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I love how kinda low-key this episode is. It really shows the impact of dragons crashing. The political tension was also very interesting (which I felt it previously lack strategizing). This world is bigger than just the dragon, it's also about resources & allies management.
I agree the patience and character work... to me it feels like the writers and showrunners understand what makes the Franchise great. There is a lot of subtelty about motherhood and the perception of yourself based on your birth and gender that gets overlooked and underapreciated by the 80% male reddit audience yelling 'booo girlboss' 🥰
This is one of two reasons I knew he was still alive. I won't say the other cause spoilers. I haven't read the book but I know some of the history. But... the show likes to drop hints all the time and I just KNEW her telling him to do nothing would come back to bite her in the ass in the form of Aegon being alive but bedridden.
Refreshing to see people saying they enjoyed this episode. So many were hating it as soon as the credits started rolling. I understand, but I feel like they were starting so many things in this episode. I felt like I needed to start taking notes lol not a bad thing, but I think it will be an episode we will be coming back to
@@psychedelicyeti6053 for real. no one has even mentioned cristen cleaning his sword with salt and lemons right when he tells a lie to alicent. LEMONS. THE SYMBOLISM. people hating on this episode are probably just missing all the cool stuff because not paying attention because no explosions.
Damon isn’t confronting her about the potion and dreams because HES INTO IT. He knows it’s real magic, and he is interested, he wants more power, but of course is playing with power greater than him that he doesn’t understand.
Rhaenyra as the named heir should have been regent queen the whole time when Viserys was terminal but team green hid how sick he was so Alicent got a taste of power. She actually thought they were going to pick her! She’s is rethinking everything now as she should.
It is 100% Rhaenyra’s mistake. If she lusted for power in the Capital so much, she could’ve stayed there. King might’ve named her a regent or a co-ruler, but instead she fled the Capital… because of what exactly? The evil Queen was bullying her?! Boo-hoo
I love the slow pacing, people say it was boring and felt like a filler but i like mainly because it was just as you described setting the pressure and building the tension more and more up for what's to come
It actually kind of makes sense why Criston backed Aemond over Alicent to be Regent. Criston just watched Aemond turn on his own brother and tried to burn him alive and now Criston probably thinks Aemond will turn on him next.
Na man... To me, this whole debacle is just proof of how male peacock behaviour makes war inevitable. "We need strength" yada yada yada NO! YOU NEED BRAINS!
Yeah, with Daemon you were accurate about the previous episode's dream being his subconscious forcing upon him the question of what does he really want? He wants the throne? Then he has to confront the fact that that could easily mean killing his niece to secure it. This episode is merely him trying to muster the resolve for his ambition...although funnily enough, in dealing with the Brackens and Blackwoods he is once again reminded just how ugly that sort of ambition can get, when he unleashes the Blackwoods upon a campaign of terror. It's why his own stress goes up so visibly, when the riverlords come to him during the night to tell him the Blackwoods are terrorizing everyone now, not just the Brackens. In essence, he's trying to steel himself and find the resolve and ambition to go for the throne...but every single time one of these truly vile things comes back at him, to remind him how ugly he'll have to become to get that, it very visibly bothers him. I agree they are overdoing it with the dreams, but I have a bit of an advantage of knowing his ultimate fate, so I won't spoil it...I'll just say that I can see what the writers are aiming for psychologically with his journey and I approve massively as it makes total sense as to what his ultimate choice becomes later on. I just hope they can do it justice in the show, so that people can understand it...
I can't wait to see what his conclusion is. I have vague knowledge that I read quite awhile back, but it's faded from memory to a mere shadow and I don't intend to spoil it now.
I'm for these weirwood fever dreams. I feel like we got robbed from them in GoT. Maybe they are overcompensating lol but I can see how people are growing bored especially when we want rhaenyra to get moving. She needs Daemon to do this imo
I've been stewing on the Alicent / Krispy affair for a bit now and I think I understand it better. Alicent has had so little agency in control of her body, her mind, her spirit all her life. Her own father was trying to exploit her as a young girl because her mother wasn't around to try to protect her. She's never had anyone truly be there for her and looking out for her. Criston is the first person she feels that what is shared between them is truly sacred and private. ( unlocked doors aside...) in addition to this, she seemed jealous of Rhaenyra's freedom when they were younger. Sexually and personally. Hurt her friend got to experience the pros of sexuality while she was experiencing marital SA. I also think she was a bit jealous and had a supressed childhood crush on Rhaenyra, and the showrunners have confirmed the ambiguous nature of their earlier friendship) What better way to reclaim one's anatomy and personhood than with the same man in the same bedroom as your friend you had wanted to be? It makes sense honestly. She also knew it would be more likely to be discreet so that she may maintain her Public Image. Although it's obvious she's been caring less and less about the discretion of it with each episode, such has the not locked door or so openly talking intimately in the courtyard.
The more power he gets, the worse he treats her. Alicent needs to make a real friend, stop grasping for power and believing any man in her circle will help put her above them. She might find a little happiness before she dies. I am in agreement that it would be a nice twist to have Criston Cole be the father of Daeron. It would prove my belief that their affair has been longstanding. Like since episode seven of the first season and the only reason she drank that moon tea is because she no longer has a husband to automatically be the father .
@@gracehaven5459 i could swear this argument would show its head. i don’t know. wouldn’t viserys or rhaenyra have said sthg when she was always commenting on their kids, when she was sending to see the babies? who knows? we’ll see.
Rhaynys was heroic.... to her family and supporters. To the citizens of kings landing, she randomly showed up and killed them during aegons coronation. (Though i will admit, she was under duress. She was about to be imprisoned in KL unless she bent the knee and she couldnt leave her dragon.)
Yeah episode 9 of session 1 is kind of a cancerous tumor on the rest of the series. It derailed both Rhaynys’s arc and you can’t really see her as the perfect queen everyone says she is when she has technically killed more innocent small folk than even Aegon when he got roasted for the rat catchers.
@@theredsir869 i mean what other way could she get her and her dragon out of KL. Especially since we know dragons are like family- she cant just leave her.
I mean they brought the dragons out in previous episodes without them going through the floorboards, and I find it highly unlikely that that would be the only way they could get out quickly. That would be a serious design flaw that any dragon rider or keeper would point out immediately. Also realistically Rhaenys would have gotten crushed, so just dumb writing decision all around.
@@coffeeking9565 There's a back entrance we've known about since the first ten minutes of episode 1. If that was blocked or guarded, tell us that with dialogue from someone like Rhaenys or Otto even. It could be framed as "I had no other choice" or "It was a mistake for us to cage her in" but we've had absolutely no mention of it. They made their shocking sequence, they could have justified it, and they dropped the ball on it.
As much as I do like how much they're exploring the magical side of the world, I do agree that the weirwood visions are getting a little much. I think we've gotten all we needed from them to get a look into Daemon's psyche, and it only seems to be embolden his resolve at this point, so unless there is a turning point for him from them, I kinda hope they're done now.
I disagree! I think I don't want 'cool swagger badass Daemon' back. I think this character needs a real reckoning with how much he is deceiving himself about what he wants, how he feels, how a character who lived all his life as a bully who never suffers consequences and gets everything he wants would deal with circumstances where that doesn't help any more... I find it all immensely interesting 🤗
When Daemon was speaking with the Blackfoot, he specifically says that there are things that the Crown can't be seen doing, then whispers, do your worst. Then later in the episode, when the River lords come to Daemon, they say that the Blackfoots carried the Targaryen banner while committing crimes. Daemon's failure is of his own making -- no wonder Viserys never wanted Daemon as the Hand of the King.
I like how Criston and Aemond won't say what happened, but won't lie either. They could have said Aegon's injuries were caused by Rhaenys. They could even have chalked it up toe the general chaos of battle and called it an accident.
My favourite bit of this episode was the long shot on Alicent at the council meeting as she realises her power has completely evaporated. It's so haunting and had me feeling the same horror as her.
I just wanted to pop in with complements on how well put together and presented your content is. I'm a book fan and tend to usually lean toward creators who have the in depth knowledge of the lore within the books and can add that insight to their content. I am also aware that show only fans may enjoy creators who are experiencing the content in the same way they are and giving feedback from that perspective. You are one of the best creators I've seen do that so far. Kudos to you! Keep it up!
People need to chill about the occasional slow episode. No show that’s well written can be nonstop action. Unless it’s Fury Road or John Wick. Normal shows have ups and downs.
No idea how y'all are missing he's the best part of the latest episode. The Greens and Blacks made some political moves, but Daemon is having the deepest crisis and it's wonderful.
