Girls Gone Canon Cast - House of the Dragon S3E1: Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood

Episode Date: June 24, 2026

SPOILERS: ASOIAF, F&B, KOT7K, TWOIAF, ETC All aboard the Bitchfist, which is Sharako Lohar's ship, not our podcast. We're back in the esteemed prestige television program, HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, and ready for some dragon sinning. let us coooook Check out our patreon where all members get early access to House of the Dragon episodes during the season @ patreon.com/girlsgonecanon NEW INTRO: thank you kevin macleod and pixabay "The Descent" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Dragon Studio + PhatPhrogStudio on Pixabay  

and welcome back to Girls Gone Cannon watches. House of the Dragon, Season 2, Episode 9, Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood. I'm one of your hosts, Chloe. And I am one of your hosts. I am another one of your hosts here for Girls Gone Cannon, watch House of the Dragon. I'm like, what are the titles? Wait, but you didn't, did you get it?

It's Salt and Sea, Fire, and Blood, but did you, did you get the joke that I made? I said season two, episode nine. Oh, no. I know. I'm just because, like, in my heart, that's what it is. I was like, of course. Yeah, that's what it is. But it is the same.

I also was, like, so stressed, I was like, wait, am I a guest? I saw this one or am I host? No, you're real. You are real. You're human hand dancer. What is my role here? If you're new here, welcome aboard. We are Girls Gone Cannon.

We host a podcast that mostly covers a Song of Ice and Fire, POV character by POV character at a time. In our real lives, we are on Tyrion right now, starting a clash of King. But that's on hold as we watch House of the Dragon, Ryan Condal's Fire and Blood Adaptation for the big screen. We're fans. You're going to hear us talk about spoilers if you haven't been here before. From the book, from the books, Aeswa, Fire and Blood.

World of Ice and Fire. You name it. We've read it. And also TV Universe, of course. We'll probably talk about Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. And maybe Akatska, a night of the seven condoms. You can probably go check out some of our other Dance of the Dragons episodes from Fire and Blood on our Patreon. Patreon.

Patreon. com slash Girls Gone Canon, C-A-N-O-N, where we have tons of episodes based on content from fire and blood. but this is going to be us talking about a little bit of all of it. Yeah. I like that you started out with Welcome Award. I don't think that's what we should tell people this episode. Yo ho ho. This is not a good episode to be on a ship.

Yo ho ho. We're together right now, by the way, for all of you at home, which is kind of fun, kind of neat. We're in front of one another, like making real eye contact, not through a web. It's kind of intense. So you're getting some of that. And we don't usually also, we're sharing a microphone right now. We've tried it a few times in the past varying degrees of success, as some of you might remember from our previous House of the Dragon coverage, which you should absolutely

check out because, you know, we have had a good time doing it. The first season was also very fun because we were in person together for a lot of it. But yeah. No, but we have it down now. We are on a real mic. That's true. A real bi-directional, just like me. I'm also bi-directional.

Wait, wrong term. Happy pride. Happy pride. But, yeah, we're on the real deal. We're here live on the real deal mic, both sides going, flowing and flowing. Also, you just heard a brand new intro. Yes. A brand new intro that we have produced for you.

Thank you, Chloe. Yeah, you're welcome. I like the, my very. is the wing flaps honestly. I really love the flapping of the wings. It feels like like the last two seasons. Actually, it's really funny. This is the opposite of what the show just did. The show just introduced war drums. My season one, season two intro had the war drums. That's true. This one has the flap of dragon wings. So me and the show did opposite production. But I think there's still an arc there. I don't know. There is. And I don't know what it is.

but it's coming and we just need to see it through to the end to see what the arc is. And yeah, we are going to talk about everything in the books, but again, do check out the rest of our Song of Ice and Fire coverage where... Please. I mean, we're like practically done with that reread, so there's like a lot there. You can chunk it up by whichever POV character you should do. Our last one that we finished up was Denarius, and I think that was a great lead-in into House of the Dragon season. We have a lot of Denaries, a da wada, on our mind right now, a dance with Dragons, and for the uninitiated.

So I feel like there was a lot in this episode that we are going to probably talk about as we get through it. As always, you know, this episode doesn't make sense as season three episode one. That's why I jokingly called it Season 2 episode 9. If you watch season 2, I guarantee it makes a lot of sense. There are a lot of arcs that are going to tie forward. But I don't know, Eliana, what do you think? As a season opener, did it work? I think, I mean, exactly what you said, because, like, I thought about how would I feel

watching this if I had not just, like, literally just kind of, like, finished up with, like, season two or we watched it a few weeks or, like, a little bit before. If you were someone who rewatched it in the lead up to season three, I think that this episode makes perfect sense because you see how everything's, coming together. You understand what's going on with the dragon seeds, right? But I think if you were just dropped into it after two years of nothing, I think it's really jarring. I actually do. Yeah, there were a lot of little things. You know, our roommate, as you've been here this week, our roommate, I'm not a cast, he was saying that there are a lot of micro moments that work,

but the macro moments do not. Like, lots of big stuff. Or, but there are some moments that work, but like the overarching, like the cohesion was not quite cohesive enough. And I can see that. Overall, I liked it. You know, our household was pretty in the good boat. You know, roommate said good, not great.

I just love Dragon Show. I think you and I would be a much more, like, positive about it. Yeah. Oh, but I'm a sucker for hot tea. That's true. It's just like the drama. it's, I like any, any show can be a drama. It's the set dressing on top of the drama that takes it to that next level.

So, yeah. I'm a sucker. No, yeah, like, I definitely very much enjoyed it. I just think, like, part of why I enjoyed it is because I was coming off of season two, and so it flows seamlessly into it. But I, as you and I were discussing prior to recording this, like, not everyone. Not everyone does it, and I don't know that it actually should be required, but.

I think it's so enjoyable. that you're willing to give grace to other people. You're really saintly sometimes, so really good for you. I don't know. I feel like it's a show that, you know, when you go to dinner sometimes and you're like, I'm just going to have like a salad and a side. Or you go to dinner and you're like, I'm having a seven-course prefix and I'm going ham into the prefix.

Like, I'm just eating it all. There are differences. And that's the difference is that hot tea is a feast. It's a goddamn like 20-course prefix. So I just feel like having an affair with it, it's hard to be a casual viewer. I think this show attracts a lot of non-casual fans that want to dissect everything. So in my opinion, no, you shouldn't have to rewatch it. But with the state of the fucking world, they're going to give us six to eight episodes every two years,

like starving us, like women in a desert with no water. Fuck. No Ibane's boo. on hand to date. You know, I guess like for me, it's like, yeah, I did a little rewatch. And rewatch plus this episode, great. Yeah. No rewatch and only this episode.

Like you leave off with the dragon seed feast with Renira and like them going off on her orders. She does tell them to go somewhere. She tells them to go on a mission. And that leads into when we see them in this episode. So it is very obvious that if this episode, is that if this episode had been a part of season two as episode nine as that penultimate Game of Thrones fire, you know, like, oh, so much shit just went down.

I could see it being such a better work, but it does not do to speak of roads not taken. Path's not taken. And we'll talk about it on my return. I mean, like, we can talk about it a little. We talked about it constantly in the lead up to season three, right? In our Unleash the D episodes. Which you should watch.

or listen to, whatever you do, listen to those. Where we were joined by various guests, and in regards to the production, we also discussed this during our season two episodes. In the defense of the team, like, it was scoped out to be 10 episodes, right? Just to remind everyone once more before we actually, like, get to the meat of the episode. Like, we, it was, season two was supposed to be 10 episodes, but due to, like, budget cuts as well as the writer's strike, it had to be just eight. Which is why this episode, which fits in perfectly and would have been like a great arc as part of season two, was not.

It's what season two is leading to. Every little like string, like the winter wolves feel unearned and we'll go into some of that. But if you had put it with the last season and if Kregan's moments hadn't been cut, because we see him in some of the making of and the behind the scenes, like he was supposed to be in further episodes last season. So some of that got cut just because schedules, production, it's... It's just like balancing production. So we tend to drift into that because that's the reality of where we are. It would be a perfect world if we could just snap our fingers and have every dragon happy and fighting and not happy, I guess.

I guess bloody and things are bad. But we don't. Yeah. But we don't. Well, we're going to go through kind of arc by arc on the episode, General Feelings, Neander a little bit. and we'll see where we come out at the end, and that'll kind of be the format, y'all. Yeah.

It can change every single time, though. Anything can change. Anything could happen. It's anyone's game of Thrones. I wanted to bring in a quote from the book, Fire and Blood, by George R. Martin, which was adapted from this TV show House the Dragon. And it's from Corlis when he says,

if this be victory, I pray I never win another. That is certainly an emotion I felt after the gullet, just like Corliss. It was very much there. Another great adaptive moment from A Feast for Crows, the entire book, even some Blackwater, even a little bit of a dance with dragons. Really felt like George's world come back to life, but we started the episode with an update. Just like, we had a new intro. so did House of the Dragon

and remixed intro of the Game of Thrones theme with a war drum and a cleaner, updated tapestry that definitely had a little more CGI money going into it a little more SFX budget going towards that. It was nice, it was polished, it was sleek, I guess. Yeah, and I like, so last season, I guess, it ends with the shot of the Iron Throne

before it goes into the House of the Dragon and now it's kind of got like those waviness to the banner of the tapestry and it very much feels like the banners of war, but also kind of, it made me think of waters, tides, which is kind of going to come to the forefront with a lot of the house valerian stuff, makes me think of Lord of the Tides,

and the Tides are turning in this war, but also, as someone pointed out, they did, they did use the wrong dragon, target, it has four. So a black fire sigil, too. Like, the colors are wrong, it has the four. It has four legs. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Which I'm like, okay, no, that's true. That was wrong. Well, Ryan Condole and Sarah Huss did that by hand, I hear. It's consistent, I think, with the Game of Thrones. Yeah, it is. The show, that other show that precedes this one. Yeah, the first one. And how they did it.

No laughter for Giacoma with what I said, that Ryan Condal and Sarah Huss did it by hand. So, of course, it's terrible and bad. They didn't, because they don't. They just thumbs up it. They just thumbs up it. Maybe. Yeah, by hand. For all I know, for all I know that is among.

No, I'm willing to believe. I'm willing to believe that they are multi-talented in that way. I mean, king and queen shit. Speaking of king and queen shit. Kings landing. Crazy queen and king of queen shit going on there. That's Prince Regent to you. There is da... I know, he just is telling people he's king and she's okay with that too.

Interesting shit there. That throne room scene was very good. I like that we just went right into it. It did feel like in episode one of a throne show because you had kind of these political scenes at a reset. Allison and Amand in the throne room actually kind of reminded me of Damon and Renira in the very first episode of House the Dragon

talking about claims. And I could kind of get from Allison during that scene that she sees the writing on the wall that they are in trouble. They only have Vagar and Aymond. and yes, Vagar is formidable, but not infallible. Like, it could happen. They're weak.

