew died and he was still heir.
But the show didn't go with that obvious interpretation. Instead, they show us Daemon just before he toasts to Baelon; He's at a party, yes, but he's not celebrating like the rest of his men. He's just sitting there, solemnly, drinking alone. He's not exactly heartbroken and grieving, but he's clearly not happy either. And when he steps up to raise his glass and make a toast, it doesn't seem to me from Matt Smith's acting that he's about to go "WAHEY, TO THE HEIR FOR A DAY, STILL THE PRINCE OF DRAGONSTONE BABEYY!". It seems like he's about to step up, acknowledge his nephew who was heir for a day, and basically acknowledge that some major shit has gone down over the last few days, and then let his men go back to their partying while he went back to his quiet drink.
And the brilliance of the scene is that they *cut away* from that toast. We never get to see how Daemon ACTUALLY said it. What we see is Otto Hightower's retelling of it to Viserys the next morning, which heavily implies that Daemon was celebrating and partying it up - when we know for a fact that he wasn't. When Viserys later confronts Daemon about it and Daemon just replies with "Everyone mourns in their own way" I thought he was being flippant at first, but now looking back, I think he was being 100% honest. He wasn't trying to celebrate his nephew's death, he genuinely did make that toast in his honour, even if it was slightly in bad taste. And Otto Hightower took that, and spun it like a pro to turn Viserys against his brother.
George RR Martin loves to do this kind of thing, playing with unreliable narrators and making it so that the black-on-white text says one thing but secretly implies something very different. And I really, really appreciate that the writers of this show didn't just take the story about Daemon toasting Baelon at face value and made it into a scene showing Daemon being a dickhead. Instead, they thought about it a little more and realized the deeper, more complex story that could be hidden under that small, seemingly innocuous snippet of story, and expanded it to its full potential.
It's way too early to call this sort of thing, and I'd hate to jinx it, but I think if they keep treating the original text with this much respect and this much attention to detail and subtlety... we're in pretty damn good hands.
This actually makes sense, I wasn't completely sure if Daemon was being a dick about the situation, but I guess my disliking for his persona made me prefer to see it that way, well, whether it was how Otto explained it or not doesn't really matter, since it serves as a fuel to the brother's confrontation, but letting it ambigous was the best choice.
But you couldn't say if this was an idea from the producers or Matin's subtle touch
🔥🔥
I agree, it's interesting though because I had the same impression of Daemon. In fact I think his motivation was to piss off his brother so much that he had no choice but to finally accept his daughter as his heir, seeing as Daemon was depicted as a caring uncle towards her and her needs. But after this comment and learning that fire & blood is in fact a story told through a 3rd party, its made things more ambiguous and I'm left wondering "is he really a great guy who's just wild, or is this just an individual perspective from someone projecting in favor of daemon?" . Not knowing of course makes things all the more intriguing.
That's the cool thing about this adaptation. The source material is written as if it's an in-universe history book, and we all know that history books written in the time of absolute kings are VERY inaccurate on what really happened. It lets the showrunners "change" things without actually changing what is in the books.
I love how they set up the contrast between Queen Aemma giving birth and the knights fighting in the tourney early in the episode. “Childbirth is our battlefield” indeed.
And I noticed that the tournament arena was shaped like a vulva.
So intense, so good, so sad.
Aegon's sister Visenya is the impetus for the Kingsguard. She defended him from assassins and thus created the idea of having a bunch of great warriors defend the king at all times. Visenya was the elder sister and a GREAT warrior and duelist. She wielded Dark Sister first.
My second favorite Targaryen😤🤧
@@ousmanjallow7866 She killed her nephew If I recall correctly. Maegor's mama is less likable the more you learn about her.
Aegon said he had guards to take care of him and Visenya cut his cheek before they could react and used it for her point. I want a show about them so bad.
I really like Daemon, I think people misunderstand him a lot because of all the backstabbing we saw from the OG show but I think he legitimately loves his brother and his family. He knows Otto Hightower is a snake so that's good lol.
You mean like how he said Otto is the second son with nothing to his name and is willing to do anything to grasp power? Huh I wonder who else is a second son and is just as ambitious
You can tell he cares for rhaenyra too. I think he’s going to be a great character.
@@jac_o7 takes a second son to know a second son
@@jac_o7 Otto pimped his daughter. That’s all I need
@@jac_o7 he’s the second son but you have to understand he’s a prince and heir for a long time so he’s important at this point but later viserys has a lot of kids and non of really live long
I think some people are missing critical information when it comes to the gold cloak round up. Daemon picked and trained commoners from the city. Men who had lived in flea bottom their entire lives. They KNEW who the criminals were.
Daemon was great at inspiring loyalty too.
Because that makes mass murder okay.
