Girls Gone Canon Cast - House of the Dragon S3E3: Rhaenyra Triumphant

Episode Date: July 8, 2026

SPOILERS: ASOIAF, F&B, KOT7K, TWOIAF, ETC "Piece of me" by Britney Spears plays in the background as Rhaenyra realizes that girlbossing is hard when you're broke and everyone wants something from you. 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

Hello and welcome back to Girls Gone Cannon. Watch's House of the Dragon. Season 3, Episode 3, Renera Triumphant. I am one of your hosts, Chloe. And I am another one of your hosts, Eliana, and I'm going to kick this off with like an apology about last week. I'd like to formally apologize for shitting on the episode titles. Go on with your...

You're doing great. Keep it going. Yeah, I mean, like, you know, I thought that they should name the last episode Rainier Triumphant because that's like what happens in the book when she lands in Kings Landing, aka Queens Landing and Fire and Blood. But actually, it was very perfect for the way that this episode was portrayed. So you know what? My bad. I hope that the court of public opinion forgives Eliana for this.

What do you think at home? Way in. Should Eliana be forgiven or should she be executed? Well, a couple of things that we can talk about in regards to whether someone should be executed or not. Let's talk about our spoiler policy. This is an all-spoilers podcast. And that means we're going to discuss everything that happens in a song of ice and fire, the main five books, in Game of Thrones, and the Seven Kingdoms, and the other Duncan novellas in the world of ice and fire.

and also especially in fire and blood. That means we will be discussing what is to come in this story. So if you don't want that, then perhaps we are not your cup of tea for your cramps or otherwise. I think we're more like a giant cup of vodka for your cramps, truly. We can make you worse. We can. We can. Yeah, this was kind of a great episode.

Wow. Wow, another good one. I have to say, like, now I remember why I just trust the process. They've got it. They have it. Claire Kielner, Sarah Hess, incredible duo. As a podcast that likes POVs? We just had a POV episode.

That was a POV character episode. That was. Yes. I think, like, someone said it was like the closest we'll ever get to one, truly. No, that was Quinn, the GM, I think. Oh, yeah, yeah. nice nice that is how it feels um i did feel the entire time like we were watching a pov episode i loved i actually just watched the house the dragon made before this because i hadn't watched it

yet built whatever the fucking dragon did they took their little they took their big claws and then in their like snoots brick by brick that is how they made this house i wonder if it's like we got little eggs yeah or I think so. Little arms and big legs. Yeah. Really good. Loved the kind of use of the different lenses, like the hero lens for Rainira and that everything had to be from her POV.

Except for, of course, the cold open that we had. Which, you know, on reflection, season three, episode one that we just watched. Just kidding. Just kidding. That is what we watched, though. That should have been the first episode. I think that was a killer first episode concept. Yeah.

I think, like, I kind of wonder if they changed how they approached it from what they would have done, had it, like, because it's, I think it would have been, like, an extremely bold and risky choice to make, like, the first episode of a season. So I do wonder if they changed it a bit. But, like, where it is here, I think perfect, like, very well done. And I will also add, like, we've talked in my household about how we would have loved to have, like, a first episode. episode of season three cold intro of like an intro to Darren, right? Showing his life in old town or like on the road in the army or something. So it's actually interesting because they did that but not how I wanted it. And I'll take it. I'll take it.

So let's jump in. Let's jump into Orman's Surrenders and the fake Darren hostage plot. This is, if you've been following any of our coverage in the last handful of months here or at other podcasts like with Got Thrones. We kind of alluded to There was something going on with Darren This is like the only production league I saw And I saw it like when they filmed it

And it was all over the internet of Yeah of like a Here's Darren, but why were there two Darren's cast This is confusing. Wait a second Question mark, question mark So we have fake Darren And Damon forces Orman to bend the knee to Reneera He submits for peace though

You know he's under threat of Dragonfire Damon takes Darren quote unquote hostage for leverage and goes back to Kings Landing tells Reneera Darren is a claimant and should be killed. Uh-oh, conflict. And later, of course, we reveal that the boy is not Darren. Ormond has used a lookalike blenched, which is a verb for bleach, which I don't know that I actually knew that somehow. Now you do. I think you should use it all the time. It's like to take or to like, you know, like take out.

of or like to remove, which I love that. Oh, like to blanch? Because that is what bleach is. Or like blanching something too in terms of like food. Exactly. Yes. I wonder if it's like related. Yeah.

It is related. They're related. Okay. Okay. So I just thought that was very fun that they used blenching. The first time I heard it, I thought they said bleaching. And I was like, what? Ryan.

But no, it was blenching. Cute. Very cute. I'm not going to argue about the bleach. I've seen some discourse. You know, we've done discourse on that. You can go check out. Patreon episode 20 for contacts we're on like episode 94 for our bonus episodes.

But Patreon episode 20, it's a me, Adario, Tyroche, and more. Can you believe that? That's kind of crazy. I feel like that was a much later Patreon episode, but like I guess it wasn't. I thought we did it like further in our lives like more recently. So fascinating. It's always interesting to look back on life. Yeah, who were we then? No one knows.

I don't know. You know, we talked then about the Tyrochey hair dive, right? We really focused on that. Tyroche is known for bringing hair dye in, which is what I expect that Ormond's little squire that's been accompanying him might be using, maybe, or does he have his mother's hair? Question mark, question mark. We will find out. But in Tyroche, they create a dye that is so potent, it apparently can do whatever it wants to your hair because, this is fantasy and magic, though it's possibly based off of Tier in Lebanon, who made

purple die from a sea snail. It's off the coast in the Mediterranean Sea, and half of its land is used for like intra-urban agriculture, so kind of fun, kind of a SOC. Sansa's Hair and I in the main series is from Tyroche. Willa Mandurley probably gets hers from Tyroche, right? Speaking of Mandurleys this episode. But very fun. I don't know if I agree that they have. a capability to get up to a number 10 blonde that has been toned, but I'm impressed, you know, that they're trying. I think the most important thing that we talked about, I believe this was our Tyroche episode, was the glow and the dark snails. Mm-hmm. And you should all listen to that episode.

Yeah, it's a really good episode. Yeah, actually, it was. Like, we will, we will finish our free cities coverage one day. One day. Not that we just started a new, it's a segment called Wigging It, which was our Patreon episode this past month where we talked a little more in depth about the dragon, specifically Dreamfire. Yes. You should listen to that one too. Yeah, I've seen people talk about, like, in terms of blenching hair, you know, that it's possible.

But I'm not going to dig into it too much. I don't know much about it. I do. It's too much. We're not going to go into it. if you use lemon can use all sorts of stuff you know like when you're a kid

and you're in the sun and you get like sun highlights you can enhance that shit with like lemon but can you get to a number 10 toned I don't know not me. Yeah not you not me either so not that fast not from a little lemon water I don't know I don't know but the kid had like yellow roots so

maybe it's easier to get to that hair color when you have like a I mean it is when you have yellow roots going on. That's probably he's more blonde. So I'm willing to accept it. I'm willing to let this one pass. I will say also when they introduced Deren. So I watched this episode two separate times.

