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HOUSE OF THE DRAGON


Jay

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13 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Be careful with spoilers on the internet.

 

House of the Dragon’ Finale Leaks Online, HBO Blames Distribution Partner

HBO said it is "aggressively monitoring" the situation ahead of the first season's final episode airing Sunday.

I advice the same. I was just on Instagram and there are blatent clips just on there. So beware!!

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I think I can guess what parts people are spoiling on twitter, but overall I thought it was an ok finale. It was a little uneven, but it had some good atmosphere and the SFX were great as usual. Definitely curious to see how the Greens will react to the events of the episode in Season 2.

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Loved the finale.

Some beautiful moments. Some very tense and scary. Can't wait for Season 2!!!

 

https://filmmusicreporter.com/2022/10/23/house-of-the-dragon-soundtrack-album-released/

 

2 hours and 3 minutes. 44 tracks. I believe all the important cues are on here (except for the dinner scene in Ep. 8)

I already located which cues belong to which episode. Have put those in bold.

 

Episode 1
2. The Heirs of the Dragon (2:27)
3. Reign of the Targaryens (1:32)
4. Rhaenyra’s Welcome (1:40)
5. A Pack of Hounds (2:57)
6. The Tournament (1:51)
7. An Impossible Choice (1:34)
8. The Rogue Prince (1:43)
9. The Prince That Was Promised (4:34)

 

Episode 2

1. Main Title (from “Game of Thrones”) (1:45)
10. Compromise and Consequences (2:54)
11. The Power of Prophecy (2:36)
12. Trouble in the Stepstones (2:26)

 

Episode 3
13. Surrender (4:15)
14. King of the Narrow Sea (6:17)

 

Episode 4
15. Lanterns at Nightfall (5:00)
16. Whatever May Come (2:54)

 

Episode 5
17. House Velaryon (2:38)
18. The Green Dress (2:50)
19. First Dance (1:06)
20. Celebration Dance (2:14)
21. Targaryen Dance (1:55)
22. We Light the Way (2:47)

 

Episode 6
23. Destiny (2:56)
24. Pass Judgement (4:21)

 

Episode 7
25. Funeral by the Sea (3:01)
26. Daemon and Rhaenyra (2:41)
27. Aemond Rides Vhagar (3:11)
28. The Hard Truth (2:31)
29. Sealed in Fire and Blood (4:10)

 

Episode 8
30. Protector of the Realm (3:15)
31. The Silent Sisters (3:24)
32. The Language of Girls (1:42)
33. A Warning (2:30)

 

Episode 9
34. Lament (3:26)
35. Fate of the Kingdoms (3:25)
36. Interests of the Realm (3:53)
37. Coronation (1:14)
38. Dragons Will Rule the Kingdom (1:36)

 

Episode 10
39. The Crown of Jaeharys (3:20)
40. Dragons Do Not Fear Blood (1:22)
41. Death and Rebirth (1:37)
42. True Meaning of Loyalty (3:17)
43. Bloodlines Will Burn (4:26)
44. The Promise (2:12)

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Not trying to ditch on the series but could it be that the budget is smaller than with GOT? The big action scene in episode 3 (Daemon against the Crab King) didn't feel up to scratch. I didn't say WTF once and it looked a bit weird too. Could it be the director? 

 

 

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I don't think the battle with the crabfeeder was meant as anymore than a footnote, at least visually. 

 

Anyway the finale was great and this entire season has been, despite not having quite the shock and awe as GoT, a truly polished prologue to what I expect to the real war in subsequent seasons.

 

But there is one monumentally stupid moment in this episode that I find incredulous – why in any hell would Rhaneyra allow her sons to go, individually and alone, to other houses of which she's unsure of their fealty? How stupid is that...? The moment that was decided I knew something bad was going to happen to one of the boys. And that incident was a sight to behold, but I just can't feel it's a consequence of something so utterly naive. 