Olivia is brilliant in this role, so is Ewan, but it just crosses the lines of believability when they atand right next to each other and are supposed to be mother and son 😅 they definitely look more like disgruntled siblings watching Aegon return than mother and child. I know that it is usual to hire young adults instead of teenagers for teenage roles. I know that in the books Alicent is cannonly supposed to still be "fly AF" for her age. But still... keeping in mind she is only 1 to 5 years older than the actors playing her children pulls me out of the fantasy for a bit because of the jarring nature of it 🫠 even so, Aegon's quiet "Mummy" absolutely broke my heart. That and the brutal scene with the armor removal nearly killed me. I audibly said "poor baby" multiple times. Had to remind myself he was a rapist last season just to pull it together!!
Same here. Between this episode and the aftermath of B&C, I really felt for him and had to remind myself he's a degenerate. Then I find myself thinking maybe he wouldn't be such a degenerate if he had someone to give him the love and structure and discipline he needed as a youngling. TGC is killing it as Aegon. There have been hints of the not awful person he could've been.
@@S.D._777_ precisely! Couldn't agree more. If he had a better upbringing, so much of it could have been avoided. I think he could have even been "sweet" if things had been different for him.
I respect your point of view with Aegon, however I believe that he is not a rapist or a serial degenerate, I absolutely believe that the rape thing happened only once and was born from stupidity, alcohol and carelessness, not from malice and I also believe that he never does it again, especially because of how Alicent scolded him. But I totally understand why you feel and see it that way, it's something the show brings after all.
@WillyYalad-ep7gv he forced himself on Dyana, who was crying and upset after it happened. It WAS S.A. just because someone is under the influence doesn't mean it doesn't count!!
@@gracehaven5459 Damn, I wrote it wrong, I mean serial rapist, and yes I know, I know one is so bad like 100, but I just talking about the character. I think the intention is important, and in his case by the answer he gave to her mother it wasn't something he realize until that moment or something born from malicous
HOTD is between a roch and a hard place because this set-up episode is, well, setting up future plot points which people are complaining about but without it then people would complain that this season was rushed like GOT S8
I didn't find it particularly or noticeably slow. To me, something is slow when it feels the writing is dragging things out with unnecessary scenes and dialog and delaying getting to the good parts. This was genuinely appropriate drama and character building. In a couple scenes, we got more from Jace and Baela than in all previous episodes. They even show signs that they'd make a good king and queen.
I like how the blacks (apart from Daemon) truly care for each other and work together towards the same goal. The greens resents or not care about each other and don’t know how to work together. Even sometimes scheme against each other.
That's a great take on a really excellent episode While I understand your point about subtlety, I think the episode was perfect in this regard 9/10 for me, only issue being Daemon's dreams
alicent knows that if aemond gains a little bit of power he will not relinquish it, and he cannot be controlled unlike aegon. alicent is done.... also dragging meleys head around will brew to become the stormin of the dragon pit, cole is moved only by revenge for his rejection by rhaenyera .
the people pointing out thay dragons are just meat at the begging of the episode and then screaming "give us meat, we want meat" when they're being not allowed to leave... not so subtle
I will relate this episode to chapter 6 of Red Dead redemption 2 when something happens to Arthur (no spoilers) and the last two epilogue chapters are kind of slow at first. You need that cool down to appreciate what you lost that way. When the action amps up again, it means something because you had that time to reflect on what you lost.
8:34 do you think the Greens are fighting because of Alicent's misinterpretation of Viserys's final words? They are fighting because Aegon is his firstborn son and thus traditionally is the heir. Aegon would still have been made king if Alicent hadn't misinterpreted Viserys.
I know many names in Westeros are similar, but it can't be a coincidence that Alys and Daemon's mother share the same name, plus the new dream sequence with his mother (Alyssa). She was also the dragon rider of Meleys before Rhaenys. Which is interesting he dreams about her just after Meleys dies. Just reading about Alyssa Targaryen and it's interesting the parallels between her and Tyrion Lannister looks wise (blonde (not Targ silver-blonde) hair, miss matched eyes and a damaged nose).
I have this theory about how or why Alicent is so distant from her kids. Royal protocol often dictates that queens make the babies that’s pretty much it. The kids have people to raise them the queen is more a symbol than an actual person. This coupled with Alicent’s devotion to the 7 gods, and not really caring for how the incest of the Targaryen family. Not to mention she had them so young, and how it was the marriage and child rearing that really severed her sisterhood with Rhaenyra. All that, is why Alicent does not know how to be a mother. She does not know to be gentle and affectionate without it being weird, not to mention her kids are not like others. One is a perverted tyrant, another is a one eyed robot, and the most innocent is stuck between reality and her visions. As much as Alicent was a distant mom her kids were very cactus in how affectionate they were.
You can also literally see Alicent looking at the ceiling and trying to distance herself when Viserys is with her in bed, and when the maid says he requests her she responds that the hour is quite late. So all her children are a product of marital grape and Aegon’s birth would likely cause even more friction with Rhaenyra, as from Rhaenyra’s perspective her father now has the son and heir he always wanted. This along with the fact Alicent doesn’t have any emotional support from Viserys or her father, being a mother is very difficult for her especially as she is still a child herself.
I really liked the episode personally. Second favorite of the season for sure, right behind Battle of Rooks Rest. I thought we saw some good progress with the Black Council not being at each others throat. And Jace really pulled a W with the Freys. And since it's nit Walder Frey I have hope they might help for real lol.
I love love love all the diplomatic politicking in house of the dragon. I don't find it boring at all!!! It's full of sociological tension and I am nerding over it. It's more like real life, war doesn't just happen because some people want to kill each other. To me, house of the dragon is a study on how war could be avoided if people didn't fuck up so much. There have been SO MANY opportunities to stop this madness but human failure and weaknesses and shame and pride will make war inevitable. Again, like real life.
Alys Rivers is a ghost. After she says to daemon “you never knew your mother” Lord Strong comes in and looks in her cage direction but with the look of “what are you looking at” and alys strolls away and pass Strong and vanish. Rewatch it. It’s weird.
This episode gave us all time to breathe and process. But I feel we are being given Easter eggs for how certain characters may divert from their book counterparts…
sir alfred isnt disloyal he is just opinionated, he cares for his queen, thats why he is like that, if he just wants a place in her court, he could be a yes man, but he genuinely wants her to win this war, certainly the black council is more wholesome than the green.
I think you might be giving the show too much credit by assuming that we're supposed to see Rhaenys' massacre in the Dragonpit as an atrocity. When the show wants us to read something that way, they make sure to underline it by having a character point it out within an episode, as they did with Aegon hanging the rat catchers or Cole parading Meleys through the streets. Thus far, there have been no consequences for Rhaenys stomping all over a couple hundred smallfolk, nobody points out what a supremely boneheaded move it was, everyone seems to forget about it as soon as it happens. I'm happy to be proven wrong if it gets brought up again later, but for now, Occam's Razor suggests it was just a bit of sloppy writing in which the creators intended us to see it as a badass moment and then forget all about it.
Every time you do the World Anvil ads, it makes me laugh and puts a smile on my face each time. Also, the last ad you did for the previous episode was a good segue. I really like episodes like these where we get to see the effects of the last episode. And as much as I usually love the whole #Team thing cause it's fun on a superficial level (it makes me nostalgic when GoT had it's early seasons, and we're all theorizing and cheering on the house that'll take the iron throne. But i guess you could also argue the same thing here). It really does take away the whole "neither side is really good, and smallfolk get the short end of the stick" thing. I get doing the #Team thing is great for marketing and make people invest more into the show, plus a great way to sell merch, but it does take away the whole "everyone is slowly showing what they're willing they're compromise to gain power and should we really root for them?" kind of thing. Unless a #TeamSmallfolk arises or something. Also gotta say, Aegon's actor keeps killing it each episode! Plus the prosthetics and makeup team! That was gnarly!
Thank you for mentioning Rhaenys taking out hundreds of innocent civilians in episode 9. It wouldn't be so bad if she didn't go on to preach about restraint. It's so annoying.
what would comrade hugh hammer and sickle do? would he free the smallfolk from the yoke of Targaryen oppression? or just proclaim:" I am king now ,I have a big ass dragon"?
The big thing about House of the Dragon that is separating it from the later seasons of GoT is that HotD is trying to do something at least. The later seasons of GoT were just doing stuff with no real direction other than concluding the series. Like no expanding of the characters no themes, just noise. HotD with Daemons weird incest dreams really embraces the weirdness of the books.
