House of the Dragon's Best Episode Yet? | S2E4
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- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2024
- The Dance of the Dragons is, on its most fundamental level, a tragedy. Let's talk about why.
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One little correction! The Velaryon blockade of the Gullet is technically a little further up on the map, near Driftmark. What did you think of this episode?
~ Tim
This episode was 🔥
The battle is obviously what dominates conversation but the rest of the episode was really good too.
Daemon’s visions, Alys’ proper character introduction and the uncertain weirdness that comes from her, Aemond effortlessly showing superiority over Aegon with “their” language he barely speaks, Larys and Alicent, Alicent seeking the prophecy in old books, Aegon’s fidgeting in the council, the backlash to Rhaenyra from her council over last week, Rhaenys realising who Allyn’s father is, Lorent Darklyn learning his father was dead, Sunfyre being so happy to see Aegon and Aegon showing genuine happiness to see him, all of it is just SO good. There’s not a single bad scene in this episode and while E2 of this series had better scenes, this is up there with S1E 7 and 8 as the absolute peak of this show’s content. I couldn’t be happier with it.
It's being exciting seeing the show extending what was written about it. The quality is amazing, far better than the final seasons of GoT. I hope for a couple more of seasons escalating this plot. And it's going to be sad once it finishes... But I'm loving HotS so far.
The CGI was very good and I could see which was going on unlike another episode that happened in the dark.
I really enjoyed it, they did a fantastic job of showing the horror of what those dragons do to a battlefield; and they had so many little moments for characters that showed the humanity in them and the tragedy of this brutal war. Also really loved the dragon fight and how they'd grab on to each other and dive and claw like how raptors fight in the sky.
Correction: in the previous season they mentioned how Criston was one of the few knights with military experience
Ahh, I was trying to find a mention of it in the books. That said, I believe it was only skirmishes on the border - certainly nothing like a full scale dragon war.
~ Tim
@@HelloFutureMe yeah that’s fair. An impression I got and i feel like you could pick up from Cole is that like yeah dragons shouldn’t exist or at least be in war, this is just even for fucked than normal war. No one can do anything.
@@HelloFutureMeyeah he fought asa foot solider for a year against the dornish incursion. At least that’s as much as the show says.
Obviously no experience leading armies or with any dragons involved.
I belive all that experience would come from aemond who as we know is very well read, and understands the impact of dragons in battle
@jacobwillis7596 The dragons represent high-powered nukes that's just been entered since the conquest into hand to hand combat. This is something new for everyone, including the dragons with devastating consequences.
@HelloFutureMe they did put 2 towers to the torch along the boneway. I think this warpath is probably more familiar and comfortable to Cole than anything has been for him in a long time.
My favourite little moment in the episode was Aegon and Sunfyre in the Dragonpit where it nudges him like any pet would and Aegon actually looks genuinely happy for what feels like the first time in months. It reminded me so much of my dog, and it did so much to establish that this is really the only close, unconditional bond that Aegon has in his life while also showing that these are just two dumb kids completely out of their depth.
It was such a blink and you miss it scene, and I wish there was more of it, but I’m grateful it was there nonetheless and Sunfyre looked as majestic as he could with the short screentime he was allowed. 😅
It was a wonderful little scene, hoping we get to see Aegons and Sunny's bond as the show goes on
The only thing in the world that genuinely loves Aegon🥺
Can’t wait to see Aegon rewards Sunfyre by feeding him “a Valyrian delicacy”.
Or when they meet again
Here is the Challenge from Allaah and His Caliph, Imam Mahdi, to the Researchers of the Lie of Artificial Womb Studies to Produce Human Offspring and Carry Fetuses Instead of Women. They Want to Misguide You While Knowing They Are Incapable of Creating Such a Thing. They Know They are Lying to Undermine the Muslims’ Mental Faculties in an Attempt to Misguide them Ideologically Under the Name of Scientific Study
"And I say, Glory be to Allaah the Great, the lesson is clear in the eggs that were fertilized by the man's sperm. Return the eggs to the mother's womb so that they can grow. Although the eggs are fertilized it only remains to return them to the mother's womb for their growth to be completed. Even after returning the fertilized eggs to the mother's womb, is it possible, O Allaah, for all the fertilized eggs to grow? Since the doctors did not create the eggs or the sperm-Glory be to You Allaah-You are the All-Knowing Creator. Is there any creator other than Allaah, the Glorified? The fertilized eggs with the man's sperm are returned to the mother's womb using a tube, hence they are called test-tube babies. The fertilized eggs are returned to the mother's womb to grow by Allaah's permission after the woman ends her menstrual cycle; then the eggs are extracted from the woman. So, has the process become guaranteed that the embryos will grow in the mothers' wombs after being returned, or only what Allaah has decreed to grow will grow, and the procedure fails without scientific explanation?
And the answer regarding the fertilized eggs in the wombs, even if the egg is fertilized by the man's sperm, Glory be to You Allaah, we bear witness that nothing grows in the womb except what You have decreed and we firmly believe in this. Therefore, we are convinced that even if the eggs are fertilized, it is all up to Allaah. He decides what develops in the wombs, even if the eggs are fertilized. Despite that, many procedures fail, and some succeed by Allaah's permission. The scientific reason why some procedures succeed while most fail, despite the eggs being fertilized, remains unclear to them. Ultimately, Allaah decides what develops in the wombs as He wills. Anyhow Allaah's answer is:
{يأيها ٱلناس إن كنتم فى ريب من ٱلبعث فإنا خلقنكم من تراب ثم من نطفة ثم من علقة ثم من مضغة مخلقة وغير مخلقة لنبين لكم ۚ ونقر فى ٱلأرحام ما نشاء إلى أجل مسمى ثم نخرجكم طفلا ثم لتبلغوا۟ أشدكم ۖ ومنكم من يتوفى ومنكم من يرد إلى أرذل ٱلعمر لكيلا يعلم منۢ بعد علم شئا ۚ وترى ٱلأرض هامدة فإذا أنزلنا عليها ٱلماء ٱهتزت وربت وأنۢبتت من كل زوجۭ بهيج ﴿٥﴾} صدق الله العظيم [سورة الحج]
Qur'an - Surah: al-Hajj - Verse:05
O Allaah, there must be a proof for every claim, so what is it that we challenge with the atheist proponents of artificial wombs, who claim to create artificial wombs to carry fertilized eggs instead of women? I will leave you the answer from Allaah, the Exalted:
{خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا ۖ وَأَلْقَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ رَوَٰسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍ ۚ وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ كَرِيمٍ ﴿١٠﴾ هَٰذَا خَلْقُ ٱللَّهِ فَأَرُونِى مَاذَا خَلَقَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِۦ ۚ بَلِ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿١١﴾}صدق الله العظيم [سُورَةُ لُقۡمَانَ].