@@TheAwesome45 his comment has nothing to do with that. People watched the scene and thought the city watch was just attacking random citizens for no reason other than striking fear in their hearts. They knew who the criminals were and went after them.
@@TheAwesome45 The punishments enacted, though gruesome, were the legal punishments for various crimes. Gelding for rapists, hand amputation for left, beheading for killers, etc. The only thing Westeros has that is close to a prison system is the Night's Watch, which is too great a distance away from King's Landing to be able to send every single criminal to.
@@TheAwesome45 punishment is not murder
I love how the High Valyrian sounds so much smoother and ‘native’ compared to Dany’s. She had to learn it almost completely from non-native or common speakers of it.
The Targaryens speak it like it’s a noble tongue, and you can feel the history in it
When Daenerys says it's her mothertongue, she isn't being disingenious. Though their parents were not with them, Viserys was old enough to have fluency in High Valyrian at the time of their escape. Knowing what Viserys is like (highly traditional, tribal and considering Dany his sister-wife and Princess of Dragonstone as their parents intended), he would have made sure Daenerys speaks it as well.
Since they grew up in Braavos, not Westeros, Daenerys would have spent her entire life outside their home speaking Low Valyrian. It's more likely the language has changed in hundreds of years than Daenerys or Viserys not speaking their mothertongue fluently.
Matt Smith and Patty Considine killed it this episode. They’re confrontation at the end was next level acting
And dialogue in that scene too was good. They delivered it well.
If you not seem it, watch a film called ‘dead man shoes’- Paddy’s Magnus opus as an actor.
I remember Game Of Thrones is what introduced me to Blind Wave channel. When it was just Calvin and Eric reacting, and seeing Calvin no longer a sweet summer child. And years later here we are again with the whole squad reacting to HOTD. It's such a full circle moment! ❤️
Today it hit me just how many of the popular reaction channels became big because of GoT. Felt good seeing all of these names pop in my feed again.
Same
I believe it was the Red Wedding where people secretly recorded people’s reaction/s (very few atm) that started this whole reaction thing. However I truly enjoyed Blind Wave’s reactions since then.
This channel and the burlington bar reactions for GoT and now HotD are my go to videos after each episode.
@@unc54 the Red Wedding is the allfather of reaction channels
Gotta say, the timestamps for the discussion points are a GREAT addition. I'm not typically one to skip around the discussion, but sometimes I don't have time for the whole thing after watching Full Length when the discussion portion is just as long as the show itself (not that its a bad thing, its great!), so being able to jump to certain parts of the discussion is fantastic.
nobody watches it anyway
@@musicmashup9597 Speak for yourself. Blind Wave's discussions are a step above any of the other reaction channels around.
@@hdns4 yeah sure
@@musicmashup9597 There is no other reactor channel on RUclips or anywhere, where there is a discussion as interesting and "smart" as Blind Wave's. The discussions are objectively great, but you might not enjoy them, which is fine.
@@benjaminlundback8394 I think Filmbuff is the number 1 in terms of quality discussion.
Hey guys, just wanna point out two things: Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen Who Never Was, is actually Viserys' cousin, not his sister as was mentioned. She was the daughter of Viserys' father's oldest brother who was first in line for the throne, so she had an even better claim than Viserys himself, which makes it even worse. Also the most famous "Dragon Dream" was that of Daenys the Dreamer, who had a dream about the Doom of Valyria and actually it was from her dream that the Targaryens decided to leave Valyria and settle on Dragonstone. 12 years after the dream, Valyria was destroyed. The Velaryons were actually in Westeros (Driftmark) before the Targaryens moved there! Love this discussion by the way!
They literally said "and her younger cousin Prince Viserys" in the first 5 minutes.
I genuinely love Matt Smith’s portrayal of Daemon. He brings so much nuance, so many layers to his personality - he’s not just a brute who enjoys mutilating people: he’s shrewd and savvy, he likes to wheedle the people he can’t stand, he cares deeply for his family despite the treatment he receives from Viserys under Otto Hightower’s influence, he worries that he’ll be pushed even farther away from the family when Viserys’ heir is born, he was the one who is the “most caring, most thoughtful, responsive” person at the funeral scene - quoted from Miguel Sapochnik himself, showing that when Viserys and Rhaenyra are bereft he is more than capable of supporting them and doing whatever is necessary for them.
Honestly perfect casting. He showed throughout Doctor Who that he has the kind, strong face and voice, but can flip it on a dime and control any situation. Love it, hyped to see more of him!
@@kraazexjoker1874 I always loved his Doctor. He could go from flirty and goofy to really intimidating within a heartbeat.
As someone who hasn't read the books I might be way off here but first inpression I got was a mix between tyrian, Jamie and a tiny bit of Ramsey Bolton
@@rossross3689 I think less of Ramsey Bolton! Definitely a mix of Tyrion, Jaime and Tywin. He’s all about family. I think the first scene of him rounding up criminals does him a bit of a disservice - he’s brutal and efficient but not a sadist.
