What do you think about this episode? NOTE: I'm slightly holding off on commenting too much on Daemon's Harrenhal stuff for the moment, but I will cover it in more detail in a later review. It feels a bit too much like a single story beat has been stretched out for a long time, so I want to see where it lands before I give my full thoughts. ~ Tim
Pretty good. I'll admit, I was back and forth on the Harrenhal plotline, but after seeing this most recent episode, and replaying his conversation with Alys, it all clicked as to what the purpose was. To make the dragon BOW. And it was really good dissection of his character, which I don't think we'd ever see anywhere else in this show, so I love that. I absolutely adore character studies. Be it in fanfic or in movies or tv. They're fascinating deep dives and can be rather analytical. Anyone who says this is all "filler" don't know what filler actually is. Filler is any episode (or season if you watch anime) in a season of television that does not contribute to the overall plot/thesis of the show. But if you remove the Daemon Harrenhal plotline, it impacts the plot a lot; because then people will question where he was this whole time. How did he get the Riverlords' support? Etc etc.
First the Series in general: It lays between Season 5 - 7 of Got. Good overall sometimes Great. But Major things that leave a sour taste. Int his episode for example: The Seasmoke Storyline, I get why he burns the Kings guard, but why is he then chasing a new rider? Does that mean Laenor is dead? Why died he off screen? Dragon taming, in this episode even, is described as something you need to prepare for and "show no fear". But Addam is running out of fear from seasmoke, as if the guy who fears him the most is the best rider. The Misarya kiss was placed weird. I dont mind or even welcome the LGBTQ Topic forced into the show, but dont do it after that dialogue. Last critique: The world seems serious but the characters somewhat bland, compared to Got at least. I am missing Emotions, more of Otto scenes or Vissy. The good parts are: Finally the show takes its time, although you could say repetitive, I do welcome building up something. Their are not as much or less plot holes then their were in Season 1. Some Episodes were just good. Season 1 always had one thing in every episode that left me head scratching.
That was actually a decent scene. Not often it happens, but I can see that conversation taking place. Although it is disrespectful in some ways as he's talking to the king like he's a normal injured man now
@@nixielee Yeah, it's like a "permission to speak freely, sir?" situation, which is not usually given the proper authorization, but turns out to be a welcome hard truth.
I know a lot of people were claiming Larys was faking it but I don't think he was. Sure, there is a token of manipulation but that doesn't mean Larys wasn't being truthful or empathetic. It reminded me a bit of Cersei & Sansa, she intentionally told Sansa things that shocked her. But it was still the blunt truth and advice that Cersei never got at her age.
I truly cannot fathom the people who are annoyed about the show being slow. It really isn't. Its just not attaking the plot at breakneck pace, and instead taking the time to establish character depth and relationships. Watch like, any political drama and you’ll see HotD actually moves pretty quick
@@luigisme GOT was the right scenario for politics. The realm slowly reconfigurates. Here we are in a two year span, where a series of war events such as the killing of heirs and kin detonates more war. That’s my opinion.
14:50 The grasshopper that stopped singing is probably Daeron; in the previous scene with Gwayne and Alicent, Gwayne says that Daeron plays the lute. In this episode we learn that the Hightowers are marshaling their army and that the Beesburys have raised arms against them. Now that there is war in the Reach, Daeron will have to change from a musician into a warrior (put down the lute and take up the sword), therefore he "stopped singing."
Interesting, I thought the cricket that stopped singing was Seasmoke as he chose Addam. Daemon sang the song to prepare Vermithor for the bond, and we saw the Dragonkeepers sing when attempting to bond Seasmoke to Steffon. The lyrics translate to something like "Two heads to a third head sing". So the three crickets in cages would be the three dragons in the cave at Dragonstone - Seasmoke, Vermithor and Silverwing. One of them (Seasmoke) was ready to bond, so he had stopped singing.
