House of the Dragon

[Hammock Parties]

OH YEAH!

All the dragons roar as one.
The #HOTD trailer has arrived. pic.twitter.com/ug7ESvpg8U

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) July 20, 2022

[arrowheadnation]

Now that the first season of HOTD is in the can, I’m hoping we get a Jon Snow show. Maybe they can right some of the wrongs of season 8. It should end with Jon riding Drogon and sitting the iron throne like the original series should have.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by arrowheadnation

Now that the first season of HOTD is in the can, I’m hoping we get a Jon Snow show. Maybe they can right some of the wrongs of season 8. It should end with Jon riding Drogon and sitting the iron throne like the original series should have.

There is no more Iron Throne.

[CupidStunt]

Man. Just run out of words to gush about the show. I'm so pissed at myself for allowing myself to see spoilers about the way Vhagar-Arrax went down.

That was on Friday. To be honest I wasn't happy. As a F&B reader, I was saying to myself, no, Aemond would've wanted to murder Luke. But of course the show handled it amazingly well, and I think it makes sense. Aemond is still young (despite the actor's look), not a seasoned murderer and war criminal.

It was amazing to watch. Absolutely amazing CGI and VFX, the best of the season I think. Maybe the best dragon VFX ever. An absolutely perfect adaption of one of the best book lines: "Then the storm broke, and the dragons danced." Just wish I could've seen it for the first time with an element of surprise.

I could go on forever. I guess one of the only good things about a delay between seasons (I'm guessing they release spring 2024, at least, not a full 2 years) is that we'll have that chance. One thing I'll say, I think Emma D'Arcy's acting is severely underrated because she's in a lot of scenes that people either don't like, or could do without, or maybe aren't as hype. I mean, their childbirth scenes are the best I've ever personally seen on screen. They convey soooo many emotions so convincingly.

[Buehler445]

I gotta say that was a great episode.

Spoiler!

The dialogue on the war/no war thing was excellent. They did a great job of identifying the gray area/fog of war kind of stuff. Normally in this type of shit there is one narrative they want to push and the other ****ers in the room spew nonsense to push the narrative. In this case it doesn't appear that anybody was right or wrong. Really good points on both sides. Great writing. Surprisingly good.

And then shit goes off the rails. I knew one of the Strong kids was going to eat shit when they left. And they played it really well. And I gotta give them a ton of credit, I wasn't the biggest Lucerys fan. He seemed kind of ****y, but he put his big boy shorts and went into Storms End knowing Aemond was in there. Then handled himself well. Then he put up a really good evasive strategy until his punk ass dragon wrote a check his ass couldn't cash. Really nice character work there. It mattered when he ate it. Definitely landed.

I thought him dying was really good. Really fit Aemond's character. Right up until "vheagar NO". I guess they're paying off what Viserys tells Rheanyra about them not REALLY controlling dragons. But that was a really good scene.

Like I said before, the little things are what makes the thing go and they goddamned got it.

[Gravedigger]

Spoiler!

Aemond's character was written differently in the books. He went to kill Lucerys in the books, he's kind of a psychopath in the books. In the show they basically blamed it on the dragon and made Aemond look conflicted and sympathetic. My friend was worried about the change, said he didn't like it Aemond isn't a character to be sympathetic to, he's a badass villain. I'm sure he'll end up there eventually, but the way the book writes it, Lucerys and his dragon wash up on shore eventually, Aemond takes his eyes out of the corpse and delivers it to his mother, to her shock. So they started going that way in the show, but ended differently. Guess that's how season 2 could open up, but I didn't see Lucerys' corpse falling from the sky, didn't look there was anything left of him.

[ModSocks]

Clicked on thread to not read a single post.

Haven't seen the episode yet. Basically edging myself right now.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Gravedigger

Spoiler!

Aemond's character was written differently in the books. He went to kill Lucerys in the books, he's kind of a psychopath in the books. In the show they basically blamed it on the dragon and made Aemond look conflicted and sympathetic. My friend was worried about the change, said he didn't like it Aemond isn't a character to be sympathetic to, he's a badass villain. I'm sure he'll end up there eventually, but the way the book writes it, Lucerys and his dragon wash up on shore eventually, Aemond takes his eyes out of the corpse and delivers it to his mother, to her shock. So they started going that way in the show, but ended differently. Guess that's how season 2 could open up, but I didn't see Lucerys' corpse falling from the sky, didn't look there was anything left of him.

This is interesting, as a non-book reader, going into the finale Aemond was my rooting interest. Picked on and laughed at as a kid only to become a skilled fighter with a badass dragon and an eye patch, but after last night I kind of got the feeling that isn't how the story arc is intended.

Also, I feel like I'm supposed to be rooting for the Rhaenyra side but they seem just as ****y as anyone else on the show. And while this show is fantastic and the characters are all well done, outside of maybe the Valerian girls and some dragons, I'm kind of looking forward to everyone on this show meeting a painful death. Which is nearly a 180 from GoT where I had clear rooting interests.

[arrowheadnation]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

There is no more Iron Throne.