@@mellowenglishgal He literally enjoys decapiting people in the books...
King Viserys seems like a good king and it was smart of him to have Rhaenyra as cup bearer. It's akin to Jon Snow being picked as Jeor Mormont's steward.
he is a nice guy, but he basically laid the foundation for the bloody war to come, idk if that counts as a good king. btw he keeps trying to impregnate his queen for a male heir, despite her health is obviously not looking that good already.
He's more naive than good
He’s not a good king. He’s a good person but he sucks at his job.
He's not. This episode doesn't delve much into it, but we know from F&B that he's basically too nice and afraid of conflict. Daemon did mention that he's "weak" and how the members of the Small Council are manipulating him for their own ends.
@@maxchen9185 that was more so the pregnancy that made her look unwell as it should as it was close to birth. She just had many miscarriages and babies dead in their carriages and she was tired to the pain of losing so many and the pressure on her to produce a male heir. Otherwise she'd be in healthy condition is what I got from the show.
With regard to the throne cutting Viserys, there's a saying in Westeros, "the Iron Throne rejects those unworthy of sitting on it." Viserys constantly getting cut by it really is a bigger issue and it has Viserys worried. Now it's just an old superstition but with everything that's gone wrong for him, he's concerned.
The same happened to the Mad King. Aerys had so many cuts while sitting on the Iron Throne that he earned the name King Scab.
@@darthlucas-nq6jg This
@@darthlucas-nq6jg And it flat-out KILLED Maegor.
I am be the only one saying it but I’m gonna say it loudly… that Joust scene was absolutely gorgeous
@RyneDunphy agreed!! Daemon sliding down the rail at the Joust was an incredible shot!!!
I recently have for some reason been reading a lot about jousting and it's so fun to watch here
It reminded me of The Last Duel. and that is a big compliment seeing as how that movie was a Ridley Scott directed big budget theatrical film.
it's exactly what i pictured while reading The Hedge Knight for the first time
Except for the whack as fuck editing. That was terrible every time.
I love how much of a creepy bastard Daemon is, but that there's still quite a bit of familial love coming from him. He may be Daemon "the Dickhead" Targaryen, but he genuinely loves his brother and wants to help him out. His ambition fucks his decision-making, but that just adds another layer to his character. Such an interesting character and we should definitely be keeping an eye out for any more interesting characters that may be coming up 😉
You saw that at him crying at the funeral
Daemon 😫😫😭😭 We book nerds remember
Daemon is a great character in the books. Hopefully they won't butcher him in the show. Also hopefully we see his conquest of stepstones which were only mentioned in the books
There's a reason why Daemon is GRRM's favourite Targaryen. Also, we're keeping an eye on Lord Strong, aren't we? 👀
Not sure I’d characterise him as creepy.
This episode did a great job making me realize how much I missed GoT being good.
I don't know if they covered this but the books say if the throne cuts you then it means you are unfit to rule. Interesting they portray that so strongly in the first episode.
No that’s a theory within the universe
@@juniornisthal2216 Plus if it were 100% true Joffrey would have bled to death from all his cuts lol
@@LanceJ. Lmao
That's not literally true. It's a myth in Westeros, and is used symbolically in the books. The throne, as far as we're aware, isn't literally magical.
It’s more like you get cut for trying to sit on the throne in comfort (suggesting laziness, or inattentiveness), so those that do not get cut and are constantly alert are more likely to be good rulers. It’s not a rule though, more a good indicator.
Little refrence: In the scene where viserys is talking about aegons dream and a targaryen needing to be on the throne, the theme playing in the background was daenerys' breaker of chains theme.
When that black guy with white hair brings out the issue of crabfeeder in the first council scene,otto high tower changed the topic abruptly,like he dont wants king's attention to that issue.
And when his daughter came to his chambers,he send out a raven to old town secretly.
I think he is a snake,but the good thing is daemon knows about him,and daemon is ruthless in protecting his family.
@@kmjkmjkmj otto's name was mentioned several time throughout the episode,while corolys's name was only mentioned (that i know of) at the oath ceremony at the end.
@@wasifw673 they said his name like 3 or 4 times lmao
@@kmjkmjkmj So damn sad isn't it
@@Ziaotic Right
@@kmjkmjkmj Corlys velaryon is a made up name from a made up language. Otto Hightower sounds like a steel worker from Pittsburgh. Definitely his black skin that made his name easy to forget 🙄. Always a victim
Fun fact: the actor who played King Jaehaerys (Michael Carter) also played Bib Fortuna!
Wait what? Nooo way
@@TheArrowedKnee yup
Now I'm just picturing Boba Fett shooting him and kicking him off the throne lol
they literally spoke about it in the episode...
