HOTD Musings

[Ran]

18 hours ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

 

Did RC and MS appear at most of the events together (aside from the premiere)? 

Sapochnik was supposed to be at the European premiere in Amsterdam but appeared to drop out last minute. I was told at the time he'd come down with something the day before... But who knows.

[The Bard of Banefort]

According to HBO’s official family tree, Daeron Targaryen exists, but Maelor does not. I don’t mind being spared his gruesome death, especially since it’s not that different from Joff’s, but it will change the context of B&C quite a bit.

[Annara Snow]

15 minutes ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

According to HBO’s official family tree, Daeron Targaryen exists, but Maelor does not. I don’t mind being spared his gruesome death, especially since it’s not that different from Joff’s, but it will change the context of B&C quite a bit.

Maelor exists according to the HotD credits.

I don't put much stock in the HBO website. Especially since their character writeups are often silly. They call Laenor Rhaenyra's "king consort", for instance, and say that Aemond lost an eye in a feud with his cousins.

Edited February 25 by Annara Snow

[The Bard of Banefort]

After reading about HBO’s Dune prequel going up in flames, I’ll give D&D another compliment: so far they’ve been two of the only showrunners who have successfully run a major fantasy TV property long-term. Their control freak-ness seems to have helped them keep everything on a firm schedule, even if it seriously hurt the screenwriting.

HOTD didn’t help the D’s redeem their reputation, but The Three Body Problem might. I don’t think the S8 hate will ever fully go away though; it’s become too much of a meme now.

[Many-Faced Votary]

Are we allowed to have a "Rant and Rave" thread for this show? This is a good thread with substantial points raised by people, and I think ranting would detract from it.

[Ran]

No plans for Rant and Rave threads going forward.

[Many-Faced Votary]

Aww.  It was fun while it lasted.

I might do a more constructive critical analysis in the coming weeks, then. But I wonder if it is even worth the effort, seeing as HotD is an adaptation of a history that we know little about rather than of a narrative that we have in front of us.

[The Bard of Banefort]

2 hours ago, Many-Faced Votary said:

Aww.  It was fun while it lasted.

I might do a more constructive critical analysis in the coming weeks, then. But I wonder if it is even worth the effort, seeing as HotD is an adaptation of a history that we know little about rather than of a narrative that we have in front of us.

I’d be interested in reading your analysis  There haven’t been many for HOTD.

Also, I see no reason why you can’t share your criticisms/complaints here. It makes for good conversation.

Edited March 2 by The Bard of Banefort

[The Bard of Banefort]

Matt Smith was at a con a few days ago where he said they’re starting rehearsals this month. Hopefully that means we’ll get some casting news soon. Let’s hope that they cast Addam of Hull and that Laenor-is-Addam is just a silly fan theory.

[Annara Snow]

11 minutes ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

Matt Smith was at a con a few days ago where he said they’re starting rehearsals this month. Hopefully that means we’ll get some casting news soon. Let’s hope that they cast Addam of Hull and that Laenor-is-Addam is just a silly fan theory.

Speaking of speculation about casting based on who's following who on Instagram, a month or two ago some people on Twitter noticed Archie Madekwe was followed by some of the cast and speculated he may be cast as Addam or Alyn.

Obviously this could also just be  a coincidence, same as similar rumors about the Cregan and Alys casting, but these things often do turn out true 

Edited March 4 by Annara Snow

[The Bard of Banefort]

On 3/2/2023 at 6:32 AM, The Bard of Banefort said:

I’d be interested in reading your analysis  There haven’t been many for HOTD.

Also, I see no reason why you can’t share your criticisms/complaints here. It makes for good conversation.

In fact, here’s a pretty stark criticism: the more I see Rhaenyra’s and Daemon’s stans online defend them, the more convinced I become that they’re both ultimately very flat characters that viewers simply project their preferred interpretation onto. This was the case in the books too, but at least then the story was being told from afar, which gave the story an air of mystique. Adult Rhaenyra doesn’t have a personality beyond looking sad and bewildered, and Daemon is a sulky manchild. 

[The Dragon Demands]

@Ran

I've been seeing some rumors lately...from sources who were reliable in the past and turned out to be correct on Season 1. These rumors were made DURING Season 1 so they may have CHANGED since then, of course. But I think they were at least being considered at the time:

Rumor is that while Season 2 doesn't have time skips, it will have flashbacks. We'd already heard rumblings on that.

Well there's some rumors that Michael Carter will return for flashbacks as King Jaehaerys. Or if not him, someone else to play Jaehaerys a decade or so younger.

But the...extrapolation is that GRRM really wanted to show how Baelon got picked over Aemon's daughter Rhaenys, so Season 2 may have flashbacks actually showing Baelon, Aemon etc. - or at the least, have Jaehaerys return and reacting to their deaths. Perhaps even seeing him give Dark Sister to Daemon. Possibly an excuse to bring Paddy Considine back as Viserys for scenes with Jaehaerys, I'm not sure.

But there was already speculation based on actor statements that young Rhaenyra and young Alicent might return for flashbacks.

Heck, Game of Thrones Season 2 brought back Khal Drogo for a dream sequence just for fun, but flashbacks here would actually fill out the story more.  Heck, maybe they'd actually show Queen Alysanne in flashbacks just to explain who the former rider of Silverwing was when that dragon is introduced.

At any rate I trust the source, they were right before, but this is something they picked up *during the filming of Season 1*, and this plan may have been abandoned for all we know.
 

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

4 hours ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

Daemon is a sulky manchild. 

Given that he has been the internet's boyfriend for a while, I guess that's what people are into.