Qur'an - Surah: Luqman - Verses: 10-11
Also, Allaah the Exalted said:
{قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّٰرُ ﴿١٦﴾} صدق الله العظيم [سُورَةُ الرَّعۡدِ].
Qur'an - Surah: al-Ra’d - Verses: 11-16
Beware, O Muslims, that you believe in the success of contradictory studies challenging Allaah's established challenges in the clear verses of His Book, the Great Quran. Rather, we say to the atheists by the Lord of the worlds, what Allaah has commanded us to say in His Book:
{هَٰذَا خَلْقُ ٱللَّهِ فَأَرُونِى مَاذَا خَلَقَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِۦ ۚ بَلِ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿١١﴾} صدق الله العظيم.
Qur'an - Surah: Luqman - Verse: 11
The truth is they know they cannot do it, and if they could, they would have created the most beautiful children in the world for themselves , giving them the most beautiful forms and they do this to artificial fake dolls. Do not be misled by their claim of a scientific study; they know they cannot achieve their false so-called scientific study. They know they cannot, and they only present it as ideas, before its success, to the Arab media to be announced through Arab channels to mislead the Muslim peoples from the clear verses of the Qur'an under the guise of a scientific study. If they were truthful, they would not have announced their scientific study until it succeeded in reality. Then they would announce their success to the world with clear proof that Muslim submitters to Allaah would see it in actual reality. In line with the Word of Allaah the Exalted:
{هَٰذَا خَلْقُ ٱللَّهِ فَأَرُونِى مَاذَا خَلَقَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِۦ ۚ بَلِ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿١١﴾} صدق الله العظيم.
Quran - Surah: Luqman - Verse: 11
They only want to misguide Muslims regarding what Allaah has revealed of challenges in the clear verses of the Great Qur'an under the pretense of a scientific study, which is still just idle talk. The Arab media provides their people with news of these false scientific studies, and they do not hold back in spreading falsehood to deceive their people with lies and slander about the study of artificial wombs. So listen to and understand this challenge with truth: Allaah challenges them through their scientific study to make post-menopausal women bear children if they are truthful. That would be a miracle defying the laws of nature. Women do not bear children again except by the miraculous power of Allaah, as in the case of the wife of the Prophet Zakariyah (Zachary) with the Prophet Yahya (John), in line with the Word of Allaah the Exalted:
{ذكر رحمت ربك عبدهۥ زكريا ﴿٢﴾ إذ نادى ربهۥ نداء خفيا ﴿٣﴾ قال رب إنى وهن ٱلعظم منى وٱشتعل ٱلرأس شيبا ولم أكنۢ بدعائك رب شقيا ﴿٤﴾ وإنى خفت ٱلمولى من وراءى وكانت ٱمرأتى عاقرا فهب لى من لدنك وليا ﴿٥﴾ يرثنى ويرث من ءال يعقوب ۖ وٱجعله رب رضيا ﴿٦﴾ يزكريا إنا نبشرك بغلم ٱسمهۥ يحيى لم نجعل لهۥ من قبل سميا ﴿٧﴾ قال رب أنى يكون لى غلم وكانت ٱمرأتى عاقرا وقد بلغت من ٱلكبر عتيا ﴿٨﴾ قال كذلك قال ربك هو على هين وقد خلقتك من قبل ولم تك شئا ﴿٩﴾} صدق الله العظيم [سورة مرۡيم].
Qur'an - Surah: Mariam - Verses: 2-9
So that did not happen except by a miracle defying the physics of a woman's nature, as she does not bear children after becoming menopausal and reaching the age of infertility except by a miraculous power.
So, if they cannot make post-menopausal women bear children again, how then can they bring about a greater miracle by creating artificial wombs to bear babies instead of women, despite their inability to make post-menopausal women conceive? Do you not understand, O Muslims?"
Imam Mahdi Nasser Mohammed al-Yamani
22- Dhu'l Qi'dah - 1445 AH | 28- June - 2024 AD
Full Official Statement: Mahdialumma . com
He was also drunk af
That little chest bump Sunfyre gave to aegon was adorable
Sunfyre is probably the only one who loves Aegon and he ruined it
Aegon should have abdicated or refused the thrown and used his riches and Sunfyre to flea to Essos and parade his Golden Dragon as a peaceful show.
Instead he and Sunfyre are in torment.
My dog does the same.
I love how these feel like those old PBS documentaries where the dude is in some field walking toward the camera talking about Ancient Rome or some shit. 😂 love it
Your comment gave me such the moment of nostalgia. Community/public tv ❤
Those are always the best documentaries
The graphics illustrated to show movement on the map was clutch. Really helps you get engaged with the lore
Cole has military experience, but this was the first time he ever saw the deployment of dragons. He is a leader of fighting men, and he finds himself suddenly thrown into a world of dragon fire, one where his armies and knowledge are secondary, and his and the lives of his men are simply collateral.