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1 hour ago, Hurmm said:

But there is one monumentally stupid moment in this episode that I find incredulous – why in any hell would Rhaneyra allow her sons to go, individually and alone, to other houses of which she's unsure of their fealty? How stupid is that...? The moment that was decided I knew something bad was going to happen to one of the boys. And that incident was a sight to behold, but I just can't feel it's a consequence of something so utterly naive. 

 

On one hand, it is stupid. The entire mainland of Westeros should be treated as potentially hostile territory. Her envoys are just boys, and swearing on a holy tome of 7 new gods wont guarantee that they won't be attacked first. 

 

On the other hand, she knows war may be inevitable, but she does not want to take the first shot. She needs someone to take it for her. She is well defended on Dragonstone. Nobody will come to her yet. 

 

Her two eldest boys are bastards. She knows this. The entire realm knows this. They are the legal heirs to Driftmark but that is shaky at best. 

 

Her Strong sons are pawns. If they can be attacked first, she will have her proof of the realm's hostility and passively started the war. It might even earn sympathy. 

 

It's subconsciously brilliant. No good mother would sacrifice her sons like this. 

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Yes even in the original book I found it a bit odd but telling that she would send both her sons on separate missions like that.

Overconfidence in the dragons as well I guess.

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I'm surprised Ramin didn't release a new version of the main titles on the album. It's supposedly from GOT season 5. The HOTD credits piece was shortened in a few places compared to the GOT opening (like at 1:13 in the video below) and that doesn't mean it was a new recording necessarily, but I've always thought that 1:27 sounded slightly different than any GOT main titles. Plus, Ramin always rerecorded the main title theme for each GOT season, so it's weird that the one on the HOTD album is reused. I'm not sure if a new version was even recorded for HOTD, I could be wrong about 1:27 sounding different

 

 

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51 minutes ago, dylanskie said:

I'm surprised Ramin didn't release a new version of the main titles on the album. It's supposedly from GOT season 5. The HOTD credits piece was shortened in a few places compared to the GOT opening (like at 1:13 in the video below) and that doesn't mean it was a new recording necessarily, but I've always thought that 1:27 sounded slightly different than any GOT main titles. Plus, Ramin always rerecorded the main title theme for each GOT season, so it's weird that the one on the HOTD album is reused. I'm not sure if a new version was even recorded for HOTD, I could be wrong about 1:27 sounding different

 

 

When I first heard the HOTD version in episode 2 I definitively thought that it was a bit different. I think the s5 version appearing, if that tagging is correct might have been a mistake as I think that hotd has a new version or recording.

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16 minutes ago, Mr. Who said:

When I first heard the HOTD version in episode 2 I definitively thought that it was a bit different. I think the s5 version appearing, if that tagging is correct might have been a mistake as I think that hotd has a new version or recording.

 

Does the HOTD album version sound any different than the GOT season 5 version to you? I just compared the two (using the season 5 sessions leak cue) and didn't hear/see any differences at all. I think HOTD has a new recording too, but it's definitely not the one on the album

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11 minutes ago, dylanskie said:

 

Does the HOTD album version sound any different than the GOT season 5 version to you? I just compared the two (using the season 5 sessions leak cue) and didn't hear/see any differences at all. I think HOTD has a new recording too, but it's definitely not the one on the album

I haven't had a chance to listen to any album cues yet sadly so I can't say but I really do think that the version in the episode is different than than the GOT versions. I guess we'll have to rip the Main Titles from an episode along with a couple of end credits cues that might not have made the album.

 

It's really odd that they would put the GOTs5 version on the HOTD album when there is a new version being used in HOTD. Maybe the CD version (not announced yet) or the Vinyl version has the HOTD version?

 

This is the Vinyl release:

312999216_3187799618149721_5751592905965

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House of the Dragon 1x09 The Green Council

 

What a great episode!

 

The tension that built through the political-thriller first chunk of the episode was amazing, I was on the edge of my seat!  The power of information and who controls it was so interesting, as the different parties try to enact their plans before the realm finds out Viserys is dead.  And what really surprised me was that the whole episode was about the greens, who are now fracturing within themselves (Alicent vs Otto in this episode); I can't wait to see the blacks retaliation next week! (errr, tonight, I'm really late to submit this).