I think part of what makes Gwayne Hightower interesting is his development from this fairly happy high-status guy who's not a fan of long treks and is apparently used to getting in good stops at inns as well as not thinking much of Criston Cole to someone who experienced A LOT in a short amount of time and seems to still be trying to process it to himself. After he ventured off confidently and cockily from the Red Keep... - He got chased by a dragon and probably thought he was gonna become its food. Then learned to trust and follow Cole because he was the one who's quick thinking to ride as fast as possible into the woods was what saved seemed to save them. - He pushed alongside the other green soldiers to what he considered the furthest they could go without risking certain death, until Cole arrived and told him otherwise -- and even then he still thought he was the sane one and Cole was mad. - And then he witnesses dragons join them and burn men alive on both sides, and by the end of it he's one of the survivors. Absolutely incredible, especially after Gwayne went, believing they were marching to their doom. The subtle changes in his tone and body language and how he speaks with Alicent when he's about to head off again with Cole this episode suggest to me that he's somewhat irritated or unhappy about *something*, and maybe also has some respect and possibly also fear for Criston Cole. It's difficult for me to pinpoint what is really going on with him because he's keeping so much to himself. And that adds to what makes him interesting, I think. There's enough here for us to assume any of a dozen things has altered him profoundly, but what exactly and in what ways beyond small changes in his demeanour up in the air, as far as I can see it.
Yeah the contrast between Gwayne's first departure and this one is powerful. He seems so tired and done now, almost resigned. The actor is doing a great job there.
I still can't understand why they didn't just stood by the old way of opening with a map. It was so helpful to know who's where. We could also see statues of the dragons to stay on theme too. I like the tapestry, but I can't keep up with which character's where at this point.
I’ve genuinely seen people say shit like “yeah the other episodes this season had boring moments, but then they’d have big action/drama scenes at the end to hold my attention, now the episodes are just doing boring talking all the time”. Like they’re fucking toddlers waiting for the jingling keys or something, Jfc. Because who needs political intrigue, interpersonal drama, and character development when every scene can just be SWORDFIGHTS AND EXPLOSIONS WOOOOO NO THOUGHTS BOYS WE JUST WANT LOUD NOISES AND BRIGHT LIGHTS YEEEEEEAAAAAAHH!
I can agree that it’s a bit stretched out. It’s just that it’s a consequence of him spending a year doing basicly nothing at Harrnehal in the book and it wouldn’t really be a good alternative to have both Daemon and Otto completely missing from the story for the rest of the season.
The green side other than Alicent has been very good this season, the blacks however have been fucking abysmal, all Rhaenyra does every episode is bitch and whine about her position and her council and ignores everyones advice even if its actually good, Corlys has been basically none existant, Baela has no personality other than number 1 Rhaenyra fan, Jace serves face and whines and has only done one thing, Rhaenys was a massive hypocrite in all her scenes, Rhaena is just sad, Daemons LSD trip has been going on for way too long and just disrupts the flow of the episode. Theres a lot of problems with season with inconsistent writing and the way certain characters are being treated, and if the leaks for the next episode are true they are going to permanently destroy Rhaenyras character.
I really liked this episode. Green council scene was good as per usual. Aemond & Aegon scene was good. Aegon & Larys scene was good. Seasmoke burning Steffon & eventually bonding with Addam was all cool. I liked Daemon’s vision with Viserys. Even Alicent’s conversation with her brother Gwayne was well done. In both GoT and HotD, the last two episodes of a season usually have more action so I’m very fine with it being ‘slower’ before that happens. I’ve been enjoying this season so far
The series is excellent. They just need to stop making fewer than 10 episodes and also since they're going with slower pacing, not do anything on the opposite spectrum in later seasons like GoT. At this pace they can make 5-6 seasons comfortably.
I think the reason for that this season was because of Rook's Rest and how expensive that ONE episode was. It sounds like what they're gonna do, is maybe 8-9 hour long ish episodes and a big battle per season. The battle of the gullet was supposed to be this season, but it sounds like it was moved to season 3. It's honestly smart, because this is how GOT was, each season had its own standout moment. Until s7 and s8
@@TheRibottoStudios Which is fine but they need to make the space in-between more exciting. Aside from the Greens (and even Alicent is pretty meh this season), has anyone else had an interesting story?
@@TheRibottoStudios To me, s3 can't end without the Battle Above the God's Eyes also happening. Like we might get a packed s3. They said they were aiming at the Dance lasting 4 seasons, but it just lies on where they'll stop the story, even tho arguably, the Dance ends much much later than... the most famous events of said dance.
Yeah. I am really not into much TV, but this is the one show I can't wait to see next episode. I think it aims to a more mature audience, a more eclectic kind of show instead of heading for the big demographics, something I really like.
I read the book a while ago and I reallly hope they don’t do this! I didn’t put it together until watching this video, I’ll be sad if they don’t include Nettles!