My favorite part was Aegon's face going from "Yay my brother's coming to save us" to "Aemon, NOOOOOO" in four seconds
I was blown away by all of the beautiful establishing shots and environments. The dewy ferns and the tents in the encampment, the bustling dockside, the candle-lit halls. I also really love how the directors are utilizing props (counsel balls, the golden flagon, the history books, the dragon figurine, the knife, just to name a few) to show character and move the scenes along. They are using the medium of television to its fullest potential
This one crushed me. I’m in this weird space where I have recently gotten two kittens after not having pets for years after a big loss. I know dragons aren’t real, but watching them maim each other and cry in pain was heart wrenching. I had a completely opposite response than I did to the Chomp. Really compelling episode.
I think the problem is (as another animal lover who finds herself crying over the death of CGI constructions) that while your rational brain is fully aware of the fact that nothing you’re seeing is real - it’s all pretend, and the dragons aren’t even actors like the horses onscreen are - that doesn’t stop the part of your brain that interacts with fiction going “big scaly friend, nooo!”
It’s like if you engage with fiction in good faith (i.e. not one of these insufferable people who smirkingly go “uh, you know this is fiction, right?”) the dragon being scared or hurt hits your emotion centre before it hits your rational one, so by the time you start telling yourself it’s silly to be upset it’s too late, you’re already upset.
@13:20 I think the reason Helaena said "I forgive you" is because Sir Criston was boinking Alicent instead of standing guard at his post.
Lol, that's what I thought.
She is forgiving Alicent for the things she will do in future. Remember, almost anything Helaena says is somewhat of a prophecy.
Couldn't watch this episode without thinking how much better the battle for Winterfell could have been, specially they keep repeating themselves about the Song of Ice and Fire.
I love how we are finally getting how dragons are terrifying creatures
I think one of my favourite scenes in the whole episode was Aegon pushing the glass. It is such a succinct yet powerful metaphor for his character. If he keeps himself in check, if he doesn’t do anything, everything stays whole. But his flaws (impatience, anger, insecurity) lead him to take actions.
Hang 99 innocent men, appoint selfish imbeciles to the Kingsguard. (Almost) return a harsh bur necessary tax to sustain his dragons, mock and alienate his brother, throw himself into mortal peril, break his cup. His actions ruin his relationships, his image, his war and finally himself.
Phenomenal episode. Phenomenal character, phenomenal performance.
I completely agree, Aegon was such a compelling character
@@anishkasharan9952he’s still alive
It's amazing to see people interpret Meleys' final look back at Rhaenys.
I have seen people say it was Meleys checking on Rhaenys, that it was Meleys condemning Rhaenys, that it was Meleys in fear...
I thought it was clear that it was Meleys reading her mind and basically assuring her that they were in it together. We've seen a scared dragon, and Meleys didn't look it. Even Caraxes just fled when he was in pain and didn't want to fight anymore.
That was meleys saying "should I turn around and die because we were suppose to a few mins ago"
And the answer was "yup we changed the scene enough go for it"
I thought that 2nd to last look at Rhaenys was Meleys letting her know she knew Vhagar wasn’t done and they were about to die.
@@suzukisixk7Stick to the books mate.
To me it was “we tried, I’m sorry, goodbye”.
HotD is all about CONSEQUENCES. Like first 4 seasons of GoT. And i am loving it.
6 was the best season. Only two out of the top 5 rated episodes were in seasons 1-4. One of those is the red wedding which is number 1 for pure shock value let's be real.
GoT haters have nothing but cope, nobody would have known about this stuff without HBO....because it was an unfinished mediocre fantasy story before they got ahold of it.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
@@suzukisixk7 man. bait used to be believeable
@@suzukisixk7 uhhh ok? Have a nice day.
Except the scene. That definitely should've resulted in Rhaenyra's capture.
@@user-ti5cw1ug6l you mean the scene that should've resulted Daemon to be captured? or do you mean the scene in s1 where Daemon and Rhaenyra should have been captured when they snuck out of the red keep
3:15 That’s why there’s a huge portion in Japanese history that the position that actually held the absolute power over the country was “the Shogun”, not “the Emperor”.
The Emperor sat on a throne but the Shogun was the military dictator who had control over the army, made administrative decisions and wrote laws.
Haven't read F&B yet but as a book reader this episode and the last one have really impressed me with the Harrenhal scenes. It's not that Arya's stint there in Season 2 of Thrones was bad, but the atmosphere and look and feel of the castle are just so right to me where I feel like this iconic location I've read so much about is finally being brought to life here. That feeling along with Daemon's dream sequences being so weird and interesting and well edited has really wowed me and at the same time made me sad that this crew did not and will not get the chance to adapt ASOIAF proper. I can just imagine with these dream sequences that, as I understand, they're more or less writing from their own imaginations, how they would have brought to life the wild dreams Bran and Jaime and Jon have all the time in the books, and I get a little sad that we never got to see those passages and many more put to the screen.
Yeah, they’re really doing Harrenhal right with this show. GoT made it just feel like another military outpost.
@@hollandscottthomas To me it's about scale. Harrenhal was creepy in Thrones most of the time we were there but it always felt like we saw the same 4-5 rooms so it didn't feel like the monster of a castle we know it to be. Daemon's fly-in with Caraxes and how he's constantly getting lost in the halls at night really sells you on the enormity of the place.
Aemond's panache is like 40% of why I anticipate every new episode.
There are other, more mature reasons. But that one is primal
Aemond "Certified Anime Villain" Targaryen is great.
"The idea that we can control the dragons is an illusion" -King Viserys 👑
Aemond, after a rough begginning, seems to be managing his own just fine.
@@alvarogabrielaguirregarin3933 Cause he had so control over what happened to Lucerys right ?
