#hotd review

[booknightt]

HOTD S3E4 thoughts, /!\ spoilers :

So far, this season is vastly superior to season 2 in my humble opinion. Yes, it’s still fanfiction (Nettles being erased, Alicent helping her supposedly mortal ennemy, Helaena kind of forgot about B&C, Rhaenyra being stripped of any flaws that could make her look bad, etc…) but there was more “good” than “bad” in this episode.

The “good” :

• The sets are incredible, the props are unreal !!! the costumes, the vfx… The amount of work and details– chef’s kiss.

• All of Larys/Aegon’s scenes were extremely interesting. Forced to rely on each other to survive even if they resent each other –which kind of made me think of a whale/barnacle symbiotic relationship or mutualistic in this case. They are horrible humans but I found their characterization to be very interesting (though it lacked a little subtlety) – that ANSWER ME was so strong, as if he was still king, then facing the same humiliations he inflicted upon others. Then emptying shit buckets to eat but there’s no food left – things the smallfolks are confronted to everyday… His anger, his forced submission toward the same order he once profited from – yeah, a very uncomfortable “fish out of the water” experience to watch but necessary for his arc.

• Ormund is a pos but the actor’s performance was really convincing (all of them were, really) and makes for a very good villain.

• Meleys’ carcass rotting away in the open and Sunfyre’s mangled body being used a touristic attraction were both so disturbing – really emphasized the tragic consequences of the dance and participates in the desacralization of their myths and the power and dominance they used to inspire.

• Ulf and Hugh – Contrary to their book counterparts, we get to see their points of view and it really adds a lot of depth to their characters. You really feel for them when they are denied and hypocritically treated as being less-than.

• We finally saw Daeron! For the life of me I don’t understand why they never mentioned him until the last minute and why there was so much secrecy around him ? It can’t be bc of the fake!daeron plot ? It was obvious who it was the second they showed him imo… Anyway, felt so bad for him the whole episode. His bond with Tessarion was very moving, especially how protective she is of him.

• Daemon/Rhaena. Finally a worthy scene for her ! You can tell how much effort and dedication the actress gave to portray Rhaena’s struggles. I absolutely loved the spectral/unsettling vibes they went for, which fit her feeling of being transparent and forgotten so well. I liked to see Caraxes messing up with Daemon – for once he was in a position of weakness, taken by surprise + The Blood Wyrm was really cackling at Sheepstealer lol.

The bad :

• No mentions of Viserys’ lego set being broken ??! Why ?! Musy be my biggest grievance with this episode. We could have seen her touch the broken stones and relate to the pain, grief and anger that Aegon felt after losing his son because of B&C – what a missed opportunity. Instead she relates to Alyn and his father issues. Hope they’ll include it eventually.

• The pacing was quite strange – it’s scene after scene without any apparent connections between them sometimes. We don’t take the time to feel the impact of what we just saw and heard before we’re sent on the other side of the continent. There’s a lot of expostion that to me, fell flat as a result (Cole talks about his childhood and his father for two seconds – could have been interesting to see his side for once, but then it cuts and we have no time to assimilate what has just been said).

• Rhaenyra litteraly being Wiki of Ice and Fire and asking everyone for lore around the castle : Alicent did it hurt to send your kid away ? Rude. Describe Ormund to me ? For some reason I know barely anything about him but I can tell you that he is very sensitive to odors. (how?) Then goes to Orwyle and makes her research on the Hightowers/High Septon and demands all of the greens’ receipts and backlogs lol.

• Lack of subtlety. That.

So yeah, I must have forgotten half of the things I wanted to mention but the post is already quite long lol. Do you agree with me or do you agree to disagree hehe ?

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Hotd requests are open by the way! You can check my pinned post 🔗 for more informations. I also write for the entire asoiaf universe.

[mejcinta]

So, we're having the same issues as last season...only sprinkling them with battles?

Review link:

House of the Dragon Season 3 contains "arguably the craziest episode of TV ever made"

Showrunner Ryan Condal is going all-out in the penultimate season of the Game of Thrones prequel.