That's not enough to hold the realm, just Amon and his faculties, and Vagar. And Reneira is on the rise with many dragons. And also, yeah, she did make a deal with Reneira. So we see her here and then later on in the scene with the smootgeroni, where she starts to very much manipulate Amand. I thought that was very clear that we have a manipulative Allison on our hands. We have her performative love to Aymn that, oh, I just wish so much of you. And from what Helena told her about Aymn being afraid with the other dragons,

because he is kind of like a little sad boy inside still, deep in there, somewhere very deep in there, very deep, that hurt little boy. And that she used that against him. She used her love, quote unquote, for her son against him and telling him almost what Alyssa in the vision with, Damon and Heron Hall is, right, that she tells her, you're my favorite son, you should have been the king. It's almost a complete throwback to that, but it's in real life and not in a dream. So I found that very, very fascinating, very compelling, very compelling rich relationship with her and Amon and her betrayal of her son to his face. It's also nice to contrast that with Damon's dream from last season that should have been in the same season because... Right.

Damon rejects it. You know, he's like, that was weird. He rejects like, he's like, I did kind of want to hear these things, but at the same time, like, I reject. I've grown. Yeah, that this is who I am and like that I want this. Whereas Amon. That is who he is. He swallows it whole.

Like he wanted, he still wants to hear that and craves it, even though he can kind of tell, like, is this real? Is this not? Damon, it's told to him in the context of it being earnest because it's like not. Real it's a dream. And still he doesn't take it. Whereas, yeah, I think, like, it was a very uneasy area. You can see how it does lead into, again, Damon's dream. But as you said, it is actually happening.

Not actually, because this is a fiction show. Oh, it happened. It's real. One of people talk about it. But also, in regards to that room, right, part of that salon, where she and Amand are in front of the fireplace. There's a lot of parallels as well with like, again, if you think about it in the context of season two and Alison being like, I should be the regent now because I was the one ruling

during when this series was unable to do so. Right. And you can see that she had that practice from in season one where she would also kind of shape policy during like the Stepstones War and like kind of help guide the series to decisions, right? She's doing the same thing here in this fireplace room, and it's interesting to see her do that with Amend, this son. She kind of takes on a little bit of that when Agin, right, was the king. Like, she also played a similar role that she did with Viseries, like when Viseries was bedridden and caring for him and his sores and his wounds.

She's doing that with Agen. And you continue to see that her entire life, like, she only can find avenues for influence. through this sort of supplication. And so she contorts herself into this role with Amund when she's denied the regency, when she's denied any actual, like, real power. And it requires her to do, like, to accept weird shit from her son. I, that's, it's weird. And that he, like, tried to do that and kiss her.

And you can see it because, like, I think a normal reaction as he comes closer, because it's kind of obvious what he's going for at that point. If you're a person. That was exactly what I imagined. Aymand would look like when he's going to kiss me. You're correct. That's how it would go. Like, it's very slowly. I mean, I think you look like you also have Allison features. It could happen. You think it could happen for me? I think it could happen for you. Oh, wow. Oh, boy. Me, Fowl your flowers. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. But, yeah, like, she doesn't pull away. She steals herself and she takes it,

even though it is revolting. And she is trapped in this cycle, right? She's built. this whole cage around her recreating her relationship with Viseries over and over with the sons that she had by Viseries that I'm not sure Veseris knows he had. You have toiled your entire life in service to men. Exactly. You desire not to be free to make a window in your prison. Wow. And something you said kind of reminded me that she is doing in her role right now in Kings Landing to Amon, somewhat of a spymaster role, right? And like we've talked about with Fire and Blood in many previous episodes,

a lot of these women that have taken the spy master roles. You have Vesnia in some ways was kind of guiding her son and giving some spy master-esque things alongside. Like ruling and politicking and having to do it sometimes in a soft power way and sometimes in a harder power way. And then dying and suffering terrible deaths like Tiana and the Tower. Or spoiler like Misaria. and what you're speaking about with what Allison's doing with Amon and kind of like giving him that like that supplication to get him to like do things and influencing him that's also what we see Mizaria doing with Reneira in fact arguably we see and we'll talk

about Mizaria being pretty disgusted with Reneira in this episode and kind of like almost horrified like oh God ashamed what have I chosen again fuck and that's what Allison is doing too. So you see them fulfilling that same role together separately right now. So it's going to be interesting when they're in the same court together and the tensions that are going to grow because they already fulfill those roles. So there's going to be Misaria Allison tension now that you mention it. Yeah. And also interesting to see how Allison has to manipulate Amon and how Amid will probably also see some of that with Alice. I think there will be some authenticity maybe to their love, but also perhaps some manipulation in order to survive and save your life.

Yeah. A lot of a she and all this, too. I mean, a lot of as we'll get there, Ulf, in it. And, yeah. And, yeah, I think it's kind of, Allison's always just like on the cusp of having actual agency. And it is always torn from her grasp. And, like, I think she thought she could, like, earn her way there, but didn't realize the system fundamentally was broken. What's crazy is that if Amon wasn't consumed with envy for what his brother has and what his brother was given and what people fought for for his brother despite Agan doing nothing to achieve it, if Amon didn't envy that and envy that role and covet his brother's things, he probably would have been able to smash this war the fuck down.

Like if he went full blown and just did it, it would be over by now. It'd be scorched earth, it'd be over. and you have that line from Helena I think of like Amon in season one Little Amid like before he took Vagar and how he was like looking at his brother with that scorn of like are you shitting me you're a piece of drunken shit

like you're 13 with an alcohol problem and you don't like your queen who's actually pretty hot she looks just like us by the way that's why she's so hot like what? What are you doing? You're wasting it away bro you have everything So if Amund wasn't so consumed with that, and if that wasn't blocking everything about him, and with his mother's love and praise because of that, it's just like what Helena said, it is our fate, I think, to crave always what is given another. If one possesses a thing, the other will take it away.

And I'm reminded of that Helena line from later on when she says that I think in season two, I want to say, it's older Helena. It might be end of season one. It's one of those two. But that is the line of maybe even the whole season, right? Like, of the whole war of these sibling things. It actually legitimately is because I think it's fascinating because it comes from Helena. And as far as we can tell about her, it doesn't seem that she really craves anything that is given to another. But perhaps that is why she's able to observe it.

Like, we see, you know, season one, Allison's growing like envy at Rainier's freedom, right? stomping on things with like her pretty little feet, as she said and getting away with it. Important. Important to note pretty and little. Yeah, pretty little foot. What does it mean? And then Rainira envying what Damon has. In terms of being taught to use a sword, having, again, that agency, and Damon envying Rainierra's position, but also that she was beloved by the series,

that she had approval. She had all these other things, and then how it goes with, like, Agen envying Rainier, Reineer arguably envying Agen being accepted so easily by virtue of having a penis. And then Aemond and all that. And Helena just kind of caught in the midst of it all, in, I don't know, the upside down, as we saw towards the end of last season. She's just in that weird psychic space with Damon, who I think is finally learned. to, you know, maybe he should have by, like, what, is he 40, 50 something at this age?

Like, he probably should, like, figure that, but whatever, you know. Yeah. I do think, oh, I shudder to say these words. Please don't make me say what I'm about to say out loud. I'm in agony. I'm having the agonies right now. Can you tell? Ugh.

The Jamie Lannister of the whole thing. thing and when Jamie finally wakes up and realizes that this shit has been shit since ass was ass and that I think Chris and Cole's getting a little bit more of that on the espresso dispresso side of things right like he's like laying around being existential love that for him him and his fuckass haircut uh but damon is about to get there he's like literally there and he thinks that the purpose has been found that he's like it's rinira she's god god is a woman she has had my children and she's what's going to save dragons and bring them back someday, blah, bye, I must defend her. And he had that, like, righteous reckoning and realizing, like, I am not the main character. I am the side character last season. And so now I think he's going to believe that for a little until like, I think the destruction of, you know, everything is coming for him too, just like it came for Kristen Cole, who's gotten so existential. I think once you realize what power,

you're able to, like, rot with power. Like, yeah. I think things could get a little dark this season once you are in sight of the throne of your true everything, what you're fighting for, like, especially when you lose what you were fighting for in the process. That's true. Then what does it become? Like, when your son is peppered with crossbow bolts in the water drowning on his dragon as the dragon whales.

Serving face as ever been. Serving Kant, serving face. Like, you're dying. You're dying in the gullet and you're serving face. Wow. That's our prince. There were some new Kingsguards, by the way, like Soren. Who the fuck is Soren?

Some new guys to die maybe since the Agoons were sent to the wall. Flying. We are actually doing both those things with the dragons this season. Really makes you think. When we're flying. Yeah, we're breaking free. Actually, no one's breaking free. That's what we just discussed.

We're not breaking free. Except for maybe the winter wolves. From the woods. Man, I would have been a little more hyped for this scene, had it been in season? In season two. Yeah. Yeah. All that said, I was still pretty excited and I did fist pump on the couch.

I was giving very basic bitch on the couch during this. And that's fair because you know what? That's what this was made for. this moment the starts were made for basic bitch activities like that and that's okay that's right like roddy said his little line he did his little thing they signed flanagan's little paycheck they said here's all your minutes of breathing for millions of dollars yeah and uh good job and also black alley was in the background i saw her i seen black alley i didn't see black alley i have to look again but um wow common viewer face and phone you know oh my god um

No, my face was, I think I was, like, doing work at the same time during our rewatch, but it was a good entrance. I think, like, they delivered, like, in general, it was just a fun entrance. I think it was, it had, like, fun tension and, like, a good, like, dispelling of it. And also, uh, then the close-up on the banners, it was cool. It was cool. And I will say with this Riverlands, the, like, scene, first of all, um, my partner is apparently, like, very passionate and jazz about Oscar Tully. please listen. He loves Oscar Tully's character, really rooting for that kid. I'm kind of in passion too now after hearing him today.

After hearing that speech of like, here's why we love Oscar Tully. I was like, you remembered Oscar Tully from last season, even though you should remember everything else. He doesn't remember anything else, but he remembers Oscar Tully. Incredible. I love that. Mad Lad. And you know what? I agree, though.

Like, he is a great. He's such a good manifestation of a Riverlands young lad. Like, he is more Rob Start. Well, I was, I was, like, reviewing a few months ago how the seven kingdoms ended up bending knee to Agin, and when they talk about how the Riverlands are bound by O's in the second season, like that actually is very true, right? There's nothing really holding it together. And it went through so many different, changed so many different hands in kingdoms up until Agan, the conquer was able to take it.

I also think that the opening for this scene, because it occurs towards the beginning of the episode, does a good job of doing a callback, in my opinion, visually to season one, where we have Damon doing a lot of fighting during the War of the Stepstones and also like Corley's fighting later on, right? And so it kind of reminds you of that imagery and of that war, which sets up well, in my opinion, the motivations for Chiracroh Loha in the Battle of the Gullet and how that all kind of like, it's a cycle, it all comes back to pass. Especially because Damon is a very just and fair fighter usually and does very just and fair things all the time. Doesn't have any grudges that have been built against him. Yeah. Well, there's that. But also, I mean, he fights like very much in the same way that we saw him do during the septones. We're here. And I was like, oh, we're back. Yeah. Well struck, Damon. Right. Kristen and Gwain, I love their little tour. I don't know that we actually know where they are or if they're just still like around Rook's Rest or like, where are they? I believe they've moved on. Not 100% sure. And that's okay. That's okay. We're. You know, we don't have to comment on everything. We can learn to sit back.

