Television House of the Dragon (HBO, August 21) - update: first reviews posted

[skillzdadirecta]

2 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

I think it's weird too. That song is somewhat hopeful and epic, which really doesn't match with the story House of the Dragon is telling.

It literally throws me off every time I hear it. Also I think it detracts from the show having its own identity.  I can imagine the back and forth over this... I wonder who won out? I'd bet this was an HBO decision and not the production company or showrunners.

[TheLeon]

It’s weird that it’s exactly the same. The various Law and Order spin-offs (at least the ones I’ve seen) did their own spin on the original theme. Something like that would have made sense here if they wanted to keep it familiar to fans of the original. 

[skillzdadirecta]

2 hours ago, TheLeon said:

It’s weird that it’s exactly the same. The various Law and Order spin-offs (at least the ones I’ve seen) did their own spin on the original theme. Something like that would have made sense here if they wanted to keep it familiar to fans of the original. 

Exactly. 

[69los]

Well,

 

Spoiler

not quite a Red Wedding but hey, baby steps.

 

Looks like the time-jump happens next week according to next week's preview.

 

[johnny]

HOT D BABY 

[Guest]

That was an episode, wooooo. Next week’s time jump has me VERY excited 

[TheLeon]

It’s always fun to introduce a likable character just to immediately kill them off. 

[Firewithin]

game of thrones weddings are always a blast

[Moa]

I think it's funny that Daemon and Alicent did the same surly dramatic entrance.

 

14 hours ago, johnny said:

HOT D BABY 

 

Spoiler

 

[TwinIon]

On 9/17/2022 at 11:56 PM, skillzdadirecta said:

Am i the only one that thinks it's weird that they are using the same theme song as GOT?

I think it's weird that they use the same theme song but don't show the freaking map. Even as someone that read the books and watched the show, I still get my geography mixed up. Especially since different locations are important or some locations didn't exist. The blood maze thing is interesting, but not exactly helpful. If you're going to steal the theme song, may as well do it with the map.

[GeneticBlueprint]

I'm thinking of the opening credits music as sort of a Star Wars kind of thing. Since there will likely be more spinoffs. It's the theme of that universe at this point.

[johnny]

the theme song is a banger so i’m fine with them using it again 

[SoberChef]

The time jump will quite possibly cause some to be turned off but I have faith that many will stay the course.

[BloodyHell]

57 minutes ago, SoberChef said:

The time jump will quite possibly cause some to be turned off but I have faith that many will stay the course.

People are hooked, nobody is going anywhere.

[69los]

I haven't seen anything with Emma D'arcy but I know Olivia Cooke from Bates Motel and she was fine in that.

[GeneticBlueprint]

[skillzdadirecta]

Is there anyone noble or good in this series? Where's our Tyrion or our Jon Snow? Someone who is morally on the right side of things or at least trying to be. Aliment, maybe or her father?

[Amazatron]

5 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Is there anyone noble or good in this series? Where's our Tyrion or our Jon Snow? Someone who is morally on the right side of things or at least trying to be. Aliment, maybe or her father?

 

The new hand, Lord Lyonel Strong has been a beacon of sound judgement so far.

[GeneticBlueprint]

1 hour ago, Amazatron said:

 

The new hand, Lord Lyonel Strong has been a beacon of sound judgement so far.

 

This is who I was going to name as well. His son seems like a good guy and badass to boot.

[skillzdadirecta]

BTW I typed in Alicent and the fucking phone auto corrected. I really hate that shit.

[69los]

52 minutes ago, GeneticBlueprint said:

 

This is who I was going to name as well. His son seems like a good guy and badass to boot.

 

His other son though seems like a weasel like Baelish

[BloodyHell]

10 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Is there anyone noble or good in this series? Where's our Tyrion or our Jon Snow? Someone who is morally on the right side of things or at least trying to be. Aliment, maybe or her father?

Is Alicent good? She pretty much declared war at her step daughters wedding, and manipulated the king into marriage on her father's orders. 

 

Im enjoying this show, but im definitely not as in love as some others. I just don't like a lot of the main characters. I think a main part of it is just exactly that, everyone is unlikeable. 

[TheLeon]

13 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Is there anyone noble or good in this series? Where's our Tyrion or our Jon Snow? Someone who is morally on the right side of things or at least trying to be. Aliment, maybe or her father?

