[Poll] How would you rate episode 101?

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

17 hours ago, mcbigski said:

Maybe it's all a commentary on inbred dynasties, but 40 minutes in, what is the hook supposed to be?

"Westeros is back"?

[Heartofice]

Never read the book. Thought this episode was bloody fantastic, literally.

Its a big statement but I preferred it to the GoT opener. It has the advantage of not having to do so much setting up or winning over its audience or dumbing things down to make it mainstream.

It was incredibly confident, it felt like a visual improvement on GoT, from the setting to the costumes I thought it was all expertly done.

It also just feels all a bit more adult, a bit less soapy. Even those first 4 seasons of GoT often felt a little Jackie Collins at times but HotD felt like it wanted to do historical drama properly. 
 

As a father some of the scenes hit me really hard, almost unbearable at times. Performances were excellent all round.

I look forward to more.

[TormundsWoman]

On 8/23/2022 at 11:06 AM, EggBlue said:

I missed the intro  speaking of which , is it possible that they'll add a proper intro next week? 

1 hour ago, Heartofice said:

Its a big statement but I preferred it to the GoT opener.

Intro was practically nonexistent though, except the card with 172 yrs before Daenerys so to speak. Ok the voice over with Jaehaerys at the Great Council of 101 I guess is the equivalent of the cold open. Still, I understand there will be a proper intro from ep 2 onward, so I’m looking forward to hear the soundtrack and the opening credits.

edit: @Dildo_Baggins lovely handle. I found stop smiling since I first saw the nick.

Edited August 25, 2022 by TormundsWoman
Because I finally learned how to multiple quote but I forgot how to @at someone

[dsjj251]

I gave it an 8. 


Why I praised it 

• Changing the great council to be between Rhaenys and Viserys makes a lot more sense than Viserys vs Laenor.  Why would the realm and Maesters call her " the Queen who never was", when her claim was at best 5th(behind Vaegon, Saera, Viserys and her own son Laenor) in the book, if the competition is changed to that of the child of the eldest grand child vs eldest male grandchild, then it makes the most sense. 
• Viserys and Aemma are both more likable then expected.
• Corlys is played like he is in the books, as simply being a loyal supporter of who's ever side he is on. Some had made the claim he would be a schemer like we see Otto. I didnt want that. 
• Otto and Daemon having a personal rivalry/Actually showing why people fear Deamon being king, i just felt like the book didnt show this. 

Why its not a 9 or 10 

• Opening scene wasnt long enough and wasnt what I was expecting. I had read rumors that this was more detailed scene and was hoping that we actually saw the lords debate, and more importantly, Lords swear to defend Rhaenys' rights
• Velaryon wigs, they actually are just horrible. 
• more dragons should have been visible at the beginning so people see the scope.

[Valandil]

Gave it an 8. Really liked it. Far better than I expected. The standard of acting was so far above the original GOT it was really noticeable. Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Rhys Ifans giving serious masterclasses. 

Milly Alcock, Eve Best also excellent. 

Great start. Hyped for the rest.

[Andhaira]

A cautious start, has potential but way too early to tell ATM. I really wish they would do away with the wigs and use hair dyes for the Valyrian look, as the wigs still look ridiculous.

The fact they don't have as much material as the books to draw upon can be both a curse and a blessing. The fact that GRRM is apparently a more active participant should be good, that line Viserys tells Rhnerys about Aegon I's vision and real reason for invading Westeros was apparently incorporated by GRRM into the show, which is very tantalizing (and a sign of good things to come!)

 

 

[C.T. Phipps]

On 8/23/2022 at 9:45 PM, Ser Yorick Ampersand said:

The issue has to do with the worldbuilding aspect of the Valyrian obsession with blood purity, which is an important aspect of how the Valyrians achieved what they did (as GRRM hints in the recent video on dragons and magic).

Anyone trying to defend this is not a serious person. It's done only for political reasons, everyone knows it, it only robs from the estabilished canon, ruins the lore, ruins plotpoints, ruins contuinity. Furthermore the showrunners said the quiet part outloud about white people on the screen. They are just racist and politically motivated, pursuing estabilishment/hollywood racial propaganda agenda. If they said the same about any other race they would be fired on the spot.

Or maybe Steve Touissant is a fantastic actor and even if you don't like it, don't actually think it's that big of a deal. For a lot of us, it's no different than no purple eyes. Its a change and one that flat out doesn't matter. Unlike the purple eyes element, it also has an upside.

And it's not changing so why stew over it?

Edited August 27, 2022 by C.T. Phipps

[dsjj251]

Oh yea, the CGI is weirdly off. 

[Smoke317]

On 8/23/2022 at 9:45 PM, Ser Yorick Ampersand said:

The issue has to do with the worldbuilding aspect of the Valyrian obsession with blood purity, which is an important aspect of how the Valyrians achieved what they did (as GRRM hints in the recent video on dragons and magic).