 

Otto - This guy is the worrrrrrrst.  It's so funny that he's spent 20 years instilling fear in Alicent that Rhaenyra will murder her children when she takes the throne, and now the second Visery passes, he tells he they've been planning on killing her and her children before Aegon takes the throne.  You just have to hate this motherfucker.  I still think the whole war is his fault!  I also thought it was funny that he wore his Hand pin (he LOVES that thing) under his crime cloak when he want to meet Mysaria, and I didn't believe him for ONE second that he would actually look into shutting down the child fighting if she told him where Aegon was.  What a shit.  Rhys Ifans is amazing in this role though.  The look on his face when Alicent tells him (her interpretation of) Viserys' final words is indescribably good.  He's either truly amazed at the news, or thinks that Alicent is devilish like him and is making it up, but either way, it works in his favor, so it doesn't matter.  I also liked the touch that he knows which is Erryk and which is Arryk in juxtaposition to Alicent, who did not a couple episodes ago.

 

Mysaria - I'm still intrigued by this lady; I loved how she had a system set up for Talya to light candles in a certain way to let her know when Viserys was dead, but man, I just wish she could have done more with this advanced notice!  The best she gets is an empty promise from Otto to clean up one piece of villainy happening in Flea Bottom.  The episode implies she dies when her home is set on fire; I really hope she wasn't in it and will be revealed to be alive, because I want more of her!

 

Alicent - Man, I like Alicent in general, but her naivete was really out in full effect this episode!  She was so shocked that Otto and most of the small council had a specific plan to put Aegon on the throne... DUH!  She might have been able to enact some better changes this episode if she had been more prepared.  I was very happy that she sent Criston out to find Aegon before the Cargylls, and Aemond coming along was really cool.  This episode implied that Alicent thinks Cole is in love with her which is... interesting.  Not as interesting as the reveal of the extent of her information exchange with Larys!  The look on her face as she turned away while he jerked it told you everything you need to know about how she feels about it. I loved her conversation with Rhaenys!  Rhaenys asks her if she ever pictured herself on the throne, and I really don't think Alicent ever did!  I also loved the moment where whiny-ass Aegon asked her if she loved him and she replied "you imbecile".  Perfect!


Lord Beesbury - RIP my dude, I loved that he was loyal to Rhaenyra till the end.  The small council scene needed someone to have this viewpoint in it, and I loved him standing his ground.  I do wonder if Cole was trying to murder him on purpose, or just was trying to get him to sit but pushed too hard?  Cole's a loose cannon!  

 

Ser Harrold Westerling - This guy is awesome too.  I've been waiting all season for him to do something big (why else would they have cast such a big name?), and him standing up here and casting off his cloak was great.  I hope he becomes a great ally for team black!  BTW, why was he allowed to leave the room freely right after Otto decreed no one could leave, and Beesbuery's bleeding corpse would have to stay?

 

Aemond - Man, I like this guy a lot.  He's probably the least shitty green right now.  He reminds me so much of Daemon, especially the way he observes everything, and says almost nothing.  You KNOW he was tempted to let Aegon flee on a boat and be crowned King instead.  And you know he insisted in coming along with Cole to make sure he knew what all his options were.

 

Larys - I thought it was interesting that he was the one to observe which lords weren't leal and had that one dude brought in, and was very interested in precisely what he meant when he told Otto that his years spent with Alicent could pay dividends to him.  Of course he's playing both sides as team green starts to fracture.... And it was also interesting that he knows all about Mysaria's spy network, and that Talya is a part of it.  It seemed like he was holding onto this information for a big pay day, but what did he even get this episode that he hadn't already been getting?  Unless that was supposed to be the first time she allowed him to jerk it in front of her, but it didn't seem that way to me...

