#hotd leak

[tessarionbestgirl]

Killed herself because she was the toxic butterfly all along. 🤦‍♀️

[grimdarkqueen]

I am sorry but what the fuck is an age appropriate lover for old Rhaenyra? Are you saying a 30s years old can’t be with someone in their 40s, are people ok?

The only “inappropriate” relationships happened when she was younger with Cole, Daemon and so on… if she wants to fuck older women in her 30s what is the problem? Oh wait is this homophobia because there is no way in hell someone that loves women would be against old Rhaenyra being a woman kisser, or maybe it is just old fashion racism idk at this point. Yes it’s about Rhaenyra and Mysaria.

[sugurugetos]

Harry Collett as JACAERYS VELARYON in 1x10 of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

[cbrownjc]

You know, I was already feeling kind of apathetic toward Season 2 of HOTD, but I was still trying to remain positive about it.

And then I read the Blood and Cheese leaks . . .

Oh.

I mean, look. I get it. They probably didn't want to traumatize young children by doing the scene directly as-is. But I DO think there is a way you could have done it almost the same way as they appear to be doing it, without it losing any of its bite and horror.

Like, you could still have all three kids in bed together, but awake and scared and crying quietly, completely confused as their mother is being threatened in front of them to choose. And, you know, having Alicent there, gagged and tied, so the kids also see their grandmother in trouble as well.

And, you know, have Maelor there too, so the choice is still between the older and younger boys. With Maelor still hears his mother choose his older brother over him.

Then when Haelena makes her choice, they grab Jaehaerys up out of the bed in a quick cut and you don't actually see his murder, just cut away to guards hearing Haelena screaming. When the guards burst in, Blood and Cheese are gone, Jaehaera and Maelor are still sitting on the bed shellshocked. Haelena, meanwhile, is kneeling in front of the bed on the floor, her back to the door, but obviously cradling a little body that is still mostly hidden but causing a pool of blood to spread around her, still screaming.

This way, you obviously don't have little kid actors being visually threatened with knives and swords and such on screen. And possibly traumatizing such little kid actors in any way by doing it the way it was written. Leaving the kids all on the bed also means you can just show them in isolated cuts, where they don't even have to have been filming while things such as Haelena being threatened -- as well as the threats to the kids themselves -- are happening. You only need one or two establishing wide shots to show everyone in the room, and that's it.

And of course, you don't see one of the kids get their head cut off. Just Jaehaerys being grabbed from the bed instead of Maelor (after Haelena chooses Maelor to die and we get cut over to a close-up of his scared face), and then just smash-cut to the guards hearing Haelena screaming.

There. That's IMO how you do that scene without traumatizing little kid actors as well as still giving the scene its disturbing bite. Not whatever it sounds like we are getting instead. Which not only doesn't have Haelena not even offer up her own life for her kids, which, okay, but apparently makes the choice between the twins while they are asleep, and they don't even hear their mother picking between them. And Maelor is just being cut altogether since there was no time to establish him.

If the show is going for another Red Wedding moment with this -- which it very much could have been -- then they failed, and utterly butchered it. Because the true horror of the moment isn't even Jaehaerys losing his head. It was Haelena having to choose which of her children to die, the kids hearing their mother make that choice between them, and then the one she chose to die having to live with the knowledge that his mother chose for him to die, while the one she chose to live got murdered instead.

It is all supposed to be Sophie's Choice but with a crueler twist. And it sounds like they very much like they executed it all completely wrong. It was already going to be hard to get audiences to care since we've barely seen the twins -- and Maelor not at all (which, given that he's been cut . . .) -- but even then, you could have still had the kids hearing the choice made, which is supposed to be part of the cruelty and shock of it all. And now . . .

I'm really trying not to shit on this without seeing it yet. But just hearing how this was done isn't giving me much confidence -- for this or in enjoying the season on the whole in truth.