[touchofabite]

Just watched the new episode. My eyes instantly went to John Price as Rhaenyra's Kingsguard (?). It's really fun to see him there! Ok in all seriousness. I am still mad bitter about the removal of Nettles but they do the best they could with Rhaena and Sheepstealer. I really like the scene where Daemon confronts the rider of Sheepstealer and it's his daughter, Rhaena. Rhaena tells Daemon of how isolated she feels, she doesn't have a dragon, she doesn't fight like Baela. Daemon DEFINITELY has shortcomings when it comes to raising Baela and Rhaena.

Gwayne is TIRED. I understand why. Criston is a shitshow. He's going through something but aren't we all? I will say, I dig his dialogue with Gwayne and Harrenhal.

ALICENT 😭😭😭😭😭🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 My beautiful Queen and her daughter. Alicent really did TRY EVERYTHING in her power to raise these children and nature vs. nurture goes really hard in this season. I cannot wait for her to meet Daeron (hold that thought.) HELAENA IS PREGNANT 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 I don't know how to feel. I feel really terrible about it. She is also trying her best in these circumstances. She most likely knew she was pregnant way before this episode but tries not to meddle on it. Alicent could've made her drink moontea but couldn't work.

Rhaenyra obviously thought claiming back her throne would be harder but she didn't think so far ahead as to how she would rule especially ruling a kingdom in war. I don't like Lord Manderly. I love Mysaria. I think Rhaenyra should trust her the most. Daemon is trying to mend his shortcomings to Rhaena by leaving her out of everything and using another person's corpse for Rhaenyra to receive justice.

Larys and Aegon...oh boy. Larys is irritated. Aegon's ego has been stepped over and over again. I hope this wakes Aegon up and when he does come back, he is a seasoned Prince.

THE STARS OF THE SHOW!!! Ormund and my beloved boy, Daeron. Ugh. Parallels. Someone makes a gifset of Ormund and Daeron, Otto and Alicent. I see Alicent's reasoning as to why she thinks sending Daeron to Oldtown can make him more noble than his brothers yet she hasn't been there for so long? I guess, she fully trusts Gwayne to sway Daeron in the right direction. Ormund is replacing Otto's role in this show. Ormund is very capable, I will say that. He's like a pimple popping video I cannot stop watching. It's disgusting but he is so intriguing!

DAERON IS SO MUCH LIKE ALICENT despite not being raised by her. OMG. It kills me. He is so kind, daring and he is just a BOY. I cannot wait to see him in action. Let's hope they adapt the Daeron-Maelor plotline and the leaks aren't true.

Solid episode despite the character assassinating my favorite character (Alicent) for the last 2 seasons.

[walled-flwr]

People ask if Viserys is "blind" and can't he see that Rhaenyra has birthed bastards who will inherit the Iron Throne...

But... Viserys is anything BUT blind to Rhaenyra's actions. He sees clearly and I have to say that it doesn't matter to him.

Rhaenyra is the child of his first, great love, Aemma. She is the Blood of The Dragon, and he views her as his true successor because of that.

Viserys couldn't give 2 fucks if a pink stag is the father of her children. All that matters to Viserys is that Rhaenyra's blood continues the line.

Whether she is 14 or 40, Rhaenyra will always be his Princess.

Hashtag: Girl Dad!!!

[imperatorcaesaraugustus]

Jace, Mysaria, and the Dragonseeds: Disruptions to the Social Order

(this is one section of my House of the Dragon Season 2 Review)

One of the most significant storylines in season two of House of the Dragon is that of the Dragonseeds, lowborn descendants of Targaryens who find themselves thrust into an unexpected position of privilege and power for having claimed dragons. The Dragonseeds demonstrate an uncharacteristic level of social mobility for Westeros, embodying an inherent challenge to the status quo and the attitudes that uphold it. Around this issue, the characters of Jacaerys Velaryon and Mysaria come to represent opposing perspectives. Mysaria, a commoner who has managed to rise to a position of power and influence, sees them as a vital asset regardless of their origin, while Jace, a member of the nobility whose position is somewhat precarious, views them as an existential threat.