@vegpedro7632 Nettles is a dragonseed that claims the Dragon Sheepstealer buy feeding him. She gets real close to Daemon and people think that Netty is Damon's lover or bastard daughter. Mysaria tells these lover rumors to Rhaenyra and well you can guess her reaction.
@@pokegod99 "well you can guess her reaction." No, you cant. Because the show Rheanyra wouldn't do what the book Rheanyra did. Especially after what we've seen this episode, that would be fucked up and Rheanyra is supposed to be good or smthn.
@@Longshanks1690 try and take out those "filler scenes" and see how well the episode flows. Ffs half of you casuals do not know what filler ACTUALLY IS.
@@TheRibottoStudiosAlternatively, replace the scenes with new ones that either offer something new from the existing characters or show characters we don’t normally see interacting play off each other instead. That’s why Alicent/Gwayne, Aemond/Larys and Aegon/Larys were the best scenes in the episode while Alicent and Rhaenyra bemoaning their status for the thousandth time was not. Because those scenes are the absolute definition of filler.
Because unlike how it is presented in this video, the talk is almost entirely about how women suffer these wars of men. Which is rich coming from privledged women like them and that this whole fucking war was kicked off by two women's pettiness (though not the only thing that contributed). Nothing to say of the thousands of men who have no choice but to fight or be killed for disobeying. The whole thing came off as "women are the primary victims of war"
i think on one of alt shift x’s live streams it was suggested that the crickets represent the unclaimed dragons and the one that stopped chirping was symbolic of the one who claimed corlys’ son
I am always refreshed when this channel makes a video about HOTD, because Tim is fundamentally positive towards the show and is always fair in his criticism when he has them. The discourse on X/twitter makes me lose braincells every time I read and interact with that part of the fanbase because nobody interacts with the show honestly. They are either stuck in the stupid team green vs team black thing which skews their understanding of the characters actions or think that everything that doesnt conform to their own headcanon of what should happen is somehow the fault of the writers. So many people also just seems to want the big plot moments to happen so they can get their gratification, but dont undestand (or want to acknowledge) that the big moments lose impact when they just happen without us first getting to spend time with the characters. It´s basic dramaturgy.
I'm just happy there's a content creator out there not shitting on this episode for literally 0 reason everyone's calling it filler and bad when it's quite literally the opposite of filler all the small folk stuff is a payoff
I thought the more obvious interpretation was that it’s Alicent, who has lost her voice on the council, especially since it’s her who walks in immediately.
I think the bug stopping singing is about how one of the three riderless dragons that the blacks control gained a rider, and thus stopped 'singing out' for his old one. That said, the Daeron arguments have me second guessing myself.
I received that as a reference to Allicent. After Aemond stripped her of her power/say, she has no voice and is essentially a caged bird with no value. Stuck at King’s Landing.
I saw a comment saying since there are 3 grasshoppers, they could represent the three unclaimed dragons on dragonstone, and the one that stopped singing is Seasmoke since he was about to claim a rider. This might just be a show-only theory, because I thought there were more dragons on dragonstone.
ooh, edit; I just thought in the middle of writing, thag maybe it's a premonition of Estermont's trampling after he cut off the guy-who-touched-alicent's hand. like the grasshoppers each represent one of the kingsguard that Aegon appointed, and they're silenced when one of them dies.
There are more dragons on Dragonstone (2 in the show, 3 in the books) but the three dragons the grasshoppers represent are ones that previously had a rider. Vermithor, Jaehaerys I’s dragon, Silverwing, Queen Alysanne’s dragon and Seasmoke, Laenor’s dragon. The other dragons on Dragonstone are wild and never had riders before
I definitely feel that rhaena should not take nettles' place. nettles' role as a dragonseed serves a great role in highlighting the fact that the targaryens are human by highlighting it through the contrast between her and rhaena (smallfolk with dragon vs targaryen without)
Regarding "this one has stopped singing" I saw an explanation on TikTok ( I unfortunately do not remember the creator's name) that the bugs that Helaena is playing with only sing during mating season and stop singing when they find a mate. So this would be referring to Seasmoke bonding with Addam.