Once with like a friend and then once with my partner. And with like both times I like had them pause because I did want to like remind people because they did not rewatch season two right before despite like me telling them. Though I think my friend is actually going to rewatch all of season two this week or like before the next few episodes. He felt like compelled to. But he actually like remembered some stuff, but I reminded everyone, you guys. So, Alison and Viseries have a fourth child. You are not crazy if you don't necessarily remember him because he was never mentioned in season one. And you don't see any baby that could have been him in season one. He is mentioned in season two. There's a

conversation about him, but they also didn't cast him. And yeah, so my partner was like, okay, I was like, I don't remember this at all. So that's the context. But my friend pointed out, like, you know, later on with the fake Daron reveal, he was like, they still haven't cast him. And I thought that was a very funny joke. Yeah, it's also funny because they have hidden the Daryn's very well for marketing. I have to applaud them. I think they know that this is their biggest sin as far as like one of the, like, I've said it

before, but what I think their biggest sins are is this and nettles. I've not forgiven. I'm not forgetting nor forgiving for either of these things, but I will say that I think they have handled this a little better than I expected. It's clunky, but it works. I'm going to hold out judgment till we get actual Darren. I think it's kind of also something that's more important is it's introducing the ideas of Impostors, which are spoken about several times in this episode.

True. We have Madam Sylvie later we'll talk about showing up at court, who in the books, there is a Sylvina that we keep talking about, who is Miss Sand, if you're nasty, and she props up a pretender in the Moon of the Three Kings. So what I'm saying is we are getting my Moon of the Three Kings agenda over and over and over again and like talking about hey you can just call a if agan comes back you can call them an imposter well if you start being able to call people impostors like that it's going to start getting a little messy huh anyone can just say they're a targaryen these days bastard blood whatever that is true that is true

and i mean i do believe that ties into the pov that we are covering upon the end of season three You guys, we don't say this. I assume you know if you're here, but we are a POV by POB podcast. Like, reread podcast. We're on our very last POV. It's Tyrion. And I think the whole idea of, like, everyone being able to say that they're a Targaryen at some point, kind of like is part of the themes of the story when it comes to like if Tyrion is a Targaryen. So anyways, you guys, we're POV reread podcasts.

Yeah. Who's almost done with their rereading? Sad. So sad. This was such a great character episode for Damon. Yes. He, I really am loving that, like, you could take the boy out of the self-missary, but you can't take him out of the war criminal. Like, this whole episode, he's like, but what if we conquered for fun?

Right? What if we just conquered for fun? And here, he is too busy preening to notice if anything might be off, right? we have Tissarian the bronze queen standing there right looking ahead the blue queen whatever the fuck her name is I don't care about any dragon that's not Dreamfire

or Moon Dancer you know I just don't care what happens to the rest of them or sheepstealer my ugly friend who needs her nails cut so bad dude she needs a manicure Damon has this line where he says we'll treat him as we would any son

of Vissaris dot dot dot dot Dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, dot. That is an interesting detail. I didn't flag that. It's a little loaded, right? Because they would kill, they'd kill them with hammers.

Any of Vissarous's sons. They would kill those guys with hammers. Yeah. Or with Hugh the Hammers. Yeah, that one really spoke to me. I had a cackle at that one, loaded line. That's pretty funny. I didn't notice that.

I did really love Damon's, like, his tone. It was so funny. a perfect opening to the episode, like, and just him holding the hilts of both his dagger and the sword. And I was like, he really loves, like, accessories. Like, he had his rings on at that time. So very fun, just very fun in general. And also in regards to, like, yeah, they really didn't notice that this wasn't Darren.

So we talk a lot about how Ryan Condal and Sarah Hess are giving us a feast for crows for fucking wants and a do-wida. And like, yes, this is a little bit of do-a-da, right, with the whole hair-dying thing and Young Griff, but also especially, I think we're getting, like, it made me think of the Marcella Rosamond plot line, where Arians, like, I don't know, they like kind of look the same. Like, I guess we could run with it.

In a Feast for Crows, where they give Roseman some curls, which is also, you know, it's very, whatever Cure and Nice character was named again in, um, in, uh, Star Wars Yeah, in Star Wars, it's very the Padme like plot line a little if you think about it which I think came out around the time

A Feast for Crows probably was being written, right? Like when was that? 2001? Yeah, absolutely. And then the Fees for Crows is 2005. I just know because my roommate read it when he was graduating high school. Every now and then I make this joke but I do legitimately think

what if George was inspired by the Phantom Menace. Like, I'm not joking. It's all Georges, all the way down. You know, George's inspiring Georges. Yeah, man, that Saabe plot is good. Saabe is the character. Sabé.

Saabe. Maria. Saubel. The Pokemon. Saubly. Ablution. Yeah, I love the Marcella Rosamon plot line. That's great.

That's absolutely great. Yeah, I think that's why I can excuse the clunkiness, right? Because it feels so A-Swaffy. It feels so great. And I love, again, seeing these characters, like, face-on, like, just dumb-bitch shit like Damon's doing. Love it. This is like, that's what A-Swaff is. Characters making dumb-bitch choices all the time, like I would.

Let's talk about when Rainier does actually take Kings Landing slash Inherited Disaster, which is, as Chloe is titled this section. And I'm saying also, aka A.A. A.A. A.G.G.G.O.N. Tax Policy episode. Finally, finally someone did it. No, literally. I am so glad that you're saying that because that's what I was thinking the whole time. Like, this is what he's talking about. People misunderstand that whole quote from George about it. Like, what he's saying is, these are the menial things he doesn't always show. And what, you know, Sarah has and Claire Kielner have shown us is that. But they've made it in such a. a way that, like, is political and a way that is thrilling through the audio and visual design. And we start to really get that feeling of, you know, politics and managing a kingdom kind of requires strategy and planning. And what Reneira is walking into is a castle that has been ignored quite a bit because there has been a great conflict between these branches of this house. I don't know if you've heard of it. But this place is like not being up kept correctly.

The people of the city have been starving from the blockade that, yes, Reneira did kind of impose for war. She did tell that shit a little. Cough, cough, cough. And I love that kind of, that audio and visual design gives that cue to us seeing she's overwhelmed, right? She's so overwhelmed that she's making these impulsive choices and decisions and trying to attack everything as it's coming. to overwhelm her. And that opening scene with her is also such a great scene to show that dichotomy of where her and Damon's characters are throughout all of this, because she is out here overwhelmed with the politicking and with the actual kind of stewardship of the city that no one

is doing and her lack of support and no one that she can trust, right? Like she's realizing she can't trust anyone. They keep showing that to her every episode. But she's speaking to Damon and write about, she's monologuing. It's, oh my God, it was the most Stanis Barathean, welcome to Westrose moment. I was also like, so Stanis. Davis was like, what are we going to do about the rats?

And Stannis was like, when I was a child, I was watching my bird. When I was a child, I was eating the rats. Yeah, but actually, no, literally, that was Stannis' childhood. That was Stannis' childhood. It was still kind of funny, though, despite it not being a joke. Yeah.