@@thehermit8723 He is improving
Headcanon accepted: Alys Rivers is a morally gray Uncle Iroh. "The time has come to ask yourself the BIG questions! Who are YOU, and what do YOU want?".
I'd like to think Iroh would have qualms with her methods, but he'd respect her making Daemon do the work. Game recognizes game 😂
nah, uncle iroh would look at soooo many of these characters and go "they're crazy and they need to go down".
I found it a little funny that Vaghar could hide behind the castle to sneak attack. She's not a sneaky girl and now she has done it twice.
There is a fan theory now that Visenya could have trained her for sneak attacking after her sister died by a scorpion in the First Dornish war.
Except she can be a sneaky girl, I’ll explain the reasoning behind it. Due to how slow she is, she can’t really outpace a dragon in a fight, she has to compensate for that by using ambushes and sort of guerrilla dragon tactics? I dunno like just being sneaky and denying the enemy their speed advantage. Now I know you’ll say “But she is too big to be stealthy”, which is a fair observation but there is actual real life proof to Vhagar being stealthy. The Tyrannosaurus Rex, which was a large beast, one of the largest carnivores and animal hunters of its time, was an ambush predator. Contrary to popular belief, T-Rexs were actually very silent creatures, they didn’t roar, and their footsteps based of fossil evidence would have never shook the ground nor made any noise. For how big the creatures were, you wouldn’t even hear them coming until they were in your face, which is why they were one of the deadliest of its time, their senses and ability to ambush it’s prey, not really because of its size. Vhagar is literally a big ass flying dino lol, so it is very plausible to be stealthy despite her size. Her massive wingspan also allows to glide much more effectively than any other dragon, thus making much less noise as she wouldn’t be flapping her wings.
@baron6588 I'm so glad I'm not the only one using the Trex comparison!!😅
People wanna shit on Vhagar simply because she's on the Greens, but nobody wants to accept that after 180 years of life and consistent war, she'd learn a thing or three!?
This is the mount of Visenya Targeryen, the war queen, and has been ridden by dozens of great riders like Baelon the Brave. Vhagar is more clever and effective using her size and experience than a lot of people wanna give her credit for.
It’s for the plot
apparently that's her move. spot you from below then intercept mode 😄
I cried.. really hard. When I was excited about House of the Dragon, I didn't think about having to watch dragons die and fight. I knew that's what the show was going to be about, but I forgot that I am a crybaby
I would assert, and have seen others assert, that Aemond was already putting away his sword. I understand the body language is set up to be ambiguous, but that is how it looks, his sword is already up to be re-sheathed. I think Aemond was ok with his brother dying in battle, he was ok with him being collateral, he would sacrifice him to gain advantage against his enemies, but I don’t think Aemond would kill Aegon out of convenience, he was just already angry and had a reckless disregard for Aegons safety.
The problem with this is that he has his sword unsheathed at all... He was in an area where there were no soldiers to be put down from wounds only person there was Aegon and his dragon who was already dead
@@Forestwidow Dragon ain't dead, it was breathing, same as Aegon. Albeit I'm 70/30 on whether or not he wanted to murk his brother, there are many good reasons to have an unsheathed sword when approaching a 10 tn fire breathing lizard which is wounded and scared. He saw the dragon is completely KO and sheathed the sword.
Also if he wanted to kill Aegon, since he's got the head resting on towards right side of the screen it makes no sense to approach him brandishing the sword as Aemond does, towards Aegon's feet. Probably I'm reading too much into it tho.
@@Forestwidowif he’s wandering into a forest by himself during a battle, it makes sense for him to have his sword drawn. And then when he finds Sunfyre, and sees nobody else is around, he begins to sheath his sword
@@internets6501 thing is the enemy were all in the castle so no the enemy wouldn't be in the forest
@@baradinvaros7159 to be fair we already have material on why his sword in unsheathed in the books he very much considered murking his brother and hasn't kept it hidden in the show he wants to be king and the episode talks about that parallel with daemon and Aemond
You can see the enjoyment on Rhaenys's face when she sees Aegon and Sunfyre flying towards her, poor sunfyre didn't stand a chance
For as amazing as the battle was, I have to say that I’m probably more interested in Daemon’s adventures in Westeros’ Silent Hill than anything else going on. 😂
The visions, the creepiness, the uncertainty over what’s real and what’s not, the layers it gives his character and how it forces Daemon to confront himself and his legacy as he never wanted to deal with the spooky stuff while his brother actively yearned for it. It’s all such compelling stuff.
(Granted I’m not sure why he’s seeing Laena tbh. His feelings about Rhaenyra are obviously deep and complex enough to be dug into but I’m not sure why she’s there aside from bringing the actress back.)
Especially Alys and what her role is. In any other series, even a fantasy one, you assume a character who says they’re a barn owl in human form as an obvious joke. But in ASOIAF? There’s at least a 15% chance she’s being completely serious and I love it for that. 🤣
I'm so glad they're leaning into, rather than away from, the fantasy aspects this time around.
That “human form” comment from Alys is the HoTD version of “half a million in cash” when Walter said it to Hank in Breaking Bad.
You think Daemon didn’t love Laena? You don’t think the fact that she died in Pentos because he insisted on staying there is part of this guilt he needs to address?
@@jacobsquare4812 This is why I always say that HOTD is more ASOIAF than GOT
@@browniebattercup I have no idea what he felt about Laena, we didn’t see enough of their relationship to get an idea of what their dynamic was, only what they were like after ten years of marriage. They seemed happy enough I guess, we’re lead to believe Daemon liked her well enough and was content with her but didn’t truly love her. But we have nowhere near enough evidence to tell us one way or another.
But she didn’t die “because he insisted on staying,” she died because of medical complications, that would have happened either way as just like Aemma, he knew there was no saving her.
