Tywin's Wallet

Finale was great. 

The scene with Aemond and Luke reads different in the book, but I don't mind it at all. It still feels like Aemond is a malicious person and made his big first kill just to satisfy his ego. Even if it was an accident it doesn't matter, he taunted Luke intentionally. There was 100% intent to harm. 

I understood there was subtext in the book page that Alicent sent Rhaenyra, I wonder if she was trying to tell Rhaenyra to not take the deal that Otto offered and literally get on a boat with her family and escape Westeros because Alicent knows that Otto would just kill her and her kids even if she accepted the terms. 

Otto is just infuriating. I don't like the greens as is, but:

- I hate how he invalidates Alicent when she made her stand and he replied to her with " you look like your mother". Like "yeah sweety, whatever, you just go be pretty, that's all you're good for"

- Plots behind her daughter's back and behind Viserys while smiling at him and sitting at the king's family dinner table when he was alive. 

- Basically re-sells Alicent to Larys for information.

- Doesn't even give Viserys, "his friend", a proper funeral (who knows they'll just bury him in the style of the faith and not respect Targaryen tradition - I will hate the greens even more if they do this next ep and I already hate them for what they did in the book version).

Otto is gross-  just really gross. 

RIP Lord Beesbury and Lord Caswell . 

11 hours ago, Chad Vader said:

The Cargyll twins story is shaping up very nicely. Wasnt a fan of Rhaenys and Meleys at the end. Didnt make much sense to me. She killed lots of smallfolk and when she had the Greens cowering she has her dragon yell at them.

I agree - I think it would have been enough if the "beast beneath the boards" would have applied to Aegon since they got him from underneath the boards of the sept anyway. Just a final shot of him changing his demeanor drunk on his own power would have been effective, I think, and just let Rhaenys escape. Although I took the scene to be a contrast to what Alicent told Otto about "Let them see true Targaryen power" - she's has never seen dragon being used as a show of force so I think in the moment when Rhaenys came up with Maelys Alicent realized what the true power of Targaryen's is, not the sword or the crown or the name or none of that. 

10 hours ago, Corvinus85 said:

She said she wasn't involved.

Let's say Rhaenyra tells the truth and then what? Rhaenys flies across the sea to drag Laenor back just to find out Laenor is happy with Qarl or another man in complete rejection of Rhaenys' traditions and desires causing more strife, hurt and more rumors. Just leave it alone - some family separations are actually good. Rhaenys and Corlys should have accepted Laenor and stood by him and work out their own succession issues. Dead or alive losing Laenor was Rahenys' and Corlys' doing.

22 minutes ago, Takiedevushkikakzvezdy said:

Honestly, I thought that the "strong boys" toast was a bit underwhelming. I expected it to be a grand moment with an epic background score and everything, but it was pretty solemn. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

Yeah - maybe they were going for unresolved tension in this episode. Cus as great as the episode was the stress made it hard to watch in a sense. Quite the experience!

RIP Viserys -  At least his last memory was of a happy dinner with his family he so loved. But also so sad because we could all see the "beast beneath the board" peaking it's ugly head. Tension was too much. But good on Alicent and Rhaenyra for reconciling (however short-lived).

Then -please don't tell me Alicent is going to be seriously consider that her Aegon is the PTWP lol fat NO. Did ya'll hear that short choaking sound after Dyana the servant girl drank the tea - is it because she was crying already and maybe couldn't drink the tea appropriately or was she killled? The fact that she embraced Haleana when she asked for her got me thinking they got rid of the poor girl. RIP Dyana.

Also - Talya is Mushroom. 

53 minutes ago, Takiedevushkikakzvezdy said:

Some have pointed out that it's strange that Criston, as Alicent's sworn shield, doesn't recognise Larys. Has Larys been visiting Alicent without being noticed?

In episode 6 Alicent went alone to see Larys if I remember correctly. 

1 hour ago, Takiedevushkikakzvezdy said:

I would actually be surprisingly fine with that.

 it just occurred to me that there was talk of gold when Daemon was talking to Qarl. I wonder maybe there is a little foreshadow that Laenor will be in business with the Rogare bank (maybe as a partner or investor). That could be a way. 

On 10/2/2022 at 7:00 PM, Chad Vader said:

I actually really enjoyed the ending. Laenor really made off pretty good.