Corlys Velaryon is the Master of Ships and lord Admiral. Stannis had that job for Robert. He’s married to Rhaenys Targaryen the Queen who never was. She is King Viserys cousin not his sister. Her dad was Viserys dad’s older brother. As the only child of the 1st born son many feel she should have been Queen thus the title.
Corlys Velaryon is also a famous explorer. He went on several voyages into the eastern seas both north and south of Essos. His explorations and trades made his family richer than even the Lannisters for a time. Also since he is the only living Westerosi lord to have travelled the seas around Essos he is as famous as a great knight in the eyes of Westeros.
Question: Why does he look different from his imbred Targaryan relatives from his family tree? Genetically, it just doesn't make sense.
@@theawesomeman9821 bro just watch the show lol damn
Why are people of Velaryon BLACK?
The Velaryons are from Old Valyria, and their genes give them WHITE skin and WHITE hair.
Why is he BLACK??
In ASOIAF, only people from the Summer Isles are BLACK, and Slaves are also mostly black, but VELARYONS ARE NOT BLACK.
This is so silly
Is it the same Corlys or is it another one with the same name? I thought it was someone else from before the Doom.
@@theawesomeman9821 They said there was too many white people in the show so they had to force the diversity in like they always do even when it doesn’t make any sense.
i love Aaron. just needs to be said how empathetic this man is. no matter the religion, the reason, the gender, the niche, the nuance, he always always and v inconspicuously, empathizes with the conditions of "life" that the characters are living under. his having kids and having seen his wife through four labors... I just wanted to see his reaction here and he did not disappoint ❤️
Corlys Velaryon has too many cool titles: Lord of the Tides, Master of Driftmark and The Sea Snake.
Daemon Targaryen aka the Rogue Prince is my favorite Targaryen in the lore of ASOIAF and WOW !!! Matt Smith portrayal of the character is nothing less than perfection, he embodied what I imagined for this character in live action format. Even doe I might get pushed back IMO Daemon is the best/coolest Targaryen in the whole Targaryen lore, and I'm hype that the show runner's cast the perfect actor for this character.
I also like Bittersteel and Bloodraven.
Couldn’t agree more
“They’re going to bring the babe out now” is forever retched in my brain lmao
Aemma said that bearing children was the battlefield for women then she gave a violent birth as the men violently joust.
I was just thinking about that. She told that to Rhaenyra, and oh my gosh it was a bloody battlefield for the queen. 😭
That's how the spartans saw it the only way to get your name on your Grave stone was to die in battle where as a woman needed to die in child birth to get hers
"He's building the title sequence for Game of Thrones." That was funny, and maybe not even a joke. I could see that.
Huge shout out to whoever took the time to make the chapter timestamps. Incredibly helpful!
I understand now what a Spartan tradition meant when it comed to women dying in childbirth.
It is said that Spartans who die in war are buried with honors and tombstones as do women who die at childbirth because of their wars in the birthing bed.
Queen Aemma's death was as visceral and brutal as any clash of knights as depicted in the Tourney scene. That is a masterclass in storytelling
Just a little clarification: Rhaenys, the queen who never was, is the king's cousin not sister. Her father was the original heir until he died and then Visery's father became the heir...until he died. So they were both the first born child of the two heirs which is why their claims were so equal and a counsel had to be called to settle the succession (and avoid a civil war).
"That's a penis!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Also loved Eric's disgust and approval of the punishment.
solid first episode, I understand folks being skepitical cause this story has complex characters, that do certain things, and writers and audiences have issues comprehending that. Interested how folks will see Daemon and Alicent as the show goes on.
This is also a book right? It is only one or there are more?
@@pitilessnightmare6879 yes, Fire And Blood
@@ck_idgaf1680 ahhh I see, so this season it will be only one for that book I imagine
No, it's a fake history book with broad strokes of the story and it takes place over a long period of time. There's actually a lot in the book that this won't cover even with multiple seasons.
@@pitilessnightmare6879 there will be 4 seasons from what I heard. Season 2 has already been confirmed
RE: the three-eyed raven, he's born (checks math) 63 years after this episode (he is the great grandson one of the characters.) He was a Targaryen bastard (but not a Blackfyre) and was almost certainly one of the guys that offered Maester Aemon the throne (and got exiled to the wall for the extremely sketchy shit he did to secure the succession.) For further information: read the Dunk and Egg stories.
LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO. I havnt had blindwave content to watch recently and THIS. My friend forced me to watch the first 3 episodes. So excited to see yalls reactions
46:20 The funny thing about this is my is my grandads wives son (its complicated, don't ask) was actually an editor on GOT, he was Emmy nominated for the premiere of Season 7 and 8 and finale of season 7, and is back for this series aswell.