Now, could he feel guilty because she asked to be with her family and he didn’t let her have that? Sure. But that then leads into asking why is he thinking about this now? Harrenhal torturing him with Rhaenyra is perfectly obvious, there’s a lot of stuff currently going on with her that he is currently thinking about and feels guilty about. But Laena? Is he really feeling so guilty about that one request he denied her that almost ten years later he’s still as plagued by that as what’s currently happening with Rhaenyra? I very much doubt it. It would make far more sense for him to be seeing Rhea Royce than for him to be seeing Laena tbh.
I had the exact same thought about the way Aegon is being treated by his council reminding me of Tywin's speech about the crown. Too bad no one put Aegon to sleep before he went drunk driving to war.
But being serious for a sec, Rhaenys' sacrifice broke my heart. The way her dragon looked at her shortly before the end was soo sad. I can't imagine how Corlys will take this, but I had a good feeling one of them would die terribly a couple episodes ago when they were showing all these sad but sweet moments between them.
And to think, her son, Laenor is probably still somewhere out there alive and well in Essos, while she died thinking both her children had tragically died.
Sorry to ruin it but dragons bond for life, so if Seasmoke is back and flying around Driftmark either Laenor has returned from exile secretly, or he's dead and the dragon went back to its home :( I'm worried it's the latter 😭
8:30 i don't believe this is true, i think criston cole is battle tested, i don't remember exactly where but somewhere in the stormlands that he fought.
Yeah, Criston is the only character who actually saw combat when he razed Dornish watchtowers along the Boneway which earnt him his knighthood.
I think Tim’s point is valid about dragon combat but definitely not combat overall for Criston.
If I remember right, it was only border skirmishes with the Dornish, not a full scale dragon war. But yes, he does have *some* experience.
~ Tim
@@HelloFutureMe yeah I was on to nothing
We need to bring back the map intro just so casuals (me) know where da hell everything is😭
I never thought it was really clear how terrifying the dragons and Vhagar specifically really are until this episode. When Arrax and Vhagar fight (fight is a strong word in this case) its mostly in the clouds and so while we see how much bigger Vhagar is, we already knew Arrax was a small, young dragon. But then Meleys (who we are quite bluntly told is the largest for the blacks) is quite a bit bigger than Sunfyre. and they both lay waste to the battlefield and eventually the castle, and Vhagar makes them look like children. It's the first time that I found the dragons truly terrifying and having not read Fire and Blood, I don't see how anything can kill Vhagar and if they don't there is no possible way for Rheanyra to win. She is a small mountain with wings and a fire breath so hot it can hurt and probably kill all of the other dragons.
IMO this was the best episode by far and I'm terrified (in a good way) about what comes next
Yeah vhagar is a beast. She's strong, durable and Intelligent, her battle iq is top tier. I love how she didn't shoot fire at Meleys like sunfyre did, instead she snatched Meleys leg and broke it. Then attempts to drag meleys down to the ground, Vhagar knew meleys wouldn't be able to take flight again if her leg was broken.
"He finds his brother, drawing out his sword..." *proceeds to show him walking towards him and actually putting away the sword*
Aemond is a lot of things, but he's not an idiot; openly killing the King is a stupid move.
If Aegon had been surrounded by enemies he was prepared to fight them off, POSSIBLY taking the chance to stage being too late and kill him (even that is only something we can speculate about), but seeing as nobody else is there he sheathes his sword. That's it, nothing more.
I haven't read the books.
The dragons ripped my heart out this episode. We finally see Sunfyre and they are such a gorgeous dragon. Plus the softness is Aegon's face when he looks at his dragon. Just UGH he's such a shit but he clearly loves Sunfyre.
They do a really good job making the action scenes EMOTIONAL. Seeing Sunfyre gutted and Meles strangled was hard to watch (in a good way). Seeing Cole struggle with the scale of the fight, even though he was in on the plan....
The threads are really coming together. But I think I need to go cry over Rhaneys as she was my favorite character.
the dragons :((( my heart absolutely broke. i cried over sunfyre and meleys and rhaenys. it tore me apart. i love dragons so so much and you can see how much of a bond they have with their people.
Yep, all of this!
great video! my one point of contention would be that when Aemond was walking towards Aegon's body and "draws out his sword". perhaps it read differently in the books but as it appeared on the screen his sword was already drawn and he was actually sheathing it as he approached Aegon, not drawing it. I just didn't get the impression that he was ready to commit regicide.
In the book Aemond and Aegon actually love each other as brothers, Aegon even wanting to build statues in honor of Aemond. So yeah, it doesn't read as him outright attempting regicide. But the show seems to be doing something different.
The last scene looks more like he was already sheathing his sword not drawing it out. He probably was securing the area since the place is a battlefield and it isn’t totally out of place for him to try and finish off his brother but he probably wasn’t going to do that with his sword.
Nice breakdown, really like the way you go over the details where everyone is. Overall ,as a non-book reader, i really liked the episode, but it was hard to believe the giant dragon was able to ambushe the other one (I am bad with names) by hiding behind the castle. Like if you are flying over the battlefield and you don't see the massive dragon would you not be more carefull of the places where it could hide but other than that amzing cgi, camerawork acting etc.
0:55
Correction, the Gullet (blockade*) is actually right under Driftmark and Dragonstone.
Not, as you point out, in the Blackwater Bay.
I was gonna say, the political tension would be insane if the blacks were just... Right there.
True! My editing mistake.
~ Tim
@@HelloFutureMe
No worries, mistakes can obviously happen and I'm simply a superfan of this franchise, lol.
Shares a topspot with Avatar and Final Fantasy, for me.
great review and insights! I miss the puns in the tittle, this one could have been "House of The Dont Drink and Drive"
I also notice how subtle Aemond's traition was developed... that scene where he cornered Aegon scolding him in high valyrian, knowing that anything Aegon could do (asking him to say it again, to say it in the common tongue, etc.) would only make him even more exposed as the ignorant and unprepared little guy that he is...