I was watching the episode with my friend, and when Rheanyra and Myssaria had the final scene together, we were joking like: Kiss already!!....and than they did. :O Then a whitecloak came and ruined everything :(
really appreciate this video!! I felt like i was the only one who’s really glad that this show is getting better and better because a lot of people are complaining about the slow pace which is really don’t mind. i genuinely think it’s due to season 1 just being time jump after time jump so the pacing feels especially slow now which it isn’t, it’s just right in my opinion. Also I really appreciate Daemons scenes too. I genuinely feel like making his Harrenhal plot go any quicker would kinda make his development seem strange and come out of nowhere. As expected of Daemon, it takes a long time for him to really give in and let those visions and dreams make him go a little crazy, this episode was the first time we could really see him reacting to the visions outside of his dream and even talking about it with Alys very casually. It’s really starting to bother him and we‘re really starting to see a change in him. I am wondering how that’s going to effect his relationship with Rhaenyra tho, really hope they stick the landing on this one.
Crickets use their back legs to “sing”. I find it ironic since we find out that Aegon will be permanently crippled in the same episode. This is the only parallel I can find. Less about singing and more about how they sing. Can’t sing with a broken leg.
@@caseyw.6550 rhat makes less sense to me than Otto. Singing is a form of communication for birds. When a bird stops singing it can no longer communicate to another bird that is from a distance. In this case they are trying to communicate with Otto, but he has “stopped singing”.
I think the cricket that stopped singing was Seasmoke choosing Addam. We've seen that the song is part of preparing a dragon for the bond, and there are three crickets on Helaena's table's for the three dragons they plan to get riders for - Seasmoke, Vermithor and Silverwing, who were in the pit at Dragonstone like the crickets were in the cages. One of them was ready to bond. Usually, riders approach their dragons but in this case it is flipped and Addam is the 'prey'. In real life, crickets stop 'singing' when predators approach.
Just like with the Sopranos, people are calling this boring. I like watching this for the conversations, the glances, little smiles and the plotting and planning on next steps. The characters are wonderful to watch and the actors are just fantastic. Is it cool to see dragons fight? Sure but it’s not like the whole book has dragons fighting on each page. I’m glad it’s not because I feel terrible when one of them dies. My only complaint is that we have only 2 episodes left this season.
SPOILERS BELOW: Why is no one talking about Morning? If Rhaena takes Sheepstealer then there’s no reason for her to get Morning. And that’s a MAJOR issue because Morning is the LAST dragon under Targaryen control after the war. The showrunners have needlessly made things more complicated for themselves by cutting Nettles. There’s so many mire problems with Rhaena taking Nettle’s story but my comment would turn into a novel.
The show will likely end after the hour of the wolf, so they have no reason to be concerned with what happens after. Same situation with Aegon the younger eventually marrying Daenaera Velaryon. They won't have to worry about the implications of his sons Daeron and Baelor having Velaryon black features simply because they won't show it.
It's interesting that a point was made saying that Ser Steffon Darkling's Targaryen's blood is probably too diluted, but Dany's blood purity is almost identical to Darkling's and Jon's is even more diluted.
Definitely hate the eight episode limit. With that fast approaching end point, the pressure feels on to advance the story as much as possible each episode, when the show goes slow and takes its time, it feels like we are wasting time.
This show never feels like we are wasting time. Time with the characters is what ASOIAF has ALWAYS been about. The action is meaningless without all the politicking and scheming that precedes it.
@@watcherofwatchers Rhaenyra and Daemon this whole season have felt like they're wasting time. It very much is starting to feel like they're trying to fill time between major events rather than a natural ebb and flow.
@@unc54 It would be worse if they just skipped from big event to big event. In hte book Martin could do that ebcause its a retelling of important parts of a conflict through a histroical lense. That doesnt work as well in a narrative written for TV. And if they did everyone woulod complain that they are skipping character interaction and are rushing to the ending. There is a natural ebb and flow to the story now and doing what you suggest would be the oppsoite.
