TV House of The Dragon

[kkck]

Hmmm, I found the last episode to be somewhat boring tbh. I feel like it's move on to do house politics... wrong. I can't quite put my finger on it though. The bit with daemon not going through his his threat to kill everyone with a dragon felt off to me at least. Daemon doing empty threats? Too much time went to the ghosts of harrelhal bit of the episode. It didn't seem like there was much of a point to it beyond grossing out the audience. I suppose it could pay off later.

 

[xi0]

Daemon explained why he didn't kill them all, whether that's consistent or not I'm not sure. It's weird how we've gone from one episode to the next and Daemon is openly disloyal. I'm not sure why they decided to remove the vagueness of it all of a sudden.

I figured some would consider it boring but given what happened last episode, you need episodes like this as a breather. I though the direction and cinematography was great.

 

[M3J]

Why did Daemon see and make out with his mom? tf

 

[xi0]

Why did Daemon see and make out with his mom? tf

because he's damaged

 

[Rikudou King]

Idk, I just hope his dilemma and apparently aspirations to take Rhaenyra's crown isn't what takes the place of the drama with Nettles. I imagine there will be more non-book stuff happening if major events involving him aren't happening until season 3 at least.

I'm in agreement with that, though I can't really see the Daemon subplot continuing much longer, cause otherwise can't really have him a part of Team Black...

Given that they haven't bothered to mention him by name until now, I'm not necessarily certain that he must be between 10-12. For the sake of his role in the story him being closer in age to Jace makes more sense IMO. I think they just kind of fucked up acting like he didn't exist until now, not sure.

I suppose, though they've been so wild with the changes in ages that it wouldn't surprise me. I could see another timeskip happening, cause otherwise it'll seem like the Dance was over in a year.

Alicent is quickly becoming a character that I sort of resent. The actress is great, but her writing is kind of abysmal.

Her lashing out at Aegon felt very forced IMO. It kind of came from nowhere and seemed to only exist to push Aegon to do what he did with Sunfyre. The things she said about the people he should take council from made no sense. We already know for a fact that she doesn't respect Cole or Aemond's "wisdom" and they haven't earned their positions at all either. We know Aegon is a moron, but her words there were equally nonsensical. While the battle scene was mostly great, the events that led up to it really fall apart under closer scrutiny.

Likely due to a combination of nothing to draw from the source and storywise her not really allowed to have a role politically. Rhaenyra's at least a dragonrider along with her storyline involving women having a role in politics...

I assume the take away was suppose to be she lashed out cause of her own personal issues, combined with the reminder that she politically powerless and whatever the moontea is making her feel. I agree with the nonsense comment about Cole and Aemond, though I guess while she may dislike him as a person, Aemond does seem to actually be quite smart so that part could be believable. It does seem weird though how she's now acting like Aemond was always a danger when that never seem to be the case before. But yeah, the more time pass, the more things they seem to be changing just to have dramatic moments.

 

[terdes]

Ah amazing episode. Seasmoke claimed new rider haha Mysaria and Rhaenyra

 

[M3J]

because he's damaged

Do I have to watch Season 1 again to understand/remember why?

 

[kkck]

The guy is a more often than not unhinged and power hungry targaryen who killed his first wife and married his niece and ultimately can't figure out his place in the world.

The episode was... Good. Best part was the boats with food arriving to kings landing. Shows them fighting the war on multiple fronts. It's a bit of a shame that the strategy came from the whore rather than someone with actual experience in warfare or even rhaenera. I suppose the context is that most folk here have not fought wars for a while but it is still weird that what's her name did this pretty much on her own.

I continue to not care about alicent's stuff here. It seems less important than pretty much anything else going on but the show seems to want to keep this conflict centered around the two queens.

 

[xi0]

I suppose, though they've been so wild with the changes in ages that it wouldn't surprise me. I could see another timeskip happening, cause otherwise it'll seem like the Dance was over in a year.

Timelines, travel times, etc go out the window when it comes to TV more often than not. It takes 2 weeks to get to Duskendale or whatever was said but somehow Aegon's body was still smoking when they brought it back from Rook's Rest which is even further away. Oh and also Harrenhal is somehow also 2 weeks away despite being at least 3x as far away.

Also, last episode revealed Daeron is 16, which is around where I figured. Using the childrens' actual ages just wouldn't have worked very well IMO

 

[Rikudou King]

Timelines, travel times, etc go out the window when it comes to TV more often than not. It takes 2 weeks to get to Duskendale or whatever was said but somehow Aegon's body was still smoking when they brought it back from Rook's Rest which is even further away. Oh and also Harrenhal is somehow also 2 weeks away despite being at least 3x as far away.

Also, last episode revealed Daeron is 16, which is around where I figured. Using the childrens' actual ages just wouldn't have worked very well IMO

Yeah, does seem like the timeline is being condensed, so this version of the Dance seems like it will be over in a few years. I am curious, given the central focus on Rhaenyra and Alicent, where they intend to end the series given where the Blacks end up during the Dance.

 

[terdes]

Episode 7 dragons, dragons, Rhaenyra is the truly dragon queen

 

[M3J]

Yeah, does seem like the timeline is being condensed, so this version of the Dance seems like it will be over in a few years. I am curious, given the central focus on Rhaenyra and Alicent, where they intend to end the series given where the Blacks end up during the Dance.

so I spoiled myself by reading the book wiki, and

Spoiler

I think they'll end it when either the war is over or when Aegon dies, and his nephew takes over. Wouldn't make sense to end it with Rhaenyra and Alicent when we did get more info on the war, and how Rhaenyra's kids would also succeed if she became queen or if Aegon and his family died (I think Aemond falls to Daemon).