I loved her. I actually, I felt very, I had a lot of very sadness in my heart for her when she was like speaking about her father and her mother and, you know, monologing kind of about the good ghosts that she's seeing to, not just the bad ghosts that she sees, which we see also. Oh my eye. It's bringing like a fucking tear to my eye now. It's very emotional. And she's looking off in the distance and it's like the most Shakespearean monologue and Damon's like, anyways, back to the war. Back to the real thing that matters. So we actually are starting to see her also kind of

Something that I was seeing throughout the episode is a lot like her father Right, as they said Vesaris lived in a world that we were not in None of us were in that world, but so is she Yeah, let's talk about that in a bit Because I'm not sure I completely understood that line And I want to ask about it But I will say like, you know, you're talking about like

The incompetence of everything that she's like Sat come into and everyone just piling stuff and she can't really trust anyone. You sent me, you sent me this tweet by Carl Logan underscore saying this episode feels like Veep, but in Westeros, lo. We did it. And that is what it was happening, you know? Rainier is just two steps away from saying the level of incompetence is staggering.

It's staggering. Just like, and, you know. Yeah. Yeah, that's like where we're almost at. She doesn't know how to delegate, though. She doesn't know how to. Like, agreed, but she doesn't. doesn't know how to delegate. And she can't trust anyone also. So there's that. That's also a problem.

Yeah. It's interesting because it is something that we discussed during like the Circe chapters where like, yeah, she hasn't been taught how to delegate. But at the same time, how was she ever going to be able to? Like she wasn't in a position where people would listen to her and take orders from her in that way. But at the same time, like, I guess she could have like done some stuff like trying to run the household. Like, you know, Allison essentially does. But yeah, I don't know. kind of rough because we see the way her small counsel has treated her, right? You know, I don't want to, to your point, like, I'll come to it when we speak a little more about the Vassara stuff, maybe, but I do feel that she is not ready for this rule.

She also hid herself away on Dragonstone for a decade. But it is so stannis of her. Yes. Like, so think of him, right? He does not have the necessary skills or people skills. There's something she's doing in this episode that's so fun, which is she like split screen, like one face, like her political face, her politicking face, her smiling and just, well, yes, but we can take care of this and I'm going to take care of this. And then she's hit with the reality and you see her fall apart and you see that face fall. you see her lord's face fall, right?

Yeah. So she's putting on an identity throughout all of this. Like even, you know, when she's, we're going to come through this with like her trappings of power or the way she speaks to Daron and she, or fake Daron, you know, when she introduces herself to him, everything she's saying is structured in like power and inheritance. I am your half sister and my father's heir to the throne. I am this person to you She's forcing her place into this structure She's pushing herself Like introducing herself as half-sister

Right? Like this family has no room for love It only has room for power And this is what she pictures power as But she's playing at it So while she's Stanna She's also readily in a way too Because she shirked her duty

In a lot of ways She didn't choose duty She chose love For me, I'm just kind of like To what extent was she pushed out? by Otto from being able to learn all that and Allison because like when you look at it it's actually kind of astounding how literally none of Vissarius's children are prepared for rule because...

Because he wasn't. He wasn't. Like I think like would Rainira like she could have I think made do if she had come into power during peacetime as was intended, right? Like probably been able to like keep things running and with like an actually competent small council that did listen to her. but like we see we juxtapose what it's like for her ruling

with like the opening of season two where Egan the second's ruling he's not doing a good job either and also no one listens to him Amon's a fucking lunatic like we're seeing what an Amon's rule looks like now and like in the second part of season two he's kind of crazy he's very much like Damon and I'm like

I don't know that these are good ideas you guys and then you also juxtapose that with like Helena right we've seen what Helena's rule looks like, literally at the opening of this season. She doesn't know how to do it at all. She's never been given any agency in her life. And she's like, what? I'm supposed to do this order.

And her mother's like, yeah, you're the queen. They'll listen to you. And she's like, uh, no one's ever fucking listened to me before. So literally none of them are prepared. Abs of freaking lutely none of them. He didn't prepare any of them. He didn't really care for it himself. That's true.

We'll get into some of the small council stuff, right? Like, I see her very clearly, like, just, like, her head and her hands and her small council is deteriorating in front of her already. And it's not even, like, all of them. I think it would probably be worse if all of them were there, maybe. Or maybe it wouldn't. I don't know. I saw someone described this episode in a tweet as, like, a horror movie. And I think that they are spot on and that it is, like, what they were evoking with the way that it was filmed and produced.

I feel like they tapped into that aesthetic for how they delivered it, the sorts of shots that they used and the lighting. But also every single time Rainira asks for like a new, like every single time someone asks Rainira for a new thing or like a new task gets added to her list. Suddenly like the background music does like this like dissonant like sound, right? And it brings it in just like a like a, like yeah, like this dispensable noise of like, what does it mean?

Very horror movie style. Or sometimes like there's a. moment of silence, finally like a peace, a peacefulness in the episode. And then someone like puts forth a new problem. And then the music comes back in and brings back that like frenetic energy. And the idea of it being a horror story, I think is really punctuated again with like you were saying that monologue that opens this episode, right? This is a place that's haunted. It is a haunted house. It's full of ghosts. Some of them good. But also you see like Jace wandering the halls. It's very like Macbeth and Banquo. I said it. I said it. And like even like,

like Bela standing there all creepy like even though she probably is actually there but Rainier's being very weird but yeah it reminds me too of you know the end of last season when Allison came to her at Dragonstone and she's like wow you seem high as shit bitch you speak as if from a distant dream that's what Reneera is doing here she's speaking as if from a distant dream Agen's dream or maybe even a dream of spring if you will Wow Rainier knows what happens in the seventh book Do you?

I'm not even going to comment on that Because I was there in 2019 When the books were written I didn't even think about it like that It's just crazy to me because Like, you know, season four is already written pretty much, I've heard. Ryan Condal said in some... The ink is dry.

Somewhere. The ink is semi-dry. They've written the scripts, bro. It's a semi. It's a semi. I mean, sorry, Reneer. You are probably going to die. You know, unless you get to, like, run away with Allison on Dragonback, that'd be cool.

Maybe the histories are wrong. You know, maybe Sarah Hess is going to get into it for us. I mean... Probably not. Well, here's something else that's probably not going to happen. A proper coronation. Rainier wants one to cement her legitimacy, which makes sense. But then Corleason Orwell revealed,

The Treasury is empty. Thailand, Lannister, moved all of the crowns gold before the city fell. And Rainier has now no money, no stable council, no Queens Guard, no bitches. That's a joke. She actually does have at least two. Two money bitches, actually. around here, around her. So good for her. And also a starving city. Not good for her. Yeah, things are bad. And her entire small council, like I said, is like Damon just bickering with comrade white worm.

Like, holy crap. And Reneer is just dissociating. It's comrade white worm, brough. I love that they were like, oh, the person that would know would be iron rod. And everyone's like, hmm, if only the impulsive person that tends to slap off people's heads. hadn't slapped off Ironrod's head with his sword. Oh, I get it. It's like how we impulsively killed our favorite twink Simon Strong. Yeah. There you go. There's your parallels. Okay.