I thought the first 3 episodes of this season were the 3 weakest of the series so far. But 4 and 5 have been pretty great. I'm so happy they reeled me back in, I was losing so much enthusiasm for Sunday nights.
@@morganhunt8051 no, but to be fair, I was out of town until a couple weeks ago, so I binged the first 3 episodes back to back as soon as I got home. I may go back and rewatch it
If crazy shit happens all the time it burns you out having luls for good story telling and character development and plot development are why shows like Shogun and House of the Dragon are so good and a breath of fresh air.
I don’t mind slow - I still liked all the Greens stuff happening. But the Blacks (esp. Daemon stuff), just seemed to drag. Slow build can still be strengthened with interesting writing and character dynamics which I found lacking in the Blacks scenes this episode.
Alys and Larys are both trying to just upset things as much as possible. I think they’re both working for the old gods to undermine the dragon lords on both sides.
I may be getting a little ahead of myself but I would love to see a whole video just on Ser Cole once we see his whole arc through the show (or however long he makes it)
Hi! I'm JimmyG. The American Targaryen! Neat kinda rhymes. I'm on summer break here near Chicago from teaching. Been sorta binge watching yer channel. I really enjoy it and wish I had a therapist like you. I would like to buy you a coffee but I'm not sure how much a coffee is in the U.K. So any-who keep up the good work. --Jim
One more thing...as a historian, I'm also amazed at significant historical events often flip on very mundane things. HoD does this well and so did the HBO show, Rome which got displayed because of the budget and because HBO was wanting to go towards GoT. Irony too. History and good stories revolve around irony and Occum's Razor. Trump Delenda Est (politically) MAGA Delenda Est -- JG
I don't think Alys is giving Daemon the dreams, as much as she can navigate them and is aware of them. Daemon has a lot of stuff going on in his subconscious, so a lot of his demons (for lack of a better word) are coming out on full display for him to try and deal with. Alys is trying to steer Daemon away from committing atrocities by bringing up the women and children that are being tormented by Willem Blackwood, so when that fails, she mentions his mother, as a way to kind of try to appease whatever humanity he has left sort of like saying "you don't care about those mothers and their children because you never knew your own mother." It's harsh, but Daemon needed to hear it. I think the point really gets driven home when Laena appears to his later and asks if he's looked out for their daughters; not only has Daemon never known his mother, but he has distanced himself from his children greatly in his pursuit of power, all while giving the greenlight for mothers and children to be brutalized. Idk, it's just interesting to think about.
Alicent and Helaena end up as prisoners in the Red Keep. Alicent lives until old age and later freed. Her daughter sadly jumped out of the tower way before that. This was in the book, and will possibly be changed like a lot of things have
When you weigh Rhaenys's positives and negatives, she's a failure in the ASOIAF universe. She could've ended this conflict before it began with that dramatic prison break in S1 and maybe even had a claim to the throne. But she didn't do that, and later decided to kamikaze her way to a dishonorable death, leaving the Blacks another dragon down and another experienced Targaryan dead. The argument about the battle, "not being hers to start," is a cop out. They PUT HER IN PRISON, that gives you a free ticket to retaliate, especially if the opportunity to end the line of usurpers is staring you right in the face.
****spoiler warning**** I’m so sick of Alicent’s crap. She spent season one doing everything she could think of to make a peaceful transfer of power impossible after Viserys’ death and and has spent the entire second season wringing her hands about “maintaining the peace” and being disappointed in the sons she neglected. Theres even a moment when it’s heavily implied that Alicent had intended to honor Viserys’ choice of succession had he she not misinterpreted his death bed mumbling about Aegon’s dream. This after 20 years of picking fights with the blacks, spreading rumors of Raenyra’s infamy and infidelity (which was only done because she was unable to produce heirs with her gay husband), insisting that her sons inherit the throne even though she was so neglectful that she never bothered to raise either of them, and basically turning the Targaryen line of succession into a powder keg. She had a panic attack over the thought of Aemond taking power telling Cole “you know what he is,” as if Aegon, the son she committed treason to put on the throne, was any better? He’s an incompetent, impulsive drunk who took delight in R wording his maids and watching his own illegitimate children fight to the death who has had no education in statecraft, who she spent zero effort in preparing him to rule, and who never wanted the throne in the first place! Oh, but obviously she could never support Raenyra because 20 years ago she lied about popping her cherry and Otto insisted she would kill the green kids even though Raenyra has never demonstrated that level of ruthlessness. Oh no! A bastard might inherit! As if that’s never happened before in Westerosi history. Oh wait it has, including in the Targaryan line. The world did not end. Alicent’s most prominent personality trait is hypocrisy. I wouldn’t care that she was doing Cole, except that she’s committing adultery with the same man that Raenyra did and she betrayed Raenyra. And for some reason, she’s surprised that the man who responded to Raenyra’s rejection by committing murder and political espionage didn’t have much loyalty to her. The audacity of Alicent to be shocked that the world is falling down around her after the choices she made is absolutely enraging. There’s a reason that the war ends with all of Alicent’s children and grandchildren dead, house Hightower in shambles, and Raenyra’s son on the throne.
@@paranoidhumanoid1022 the book was published over 6 years ago dude. This comment section is filled with spoilers. If you didn’t want to be spoiled, you should’ve stayed out of the comment section.
@@missanthropy6174 I read the top comments and yours is the only one that spoiled, which is understandable since the creator keeps the connect spoiler free. no need to get defensive, being considerate costs you nothing
@@paranoidhumanoid1022 not defensive, just pointing out the obvious. You’re the one who commented something snarky instead of politely suggesting a spoiler warning. If it makes you feel any better, revealing who eventually sits the throne spoils very little, so you have a lot to look forward to watching. And as a book reader, I can tell you that the show has made quite a few changes from the source material already so there’s likely more that book readers like myself can’t spoil.
I wish we got to see more Aemond this season as THEE villain he’s not been present this season has been lacking….. His rise to power has been interesting but I haven’t felt very connected to him and why he’s so willing to kill for it
exactly! i feel the same! i wished they developed his character more because i just dont know what to feel about his sudden desire for the throne, no matter how much he talked about doing his duty last season
@@justpassingthruskdjb His "sudden" desire for the throne? He tried to tarnish the maidenhood of his niece to force his brother to marry him to her. He's been gunning for the throne for decades, he just keeps failing and going back to his Valyrian LARPing.
@@justpassingthruskdjbdefinitely not sudden. He’s stated in S1 that he’s more knowledgeable, skilled with a sword, etc and would make a better king than Aegon.
I'm a little confused why they consider the death of Rheanys and her dragon as heroic. I personally can't fathom why she didn't escape. She had already seen one dragon go down (and the Aegon with it) and she had no hope of taking on that much larger dragon on her own, and she didn't. It felt like a waste to me.
It’s the same as Brienne taking that fight at the end of AFFC. It was 7 on 1 and she knew it was hopeless, but she was defending innocent people and children. She says “no chance against that many. No chance, and no choice” Rhaenys also just saw the king and his dragon go down. She doesn’t have a great chance against Vhagar but if she did manage to come out on top the war would essentially be over. The book even says “against Vhagar alone, perhaps Meleys might have stood a chance”
13:45 i feel like with how things are going this will be yet another example of the blacks just being better at cooperating than the greens. If Daemon was in team green he would be seen as a traitor. But in team black Raenyra will see that reigning as equals with him is just as good as the original plan and then they will earn mutual respect, im calling it. Hes determined to be equal to her after all, not superior, and i think Raenya isnt so proud that she cant accept that, specially if it means avoiding war.
The theme is people make stupid decisions trying to hold onto power. We already know the ending, so we are kind of cheating. But how can the blacks think of handing off their source of power over to other people and think they can then still control them? Once the dragon is bonded to another it us under the control of it's rider. What will the rider want?
I get that they are writing it so the commoners think the dragons are gods but I still feel like there should have been something more since they were dragging in the head of the dragon who killed an unknown-amount-but-looked-like-100+ people. Like, that could have actually tied up that loose end of the writers not acknowledging this. So it feels a little late-seasons GoT which is a bit worrying.
Do the common people really know the dragons well enough or recognize Meleys tho? With all the dust kicked up at the dragon pit idk how likely it is anyone recognized her then either
@@RussellB yeah I think they might be aware of them but my assumption is that the average peasant is too heads-down-trying-to-survive to worry that much about the angry blondes and their pet lizards
@@mylittlethoughttree in the sense that i like his psyche being less opaque, but at this point it’s unclear what the source of the dreams is, also, they’re becoming more and more ambiguous, etc. and it’s been three episodes of this now and it seems they’re just giving him the worst or most creepy things to hallucinate about because it’s riveting for the viewer or sthg.