I like Eric's enthusiasm to share more background on the characters :)
1:03:20 Gladly! The three eyed raven we know from GOT is actually Brynden Rivers, one of Aegon IV’s Great Bastards, and the chief loyalist among them. He was hand of the king for a really long time, for much of the early Blackfyre rebellions, a running theme of which was his rivalry with Aegor Rivers, his half brother and the founder of the Golden Company. Eventually, after dishonorably murdered a Blackfyre claimant after promising him protection, he was stripped of his title and was sent to the wall, where he was lord commander for a time, before going off into the far north and becoming the weird tree thing we know him as. He wouldn’t have been born by the time of HOTD, though he is impossibly old.
Dragon dreams inspired Daenerys to hatch the eggs (in the books)… Dunk and Egg is littered with dragon dreams. The Targaryens fled old Valyria because of Daenys’s dragon dream - she is remembered as “daenys the dreamer”… The dragon dream from Aegon was a huge revelation as far as I’m concerned… almost as good as “hold the door” for book enthusiasts
Love the costume design for this show. They make it look older than GoT by using clothes that we think of as older like Rhaenyra's Tudor hood. I want that whoooole coronation outfit
King Viserys and Princess Rhaenys (the Queen that never was) are cousins not siblings :)
Matt Smith is gorgeous as Daemon Targaryen! Such a complex and interesting character! Im loving his portrayal!
This episode was better that the entire season 8 of got
thats not a high thing to bloat :D anything was better than s7 s8.... but i must agree this look promising, i have some nostalgia to s1 when we did not knew much and it was so interesting to dive to lore, sad we know what happened after 170 yuears in GOt, its bittersweet feeling to know that all got fucked up and what happened in this show kidna dont matter much, but stories of these characters are really intriguing
@@NostalgicMem0riesfun guy you are
@@NostalgicMem0ries thats ridiculous even in our history there are great stories that we enjoy, even though we are living in the present and know how events have transpired.
@@jac_o7 i meant more about failure of last seasons, than dark or brutal history of GOT. how unfinished, rushed and terrible it was written etc. until grrm finishes books, its really sad to think about bran in throne, simp john snow, or insane danny... it could been written way smarter, i bet he will twist some things knowing how mad fans were after end of tv show. and yeah i agree we can enjoy history of german tribes or ancient rome, even knowing that they became fasist and nacist in future :)
Nope. Not better than Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
I love the design of the throne in this show. In the books it's described more like a mountain of swords that was meltedinto steps and a chair at the top. This is a great compromise between the GOT version and book throne.
24:37 I’m sure Eric knows, he just didn’t mention it, but the Targaryens were able to escape Valyria before the Doom because Daenys Targaryen had a vision of the Doom 12 years before it happened.
I have always loved Blind Wave GOT reactions. What a time it was back then. Former crew member Shane would be missed. He was so passionate about GOT back then.
This, I like Rick but I feel he’s somewhat disinterested in HotD the dynamic definitely feels different but Blindwave will always be my fav reactor Channel
Actually the reveal that Aegon's dragon dream was about the Long Night lends credence to the theory that the Mad King was obsessed with fire because of the anticipation of the Others. Of course this doesn't confirm it, but think about it. If every Targaryan heir / ruler is told about this and are made responsible for preventing it; that explains a lot of Targaryan behaviour- like the full maintenance of the night's watch (which used to be at it's peak with fully manned castles) and it could also explain Aerys' obsession with wildfire.
I love Eric and calvin geeking out over this universe lol. Brings me back to the OG GoT reactions of that duo, one of the best reaction series on RUclips.
Finally watching y'alls reactions and loving the video
I like that we got timestamps for this. I wish you guys could do it moving forward as well!
the three eyed raven is a Targaryen who hasn't yet been born in this time period afaik. He has dark sister in his cave, the same sword daemon owns
Yep. About 60 odd years off from being born at this episode
That's only true in the books. In the show he's a random old guy in a tree
@@maliziosoeperverso1697 Is it ever said that he isn't? It makes no difference within the context of the game of thrones tv show but within the context of their conversation it clarifies that he shouldn't be there at this time period unless they're changing canon for literally no reason either way. As it is now there's no reason it couldn't be bloodraven and there is a (minor) reason for it to be bloodraven.
@@maliziosoeperverso1697 no he’s not lol. He’s Brynden Rivers in the show too
@@Mehdz03 Bloodraven is missing an eye, and that random old man in the show is not. They are simply not the same.
17:49 Rick solved it. The intro sequence for House of the Dragon is going to be this castle model
with regards to the dragon dreams, it's a nice way of explaining the cave paintings found on Dragonstone that Jon and Daenarys found in Season 7(?)
“Heir for a day” that was pure wickedness. To your own nephew
Depends on the tone in which it was said - gloating or genuine sadness.