0:55 One Note: What you call the Gullet is really the Blackwater Bay. "The Gullet" refers to the narrow strip of water between Massey's Hook and Crackclaw Point, where Dragonstone and Driftmark sit right in the middle of it. It's the choke point, from which they can cut of any and all trade into Blackwater Bay.
@@SRosenberg203
It is an easy mistake to make, and I had to check it again myself after reading your comment, but the Gullet actually only refers to the narrow strip between Dragonstone/Driftmark and Massey's Hook.
Strip under Crackclaw Point is called ... also the Gullet?
Hell, even the wiki actually uses both definitions.
I won't reset my comment, because now it is even funnier.
They keep saying taking Rook's Rest also cuts off Dragonstone from access to a land entry. That suggests it's not an insignificant strategic spot.
Even having read Fire and Blood, this episode had my heart going a mile a minute. A fantastic interpretation of events that feels like the accurate culmination of every character beat that's come before.
Great breakdown! Been pleasantly surprised with most of the show changes/additions from the book. Glad to see you share the same sentiment.
Theory/Spoiler
With the way Alicent has been written in relation to Aegon. She may be the one who kills in the end by poison. Bringing the whole kinslaying stuff full circle.
That's actually pretty interesting if she'd do that after protecting him. Or maybe she did that to ease his pain idk.
My theory is
I think Aegon killed himself. Houses and Arryn and Stark will completely decimate whatever is left of him and his army. He lost almost everything at this point, his siblings, his son, he is malformed plus he is always in pain, and he lost his beloved dragon. He knows he is about to lose and he decided to end it for himself.
Good theory after being more or less living as a puppet king he ends his life on his own terms. @Melodia-ge8ib
So hyped now! Such a great turning point in the season. The dance has begun
Sadly it will wind down until season 3 😅
Minor Nitpick: not sure how Vhagar has such stealth. She seems to be large and powerful but I guess Aemond took advantage of the smoke. Plus I guess flying a dragon makes it to properly hear things.
Vhagar seems to be inspired by dinosaurs like the trex
She is large and slow but crafty
Trexs where silent hunters and sneaky too dispite the size so they where pretty stealthy
it's sad and strange to see aegon be blamed so mercilessly after being raised this exact way. the scene with allicent in particular was so scathing, your son's grown his entire life looking for your approval, and you just use and abuse him till he's of no use anymore.
I have not read Fire and Blood, nor the main books either, and I absolutely love everything about the series so far.
Thank you for visual break with the maps it really makes these reviews 10x better
Tim, I haven't watched the episode yet and your thumbnail is sending me man.
Edit: Just noticed the change. I appreciate it.
0:53 either I’ve played too much Crusader Kings 2 & 3’s game of thrones or King’s Landing’s placement looks weird. Like I guess he could be marking the greater city/metro area
You’re right; King’s Landing is supposed to be at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush. Rosby or Stokeworth should be where King’s Landing is, but Rosby is pushed up closer to Duskendale to accommodate the weird placement of King’s Landing.
GRRM is so brave to take the controversial stance of “absolute monarchy bad”
I don't remember much of the book and I don't want to read it now, but I remember a certain detail of something that will happen before the end of the season. Rhaenys hooking herself to the saddle was a neat piece of foreshadowing, I thought, and I believe there will be a direct parallel to it when the time comes.
I'm right there with your wife! As much as I've been enjoying this season so far, episode 4 absolutely blew me away. 💗
My favorite things? Besides hating Cole... 🤣 Alicent reading Aemon to filth (was she drunk sore, sick of it, or all three), and the last looks between Meleys and Rhaenys. That look absolutely shattered my heart.
And much love to actor Fabien Frankel, who's been doing an absolutely incredible job as everyone's favorite guy to hate. Seriously, Frankel does not get enough love for his top-tier acting!
Apparently he's done such a phenomenal job that hordes of braindead fucktards have taken it real-life and have been harassing the poor man so obscenely that he had to shut off his social media comments or something.
BLOWS my fucking mind that there are still people out there that don't know what acting is.
10:08 I saw what you did there, cheeky.
Nice that you give details from books without spoiling any suspense for us non-book readers.
Yay maps! This helps me a LOT. Did you make that in Wonderdraft?
Loved the episode. I'm reading Rise of the Dragon and avoiding going past the latest episode to avoid spoilers. I'm excited about who's going to claim Vermithor (mainly because I want to see him again). I'm still devastated that Rhaenys and Meleys are gone. Feels like her wisdom was still needed.
Not sure how I feel about Ameond burning aegon, but I get it. I will however die on the hill that he was putting his sword away when aegon was on the ground
He was like throwing cold water to dogs mating.
What mic are you using? It sounds great outdoors!
i don't think aemond was actively trying to kill his brother i just don't think he cared if he lived or died because of how aegon treats him.
U are the best, truthfully speaking
I havent read the Fire & Blood, but I did the aSoIaF. And for me the Feast for Crows is my favorite. I loved how it goes deep into how prolonged civil war erode societal norms and we are slowly presented with the corruption of the World that is descending into madness and decay. And I really enjoy how the House of the Dragon builds up this eerie feeling that the Dance of the Dragon will lead to the wanton horror and destruction. And the sad fact of knowing that there is nothing we can do to prevent it....
It angers me the way the girls lost sight of Vaghar and the Aemond sneak attacks them. Like, every time we see Vaghar it takes her to run half a mile to take off, but because of plot now she is a ninja dragon.
But, she does have a few advantages. The truly monstrous sized wings she has are perfect for gliding through the air. She was also close to the cliff so she might have taken a dove off the cliff and gone upward as soon as she saw Meleys?
It is possible for very very big animals to be quiet; elephants and Trex for example.
But we _know_ she's good at flying. Just because she needs to warm up doesn't mean she can't fly good.