Not a big deal but it did stand out to me. Why did Rhaenys flirt with Alyn?? Seemed odd since she was basically thanking him for saving her husband. Or was that a misdirect? Does Rhaenys know his mother or possibly even be his mother??
she did not flirt! he is corlys’ illegitimate son, corlys had an affair, or affairs, because addam is his son, too. and she just looked at him and was trying to imagine his mother, how she looked, maybe how beautiful she was and if corlys could have really and deeply loved her.
@My Little Thought Tree 16:03 bit of a strawman, or misunderstanding at best. people were mostly upset because the writers put that in because they said they thought it looked badass. so they wanted us to cheer for that because it was 'cool'. then they said she doesn't take out the greens because she doesn't want to do that to another mother...even though she had just taken out a bunch of mothers by bursting through the floor ...mistakes were made. rhaenys's actions at the recent battle were also odd in a choreographic sense. not torching the treeline, hitting the field randomly instead? ok, maybe there's a dragon in the trees, makes sense to be wary. but getting knocked out of the sky, getting up and heading straight for the castle on a cliff with an apparently Sneak Lv 100-having Vhaegar behind it felt like a bad move for a seasoned rider thoughts?
Yeah there's a lot of valid reasons to criticise the show, some of which I've raised myself in the past. My point wasn't "people dislike the show because not enough battles" but "if you dislike the show for the lack of battles, that's not a great reason." It wasn't supposed to sound like I'm saying that's the only reason people dislike it, but it is a complaint I've seen crop up a bit, and I don't think it's a fair one
So Rhaenys should have stayed captured to chose to either kneel or die? Of course the small folk knows there is a civil war for the crown and Rhaenys running away is nothing to be mad at
I don't think it's a matter of should or shouldn't. Rhaenys needed to escape, and bursting through the dragonpit roof seemed the most logical route, if you had little regard for the smallfolk. It worked like she wanted. It was a very Targaryen thing to do. I wouldn't say we're meant to hate her exactly but it's a typical example of the feudal system, and cheering her certainly seems odd. Understandable ofcourse. Really, my main point is if people seriously think the writers were dumb and forgot that Rhaenys killed a tonne of people, no. They knew full well. The scene was intending to emphasise the innocent death
The perfume ad? This is kinda squicky but Targaryens are gonna Targaryen... I think she was Daemon's *mother*, who was also his father Baelon's sister, Alyssa. Both kids of Jaeherys and Alysanne. Who were also brother and sister.
I don’t think Alice is real. Nobody else seems to see her and nobody else has mentioned her in passing. I agree, it’s time to move on from Harrenhal. I’m over Daemon’s spooky Spirit Halloween adventures plotline. It’s eating up too many episodes.
If you don't think the show is black biased, you're hysterical. They literally made Rhaenyra a Mary Sue and Aegon a grapist for no reason. Just in this episode they made Corlys offer Driftmark to Baela (which he doesn't do in the book) and Baela VERY CONVENIENTLY deny it. In the book, Corlys is just as sexist as the other men in Westeros and prefers his bastard sons inheriting over his trueborn granddaughters. Oh, and Baela just denies it because God forbid the Velaryons have any infighting.
@@mylittlethoughttree I've always been curious about your stories since you often talk about writing and the creative process. A little blog tree would be cool to see!
I once did an old livestream reading some of my old short stories from years ago, so that currently exists but sharing more is something I would like to do
I really wouldn't go so far as to say that Alicent "unintentionally" pushed Aegon into that conflict. She told him to do nothing, she told him to act like Viserys, be wise and listen to wiser people. But he ignored her and went off to battle, because he was consumed with the shame he felt by learning about Aemond and Criston waging the war behind his back. Alicent is not at fault at ALL for Aegon going into battle.
She's certainly a factor. She could've encouraged him more to learn, to delegate, tell him he is capable of becoming a good king in time, give him an outlet to follow and express some agency. Instead, she effectively told him he was useless and should do and express nothing at all, feeling like he could never learn to be good. Therefore he was compelled to prove her wrong by acting rashly. The way it visually shows him moving from that conversation with her, smashing the jug, to the dragonpit I think emphasises she was a factor. I don't exactly blame her but it's another example of her lack of support
@@mylittlethoughttree I mean, you can blame a female for the actions of a man all you want, but she literally preached restraint, and you're saying she should feel guilty for Aegon's decision to go into battle. Ok.
@@gojiramonster2388if you think someone’s parent calling them useless and stupid doesn’t have a factor on how they act, mom or dad, I dunno what to tell you. Alicent has a thousand traumas of her own, but it doesn’t mean it’s ok she delivers them in mind to her son. He’s not ultimately evil for being a boy anymore than she’s ultimately good for being a woman.
I am a bit disappointed at the show at this point. Team black really needs a win, and soon. Up to this point its mainly only showing whats going on at Kings Landing and I dont give a fug whos doing who at kings landing. Alicent has also become everything she accused Rhaenyra of being, very classy.
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I love how kinda low-key this episode is. It really shows the impact of dragons crashing. The political tension was also very interesting (which I felt it previously lack strategizing). This world is bigger than just the dragon, it's also about resources & allies management.
Spot on comment , felt the same !
I agree the patience and character work... to me it feels like the writers and showrunners understand what makes the Franchise great. There is a lot of subtelty about motherhood and the perception of yourself based on your birth and gender that gets overlooked and underapreciated by the 80% male reddit audience yelling 'booo girlboss' 🥰
I liked the irony that Alicent told Aegon to do nothing ... & now that's all he can do
This is one of two reasons I knew he was still alive. I won't say the other cause spoilers. I haven't read the book but I know some of the history. But... the show likes to drop hints all the time and I just KNEW her telling him to do nothing would come back to bite her in the ass in the form of Aegon being alive but bedridden.
@@DisturbedFlyer7 is the second reason Joffrey's tour in GoT?
This episode blew me away with how good it is. It doesn’t need giant set pieces to be 10/10, this was a character episode, and it was amazing.
Refreshing to see people saying they enjoyed this episode. So many were hating it as soon as the credits started rolling.
I understand, but I feel like they were starting so many things in this episode. I felt like I needed to start taking notes lol not a bad thing, but I think it will be an episode we will be coming back to
@@psychedelicyeti6053 for real. no one has even mentioned cristen cleaning his sword with salt and lemons right when he tells a lie to alicent. LEMONS. THE SYMBOLISM. people hating on this episode are probably just missing all the cool stuff because not paying attention because no explosions.
Amen !!
It was so shite lol.
Nice sarcasm bro
Enjoyed Criston telling Alicent happened. Seeing an army obliterated by a 100 ft long fire breathing lizard tends to do that
Damon isn’t confronting her about the potion and dreams because HES INTO IT. He knows it’s real magic, and he is interested, he wants more power, but of course is playing with power greater than him that he doesn’t understand.
He also doesn't want to admit that he can be powerless to someone else, especially a woman, and especially a non-Targaryen.
Rhaenyra as the named heir should have been regent queen the whole time when Viserys was terminal but team green hid how sick he was so Alicent got a taste of power. She actually thought they were going to pick her! She’s is rethinking everything now as she should.
Dude Viserys was already very sick when Rae, let the capital, it was her mistake
It is 100% Rhaenyra’s mistake. If she lusted for power in the Capital so much, she could’ve stayed there. King might’ve named her a regent or a co-ruler, but instead she fled the Capital… because of what exactly? The evil Queen was bullying her?! Boo-hoo
I love the slow pacing, people say it was boring and felt like a filler but i like mainly because it was just as you described setting the pressure and building the tension more and more up for what's to come
It actually kind of makes sense why Criston backed Aemond over Alicent to be Regent. Criston just watched Aemond turn on his own brother and tried to burn him alive and now Criston probably thinks Aemond will turn on him next.
Na man... To me, this whole debacle is just proof of how male peacock behaviour makes war inevitable. "We need strength" yada yada yada NO! YOU NEED BRAINS!
Criston is looking at Aemond, his "Co-conspirator", and thinking now, "This guy totally played me. Why do I always get played by these Targaryens?"
Yeah, with Daemon you were accurate about the previous episode's dream being his subconscious forcing upon him the question of what does he really want? He wants the throne? Then he has to confront the fact that that could easily mean killing his niece to secure it. This episode is merely him trying to muster the resolve for his ambition...although funnily enough, in dealing with the Brackens and Blackwoods he is once again reminded just how ugly that sort of ambition can get, when he unleashes the Blackwoods upon a campaign of terror. It's why his own stress goes up so visibly, when the riverlords come to him during the night to tell him the Blackwoods are terrorizing everyone now, not just the Brackens.