Not everything needs a reaction. But I do like this scene. Yeah, it's a good one. I think there's something cleverly framed with the painting of the shield versus the conversation between Gwain and Kristen. You know, Gwain is a character that is very consumed with what chivalry is and what knights are because that's his house. That's who his house is and what they stand for, right?

They're chivalrous, they're knights. So we start the shield being repainted by Kristen, putting his little black fucking dots on his orange shield again. Almost like he's trying to keep his identity and keep who he is what's left of it as it whips away like dust in his fingers while Gwain is talking about who they should be and who they're supposed to be. It makes me curious for Gwain and worried. Like he could go two routes. One, we talked about this a bit, I think, when we were talking to our friend Alex and Unleash the D, the primer series that critics are raving is everything. Does Gwain live somehow?

In the books, he's dead pretty much around this time when King's Landing is about to be taken. So maybe he lives, maybe he dies, maybe he lives and marries Raina in the end, and they don't introduce another high tower, because I don't know if we'll have time for another high tower. I just don't know. We just introduced another one this season. Like, do we have time to invent this third high tower that she marries juries out? But also, if he doesn't do that, then he's probably going to die soon, violently, and maybe sadly, on account of his beliefs in caricature. Yeah.

I mean, I agree. I think those are the two routes he takes, but... He lives or he dies. Thanks Karen from Veep. I know, right. But, like, I mean, the way that you said, but in the way that his art goes, I'm not really sure. I really just don't know the vision yet behind Gwain, but I'm here for the journey. I do like that he was like, shouldn't we stop this and do something when he...

About the rape, yeah. Yeah, considering that it was only one, because a lot of what we've seen in Game of Thrones from the other nights, et cetera, is that not only some of them partake or they turn a blind eye, so it is nice that he... He's like, hey, maybe our men shouldn't rape the people from this village. The bar is in hell, but he's above it. Yeah. He's passing that bar right now. He's just hopping over it a little.

Just a little, and that's all I can say. But life takes that hop out of you, you know? War makes monsters of us all. Yeah, he could break. And I don't know, I think it's kind of funny that Kristen's, you really see that Kristen is broken. He's like, I don't know. Yeah, butchersball coming for your ass. Whatever.

And it's like, man, you got to try for something, right? And he just doesn't care. He does not care anymore. He's painting his little dots. And that's all he can do to hold on to who he is. I mean, just because you're Dornish doesn't mean you got to paint shields, you know? Hashtag not all Dornish people paint shields. This is a Tansel.

Not Tansel. All right. well, that kind of goes a little bit into another area where we do know where this one is, Heron Hall and the Isle of Faces. We might not know where Kristen and Gwain are, but we know this one. And they're like Crown Lansy, River Lansy area. Like they're coming towards the Riverlands. They're getting there.

But we do go to the Isle of Faces. Yeah. That was very interesting or part of it or the part off of Haley. Like unclear. because we just show up there and they're in the woods. They've been told by the queen. They need to watch Kings Landing and make sure Vagar doesn't fly off. Oh, yeah.

Or wait for Vagar to show up at Harenhaw, really. So, okay, we do get a couple of tidbits here. This is a scene that, like, definitely could have been last season as well to make more sense because coming into it cold, it was, like, why are they? here with Alice and the green man, which I know why, because I've read the book. I know that Adam needs to go there and see the green men. But the other two, what's going on with them? Well, Ulf, we don't know why he needs to be there, but he's going to tell us. But Hugh does, because he needs to get Alice to give him that little prophecy probably. Oh, true. I'm waiting for that.

But I was very shocked and I thought this was kind of weird but interesting in a good way. Ulf, his little backstory, he mentions that he was kind of, you know, exploited slash paid a red priest or paid by a red priest in Esos for his body, that he was told by the red priest that, you know, he had dragon blood or would have something to do with dragons or get some sort of, basically he was told he was the one, Azora High, by a red priest is pretty much what it was sounding like. which I was like, what is everyone hearing this? Like, Ulf was told that he's basically the next to Zora High. Like, he met a red priest that was like, yeah, let me put it in you and call you the one. I feel like he was saying that like you are of dragons, but you're just like of a high. And he's kind of already fulfilled it, I think. And I think that's how Ulf saw it.

I also was like, this is so Amos of him in his backstory. And I would not be surprised if there was a little. bit of that inspiration just because, you know, obviously, I mean, obviously Ryan Condal and Sirhaus are aware of the expanse. Oh, they have to be. They're all, like, kind of in those same circles, I assume. I just thought that was like a crazy backstory to suddenly apply to him, though. Like, I mean, it makes sense because we want to understand where and what he's from, but like, wow, that was insane. And, yeah, we're definitely prepared for the prophecy to come from Alice, but it was interesting to give him a place in that prophecy too. You have Adam tied to the green men at some point in the Isle of Faces.

You have Hugh potentially tied to the Barathean Hammer prophecy. And then you have Ulf with his Red Priest kind of chosen one-ish background. So they all kind of think there's something. Yeah. And then you have this against the Gwain and Kristen scene where you have Ulf kind of talking about like, well, I already have a dragon. I don't need a fucking horse. I don't need to be a knight. Um, and you have Kristen and Gwain talking about what does it mean to be a knight and why should we keep being knights when nothing matters? We're just getting fucking burned to death by dragons being knights on our horses. Like we're just fucking taking what we want, who we want, murdering, raping, nothing matters anymore. There's no code. So to have that, to have men breaking in war, what war is worth, what being alive is worth, men's lives have meaning all that shit. Having a horse and being a knight doesn't really seem like enough for what the queen wants. Yeah, it very much goes back to the language from last season, slash that should be the season.

I should really let it go and I will like in two episodes. Yeah, I'll let it go like in two episodes for sure. Like episode three, that's episode one of season three for me. Yeah, that's how I'm going to feel. And like Kristen in season two has like that really kind of giving up and like kind of horrified delivery of the line of, I'm going to butcher this line of. We have given the war to the dragons. and that's absolutely how this feels. But I do think it is a nice grounding of it of like,

well, this is what it means to give the word to the dragons. It's also very anticlimactic to an extent when you see them just, it's unglomerous. They're just sitting around. Waiting. Yeah, which kind of like reminds me of like, I don't know. Was it Jarhead or I don't know, like where a lot of that movie was just them waiting around for like being like, we joined the military and now what?

Like nothing's happening. this is like unrelated but they've been showing the green men kind of like first they'll kind of show them as looking like a black goat and even when Damon sees him in the dream it's like a black goat looking dude makes me very much think of like cohort and their god the black goat like is there a relationship? I think they're separate the things that you're seeing. The green men are different than the black goat. The black goat is more symbolic of like Alice and her being like a witch in the network and doing things, I think.

I assume that they were showing up at first, initially, like on first glance is looking like a goat, and then when you look again closer, they look like a Sater kind of looking dude. Interesting. No, I think they're separate things. Oh. Like, I think it's supposed to be black fill up, basically, like the manifestation of Satan. Oh. You know, like.

Which is what the cohortic black goat is much. Exactly. Kind of. Like, did you, you, you didn't watch The Witch, did you? No, Robert Eggers, no, you didn't watch that. You're like, I know, Aliana, never mind. That's probably too scary for her. I don't know why I'm fucking saying that.

But, like, that goat, like, that is very symbolic, and he's not even really evil. He's just, like, something that can be possessed, almost. So, like, I think that is more. And also, maybe Alice, like, is skin changing that goat. I don't know. Like, maybe that's it. But, no, I think they're very different. I think the green men, though, are the antlered guys, different.

Yeah, I think I'm just like they're both I thought that it was like they would sometimes look like the goats when you weren't like when you were like wigging out a little No, because I think the green men are like chilling on their little aisle You know like they aren't on the main heron hall So that's why I'm like clearly I guess we're on the aisle of faces maybe Or in the forest area right there IDK

Yeah, no I do think they're close to there And there's this line also by Ulf saying What do I need with a horse? Like I got a fucking dragon Again, I'm butchering this line But it makes me think again of like, is this a reference to De Nerees and her silver? Like, what does she have need for this, like, fancy-ass horse when she's got a dragon now? And I'm like, now I'm worried for the horse. Oh, no.

I'm worried for her silver. Yeah, that horse is probably going to die. Yeah, I don't know that silver is long for this world, but I hope so. I mean, I have bad news for you about a lot of those horses. Yeah, it's true. They're going to be fought, dragon fodder, pal. Yeah. What about the Sanzagon plot?

Sonsa finger Okay, so if any If you did not listen to our Unleash the D coverage What we're talking about here is there is to an extent A new theory Yeah, that Agin and Lary's There's something about their relationship that could be a little bit analogous to Sonsa and Littlefinger's relationship

And how Lary's helps Agin escape Is kind of like mentoring him a little, sees him as this like mentee but also perhaps also perceives Agin as an extension of Alicent, right? Mm-hmm. But also I think clearly Lary's has some sympathy, like on a personal level as now, like, them both being disabled with Agan the second. Yeah, and there was definitely still some little finger in it, right, of like him pushing Agin

beyond what Agen thinks he can do. Yeah. Which, like, is somewhat very ambitious and, like, I know you can do it, so do it of him. But also that he saw an opportunity and pushed him in front of those men and were like, no, this is Agen. Don't kill us. It's Agan. And the guy's like, oh, now I'm really going to double kill you. And he's like, no, you better not.

And he talks him out of it. Very clever. Very good setup with this plot. I think this plot actually really works as a season three plot, not just a season two plot. so I will give them their flowers on this. It's good setup to get Agan to Dragonstone. Right now, everybody is saying, we're Queensmen, we're Queensmen. Well, I have a feeling that things won't go great in Kings Landing all season,

and that Agan will still have some holes or some aces up his sleeve, right? Like, Sunfire is alive. Like, we didn't see Sunfire die. It was not a very sad death scene. We just saw them, like, not doing great. I'm sorry, but they ain't dead. Like, Sunfire coming back. Then we have also this rift opening with Reneira and some of her people, right?

So, Beela is supposed to get to Dragonstone eventually, and I think we can see that there's a path laid out that she could go to Dragonstone and stay there. There could be a rift growing there. The dominoes are starting to get into place. Like, season four, I think we'll have Agin at Dragonstone by then. It will be a very interesting dynamic, especially there was that emphasis on the, the Conqueror's Crown too being brought out. I thought that was really neat to see using it as a symbol. When Amid was on the throne earlier, we saw Blackfire, the outline of Blackfire when he was sitting there on the throne that felt... Holding it, yeah. Yep, super symbolic. So,

Agan's little downtrodden diva downplot right now, it's going to be like diva back up soon. It also makes me think, I realize, if Agan spent a lot of time on Dragonstone, like, is he going to get much more in touch with, like, his heritage and roots as a target? Gargarian, but also as a Valerian, because that is something that they emphasize, like, how he doesn't know much about Valeria, right? He can't speak high Valerian as well, but now he's going to be in that library with, like, all those different, like, documents that we saw Rainira pouring over and trying not, like, understand what is, like, what can I find from the text about all this?