You didn't mention at all about the last kiss scene of Rhaenyra and Mysaria which in my opinion is very interesting in terms of the development of these characters. As viewers we don't know all of Mysaria's motivations. We only know that she respects Rhaenyra and at the moment wants to help her. However, she was a spy, has influence in many places, has blood on her hands and her past is quite dark. Just because someone considers a specific person to be a better ruler doesn't mean that they will immediately pay him compliments and show full vulnebility like Mysaria. Her openness of is just... shocking. Did she do it for her own purposes or to sincerely support the queen? We will probably find out in the future. Rhaenyra, on the other hand, tells Mysaria about all her doubts because she simply has no one better to confide in. Her advisors doubt her, her husband wants to take the throne from her, her younger children have abandoned her, she has almost no army. Rhaenyra doubts the very purpose of the war and whether she can still win. It hasn't been this bad yet and she has no one to even talk to about it. Then Mysaria comes and she is the only person in her environment who tells her that she believes in her as a queen. Rhaernyra needed these words like air. Without hesitation she goes to her and hugs her. Even Mysaria herself is surprised by this. Rhaenyra is at her lowest point and seeks absolute comfort and closeness. It ends with a kiss. What I like most about this scene is Rhaenyra's reaction when the knight enters. She looks like a teenager caught doing the stupidest thing possible and immediately regrets letting her emotions win. 😂
Look at the Larys and Aegon scene and the Mysaria and Rhaenyra scene, they mirrior each other. They are both the closest person to the leader of their factions and both used their traumatic pasts to manipulate those leaders. The music for the kiss was ominous and dark and that tells you all you need to know about what it means.
So I decided to take the grasshopper scene literally and looked up why grasshoppers stop chirping and one main reason is due to potential threats nearby, such as a predator. That knowledge may inspire some theories…
I was on the subreddits a bit after this episode, and it turns out there's a lot of folks who are finding the show is a little too full of filler, even claiming its poor writing compared to season 1. Personally, i dont feel this way. The show is at a decent pace, and all this "filler" has implications for either the dance or a specific character. Daemon, who is getting the worst of the criticism, i feel, is intentionally more reflective and philosophical. For that, it needs to be slower. The real reason people seem to be tense is the season only being 8 episodes. They want stuff to happen before waiting another 2 years. For me, i feel they've done a good job thus far. Perhaps a reason for the slow pacing and fewer episodes was the writers' strike. This will hopefully mean more episodes next season, whatever they decide they want the pace to be.
Helaena's bugs could refer to Seasmoke finally gaining a rider. 3 bugs singing = 3 dragons in Dragonstone wanting riders. 1 bug stops singing = Seasmoke gets his rider and is satisfied. Helaena could be prophesying the blacks getting the upper hand against them by getting more dragons.
Well, a clue is by the end of the Dance of the Dragons, where Daemon does the only kind thing that he did in his life, and let Nettle go, escape, to face Aemond alone, Daemon began almost like an antagonist in the Dance of the Dragon, but by the end, he did the right thing, even at the cost of his own life.
A minor nitpick: dragonseed is the collective term for Targaryen bastards, but it is not the bastard surname! (Like Snow is for the North) Dragonstone and Driftmark are in the Crownlands, so the surname would be Waters. (Though the Hulls managed to get "of Hull" to stick!)
I love this season and the last season because we are getting dialogues and story is growing as someone who has read fire and blood this is amazing approch slow burn but it will amazing for the things to come .
I think "they stopped singing" refers to the Balcks' dragon keepers singing during the failed taming of Seasmoke. They stopped singing because Seasmoke has now found its rider by the end of the episode.
I felt crazy for thinking this episode was really great from scene to scene with the character work and exploration of the themes of dragonseed. Then I went online and everyone called it boring! Glad to see I’m not alone in this. Seems like a lot of people use the word “filler” whenever an episode isn’t super fast pased. And people say it doesn’t move along the plot when it ABSOLUTELY does? Like we are in a totally different place at the end at the episode than in the begging. People calling this season slow would never have survived season 2 of game of thrones lol
I understand how some get impatient with the slower pace of the season, but I'm personally loving it for the most part. I love getting more scenes with each of the characters, something that was sorely lacking in the later seasons of GOT.
The grasshopper is Agon, the scene before is Amond threatening Agon who was getting healthy quickly but now his progress has been slowed and silenced by his brother Edit. Also Elena is concerned about this person “/grass hopper” so it’s likely a family member in the behind the scenes we know that Elena and Agon actually do care about each other even if they don’t understand each other very well
14:08 Aegon is also driven a lot by his sexuality. We're not quite sure what damage the dragonfire has done to him, but I suspect that will be affected too. How will the drunken hedonist act now he cannot party with his friends or chase after women? Will he be forced to grow up, or sink deeper into drugs and alcohol to dull his pain?
havent reade fire and blood and also not looking for spoilers but just a thought, with two eps left we might not see the vale again until s3, it could be that for budget / screentime theyre delaying the nettles and sheepstealer appearance and storyline until s3 and she could be cast between seasons? idk the source material on rhaena in the vale but i do agree theyre setting up her attempting to tame sheepstealer, could also be lady arryn withholding more info from rhaena about its rider.