Me too - I'm curious to see how they handle Seasmoke. Not sure how the bonding works or it is a given that the rider must die to disconnect. Either way I hope they make that interesting. I also wonder if maybe they're setting up a Laenor to have hand in returning Viserys 2. 

Great set up for all the kids' stories later on. Still though is Daeron in Oldtown or is he cut out of the show? :-/

23 hours ago, BlackLightning said:

The Blacks are not good guys but their cause is the just one...which makes them the good guys. To cheat and rob Rhaenyra of her birthright is treason, to let their Viserys rot in his chambers for over week is just twisted and disrespectful (doubly so for people who swear that they are championing honor and decency) and to let Aemond off of his leash was insane

This! Also them changing the banner to green just screams theft! I know the surface reason is that it's hard to distinguish banners in battle. But it also sends a clear message of out right robbery. Blacks supporters was probably like that's not the house my ancestors bent the knee to screw that!. That s**t is Hightower takeover.  I wouldn't fall for it either and go straight to team black.

12 hours ago, Stannis is the man....nis said:

Like the episode. Really like the new adult actors. I also they are playing up Aegon as being a unserious person who will be corrupted by his mother and Cole. Though bizarrely enough they rightly treated Strong hitting Cole as this big deal yet give no explanation for why Cole got his pass over the wedding 

I would have liked to know how Crispin got his pass too. I'm assuming that Alicent pleaded mercy and claimed him as his knight and Viserys being weak he just said yes. 

36 minutes ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

I didn’t get the impression that Alicent understood what Otto was doing at first. She seemed to earnestly believe she was just there to give her condolences. Clearly nothing happened beyond her just reading to him, and I don’t believe anything physical happened prior to their marriage. 

 

After 3 years she still doesn't have clue?? Then the girl is really dim and I don't think showrunners are shooting for dim when it comes to her. She didn't seem to be that ok with going to see Viserys after her father told her to - she kept biting her nails down to the skin because it. That shows at some level she was aware of what was happening. I don't buy that she's been totally unware this whole time or again she's really just unable to think for herself.

It's heartbreaking to see Alicent and Rhaenyra no longer friends. Watching the last ep when she sought Rhaenyra to join the festivities, at first I was a bit disappointed that Rhaenyra dismissed her. But upon rewatch I have to question Alicent's logic here after 2-3 years. Seems like to mend the friendship Alicent would have to tell Rhaenyra the truth, which at minimum would include that she sought the king on the night after Aemma and Baelon's funeral ( hardly forgivable IMO). I doubt that she would go as far as telling that her dad sent her wearing her mom dress because that would expose Otto and would probably get her and her kids disowned since Viserys is growing increasingly mistrustful of the politicking. Is she then hoping to offer half truths to mend the friendship somewhat? I mean Im sure it would make Alicent feel better if her excuses are accepted, but that's just adding selfishness on top of betrayal of trust; which judging by how obvious Otto's ambitions are, Rhaenyra would probably figure out the truth anyway. By this point, I would have expected Alicent to just accept that she won't get that friendship back and leave Rhaenyra alone and just move on as quiet as possible even if that means she starts working with Otto to positioning Aegon as heir (I'd respect her more if she were more honest with herself). I'm liking this predicament in the show more than the book though. 

On 8/21/2022 at 9:56 PM, StarksInTheNorth said:

I’m really curious if the decide to have Alicent be ambitious or if it’s really just Otto.

I think that when she was young it was all Otto, but as she grew up and gave birth to sons she picked up lessons from her father. She got groomed to be a player in the game and just settled into it basically. 

This was great first ep. I liked the fact that they set up the politics and I think most folks that didn't read the book will be surprised how arcs will develop. I was also pleased they brought in the "he-said, she-said"  element of the book via Otto's story about Daemon. I wil keep liking the show if they leave some things unanswered to keep us intrigued. 

SPOILER: I was very pleased with Visery's revealing that Aegon conquered westeros to unite them to fight the long night. I do think that this specific line is set up for the books and not so much referring the show GOT since winning that battle didn't require the entire realm lol. They way Viserys revealed the "song of ice and fire" dream seems to be referring to a much larger, scarier event that will have to become the one reason why Targaryens matter to the entire story rather than keeping or winning the throne for power sake. If hope this show continues to give us some teasers or set up for what's to come in the books and doesn't try too hard to correct the show.