It could be interesting if he, like, learns all of that while there. And I say this, like, because I'm projecting. like the experiences of, you know, second-gen, immigrants and stuff onto Agen, or first-gen, depending on how you want to. Everyone is a different way that they want to. And clearly, Agen is not first or second.

They've been in Westeros a long-ass time. So, as we've discussed in previous seasons, it is impressive that anyone's still fucking speaking High Valerian over here. Right. Granted, there are entire societies that do so. But that's true also for our real world and the immigrant experience.

Anyways, I don't know. Could be interesting. if he sorts reading. Okay, settle down. Let's not get crazy with theorizing. Egan Targaryen might read. I don't know about that. What else is he going to do?

They don't have internet. Right, and he's like skulking. He's hiding out. He's trying not to make a big noise that he's there, you know? Yeah. And I also think there's a lot of merit in what you said in that. He went the unconventional route of having a dragon, right? Raina has gone the unconventional route of being a dragon rider.

in this episode, which we'll talk about. And Egan very much has been, he's had a very unconventional relationship with his Valerian heritage, like you were kind of saying. So being kind of forced into it and doing it the hard way, right? Being separate, being severed, if I would use that term, wow, from your dragon and your dragon is somewhere half alive. And then being like, you're half alive and you're coming back,

like you're in the ashes as well. So rising from the ashes, and then coming into direct, like, being told, too, that you are the one that was chosen and you don't know why, and having the questions about that, right? Like, his mom was like, yeah, you were fucking chosen, you idiot, you idiot sandwich. So him being there and being able to read these prophecies talking about Agan or reading scrolls of what Agan has done and being able to conflate it with himself is kind of something that feels real, right? Like I'm still waiting for Aymond this season, obviously, to like put the fucking dagger in the fire with his girlfriend, Alice, and be like, whoa, I'm the chosen one. I have to fight my uncle to the death because of that. And then Agan being like, I'm the chosen one, I'll have to kill Reneira.

Otherwise, great tragedy will befall our planet. It is kind of, he's got an interesting arc in that, I think. He's suddenly told the chosen one much later on in life. And he's like, are you guys? No one's ever acted like I was the chosen one. Yeah. And even when I was chosen, he's like, uh, why doesn't anyone treat me like a chosen one?

And so. I mean, being revealed on the road and... It's curious. Yeah. Poor Elaine Stone. I do like, I do like that small moment, though, where Larry's is kind of trying to get him to be like, we're not doing milk of the poppy, you know?

Yeah. We're going to fucking just deal with it and you're going to, we're getting you back to your faculties. He doesn't say it, but we all know that's what's going on. Yeah, he's hard-moding it, right? Like, that's what I think is kind of fascinating with the way they're playing Egan's character.

He's doing the unconventional hard-mode way of being king right now. Like, he's like, had to flee, almost dead. Connection of my dragon is weak. Wi-Fi not so good out here. Dragon Wi-Fi, like, had to do all this. and now he's going to grind and like level grinding get some XP real quick, and then all of a sudden level the fuck up out of nowhere and be like, eater sunfire.

Even though he doesn't quite deserve to, I don't know, I'm curious. I'm still curious where they're going with that. But this is going to bring us well to you. I have still more Egan thoughts, but let's talk a little bit about actual Dragonstone. Yeah, we have all season for Egan. We will come back to him, I'm sure. But Dragonstone, juicy, juicy. juicy things happening at

Dragonstone right away. I liked this, right? A little bit of a departure from the book. I didn't mind it. I feel like Jace has come into his own just in time in season two, episode nine, to die. It is episode nine, season two.

That is literally his art. It literally works so much better in season two, but what can you do? So we have that line between him and Reneira where he, delusional, is yelling at his mom, and he says, if you die, and she's like, then you will at last be king. And I'm like, oh, shit,

the last words you exchange with your mom before you die. It's a good episode to have against, especially if we're in season two. Sorry. I'm sorry, but like seeing the way that Allison's relationship is with the two of her sons and how they have, she's never fully, like, honest with them, right? because she's beneath them, like, in terms of like the way that the hierarchy is,

which is not necessarily how you expect parentage. Whereas Jason's mother, like, it's an interesting relationship where she's been kind of treating him as an adult in some ways and in some ways not. And then he feels responsible and like trying to find as, A, eldest brother and B being like, oh my God, my mom's going to go get herself killed. But he has a lot of similar traits to her and like, you know, just the way that they but heads versus the way that Allison has to constantly like cajole her children. Yeah, there is something interesting there and that like Jace acts out of his true nature and what he

thinks is right, which is very bring near of him, young rainier. Mm-hmm. Where Amon acts out of vengeance. True. out of vengeance and desire and out of desire for what others have or what they have done. Spite. Revenge. Spite.

Good motivator, as I will often say. And Egan is acetic, right? He's the complete opposite. He doesn't act. And then when he does, it's also motivated kind of out of jealousy in some ways and out of like an attempt for dominance or to secure some dominance because he's, you know, a little more beta than you think. he's a little more beta than you'd think. But there is something, I love how delusional Jason Reneer are,

this whole entire back and forth in Dragonstone because Reneera is like, this is an easy, bloodless win. This is the win we take. And that's what people aren't understanding. In her head and somewhat out loud, she's like, if we do this, we get what we want.

Oh. Yeah, I get everything. Exactly, though. Like, I get everything. I get a happy kingdom. I get Alicent. Like, I don't have to kill. Allison, I don't have to kill all of my siblings and all of my family.

Like, there is a compromise. It's bloodless. I've done it. We can end the war, and I am the chosen one, and I finally get my throne, and everything goes back to normal, which is, like, that's delusional. It can never go back to normal. You have dragons. As we see this episode, dragons are not controllable.

Dragons are not, like, a static choice. This is not a fixed variable. Dragons are motherfucking dragons. A sword without a hilt. A sword without a hill. Exactly. To use lines from the books. Wow.

And that's the thing. You're playing with that sword without a hilt and you're going to get cut. Playing with fire. And fire. Even, literally, fire. Well, literally on fire. Literally, I can't get over that. And then Jace is just as delusional, right?

When they close the door and he's like, Beela, we have to do this. The light in his eyes. It almost reminded me of Danny. in season eight in the throne room with the light in her eyes. I know we've all blacked that out of our memory, but it feels important now with Hot D

that like that look that she got that very innocent, like, we have to do this, you know? Ever since I was a kid who didn't know how to count. Incredible dialogue. Just the best dialogue writers in the whole world. That's sarcasm. But he locks her up and

you get that line from Minera that Elizabeth one line, right? The, I may appear to have the weak and feeble body. of a woman, but I possess the heart and the spirit of a king. And isn't that the, that's the point, right? No one would do this to a king. No one would do this to a king, not a dragon rider, a king. But at the same time, we have Agen, who they've been doing this to too, too. That's like, I think that's literally the thing that gets me, right? Like, and I think they actually, upon, upon rewatching season, they actually do a wonderful job of contrasting Agan the second, because he's so powerless.

as well, even though they're like, I mean, you're the king. You get to make the shots. And he's like, wait, you've all been like making decisions and like coming up with war plans without me. And he's like, wait, no, I want to go fight in this war and go fight at Rooks for us. And no one wanted him to, same as no one wants Reneera to do so, right? Like somehow by becoming the region, like actual regents, right? King and queen, both Agin and Raniara have completely lost like agency and power over their own bodies, their own selves. They're kingdoms. Like, even when Egan the second was able-bodied, no one would fucking let him make any decisions or do anything. And no one saw him as capable. I mean, he wasn't capable, let's be real. But no one sees Rainera as capable either. Like, it's not a fix-all. Well, I think that's a big misconception, right? For a lot of people, like, they don't have power. The king and queen actually are imprisoned. They are a piece that moves on the board when the rest of the people around them are willing. Like, Jeharis was a blip. Yeah. Like, Jeharis, like, he did have a great rule in reign and he had a lot of issues to get there. A lot of problems and had to find the

right people. And you look at Viseris's reign in comparison to Renera and Egan. And there aren't a lot of differences. It is the council that rules about them. And that is the important part of having a council. But you look at Renira's fucking lick spittles. And then you look at Agan's lick spittles. And they're terrible. Yeah. I mean, my God, she had to listen to Alfred Broom in season two. Yeah. I would rather rip my eyeballs and my ears out than listen to Alfred Broom.

Do anything. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah, they're both very trapped in different ways. But you called it out, like, well, we were like rewatching Damon in the dream trying to get out of the throne room and be like, banging on the door. You absolutely called out like, oh, this will be an interesting parallel with,

like, what they're probably going to do with Rainier. Yeah, absolutely. the being shot in the room locked in the room it did feel that way I definitely felt that there was a lot of that Reneer definitely like that was set up they should have had that in the same season Oh wait I just got it It's also very Princess in the Tower of her

Which is a recurring like sort of motif that you see throughout A Song of Ice and Fire you see it like With Sonsa storyline you see it with Arienne Yeah You see it Allison in the end Yeah I mean, arguably actually, even for both of them, as for both Rainer and Egan the second, as we've been talking about, like, they're powerlessness.

So that is very much akin to, like, De Neres's difficulties trying to rule Marine. Yeah. How can you rule when everything is undoing around you all the time? And no one will also, like, let you do anything. They're like, well, you can't really do this. I mean, we went and did this without you, by the way. You have to go get married. Yeah. Yeah. Reneira stabbing her clothes fitfully also after her gender rage because we love gender rage.

Love that, love that. But Reneira kind of stabbing and ripping her clothes. I found that actually really interesting. It reminds me of Cria, the Hebrew word for tearing, basically grief and anger at loss and ripping your clothes. We see it with Jane Westerling in a Feast for Crows. We see that her clothes are finely made but torn. she ripped them herself as a mark of mourning, Jamie realized that could not have pleased her mother. So Reniro was stabbing her clothes, stabbing and tearing apart, the trappings of power and her gender,

what's preventing her from reaching her ultimate, powerful form, her diggy destiny, some would call it. And also, like, that it's mourning, right? Like, in a way, Jace is gone and she knows it. She already has told him, like, you're dragon too small. You're Riz too low. Like, you can't go out there. You can't go fight. I can't lose you.

I need you here. You're my heir. Yeah. And then he did. Yeah. And they were each other's comfort. They did have a really close relationship. Yeah.

He had all the screen time because she's the only son that gets to talk anymore. I know. He did. Okay. I will say that, like, he did have pretty good Riz, honestly, in my opinion. He did. Like, he... Once we got the wig off, you know, once he...