 

Rhaenys - I loved that she got to have a big moment this episode!  But her scenes leading up to that were cool too.  Her little parlay with Alicent was very interesting, in light of the fact that as of last episodes her allegiances seem undefined... almost waiting to see what happens.  She was going to voice for herself to be put in charge of Driftmark before she reluctantly had to side with Rhaenyra, but I think learning of Viserys' death and the immediate green coup put all her options back on her mind.  I loved that the one Kingsguard who thinks Aegon should not rule sets her free, and she comes close to getting out before being shuffled into the coronation ceremony.  I kind of want to go back and see how much of the ceremony she takes in before deciding to mount her dragon.  When I first saw the episode, I couldn't understand why she didn't melt alive everyone on the stage (other than the fact that there'd be no show if she did, I mean).  But upon a little reflection it's not surprising at all.

 

She lost both of her children to fire (well, as far as she knows), and Alicent is on stage guarding her child from the same fate.  Also, if she commits the act of Kingslaying, the realm will assume she did it in Rhaenyra's name and have a harder time accepting her.  I think by making the spectacle she did, she showed the realm that there is a schism between Rhaenyra's claim and the Hightower's claim, and that some mercy has already been shown.  I am really curious if she is going to Dragonstone to join Rhaenyra's cause, or back to Driftmark to try to sit out the war as best she can.  


Can't wait for the finale!

 

BTW, does anybody know WHY the coronation ceremony even took place over the dragon pit?  Is it just because the arena has the most amount of seats in the entire city?

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8 hours ago, AC1 said:

Not trying to ditch on the series but could it be that the budget is smaller than with GOT? The big action scene in episode 3 (Daemon against the Crab King) didn't feel up to scratch. I didn't say WTF once and it looked a bit weird too. Could it be the director? 

 

 

It's been a little patchy IMO - I felt the same as you about the Daemon/Crab King sequence. A lot of CGI smoke that flattened the action somewhat, and the blocking was a bit stilted especially compared to Sapochnik's previous efforts (Hardhome, Battle of the Bastards etc). I'd put it down to the new showrunners finding their feet. The most recent episodes have had some tremendous sequences that equal or top many of Thrones'.

 

6 hours ago, Hurmm said:

But there is one monumentally stupid moment in this episode that I find incredulous – why in any hell would Rhaneyra allow her sons to go, individually and alone, to other houses of which she's unsure of their fealty? How stupid is that...? The moment that was decided I knew something bad was going to happen to one of the boys. And that incident was a sight to behold, but I just can't feel it's a consequence of something so utterly naive. 

 

It's faith in custom, honour and in chivalry - ironically the exact same faith that got Robb and Cat Stark killed while being hosted by the Freys - though in this instance it wasn't treachery that resulted in tragedy, but the caprice of dragons. Rhaenyra correctly assumed that the only time Luke would be separated from his dragon would be inside the court of Boros Baratheon's, where guest laws then take precedent. She would know that even if Boros had already knelt for Aegon (which he did), allowing harm to come to an envoy in his court would be a grievous sin in the eyes of many houses of Westeros and be an affront to all the religious faiths in the land. Sending him was a risk worth taking - who would dare harm a dragonrider when his dragon is right out the door? Another dragon of course, and here's where the real naivety of the characters lies, and what the show has been building up as its core thematic idea: there is no controlling the dragons when they have a mind of their own.

 

I have to say I wasn't really expecting that to be the show's take on the dragons, particularly after spending so much time in GoT building up the mythology of the dragons as tools and weapons. But it's one that I really like, and is true to the larger ideas of GRRM's universe about power and control.

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I haven't seen this show, but I've read that Dragonstone was filmed in Monsanto, which is a tiny tiny village in the middle of nowhere in Portugal with one of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen.

 

Really cool to see such a wonderful place get some exposure. Just hope it doesn't spoilt it. I go there every year

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10 hours ago, AC1 said:

Not trying to ditch on the series but could it be that the budget is smaller than with GOT? The big action scene in episode 3 (Daemon against the Crab King) didn't feel up to scratch. I didn't say WTF once and it looked a bit weird too. Could it be the director? 

 

 

 

With multiple dragons, I think there's just more CGI in this show, and the quality is definitely beneath the final seasons of GoT for VFX.

 

But in terms of real locations, framing and composition, I actually think it's a few steps up, at least from the first few seasons.