I love it. Your Aiman, Damon, whatever. Yeah. It is a... You know, thinking more on it, there are a lot of things in this episode where Reneira is declaring, like, because of her legitimacy, she can't do that. because of this she can't do that. But legitimacy, legitimacy, legacy. Over and over again,

these are the things that Rainira is thinking about and keeping in mind and what her choices are rotating around. But like, maybe drawing out a political trial for Otto and Ironrod just for a day. I know they don't have much time since the host is outside the door, but like, you know, giving them a trial in front of the court and making them rehash their crimes and trying to maybe get information.

out of them before killing them. I mean, theater. Where is theater? And that's what I don't think Renera understands fully yet in ruling. She doesn't understand the theater of politics and that like you can make legitimacy. That's what Otto understood, right? He understood theater. He understood like, we don't have to kill everyone if we can play the theater and show our

politicking on a stage and then win the legitimacy via that. So I thought this was really interesting because all. last episode I was sitting there like, this is such a great episode, rock and roll. I love that Damon is beheading people. Like, that is fun. But as we see in this episode, it's not necessarily the right way to do things. To quote Sanzah and Aria in season seven, I'd rather die than do this, but I'm going to do this. You know, like, we don't just cut off people's heads that doesn't solve anything. I don't even remember this scene. It was something between them. I just walked it all out. It wasn't good and you shouldn't go back to it, but I figured we should use our Game of Thrones

Spoiler Policy once in a while. I am wearing. Do you even see what I'm wearing? Garrid said, um, not today. I'm literally wearing. Do you see, yeah, my Aria hoodie? What is that? Game of Thrones? They did, like, they did slap with that, I will say. Yeah. No, they did. Yeah. They probably should not have done the decapitation. It's interesting what you're saying about, like, the whole theater stuff, because, like, It's as though, like, Otto understood that, right? That's why he gave that, like, impassioned speech to Egan the second of, like, we bought, like, everyone's sympathy with your son's blood and shit, and Mizarria is the one who understands theater here, right?

And then Corleys understands the other stuff, like, we'll get to in a bit. Yeah, Rainira, she doesn't have much thought for theater, which is very, it's also very stannis of her. No, it is because she does feel very just about it all. Like, no, this is just what it is. And it needs to happen that way. Which isn't, I get it, but I mean, that's the other thing. You get the legitimacy for Otto's crimes on a stage, right?

You put him on a stage and you have him saying, you know, well, you did this because you plotted to steal my birthright. There you go, everyone. We have held the trial for Otto. He has been found guilty. He has stolen my birthright. You know, like, these are the things that by just hacking at them, they no longer can answer, which makes the people not believe you necessarily, but rather fear you. Yeah, it sucks because she was put in a very difficult position, right? She's put, like, as we discussed last episode, into position where there's another kind of theater that she had to live up to, which is that theater of, like, masculinity of, like, are you able to kill?

There is. So, like, what do you choose? Do you choose that or do you choose what actually would have been justice, which, you know, you talked to earlier this episode and joking about will Elion be brought to justice? Probably not. For her crimes of criticizing last episode's title. But this comes up a lot in this episode. The idea, like, I think it's very pointed. I will never have justice, you know.

Well, that, but she uses the term. But what crumbs? mercy. She uses mercy a lot throughout this episode. She says, no, I will show them no mercy. Or like, they will see my mercy. I will show them mercy. She says it at least three times in this episode. And the only time, like, justice is really brought up is like, as you were saying, she feels she will never get it. And so, like, what does, when you think about the context of mercy and the rest of a song of ice and fire, you and I have discussed it extensively throughout all of our POVs, right? Mercy is death. Mercy is the gift of mercy. Mercy. as like presented as the opposite of justice in some ways. Like mercy is not something earned. And then also the whole Catholic view that George grew up with of mercy and religion and faith. But also like we see what the dragon's mercy looks like in De Nerey's storyline.

And it's not very merciful all the time. So I think like what does it mean that mercy is coming to the forefront as a theme in this book? It's like I know that like they're at odds now. And I hate that my parents are fighting, but, like, Ryan Condal, like, did understand this theme. We are getting themes in Hot D. It's rather nice. I think there's a lot of it to come of that same discussion of, like, justice and mercy and what it is. You know, Reneer is making these split decisions and claiming what she's doing is mercy.

But it comes back to, like, you know, not everyone maybe understands why you're doing those things, right? We understand. That's true. I know what Rineer has been through. I've been watching it. We went when the schools were open, you know? Yeah, but they closed the schools. They closed the schools.

There's no money for it. Thailand took all the money for the schools. Reneira, I missed you, friend. It's not a week. We're here. Wow. Rineira very flippantly decides that she's going to offer Harenhall to whoever slays Amand. Oops.

There are so many moments of this episode where I was sitting on the couch. My first watch with this episode was with my parents and my roommate, which was good. There were some face and phone playing solitaire moments where then there were questions. Like, well, didn't he say this? And I'm like, no, he literally said the opposite. And it's literally in the subtitles on the screen that's in front of your fucking head. And your face was in solitaire. But it was rather enjoyed.

My parents did enjoy it. My dad went to bed after 10 minutes. My mom loved it. That's good enough. My second watch was with my two friends who were with us but went to bed before the episode went. What did I'm going to bed? We had a long day. We had, well, the day before it was long. That friend tried to alcohol poison us. Oh, word. That sounds like her. Yeah, that is. It was crazy. There was a monster that she was trying to get out of her. Apparently, she was definitely doing something. But they watched it. And she has read a Game of Thrones. And that's it. She has not read the rest yet. She's going to go out of class.

next, but they rather enjoyed it too. And then I had a third watch today on No Sleep. So there must be a third. No, I knew it because my middle watch, you'll appreciate this. My best friend's TV has been going for many years. So the actual lights inside the TV are starting to let go. And so her TV is like, it looks like a fucking aquarium. It's like blue and green and like weird yellow lights.

So first of all, I can't even tell her what color the dragons are. like, say, like, do you see the blue dragon? Because no, no, she doesn't see the blue or the green or the red. It's incredible. We're trying to crowd fun and get her one for her birthday probably because it's really, it's really hurtful to everybody that has to go there. Yeah. I'm kind of concerned that she doesn't know what color is anymore.

But they were very into it as well. So my third watch has helped me catch a lot of things, like what color things are. The equivalent of watching on your phone, but with color. Earlier, we mentioned Reneer has no Queens Guard, really, because the guard that was there were all traitors, and they're not going to, you know, and all the rest of hers have kind of died or, like, betrayed her as well. So Luther Largent, repeat has said this is not his job

and has become literally her personal assistant. That is either going to go very poorly. or very well. It could go either ways for Harwin Jr. There's no way. She's going to fuck him. She's got to fuck him, right? I think she's,

that sounds like the right thing to say. I was about to be like, no, that's like an abuse of power. But then I was like, I don't know. I like his energy. Also, you know, he's the one that's rumored to potentially have pushed Helena out of the window. I don't love that energy. I don't think he did. Yeah.