Once we ripped his curls out, I mean, gotta whip those curls out, though, you know. When they sent him to treat with the phrase, I think he had Riz. Actually, this is interesting. Your partner and mine both do not like Jace. I didn't realize that your roommate was being serious in his agreements. He's a little fucker. I mean, like, he was a brat.

He was, like, the prince that was like, I'm not listening to my mother the queen and I'm going to go fuck shit up and die all time. Are we glazing him because of, like, his face card? Like, yeah, because he's a little baby meow, yeah, absolutely. Interesting. Yeah. Like, actually, yeah, I got it.

He is kind of an annoying little brat, but still sad. More sad about his dragon, but you know me. Love a dragon. Yo, also, Mizaria's face. Mizaria's like, what the fuck have I gotten myself into now? Like, oh, I understand the entire

small folk plot that's probably going to one fold before our eyes once she gets to King's Landing. I left pretty hard. when she like, yeah, was like scratching her forward like, oh, fuck. This shit crazy. Like she's like beating the shit out of the dress with the sword, saying some Circy Lannister shit about gender. Yeah.

It was very sercy. And I know some people like didn't love the line for different reasons. I think some people just felt like this wasn't the place for it to be delivered, but like, sure. I mean, I liked it. I think it's, I think they were like, she can say the line. I think they just would have wanted it in a more public situation. but I don't, and I do think it is consistent with Rainier's character, especially how we see, you know, later on. She's like, I don't know.

What if we're just like, sure, fine. Other daughters can't inherit. It's just me. Yeah. Well, and that's probably why she's going to take the more religious route, right? Like, instead of just being succession, like, it's Rainier exceptionalism in some aspects. I did think, like, that was an interesting opening for. her first scene this episode.

First of, okay, this is a critique that, why is everything so fucking cloudy? Like, even not even not the, not the goal light. That actually, it made sense for me for it to be cloudy. Inside everyone's like rooms, like in the different castles, I was like, why is it so hazy? Is everyone like lighting up? Like, what are we doing? I mean, we also like turned the projector up in brightness to watch it in the middle of the day and it still was difficult to watch in some scenes.

It was pretty dark in my opinion even at nighttime. I get it, but. It was raining, I guess, in real life for Raina's scenes. So, like, sure. But some of it, I was, like, a little confused. But in that scene, her very first opening, she goes, I believe that. And, like, the way that it's evoked with the light behind her, it feels a little like she's already starting to enter that, like, religious fanaticism, like, moment. And then you go into her saying the stuff about Allison.

And it is a little manic. And it is, like. It is manic. It is manic. You nailed it. I mean, if this had come. after the red sewing in season

two, it would also be a little more cohesive because, I mean, she looked downright slightly erotic with the firelight upon her, with her mouth gasped open a little bit. She was very happy to see it happening and her plan come to fruition in spite of

the many burning screaming bodies strewn about the pit. But like, in the Dragon Mont, but like, that's what she wants. And so her using those kind of affirmational phrases, I'm like, which cardinal is that?

Like, which, you know, each zodiac has like a sign or like a phrase, a motivational phrase. Like, I believe, I am. So hers says, I believe. I can have to look that up. I don't actually know if that's the exact line. But she says something like, I, and it like, to me,

it evokes that idea of like, religiosity. And especially again, with the lighting and the framing. And then it goes into other stuff But I think it's a good tone setting for this But Misaria girl Good luck

Good luck, babe No for real Good luck, baby Okay, we A new High Tower just dropped Yeah 1.5 new High Towers If you will

Ormond High Tower With this little incense perfume bottle Like the Turrells with the roses At Tywin's funeral That's so really of him. He's like, I can't smell no shit. His cocaine incense. It's like Catherine from cruel intentions with her cocaine cross

necklace. She would go in the bathroom and open her cross to do coke. That is Ormond High Tower. I'm really looking forward to him in just that amount of time. Yeah. He took the screen and really commanded it. I'm curious, yeah.

I'm on, I've said it multiple. I'm curious whether I're doing it then, but I am and Yeah, good character work of showing, like, you know, he thinks it's above it all. It's like, no, be here, be present with the, you can't just, like, hide the unpleasantness of the war that's going around. Mm-hmm. And then, and then poor Gawain. Gwain! Gentle, gentle twink boy, Gwain.

Um, okay, so, let's be real. about the squire standing casually behind Ormond High Tower and how he's definitely Darren Targaryen. He's definitely Darren. First, I will say, I love the shade of green that he's wearing. I just want to say, put it out there. Beautiful shirt. Rich, very rich. Love your shirt.

It has very, um, it looks like Gwain's wear in the last season because he had a lot more green last season and his, like, velvet tunics and shit. Yeah. Yeah, beautiful tunic. Very beautiful High Tower coloring going on. His mother's hair, is it Young Gryft? I'm guessing. I don't know. Some people are saying it might be dyed, and I don't know if it is or if it's not, but if it is.

It fits well with whatever the fuck's going on with Alan, right? Who I do think it hits different now with him, like, shaving his head post a Night of the Seven Kingdoms. Like, obviously we all knew that, and, like, it was an homage to that. but it's fun. I don't know. I do wonder, like, is he dyeing his hair, as some people have said, and it does feel young Griffey? I have production spoilers, so I can't talk, and I'm not going to talk about it, but you're on the right track. I mean, maybe the people who were proposing it also have seen the production spoilers, yeah.

I've still, like, who fucking knows. I'm staying away from production spoilers now in my old age, and you know, I used to love those bitches, but like... I'm still who I am. I like to see... I'm changing every day. I like to see some of the costume stuff as it comes out. So like that's a little...

That's fine, but I did see his production spoiler. I try to stay away from it, so I'm not going to go into it. But yes, there is something afoot and something fun will happen, I think, with the young grift plot. I think it's also like... He's clearly during, because if you know that Dern exists,

like, if you know, you know, you know, like, that's fucking him. But I know that other people have pointed out, Like, it is hypocritical, like, no wonder the high towers hit him if that is his, like, real hair color, because that was their way of gotching, like, Rainier and be like, why is their hair brown? It would be interesting if that is why. And it would be interesting if when there's a reveal, the Alicent and Renera conversation about it might be interesting. Yeah, maybe she's like, Rainira, it's our child. You and I had this one. Do you think?

Do you think they're going to do this? Do you think Sarah and Ryan, the heroes of everyone's hearts, of my heart, not everyone else doesn't like them. I had Rainierre impregnate Allison? I was going to say Kristen, but yeah. Oh. Some people theorize that Darren, because of this hair color, may be Kristen Coles child, and the High Tower gene was heavier. I honestly do not believe that because of. Allison's character, I think she only started sleeping with Kristen Cole after Viseries's death.

Hmm. I don't agree with that, but I agree that I don't think because of his character. I think she has so much shame that she wouldn't. Well, yeah, Catholic. Yeah, exactly. I don't know that she would have done until, like, Viseries was dead. Yeah. And, like, in those moments of, like, powerlessness and grief and everything that happened in the aftermath was like,

I shall take comfort in the arms of Kristen Graham or some shit. I don't hate comp hat Alec Cole. I like the concept. I think it works emotionally. So I also like Ormond is probably absorbing a bit of Otto plot since Otto is still in prison somewhere coming along. Yeah, he's he's coming. We'll find him.

We're trying to find him. Everyone's trying to find him. I love that we saw the note in real time travel and get to Ormond from Allison, but it's signed from Amid and he doesn't fucking know when's the last time this guy saw Amid, he doesn't give a fuck and he even says it. It doesn't matter which king they put on the throne, right?

That's what matters to Ormond is power. That Ormond House High Tower re-sees that power in the vacuum and I think that's really fun. I think that gives a great motivator to Orman that we see he doesn't even care which fucking boy is the king. At worst

it becomes Darren eventually. You know, like I think that's really what he's going to fight for. Yeah. And bold John Roxton. What was that? We got Bold John. He looked like a bold John Roxton in his little armor.

And his knights. You didn't pay attention enough to him. Yeah, that's him. I did. I'm sorry? Girl, you need to watch it a fourth time at this point. Third? Fourth?

I think you should get two in. No, he, you know, the Roxston sigil is like the blue with the gold rings. And so he had that engraved in his armor. But then his knights had like blue quilts. had like blue quilted kind of like tunics on armor with gold rings all around. And I was like, that's cute. That's really a cute interpretation of the sigil. Really nice work.

Costume. I do think all the costuming has been really good. Yeah. Really good. The armor is giving for everyone. It is actually an incredible, like each armor and the inlays and the ways that they make it different. And following like the silhouettes kind of. I really like that. I'm very impressed by that, impressed by the outfits as usual, the

costuming as usual. And they have so many and so many variations. That's what's incredible that it makes it still feel lived in. And like, this is normal, that they all just wear these things. Yeah. Yeah. Bravo. Well, let's talk about the veil and what we could see a bit. This is, sorry, sorry. Please, tell me how you really feel, Eliana. I just don't as like, what am I looking at? Yeah, the veil, I will give a pass, right? Because, like... I guess it was raining.

I mean, look, you've been to a city in California that has a layer of smog over it, so I don't know why you can shit on the veil. The veil just has industrial zoning. Okay, Eliana, maybe that's just what it looks like there. Maybe the fog is there every day. Maybe it's Blood Raven. You don't know? I don't know.

I don't know. Yeah, maybe he is there. He really could be. I was actually rather charmed by the little veil snippets with Raina and Sheep Steeler. I was giggling. I was hootin. I was like, oh, I was scared for her. I was excited for her.

How would, what? Sheep Steeler, how? How do you think he would know Valerian, guys? I, no, like, legitimately you heard me asking throughout the episode. Like, I was like, does he know Valerian? Like, I don't think. Maybe he knows Andalosy, bro. I think he's from the veil.

Yeah. Like I legitimately, I don't think he knows any of it. Like, I think, yeah, the Valerians are magical and everything, but also everyone be so real right now. There's an entire society, multiple entire societies of people who speak Valerian, who are not very magical. It's not like the tongues in, like, Tolkien's works, right? Like, it is not the music of the earth when people speak Valerian. Yeah. And, you know, we talk a little bit about Danny and a dance.

with dragons like denarius 10 this very much has the ties back to denarius 10 of taming a dragon that is kind of wild or has become wild right uh drogan did just go off on his fucking own and go eat animals and not wash his ass for a while like he was kind of turning a bit feral and wild and I think something that gets dismissed often is that connection between dragon is stronger than training. I don't know that there really is training and controlling a dragon, a wild dragon. Some of these dragons have had previous riders, so they can slip easier into the connection with their rider maybe than what a dragon who has had fewer riders, like sheepstealer would. But I think of like when they called Maly's a traitor dragon. How is a dragon a traitor?

Like, it's just like a different brain class society. Or when they were like, Amen stole vagart, you can't steal a dragon. You wouldn't steal a dragon. Like, that's like... But I would. Right? But I would.

Well, no, no, no. I wouldn't. As we've discussed, I couldn't be a dragon rider. No, absolutely not. I would, though. I don't know. The biggest sin is like that people, or Targaryans even,

or Dragon riders in general, think they have control over the dragons. Like, the most control they have is based on the relationship and connection being very deep between them. The trust between Ryder and Dragon is what really connects them, not training, not Valerian language. But humans, like, don't control the dragons. I don't think they're in control.