The point of that scene is that we don't know in what way he said it. Otto Hightower spun it to get rid of Daemon
Daemon literally sacrificed himself for his family. Stop saying he is evil. He is more honourable than Ned Stark or Jon Arryn
@@larochejaquelein3680 people with more context than whats being discussed weighing in is so fucking annoying lmao youre so cool you read the book congrats
And that kids is why context matters
4:06 Eric is on that Maester's conspiracy ting and I love it.
10:34 Fantastic shot! Thank you Miguel Sapochnik.
25:42 She's his cousin Eric. Viserys is the old kings Grandson by the kings second son. Rhaenys is the old kings grandaughter by the kings first son. Making her the rightful Queen imo.
Good point, glad you highlighted that, Princess Rhaenys is King Jaehaery's granddaughter by his eldest son that survived past infancy, Viserys is also one of The Old King's grandchildren but by his younger deceased son, Baelon ,hence why Viserys wishes to name his new heir after his father.
@@fromokesar0 Rhaenys is not Jaehaerys' daughter, she's his granddaughter. She's his eldest son's daughter.
@@MarkHogan994 😂😂 I don’t know how that guy just missed that 😂🤦🏽♂️
@@MarkHogan994 My mistake, I shall rectify the error immediately, you have my thanks stranger!
Bringing back Ramin Djawadi for the score again is what makes this first episode perfect. He has that ability to mix old with new.
damn got was my introduction to this channel 6 years ago 😭 this is quite emotional
Just so everyone knows, the jester they're talking about named "Mushroom" knows all of the backstabbing and what not because everyone at court thought he was a simpleton, which is why the Targaryens and other nobles were comfortable talking about things infront of Mushroom. So my money is on that he was infact, telling the truth for most of his "testimonies" lol
When they were talking about if there were any other dragon dreams we know of: The doom of Valyria is the best example of it, the whole reason the Targaryens were the only dragonriders that survived the doom was because they moved to Dragonstone after Daenys the Dreamer had a dream about Valyria burning to the ground. And Daenerys has some dreams that could be considered dragon dreams in the main books as well.
They weren’t the only dragon riders that survived. There were others, specifically a dude whose name I forget who was in qohor I believe. He eventually tried to “reconquer” Valyria. He and his entire army ended up disappearing
@@juniornisthal2216 aurion
@@juniornisthal2216 And there were dragonriders in Lys who were killed by the lyseni with their dragons
Oh yes, sorry guys! It seems I have forgotten some things over time, but what I said about the Dragon Dreams still stands, it was the reason the Targaryens survived. I am sure there are other examples I have also forgotten.
@@mt6897 No, you’re quite right, the other valyrians mentioned mostly "survived" due to luck for not being there at the time of the doom. Targaryens moved to Westeros because they "knew" it would happen and were actually mocked by the other families because of it.
I loved how they reference the Long Night, and how a Targaryen has to be on the Iron Throne, exactly like how htey must always be a Stark at Winterfell for the exact same reason. which make Jon's linage seems even cooler.
Danaerys on the throne and Jon in winterfell, the song of Ice and Fire
@@TechKnightBrit Or Jon himself is the son/song of Ice and Fire
@@EllioColeman doubt it considering they played Danaerys' theme during that scene. He was also never king and couldn't unite the night's watch nevermind the realm.
I've watched all your GoT reactions & loved em, I'm super excited as I get to share with you this new journey!! 💯🔥🔥🔥
The Three Eyed Raven is Brynden Rivers aka Lord Bloodraven who was one of the illegitimate children of Aegon the Unworthy. He fought for Daeron Targaryen (the second) in the Blackfyre Rebellion, later served as Master of Whisperers for another couple kings, before eventually being sentenced to the Wall. I love him, he is my favorite character.
I wish they'd do a show on the Blackfyre Rebellion
Yes! Brynden Rivers aka Bloodraven was the illegitimate son of Aegon the Fourth and Melissa Blackwood (who's house worship the Old Gods). He served as Hand of the King and Master of Whispers for 25 years under King Aerys the First and Maekar the First. He stopped three of the Blackfyre Rebellions and was sent to The Wall....and became Lord Commander of the Night's Watch for 13 years. He went north of The Wall and was not seen for decades until found by Jojen & Meera Reed, Summer, Hodor and the current Brandon Stark
Started watching your channel because of game of thrones.with Eric and calvin
Amazing pilot. The hightowers seem very interesting and I can't wait to learn more about Otto. King vicerys is compelling, the princesses are really well cast. I'm so excited for episode 2
i remember finding Blind Wave through game of thrones season 5 and that was when i found the very best reaction channel. i feel like this show is going to be something special. and im glad im still here watching you guys :)
I had my doubts given how the wig looks on Matt Smith but damn when he’s given a tv series to do he always hits it out of the park (can’t say the same about his movies though lol), didn’t expect paddy constantine but certainly a welcome suprise
I've not seen all of them but I feel like he's still good in the movies he's in, but some of the movies are very much not good
I didn't care much for his Doctor Who stuff
Man it feels so damn good to be able to look through the comments without getting spoiled!
