House of the Dragon (Game of Thrones) [spoilers]

[Sonic Boom]

I'm binging and I've finished the first 5 episodes. It's a pretty good show so far but lacks the shocking stuff of GoT like gratuitous nudity and surprise deaths of main characters. I hope the rest of the season gets better. Also, all these dragon people have names like venereal diseases. Only cool character so far was the crab guy. They need someone awesome like the Mountain again.

One thing that annoyed me was they won't shut up about how women can't do stuff men can and are forced to be baby making factories. Eye rolling stuff. Upon further investigation, it seems the writers are mad about a certain court decision. Someone (the Hand?) suggested that the princess marry her two year old half brother. Then she wants her uncle. Makes sense since they all look like they are missing a chromosome. /professional review

Originally Posted by Demona

Ok….when did Valyria fall? I know there are no Valyrians in GoT, but there are in HotD. Is “Old Valyria” still old in this series or is it more like “active Valyria”?

It’s been bothering me and I can’t figure out where it falls in the timeline, despite Google

Also, the last episode was solid. I don’t understand what benefit Alicent gets for doing her friend dirty. Rhaenera has never shown any aggression to her or her children, I wouldn’t see that changing once upon the Throne. It’s Dameon she’s gotta worry about no matter who is on the Iron Throne.

It seems to me that the Vs and the Ts are very intertwined through marriage. Once the Mad King was slain, it makes sense that they’d all be ousted out of political power together. Plus all those that died in the wars before the Mad King's reign.

Originally Posted by ZenLogikos

Four! Don't forget Viserys and Master Aemon (until they died, anyway) and Jon Snow...

Remember when our minds were blown that Jon Snow was part dragon person but that went nowhere? It was because the showrunners rushed the last season so that they could direct Star Wars movies that never happened? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

[IcedDog]

Originally Posted by ZenLogikos

Dragons, HO!

13-4 by Daemon's count Good finale, and that final sequence at Storm's End was great. The size difference between Vhagar and Arrax was jaw dropping. Seems like dragon-on-dragon violence will be escalating. Nice sapphire eye Aemond has under that patch, it's a good look Also, I want that illuminated table map of Westeros!

[Augen]

The use of scale over Storms End gave me goosebumps. Vhagar is just an absolute beast and Arrax never had a chance.

Civil War is here. Season two cannot come soon enough (but take your time!)

[Augen]

Originally Posted by IcedDog

13-4 by Daemon's count Good finale, and that final sequence at Storm's End was great. The size difference between Vhagar and Arrax was jaw dropping. Seems like dragon-on-dragon violence will be escalating. Nice sapphire eye Aemond has under that patch, it's a good look Also, I want that illuminated table map of Westeros!

I paused and love all the details. Westeros is such a fun continent and seeing it lit up was beautiful.

[Sonic Boom]

Wow, what a great 2nd half of the season. So much to unpack here. Suicide by dragon, grand theft dragon, incest and foot fetishes, lizard babies, and surprise head choppings. Not too mention the usurping of power at levels not seen since uh...
What an epic facepalm that granny did not burn the whole lot of them during the ceremony. It wasn't in the scipt.

One thing I was clueless on is the king's illness. Did he have the GoT version of leprosy or was he poisoned by the iron throne via those cuts?

[Peedi]

Originally Posted by Sonic Boom

Wow, what a great 2nd half of the season. So much to unpack here. Suicide by dragon, grand theft dragon, incest and foot fetishes, lizard babies, and surprise head choppings. Not too mention the usurping of power at levels not seen since uh...
What an epic facepalm that granny did not burn the whole lot of them during the ceremony. It wasn't in the scipt.

One thing I was clueless on is the king's illness. Did he have the GoT version of leprosy or was he poisoned by the iron throne via those cuts?

At first I thought there was more to Viserys wounds that a bigger plot point would arise from but from what I understand from other sources it was a form of leprosy. I guess the show didn’t state it to make it clear because the people then simply wouldn’t have known? Someone more versed in the actual book lore maybe shed some light?

[Peedi]

Originally Posted by Sonic Boom

I'm binging and I've finished the first 5 episodes. It's a pretty good show so far but lacks the shocking stuff of GoT like gratuitous nudity and surprise deaths of main characters.