I won't be worried about a lack of NEttles until next season. I think it would be interesting to see the character in question (to avoid spoilers) to fail in what it's implied they want to do and learn to play a different role that she can learn to feel is valuable if not what she wanted. Plus, there's still room for the "too little too late' bit that involves her in the books. it could be 'enough' that she is the one to be able to report the opportunity when/if she fails.
Trade passed through the Gallet Strait, not food so the blockade at Gallet didn't mean starvation of kings landing they got their food from reach which is mostly allied with the high towers.
I honestly think Halaena’s cricket stopping it’s singing might be Prince Daeron who isn’t just a warrior but a soft boy who sings and loves music. What makes Daeron stop singing? And what will happen to the other two sons of Alicent still trapped in the dance?
it's really the pacing slowing down as we get closer and closer to the raw peak of what made GoT so damn good; the smaller stories and intricate small political conflict leading to horrendous consequences. every single scene at King's Landing has me absolutely enthralled and giddy seeing all of these players scheme and all the big consequences dawning(the people revolting) just like early GoT and that is a massive accomplishment.
It's so nice to see a positive review! I really liked episode six (after not liking 4 or 5) and found my good mood ruined when I looked at what other people were saying and saw nothing but complaints (especially about Rhaenyra and Mysaria kissing, which made enough sense to me). I also liked the scenes with Seasmoke - it felt like it gave the dragon agency. We know he's lonely, he's presented with this new potential rider and checks him out but seems to realize this isn't the guy, then goes "fine, damn it, I'll go find my own" and goes after Corly's son instead. I've seen complaints that the guy was more active and cool in the book, and I'm sure we'll see him do more later, but I liked seeing a dragon centered for once, as a decision-making character. Seeing Meleys' head was tragic. Also, your dogs are adorable!
It might be the new wave of fans that don’t know how slow Old GOT could be and STILL be compelling. Season one had a lot of time skips and time went faster, so it could be that people miss that sort of pace they came to love the show with.
I also think a lot of the GOT fandom did not become fans of the show until 2016-2017, when the show was coming to a close. I believe they don’t what it was like back then when the series first came out in 2011.
I wonder if maybe Rhaena will try to bond with Sheepstealer, but will find Nettles already in process of bonding with him because she was "draw to him" and Rhaena decides to help her fully bond with him, both because she has the knowledge for it, and it would help Rhaenyras cause. Not gonna lie Rhaena deciding to put the fact she doesn't have a dragon aside, and teaches and helps future Targareyns with their dragons sounds like a fun AU
When he gives us a time stamp to skip to give the video a like, when you skip portions of a RU-vid video it works against the video/creator in the algorithm. Love your stuff dude!
I'll be sad too if they cut nettles. I saw somebody complain that this season had been boring, because "there had only been one ok battler". IMO the ASOIAF universe is at its best when it's presented as a political drama with a supernatural touch - I love the scenes from the councils. I'm also really happy to see more of how mystical Harrenhall is as a place - there's so much to that world and it's lore that I want to see more of. I love Daemons scenes with Alys. I can't wait for her to engage with Aemond,
That Quentin Martell scene is one of my absolute favorite death scenes in fiction. Also- it's Addam who bonded the dragon and Alyn who is the seafarer.
Grasshoppers are related to locusts, and are small, many, and eat everything. The grasshopper no longer singing (to me) is a sign of the smallfolk no longer singing the praises of team green because they are starving.
Nettle is genuinely one of my favourite parts of Fire and Blood, because she is part of a bit of headcanon that is very important to me. It would be sad to see her being excluded, but I'm hoping we get something interesting instead if that does indeed happen.
Compared to most modern media, this show is top tier. It's very subtle with a lot of what it's doing, and that makes it too subtle for a lot of the audience. Then, sometimes, it's about as unsubtle as a dragon landing on top of your castle, or Robert Baratheon's warhammer smashing into your chest. Watching characters agonize over the war, and their places in the war, somehow manages to be both extremes at once. I like the show a lot, but do think this season will be better on rewatch after the next season, or even after the show is over. And I wish all of Daemon's activities at Harrenhall had been seen from afar, then the intricacies and un/reality of it revealed to the audience in one bottle episode devoted only to his dreams and paranoias and mental d/evolution. At the end of the episode, "his third eye opens" and he figures out what he needs to do, possibly while Rhaenerya is also pulling up in the courtyard on Syrax. He jumps on Caraxes and they immediately go off to start getting things done. But that's what fan edits in the future are for.