People forget that while Game of Thrones had disappointing seasons 7 and 8, the first seasons were good. With seasons 1-4 being outstanding. I think this series will be great. Hopefully, these creators learned from the mistakes the other two guys made at the end of game of thrones.
"the gods have yet to make a man who hasn't the patience for absolute power, your grace."
That's true. Robert Baratheon hasn't been born yet.
"They know."
I almost wonder that myself. It's said that dragons are smarter than men, far smarter than men. I wonder if Syrax knew JUST who was in the shroud....who she was cremating.
Even animals in this world could know that, by scent if nothing else. There always seemed a magic or mystical side to their connections with their riders, so I think they know.
I like having a section for "Rick's thoughts." Mostly because I enjoy that Rick can sometimes temper enthusiasm and Eric's tendency to let things slide. Sometimes he errs on the side of a bit too pedantic but it works, I think. I think Aaron might be better at arguing his points sometimes when it's just two.
A cool thing about the historical context that I just noticed: Game of Thrones was heavily inspired by the War of the Roses, which took place between 1455 and 1485. This series takes place 172 years prior to Game of Thrones, and 100 years after Aegon's Conquest; roughly 240 years prior to the War of the Roses, the Magna Carta was signed, preceding the First Barons' War, and 150 years before that was the Norman Conquest.
I've never read Fire and Blood, but I wonder if this series will similarly parallel events of the 13th Century, maybe even the Barons' War. In that, numerous English barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, a certification of promises made by John's great-grandfather Henry I. John immediately went back on it, which caused the barons to go to France's King Philippe II, triggering civil war. John was killed within the year as he visited Newark.
Unrelated, I was quite pleased to see Sian Brooke as Aemma, Viserys's wife, after binging Sherlock just last week. The woman who played Euros Holmes and gave what I thought was a terrifyingly psychotic performance as her, is a perfect choice for any Targaryen in my eyes.
My understanding is that the Dance is based on The Anarchy.
I’m just gonna say this… it feels so good that they have the source material to work with it feels so rich.
Did Aegon the conqueror also dream that the long night would literally last one night?
It was a quick dream
That's what happens when you AVERT the Long Night, which is what they did, specifically by having Jon unite the realms the way the prophecy said.
Dont forget the long night happened before, and it will happen again most likely,. Its not a one time thing
@@dws0828 just a nap
Aegon accidentally dreamt of the book verse where the writing actually makes sense :)
Spartan & Pudgey are reacting to HotD without knowing GoT!
I was surprised to see such a fair looking Stark when we saw Rickon
He made Eddard look like a party man lol.
@@kmjkmjkmj right. Both Benjen and Liana had dark brown hair. I think Benjen knew about Jon the whole time, to be honest.
the timestamps in the play bar are such a good addition to the videos thanks for adding them.
I really liked this more than I thought I would. My only complaints really are that Lords were just killing each other and/or letting their sons be killed during a Tourney which is super weird even though they try to explain it by the long peace causing people to be itching to fight... I still can't imagine Lords and Knights being okay with such murder in a tourney since they would just be losing heirs and important warriors and it would start lots of feuds. That and I didn't like that Daemon only lost to Criston Cole because he was cocky and celebrating early -- Daemon is an absolute badass that is much better than most fighters, but it was suggested that Criston Cole was always supposed to be just a bit better than him as a warrior (not counting him using his dragon) as he's legitimately one of the most skilled knights in the history of Westeros in terms of personal combat ability.
That said, I thought this was a very solid premiere and a good episode to pull people back into the world and introduce audiences to many of the major characters that will be integral to the story they're telling with the Dance.
14:11
So the actress who plays Viserys' queen, the mother who died.. She played Eurus Holmes in the Cumberbatch' Sherlock series
Any chance of adding subtitles for future episodes?
I think turning this story into a show was so smart considering there is a lot of wiggle room with how the characters interact and behave because the book was much more vague in the characterization than ASOIAF was
I loved the first episode. I hope they expand on magic and the lore because this is the height of the Targaryen Dynasty and dragons which must impact the magic in the world.
Yeah i hope this show explore the more fantasy side of the world like magic and mythological creatures like manticores and basilisks.
Its not explicitly stated in the books, but George has said that Aegon and the Valyrians knew that the "Doom of Men" would come out of the North of Westeros. Thats why Aegon united the 7 kingdoms, and its why the Valyrians were slowly making their way west from Essos during their time. George said this years before House of the Dragon was a thing. So he was always planning on it being part of the books eventually.