 

Either way, it's the writing and staging of characters that's the real highlight of the show. 

 

The finale, while just a little wonky in its pacing for a finale, reaffirms the high quality of this show. Just great stuff. Can't wait for season 2!

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The finale felt more like a prologue to season 2, which is a problem I had with previous seasons of GoT as well. 

 

And I'm sad we'll need to wait for roughly two years for the next season. The war between Alicent and Rhaenyra sounds like it's going to be epic and dramatic. 

 

Should I wait for HBO or just buy the book already to see who wins the conflict?

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2 hours ago, Edmilson said:

The finale felt more like a prologue to season 2, which is a problem I had with previous seasons of GoT as well. 

 

And I'm sad we'll need to wait for roughly two years for the next season. The war between Alicent and Rhaenyra sounds like it's going to be epic and dramatic. 

 

Should I wait for HBO or just buy the book already to see who wins the conflict?

 

To be fair, almost the entire first season is setup and prologue to the real meat of the story as it was written, which is only a few hundred pages in length total. There's seven chapters in Fire and Blood that cover the Dance of Dragons, and the first of those chapters is essentially what was covered in the first 8 episodes of the show: starting from the Great Council (seen in the prologue of the pilot) up until King Viserys' death. The show put a lot more effort into setting things up than it could've - things like Rhaenyra and Allicent's childhood relationship (which is the lynchpin of the show) are glossed over fairly quickly in the book.

 

As to whether you should read it, just be mindful that it's not really a novel, but a history book using the secondhand accounts of several unreliable narrators, none of which are major characters in the show. The accounts of what happened frequently contradict one another, and the true motivations of each figure are thus impossible to determine. As a narrative style it's not uninteresting, but comparatively not nearly as compelling as there's no true insight into what any character is actually thinking at any given time.

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That was a great cliffhanger, though the problem with cliffhangers is that after two years of waiting for the next season I won't really care anymore.

 

That being said I didn't give a single shit about this show initially (only got four seasons into GOT) but I ended up really enjoying it.  Like the original GOT but minus the bloat and excess

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Episode 4 (King Of The Narrow Sea). I don't know who plays the King's Hand but the way he achieves so much while doing so little is astonishing. In fact, I'm ready to give him the Emmy for best actor in a supporting role. Anyhoo, the sexual awakening of young Rhaenyra was perhaps a bit much? I mean, I understand that she wants to be in control over who she can love or not but her uncle and her protector knight on the same day? 

 

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According to George R.R. Martin, the show will need 4 seasons to do justice to the Dance of the Dragons story.

 

https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/house-of-the-dragon-4-seasons-george-rr-martin-rcna52106

 

Remember when he also said that GoT would also need more seasons, but D&D didn't listen because they were too eager to do Star Wars or whatever? In HotD's case, I hope Ryan Condal listens to what GRRM has to say.

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7 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Remember when he also said that GoT would also need more seasons, but D&D didn't listen because they were too eager to do Star Wars or whatever? In HotD's case, I hope Ryan Condal listens to what GRRM has to say.

 

To be fair GRRM signed off on the show when they said they'd do it in 7 seasons, so he must've been okay with it at some point. It was only after they ran out of source material and began floundering that GRRM came out saying they needed more seasons, so they added an eighth. The narratives that have been spun around the duo by the fandom are insane; I understand disappointment in the final seasons but the bad-faith arguments about what happened are as questionable as they are numerous. No-one knows what really happened behind closed doors except HBO and D&D, and as far as I know GRRM hasn't spoken on the matter in detail. They spent 12 years on that show; show-running is gruelling work and would burn anyone out (Sapochnik lasted all of one season). If they really did want out they admittedly should've handed the show on to someone else, but who knows if HBO would've accepted that?

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On 24/10/2022 at 10:35 PM, Not Mr. Big said:

I'm still reeling over Hiccup's death from the last episode.  He never properly learned how to train his dragon


Now you’re making me wish Powell was scoring the show. 😂

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On 25/10/2022 at 8:50 AM, Jay said:

BTW, does anybody know WHY the coronation ceremony even took place over the dragon pit?  Is it just because the arena has the most amount of seats in the entire city?