@muntu1221 Plus, she's strong enough to fly at intense speeds and winds.
Battle above Stormsend shows she's hardly effected by the winds
Trexs actually hunted that way so its accurate
Scientists say Trexs where quiet hunters despite their large size so they relied on surprises
Vhagar seems to be inspired by that
Vhagar has also seen many battles
She is the most experienced dragon alive during the dance
@@shippendales8543 that’s wrong. Based on TRex physiology it is largely accepted that they were long distance sprinters and hunted their pray on open fields by running them down to exhaustion. Which explains the ridiculous sense of smell and eyesight. Regardless, you can’t compare a dragon to a T Rex and even if you do it doesn’t make sense for this strategy to work on a smaller/faster dragon. Specially since we know Vaghar needs a long running start to take off. The whole thing reeks of plot convenience. I still like the dragon “choreography” before that point.
I believe Daemon and Aemond are going to have arcs that mirror each other. Both are seen as villians and threats by people they are supposed to care about. Alicent sees Aemond as a monster and kinslayer, when in fact it was somewhat of an accident. Aegon sees his brother as threat to his own rule, by beeing someone who overshadows him. Daemon is seen as the villian by his own wife and not without reason.
This episode we see Aemond embrace that role, by actively becoming a kinslayer and usurping his brother. Daemon on the other hand has not made his decision yet. He has taken Harrenhal but did not make any attempt to coordinate with Rhaenyra.
Personally i liked Aegon more this episode. He said fuck this I'm gonna do something instead of just sitting around. And he would have taken rook's ridge and gained glory had it not been for Cristian Cole and aemond and their plan. But this is based on my recollection that there was no talk of luring a dragon from dragon stone... If there was then he was an idiot. But i dont remember. Also Aegon didn't cower in fear when seeing Maelys. He went in for it.
I also like christian Cole more. He finally stopped thinking with his dick and played the role of a warrior and had a plan. He also went for it with determination. I didn't see him once not doing his part.
@14:22 What changes from the book did you not like?
i love your hotd videos. still watching this one but just got to the part where you mention aemond drew his sword on aegon. having rewound and watched the scene a few times i don’t quite think it’s that simple. aemond’s sword is already out when he’s approaching aegon but he actually seems to be in the process of putting it away when criston calls out to him. i also thought at first that we was intent on killing aegon but if that was the case why was he putting it away? he was definitely already about to sheath it when criston called out.
It's been a while since I read Fire & Blood, but it all came back when I saw Rhaenys volunteer to fight at Rook's Rest :(
I don't like that they got rid of Kermit Tully.
5:16 Dog! 🐕
I've never cried so hard at a GoT episode, ever. RIP Meleys and Rhaenys 😭
Straight up bloods vs. crips out here in these Westeros streets.
Sobbing over Meleys 😭😭
I have only watched summaries of the books on RUclips so I don’t know everything but so far I like this show
In the preview when they're parading Meleys through the street they say " the traitor Dragon slain by King Aegon" so you can easily see why history remembered them working together
out of topic: its astonishing how green the place you are in is to where i am. Its literally 52 degrees Celsius and i have to water my fig trees thrice a day haha
My favourite episode is still the second one, but this is a second close
One thing I’ve been really enjoying with the show (especially this season) is all the little ways we’re seeing just how fucking awful it must be for the smallfolk to live in a world where your rulers also own proprietary flying nukes.
There was this tiny moment in the first episode where the city guards freak out before realising the dragon they can see is Vhagar (knowing her by name), and there’s just something about the idea of some poor bastard who’s never so much as seen a Targaryen in person being able to identify which of the flying death machines is currently cruising overhead, like it tickled me in a way I can’t quite verbalise.
I know GoT did it a bit with Daenerys and her dragon/s, but that was always played more as big episodes of ultra-violence, with little interaction in between. With this we’re really seeing a society where royalty riding monsters into battle (or just for fun) is a thing, and it really drives home the point of “being smallfolk sucks”.
Loved everything except the sneak attack maneuver used as an element of surprise -- it was already done in s1. Doing it again felt quite cheap.
Is like a move from WWE.
Would love to hear what you have to say about the nature of adaption when it comes to this story, since the original material is a biased historical recounting of the facts versus the live action, who can have a claim to historicity and, in a meta way, almost like a claim to omniscience. But I feel like there should still be constraints, so that instead of carte-blanche, the changes should be along the lines of what we SEE from the characters as opposed to what's told by the maesters, as well as moving along the lines of what's glorified and what's vilified in a believable way that doesn't interfere with the motivations of characters.
The only think I didn't like about this episode is how Rhaenys' death could've been worked into the narrative earlier in a better way. In the books, there's this hotheaded streak to her and that becomes her downfall. But that impulsiveness is mostly* brushed aside in the show, giving way to a careful, calculating, wisdom of the ages grandmother type character. Show Rhaenys would never pick a fight with Aemond and Vhaegar, and she would definitely not abandon two chances to leave the battlefield. The manner of her death is also in conflict with her character; she doesn't get overpowered, she gets outwitted by a teenager (idk how old Aemond is exactly).
*There is that one other scene that everyone hated where she jumps out of the dragonpit and doesn't kill Aegon, but one standalone scene isn't setup. I'd've liked to have seen some of this impulsiveness, and that Targaryen fireblood more built up in Rhaenys, since it is the thing that causes her downfall. If someone is going to die because of a character trait, we better all agree that they actually have that character trait, especially if it's such a fan favourite character
I'll add this in a T2 reply, because this is definitely more rambly, but the Rhaenys problem seems to generally be a problem with how GRRM's world works. Characters die when they make a mistake or blunder (not a moral one, but a strategic one), but if someone's main character trait is that they play the politics incredibly well, how do you kill them? Either they make a stupid mistake (which is out of character), you introduce incredible odds against them, or you introduce someone even smarter. The showrunners of GOT failed at this, which is why all the smart characters became idiots, so they could justifiably be killed of. A better writer might struggle with this, but ultimately succeed.