The same Helena who was in that room, which we're about to talk to him, was like, I don't want to be in this room. And I'm like, well, you're going to get out of it one way or another. Yeah. I'm worried for Luther Largent in one way or another because he is becoming too important at work. He's wearing a lot of hats, even though he said that's not my job. It's a startup now. She has him doing so much. Like, when she was like, and bring Joffrey back so he can begin being my heir.

Wow. Yeah, Joffrey. Aw, I don't know. I just remember Joffy. Yeah, okay. My friend, who was it? Someone, one of the two people that I watched was like, what, Joffrey? Why is that kid named Joffrey?

I was like, don't you remember? No one, how? No, open the schools. Open the schools. We're forgetting our queer history. I'm like, he's named for Lainer's lover. It was so meaningful. I love that.

Yeah, not to them. Yeah. Anyways. Casuals. It was like four years ago, I guess. That's fair. That's absolutely fair. Okay, I do have like a question, you know, not to be like, as I am, you know? I'm just like the way I always am, essentially.

And this is something that like I really thought about more after doing, like, that coverage of the CERCPOV because again, we're a POV podcast. Would everyone, would all of these people have felt as welcome to directly come to Rainira with all of these issues if she would. were the king, right, and not the queen, right? Because, like, who actually manages the issue of the lack of candles? Let's be fucking real. I've never seen anyone be like, Fiseries, we don't have enough tallow candles, right? That's something that might go to the queen, right? Or, like, a lady of the house, and not, or a castling.

It would go to maybe a castling or someone like that, not directly to the queen. Well, they don't have those people is I think the issue. That's true. And that was an issue in book as well, right? Like, she doesn't have the right quantity and quality of people to her cause. She has some really strong folks, like Corliss, who she offends in this episode. So it's going great. And that's something that I'm really seeing.

Like, you know, this would be a great time to pull up maybe a more minor noble lord to be your castell in and come to court and help manage things. If you knew any, oh, there is a room of them, and you do punish them later. Like, I'm not saying that she needs to bring those people up, but it is slim pickings for her right now. So she gets very lucky.

We'll get to it of Torin Manderly here in a bit, right? But like, she doesn't have anyone, and she clearly isn't able to delegate. the people at her small counsel, she can't trust to do anything right, except like, Misaria. And even that is like, Misaria, you're one person. Your ulterior motives are out there, too. Yeah, that's true. And I like her ulterior motives, Comrade White Worm.

Like, I love her ulterior motives, but she does have ulterior motives that are not fully benefiting the queen. Because, yeah, the small folk can do a lot of shit. They can kill a bunch of dragons, that's for sure. The small folk aren't what prop you up as the dragon gods that you are, though. No, yeah, I agree. I was like, there's got to be a balance here of what we're prioritizing. And let's talk about that with queens and chains. Yes, the queens in chains.

Allisonton Chains. Oh, a great band. Good band. I am excited that we have this in their little apartment. This was an intense scene. Reneira, look, you know, when someone shows you who they are, believe them, Alison. No, I'm just kidding. Reneer does snap.

She comes in, she questions Allison about the whereabouts of Agan and Aiman and Vagar and the missing gold. How much, how much, how many, how many. And Allison's like, I was kept out of the real plotting. You get that, right? Like, I was just a figurehead. I don't know where the shit is. They don't even like me. Hell, the guy that knows where the gold is that you killed.

Like he was just trying to assault me. Don't know. Not sure. He didn't tell me. And then Allison suggests something kind of quote unquote brilliant for the moment. A lot of compensation here to try to get herself out of trouble, as usual. It's just like even saying it. This has to get sexy at some point.

She suggests declaring Egan dead. Since he's burnt, hidden, politically weakened. Hey, this isn't going to have any later consequences, is it? Uh, uh, it also it just makes. me think like, oh, okay, this is a, this is like, is this a young riff callback? Exactly. This entire episode is about impostors. Do you see what I mean?

It's all about proposing these claims and that, like, you know, anyone can just call themselves whatever these days. I mean, look at Ulf. Yeah. Look at them. This is why she said no to Corlitz, you guys. This right here is why. Not because I don't think it was just because, but this is really why, because her

legitimacy is contested. And unfortunately, it's going to be contested for something she did, which is open up dragons to everyone. Yeah. And also having the bastards. But, I mean, I'm on the bastard side personally. Yeah, same. I mean, like, I mean, can we really help it that, like, all the bastards are so hot? Like, what do you want me to, like, say?

There is something in bastard blood that just, like, most of us hot, so hot. I don't know what to say. It was just like that. Yeah, I will say like, regarding the, I just want to call out that my partner absolutely loved Allison's line of like, will you only blame me for the decisions made by men or something like that? I'm not quoting it verbatim because I didn't actually pull it into our notes for this episode, but just wanted to grab it for all of you. Yeah, so as you said, she's going to accept it. I did like the flash on, I will, I wonder if this will have consequences. The flash on Helena's face of being like, wait, mom did what?

agreed to do what to my brother, husband? Feel that Helena is getting a lot of screen time, a lot of lines in the last couple episodes before Ryan Condal murders her in front of me. Which is painful for me specifically and no one else in the universe I am being discriminated against,

but I'm kind of like, could it be more meaningful? I don't know, but there's something in there, right? Like especially with Allison in the last episode, kind of manipulating her to give these orders. and it seems there isn't as much communication between her and her mother about the plan. What is the plan?

No one's ever told Helena the plan about anything except for the universe. The universe has shown its plan. Helena, I'm serious. Somebody's got to tell her. Tinfoil. This is like really sad, though. Helena wishes to leave the room and wants to go live inside of Dreamfire. Yeah, brand style.

Yeah. Or Baramir's I imagine I imagine that's what she's doing most of the time, right? It's like she's probably just chilling with Dreamfire in her brain. Yeah. So that's like the tinfoil. I will put part of this episode.

I like it. Reneira accepts this whole strategy to dismiss any future Egan as an imposter. Again, this will not have later consequences. Reneura keeps Allison confined, but not mistreated and says that they'll, you know, have a maid and oh, Helena, you'll get to see your child every few days for an hour or two. That felt like Reneira was choosing it out of pettiness for her own situation. Like especially when you have the line from Allison of like, so I am just to remain here until one of my sons turns up dead or until you can figure out my sons are fucking dead.

That's what she meant by that line. Like, yes, they pre-agreed that Allison was going to have her freedom for Agan. But like the point is that Allison did not fulfill that part of the bargain. It's not her fault, as we know. Agan's not there, which poses a giant problem for Reneira. So, yes, Allison, that is your position. You now have to sit as a prisoner waiting until your sons are found dead and Reneira's challenges are removed to her claim. Even that, though, you know, like both of them maybe thought they could go, as they said.

and no, you didn't fulfill that part. Yeah. And I think she kind of knew, like, it was kind of a long gamble. But, like, it's fine. Like, it could turn out to be really sexy. Like, this could be, like, Catlin and Jamie. Absolutely. It could be really sexy.

If we try hard. No, I'm joking. It's not sexy to assault your prisoners or have sex with your prisoners. But, like, it could, I'm just saying. B, no, I'm joking. I all know that they were girls together. We get that really great. You know, later she comes back and they have another conversation at the end of the episode.