[underground-cry]

the one good thing about ser harwin strong being dead is that the narrative can't touch him and the writers can't fuck his characterization up anymore

[welcomefortune]

I like Alicole but the repressed dynamic is like 90% of the appeal to me like it’s a courtly love that can never be she’s his Madonna so idk if I like the rumors

[mesillusionssousecstasy]

HOTD 1x10: First Review

Honestly, I did not expect such differences from Fire and Blood in this episode, like they were afraid to make Rhaenyra another Daenerys (mad queen) or what?

Let’s start. 

I really like the opening with Luke, knowing what would happened to him at the end. 

I truly share Daemon’s belief that Viserys was poisoned by the Hightower. 

Is it me of Syrax could understand Rhaenyra’s pain through childbirth? Like the child was connected to Syrax? However, I was quite astonished that the baby didn’t have dragon features like in Fire and Blood. Also, they haven’t even mention her name, right? No Visenya at all. 

I liked the parallels between Rhaenyra and Daemon’s mournings.

It was such a pleasure to see Ser Erryk Cargyll, but I thought he would have make a better entrance, and not like this alone, coming out of nowhere. 

Of course, I love the way Daemon crowned Rhaenyra and he was his true and utterly self here. 

I almost didn’t recognize Rhaenyra in this episode (of course with her comportment), but also her face, she looked so young, almost like Young Rhaenyra / Milly. 

Aegon’s table is amazing, even more with the candles. So much better than the one from GOT. A true piece of art. 

Can someone explain to me what happened to Syrax, she hasn’t grown during 20 years, even worse she seemed smaller. 

Daemon was excellent in front of Otto. Matt Smith’s performance was amazing again. I will never hate Daemon. 

Apparently Seasmoke is drifting on Driftmark, WTF. 

It was nice to see Corlys Velaryon even if he was so contradictory (but he wasn’t alone in this episode).

Rhaenyra was way too soft. They changed her too much. Is she or is she not a dragon?! But at least we could notice the differences of education between Rhaenyra and Alicent regarding their children. 

Poor Luke, I almost cry when I saw his last interaction with his mother. 

Daemon can touch another dragon who isn’t Caraxes? Like this, just by singing to him in High Valyrian? What else has he discovered in Pentos? 

Storm’s end court is so empty and dark! We didn’t get any interaction with Lord Borros Baratheon’s daughters such a shame. There were four of them and none could talk, really? And why every one is afraid of Lord Borros? At least, he is smart enough to put a stop of Aemond’s fighting 

The heartbreaking moment of the episode was Luke’s death and the down play of Aemond. Why making the Greens so innocent and careless instead of what they truly are ruthless, murders and usurpers!? Why? There is nothing to justify this writing. Aemond is a murder and now a kinslayer. He has dropped the first blood, and he is the immediate responsable of the following murders. 

At least, this time the CGI were on point. The way Arrax fly above the clouds was amazing. 

And yes, the final scene was the climax of Rhaenyra and Daemon’s relationship. Now their fire burn together and they will be capable of anything (foreshadowing of episode 7). So sad that we didn’t get the needed sex scene just after, but it’s coming... from me. But did you notice that they played their music when they were holding hands until the end. 

ps: Ser Harrold Westerling is currently MIA, if you have seen him, please report to the authorities of Westeros. Or maybe episode 9 was his noble exit?

[redrisingsun]

It actually makes so much sense for Luke to answer to Aemond’s “Strong” because unlike Jace he probably only remembers Harwin as this good force of nature in his life (Jace probably does too, but more so as a person than someone to be worshipped. Luke was young enough when he passed that I assume Luke sees someone who could do no wrong). Like… Luke, presumably still in his teens, knowing he’s a bastard but embracing it because his biological father was everything he wants to be. “Yes, I AM a Strong, but I’m not a bastard” because he was loved by both parents. He was loved by Laenor even though he wasn’t his biological son. He was loved by Harwin. He is loved by Rhaenyra.

Luke Targaryen knowing his father is Harwin Strong but seeing no harm in it because Harwin was a good man. Luke Targaryen knowing he has no claim on the throne or Driftmark if he’s a bastard but it doesn’t matter because his father was a good man. Luke Targaryen refusing to be reduced to a bastard because there is nothing wrong with being loved.

I’m sorry I’m rambling I’m very emotional rn