            Let us start with the Hull brothers, Alyn of Hull and Addam of Hull. We are introduced to Alyn first, a serious, stalwart, and dutiful man working in the Velaryon fleet. We are told that he is the one who saved Corlys from an incident that nearly cost him his life last season, and Corlys attempts to reward him for this, raising him up to command a ship in the fleet, though Alyn is very resistant to Corlys’ aid. His brother, Addam, is shown to be a more free-spirited person, but receives little screentime until he is confronted by the dragon Seasmoke. Alyn swears his loyalty to Rhaenyra without hesitation but is still heavily mistrusted by the members of Rhaenyra’s council. It is also at this point that I believe it is confirmed that Corlys is the father of Alyn and Addam, though I can’t be sure because I read Fire and Blood and thus knew from the jump what their lineage was. When the decision to find more Dragonseeds is made, Corlys goes to speak with Alyn, who decides not to make the attempt but rather to stay with the fleet. Alyn then chastises Corlys for the way he and his brother were ignored growing up, forced to live in poverty and work for everything they achieved because they were bastards, and to be honest if I just wrote out the text of that speech instead of writing this section of the review it would get most of my point across.

            After the brothers of Hull, the Dragonseed we see the most of is Hugh, known in the book as Hugh the Hammer. We first meet Hugh petitioning before Aegon on behalf of the smiths of King’s Landing. He asks for a portion of the payment for the weapons and armor being made for the war to be paid in advance, as waiting for payment after the fact is placing them in a difficult financial position. To Hugh’s surprise, Aegon agrees to this demand, but it becomes clear later in the season that the institution of government never made good on these promises. Hugh serves as our primary perspective on the smallfolk of King’s Landing throughout the season. When Melys’ head is paraded through the city after Rook’s Rest, he is the one who voices the collective realization that dragons are not gods, but just meat. We see through his struggles to take care of a sick daughter the hardship that is imposed by the blockade on King’s Landing, and he is present for the start of the rioting that occurs when Rhaenyra sends food. When the sowing of the Dragonseeds occurs, we learn that he has a negative view of the Targaryens due to the treatment of his mother, Saera, but he goes to Dragonstone in the hopes of acquiring a better life.

            The next story I want to look at is that of Mysaria. Season one established her as the head of a network of operatives working towards the betterment of the conditions of the smallfolk, but her base of operations is burned by Larys. She is found in this season attempting to leave King’s Landing via ship, and her capture leads her back into Daemon’s control. He promises her freedom in exchange for her help in arranging the Blood and Cheese incident but leaves for Harrenhal before he can grant her that freedom. Rhaenyra, after some deliberation and to Mysaria’s surprise, makes good on Daemon’s promise, but Mysaria stays in her service. Mysaria becomes one of Rhaenyra’s most trusted advisors, the only one who does not doubt her ability, even developing into the beginnings of a possible sexual relationship towards the end of the season (though it only seems to be present in the one episode and is not touched upon again). In her position of power, Mysaria consistently voices the potential that lies with the smallfolk of King’s Landing, and her idea to send food to the city successfully causes the people to riot against the Greens.

            And now let us talk about Jace and about the sowing. In this season, Jace chafes against the position he is in, too important as Rhaenyra’s heir to contribute to the fighting. He desperately wishes to advance the cause, taking his own initiative to treat with House Frey in order to do so. It is from this same desire to contribute that he proposes the idea to Rhaenyra of searching outside of the Targaryen family for new dragonriders, notably wanting to find them from among the nobility of Westeros. When the attempt with Ser Darklyn fails and Addam of Hull turns up with a dragon instead, it is Mysaria who presents the idea that the lowborn descendants of Targaryens are, in fact, the best place to look. This upsets Jace greatly. He, being widely perceived as a bastard, is less secure in his position than most of those around him. Rhaenyra can afford to disrupt things somewhat in order to gain an advantage in the war, but Jace correctly identifies that his own legitimacy is further called into question when bastards are provably able to ride dragons. And his fears seem to be proven right after the sowing occurs. Addam and Hugh are respectful, but Ulf the White treats Jace as an equal, just a fellow dragonrider. And when Rhaenyra flies to Harrenhal, she brings Addam with her and leaves Jace behind.