Anyone trying to defend this is not a serious person. It's done only for political reasons, everyone knows it, it only robs from the estabilished canon, ruins the lore, ruins plotpoints, ruins contuinity. Furthermore the showrunners said the quiet part outloud about white people on the screen. They are just racist and politically motivated, pursuing estabilishment/hollywood racial propaganda agenda. If they said the same about any other race they would be fired on the spot.

It’s you that can’t be taken seriously. 

[James Arryn]

7.5 on first watch, 9 on second. Something better watched the second time is something filmed with depth and intelligence. 
 

Highlights:

Finally realistic capture of tourney violence, Considine’s petformance, the absolute horror of the birthing bed scene…Sian Brooke’s acting as she transforms from drowsy relief that her love is there to help her to realizing he and others have decided her horrible death will be happening now (for the realm!) was unbelievably haunting first time around…I skipped through it second time as I felt unwilling to endure it…and a brilliant illustration of what real powerlessness means. Daemon was sufficiently malevolent psychopath, rebellious teen and seductive superstar, but I had not seen either of his 2 prior shows so had no bias to overcome.
 

Corlys Velaryon was brilliantly get-it-done, Otto Hightower was controlled and directed intelligence with a soupçon of merit-based personal antipathy, and Rhaenrya and Alicent were great, especially the former. The dragons and pageantry were a real step up, though some of the CGI was not as improved as I’d hoped. The final confrontation between brothers was powerful and layered. And CGI aside, the whole look…knights, soldiers, the bustle of the Red Keep, the dragon rider views of KL, etc. was a serious step up. Harrenhall in particular looked much, much better.  Oh and little touches like the unspoken trainee/mentor dragon handlers relationship were nice. 

 

Lowlights: So far Mysaria was more slow burn promise than the ~ Varys/Melissandre/Bloodraven equivalent we’re supposed to eventually see, and the other Varys (Strong) was a strong voice in the council but gave no particular indication of the underlying genius spymaster he’s supposed to be, might easily have been mistaken for a Master of Ships or w/e. I mentioned the up and down CGI, but the decision to change Viserys vs. Laenor to Viserys vs. Rhaenys was understandable dumbing down for non-reader viewers, but slightly over egged the pudding of patriarchy that is certain to be the ongoing theme of the series, there is so much accurate grist for that mill ahead of us I felt a bit face-shoved with the theme from the outset. Aemma and Rhaenyra talking imo communicated it less blatantly but more effectively…though I suppose it could just have been short hand showing us how Rhaenys had been passed over more than once herself. Catspaw dagger was a callback too far, imo. 
 

In the middle: Aegon’s dream. GRRM has hinted at this for a while but it always struck me as ~ revisionist apologism. But the way it was delivered showed me two nuances, first that it’s a game of Telephone, with all that implies, and secondly it doesn’t happen in a vacuum…individual and political agendas are still active for each inheritor of the secret/promise, and the idea that Rhaenyra’s sudden death might break the chain and leave future Targs like Egg, Aemon, Bloodraven and Rhaegar groping in the dark to understand their terrible destiny is very powerful. But otoh it still kinda apologizes for brutal conquest and it somewhat reduces the pure human motivations the Dance and it’s RL model (the Anarchy) had, which were enough for me.
 

Sad Daemon sitting out out the orgy and unable to achieve satisfaction earlier might be too artful for a character the show needs to be very grounded in reality…perfect metaphor for his constant overriding sense of never getting enough, but probably not how Daemon in the books would behave. 

 

Last bit: sure it’s been asked, but was Viserys opening punchline the conclusion of Tyrion’s closing joke set-up?

Edited August 28, 2022 by James Arryn

[EggBlue]

1 hour ago, James Arryn said:

and the other Varys (Strong) was a strong voice in the council but gave no particular indication of the underlying genius spymaster he’s supposed to be, might easily have been mistaken for a Master of Ships or w/e.

this was Lyonel Strong . you are referring to his son , Larys, who'se not currently in the story. Lyonel is master of laws as far as I recall . that's why he is the one who cares so much about the precedent .

[Ran]

You know, by the by, I want to give a tip of the hat to Lyonel Strong on the show. Gavin Spokes does a fine job as the only honest man in King's Landing.

[Daeron the Daring]

A weak 8/10. Sometimes the big scale CGI was bad, the dragons aren't comparable in quality to GOT dragons so far, some things were rushed, and Aemma wasn't a fleshed out character, to be fair. She only ever talked to Viserys and Rhaenyra, whereas there was much to discover there. Deff the biggest flaw there, not the Gold Cloaks, nor the Tourney.

[lakin1013]

I gave it a 7. I had no expectations.  GOT ended poorly and I will even own up to -- great,GRRM has found another way to not finish GOT (leaving the room, walking backwards :-)  The tournament was bloody but the childbirth seemed worse to me.  When the 'doctor' straddled her and had the knife in his ungloved hand, I cringed.  I liked when Rh found Daemon sitting on the iron throne, but they seemed to 'get' each other.  V has an oozing wound that will not close - we will see that again.

Oddly, that is all I remember and I watched it late yesterday.   I will lower the grade to a 6.  

V and his dudes - What is the deal with the big marbles on the coasters????

Edited August 29, 2022 by lakin1013