 

That, combined with propaganda to show the might of the Targaryens and boost Aegon II's claim to the throne in the eyes of the realm. It's the same reason Allicent had him crowned with Aegon the Conqueror's crown (instead of Viserys', which Rhaenyra now has) and his sword Blackfyre.

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Severely disappointed with episode 6! 

 

- looked bad

- older princess Rhaenyra is a completely different type of person. I can't adjust. She doesn't have it. 

- Older queen (Bates Motel) doesn't nail the accent and is always dramatic and angry.

- The entire episode focuses too long on the fact that everyone knows Rhaenyra's sons are all bastards.

- Surely the gay husband is able to make a woman pregnant? After all, it's a matter of life or death. There is always a way.

- I miss the old King's Hand.

- Sigh ... Why?!

 

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8 hours ago, AC1 said:

- Surely the gay husband is able to make a woman pregnant? After all, it's a matter of life or death. There is always a way.

 

Well, who says they didn't try, but got no pleasure out of it. 

 

I'm not sure if Westerosi medicine knew to align intercourse with the woman's cycle, for optimum results. After all, a mouth is a mouth. Get him ready, change holes, think of England, and wait. 

 

I doubt they used the turkey baster method. Seed has a short shelf life in the cup. 

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23 hours ago, Nick1Ø66 said:

One of the greatest, most terrifying shots in TV history. I couldn't make my eyes off the screen.  Can't remember last time I felt so on edge watching something.

 

Best show on TV.

 

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Agreed! That sequence was really scary and I was really at the edge of my seat.
 

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Already seeing Vhagar outside the Storms End castle walls kind of shows the sheer size but the shot in the screenshot was just so impressive!

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On 27/10/2022 at 4:17 PM, AC1 said:

Severely disappointed with episode 6! 

 

- looked bad

- older princess Rhaenyra is a completely different type of person. I can't adjust. She doesn't have it. 

 

 

I hope you're sticking with it, because I couldn't disagree more about Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra. They're utterly dazzling in episodes 7, 8 and 10; whatever "it" is, D'Arcy has it in spades.

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8 hours ago, Docteur Qui said:

 

I hope you're sticking with it, because I couldn't disagree more about Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra. They're utterly dazzling in episodes 7, 8 and 10; whatever "it" is, D'Arcy has it in spades.

 

Well, I liked episode 9 (I've not seen episode 10 yet), but I don't think she's in it. It's not that she's a bad actress, I just think she looks like common people and not special in that Valyrian way. 

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Episode 10 was a good finale and the impossible has happened. Now that she's acting like a queen, I'm beginning to like older Rhaenyra. In fact, what a great final shot when she turns around after hearing her son is dead. 

 

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15 hours ago, AC1 said:

Well, I liked episode 9 (I've not seen episode 10 yet), but I don't think she's in it. It's not that she's a bad actress, I just think she looks like common people and not special in that Valyrian way. 

 

She's technically not a she. She is non-binary. She identifies as a they.

 

They get double the birthday presents. 

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On 28/10/2022 at 2:12 PM, Nick1Ø66 said:

One of the most terrifying shots I've ever seen on TV. I couldn't make my eyes off the screen.  Can't remember the last time I felt so on edge watching something.

 

Best show on TV.

 

vhagar-and-arraxs-fight-scene-copy-1_hnt

 

 

 

The dragon scene was very good. The moment the little dragon rose above the storm clouds and flew into the sunlight was really beautiful. 

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On 16/09/2022 at 10:37 PM, Jay said:

So I'm not sure why a show as terrific as this one, with so many people clearly watching, is getting so little discussion here.

 

Speaking for myself, I didn't necessarily give it a high priority, and hadn't seen a single episode (or preview) until I finished RoP, but I did finally watch HotD over the past week.

 

I'm not even going to try and directly compare the two much, because I look for and care about very different things in both cases, which means RoP has both more inherent potential to shine simply by getting a couple of things right and to fail or frustrate by doing other things "wrongly", while I'm not half as invested in GRRM's universe and know nothing outside The Song of Ice and Fire. But there is no doubt at least that when considering each of them as a show on its own in isolation from any context or source material, HotD is in a different league.