            The reality, of course, is that Mysaria is right, and so is Jace. The smallfolk have power in numbers and they have the potential to be just as capable as the nobility. And because of this, the power the nobility has over them is fragile. The Targaryen claim rests foremost with their dragons, as that is the power through which they enforce their will. If the lowborn are capable of riding dragons, then what is there to separate Targaryens from commoners? Monarchs are just people, and dragons are just meat. This season does a good job of highlighting the arbitrariness and unfairness of the social order here. Alyn’s tirade against Corlys in which he highlights the way his life differed from that of Laenor simply because they had different mothers is the best example of this, though the effectiveness of Mysaria’s smallfolk-focused strategies also underlines this theme. There are some places where this falls short, however. For one, the scenes where Corlys is talking with Alyn prior to the final episode never seem to go anywhere. But more substantially, Jace’s position as a protagonist means that his concerns are given weight. We see Ulf as unduly rude, as an interloper who refuses to see Jace as his superior, when these themes should lead us to the conclusion that Jace is not, in fact, superior to Ulf in any inherent way. Both of them, and Addam and Hugh as well, are the descendants of Targaryens, and the only difference is that Jace was raised as though he were a trueborn son.

            This leads me into the final thing I want to discuss. The above has been an analysis based on what is in the season, but now I want to turn to something that wasn’t. If you want to stop reading here, feel free, it should be a more or less complete review without this next bit. For those of you who want to continue, however, it’s time to talk about Nettles (probable spoilers for Rhaena’s story next season).

            Nettles is a character in Fire and Blood, the book from which House of the Dragon is derived. Nettles was one of the characters who showed up for the sowing of the dragonseeds, but the book suggests that she was not actually the descendant of Targaryens. For one thing, she is described as having brown skin, black hair, and brown eyes (the Velaryons in the books have pale skin, as do all people of Valyrian descent). This doesn’t fully preclude the possibility of her being a dragonseed, but when combined with the way in which she claimed her dragon, it seems likely she was not. Targaryens seem to have some sort of magical bond with the dragons they ride. Each person can only ever ride one dragon, each dragon only has one rider at a time, and the way a dragon and rider choose one another is somewhat mysterious. Nettles, however, used a different method. The dragon she went after was Sheepstealer, a wild dragon whose preferred food was sheep. Nettles would bring the dragon sheep until it was full enough to be docile, at which point she mounted it, a method much closer to taming an animal than the mysterious mystical connection that comes with being a Targaryen.

            Dragons are, among other things, an allegory for power. The Targaryens can ride dragons because of their blood. It is through their lineage and their racial purity that they claim the right to rule. In this way, they are emblematic of the feudal monarchy over which they preside. Nettles has none of these things. She is lowborn and dark-skinned, and yet through her ingenuity she claims a dragon anyway. Unlike the other dragonseeds, she defies the common knowledge that only those born from a certain lineage are able to ride dragons and – in the allegory – able to rule. Rhaena, who seems to be taking Nettles’ storyline in the show, does not fulfill this thematic role. She is, unquestionably, a member of the royal family. She views herself as being of lesser worth because she has not claimed a dragon, but there is not much evidence of others holding that opinion. She believes she was sent off to the Vale because she was unimportant, and it is true that she could not contribute to the fighting, but the tasks of keeping safe Rhaenyra’s children and working to maintain a critical alliance are not the trivial things Rhaena thinks of them as. Rather than being the most disadvantaged of all the characters and claiming a dragon anyway, Rhaena is more secure in her position than even Jace and her lack of a dragon has become an issue of self-worth more than anything. Self-worth is important, but I find it to be a very disappointing substitute for Nettles breaking the illusion that enshrines the nobility’s monopoly on governance.

[midlandslady2]

Now that the disappointment of the episode has cooled off, it can be said that this episode got a few desired points checked for team black ✅ :

- Rhaenyra got her fire back. She stopped whining and got the upper hand of the game by herself with the dragon seeds.

- Daemon finally concluded his main task at Harrenhal and got the army he wanted.

- Daemon concluded his haunted castle side quests by learning to reject the crown.

- Rhaena started to pursue her own dragon.

