Good to see you back Elio & Linda!! Returning home to Winterfell was incredibly gratifying. The opening scene was filled with emotion, and it was heartwarming to see Lord Cregan holding the Stark family sword, Ice. I cannot wait to see the rest of the season ❤
It's frustrating to see these episodes just being shy of being great, they somehow mess up things like blood and cheese in this one or rhaenys coming through the floor
Curious how you felt about how Blood and Cheese was handled, in terms of the lack of any guards, Helaena's reaction, the removal of Maelor and therefore of the choice, etc... Personally I thought it was quite disappointing, and I say this as someone who really enjoyed Season 1 despite its flaws. I know you guys don't want to formally "review" the show but maybe a short highs and lows segment for each episode?
Our recent interview with Ryan Condal, newly-posted, does get into some of these aspects. I think some aspects of the changes I can understand, especially when he discusses the practical side when using child actors.
I'm not much into this series. Idk, I'm just wary and tired of milking the cow that Westeros has become. However, I'm very glad to see you guys. It's always a pleasure to listen to you. If you have ran out of ideas, I would love if you could do a series of book analysis of ASoIaF series. I know you have done a few videos on some subjects, but I was thinking to do a complete chapter by chapter analysis, for each book.
I'm very pleased you've resumed the task of shedding some light not only on each episode, but also on the source material. Perhaps "DUTY ABOVE ALL" should be the words of your house 😅. As for my questions for Mr Condal: Is the managing of a major production comparable to managing a kingdom?
Maegor the Cruel rode Balerion against his nephew, Prince Aegon, who rode the dragon Quicksilver. Balerion tore Quicksilver apart during the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye, and Quicksilver and Aegon fell to their deaths.
I actually have a question about the episode, though I'm not sure it can be answered by someone else than the production team. Was there a reason there wasn't any guard in the royal quarters when we Blood and Cheese sneak around in there? We see Kingsguards down in the throne room with Aegon, but none up there except for Criston Cole being "busy" with Alicent, and no Hightower guards. It just seems a bit convenient, especially being on the verge of war, I can't imagine Otto or anyone in charge not tightening the security, especially for protecting every member of the royal family, including Queen Helaena and her children.
We've now done our interview with Ryan -- we'll have it up in a few days -- and we asked some questions about Blood and Cheese, which I think contains some good answers to many fan questions about the adaptation choices. We specifically get into the guard issue, as well, though YMMV on whether his answer resolves your questions.
Hi Elio & Linda. Out of curiosity. Do you know if at this juncture in the story if Cregan Stark is The Warden Of The North? Is that a concept yet in Westeros?
Oh I've missed the two of you...I love listening to your commentary on the shows and would love to hear you do commentary on the books. Your keen insights alone would be worth the listen.
So glad you guys are back! (been a fan of y'all since 2014 now) Always good to here your ASOIAF content✅️ And as to new stuff would love to hear your takes when "reviewing" the show and drawing parallels from previous civil wars/ conflicts the Targaryens experienced previous to the dance (Maegor's wars, the "Dornish wars" Aenys' reign etc) from the books and to what the show depicts
How do they manage to ruin that scene? Like, this scene one would have thought would have been the perfect thing for TV writers. Relatively cheap, maximum impact. Yet they decide to tone it down? Why? Why would they do that? Just bizarre.
There are perhaps some answers in the interview we've just posted with him. Whether they satisfy or not, I can't say, but I think he was pretty forthright about the considerations that had to go into how to depict it.
I missed you guys so much ! I’m so happy you uploaded, I recently got my younger brother into asoiaf and he finished and even got the world book and I was telling him I was watching your guys channel when that book was releasing and that your guys reviews and lore videos were my favorites. I would love to hear more about your thoughts about the new successor shows and maybe more predictions for winds of winter or where you see the books going in general! Thanks
Glad to have you back! You could present other fantasy stories while House of the Dragon is off air! By the way, will you be travelling to Santa Fe soon for the party?
Cole’s role as Alecent’s ‘toy boy’ feels significantly out of character - given his fallout with Rhaenyra was based on his moral grounds as knight of the kings guard to not be exactly what he is to the Queen. Though Alecent ‘lets him off’ his transgressions in S1, and perhaps Cole sees her words and actions as law - it feels very out of character. Also, who knew one’s hair could grow so significantly when flying north (jacaeyrs)
I think the Criston Cole of 15 years after Rhaenyra is a much darker and more jaded person, in part because of how he processed that experience. His willingness to ignore his vows now with Alicent may also, to some degree, just be a kind of punishment as well as a pleasure -- a constant reminder that his flesh is weak and his vows are meaningless. That's my read, anyways. I'm not going to blame the show for getting rid of a wig. Harry's natural curling hair is way better than the wig they had him in in season 1.
I can definitely see this- Cole’s sense of self, the morals on which he had once built himself - have been shattered by Rhaenyra. His hatred for her now is very blind, though, given he is in exactly the same arrangement with Alicent that he could’ve been in with Rhaenyra - minus a bit of the shame (the admission of guilt). Though he is a very emotionally driven character, and, I suppose, logic and rationale have been replaced by that blind anger for Rhaenyra. I suppose he blames Rhaenyra for what he has become, and the more he disregards his vows, the more his hatred of Rhaenyra grows.
And I still think that Elio should watch seasons 6 to 8 and do reaction videos for every single episode! He kinda pusseyed out there a bit! I mean it's a free country but if we had to suffer through it, then so should Elio! And it would be entertaining for us. And at the end of the day, that's all that counts! #justsayin'
Second season started with blunder and turned into parody of itself. With toned down fantasy elements and politics , without improving characters, only soap opera drama remains.