I think part of it is right now there’s just less characters. And there’s still a lot when counting the recurring characters (it feels like half of them are twins lol). But I think GoT season 1 highlighted more characters in comparison.

Originally Posted by Sonic Boom

One thing that annoyed me was they won't shut up about how women can't do stuff men can and are forced to be baby making factories. Eye rolling stuff.

Yeah, I see a lot of people have that same complaint. I think part of it is the setting. The way women are treated in this medieval fantasy isn’t unlike how women were thought of centuries ago during the real time periods that inspired medieval fantasies. I look at it through that lens instead of a modern mindset. So even though this is fiction, it’s more authentic rather than playing it safe to appease audiences who only want modern storytelling. Modern storytelling has a heavy focus on empowered women and stories that support themes of equality but that type of presentation would be inauthentic for a story based on “old world” views where women largely weren’t held in high regard. On the other hand, I think the show creates a good dynamic with its female characters and uses that society’s views on women to its storytelling advantage, showing they are far more important and capable than the men credit them. One of my favorite conversations this season was when Rhaenys says to Alicent that she’s basically still making moves within the confines of men, doing her father’s bidding and securing her son’s position instead of using her own power, and that clearly had an effect on her as seen the next time she talks to her father.

Also, we know that during GoT Danny rises in power, Cersei takes the throne, a few houses are lead by women, Sansa takes a new throne, etc, it’s not nearly as huge of a deal to follow women leaders in an official, willing, recognized, and celebrated capacity, so I think this series shows that there was progression in that world. It lends to the deeper world building. Much like the various rights and empowerment movements in the real world, it appears Westeros matured it’s views over time as well.

Sorry for the thesis lol. Geek out complete.

[jeremydmc]

Originally Posted by Peedi

I think part of it is right now there?s just less characters. And there?s still a lot when counting the recurring characters (it feels like half of them are twins lol). But I think GoT season 1 highlighted more characters in comparison.



Yeah, I see a lot of people have that same complaint. I think part of it is the setting. The way women are treated in this medieval fantasy isn?t unlike how women were thought of centuries ago during the real time periods that inspired medieval fantasies. I look at it through that lens instead of a modern mindset. So even though this is fiction, it?s more authentic rather than playing it safe to appease audiences who only want modern storytelling. Modern storytelling has a heavy focus on empowered women and stories that support themes of equality but that type of presentation would be inauthentic for a story based on ?old world? views where women largely weren?t held in high regard. On the other hand, I think the show creates a good dynamic with its female characters and uses that society?s views on women to its storytelling advantage, showing they are far more important and capable than the men credit them. One of my favorite conversations this season was when Rhaenys says to Alicent that she?s basically still making moves within the confines of men, doing her father?s bidding and securing her son?s position instead of using her own power, and that clearly had an effect on her as seen the next time she talks to her father.

Also, we know that during GoT Danny rises in power, Cersei takes the throne, a few houses are lead by women, Sansa takes a new throne, etc, it?s not nearly as huge of a deal to follow women leaders in an official, willing, recognized, and celebrated capacity, so I think this series shows that there was progression in that world. It lends to the deeper world building. Much like the various rights and empowerment movements in the real world, it appears Westeros matured it?s views over time as well.

Sorry for the thesis lol. Geek out complete.

[Augen]

The inciting incident of the Dance even being a possibility is Viserys and Aemma being unable to have a son. Six of the seven Kingdoms and the crown are passed to first born sons.

Legitimizing Rhaenyra goes against every patriarchal fiber of the society.

This pushes the schism with Daemon, and allows the rift when Viserys remarries Alicent and has Aegon, Aemond and Daeron who by old custom would be ahead for the Iron Throne.

Now, I do have one minor issue and that is softening of characters such as Alicent (one could argue all about interpretation) because shows fear backlash of making women look bad.

Martin's ethos is "write people first" and fill it out with the aspects of what they are. In Westeros one cannot ignore someone being a woman, a dwarf, a ruler, a low born, or cripple or bastard, but people can have all sorts of diversity of character they bring to those aspects of society.

[Sonic Boom]

I just thought it was odd because no one seemed to have an issue with woman rulers in GoT. Cersei was one of my favorite characters. Incest was also highly ridiculed in GoT. I guess a lot changed in 200 years.