- Rhaenyra and Daemon are now finally at a stage when they can “finish their last conversation” and take kingslanding together.

It is what we have been waiting for. Then why did it feel so unsatisfying? Each of the bulletpoints in the checklist made me cringe instead of cheer.

Rhaenyra is finally showing that she can play this game. And win it. But where did it come from? Suddenly she is all fire, no mercy, I shall take what is mine through fire and blood. It seems too sudden and OOC.

Daemon got his army by being forced to slay his first ally and bend himself to the will of the new lord Tully. It is a win that feels like a defeat but a win nonetheless.

Daemon already knew that Viserys never wanted the crown, he saw with his own eyes what the weight of the crown did to him, by losing his wife and living a miserable life. It was nothing new but in the span of minutes he went from “I demand you all address me as king despite having no respect for me whatsoever” to: yeah no, maybe I don’t want to live your life after all, bro.

Jace discussed with Rhaenyra getting everyone with Targaryen blood to try the dragons to which she said: no, because their blood must be very diluted by now. But now he doesn’t want that anymore. He thought he was special but his brothers also had dragons. How special can he be? Jace, I love you, but you are smarter than this.

I wanted Rhaena to get Sheepstealer, there’s no denying it. But now that she is about to I feel like she is the most selfish character in the entire hotd. There’s 3 children there, unprotected, to cross the sea, with no one to speak for them when they arrive in Pentos and she is like: who cares about babies? I’m tired of being their mom so I’m out to go after my own dragon because that’s the only thing that defines me. I’m not a baby person and I wouldn’t like to play babysitter myself but even I would never be able to do it the way she did.

Aemond running away in fear with Vhagar was deeply satisfying though 🤭

But I wonder if Aemond was not the prince regent and instead someone more level-headed like Daeron was (in the book Daeron was my favourite from team green by far), if I would not shift loyalties towards the greens. Probably not but still.

The writing feels off. And it happened in season 1 too, during episode 10 both Daemon and Rhaenyra and even Jace had very weird behavior. Alicent went from loving Rhaenyra, to wanting to remain friends with Rhaenyra, to despising Rhaenyra for 10 years, to wanting to remove Luke’s eye in cold blood, to wanting to be friends with Rhaenyra again in ep8. It’s sad to watch 2 seasons and realise that you don’t know any of these characters, you don’t know what they are capable of or what to expect or when they will suddenly shift. And some people may like it that way but I do not.

That being said and aside from my negative initial reaction, the episode had some cool scenes.

[oblivionax]

I finished watching House of the Dragon season 2, and I need to talk about it.

DISCLAIMER: Contains spoilers! Bear in mind that I didn't like the show. Nor do I hate it, but this post is probably going to be a rant. So, if you liked it, feel free to skip my post and/or not agree with it, be it fully or partially.

And a casual reminder that it's not only my personal opinion, but also an opinion of a person who has a degree in film studies and screenwriting, so I know what I'm talking about. Visually? Stunning. Writing? Well, about that...

Here goes nothing. The series had a great potential that was not fully used, in my humble opinion. The idea is very good, but execution could've been much better. Many scenes are painfully long, and many are fillers bearing little to no message/significance. The characters regress, and to me, season 2 was somewhat weaker than season 1. I'll admit I can't say I liked season 1 more, however. It suffered from the very same issues that only grew in season 2.

Some character development was abandoned in season 2, Daemon being the brightest example. His visions in Harrenhal are too redundant and feel practically useless. All that to show that he eventually fully pledges fealty to his wife and gives up on the crown. Like, not because he decided to, but because he was seeing visions? Huh?? That's lazy writing if you ask me.

And let's take a moment to talk about his visions: I think when he picked up the crown and returned it to Viserys after the latter dropped it in season 1 was a beautiful moment meant to show his evolution as a person. Season 2 showed me that it didn't matter as if it never happened. Look at him. He feels soooo guilty now for... for what? He did make amends with his brother, did he not? He supported Rhaenyra. And don't tell me he pretended to. That's a season 2 thing that appeared out of blue. Those visions never advanced the plot. In all honesty, I see them as a waste of time and budget. Like yeah, cool seeing those same actors, yeah, cool, Daemon feels something.

