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Sand11751

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    Game of Thrones and ASOIAF, obviously. Books and tv series: anything that incorporates historical fiction, fantasy and / or sci-fi. Sansa can have her lemoncakes, I like cupcakes. Oded Fehr will always be my Red Viper.

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Hedge Knight (5/8)

  1. Rhaenyra, my queen. She broke my heart twice during this episode. As she tried to bring Visenya into the world and wrapped her up for burial while the Silent Sisters watched. The second time, when she bowed in shattered grief after Daemon brought news about Lucerys. Yet, she also shone brightly and showed herself a worthy heir, in her temperance and restraint during her council meetings. No queen of ash and bone. Even Rhaenys recognized it, her slight nods and mild smiles, the first signs of acceptance and even pride in a ruler worthy to sit on the Iron Throne. Whatever the next seasons of the show may bring, at least here, it’s clear why Rhaenyra was the right choice. Her last scene left me thinking, they’ve woken the dragon now. Consistent characterization is one thing this show does poorly or not at all. People changed and behaved inexplicably, in contrast to their earlier behavior, for whatever reason the showrunners deemed expedient. D&D made a travesty of some characters in the last seasons of Game of Thrones by rushing, so when I knew HotD wanted to start the Dance, I also knew the time jumps would not help developments. The only person I felt was even remotely consistent was Alicent Hightower. I totally got why the emotionally repressed, obedient daughter became an equally repressed broodmare. But one theme that resonated with her is that she wanted to be loved for herself, beyond whatever her father and husband thought they needed her to be. I’ll be doing my usual binge rewatch now that this first bit is over. Maybe I’ll see something I missed, but likely not. Otto Hightower, Ser Crispy Coal, and Aemond Targaryen will remain cunts. Aemond was bullied as a child, and I’m sorry for that experience, but he’s gone too far now. This entire season left me feeling conflicted, mostly about Alicent, because I’ve been Team Black for a long time, but it also affirmed the Dance was a useless waste that might have been avoided. Which is probably the saddest part.
  2. For the first time, I don't know how to feel about an episode. Except to say that Paddy Considine may be one of the finest actors in the world. I never expected to be so moved by his characterization. That walk into the throne room. A king until the end and a man who loves his family. But that scene with Alicent? Are we expected to believe the Dance starts because of a misinterpretation of Viserys' last words to his wife?
  3. Thank you! There's no Dance without the Greens' determination to make it happen. First, Otto with his assumptions (even talking about a dragon on THEIR side), which he passed on to his daughter, and she in turn indoctrinated her children. Rhaenyra gave them a way out with a Jacaerys - Helaena union. They decided not to take it. The Dance is even more of a tragedy, because it could have been avoided.
  4. Another great, if not excellent, episode. This insistence on Daemon as a complete sociopath is getting a little tiresome. But at least there weren't any King's Landing rat metaphors this time. The alliance of Daemon and Rhaenyra, cause that's what their relationship is based on, is surprisingly as dull as Jon and Danaerys' relationship. I remember laughing at people who freaked out about them. "But he's her nephew! Oh, the incestuous horror." Now apparently there's people looking up getting it on with your uncle on Pornhub. Alicent truly has gone too far - if that had been Robert Baratheon, she would have been wearing his hand-print on her cheek like a badge of honor. Oh, wait a minute, Viserys is missing a hand. Wish he would just die already. Weakest. King. Ever. Also, never expected to be proud of Aemond and his determination to claim Vhagar; beautiful scene, although he's almost on par with his brother. Way to go, Alicent and Viserys; you win the worst parents award. Wonder if we'll hear a peep out of her about plans for Aegon and Helaena's union. I seem to recall her having something to say about Targaryen ways.
  5. The show has done something I never expected; make the youthful Alicent Hightower sympathetic. I've been Team Black since reading F&B, so it was surprising. But the more I think about, and perhaps when I do the season re-watch, I can better understand the thing that puzzles the most: how has Alicent been harmed so far by Rhaenyra's lies? Alicent's got this self-righteous bent about her. After having done everything expected of her, I assume she's jealous because Rhaenyra flouts her kids and breaks the rules. She certainly hasn't been the Realm's Delight, but her behavior doesn't rise to the level that explains why Alicent refused to consider a reconciliation, ala Jace and Helaena's marriage. It actually makes the Dance even sadder and more destructive because up to this point, there seems to have been a way to avoid it.
  6. Now paging Ser Criston Cole, bitter, part of one. After that crap characterization of him last week at Rhaenyra's wedding, no worries about any attempt to redeem him going forward. He's an ignorant, bitter shit. The episode was so good, maybe because last week ended so poorly. Laena! The actresses who portrayed her have been stellar. They shouldn't have cut the claiming of Vhagar. Loved seeing that old hoary bitch. Everything I expected her to be down to the tears in the wings. And I also loved that, given the choice Viserys had with Aemma, Daemon did not take it. Though, his pregnant, bleeding wife slipping past a bunch of people until he has to go belatedly look for her is complete nonsense. But we can't have everything.
  7. Very disappointing about Criston Cole. I had so hoped, as the showrunners have done a decent job of fleshing out why broodmare and reluctant bedmate Alicent Hightower does as she does eventually, for a bit of fleshing out of Ser Criston's future motivations for being a turncloak. But we can't have everything. Instead, we got, "Come away with me and live poor and have cinnamon and orange-spiced married sex" immediately followed by, "I soiled my white cloak for you!" Later he BEATS THE FUTURE KING CONSORT. Ah, that's no big deal. Kills a man at a feast. Ah, no biggie. All so Alicent can have a pawn in her pocket? WTAF. And damned Viserys. Easily, the weakest Westerosi king ever. As Tywin Lannister said, "You really think a crown gives you power?"
  8. Opinions are like... Anyway, these initial episodes are set up for the Dance, just like the first few episodes of GoT set up the Lannister-Stark confrontation. There are legitimate issues of character development; specifically with Rhaenyra the brat and her clueless father, but this article did come across as whining, "where's the T&A?" more than anything. Hopefully HotD is different from it's predecessor AND it does the job of fleshing out what Fire & Blood didn't.
  9. Which is why it's a bit ridiculous that Rhaenyra spent an entire night with a kingsguard alone in the woods and no one makes any stink about that the next morning when they show up. But, you know, the plot.
  10. Where is the button that let's me like this six million times? The show is doing an excellent job of laying out character motivations. Rhaenyra has as much reason to lie as does Alicent for doing her duty by her king and by her father - it's what society expected of her. I'm glad the last scene established that Viserys was in no way fooled by his daughter. I'm reserving judgment on Ser Criston. So far, I can see clearly why Alicent does as she eventually does. Hopefully, Criston doesn't get a weak sauce motive for compounding breaking his vows before becoming a turncloak.
  11. So, Cole betrayed not only his kingsguard vows, but also Rhaenyra in the end. Not entirely unexpected. But what did surprise me was the sympathy Alicent Hightower stirred.
  12. 1, because again there's no negative rating. If this is GRRM's ending as well, I'm sure someone will mention it to me. Someday.
  13. Just a shame there is no negative million choice.
  14. As penultimate episodes go, this just didn't do it for me. Too much of this entire season has been rushed and disjointed. The wight hunt was long a stupid, terrible idea but the consequences really hammered that home. D&D really should not have shortened the season.
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