This show is in a weird place compared to how GoT started. Basically the only thing anyone cares about right now is who gets the throne next, which brings out the worst in people. It’s a whole show of King’s Landing drama, with nobody off doing their own thing like the Starks or Jon Snow. 
 

They’re really leaning into the “no black and white” with this one so far. There aren’t any “easy” characters to root for. I like Rhaenyra, even if she’s been making some questionable decisions. And I really feel for the king. He’s just so tired all the time and always looks like he doesn’t want to be there, which is how I spend most of my life. 

[Amazatron]

6 hours ago, BloodyHell said:

Is Alicent good? She pretty much declared war at her step daughters wedding, and manipulated the king into marriage on her father's orders. 

 

Im enjoying this show, but im definitely not as in love as some others. I just don't like a lot of the main characters. I think a main part of it is just exactly that, everyone is unlikeable. 

 

She got completely duped by her best friend after she put her neck out for her, and her husband/king kicked out her father and called him a liar even though he was correct. She was also forced into a shit marriage where she functions as a brood mare for the monarchy.

 

I can see why she goes into scorched earth mode, and I sympathize with her to this point.

[BloodyHell]

Also, im not sure how I feel about new actors. They absolutely could have just used make-up with almost all of the main characters to make them look a bit older.

 

(Edit: Future spoilers, not just current show spoilers, so as not to ruin the future for those who don't know)

Spoiler

Its not like Rhaenyra lives to be old, she dies at 30, soon after Daemon. 

I really liked the cast. I can't imagine Cooke as Rhaenyra, or ANYONE besides Matt Smith as Daemon. It seems like a terrible decision, to me. But I don't know, maybe others feel differently.

[BloodyHell]

12 minutes ago, Amazatron said:

 

She got completely duped by her best friend after she put her neck out for her, and her husband/king kicked out her father and called him a liar even though he was correct. She was also forced into a shit marriage where she functions as a brood mare for the monarchy.

 

I can see why she goes into scorched earth mode, and I sympathize with her to this point.

Theres nothing good about Alicent. She's as terrible as the rest. At least if they stick close to the source material.

[Greatoneshere]

1 hour ago, Amazatron said:

 

She got completely duped by her best friend after she put her neck out for her, and her husband/king kicked out her father and called him a liar even though he was correct. She was also forced into a shit marriage where she functions as a brood mare for the monarchy.

 

I can see why she goes into scorched earth mode, and I sympathize with her to this point.

 

I'm going to have to disagree here. Alicent is a very sympathetic character, because she's trying to play by the "rules" of Westeros (ala Margaery Tyrell). However, her father deserved to be kicked out - he was pushing for Alicent's son Aegon to be king because of the pressure from his older brother Hoebert Hightower. But he is compromised. It's absolutely the right decision for King Viserys to give him the boot - Lyonel Strong is clearly much more objective and clear headed. I'm not sure what you mean by "correct"? Are you suggesting he's correct that Daemon and Rhaenyra had sex? Because he's wrong about that. Any impropriety is bad, it's true, especially in the world they are in, but she didn't have sex with him, her "virtue" (I hate typing that) is still "intact" according to this regressive bullshit (well, it's not due to Cristin Cole, but Rhys Ifans doesn't know that). Now, is Rhaenyra lying to her best friend Alicent in front of a Godswood tree while she makes an oath that she isn't lying? Yep, she does that, and I imagine that's gonna end badly. 

 

But Alicent is gonna double down on being a self-hating woman, and that is not a good person. Honestly, Rhaenyrs and the Velaryons are the most sympathetic characters in the show. They want shit taken care of, they are actually happily married it seems, and their kids understand they have to play the game but still have good moral values. No? Don't underestimate House Velaryon, the Sea Snake, and the Queen that Never Was.

 

Also, the way Daemon killed his wife Rhea Royce in the Vale was fucking brutal and I don't think it's being discussed enough. As soon as she hesitated I looked at my wife and went: "oh shit, he's gonna try to paralyze her by knocking her off the horse" and lo and behold, he did. What I did not anticipate was a brutal beating with a rock. But, hey guys, it was super cool when he did that siege all alone against Crabfeeder no?  

[Mercury33]

Yes it was super cool. 