 

[terdes]

anyway there were leaks of 8th episode on tiktok

 

[Rikudou King]

so I spoiled myself by reading the book wiki, and

Spoiler

I think they'll end it when either the war is over or when Aegon dies, and his nephew takes over. Wouldn't make sense to end it with Rhaenyra and Alicent when we did get more info on the war, and how Rhaenyra's kids would also succeed if she became queen or if Aegon and his family died (I think Aemond falls to Daemon).

That would make the most sense, but the problem is that they've focus so much on Rhaenyra being the main character, with only a little more given to characters like Alicent and Corlys, and none so far to key characters that would play a role down the line. That could change next season, but currently it's basically the Rhaenyra show.

 

[xi0]

Absolutely god awful episode, terrible way to end the season. Not sure what was going on in the writer's room for this one but it's almost entirely incoherent in relation to what happened in the previous fucking episode even...

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 5, 2024, Original Post Date: Aug 5, 2024 ---

I don't want to get into it because I'm too lazy to spoiler stuff so I'll hold off, but there was SO much wrong with so much of this episode... like this was nearly Season 8 GoT level bad

 

[kkck]

Hmmm, this season got weird.

A bit that stood out to me was Daemons' stunt at the end. Rhaenyra arrives and Daemon tells her that all the men there are sworn to him? Wouldn't that come with the implication that those men are loyal to Rhaenyra rather than Daemon? Why would these men be ok with potentially turning on Rhaenyra? What did Daemon do to earn so much good will from anyone that they would turn turncoats for him? All Daemond did this season was have a week-month long fever dream at Harrenhal and suddenly he had an army which presumably gathered for Rhaenyra to begin with.

I think the show suffers from trying to keep the conflict between rhaenyra and alicent relevant... The heart of the show or something like that. I don't doubt it's importance but it'd make more sense to lean into alicent's varying influence rather than try to shoehorn this into relevance when alicent is a king's widow and rhaenyra is a queen.

 

[xi0]

A bit that stood out to me was Daemons' stunt at the end. Rhaenyra arrives and Daemon tells her that all the men there are sworn to him? Wouldn't that come with the implication that those men are loyal to Rhaenyra rather than Daemon? Why would these men be ok with potentially turning on Rhaenyra? What did Daemon do to earn so much good will from anyone that they would turn turncoats for him? All Daemond did this season was have a week-month long fever dream at Harrenhal and suddenly he had an army which presumably gathered for Rhaenyra to begin with.

No, we're supposed to believe he randomly decided to fully support Rhaenyra now because of a vision he had and not because of any agency or character development on his part. All of those visions dealing with relationships with people from the past meant nothing because the writers decided to connect this story to Season 8 of GoT.... LMAO!

Nevermind that the army he raised in that moment was entirely due to the already existing loyalty to Rhaenyra and not him...

Oh and Helaena is somehow connected to influencing him to do the "right thing" despite him being directly involved in the murder of her son and heir. LMAO!

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 6, 2024, Original Post Date: Aug 6, 2024 ---

I had thought that some of the disjointed character portrayal in the first season was due to the timeskip and partially because the writers were working separately due to covid. But this kind of issue still persisted this season to a degree and culminated in the absolute mess this finale was. So IMO the writers just don't communicate enough with eachother or don't give enough care for continuity or something because the writing has had enough high-points over the course of the show to where it can't be satisfyingly explained by them just being shit at their job. Idk, I'm thoroughly confused.

 

[kkck]

I still think they suffer from trying to keep alicent way too relevant. There was so much time on her even though she didn't really contribute all that much until the very end. Heck,half the plot around her was her inability to contribute which is not exactly fun to watch. And I am not sure I understand how her surrender here is something she is able to deliver on. Even with her position it seems like a stretch that she'd be able to pretty much have kings landing surrender when she gives the order. Is there any reason she'd have that much pull with the gold cloaks (unless I am mistaken it's the gold cloaks that handle this)? And even then rhaenery has 7-8 dragons so it's not like a big door is THAT much of an impediment.

It's almost hard to see how the conflict can even continue with rhaenyra having so many dragons. You'd think that once she takes king's landing the conflict is all but over.

 

[xi0]

I still think they suffer from trying to keep alicent way too relevant. There was so much time on her even though she didn't really contribute all that much until the very end. Heck,half the plot around her was her inability to contribute which is not exactly fun to watch. And I am not sure I understand how her surrender here is something she is able to deliver on. Even with her position it seems like a stretch that she'd be able to pretty much have kings landing surrender when she gives the order. Is there any reason she'd have that much pull with the gold cloaks (unless I am mistaken it's the gold cloaks that handle this)? And even then rhaenery has 7-8 dragons so it's not like a big door is THAT much of an impediment.

It's almost hard to see how the conflict can even continue with rhaenyra having so many dragons. You'd think that once she takes king's landing the conflict is all but over.

Alicent has been an issue overtaking most of the series IMO, but hardly the main issue with this finale for me, I guess. But yeah, they have her as a main character when she just isn't that in the source material.

It wouldn't be the gold cloaks imo, it would be her household guard, which seems to be a mix of Targaryen and Hightower. Gold cloaks are more of a police force for the entire city. Nevermind that a decent portion of the gold cloaks are still loyal to Daemon.

True, but yeah, stuff happens lol

 

[kkck]

Anyone read GRRM's comments on the second season? Pretty brutal, brutal enough that it makes sense that he deleted the comments. I really need to read house of the dragon, I didn't realize they had deleted an entire targaryen.