And I just wanted to highlight, I really loved that speech from Allison on ruling and forcing a part of yourself off and how that will lead to terrible things you never thought you could do. Well, guess what? You've begun them. Yes. It's happening. And like, I think that is ultimately a lot of what a song of ice and fire explores as well. But like, this is also the scene where she says, like, Viseries lived in the world of his own

like you and I have never stepped foot in it what did that mean? I think it was especially So this is my interpretation Wow, this is just my interpretation and combined kind of with what Damon said as well about Viseris Veseris was a dreamer not just in dragon dreams

he was living in a fake world where reality wasn't true not unlike Reneira a little bit in this episode in some aspects like when she's off monologuing, staring into the distance to Damon. Viseris lived in a world where he thought that it would never come to what it's come to today. He thought that Acedia, much like like Robert Braffian, for example, doing nothing, would stall the conflict in his life always. He did not seek conflict or confrontation.

He did not do conflict or confrontation. And characters like Allison are the ones who have lived in the reality, cleaning up the actual messes while he just lived his life kind of in a haze of it all. So I don't know, that's what I took as an interpretation, if that makes sense, that like, you know, I think of the small councils and I think of, for example, how we saw Renera in this episode sitting there kind of looking off in the distance and while they're sniping about all these little tribunal things, she's like, has Bayliss seen Vagar out of nowhere? You know, and like, just like in a different world, not focused on the same things.

everybody else is actually dealing with the reality and he's on a different level, different plane. I think what you said makes sense to me and it's like what it should mean. I think I was really confused because the way that that scene framed it and that exchange felt as though that they were saying, Viseri's living in his own world was what made him such an exceptionally good ruler. And I was like, but what was he? Like everyone keeps being like, what would this series do? He was so good. He knew what to do.

And I'm like, did he? He didn't, though. I think that's the real truth. Yeah, but everyone still has him on like this pedestal, right? And I think because like there was peace. But like, as you said, I'm like, I see the line of like him being in his own world as, as you said. Like, he's detached from reality. Like this isn't going to fucking work.

But it was framed. feel in that delivery as being like, he was apart from us and was able to like do that well. And I was like, maybe I misinterpreted the delivery. The only other interpretation I would also give is like mayhap's, a different world of like conflict that they would never know as a ruler. They would never know what he was actually dealing with. And not saying necessarily he did deal with it well, but like that he was on another plane because of what he had to deal with, which makes sense too.

And also, I mean, then you have the assidia of him doing nothing. Yeah. Because of that. Like, he was in shock. He was, you know, not unlike like Ned. When his siblings died, like, Ned, I mean, that's a great kind of parallel when we look at, like, the political education and the education that those children, the stark children needed before going to King's Landing. and being put into the viper pit that they didn't have, that Ned, you know, didn't ward them out.

He didn't let them leave. He didn't let them learn out of fear. Which makes sense with like the series's grief as well from the loss of. Exactly. His wife and Baylon and. Yeah, his father and his son. And then like, I guess the other members of the family too preceding him, right? Like they used to be so numerous and now they are so few.

And it makes sense. Like, are they saying like there was a. a different, like, part as well that held that grief. And, like, it's interesting that you connected with Ned and that part of him. It also even makes me think of, like, Tywin having, like, a different part of him that none of his children

no one could ever touch. Right? That perhaps even only Joanna did, but which made him, you know, a very active ruler, I guess, in many ways. So, I don't know. I was just, like, kind of baffled by that line. I think the first thing

that you said is, like, what makes the most sense to but there's a lot of ways. Yeah, I just wasn't sure. That's why I needed you to explain it to me. I love mansplaining things to you, girl. I know. There's a lot of things where I'll be like, Chloe, I don't know what this means. Lord Bloodraven, is this true?

Yeah. I've been saying that a lot in my life now ever since because you keep bringing it up. And no one knows when I'm like, is this true? When I texted you the other night, I want you to understand. I texted Eliana everyone the other night, and I said Lord Blood Raleigh. And then I said, is this true? And she texted me back saying, I just said this. I was absolutely drunk when I said you back.

I think I was really drunk too also when I replied to you. What day was that? I think it was Saturday. Yeah, no, I was drunk by that point. Yeah, that was when my friend that I aforementioned was trying to kill me with alcohol. Yeah, I was the friend trying to kill everyone with alcohol. That doesn't surprise me now that you say it. Well, let's talk about the faith.

Let's talk about, because we got to have faith, faith, faith. I was just thinking of the exact same thing. I was all about to be like, you got to have faith. And that is what he said. That is what the high septent said. Yo, this scene fucking slaps. This scene. Incredible.

Fucking good. I didn't even like imagine this. I didn't even imagine that Ryan Condal was like the faith should be involved in this show. I didn't give a shit about the faith of the set. It's a Feast for Crows. I mean, this is one giant Circe chapter, Danny chapter, right? Like, we've spent how many fucking chapters

with De Neri's who has tried to reconcile the common folk in where she's ruling as well as the noble folk and the slavers and the evil people? And, like, she's also having these same struggles as Reneer is having in her chapters. And Circe too, right? Like, this is one straight up Circey,

paranoia, Feast for Crows chapter. So it makes sense. that we open here, this scene with the faith, and Reneira asking for the high septent to anoint her publicly. His name's Saptan Balman, but I was like, is this Eustace? Like, for a minute, I was like, is this septon Eustace? Encourage the cowardly dog. I mean, he was in the capital for a while.

I was rereading fire and blood in my terrible last two days at the airport that I've been having. Oh my God. And he's in there. He refuses without proof that. He can't dead and he's like, don't make an enemy of the faith. Then he gives an amazing fucking little monologue about how dragon power is not divine proof. Dragons are profane and destructive and they do not plant trees, is what I heard from him. They do not create, he said.

I, all I'm saying is like, I'm not saying that Ira and Ryan listened to our podcast, but I'm not not saying it either because, You and I never, like, shut up about, like, the importance of the faith and how religion's going to come to the forefront in regards to, like, the plots of the winds of winter. And I'm just saying it's delivering. It's giving. I mean, I was thinking the whole time, like, yeah, we're getting Magor with Teets. That's what they're showing us.

They're showing us why people called her that, whether true or not. I will say, like, I saw someone online. What was it? It was either on Reddit or Twitter, and, like, someone was like, wait, they called her that for the tax policy? And yes, they did not call. They did not call the man who, like, slaughtered everyone at Harinhal and in the Riverlands, Magor. They called her that for the tax policy. Yeah, it is how they say the ogeny of myths.

You know, the ogeny of myths. Also, I told you that the Shep's coming, bro. He's out there. Like, did this not tell you the Shepherds coming? I know. You were, no, when it happened, I was like, okay, Chloe's right. And honestly, this is a perfect. This is a perfect setup.