[BloodyHell]

3 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

I'm going to have to disagree here. Alicent is a very sympathetic character, because she's trying to play by the "rules" of Westeros (ala Margaery Tyrell). However, her father deserved to be kicked out - he was pushing for Alicent's son Aegon to be king because of the pressure from his older brother Hoebert Hightower. But he is compromised. It's absolutely the right decision for King Viserys to give him the boot - Lyonel Strong is clearly much more objective and clear headed. I'm not sure what you mean by "correct"? Are you suggesting he's correct that Daemon and Rhaenyra had sex? Because he's wrong about that. Any impropriety is bad, it's true, especially in the world they are in, but she didn't have sex with him, her "virtue" (I hate typing that) is still "intact" according to this regressive bullshit (well, it's not due to Cristin Cole, but Rhys Ifans doesn't know that). Now, is Rhaenyra lying to her best friend Alicent in front of a Godswood tree while she makes an oath that she isn't lying? Yep, she does that, and I imagine that's gonna end badly. 

 

But Alicent is gonna double down on being a self-hating woman, and that is not a good person. Honestly, Rhaenyrs and the Velaryons are the most sympathetic characters in the show. They want shit taken care of, they are actually happily married it seems, and their kids understand they have to play the game but still have good moral values. No? Don't underestimate House Velaryon, the Sea Snake, and the Queen that Never Was.

 

Also, the way Daemon killed his wife Rhea Royce in the Vale was fucking brutal and I don't think it's being discussed enough. As soon as she hesitated I looked at my wife and went: "oh shit, he's gonna try to paralyze her by knocking her off the horse" and lo and behold, he did. What I did not anticipate was a brutal beating with a rock. But, hey guys, it was super cool when he did that siege all alone against Crabfeeder no?  

I think another reason it's so hard for me to like these people is that I already know the outcome of the dance of dragons. From my perspective, it's hard to find good in any of them. Alicents more malicious acts are still to come, and Rhaenyra is no peach. Nothing turns out well for anyone. Some worse than others.

[BloodyHell]

Also, did Rhaenyra lie at the godswood? Did she say she was a virgin, or just that she wasn't with Daemon?

[Greatoneshere]

20 minutes ago, BloodyHell said:

Also, did Rhaenyra lie at the godswood? Did she say she was a virgin, or just that she wasn't with Daemon?

 

She said, as I recall, nothing happened between her and Daemon, and she completely mischaracterized the visit to the brothel.

[BloodyHell]

Just now, Greatoneshere said:

 

She said, as I recall, nothing happened between her and Daemon, and she completely mischaracterized the visit to the brothel.

I wouldn't call that much of a lie in GoT terms.

We all know they just care about the hymen. Lol. Such a disgusting thing to type. All of her mortal worth bound up in fictional beliefs about a thin membrane. Her "virtue". Is it worse for her to lie in front of the godswood? Or Alicent to ask it? What's more malicious?

[Greatoneshere]

4 minutes ago, BloodyHell said:

I wouldn't call that much of a lie in GoT terms.

We all know they just care about the hymen. Lol. Such a disgusting thing to type. All of her mortal worth bound up in fictional beliefs about a thin membrane. Her "virtue". Is it worse for her to lie in front of the godswood? Or Alicent to ask it? What's more malicious?

 

I think promising her best friend, on her mother's grave, that she isn't lying, in front of the Godswood, is usually an ill omen. Rhaenyra's mother is sacred to Rhaenyra, so lying on that, to me, is a real bad omen. Alicent is clearly jealous of Rhaenyra's freedom to do as she wants by comparison, but not wanting her best friend to lie to her is perfectly reasonable. 

[BloodyHell]

1 hour ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

I think promising her best friend, on her mother's grave, that she isn't lying, in front of the Godswood, is usually an ill omen. Rhaenyra's mother is sacred to Rhaenyra, so lying on that, to me, is a real bad omen. Alicent is clearly jealous of Rhaenyra's freedom to do as she wants by comparison, but not wanting her best friend to lie to her is perfectly reasonable. 

Yet she knew the danger she was putting her "friend" and fellow woman in just by asking the question. 

 

 

Also, she swore nothing happened with Daemon, and its really not lie. She didn't ask if she got kingsguarded. 

 

Either way, I don't think her fate has much to do with the tree. There was to be war the moment her dad didn't name his son heir, that was clear immediately. Her fate was sealed by Aegons birth.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, BloodyHell said:

Also, she swore nothing happened with Daemon, and its really not lie.

 

Did you actually watch that episode?!?!?