I think we see from Danny, like, there's a point where they align, and they are connected. They're, like, mind melding together very much, like, skin changing almost. but like, I don't think you just control the dragon. I think even with skin-changing, you don't control the animal. Like, you might be able to for some. But as we see during Veramir's POV, and as he starts to lose himself in like the wolves, right, when you're in there long enough, the animal is the one who actually, yeah, gets to take that body to an extent.

Like, you both, like, it's not the human that's solely in. control of it. And like... Oh, that's so Robin Leah from a song for Leah, too. Oh, yeah. The hive mind. Yeah.

And so, like, I think... I don't know why there's this feeling that there's law breaking here. Like, it's even called out explicitly in fire and blood that it was easier to claim Vermithor Silver Wing and Seas Smoke because they had been ridden before. And also, like, as you were talking about with Denarius, like... people were saying, oh, well, she didn't have, like, the training in the past stuff, like that. And so that's why she wasn't able to control her dragons as easily. She had her dragon since they were hatchlings, right?

If anything, they would be more tame. And it's not even just that, like, Drogan was out there, like, going for all and eating. He's literally eating children. Like, he's literally eating people, and this is explicitly very antithetical to what Dineris wants. this isn't even like her wanting to like being like this is what her base desires are and like the dragon responding to that. I'm like, no, this is pretty opposite. No, like, Drogon didn't even try vegetarianism out for a week. Like, not even one week.

Like, he had no inkling of that because he wouldn't because he's a wild beast, which I love. She legitimately does not want the children to be eaten. Yeah. And so like Rana has only just like ridden this dragon briefly. Right. And, like, other examples that have been brought up are, like, area Targary and on Belirian. They're like, no, she wanted to. I'm like, no, she didn't want fucking worms.

She didn't want to go to Valeria. Yeah. She didn't want to Valeria and get trapped there with worms, all right? Nobody wants worms. Yeah. Yeah. She would have probably wanted to go back and she couldn't control. And, like, I think that's why it's emphasized in season two slash this one.

Like, you have the dragon seeds at that dinner table scene, right, discussing their newfound, like, positions. as dragon seeds, and they are explicitly told that they must undergo training to become a dragon writer, because it is not something that someone inherently does, does or is good at. There is, like, that built-up connection and, like, expertise that comes to that. And also, like, as he said, like, how will he know, how will Sheep Steeler know any of the commands? Like, for a moment there when she switched into Common Tongue, I was like, fuck, maybe he does speak common. I'm like, maybe he does know these shwords. And he knows none of, how could he?

Yeah, I mean, he knows sheep. Yeah. Well, and so there is, and we won't fully go into the nettles of it all right now, because there's a lot of nettles to get into. We have a lot to go still. But that is something missing, right? Is that she did not bring the sheep to him, just like in the book. They could have dealt with maybe one or two more scenes that would have offered that to, like, show that.

But I will say them breaking breath. together was a great connective tissue showing that she will eat what he gives her and also that he brought it to her like a cat because cats are like you're a stupid human and you don't know how to hunt for your own food so I have to bring it to you here's a dead mouse

but for him he like opened his jaw like a goal like a seagull and like shoved sheep in it and dumped them at her feet but there is also this funny thing that again if we weren't huge fans of the story and huge fans of the show universe, would we know this of like, she named him sheepstealer immediately and like just calls him sheepstealer and that's his name and that's fun. But like it was just like, it's sheepstealer.

She doesn't even have like a moment of reckoning. She just calls him sheepstealer. And I'm like, that's his name in the book. Yep, sheepstealer. And everyone knows that. Everyone calls him as such. Like he is a known legend called sheepsealer, which makes sense because like this is a group of people, their industry is sheep. Yeah.

And for all we know, like, some of them, like, are, like, amongst, well, they're on Dragonstone, right, for this, sheepstealer, so. I don't know. It's also, like, Jane knew. I wish Jane would have sensling last season. Like, he's known as the sheep stealer. Yeah. I mean, for all we know, that scene was in there.

I know. For all we know, because capitalism hates and comes for us all. I don't know. Great, though. I loved it. I really did like it on its own. I'm trying this new thing. you know, 10 years ago, if you told me this, I would smack you in the face.

But I'm like, they're different characters than they are in the book with two paragraphs about each of them. Yeah. They're different characters. It's an adaptive work. It's fun. There's dragons. I'm having fun.

Yeah. Also, I don't think it breaks lore. No, I don't think it breaks lore. I think it's fine. Also, sheepsealer, trim those nails, girl. Yeah. Oh, my God, those talons. It reminds me of the episode.

of Bob's Burgers where Louise gets these nails put on when she's on a cruise and she's like tap dancing with these crazy ass nails on, on her toes and hands. Yeah. It's terrible. Well, let's talk about the next place that sheepseeler shows up. Let's get to it. The gullet. Straight down. The gullet. The gulet. The gulet, really good, actually. I did like it. Jace was kind of almost a Quentin character in some aspects, right? Adventure stink. sailing into war, into a Vietnam war zone, basically.

Fun to kind of follow him. Great to see his dragon for the third time or whatever. And final. Oh, yeah. We've seen it from afar a couple times too, but yeah, I love living for the naval everything. I liked the naval battle.

They did a really good job, I will say, as a Blackwater fan, you know, you really have to try to make it up to me. This was great. At least, yeah, we couldn't see anything in the gray fog, but at least it wasn't nighttime, I guess. I actually did. I think that the fog worked well for me. For the gullet. Yeah, I think that they did the gullet well. I also like, I think there's a lot of things going on here that aren't just action, and I think that are building up the story. And we'll talk about that. Like, prior to the gullet starting, we have that exchange between Alan and. and Corleys, and as you said, they're really, they're trying to make Aymond One Eye happen. This is something that

Chloe has been saying. She's very happy that they are really pushing. The One Eye. The language of Aymond One Eye. They talked about how Amon would rather let Kingslanding burn than give it up, and it's an interesting, it really paints him as this Ares, the second

like character in that willingness to do so. And then also, I will say, because this is something that I keep anticipating. Alan being at the gullet and also seeing Bela up there on her dragon fighting, as well as you know, Jace's demise, Rip. I do think this sets up well for Alan and Bela to speak and, I don't know, I guess,

is he going to help pick out the pieces, be there, go comfort her in, like, her heartbreak and then the romance of everything, because they do, they do have a romance canonically. Well, this is the time they have to do. it, right? Because she goes to Dragonstone eventually and is kind of imprisoned until she gets out after Agan goes to Dragonstone. And this is kind of a great move forward for him. You know, he actually, you see him like checking her out on her dragon a little bit. Like he's like, damn, that's badass that she showed up and she's being a badass. Yeah. But, you know, Alan, he eventually does get to go and bring back in the book, bring Viseris back, right? You have him go on a lot of adventure.

He does become Corlease 2, Corlease number 2 and carrying on the legacy. So he is kind of responsible for some of the only sweet moments in the book. This is great to set him up to actually go do some of those things. I do like that. And I do think that for Thailand and the naval knowledge, that was a great addition here. As we get into the golet, I like that Lo Har was kind of leading Thailand on this entire time. And to get what Lo Har is. once, high tide, money, revenge to tear down the sea snake and capitalize in the middle

of the power vacuum. Again, we just came off a couple scenes ago, Ormond, right, who kind of is doing the same thing. He sees a chance for his house to get more power and why not take it? And there is something interesting in Corliss's nine voyages and that he basically pillaged a bunch of items throughout the east to make his riches and fame. And now the triarchy is kind of like, we would like some of that that you took. we see that opportunity and we see Corlis as someone that has taken some of that wealth. You know, they want some of that wealth back.

And then you have the idea of like the free cities, right? The Valerians, the free cities founded as colonies from the freehold. But the dragon lord still ruled over their resources, right? Like they still had to give tribute to them outside of Bravo. So that final tribute. Oh, I was singing the tributes. Oh, Hungry games. Hunggy games.

Yeah. You guys, we cover the Hunger Games, too. Check it out, Patreon. The first episode we ever did is public. Yeah. They had kind of purchased their freedom in the creation of these colonies in some ways, with that promise of still being semi-subject to the Valerians. So, I don't know, the Triarchy Wars being included kind of as that meta design and structure

for what's happening with Westrose and the Valerians in fighting right now. Like, they're treating it just as another one of their freeholds, really sets up that mirror, and also the infighting for power. The show is just pummeling Corlis. You have to. We have to break him down because he supports the blacks and all of his prior ambitions and it's all being destroyed in front of him, right?

Like when you peel back the riches, you peel back your wife and your family that you've lost, you peel back the castle. What are you? What do you have left, right? Like at your skeleton beneath your skin and your bones, who are you? And Corliss is doing a lot of thinking

and ruminating on that. And we actually get to see him in this battle, be himself and show you why Corliss is such a great character and what he is capable of taking the wheel as he goes through that very narrow pass, the teeth. I thought that was really great. And the goal at, I loved seeing that. I loved that tension and suspense that was building up.

And it makes me think of that castle on fire of his, right? His castle's on fire, the same castle he sat in with Damon saying history doesn't remember blood, it remember names. But will it remember your name? when you have nothing left to it anymore, Corlis? Like, is this all in vain? What is war but erasing everything you've worked for? Good news, Corlis. They do remember you.

Yeah, you're one of the final guys. Yeah, did it. No, they do, though. Yeah, they do remember it. They really do remember you. Yeah, but your house does go downhill a little bit. Like, I mean, they just aren't that great anymore because nobody cares about the Westerosy Valerians, you know what I mean? For now, I mean, who knows? You're like, you know, or in water.

That's true. Maybe we bring it back. Bring it around town. Bring it around town. Yeah. I mean, could be important again. I did like a lot of the inspiration that was clearly like mastering commander, right? Total naval battleship from mastering commander. Really great naval strategy.

This guy who worked on Titanic was an executive producer for the episode. That's awesome. You kind of have to be. And we were kind of joking with our roommate Emmett here that, you know, James Cameron straight up was waterboarding and drowning people all the time instead of Titanic and watching what Jace's actor Harry Collette goes through just to get that great last shot he was being waterboarded like crazy for a few days

you know so yeah you really a water battle you really respect like I really respect the production design on all of this it was very cool to see A how it was made in the house the dragon built but then also be like seeing it play out and how it becomes what we see on screen and I've A lot of really awestruck. They did a great job.

Yeah. And granted, this might be the propaganda behind the scenes. I do want to emphasize, like, they weren't, like, actually, like, waterboard. He, they gave him many opportunities. They were like, you can take a break. And Harry was like, I want to do it. Well, yeah. I mean.