In essence, he's trying to steel himself and find the resolve and ambition to go for the throne...but every single time one of these truly vile things comes back at him, to remind him how ugly he'll have to become to get that, it very visibly bothers him. I agree they are overdoing it with the dreams, but I have a bit of an advantage of knowing his ultimate fate, so I won't spoil it...I'll just say that I can see what the writers are aiming for psychologically with his journey and I approve massively as it makes total sense as to what his ultimate choice becomes later on. I just hope they can do it justice in the show, so that people can understand it...
I can't wait to see what his conclusion is. I have vague knowledge that I read quite awhile back, but it's faded from memory to a mere shadow and I don't intend to spoil it now.
I'm for these weirwood fever dreams. I feel like we got robbed from them in GoT. Maybe they are overcompensating lol but I can see how people are growing bored especially when we want rhaenyra to get moving. She needs Daemon to do this imo
I've been stewing on the Alicent / Krispy affair for a bit now and I think I understand it better. Alicent has had so little agency in control of her body, her mind, her spirit all her life. Her own father was trying to exploit her as a young girl because her mother wasn't around to try to protect her. She's never had anyone truly be there for her and looking out for her. Criston is the first person she feels that what is shared between them is truly sacred and private. ( unlocked doors aside...) in addition to this, she seemed jealous of Rhaenyra's freedom when they were younger. Sexually and personally. Hurt her friend got to experience the pros of sexuality while she was experiencing marital SA. I also think she was a bit jealous and had a supressed childhood crush on Rhaenyra, and the showrunners have confirmed the ambiguous nature of their earlier friendship) What better way to reclaim one's anatomy and personhood than with the same man in the same bedroom as your friend you had wanted to be? It makes sense honestly. She also knew it would be more likely to be discreet so that she may maintain her Public Image. Although it's obvious she's been caring less and less about the discretion of it with each episode, such has the not locked door or so openly talking intimately in the courtyard.
The more power he gets, the worse he treats her. Alicent needs to make a real friend, stop grasping for power and believing any man in her circle will help put her above them. She might find a little happiness before she dies. I am in agreement that it would be a nice twist to have Criston Cole be the father of Daeron. It would prove my belief that their affair has been longstanding. Like since episode seven of the first season and the only reason she drank that moon tea is because she no longer has a husband to automatically be the father .
@@cassieg8131 exactly. Even with Cole, the anatomy empowerment and connection overall is highly flawed.
@@cassieg8131 if he had been, daeron would look like a bastard, and her pulling shit on rhaenyra with how her babies look wouldn’t have flown.
@@monicad99 unless in this cannon, Daeron was sent away exactly Because he looks sus in paternity 🤔 I'm just throwing that out there 😂🤷♀️
@@gracehaven5459 i could swear this argument would show its head. i don’t know. wouldn’t viserys or rhaenyra have said sthg when she was always commenting on their kids, when she was sending to see the babies? who knows? we’ll see.
Rhaynys was heroic.... to her family and supporters.
To the citizens of kings landing, she randomly showed up and killed them during aegons coronation.
(Though i will admit, she was under duress. She was about to be imprisoned in KL unless she bent the knee and she couldnt leave her dragon.)
Yeah episode 9 of session 1 is kind of a cancerous tumor on the rest of the series. It derailed both Rhaynys’s arc and you can’t really see her as the perfect queen everyone says she is when she has technically killed more innocent small folk than even Aegon when he got roasted for the rat catchers.
@@theredsir869 i mean what other way could she get her and her dragon out of KL. Especially since we know dragons are like family- she cant just leave her.
I mean they brought the dragons out in previous episodes without them going through the floorboards, and I find it highly unlikely that that would be the only way they could get out quickly. That would be a serious design flaw that any dragon rider or keeper would point out immediately. Also realistically Rhaenys would have gotten crushed, so just dumb writing decision all around.
@@coffeeking9565 There's a back entrance we've known about since the first ten minutes of episode 1. If that was blocked or guarded, tell us that with dialogue from someone like Rhaenys or Otto even. It could be framed as "I had no other choice" or "It was a mistake for us to cage her in" but we've had absolutely no mention of it. They made their shocking sequence, they could have justified it, and they dropped the ball on it.
As much as I do like how much they're exploring the magical side of the world, I do agree that the weirwood visions are getting a little much. I think we've gotten all we needed from them to get a look into Daemon's psyche, and it only seems to be embolden his resolve at this point, so unless there is a turning point for him from them, I kinda hope they're done now.
I’m not sure we are looking into his psyche but onto the past and future - as with Bran
Have we seen the future in his visions yet, or just his past (and things that have never happened)?
I disagree! I think I don't want 'cool swagger badass Daemon' back. I think this character needs a real reckoning with how much he is deceiving himself about what he wants, how he feels, how a character who lived all his life as a bully who never suffers consequences and gets everything he wants would deal with circumstances where that doesn't help any more... I find it all immensely interesting 🤗
they need at least one final one with viserys as he is the center of of these dreams
When Daemon was speaking with the Blackfoot, he specifically says that there are things that the Crown can't be seen doing, then whispers, do your worst. Then later in the episode, when the River lords come to Daemon, they say that the Blackfoots carried the Targaryen banner while committing crimes. Daemon's failure is of his own making -- no wonder Viserys never wanted Daemon as the Hand of the King.
I like how Criston and Aemond won't say what happened, but won't lie either. They could have said Aegon's injuries were caused by Rhaenys. They could even have chalked it up toe the general chaos of battle and called it an accident.
My favourite bit of this episode was the long shot on Alicent at the council meeting as she realises her power has completely evaporated. It's so haunting and had me feeling the same horror as her.
It was so relatable. I've definitely felt like that.
I just wanted to pop in with complements on how well put together and presented your content is. I'm a book fan and tend to usually lean toward creators who have the in depth knowledge of the lore within the books and can add that insight to their content. I am also aware that show only fans may enjoy creators who are experiencing the content in the same way they are and giving feedback from that perspective. You are one of the best creators I've seen do that so far. Kudos to you! Keep it up!
Ahh thanks so much! 😊
People need to chill about the occasional slow episode. No show that’s well written can be nonstop action. Unless it’s Fury Road or John Wick. Normal shows have ups and downs.
Excellent chill, yet thorough, recap and commentary. And with no need to overly spoil, etc. Great content.
The transition to the Ad is probably one of my fav parts of every episode
100% agree on the exhaustion of daemons arc this year. They have really missed with him this season in my opinion
what the hell unc doing☠️
No idea how y'all are missing he's the best part of the latest episode. The Greens and Blacks made some political moves, but Daemon is having the deepest crisis and it's wonderful.
Olivia is brilliant in this role, so is Ewan, but it just crosses the lines of believability when they atand right next to each other and are supposed to be mother and son 😅 they definitely look more like disgruntled siblings watching Aegon return than mother and child. I know that it is usual to hire young adults instead of teenagers for teenage roles. I know that in the books Alicent is cannonly supposed to still be "fly AF" for her age. But still... keeping in mind she is only 1 to 5 years older than the actors playing her children pulls me out of the fantasy for a bit because of the jarring nature of it 🫠 even so, Aegon's quiet "Mummy" absolutely broke my heart. That and the brutal scene with the armor removal nearly killed me. I audibly said "poor baby" multiple times. Had to remind myself he was a rapist last season just to pull it together!!
Same here. Between this episode and the aftermath of B&C, I really felt for him and had to remind myself he's a degenerate. Then I find myself thinking maybe he wouldn't be such a degenerate if he had someone to give him the love and structure and discipline he needed as a youngling. TGC is killing it as Aegon. There have been hints of the not awful person he could've been.
@@S.D._777_ precisely! Couldn't agree more. If he had a better upbringing, so much of it could have been avoided. I think he could have even been "sweet" if things had been different for him.
I respect your point of view with Aegon, however I believe that he is not a rapist or a serial degenerate, I absolutely believe that the rape thing happened only once and was born from stupidity, alcohol and carelessness, not from malice and I also believe that he never does it again, especially because of how Alicent scolded him. But I totally understand why you feel and see it that way, it's something the show brings after all.
@WillyYalad-ep7gv he forced himself on Dyana, who was crying and upset after it happened. It WAS S.A. just because someone is under the influence doesn't mean it doesn't count!!