LOL....forgot all about that. So he'll sit on the pile of melted iron

[arrowheadnation]

Originally Posted by Gravedigger

Spoiler!

Aemond's character was written differently in the books. He went to kill Lucerys in the books, he's kind of a psychopath in the books. In the show they basically blamed it on the dragon and made Aemond look conflicted and sympathetic. My friend was worried about the change, said he didn't like it Aemond isn't a character to be sympathetic to, he's a badass villain. I'm sure he'll end up there eventually, but the way the book writes it, Lucerys and his dragon wash up on shore eventually, Aemond takes his eyes out of the corpse and delivers it to his mother, to her shock. So they started going that way in the show, but ended differently. Guess that's how season 2 could open up, but I didn't see Lucerys' corpse falling from the sky, didn't look there was anything left of him.

Spoiler!

Might have to dig his eyes out of a pile of Dragon shit...lol. To add to what you said, on top of Aemond, they are also portraying Alicent as a semi-sympathetic character. In the books, she's pretty much all-in on snuffing out Rhaenyra and co. from the get-go. They're making Otto the uber villain. Course, we know this show can change on a dime. BTW…in the book, her still-born baby was horrifically deformed and had a tail similar to a baby dragon.

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Can we put everything including your personal opinions on the pacing, lagging, how well it sets up 2nd season etc with the finale into spoilers until it’s broadcast on Sunday.

Why do you even open the goddamn thread if you're so worried about spoilers?

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by arrowheadnation

Spoiler!

Might have to dig his eyes out of a pile of Dragon shit...lol. To add to what you said, on top of Aemond, they are also portraying Alicent as a semi-sympathetic character. In the books, she's pretty much all-in on snuffing out Rhaenyra and co. from the get-go. They're making Otto the uber villain. Course, we know this show can change on a dime. BTW…in the book, her still-born baby was horrifically deformed and had a tail similar to a baby dragon.

Spoiler!

Wondered why she was having visions of a screaming dragon, outside of being a Targ, of course. That makes sense.

Sounds like they paid many respects to the source material throughout the first season.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by rydogg58

Not that lineage.

Spoiler!

Daemon and Rhaenarya's firstborn Viserys II is the one that spawned all the kids.

Viserys II, had Aegon the IV, had Daeron II, had Maekar I, had Aegon V, who had Jaehaerys II, who had Aerys II (the mad king), who had Rhaegar, who had Jon Snow.

I only know this because my wife and daughter spent the most of the night watching youtube videos of the Targaryen succession.

And Aemond is the great grandpa X9-10 of

Spoiler!

Danerys Stornborn

[ThaVirus]

Spoiler!

Everything about the encounter at Storm's End was great.

They did a good job of highlighting Luke's anxiety. That shot of Vhagar in the distance as he heads into the keep was terrifying. He would have been completely within his rights to just hop back on his dragon and head home, but he put on his brave face. Poor kid, he's one of the only decent royals on either side.

That shot of Vhagar's shadow overtaking Luke and his dragon was incredible as well.

It's interesting that they framed the murders as Vhagar ignoring Aemond's orders. It's my understanding that Aemond in the books was a bloodthirsty villain. This painted him more like a douchey 18 year old ****ing with his nephew.

Regardless, he knows what he did was a huge **** up. He kicked off the war and I think he will own it when he returns to King's Landing.

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

Spoiler!

Everything about the encounter at Storm's End was great.

They did a good job of highlighting Luke's anxiety. That shot of Vhagar in the distance as he heads into the keep was terrifying. He would have been completely within his rights to just hop back on his dragon and head home, but he put on his brave face. Poor kid, he's one of the only decent royals on either side.

That shot of Vhagar's shadow overtaking Luke and his dragon was incredible as well.

It's interesting that they framed the murders as Vhagar ignoring Aemond's orders. It's my understanding that Aemond in the books was a bloodthirsty villain. This painted him more like a douchey 18 year old ****ing with his nephew.

Regardless, he knows what he did was a huge **** up. He kicked off the war and I think he will own it when he returns to King's Landing.

The "It wasn't my fault" angle won't play. He has to own it or it would be totally out of character for how they've painted him. If they try to go the other way it will be disappointing.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

Spoiler!

Everything about the encounter at Storm's End was great.

They did a good job of highlighting Luke's anxiety. That shot of Vhagar in the distance as he heads into the keep was terrifying. He would have been completely within his rights to just hop back on his dragon and head home, but he put on his brave face. Poor kid, he's one of the only decent royals on either side.

That shot of Vhagar's shadow overtaking Luke and his dragon was incredible as well.

It's interesting that they framed the murders as Vhagar ignoring Aemond's orders. It's my understanding that Aemond in the books was a bloodthirsty villain. This painted him more like a douchey 18 year old ****ing with his nephew.

Regardless, he knows what he did was a huge **** up. He kicked off the war and I think he will own it when he returns to King's Landing.

What I love is that the books, overall, are third hand accounts.

Really, the show is setting the canon - as long as GRRM is involved like he is.