But, you know, forcing and dunking someone's head under the water for many spans of time. Even for your job, which you are consenting to doing, is kind of still crazy. Yeah. And they all did their own stunts. Like, that was awesome. They all, and it's crazy to watch the crews. Like, they had to dive crews on set for safety, like, right there surrounding Harry Collette as he did his role in case anything went wrong. Like, they really pull out all the stops to make sure their production is legitimate. And I really respect that, considering, like, you know, Game of Thrones also waterboarded some people, if you remember. Yeah. I do think they did, like, a really, like, I was really impressed with the way that they had, like, the ships ramming each other. And, like, The way that they filmed it and kind of showed what that battle would look like, the way that they boarded the ships. I was like, ah, this is what it should have been like with the iron board.

I know, like, actually, some people feel opposite. I'm like, don't fucking gaslight me about what history was like and how we all felt about this. This felt fun. I also, like, really loved Abakil Thorne's, like, performance as Shrocko. And I also, I think you were talking about how the triarchy and the role that they play. And honestly, some of this would make a lot more sense had they actually adapted any of the Free City storyline in a Song of Ice and Fire that I do strongly believe is going to play a role. But Chiraco, whose name, I'm thinking out, is this supposed to be the name Shark with like random ass other vowels in it? Sharko. Sharko. I don't know.

Throwing people off the ship, including like Thailand, but just in general, like kind of makes me think of, so what happens after this battle? battle is it's actually considered a huge loss for the triarchy. They lose like a bunch of ships. It's pretty devastating, but like a majority of the ships that do eventually make it back are Lysini. And so there's like a lot of turning on Shrocko. That won't happen because Shraco's dead here. But it leads to the fractioning of the triarchy. And I get kind of like watching Shroko being willing to like sacrifice people to lighten the load of ship makes me wonder, like, would that have, like, played together? I found that so good. Like, the throwing off the ship.

It was a great turn. And, yeah, poor Thailand. I'm sure he's coming back to us, though, because he's got to get tortured. Yeah. He exists to just get the shit beat out of him. He really does. He's going to live. Finally, we are seeing, like, this turn towards really focusing, as you said, like on

Corley's storyline. As you said, he, like, built all these things, the Rainey's figurehead on the ship. It looks a little silly, but it is actually quite romantic. And I feel like there's something to be said here also about, like, figureheads and maybe, like, that tense back and forth that we saw between them of discussing her and her claim. What would have that meant? But also, high tide, right, as Bela pointed out, a lot of Corley's building it all up. It was in honor in many ways of Rainies. It was his kind of way of showing her love.

Their love language was, I guess, gifts and nesting. in their fabulous home. And I mean, this was recent. Yeah. It was in the same season, season two. That's true. She didn't die that long ago. So for him to see this home that they had built together, that they lived in together, go up in flames.

And not just it representing like his triumphs, but him, it representing his wife whose face is on this fucking ship. This ship is named after her, the queen who never was, right? Yeah. It does mean something. And so the loss of high tide, and of course, I'm talking about it being. Tide, very much Lord of the Tides, that is the title of the Valerians, really says something. And I also, you're starting to see this turn then in the tides of his relationship with Alan, right? Like, he sees Corley's take, take the ship and, like, seeing him respect his father as a captain.

Maybe he doesn't yet as a person, but you can see that he kind of does based off of the way that he goes after Characroco. It is exploring a theme through the Valerians, or like this plot that I actually have. not seem very much in any of the other Song of Ice and Fire stories. I'll have to think about it, but this idea of a reconciliation and healing in a relationship, especially with one's own parents, it's not easy work, right? But I've heard about it happening for people. I've seen it happen with friends and other people in my life.

but I do think it is an important message and I do think it is like something that could be really great for the story to explore as whether or not that kind of like that is possible and we talk all the way all the time about like is is forgiveness like is justice like is that sort of like thing possible in a song away

is redemption possible in the song away's fire but it can be on a personal level right People get to decide that for one another. Maybe we don't always in terms of, like, outward justice. But Alan can decide that is the case for him and Corley's. But also, like, side note, when Corley's, like, you know, his deafness with, like, the ship and, like, the subtleties of his touch. I'm like, okay, I see how you held on to Rainey's all those years. I see, I see, I had it.

I see what she used. Oh, he knew where the clitoris was. No, he absolutely did. And he knew how to move it. Absolutely. He knew it's like that being, yeah. We're just saying. No. You can really see it. And Steve was amazing.

Steve Chasant was incredible in this episode. He did some great manpane acting. Shout out hashtag Manpain. He's going to do more. He's going to do more. See, the reason for manpane, you know, 420, blaze it everyone. It's 420 where we are. The heart of a king. That's why Rainier claims it. You know, back to Alan, I really liked him killing Lohar. I think that's a good change. Yeah. Versa versus book, you know, defending his dad's honor, kind of the moment of becoming his son, like, beyond just family. Like, beyond, like, this is like, I'm protecting you. And I feel your man pain as well.

And I'm answering your man pain with my man pain by killing this woman in pain. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I think that was a good fight, too. I also, again, I think, I thought that the Sharaq O'Har stuff was done well. Yeah, I mean, I'm going to say something kind of crazy controversial.

I think Abigail Thorne did a really good job. I do too. And I think you're all honestly mean-spirited and maybe transphobic. And I'm going to say it, I mean, actually a lot of people are, but the characters that she's embodying, and you can speak about this too. But like the Ricaleo-Rindoon, Shiracroko-Lohar mashup going on with her, they're camp. They are insane. They are flamboyant. They are camp.

and in fucking Pride Month you're all sitting there talking about Abigail in this manner I would ride for Abigail Thorne I think she was an amazing lohar I had fun she was camp I think she did a great job with bringing that camp

and the humor in the previous season and I think like she did a really good job of not being as camp in this episode right when it was serious yeah of showing that this is someone who like can like have that levity but as you said

is serious in battle and like as you like the Tyroche as the Tyrochi as the Tyrochi they're like Sini whatever but oh my god xenophobic cancel her I mean the free cities are a camp and like Game of Thrones did not lean into that they were scared they're supposed to be if you read the books they sound fucking ridiculous they're glowing glow in the dark clothing all right and they are um and their beards are blue and red and yellow and orange it does kill my thoughts though about like we're recallio and Sharako consolidated. I don't know.

Like, is Rickal going to show up? I actually would argue that it strengthens your thoughts, like, that they just aren't doing the other plot. Like, I think, if anything, because there's no Lysini spring. Don't say that. I mean, there's still time. You have 10 ways we could have a Lysine spring. Number one. Um, like, I think Alan might just bring Viseras back at the end of the show or something. You know, like, we might not see where he is. We might not meet his wife. We might

just like, Viseras might come back, you know, because they're also really young. And I don't know. I mean, that's another elephant in the room, right? And so I am going to give them a few episodes for them to tell me what they're doing. You know, Ryan and Sarah, because I know they're busy and they haven't gotten back to me. They haven't answered my calls. Ryan Condal, please answer my calls.

I would like to call and talk to you. but I will give them some time in grace to answer what's up with the kiddos, the three kids, because no one knows. But I will read you this IGN interview bit from Ryan Condal because I do think this is fair, and I think we should tether our expectations with child actors. Season one takes place over 20 years instead of 30 years, so it just meant all of the children in the story are a little bit younger, especially the very young children.

They're a little bit younger than even in the books. and the kids that we had for Egan and Vassaris, Reneira's sons with Damon, her youngest children are not of an age where you can involve them with complex dramatic sequences or complex action. It's not safe and it's not practical.

It's true. Can't be waterboarding kids. Like, what are you going to do to have like four or five-year-old Agan's actor and Vesaris's actor and like having them watch like a drone trying to escape and the dragon dies

and like then they're getting waterboarded. It doesn't work. I got it. Anyway, so then he says. I'm not sure that they're four or five. like the actors. They seemed younger, like three. Yeah.

So it was something we had to dispense of rather early in the process. It's not to say these characters are out of the show or anything. We all realize what an important role they play as Rainier's son with Damon and the heirs to their bloodline and where they sit in the history. So we haven't forgotten about it. It just requires changes and adaptations to make it safe and practical when we are going to tell a story with kids to be able to do so in a way that we can actually do, which I think is fair. I mean, I think that's a lot. It's a pretty big setup, what they have to do. for the gullet.

I think that's fair. Also, it's not over yet. Yeah. Like, there's more later. It's not, I think that's fair. I think, like, there is, like, arguably a pushback of, then perhaps they should not have had this story take place over 20 years, but instead over 30, right? Expanded.

But I think there's also the reality that they weren't going to get that much time to tell the story. Maybe. I mean, like, they did do time skip. So, like, they could have, like, it's not, it's not, it, I'm not saying, like, if I agree, it is, like, it is a pushback that could a, a rebuttal that can be. made to it. Yeah, we'll give it a few episodes, but I do think to the point that part of what makes Jace's death, his heroics. Yeah, kind of meaningful is that he's, there's a, he's getting

vengeance for whatever the fuck happened to Agin, who is old enough to like just barely fucking make it on his dragon, right? And like, that is a legitimate fear. Like, when you see your kid come in like that after what happened to Luke, like, oh, try, truring. Trying to protect his brothers. Yeah. And then, like, for him to be like, well, maybe there's still hope to get the series back, right? And so the vengeance and also like saving the series, I do think like there's, that is like valid to say that does it lose some weight because of that and making it about Jace's ambition? Sure. But I do think like it does work with the character beat of it being Jace wishing to actually fucking do something. Like I think that works as well because again,

there is a character beat about it that very much parallels young Rainira wanting to do and trying to do this as well. The right thing to save their brother, to save their sibling. Yeah, to save the random ass baby egg, like dragon egg when it came to Damon. Yep. For Baylon. I do think, okay, Cinemasin's Nettles, obviously. Not mentioning Darren until last season and now showing him in the third season, or I mean

in season two, episode nine. Yeah. Cinemason. How they handle this, I am eager to see, so I don't have to give them another Cinemasin. Yeah. That's all. I'm going to give them grace.

I do think that that is a good driver for motivation for character, but I also think they're out of time. They're out of time. This show is not Game of Thrones. I love this show. Don't get me wrong. I love this show better than a lot of Game of Thrones. I would trade a few seasons of Game of Thrones out and take this show instead. You know, like, I would, you can knock a few off.

I would trade like four, five, six, seven part of season eight. trade for this entire show and give it some time. That's not how it works. It's a secondary derivative work. It doesn't have the same fan base. It does have a fan base, but the fan base is even more toxic than it was at the end of Game of Thrones. Ironically, like the whole thing is eating itself, or Boris. Like, HBO has no money. Except for hacks. Yeah, except for hacks. The absolute masterpiece that is hacks. To be given the time to go out, like hacks did the right way the way they want to. That's the most you can ask for right now in the landscape of TV. Yeah. So they're quite frankly lucky. They got this much time for the Dance of the Dragons when

you think about it. Like four seasons, wow, you're lucky. I would have liked five to tell it the right way. I think it should be five, like as we've discussed. And I do think, I don't think you and I have been going back and for, are they going to give us the Hour of the Wolf? I think they should give me the Hour of the Wolf. I don't even like the Hour of the Wolf. A bridged. They're going to give us an abridged hour of the wolf. Okay. Take it back. I like half hour. The Hour of the Wolf, fine. I just think that Krieg and Stark's role in it was less influential than the women who made the decisions at the various houses. Like Sam Tarley and Black Alley and Raina and Bela.