@@gracehaven5459 Damn, I wrote it wrong, I mean serial rapist, and yes I know, I know one is so bad like 100, but I just talking about the character. I think the intention is important, and in his case by the answer he gave to her mother it wasn't something he realize until that moment or something born from malicous
HOTD is between a roch and a hard place because this set-up episode is, well, setting up future plot points which people are complaining about but without it then people would complain that this season was rushed like GOT S8
I didn't find it particularly or noticeably slow. To me, something is slow when it feels the writing is dragging things out with unnecessary scenes and dialog and delaying getting to the good parts.
This was genuinely appropriate drama and character building. In a couple scenes, we got more from Jace and Baela than in all previous episodes. They even show signs that they'd make a good king and queen.
I like how the blacks (apart from Daemon) truly care for each other and work together towards the same goal.
The greens resents or not care about each other and don’t know how to work together. Even sometimes scheme against each other.
That's a great take on a really excellent episode
While I understand your point about subtlety, I think the episode was perfect in this regard
9/10 for me, only issue being Daemon's dreams
alicent knows that if aemond gains a little bit of power he will not relinquish it, and he cannot be controlled unlike aegon.
alicent is done....
also dragging meleys head around will brew to become the stormin of the dragon pit,
cole is moved only by revenge for his rejection by rhaenyera .
the people pointing out thay dragons are just meat at the begging of the episode and then screaming "give us meat, we want meat" when they're being not allowed to leave... not so subtle
Never seen this show, I just like listening to you talk.
😂 LEGEND 😂
Better than me, I often get fed up having to listen back to my voice while editing 😆
Same here!
@@mylittlethoughttree Right? Hearing your own voice is agonising!
You should watch it, really great show
I want Daeron to show up before the end of the season looking Dornish more than I have ever wanted anything in my whole life 😂
I don't know if I'd be able to stop cackling 😂
@@Ayem427right?? It would totally make sense why he was sent away
I would be the most stupid thing and destroy what little sense is still left in this show.
@@SergeyKhabarov2001 I doubt it 😂 the show has plenty sense, and I think it would add to the story while also being amusing
@@gracehaven5459 How does he even ride his dragon then?
I will relate this episode to chapter 6 of Red Dead redemption 2 when something happens to Arthur (no spoilers) and the last two epilogue chapters are kind of slow at first.
You need that cool down to appreciate what you lost that way. When the action amps up again, it means something because you had that time to reflect on what you lost.
"They're demanding 51% off" 😂 seamless ad transition right there!
8:34 do you think the Greens are fighting because of Alicent's misinterpretation of Viserys's final words? They are fighting because Aegon is his firstborn son and thus traditionally is the heir. Aegon would still have been made king if Alicent hadn't misinterpreted Viserys.
Yep they were already planning to put him on the throne before Alicent said anything.
I know many names in Westeros are similar, but it can't be a coincidence that Alys and Daemon's mother share the same name, plus the new dream sequence with his mother (Alyssa). She was also the dragon rider of Meleys before Rhaenys. Which is interesting he dreams about her just after Meleys dies. Just reading about Alyssa Targaryen and it's interesting the parallels between her and Tyrion Lannister looks wise (blonde (not Targ silver-blonde) hair, miss matched eyes and a damaged nose).
Dude, I love your videos so much. You go into deeper detail in analytical way. It’s like Alt Shift X, but with a psychological twist
Oh damn, that is high praise! Thanks
Love your analysis, particularly coming from a non-book reader.
I have this theory about how or why Alicent is so distant from her kids. Royal protocol often dictates that queens make the babies that’s pretty much it. The kids have people to raise them the queen is more a symbol than an actual person. This coupled with Alicent’s devotion to the 7 gods, and not really caring for how the incest of the Targaryen family. Not to mention she had them so young, and how it was the marriage and child rearing that really severed her sisterhood with Rhaenyra. All that, is why Alicent does not know how to be a mother. She does not know to be gentle and affectionate without it being weird, not to mention her kids are not like others. One is a perverted tyrant, another is a one eyed robot, and the most innocent is stuck between reality and her visions. As much as Alicent was a distant mom her kids were very cactus in how affectionate they were.
You can also literally see Alicent looking at the ceiling and trying to distance herself when Viserys is with her in bed, and when the maid says he requests her she responds that the hour is quite late.
So all her children are a product of marital grape and Aegon’s birth would likely cause even more friction with Rhaenyra, as from Rhaenyra’s perspective her father now has the son and heir he always wanted.
This along with the fact Alicent doesn’t have any emotional support from Viserys or her father, being a mother is very difficult for her especially as she is still a child herself.
I really liked the episode personally. Second favorite of the season for sure, right behind Battle of Rooks Rest. I thought we saw some good progress with the Black Council not being at each others throat. And Jace really pulled a W with the Freys. And since it's nit Walder Frey I have hope they might help for real lol.
The woman with daemon WAS his mom. She told him he was her favorite son. I was like WTF?!
No true Targ would disrespect a Dragon like the Greens did Meleys
Doesn’t feel slow to me except, Jfc can Daemon come back and have a rational thought once this season?! 💀
I love love love all the diplomatic politicking in house of the dragon. I don't find it boring at all!!! It's full of sociological tension and I am nerding over it. It's more like real life, war doesn't just happen because some people want to kill each other.
To me, house of the dragon is a study on how war could be avoided if people didn't fuck up so much. There have been SO MANY opportunities to stop this madness but human failure and weaknesses and shame and pride will make war inevitable. Again, like real life.
Alys Rivers is a ghost. After she says to daemon “you never knew your mother” Lord Strong comes in and looks in her cage direction but with the look of “what are you looking at” and alys strolls away and pass Strong and vanish. Rewatch it. It’s weird.
Ok yea but, Rhaenys was my Queen. My love. I miss her ❤. She was a true Targaryen Princess who died a Dragon Rider Death! ❤❤❤
This episode gave us all time to breathe and process. But I feel we are being given Easter eggs for how certain characters may divert from their book counterparts…
sir alfred isnt disloyal he is just opinionated, he cares for his queen, thats why he is like that, if he just wants a place in her court, he could be a yes man, but he genuinely wants her to win this war, certainly the black council is more wholesome than the green.
I think you might be giving the show too much credit by assuming that we're supposed to see Rhaenys' massacre in the Dragonpit as an atrocity. When the show wants us to read something that way, they make sure to underline it by having a character point it out within an episode, as they did with Aegon hanging the rat catchers or Cole parading Meleys through the streets.
Thus far, there have been no consequences for Rhaenys stomping all over a couple hundred smallfolk, nobody points out what a supremely boneheaded move it was, everyone seems to forget about it as soon as it happens. I'm happy to be proven wrong if it gets brought up again later, but for now, Occam's Razor suggests it was just a bit of sloppy writing in which the creators intended us to see it as a badass moment and then forget all about it.
Every time you do the World Anvil ads, it makes me laugh and puts a smile on my face each time. Also, the last ad you did for the previous episode was a good segue.
I really like episodes like these where we get to see the effects of the last episode. And as much as I usually love the whole #Team thing cause it's fun on a superficial level (it makes me nostalgic when GoT had it's early seasons, and we're all theorizing and cheering on the house that'll take the iron throne. But i guess you could also argue the same thing here). It really does take away the whole "neither side is really good, and smallfolk get the short end of the stick" thing. I get doing the #Team thing is great for marketing and make people invest more into the show, plus a great way to sell merch, but it does take away the whole "everyone is slowly showing what they're willing they're compromise to gain power and should we really root for them?" kind of thing. Unless a #TeamSmallfolk arises or something.
Also gotta say, Aegon's actor keeps killing it each episode! Plus the prosthetics and makeup team! That was gnarly!
If you want to read the books there is an audiobook on RUclips. You can turn it on 1.75 speed or something and zoom through it.
I like DavidReadsASOIAF
Was having a bad day, so this video has perfect timing! Even without the pretty pink clouds 😌
I don't think Alys is even real. Not a single person looks in her direction, acknowledges her, or speaks to her except Daemen.
Ser Simon looked in her direction as he walked past her but didn't acknowledge her presence.
Interesting...
Simon Strong looked at her and seemed a little shocked by her presence. So he clearly sees her
@@retro.raidernah that look looked more like” what are u staring at”
@@retro.raider I would be a little put off by the presence of the 400 year old witch who nursed me as a child and looks the exact same 50 years later
Thank you for mentioning Rhaenys taking out hundreds of innocent civilians in episode 9. It wouldn't be so bad if she didn't go on to preach about restraint. It's so annoying.
Almost all the riderless dragons are on Dragonstone, so the greens don't have the option.
what would comrade hugh hammer and sickle do? would he free the smallfolk from the yoke of Targaryen oppression? or just proclaim:" I am king now ,I have a big ass dragon"?