But then, why go through the same character arc he went through in season 1?? I also hated the vision where he slept with his mother. Like, why??? It'd make more sense if it meant something like he doesn't really love Rhaenyra, he loves himself, and he marries her because he sees himself in her because they're literally flesh and blood. Perhaps he views her as a part or an extension of himself, an appendage. That'd be interesting, but it would've been shown differently. And, besides, it's not the intention of the scene where everything is ridiculously simple. But why include his mother? To show he's dumb? Or horny? Both? It served no purpose.

Aemond was dumbed down as well. I liked it when he was looking for Aegon to crown him in season 1, telling him how important it is and how he'd love to be king himself, but reminded it was Aegon's duty as heir. It was somewhat... nice? Though in his own rough manner. Yeah, he has quite a temper, but he also was said to be educated and cunning. Smart. Where did that go in season 2?

In season 2, he's a man-child. Wasn't he supposed to like feel guilty for having killed Luke? Wasn't he actually aware of the consequences of his actions? No, he pretends he doesn't care. Or maybe he's so dumb he actually doesn't. It pains me. He had a great potential.

The same goes for Aegon himself and Helaena. Especially Helaena, who basically became the background character. A queen who... who's just there? Yeah, she was shocked at how peasants hated her, but did she at least try to change anything? To learn more? No, she was just sitting around, sad and powerless. We never see her interact with Aegon, too. And that's terrible. Doesn't she at least try to speak to him? Advise him?

Unlike Aemond, Aegon was more like Viserys, though this wasn't well shown I find. There was but like one moment where he said something about not being willing to cause more violence or something like that in the beginning of season 2. And that's it. I know, he's supposed to be a rebel, a wayward son, young and all that. But still, he took his role as a king quite seriously. Well, that's what they attempted to show, at least. After his injuries, we see what remains of him, which is not too different really. He's literally mourning his cock. Excuse me?? And where's Helaena? Their daughter? It's as if they no longer exist.

Oh, and let's not forget the ending where everyone is just staring into the horizon during the last 20-30 minutes of the episode. Anticlimactic, even considering the budget cuts. Perhaps, especially considering the budget cuts, because the story felt painfully stretched this season. Many scenes are unnecessarily too long. About most of them, I had a craving to cut them out (if I were editing the show). The pacing is odd, as if they needed fillers to meet the required running time for each episode.

Rhaenyra is frustrated, and that's frustrating to watch. She's a queen, but she listens too much to her sexist advisors who are supposed to be loyal regardless of her gender. They've sworn themselves to a woman but have no compassion for her. I know they probably seek to control her. But she's strong. She freaking has a dragon. I'm not saying she should threaten them, but what would they do if she did? Basically, she complains the whole season about being a woman.

Her kiss with Mysaria was really unnecessary. What did that even mean? I hoped it'd be a platonic hug of understanding. But nope. It was... awkward. And didn't seem to do anything as later they looked like it never happened. Then her meetings with Alicent, especially the last one... so flat. Why? Alicent has no choice, certainly, but why would she be so stubborn? Only to return and go "actually you know what, I've changed my mind" to Rhaenyra, who's like "great timing, you're a tad late." That made her look not desperate but kinda... stupid.

Oh, and another one of the issues from season 1 that festers in season 2 is the unstable tone. They're trying to be funny sometimes without being too funny, but it looks so off. One moment, you're trying to set a dark and dramatic tone. The next, it's a joke. Naturally, as a viewer, you'd be confused at how you're supposed to feel. Humour is usually used in drama to enhance immersion, make characters more human, build a connection and empathy between them and the viewers, and most importantly to give more emotional weight to dramatic scenes. Unfortunately, that's not the effect they're getting in House of the Dragon, which is a great shame.

I have too many questions, as you can see. Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read me, and feel free to comment or even DM me. I'd like to hear what you think and whether you share my opinion or not.

Have a great day!

[mesillusionssousecstasy]

House of the Dragon 2x03: Review

I think the episode was very interesting even if it was the "worse" so far. Nevertheless the devil was in the details in this episode.

