zajaz

I don't think Edmure was ever 'named' Hoster's new heir, though. He became Hoster's heir automatically as soon as he was born.

Neither Alicent, as far as I can tell. Then again, the show might reveal she did, but we must consider some aspects of HotD its own thing, I believe.

They are; Book Alicent is a classical evil stepmom trope, while Show Alicent is highschool BFF turned enemy trope. I must have missed something, because I could have sworn many knights killing each other quite deliberately, and Daemon was not some of them.

Which ones, mate? Jaehaerys and Daemon? I don't recall F&B ever spelling or even hinting that Alicent ever had an affair during the Dance.

That is quite weird. Now that I think about it, though, didn't Borros also called Jocelyn his great-aunt instead of his aunt, back in F&B? What is going on with the Baratheon-Targaryen relation during the Dance era? It's in times like this when I wish GRRM had some appendix where he showed characters date births (or at least their age).

Just a few minutes ago I read an interview with the actor playing Cole in which he says he indeed comes form Dorne, but wasn't born there. Link:https://hype.my/2022/287132/interview-fabien-frankel-studied-dornish-history-for-his-role-as-criston-cole/ Relevant part: Q: How did you prepare for the role? I read up on Dornish history and found they were looked upon almost as the Irish used to be looked upon in England. The Dornish are really spoken ill of by people in Westeros. I come from there, I look Dornish but I wasn’t born there, so I don’t speak with a Dornish accent. I felt Ser Criston Cole is certainly looked down upon by characters like Daemon and people from the wealthy families in Westeros.

All I will say is that, barring Oberyn (and maybe Doran), and seeing Criston is now Dornish, I don't think people are going to end up with a good impression of Dornish characters, unless they made Cole a more sympathetic figure, which, depending on which route the writers choose to take, of course, could end up backfiring and having people blaming Rhaenyra for the whole affair.

As a Latin American whose maternal great-grandfather was Spanish, I'm even more pale looking that the actor portraying Cole, so I agree with you in full. The issue is that GoT had this simplified version of Dorne, where all Dornish people look almost Arab (or at least what most people think of when they hear the word 'Arab'), and nothing else.

The only way I can see Criston Cole being Dornish is if he is a Stony Dornishman, although I don't think GoT ever said that were three 'types' of Dornish people. So far as show viewers only are concerned, they must think that all Dornish look Mediterranean.

So what makes Criston Cole look 'Dornish'?. I don't know about you, guys, but if someone told me Criston was Alicent's cousin from her father's side (Hobert Hightower's son), I'd believe it.

If only Aegon II were as sympathetic as Stephen of Blois was (or at least, as his chroniclers said he was), his eventual fate could have been truly tragic, instead of having a taste of cosmic karma.

With the level of tech avaliable in Westeros? I find that unlkely. Like, real unlikely.

I think there are two things I should say about this: 1) Victorian people (despite what they might have claimed) were not really prudish; they wanted to appear so, but they still had those dirty most people have, and did and enjoyed even dirtier things. 2) Speaking as someone with a low sex drive, I find those murals quite in bad taste if you want to present yourself (as the king) as having royal dignity. Not everyone who does not enjoy erotic murals is a prude. In fact, I'd say some people are becoming less 'prude' if anything these last few years.

On the sex scenes topic, let us be honest: real (non-pornographic) sex is not always what you would call sexy; it's full of 'do you want to move?' 'I think I'm getting tired of this position', 'Let's switch for a bit', 'You are making funny faces', and that kind of awkward talk, besides weird sounds and gestures. Porn sex is about getting the audience horny; real sex is about making you and your partner feel good. With that being said, I don't think showing realistic sex is what GRRM or HBO is trying to do, so you raise a good point.

I find the fact that many people already like Viserys funny, seeing as many around this forum some years ago considered him a big idiot. Then again, that was Book Viserys.

I'll be posting my opinions on the sex scenes later, I think.

I'd give this 4.25 out 5 stars. One thing I will say (and this is a real small detail) is that I don't think tourneys are supposed to be this bloody. Also (and this is not a small detail), seems like Aegon misread his dreams, or missed the fact that the White Walkers would be stopped by a sassy teenage ninja.