Such a good setup. And, you know, it's Target exceptionalism, right? The Seven, Target Exceptionalism, what Old Town is standing for? I've been really, I'm impressed with how they're wrapping this in with Lord Armand High Tower because that's important too, right? Like he and how the high towers are with the faith is very, very critical and shows you a little more of why Reneer is in a sticky situation with the high towers surrounding her. Yeah, not to put you on the spot, Chloe, but because you can do this better than me,

I know it. Can you remind our listeners what Targaryen exceptionalism is and the doctrine of Targaryen exceptionalism? Why, Eliana, of course, I can talk to you about the doctrine of exceptionalism. doctrine of exceptionalism is basically a precept. King Jahars 1 worked out with the faith so that they would tolerate the Targaryans continuing to fuck. Incessuous marriages. Yeah, you're fucking each other.

So King Jaharis and Septim Barth and Septuart and Septuelswik all came together. And the people that support this doctrine are called Exceptionalists. But basically it says that the Faith of the Seven was born in Andalos. So the laws laid down there were like, incest is bad, but the doctrine of exceptionalism is like, we agree that this is bad, but we are not like other men. We ride dragons, and we're the only ones that do that since the doom, and we aren't into the Andalosi thing. So this is how we do it in Valeria with each other.

And basically, it was just like a shake of the hand, like, yeah, I agree you're wrong, but we're going to accept your religion. And one of the key things is like, you know, we're immune from common illness and da-da-da-da-da. and we're better than everyone and we're not actually like real humans. So really, realistically, it was like supposed to smooth it over when Jake and Allie got married. Yep. That was the doctrine of Targaryan exceptionalism. And I think like, I mean, I'm just, I'm being like so annoying about this episode.

I don't care, whatever. I think there's a lot of stuff that was really well done in how this episode ties back to those foundations laid during that reign of, I love how you said Jehry's the first. We do have a Jehry's the second who is cut out, cut out. in the show lore pretty much. Yep. But he was there. He was there. He was there.

And he has like six fingers or some shit. And this is regarding the tension between the way that they weave the faith into this reminds you of that tension between Magor and the faith. And then later, Jaharis and Alassan and the faith. And then also, I think it's good to remind us that the faith has not always been very much aligned with the Targaryens. And it explains why. I mean, it explains a lot of things. It explains why Egan fashioned, like, the seven kingdoms when they were really nine. And to an extent it explains why he was like, okay, I guess I'll be king, even though he might have been sterile.

Because they would not accept it, you know, this female, the female claimants, right? It's also about, like, lying in order to keep ruling. Yes. It's about the lies. It is. It is. And I don't know. It's really good.

And also, like, that the high tower thing against the Targaryans goes way back. But also, another way, like, that they really tied it well. Like, we'll see later when we talk about the banquet and stuff. Like, Rainier uses the language of describing herself as a conciliator. And, like, oh, that's a Jahari's callback. So. And to be fair, you know, as we go into that, to be fair, like, he did threaten people with his dragon quite a bit. No, he really did.

They did do a lot of that. So did Maygor. They call him a conciliator, but he was, like, Like here's the deal. We're going to do what we want or I'll eat you with the dragon. She should be like a serving cunt cilator, you know? And that's like, what we should be doing? What's wrong with you? So much. Oh my God. Let's go to the dragon seeds and Corliss admits Alan and Adam are his sons and Reneers like had no clue about that. And we're all like, have you been watching, girlfriend? She's been busy. She's ruling. She's wearing too many hats.

So at this fancy dinner, he names Alan his heir, and he's like, so you need to legitimize them, by the way. And Reneer's like, oh, yes, they're very strong boys, but I can't legitimize them. And that's how that ends for the moment. We will come back to that in a few. Had to mull it over, right? She's got to mull it over. So then, Damon goes and knights the dragon seeds. Adam, Hugh and Ulf.

Adam, though, doesn't even get to choose his own name because she, declares him Adam of whole. It was kind of awkward. And also it like broke my heart to see Adam sad like that and like Cress fallen. And I was like, how could you do that? To my boy. To. That is your friend.

My son, Adam. I was very sad for you in that moment. I know. It's also, again, we've talked about all the reasons why she has not declared to do so. but that scene specifically was very sad. And I love the way that behind the throne or whatever the fucking show is called, since I can't say it right, the house, the dragons rocked and rolled in. We talk about the costuming and how, you know, they talked about how the costumes were basically, they were supposed to look like, you know, they dug around at Dragonstone and chose their new people and who they are, their new personas. Which is so great because you have this like very critical clinching of who Reneer is allowed to be.

now and she's put herself in this box this whole episode and the dragon seeds are reinventing themselves. They're new people right. Ulf the white and Hugh the Hammer and Adam of Hull and Adam is wearing a very Targaryen looking outfit with like very um there's this

like overcoat thing that supports his cloak and it's very diagonal harsh angles the valerian kind of cut across the chest and angled metal discs underneath and you look at Hugh the hammer and I thought this was a fun callback that his armor,

his very polished ornamented armor, which he's a blacksmith. So of course he would have chosen kind of distinguished armor. But it also kind of looks like some of the characters' outfits in Game of Thrones, like Braun, right? Who was a lowborn, he rose very high in the story. Or that kind of armor look of those characters in the story, though. It's similar to that.

And then, of course, Ulf, my poor baby, Ulf, that's my boy. I really feel bad for him, actually. I do. I get that it is very funny that Damon's being mean to him because I think it's funny. But there's a lack of Ulf the white support out there in the fandom. I feel like right now people are just laughing. And I'm like, yo, that's you. That would be one of us bitches.

But his outfit he chooses is very stately noble velvet and very kind of luxurious and rich, kind of a doublet. And I thought that was interesting because he doesn't choose for battle. He chooses for what he wants, right? So you have, like, Adam who has a Valerian dragon riding outfit on. And he's very much into that look and, like, already into the culture. He is that. You have Ulf, who is wearing what he wants, which is the glory. He wants to be dressed nobly.

He wants respect because he's never received any respect in his life. And he's certainly not receiving it now. and then Hugh, who chooses something kind of tactical in some aspects that represents who he is, but also who he's becoming. So very transformative outfits. I just, I don't understand, like, why they're being so mean to Ulf. Like, Ulf seems like I like Ulf. Like, I've seen him in season two, and I think he's, like, a perfectly chill, nice guy. Why we got to bully Ulf?

I mean, he's kind of an asshole, but, like, so am I. he's not like I guess he is and he isn't like it's very much you know someone else also like in like this episode to succession it's like how you know when Tom Wamskans

tells Greg something like you can't like have that kind of bag and all this stuff like there are all these like small like unspoken rules of how you signal class and all has never been taught those right like and I don't and he I don't think he should be made fun of for it Like, he's just, you know, there are definitely ways that I've, like, absolutely.

Fopod. Fopod when it comes to, like, class or whatever. And, like, who fucking cares, you know? Like, I can't tell you the right fork, but I probably could, I guess. But, like, you know, that kind of thing is not something that he knows. And I will say, it looks like there are stills that have come out for next week, because that's what we're recording. We're at that time.