Yeah, that's my take. Well, I think they have to, right? Because as you've been pointing out, they're centering so much on Corlis. And Corliss really has to go through all this man pain because he is kind of the one at the end that, I used to anchor it. Yeah, Bela and Ray and it come forward and they're like, please, free him. Like, Krigan, do not charge him. You have to not charge him.

Like, he's been through hell. Our family's been through hell. Please just let us go. So I do think that has to happen. And I do think maybe there will be like an episode where you have that. You have torn manderlies being introduced this season. So he's pretty instrumental in Agan's beginning of his reign and Agan 3's reign. So before it, before he gets to make choices in his regency.

So I could see it. I'm a believer in the half hour of the wolf. Okay. I just, I think we should see it. I deserve to see it, but also I want to know that I gave it a lot of shit back then. And it is not because I don't believe it is important and not worth adapting. It's because I think that the women are the more important part. Yes, that's all.

Well, and that's kind of where we are in the main story with the Riverlands in the North, right? Like you have a lot of widows in the North, a lot of widows in the Riverland. Yeah. Because all the men have gone off to die at war. and that's where we end in the dance and where we're kind of at with all those leading figures, which is kind of ironic. I mean, even all the big choices in the downfall of Renera get centered around succession for women. Absolutely. It becomes important, it turns out, believe it or not.

Yeah. And I mean, speaking of the downfall of Rainera, a lot of it does come through. I will say, like, I know people don't like, again, as you rehashed, the way that it went down with Raina, they're like, they made it Chase's death and accident. I'm sorry. I don't mean to, like, respond too much to, like, the zeitgeist of discussion in, like, this. But I am because... I mean... It's my podcast and I can do what I want.

Jake's death was intentional by the people that were shooting crossbows at him. Right. They were prepared for dragons. Like, the free cities have a history with the dragon lords, and it has been a few hundred years, but they have not forgotten that history because dragons have not been extinct yet for a while. they are, it's not crazy that they would have had like ideas of this might work against dragons. This might not. I will say with the way that it goes down with Raina, it does make sense to me in regards to how

they would be setting up Rainier to become therefore suspicious of new dragon writers, especially Raina who's in the role of Nettles. Like that, that makes sense to me for that sort of arc. because if Raina unwittingly, you know, unintentionally plays a role in Jace's demise, that kind of provides a bit of evidence of like, well, whose side are you actually on? Yeah. I'm not saying she's right to think that. I'm just saying, like, you know, if you're in that headspace, that's what you're thinking like.

Well, it's really clear that the lines are going to be drawn pretty easy for Reneira with her stepdaughters, and you're starting to see where there will be some gaps. famously in book. Jace dies. Rineer goes a little off. I would fucking go off. Yeah, another one. Yeah, if my first child

whom I, like, cared a lot about. Just a few months after my other child, who I cared a lot about. And then, like, that child and I were the ones who found comfort, not in a weird way. Like, we saw them hold and weep with one another during that season. Like, that, they were the ones who, like, truly felt

that grief together in the loss of Luke. They didn't share that with anyone else. No one else could feel the pain that they did. There was no one else there for the other because they weren't allowed to feel it. They had to be strong in the middle of the war. No one else loved Luke like no one else loves their family like the two of them do. That is their family. I mean, arguably since Joffrey's an up around screen, like, Jesus.

Oh, there it is. Who's Joffrey? Who's Joffrey? So bad that the other day I called Luke Joffrey because I don't fucking know their names anyways, I've only seen them twice, you know. But Jace was like the only one that was left with the last living memory of Harwin. Yeah. Right?

And that was her last, like, connection. Joffrey will be the final part of that. And Lainor. And Lainer, yeah. So just as Corliss is experiencing this grief over Rainies and his family, so is Renira. Reneer is also having man pain, is what I'm trying to say.

Her dad died. Yeah. Her dad, her child, her next child, another child. then soon the next one. And she's going to be thought that potentially that her other children are lost. She's going to think Veseris is dead. Yeah, maybe Viseries and Egan. We don't know how they're going to play it yet. True. They actually might be dead, but

someone's got to care on the line, so maybe they're not. You know, I'm joking. One of them's got to be alive because that's how we get to present day. Yeah. I do think that like I really actually liked the Rana plot. I think it did give her something to do that's nice.

I don't think that if I had said this 10 years ago, 10 years ago, me would smack me. But like, I don't think we have time to have a political plot with no time left in the veil where Raina is like feasting in the veil, flirting with guys, going to like listen to music and hanging out with her baby dragon. That's not the story they chose to tell. And I think they needed a role to keep Raina in on the action a little more because that wasn't going to lead her. her to the place that they want to tell the story. And while I don't agree and I would like Nettles in the story and to have her own role, I do see that Rana can fit the role for now and to give her something to do.

And Phoebe Campbell's really great. I have to say her, Phoebe Campbell's, their Valerian, was really great in this episode. I liked how at first it was kind of feeble and kind of like very soft and quiet, just like Raina as a character, kind of, you know, apprehensive and anxious. and then got more and more urgent and kind of a little more into it. And I really liked that. I love the design of Sheep Steeler. I think it's great that Sheep Steeler is like,

how are you going to climb that pokey wall of Dragon that hurts? Like she didn't have a saddle. She was raw backing on fucking Dragonback with spikes all over and just hanging on for her life. Really cool design. Again, trim the nails. Come on Sheep Steeler. What's up with that?

But cool design. and I do imagine war is chaos with dragons. Like I don't think it was ever going to be clean, even with perfect dragons that have done this a million times. Like you have giant wing beasts lunging through the air and crossbow bolts going at people and the big bolts going, the dragon bolts going at the dragons. Like, it was always going to be crazy up there.

Yeah, they survived. The Characys remembers having to fight a dragon, because of sea smoke. So they're going to like, you're not going to get me a second time. I'm not showing up unprepared. And yeah, I mean, I do still wish we had nettles. Yeah. I'm not going to like act like I don't.

But I do think this makes sense. And there's this tweet that like we saw from... I really like this tweet you sent me. Yeah, from Awfully Rights that I think is a really, really like, because, you know, we love our gray characters. And I do think this was a well done. And I do like this analysis of Rana's character, like, so Offley-Rates says, She only wanted to help.

No, you can like Rina, but she mostly wanted to be seen to satisfy a personal urge because she felt small compared to her sister. It was an ego-driven decision to forsake her brothers for the mere possibility of a dragon in the first place. And like in the first brother, I was like, alright, we'll see where you're going. And then when, yeah, Offley-Rates brings up the person, it's like, oh, true. That was kind of weird. That was kind of fucked up to just leave the first place. She left the boys alone and thought, hopefully they'll be fine. That is a choice.

Yeah. I do really like that. And I think there will be consequences to that choice that she faces because... Where are they? Yeah, where are those boys? We don't know. And if you can't tell me, then I don't think you're going to be able to tell your stepmother. And I have bad news about your stepmother's frail psyche right now because she's not going to be nice to anybody that comes to her and says they lost another child of hers.

And why not three? Yeah. Especially if you're part of life. distracted Jace, which again, I don't think that was an accident. In war, in a battle, anything could end up distracting you during that time. It's a sensory nightmare, bro. They were literally like shooting. It's not an accident.

They're in a battle. Yeah. Like, it was not an accident that the bolt hit him. That is literally the enemy's goal. Nor the second one, nor the third one, nor the fourth one. Like, those were not accidents. Those were in time. I also really loved the, I have to say, like, I loved that little moment.

of like where he's in the water floating he's like all right cool and then he's like oh not all right looks down not cool and the guys are behind him like huh another one another one like I did kind of have a chuckle on rewatch at that so I was like it was such like a um I thought it was incredible in some ways that it was such a non moment in that like the guys in the boat just like fired at him and we're like oh shit that's that prince get him and like in the end like just like Like, you know, he was nothing. He was just a prince in the water. But, like, blood didn't save you then.

Magic didn't save you then. No. Beasts are fallible. Well, that's what they were always saying, right? I do think it is interesting that the strategy was to take down the dragon. Because in fire and blood, the strategy was take down the rider. Mm-hmm. Which can work, right?

Yeah. So I don't know how I feel about that. I will say. It does make sense. It would have been interesting if they did go for the rider from the get-go instead of the dragon. But, yeah, I don't know. I like this idea of, like, because it was a little selfish of Raina to do all that.

She did want to be seen. We see what it was like for her growing up and her discussing that with her sister. And you were talking about Phoebe Campbell's like, Larian accent. And like, it makes sense because they actually did spend their childhood if you will all remember in the free cities where that is the primary language.

Mm-hmm. I look forward to seeing, like, what happens joining her with Damon. You kind of implied, you know, like, will they go hunting Amen later in the season together? And I do think that's a feature, not a bug. I think, like, the fact that Damon has ignored his children and sought glory for decades. I think that's a feature, not a bug. And I think we're going to deal with that this season. And that's probably what's going to turn him in his next Jamie Lannister moment, you know, like, where he's like, wow.

Like, imagine Jamie hung out with Mersela. and Tom in and was like, damn, you guys are actually cool. I'm really sorry that I left you in the viper pit, bro. Like, let's run away. But no, he's not going to do that because it's not who he is. But that's what I think we're going to get. They tried to do that, I guess, a little in Game of Thrones. And I was like, what are we doing?

Yeah. Oh, right, the Marcella scene. Daddy, poison. But I will say, yeah, they poison ivied. I, what you're saying of Damon having those moments with Raina unreconsciling would be if that is what they're doing with Corley's and Allen. It actually would be an interesting thing for them to explore and parallel, like how that different relationship goes between.

Because those girls are always called Valerians and lumped in with the Valerians, but they're Targaryians. They're Targaryens. They're Targaryens, too. Yeah. Yeah. What does that mean? Well, they're going to find out this season.

Let's find out. Yeah. Looking forward to that, I will say the weeks ahead trailer that was wild. Not a lot new, but there was a shot of Flama that I'm not. happy about and I am in denial and if it happens to me this season folks a lot of new Ormond stuff in the trailer though I also like oh I do like that because he's so Catholic it's so funny I'm he's so funny I don't really understand them I'm interested I'm interested what we're going to see with him for sure yeah well overall good episode good start let's see what happens

next episode it sounds like it's a good end it's a good ending it's a good ending yeah we're excited to come back next week and close out the season with season two, episode 10 with you, finish season two, and then start up season three, episode one, which I believe will be the Renewa Concept episode where she's hard at work. So excited to see that one. Girls at work. Wow. Yeah.

Thanks for listening. Yeah. Thanks for being here. We're enjoying. Yeah. This is House of the Dragon. Season two, episode nine. Season two episode nine.

Salton C, fire and blood. As always, I have been one of your hosts, Chloe. And I have been another one of your hosts, Eliana. We'll be back next week. Goodbye.