[Annara Snow]

1 hour ago, The Dragon Demands said:

@Ran

I've been seeing some rumors lately...from sources who were reliable in the past and turned out to be correct on Season 1. These rumors were made DURING Season 1 so they may have CHANGED since then, of course. But I think they were at least being considered at the time:

Rumor is that while Season 2 doesn't have time skips, it will have flashbacks. We'd already heard rumblings on that.

Well there's some rumors that Michael Carter will return for flashbacks as King Jaehaerys. Or if not him, someone else to play Jaehaerys a decade or so younger.

But the...extrapolation is that GRRM really wanted to show how Baelon got picked over Aemon's daughter Rhaenys, so Season 2 may have flashbacks actually showing Baelon, Aemon etc. - or at the least, have Jaehaerys return and reacting to their deaths. Perhaps even seeing him give Dark Sister to Daemon. Possibly an excuse to bring Paddy Considine back as Viserys for scenes with Jaehaerys, I'm not sure.

But there was already speculation based on actor statements that young Rhaenyra and young Alicent might return for flashbacks.

Heck, Game of Thrones Season 2 brought back Khal Drogo for a dream sequence just for fun, but flashbacks here would actually fill out the story more.  Heck, maybe they'd actually show Queen Alysanne in flashbacks just to explain who the former rider of Silverwing was when that dragon is introduced.

At any rate I trust the source, they were right before, but this is something they picked up *during the filming of Season 1*, and this plan may have been abandoned for all we know.
 

This would be awesome. I'd also love them to show flashbacks of the times during Jaehaerys' reign when Baelon, Aemon and Alyssa were alive,and show them with their dragons. Show child versions of Rhaenys, Viserys and Daemon. A younger version of Vhagar would be interesting to see. 

Showing Jaehaerys and Alysanne on Vermithor and Silverwing in parallel with those dragons in the present would be good, but even better and bittersweet would be a flashback of Aemon and Baelon abd their brotherly bond and them riding Caraxes and Vhagar, especially if it's in season 3 shortly before God's Eye. And also Baelon and Alyssa, sibling-spouses, riding Vhagar and Meleys. (We've already seen Vhagar and Caraxes flying next to each other ridden by a married couple, but seeing their entire history would make it all the more tragic.) It's not only the humans that are a family divided, the dragons are, too.

[The Bard of Banefort]

1 hour ago, The Dragon Demands said:

@Ran

I've been seeing some rumors lately...from sources who were reliable in the past and turned out to be correct on Season 1. These rumors were made DURING Season 1 so they may have CHANGED since then, of course. But I think they were at least being considered at the time:

Rumor is that while Season 2 doesn't have time skips, it will have flashbacks. We'd already heard rumblings on that.

Well there's some rumors that Michael Carter will return for flashbacks as King Jaehaerys. Or if not him, someone else to play Jaehaerys a decade or so younger.

But the...extrapolation is that GRRM really wanted to show how Baelon got picked over Aemon's daughter Rhaenys, so Season 2 may have flashbacks actually showing Baelon, Aemon etc. - or at the least, have Jaehaerys return and reacting to their deaths. Perhaps even seeing him give Dark Sister to Daemon. Possibly an excuse to bring Paddy Considine back as Viserys for scenes with Jaehaerys, I'm not sure.

But there was already speculation based on actor statements that young Rhaenyra and young Alicent might return for flashbacks.

Heck, Game of Thrones Season 2 brought back Khal Drogo for a dream sequence just for fun, but flashbacks here would actually fill out the story more.  Heck, maybe they'd actually show Queen Alysanne in flashbacks just to explain who the former rider of Silverwing was when that dragon is introduced.

At any rate I trust the source, they were right before, but this is something they picked up *during the filming of Season 1*, and this plan may have been abandoned for all we know.
 

Didn’t Ryan Condal say they had no plans to bring Milly and Emily back? 

[Lord Varys]

Flashbacks to 92 AC and perhaps even (the preparations for) the wedding of Viserys and Aemma could be great.

I wonder, though, if they are doing that what the point of it could be. Aemon wasn't mentioned by name like, at all, in the first season. And neither was Jocelyn Baratheon (who we would also see in such a scenario, one imagines).

I guess a pretext for doing this could be loss - Rhaenys and Corlys mourning Lucerys, Otto mourning little Jaehaerys, Daemon thinking about his father and uncle. Lord Commander Ser Harrold Westerling could also play a role there, since he could have easily enough been on the KG back in 92 AC. Considering that he didn't show up on Dragonstone in the season finale they might have him make a kind of last ditch effort convene a Great Council and end the war before it takes up steam.

If they don't properly include such flashbacks in the present narrative it would look completely weird.

Stuff like that could also help exploring some connections between the royal family and the great houses and help lay the groundwork for their later allegiances - say, with the Arryns and the Starks.

If they want to feature Jaehaerys and Alysanne more then a pretty good plotline could be Jaehaerys regretting on his deathbed that he did not, in fact, name Rhaenys his successor in 92 AC.

[The Dragon Demands]

22 hours ago, Takiedevushkikakzvezdy said:

Given that he has been the internet's boyfriend for a while, I guess that's what people are into.

How can they love the man?! He's nothing but a brooding rebel who plays by his own rules!

[The Dragon Demands]

21 hours ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

Didn’t Ryan Condal say they had no plans to bring Milly and Emily back? 

I think Emily Carey mentioned rumblings about a cameo or something.

[Mystical]

2 hours ago, The Dragon Demands said:

How can they love the man?!

I have been asking myself that since the character of Spike on Buffy. Didn't understand then, don't understand now. But people seem to love these kinds of male characters.

[Ran]

"Mad, bad, and dangerous to know" is what Caroline Lamb called Lord Byron. He was her lover at the time.

It's an age-old thing.