 

The show succeeds in giving us multiple main characters that are all relatable in their own ways, and in making not so much the characters themselves the reason for how everything falls apart, but just the circumstances they find themselves in (prime example: Viserys's dying words). The result is that kind of story where you feel compelled to root for multiple characters but must find a way to accept that their paths have, through little actual fault of their own, brought them to points that are utterly irreconcilable. And that all works so well because of excellent writing and terrific casting.

 

At first, Rhys Ifans stood out to me (and he is excellent throughout), but then Paddy Considine's arc began to reveal his range. I was only vaguely familiar with both actors, but delighted to see them shine. Considine is totally engrossing as both the young-ish king and his older, broken, aged before his time wreck of a benign ruler that never really did anything "wrong", though maybe would have had to for a better outcome. His keeping his own humanity (even to a fault (and yet again loyal strength, too), when he blindly refuses to see his grandsons for what they are) is perfectly portrayed, nowhere more so than in his final throne room scene and the following family dinner (which in its tensions between so many different factions reminded me very much of the dinner chapter in Dune, although the context is of course very different). Alcock/D'Arcy and Carey/Cooke also stand out and keep their characters relatable even while they're driven apart. Matt Smith just feels totally at home in the role of Daemon (ironically so, because the same could be said of his Doctor, which is of course an entirely different character).

 

Speaking of irony, it might be considered ironic that between HotD and RoP, one show's great strength is the other's great weakness, and vice versa. While RoP stumbles along between Tolkien's narrative pillars, HotD lives and breathes through excellent writing - but on the other hand, RoP has a brilliant score, while I can't think of most of the music in HotD as anything but utterly pedestrian.

 

At this point, I'm even sick of the main title cue. Yes, of course the theme is insanely *catchy*, and there's probably a certain genius in just that. But that's really it's only outstanding attribute. Everything else about it - the mindlessly modulating ostinato, the orchestration, the two musically unmotivated rhythmic shifts between repetitions, yes even the super cliched brief major shift in the beginning - sounds like least-effort version of someone taking the basic rough theme and ostinato idea and just mixing it together in a notation software with a MIDI soundbank one hour before downmixing the main title sequence. Any and all action music in the series share those same "qualities" (except that it's usually not catchy), and what's left is often just meandering cello lines with lots of drums. The scoring does sometimes work for source music, and occasionally for sombre dramatic scenes - the first 10 minutes or so of the funeral episode are in fact surprisingly strong. But aside from a few exceptions, the whole thing really sounds even more like a shallow, over-hyped facade than it did back when GoT was on.

 

On 28/09/2022 at 12:05 AM, Jay said:

As far as I can tell, Alicent is basing her entire hatred of Rhaenyra on the fact that she lied to her once when they were teenagers, which makes it quite hard to get on her side of this war, especially when she had wildcards like Larys committing patricide and fraticide, sheesh.  I guess we'll see what happens!

 

I think the combination of mistrust in Rhaenyra, fuelling her fear that Rhaenyra might in fact be scheming to claim the throne for selfish reasons and against the king's wishes, and her own father's convincing argument that once the king is dead, Rhaenyra would have to consider her own children as adversaries and may feel compelled to have them removed, is quite enough to put here in self-perpetuating state of paranoia. Still,  both Alicent and Rhaenyra remain grounded enough to seemingly make peace with each other during the final dinner - until new shit comes to light that makes everything go awry again.

 

On 24/10/2022 at 11:50 PM, Jay said:

BTW, does anybody know WHY the coronation ceremony even took place over the dragon pit?  Is it just because the arena has the most amount of seats in the entire city?

 

I'm not very well oriented when it comes to the various locations (and I seem to have forgotten a lot from Game of Thrones), but the temple/building they showed on top of the dragon pit was very much reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome, so I figured it was just a usual location for Important Events. I didn't even realise it was located on top of the pit until Rhaenys broke through.