The big thing about House of the Dragon that is separating it from the later seasons of GoT is that HotD is trying to do something at least. The later seasons of GoT were just doing stuff with no real direction other than concluding the series. Like no expanding of the characters no themes, just noise.
HotD with Daemons weird incest dreams really embraces the weirdness of the books.
Why wouldn't the small folks be happy that the dragon who killed hundreds at Argon's coronation was killed?
I took it they were more ck corned about rhaenyra's retaliation and they were also shook at the realization that dragons are mortal
Dragons are like gods to them
I admire your effort into SEAMLESSLY incorporating the World Anvil ads into the videos 😅
I realy enjoyed this episode despite the pace
I thought the first 3 episodes of this season were the 3 weakest of the series so far. But 4 and 5 have been pretty great. I'm so happy they reeled me back in, I was losing so much enthusiasm for Sunday nights.
I actually loved the first 4, but I honestly thought this one was kinda boring. But HotD being boring is still better than 90% of tv
@@Alex-qr8nw we can definitely agree on that. It's the only tv I watch (besides 90 day fiance with the wife) lol don't ask, I have an addiction
Episode 2 is without a doubt one of the best. The scene with Rhaenyra and Daemon and Aegon and Otto are two of the best in the whole show.
Episode 2 didn’t reel you in?? That was my favorite episode of the show so far
@@morganhunt8051 no, but to be fair, I was out of town until a couple weeks ago, so I binged the first 3 episodes back to back as soon as I got home. I may go back and rewatch it
you're a genius at adding in ads lmao
If crazy shit happens all the time it burns you out having luls for good story telling and character development and plot development are why shows like Shogun and House of the Dragon are so good and a breath of fresh air.
I don’t mind slow - I still liked all the Greens stuff happening. But the Blacks (esp. Daemon stuff), just seemed to drag. Slow build can still be strengthened with interesting writing and character dynamics which I found lacking in the Blacks scenes this episode.
@2:21 - of course. GRRM is a staunch pacifist, so that's always been his aim
Alys and Larys are both trying to just upset things as much as possible. I think they’re both working for the old gods to undermine the dragon lords on both sides.
I may be getting a little ahead of myself but I would love to see a whole video just on Ser Cole once we see his whole arc through the show (or however long he makes it)
That was absolutely Daemon's mother.
Hi! I'm JimmyG. The American Targaryen! Neat kinda rhymes. I'm on summer break here near Chicago from teaching. Been sorta binge watching yer channel. I really enjoy it and wish I had a therapist like you. I would like to buy you a coffee but I'm not sure how much a coffee is in the U.K. So any-who keep up the good work. --Jim
One more thing...as a historian, I'm also amazed at significant historical events often flip on very mundane things. HoD does this well and so did the HBO show, Rome which got displayed because of the budget and because HBO was wanting to go towards GoT. Irony too. History and good stories revolve around irony and Occum's Razor. Trump Delenda Est (politically) MAGA Delenda Est -- JG
I don't think Alys is giving Daemon the dreams, as much as she can navigate them and is aware of them. Daemon has a lot of stuff going on in his subconscious, so a lot of his demons (for lack of a better word) are coming out on full display for him to try and deal with. Alys is trying to steer Daemon away from committing atrocities by bringing up the women and children that are being tormented by Willem Blackwood, so when that fails, she mentions his mother, as a way to kind of try to appease whatever humanity he has left sort of like saying "you don't care about those mothers and their children because you never knew your own mother." It's harsh, but Daemon needed to hear it. I think the point really gets driven home when Laena appears to his later and asks if he's looked out for their daughters; not only has Daemon never known his mother, but he has distanced himself from his children greatly in his pursuit of power, all while giving the greenlight for mothers and children to be brutalized. Idk, it's just interesting to think about.
The woman Daemon is seeing is his mother who he never knew.
I need Alicent to go ham on these boyz in the Red Keep, and then flee with Helaena on Dreamfyre to join Rhaenyra 👩🏻✈️
Alicent and Helaena end up as prisoners in the Red Keep. Alicent lives until old age and later freed. Her daughter sadly jumped out of the tower way before that. This was in the book, and will possibly be changed like a lot of things have
When you weigh Rhaenys's positives and negatives, she's a failure in the ASOIAF universe. She could've ended this conflict before it began with that dramatic prison break in S1 and maybe even had a claim to the throne. But she didn't do that, and later decided to kamikaze her way to a dishonorable death, leaving the Blacks another dragon down and another experienced Targaryan dead. The argument about the battle, "not being hers to start," is a cop out. They PUT HER IN PRISON, that gives you a free ticket to retaliate, especially if the opportunity to end the line of usurpers is staring you right in the face.
****spoiler warning**** I’m so sick of Alicent’s crap. She spent season one doing everything she could think of to make a peaceful transfer of power impossible after Viserys’ death and and has spent the entire second season wringing her hands about “maintaining the peace” and being disappointed in the sons she neglected. Theres even a moment when it’s heavily implied that Alicent had intended to honor Viserys’ choice of succession had he she not misinterpreted his death bed mumbling about Aegon’s dream. This after 20 years of picking fights with the blacks, spreading rumors of Raenyra’s infamy and infidelity (which was only done because she was unable to produce heirs with her gay husband), insisting that her sons inherit the throne even though she was so neglectful that she never bothered to raise either of them, and basically turning the Targaryen line of succession into a powder keg. She had a panic attack over the thought of Aemond taking power telling Cole “you know what he is,” as if Aegon, the son she committed treason to put on the throne, was any better? He’s an incompetent, impulsive drunk who took delight in R wording his maids and watching his own illegitimate children fight to the death who has had no education in statecraft, who she spent zero effort in preparing him to rule, and who never wanted the throne in the first place! Oh, but obviously she could never support Raenyra because 20 years ago she lied about popping her cherry and Otto insisted she would kill the green kids even though Raenyra has never demonstrated that level of ruthlessness. Oh no! A bastard might inherit! As if that’s never happened before in Westerosi history. Oh wait it has, including in the Targaryan line. The world did not end. Alicent’s most prominent personality trait is hypocrisy. I wouldn’t care that she was doing Cole, except that she’s committing adultery with the same man that Raenyra did and she betrayed Raenyra. And for some reason, she’s surprised that the man who responded to Raenyra’s rejection by committing murder and political espionage didn’t have much loyalty to her. The audacity of Alicent to be shocked that the world is falling down around her after the choices she made is absolutely enraging. There’s a reason that the war ends with all of Alicent’s children and grandchildren dead, house Hightower in shambles, and Raenyra’s son on the throne.
well thanks for the spoilers
@@paranoidhumanoid1022 the book was published over 6 years ago dude. This comment section is filled with spoilers. If you didn’t want to be spoiled, you should’ve stayed out of the comment section.
@@missanthropy6174 I read the top comments and yours is the only one that spoiled, which is understandable since the creator keeps the connect spoiler free. no need to get defensive, being considerate costs you nothing
@@paranoidhumanoid1022 not defensive, just pointing out the obvious. You’re the one who commented something snarky instead of politely suggesting a spoiler warning. If it makes you feel any better, revealing who eventually sits the throne spoils very little, so you have a lot to look forward to watching. And as a book reader, I can tell you that the show has made quite a few changes from the source material already so there’s likely more that book readers like myself can’t spoil.
@@missanthropy6174 that's right, my bad. could have worded that better
I wish we got to see more Aemond this season as THEE villain he’s not been present this season has been lacking….. His rise to power has been interesting but I haven’t felt very connected to him and why he’s so willing to kill for it
exactly! i feel the same! i wished they developed his character more because i just dont know what to feel about his sudden desire for the throne, no matter how much he talked about doing his duty last season
@@justpassingthruskdjb His "sudden" desire for the throne? He tried to tarnish the maidenhood of his niece to force his brother to marry him to her. He's been gunning for the throne for decades, he just keeps failing and going back to his Valyrian LARPing.
@@CharlieQuartzYou missed the point. OP is talking about Aemond, not Daemon
@@margoschkina oh my gods I had an Alicent moment. This family needs to come up with some new naming structures.
@@justpassingthruskdjbdefinitely not sudden. He’s stated in S1 that he’s more knowledgeable, skilled with a sword, etc and would make a better king than Aegon.
I'm a little confused why they consider the death of Rheanys and her dragon as heroic. I personally can't fathom why she didn't escape. She had already seen one dragon go down (and the Aegon with it) and she had no hope of taking on that much larger dragon on her own, and she didn't. It felt like a waste to me.