First of all, it was such a pleasure to have seen the conflict between Bracken vs Blackwood. Because I believe that those two houses are important for the ASOIAF's history.

We also have seen the aftermath of a war, with blood and bodies lying very where. It was perfect. To the liking of GRRM.

Rhaenyra is combing her hair with Visenya's braids.

Rhaenys would have been a great queen (but maybe also a bit weak), but I didn't like that she took Alicent's side. That didn't make sense at all.

The detail of the Hand's chair. Incredible.

I hate more and more Ser Criston Cole.

Aegon is still throwing tantrum during the council meeting.

There was a focus on Aemond's hand and the piece of money he was playing with (foreshadowing?).

It was some incredible picture when Seasmoke was flying in the sky during Mysaria and Rhaenyra's conversation.

Interesting does Mysaria's knows about dragon? And their loneliness after their rider's death?

There is the mention of two new dragons.

It's confirmed that Rhaena doesn't have a dragon yet.

Was it the God's eye showing before Harrenhal?

Speaking of Harrenhal, the castle is so devastated. It seems that everything in Harrenhal needs to die eventually.

The presence of weirwood trees is impressive.

Could you notice the sound or more likely the scream of burning people in the background when Daemon was inspecting the castel.

The visual of the castel was stunning.

Daemon was left with himself.

The detail of the different fire were incredible, for example with the lord's chair.

The place is so terrible.

I like this new Strong character, especially when he said to Daemon that Larys killed his father and brother.

This Strong mentioned again the battle between Bracken and Blackwood, and forgetting the why they hate each other so much.

It was a very interesting discussion during the supper at Harrenhal.

We meet Ser Gwayne Hightower finally, Alicent's brother. I thought he was younger in the book.

Alicent and Ser Cole are so hypocrite.

The hanged men are still at the same place.

I didn't like the dynamics about this episode, meaning it was men vs women.

There is definitively true love between Corlys and his wife Rhaenys.

It was interesting to see four dragon's eggs.

Did you notice that they put the song for kings while Rhaenyra told goodbye to her legitimate sons (foreshadowing).

I like very much Rhaena and Baela's sisterhood.

Did Helaena make a foreshadowing about baby?

Helaena's braid was incredible too.

She shouldn't have forgiven her mother at all.

Interesting to know that Aegon's armor still exists.

Layrs is a fucking liar.

Aegon II put a Maester of whispers inside the council.

Even the White Cloak are laughable, reflecting Aegon II's picture.

We are shown a lot of smallfolks' life in King's Lading.

Was it truly the son of Bealon the brave? Or more likely a foreshadowing of the dragonseed.

We know more about Aemond's fondness for Madam Sylvi. She was his first. Strange that they didn't put the theory of him and Helaena's forbidden relationship. Did you notice that they don't have any scene together.

I wasn't expecting this full frontal.

Sorry but Rhaenyra is so fucking weak in this episode. She is definitively not like the Rhaenyra in the book.

I loved seeing Baela taking some actions.

Finally, some high valyrian with Baela. She was the revelation in this episode.

Harrenhal is such a dope.

I really liked Daemon with loose hair.

And it's very interesting that they confirmed that Harrenhal is a magical place.

It felt so good to have seen young Rhaenyra again.

Daemon had a vision in front of the weirwood tree and then after the lady said that he would die here, said in front of a lake (prophecy).

Even the chandelier in Dragonstone are incredible.

Finally, the confrontation between Rhaenyra and Alicent never happened in the book. They weren't the same age and they were friend at all! Because it is completely stupid, unwise and foolish.

Or maybe it was a way of showing us how easy it is to enter to King's Lading.

Is it me of there is a Kristen Bell ressemblance when Rhaenyra was wearing the uniform of a septa.

This is something in the picture with all the candles and the rond.

Also the two characters were so in contradiction with each other. Back to the beginning but with inverted role.

Who's Alicent's mother? We never knew her.

I didn't understand Alicent suggesting to Rhaenyra concerning Aemond : "You know what Aemond it?" Meaning a monster ? a bastard?

But in the end it is such a terrible and sad story with an inescapable ending.