 

On 21/09/2022 at 7:26 PM, Jay said:

-Exactly what is wrong with Viserys, anyway?  Is it just infections from untreated wounds from the swords on the iron throne?  Or is something else going on?

 

I half expect to mis-remember (because nobody else has commented on this), but didn't they say at some point early-ish in Game of Thrones that the blades in the Iron Throne were rumoured to be poisonous? If that is the case, it could be that a) they indeed are, and that's what killed Viserys (much, much later than I had expected after the first couple of episodes, mind you) or b) they never actually figured out what was wrong with him, which gave rise to the rumour that it was the throne.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Interested to hear your thoughts on the finale @Jay, I enjoy your in-depth posts.

 

 

On 02/11/2022 at 10:28 AM, Marian Schedenig said:
On 28/09/2022 at 8:05 AM, Jay said:

As far as I can tell, Alicent is basing her entire hatred of Rhaenyra on the fact that she lied to her once when they were teenagers, which makes it quite hard to get on her side of this war, especially when she had wildcards like Larys committing patricide and fraticide, sheesh.  I guess we'll see what happens!

 

 

I think the combination of mistrust in Rhaenyra, fuelling her fear that Rhaenyra might in fact be scheming to claim the throne for selfish reasons and against the king's wishes, and her own father's convincing argument that once the king is dead, Rhaenyra would have to consider her own children as adversaries and may feel compelled to have them removed, is quite enough to put here in self-perpetuating state of paranoia. Still,  both Alicent and Rhaenyra remain grounded enough to seemingly make peace with each other during the final dinner - until new shit comes to light that makes everything go awry again.

 

I see the core conflict between Allicent and Rhaenyra as being firmly rooted in the idea that they were exceptionally close young women with a deep affection for one another, tragically torn apart by circumstance and the actions of the men who control their lives. Every obstacle between the two women is one borne of patriarchal structures, which in Westerosi society have naturally evolved to depower and divide women at every opportunity.

 

An example of this is how the show presents sex and sexuality for each person; Rhaenyra had the freedom to explore her desires with agency, finding great pleasure in sex beyond its status as a duty for procreation. Allicent, on the other hand, is utterly sexually repressed at every turn; sex is not only a solemn duty for her but an altogether unpleasant one as we can see when the King calls her into his chambers - not to mention the ways in which Larys Strong abuses sex to keep himself in service to her. It's no wonder that sex fuels her already intense anxiety, and, when combined with the multitude of other factors, her views warp into a sense of piety and self-righteousness. Egged on by the detestable Criston Cole (whose has his own hideous attitudes about women), Allicent buys into the misogyny and starts to see Rhaenyra as an abomination; flaunting her sexuality and her impropriety for all to see. Put simply, Rhaenyra's actions are the result of a woman who choose her own happiness at any opportunity, which is a luxury that other noble-women (like Allicent) in the show could never have. The effects of this are wide reaching and extend to their children; Rhaenyra looks at all of her children and sees nothing but love, while Allicent can barely look her sons in the eye (lol sorry Aemond) because of what they represent to her. The neglect that Aegon and Aemond experienced because of her coldness has contributed to the conflict.

 

I also detect further undertones that Allicent's feelings for Rhaenyra bordered on romantic, or at the very least extremely intimate, which is why it's so tragic to see these women pitted against one another.

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On 10/11/2022 at 5:23 PM, Docteur Qui said:

Interested to hear your thoughts on the finale @Jay, I enjoy your in-depth posts.

 

Thanks for saying that, I really appreciate it!

 

What happened was: not once, but twice (!) I had a large post written out but not submitted yet, which I lost due to Windows 11 fuckery.

 

I got pretty disheartened by that, but I will do my best to remember what I wanted to say and submit something soon.  Thanks for your interest :)

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Oh man that sucks so hard! That's happened to me a few times so now whenever I know I'm gonna be posting something long on this forum I draft it on Word or something, it's saved my ass a few times! Hope to read something soon, otherwise this thread will die out and I can't wait til 2024 to keep talking about this great show!

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