Small nitpicks on the CGI here and there but overall it was a fantastic first episode.
I love how even at 4k the characters and costumes look like they belong and don't have that flawless just got my skin care treatment done look that Netflix and Amazon shows have.
Can't wait for next week.
why nitpick anything
remember it's a tv show, so they have a budget limit
@@2k2eg20 I know, hopefully they focused their budget on more important scenes.
@@joetheblu3 because the aerial shot of kings landing and the dragon fire looked a bit cheap? Like I said, those were about the only things but overall it was a great first episode in every other aspect.
Yes the cgi not being perfect and the iron throne not being a copy of the books are my complaints, wich are the ones im happy to have! Story and dialog are the most important and it shined in this ep imo. Way better than top notch cgi but bland story
I just found out that the actor who played Old King Jaehaerys is the same man who playes Bib Fortuna in Return of the Jedi 😅
I kind of wonder if Viserys has a condition that makes him unable to feel ANY pain, not just the candle fire at the end... when they're looking at his wound on his back he seems as though he can't even tell it's there, and when he cuts himself on the throne the "sound" of the cut plays and he doesn't react, then only when he touches his face does he realize he's bleeding.
Also, I don't know if this was intentional or not, but when Daemon is dueling Criston Cole, it's very obvious that Cole's armor does not fit him well (huge plate gaps whenever he moves, especially on the breastplate), while Daemon's is perfectly tailored to him, and I wonder if that's because Cole couldn't afford tailored armor (he's stated to be a commoner by Rhaenyra's guard), so he just scrounged together whatever he could find for the tourney. Of course, it could just be the costumers not giving a fuck about the accuracy of the armor fit too, lol.
The importance of Oldtown (Hightower's seat of power) also comes from the fact that, before Aegon's Conquest and King's Landing's creation, it was Seven Kingdoms' largest city.
the young actresses are only for a few episodes. they are not the main actresses for Alicent and Rhaneara. There is going to be several time jumps. both versions of them are in the trailer.
"beat the dragon knight."
Daemon is not the drsgon knight. That would be his grandson, Aemon. Who would be the only Targaryen to join the Kingsguard. He also wielded Daemon's sword, Dark-sister.
The way the camera goes soft whilst focusing on Viserys when he has to make the decision for the C-Section is so real to how true fear and horror and hopelessness feels. Then seeing him lose both was an ultimate gut punch.
SPOILERS!!!
I have no idea Viseyrs decide that. I just always though Aemma is too weak after the difficult deliveries and passed away, making the death of the heir a lot more tragic. This changes my perspective toward Viserys, now it looks like he’s actually wanted to be rid of Aemma as she told him “this is the last” which makes his decision in the future very irrational. Should’ve make the death a tragic one, Aemma died and the Baby succumbed hours later because his mother’s not there. Viserys in grief and ridden with guild decide to make Rhaenyra his heir as a token of his love to Aemma, and later force her to marry Rhaenys’s son as an apologize to her as well because the whole succession is burdening his minds.
@@AlexS-oj8qf no he needed to choose between saving the kid or losing them both. Viserys did nothing wrong.
@@AlexS-oj8qf I have no idea what show you were watching if you thought for a second that Viserys wanted to be rid of Aemma in those scenes. He was clearly nervous that she wouldn’t provide him when she said it was the last time, but I felt like he accepted that because he shared her pain. He was also clearly devastated to lose her.
You guys. Those sets. Wow....the sets look amazing and the music is straight fire. This series looks like it is going to be SO good. I hope they take their time and do not rush anything.
As shown in this very episode, even queens can die giving birth. So even if a woman is the best leader they've ever had, people will always look at it as a risk for the line of succession. Imagine if the ruler and their heir both die without a clear next in line, the entire kingdom would be at war with each other.
Tbh viserys seems like a king to admire. Never expected that
Yea at the Joust sword fight scene I was screaming "STOP CUTTING" and it immediately cut to them cutting open the queens stomach and I screamed again "STOP CUTTING".
Loll
it's on purpose, men play at war, women die in childbirth fighting
They chose Dany's theme "breaker of chains" as background music to the prophecy scene. Not Jon's.
Sacrifice one OR lose them both. My take is the queen was going to die anyways.
episode 1 is a pleasant surprise , wow , the books are finished thats why the script is strong and i like how this show stays faithfull to the books . This is top tier television .
The idea that as soon as the prophecy wasn't passed to the heir and the Targ succession was broken is what sets the White Walkers into motion is peak Martin
Shame it all amounts to a really bad night
Yeah, I feel like this show would do well to avoid referencing the original series.
Then don't think about it as referencing the show. It's referencing the story from the books and that's not finished yet.
@@ketchup016 amen