Another bit of rant is that I'm getting kinda tired of writers attempting to write "strong female characters", but then have to come up with a flaw and the only thing they can think of is "rash, impulsive, emotional, behaves like a child". Shades of ROP Galadriel
Idk, maybe I'm just salty a beloved character got merc'd, but in my salt I've cooked up some decent arguments I think
I feel Rhaenys' death is in-character. Her whole shtick is to pursue the method that results in the least amount of bloodshed. Picking a fight with Vhagar when she has the best chance of anyone available to beat him fits that mindset because beating or at least crippling Vhagar completely shifts the war in the Blacks favor to the point that the second Daemon gets his head right, he alone can end this war.
@@unc54 That's how I interpreted it (I haven't read the books).
To me she made a measured decision to do as much as she could KNOWING she would die in the effort. It fit with her character in the show.
Raenys is a Targaryen AND a Baratheon. Don´t forget that.
On a very minor note, I was glad to see Jaecerys question and challenge his mother. There needs to be more friction on the Black side to make their scenes more interesting. Jace hasn't done jack for the entire season. I hope that losing Rhaenys will cause some inter-Black arguments, but I fear they will yet again just make everyone sad and quiet for a number of episodes.
rhaenys couldve escaped. it boggles me why shed throw her life way.
actually broke my suspension of disbelief.
She showed up to defend rook's rest. It wouldn't make sense to leave while a dragon like vhagar was still flying about, ready to toast the castle at any moment
@@echidnaralsei1473 if she takes out vhagar the blacks win
I see people saying this but why is fleeing more realistic?
What indication has Rhaenys ever given that she would flee a fight? Also, her whole rhetoric has been minimizing bloodshed and Meleys is one of the few dragons who stands a chance against Vhagar and killing or even crippling Vhagar pretty much ends the war. On top of that the Black Council grows restless due to inaction and Rhaenys fleeing and abandoning Lord Staunton and Rook's Rest to the Greens would understandably stoke a mutiny.
The only thing I would change about the dragon fight is make it more true to real life dogfighting where altitude matters. Where being higher allows you the tactical advantage of being able to descend and then gain speed. It would make little moments like aegon spraying fire at the beginning of the fight and making a smoke screen for himself so he can’t see more impactful because rhaenys would understand the tactical mistake, take that moment to gain altitude, and then use that to attack aegon showing that she is more competent and wiser. I’m not saying they have to enter 1 circle vs 2 circle merges or anything crazy but just a little bit of classic dogfighting tactics would have gone a long way I think particularly in convincing rhaenys that she could take down vhagar by being a better tactical rider than aemond. Really small complaint though
Absolutely LOVED this episode! I agree with your wife: BEST episode yet!!!
It's so cinematic!
So much attention to detail and the acting is stellar. I haven't read the books and I don't do spoilers,
BUT
I do think Daemon and Alys will get it on😉
And
Daemon will screw things up for Rhaenyra
I was hoping for a longer battle scene between the dragons.
I LOVE how they are explaining the book version with the trailer for next episode, by telling the small folk kinda like what they did with baby Jaeherys that Aegon was always part of the plan and he was the one who slain Rhaenys and Meleys. Brilliant, show the manipulation and you get a version of events that differs from reality
Such a great episode. Although I cannot understand the swatch of affection and sympathy Aegon II is getting. Dude's a monster, it's like everybody just forgot how abusive, sick, and twisted he was shown and heavily implied, that he was much worse, to be in season 1.
What i found interrsting was that we had some cool exciting dragon moments in s1 but in s2 when dragon actually fights dragon my gut reaction was not like this will be so cool it was more like cold dread in my stomach. And it fits, cause like you said, these are westeros nuclear weapons and when they are unleashed the result is carnage and destruction on all sides. I think the show did a great job with this episode.
It’s like a toddler trying to control a pit bull
it’s valYrian btw, not valArian
As someone who read the book, I can confirm that everybody dies
The Cannibal is likely of a similar size to Vhagar
This was the best episode of the series I think. Close second to that episode in the first where Daemon stole the egg
Bit of a sidebar from the main characters, but I really got a kick out of realizing the Blackwood lord who was meeting with Daemon at Harrenhal was the same kid who straight up murdered a guy in front of Rhaenyra while courting her in S1 😂
Who is this "Zuko" character? Maybe you should make some videos about him and whatever stories or redemption arc he might happen to be in.
While Fire & Blood doesn't really provide Aemond with a motivation to kill Aegon it also doesn't dissuade the idea that he viewed Aegon as expendable. In Fire & Blood while Sunfyre and Meleys are tangled up, Vhagar literally drops on both sending all three tumbling to the ground. Aemond and Vhagar come away with minimal damage, Aegon and Sunfyre are severely injured, and Meleys and Rhaenys are both broken, burnt, and dead. The next mention of Aemond is how he eagerly took the crown, placed it on his head, and declared "it looks better on me than it ever did on my brother".
I feel like they should have ended the episode with the shot of Rooks rest.. I also thought that Aegon died in the fall
Crispon fought in the danish wars he is experienced
This episode marked the tipping point where I think it could be argued that HotD has... dethroned its predecessor.
It just felt weird to me that the blacks only send 1 dragon to save that castle, despite knowing full well the opposition also has dragons. At least they should have send a 2nd dragon a bit further back as reserve just in case the greens send their own dragons. It just seems weird risking sending only one dragon knowing full well a dragon as powerfull as Vaeghar is on the other side and not necessarily far away.
Oh god oh no oh fuck. In FaB after rhenyra takes the city, allicent and hellena are the only ones left in the city on the green side. And the next morning helena is found impaled on the spikes lining the moat of the keep. What if helena is forgiving her for something we dont even know will happen 😨