I'm fine with HOTD giving Baela and Rhaena more to do since George didn't give them a ton of attention during the Dance but I might have to draw a line if it comes at the cost of Nettles, let's see how it pans out
Every scene - ok almost all of them - in this season has been a great scene in isolation comprised of great writing, directing and acting. Individually, I appreciate them all for a variety of reasons. *However,* it nevertheless remains the case that when taken in totality, it is beyond debate that they have been dragging their heels, repeating themselves and shoving needless filler in there for seemingly no justifiable reason. Daemon in Harrenhal is probably the best example of this. All his scenes are great, but there’s no doubt that doing the same bit over and over feels repetitive and dull. These scenes need to coincide with Daemon actually doing stuff in the Riverlands that show the image he’s trying to present to the world while these scenes express the real him. But as it is, no one is appreciating how good they are because they feel bored by the monotony of it all. And this would even be somewhat understandable in a show with ten episodes, some repetition and filler is to be expected… but with eight? There’s really no excuse. Every scene should be contributing in a fresh, new and interesting way, Alicent and Gwayne’s scene did that this episode in a way that Rhaenyra complaining for the ten thousandth time did not. Especially considering the decision to have this season end where it does, there’s even less excuse for how little new content we’re getting in comparison to how worthwhile it all feels. When the show is done, S2 will be regarded as the worst by far.
This is what i thought too about Harrenhal, until I rewatched the scene of him with Alys. He went through what he did FOR A PURPOSE; to learn to ask for help and to learn from his mistakes. The way it was gone about was on purpose. He couldn't meet with his brother first vs a young Rhaenyra because he wasn't ready to face that. Facing what he did to Rhaenyra was the step he needed to take in order to finally own up to what he's done. Note that he didn't apologize to Rhaenyra, but instead attacked her vision self. Versus when he met with Viserys he was openly remorseful and begging for this to go away. Then to finally break and say "I'm here now. I'm sorry". This was what Alys wanted-for the dragon to bow. This dissection of Daemon has been truly fascinating upon a rewatch. My favorite part of the Team Black scenes this season.
@@TheRibottoStudiosAll of that could have been accomplished without feeling like the plot line, which should be the most interesting in the entire show, is the one that’s dragging more than anything else.
@@Longshanks1690 You say that if Daemon was actually doing stuff in the Riverlands it would be better, but that alone just tells me you aren't paying ATTENTION because Daemon CAN'T make moves on Riverrun because of the liege lord. They will do what HE says and as Alys said, "House Tully is not the largest house, nor is it the richest. But it is the most stable. The Tullys' wisdom has kept the river houses in line for centuries. They would kill each other to the last man if not for their liege lord. Grover Tully is their Lord Paramount. Without him they will never raise their banners as one." And that's what Daemon himself said he needs; he needs men. Not corpses. If this all went down in like the first half of the season you'd go around and complain that it was too rushed.
@@TheRibottoStudios I’m not one to say “But the book!!!” but it is the case that in the book he rallied an army of Rivermen Darrys and Pipers at Harrenhal and led the assault on Stone Hedge to subdue the Brackens personally. Now, the show doesn’t have to do _exactly_ that, I do really like the angle that the brutality shown in taking Stone Hedge pushed many other River Lords away from Daemon but certainly the idea that he’s completely powerless and incapable of doing anything but sulking around Harrenhal is silly. He could have been doing other things and meeting with other River Lords to secure their loyalty while these visions were in the background of that plot line. Having the Tullys on side would obviously help his case but he doesn’t actually need them, especially because Grover has been such an ineffectual overlord for years evidently. It would be entirely believable that his vassals joined Daemon regardless of what he wanted.
Other then her last scene with Daemon the writing for Rhaenyra and all of team black has been very subpar and inconsistent especially if you compare them to green scenes. Just look at the Black and Green council scenes, the Black council scenes are always the same, Rhaenyra whining, her councillors and Jace giving her good advice she ignores, and then some idiot (Rhaenys) has to put them in their place, but every Green Council scene is intriguing and unique.