It’s the same as Brienne taking that fight at the end of AFFC. It was 7 on 1 and she knew it was hopeless, but she was defending innocent people and children. She says “no chance against that many. No chance, and no choice”
Rhaenys also just saw the king and his dragon go down. She doesn’t have a great chance against Vhagar but if she did manage to come out on top the war would essentially be over. The book even says “against Vhagar alone, perhaps Meleys might have stood a chance”
13:45 i feel like with how things are going this will be yet another example of the blacks just being better at cooperating than the greens. If Daemon was in team green he would be seen as a traitor. But in team black Raenyra will see that reigning as equals with him is just as good as the original plan and then they will earn mutual respect, im calling it. Hes determined to be equal to her after all, not superior, and i think Raenya isnt so proud that she cant accept that, specially if it means avoiding war.
The theme is people make stupid decisions trying to hold onto power. We already know the ending, so we are kind of cheating. But how can the blacks think of handing off their source of power over to other people and think they can then still control them? Once the dragon is bonded to another it us under the control of it's rider. What will the rider want?
I don't suppose the theme of Episode 5 is "grief", but rather "powerlessness".
These last two episodes actually made me like and empathize with Ser Criston.
I get that they are writing it so the commoners think the dragons are gods but I still feel like there should have been something more since they were dragging in the head of the dragon who killed an unknown-amount-but-looked-like-100+ people. Like, that could have actually tied up that loose end of the writers not acknowledging this. So it feels a little late-seasons GoT which is a bit worrying.
Do the common people really know the dragons well enough or recognize Meleys tho? With all the dust kicked up at the dragon pit idk how likely it is anyone recognized her then either
@@morganhunt8051 I figured they would know dragons and dragon riders as it's such an incredible thing, but it's just an assumption with no basis.
@@RussellB yeah I think they might be aware of them but my assumption is that the average peasant is too heads-down-trying-to-survive to worry that much about the angry blondes and their pet lizards
Love all of your videos! Thank you!
dAeMoN aRc BoRiNg!!!
I wouldn't say it's boring, but we're not yet getting enough from it
@@mylittlethoughttree we’re not getting enough, and yet too much, i would say.
@@mylittlethoughttree in the sense that i like his psyche being less opaque, but at this point it’s unclear what the source of the dreams is, also, they’re becoming more and more ambiguous, etc. and it’s been three episodes of this now and it seems they’re just giving him the worst or most creepy things to hallucinate about because it’s riveting for the viewer or sthg.
i loved it at first but it is undeniable that it's becoming a bit repetitive...
Not a big deal but it did stand out to me. Why did Rhaenys flirt with Alyn?? Seemed odd since she was basically thanking him for saving her husband. Or was that a misdirect? Does Rhaenys know his mother or possibly even be his mother??
she did not flirt! he is corlys’ illegitimate son, corlys had an affair, or affairs, because addam is his son, too. and she just looked at him and was trying to imagine his mother, how she looked, maybe how beautiful she was and if corlys could have really and deeply loved her.
@@monicad99 knew it! Tyvm
@@evanevans5428 Yw.
Comment: I think this is building to some kind of commoner insurrection (haven't read book)
Me (have read book): *Poker face*
@My Little Thought Tree
16:03 bit of a strawman, or misunderstanding at best. people were mostly upset because the writers put that in because they said they thought it looked badass. so they wanted us to cheer for that because it was 'cool'. then they said she doesn't take out the greens because she doesn't want to do that to another mother...even though she had just taken out a bunch of mothers by bursting through the floor
...mistakes were made. rhaenys's actions at the recent battle were also odd in a choreographic sense. not torching the treeline, hitting the field randomly instead? ok, maybe there's a dragon in the trees, makes sense to be wary.
but getting knocked out of the sky, getting up and heading straight for the castle on a cliff with an apparently Sneak Lv 100-having Vhaegar behind it felt like a bad move for a seasoned rider
thoughts?
Yeah there's a lot of valid reasons to criticise the show, some of which I've raised myself in the past. My point wasn't "people dislike the show because not enough battles" but "if you dislike the show for the lack of battles, that's not a great reason." It wasn't supposed to sound like I'm saying that's the only reason people dislike it, but it is a complaint I've seen crop up a bit, and I don't think it's a fair one
If you need a moderator to delete spoilers in comments, I volunteer
Rhaenys' death was stupid. Live or die, the result was the sam: Rooks Rest was lost. She died in vane.
So Rhaenys should have stayed captured to chose to either kneel or die? Of course the small folk knows there is a civil war for the crown and Rhaenys running away is nothing to be mad at
I don't think it's a matter of should or shouldn't. Rhaenys needed to escape, and bursting through the dragonpit roof seemed the most logical route, if you had little regard for the smallfolk. It worked like she wanted. It was a very Targaryen thing to do. I wouldn't say we're meant to hate her exactly but it's a typical example of the feudal system, and cheering her certainly seems odd. Understandable ofcourse. Really, my main point is if people seriously think the writers were dumb and forgot that Rhaenys killed a tonne of people, no. They knew full well. The scene was intending to emphasise the innocent death
The perfume ad?
This is kinda squicky but Targaryens are gonna Targaryen...
I think she was Daemon's *mother*, who was also his father Baelon's sister, Alyssa. Both kids of Jaeherys and Alysanne. Who were also brother and sister.
Alicent isn’t as warm with her children as Ranyea.
I don’t think Alice is real. Nobody else seems to see her and nobody else has mentioned her in passing.
I agree, it’s time to move on from Harrenhal. I’m over Daemon’s spooky Spirit Halloween adventures plotline. It’s eating up too many episodes.
perfume advert 🤣🤣
I love this episode, except the weird mother stuff it's peak
If you don't think the show is black biased, you're hysterical. They literally made Rhaenyra a Mary Sue and Aegon a grapist for no reason. Just in this episode they made Corlys offer Driftmark to Baela (which he doesn't do in the book) and Baela VERY CONVENIENTLY deny it. In the book, Corlys is just as sexist as the other men in Westeros and prefers his bastard sons inheriting over his trueborn granddaughters. Oh, and Baela just denies it because God forbid the Velaryons have any infighting.
Baela obviously going to regret this decision. She could have accepted her inheritance instead of giving it to some bastards.
I'm so bored with whatever the hell they are doing with Daemon right now. He keeps making idiotic decisions.
Hey MLTT do you have a blog where you post short stories or something of the sort?
I've posted a few bits on patreon but otherwise no. Is that something you'd be interested in?
@@mylittlethoughttree I've always been curious about your stories since you often talk about writing and the creative process. A little blog tree would be cool to see!
I once did an old livestream reading some of my old short stories from years ago, so that currently exists but sharing more is something I would like to do
I really wouldn't go so far as to say that Alicent "unintentionally" pushed Aegon into that conflict. She told him to do nothing, she told him to act like Viserys, be wise and listen to wiser people. But he ignored her and went off to battle, because he was consumed with the shame he felt by learning about Aemond and Criston waging the war behind his back. Alicent is not at fault at ALL for Aegon going into battle.
She's certainly a factor. She could've encouraged him more to learn, to delegate, tell him he is capable of becoming a good king in time, give him an outlet to follow and express some agency. Instead, she effectively told him he was useless and should do and express nothing at all, feeling like he could never learn to be good. Therefore he was compelled to prove her wrong by acting rashly. The way it visually shows him moving from that conversation with her, smashing the jug, to the dragonpit I think emphasises she was a factor. I don't exactly blame her but it's another example of her lack of support
@@mylittlethoughttree I mean, you can blame a female for the actions of a man all you want, but she literally preached restraint, and you're saying she should feel guilty for Aegon's decision to go into battle. Ok.
@@gojiramonster2388if you think someone’s parent calling them useless and stupid doesn’t have a factor on how they act, mom or dad, I dunno what to tell you. Alicent has a thousand traumas of her own, but it doesn’t mean it’s ok she delivers them in mind to her son. He’s not ultimately evil for being a boy anymore than she’s ultimately good for being a woman.
@@chelscara blaming Aegon’s decision on his mother is misogynistic, sorry.
@@gojiramonster2388shut it. It’s not misogynistic to say that the words of a parent have an impact on their children.
Getting pretty sick of Daemon and his visions.
I am a bit disappointed at the show at this point. Team black really needs a win, and soon. Up to this point its mainly only showing whats going on at Kings Landing and I dont give a fug whos doing who at kings landing. Alicent has also become everything she accused Rhaenyra of being, very classy.
Just as in real life, people in power have never cared about the “little people.” If your an amateur history buff you know this.