There's stills out. And it looks like he gets to see his friends soon. Ulf gets to see his bar friends. I know people who understand him But I'm sad and concerned That they're going to be like No we can't be friends with you now that you're cool So like he's gonna also kind of shadow and reflect

Reneura in that way That is so interesting that he fits into neither world In terms of the class Yes Oh okay love We love old Oh I meant themes But also that

Yeah he's deep He's deep He's deep because he does have that dragon that listens to him. And they created him. He is one of the bigger ones, too. This all, obviously, like, how they treat Ulf is never going to come back and be a consequence. So we don't have to talk about it.

I thought it was fun that they were doing this nighting ceremony in this, like, courtyard we've seen quite a few times, right? Like, I think it feels sort of like a continuation or a callback to the scene where, young Rainira essentially chooses Kristen Cole to join the King's Guard, right? It happens in the same place. She was on the balcony before and someone becoming part of like the station, receiving this honor, knighthood and all that stuff. And it feels also like, is it a mirror in that Ulf and Hugh will also become turn cloaks as Kristen did when he was risen up in this courtyard? RISN. like R-I-Z-R-I-Z Riz. Oh, Riz. He doesn't have very much Riz, Chris and Cole. No, he doesn't.

Oof does, in my opinion, but I guess not amongst the highborn. Only with me. I think Ollf's fun. Yeah, I would have a beer with O'LF. For sure. I love that you've called back the Kingsguard. Like, I think, like, there's so many little shadows going on of, like, season one, right, in this castle. I love what they're paralleling.

And once more, yeah, the courtyard, sherb. but another lack of theater. Servants were around and Damon and Renira. And not that she would have needed to, but you could appease Corlis by doing a big ceremony and showing his son, his acknowledged son, getting knighted. And also to the world, like you should be presenting that these are the dragon riders

that the dragons have bonded with that are part of your legacy. There's something I keep hearing said of like, Reneira has six dragons and it's going to be really clear that that's not true. She doesn't have six dragons. Reneira has one dragon and what happens when the five riders

of the six dragons all are sick of Reneira and leave one by one and oppose her. What happens then with those dragons? She doesn't have any dragons. But not Adam because he's loyal. Because he's loyal, you know.

And, you know, To be fair, not really Damon because, you know, he loves a hateful woman. Wait, that's Jamie. I don't know. Yeah. She wants all this legitimacy, but she like doesn't give events surrounding that legitimacy. This is a perfect moment to legitimize her reign and say, now we are going to celebrate these guys in front of court. These guys.

It's very clear. Like, I know it's giving broke already because she's broke, but like, you know, you couldn't even up a sharkootery tray. Just a little something. You know, instead of the, the private dinner is very esteemed with Corliss where he asked you to legitimize them, but there's a way to appease them, right? There's a way to present to the world. Lord Corlis Valerian's son, who he has acknowledged is the greatest of all time,

and ye should be so proud. This is my hand of the king's son, and I am celebrating him publicly. Boom, you might buy yourself some time if you do shit like that. Yeah. And I think that's other thing. She has no time. She's out of time. I mean, it's kind of like, yeah, everyone just, like, expects her to solve everything in a week.

And it's like, everyone, chill. We just got here. We just, like, killed two people and all the other people outside the doors that we also killed. But especially those two people. Yeah. Chill. You know, it's kind of like, I don't want to say cheap, but it is. It's a cheap, like, you know, all these little things that should be celebrated

add up and they start to incur emotionally from these people. And they all start to feel slighted. And many of them do betray her. It's part of the politicking. Everyone needed to be more patient. Yeah. They don't have the internet. You don't need things to be that instant. No one's like, you know, checking every moment, what's going to happen? I mean, I guess they're starving. So that does suck. Yeah. And they also, many of them have given their entire lives, their relationships, lost their children in service to getting her on this throne. A lot of people are looking for her to pay up to the debts. I get it.

They should be doing it out of the goodness of their heart, but maybe that also begs the question, do we need to have a monarch? Yeah, but I'm also like, none of it is going to even happen that fast, even if it weren't anyway. So, I don't know, everyone needs to like, you know, give it like, I don't know, five to seven business days, Jesus. My God.

They need to do something, and she needs to get Hugh a house, dude. Yeah, I do wonder, I'm like, so where's everyone living? This is like so sweet life of Zach and Cody, right? Between the two, like, people that are in prison and then like, where is everyone else being posted up? Like, I don't know. It's not great. Not great. Yeah.

Roommates. Well, speaking of people, yeah, we've been talking about this already. Corleys is like, I would like to legitimize these two sons of mine. And he confronts her in the era. And then, like, he's like, why didn't she do it? and he calls out the hypocrisy around her own son's parentage, directly saying that Jace, Luke, and Joffrey were bastards. And, like, first of all, that's not true.

Second of all. And I could have your tongue for saying it, first of all. Yeah, no, you couldn't. And, yeah, as you said, right? Like, Rinear is trying to protect her own legitimacy by denying Adam and Alan theirs. It's kind of a difficult situation. And I will say, like, I'm fascinated.

that they're not doing the whole thing. Like, I guess they've decided Corleys will have less concern about all this and passing on the legacy. That's kind of what they want to do in regards to the emotional beat of that storyline. But I am interested that they're not doing the Lenore thing at all. I mean, it's only episode three, first of all. That's true. They could come to it as a sort of workaround of like,

led the court of Jimacy through it. It probably will be kept simple. Also, if you bring up Lainer, then everyone's going to be like, oh, yeah, Lainer, the guy with the dragon that no longer talks to him, but we don't know if he's alive or not, and that plot went, no, we don't know. They can't answer questions, so to your point, what's the easiest way forward? Our queer elders. Oh, my God. Open up the schools again. It's terrible.

I do wonder, and I would love to see a, you know, we've started to see a shrewd corlis, so more and more over the years. So I'd love to see if he gets shrewd and that's his solution instead that he pervades them about instead is that. But I think it's also a little late for that. So to your point, I think it's just going to be that they're his bastards. But it's too late. But I could see him getting shrewd about it. I'm torn on this one, right? Like, first of all, he was yelling that shit in a room next to some acoustics.

And the servants were looking at him wide-eyed. So that's going to start some rumors that were already there. probably a sad reminder for her on her first week back to the job. And look, he is right. It is the least she could do. Again, spectacle, theater, ceremony, you could get away with it. It would actually solve probably a lot of issues if you just stood on business and said, this is my platform.

But you've already opened the can of worms, right? Like, you've opened that can of worms already with the dragon riders and the dragon seed. So I don't know, Reneera. Like, I get it. I totally get it. it isn't good timing for him to have a late life crisis about the bastards he sired 30 years ago that he does like I'm sorry she doesn't want to throw a big bastard party right now for you okay I don't know I just imagine that Agan the second and his team may be interested in making those boys legitimate

oh yeah yeah I don't know it's interesting it's a it's a different like beat to this whole relationship and but I'm interested to see how it unfolds and yeah I mean she expects Corley's to kind of just fall in line which you know leads us to our next section when with the small folk petitions and the nobles ward and everything Rainierre finally gets a chance to sit in the throne room right and hear petitions from the commoners and the city is short on fleece meat, fuel, grain and most of all money and And I know there's a lot of talk about how, like, this episode finally, like, addresses, you know, like, what happens when a woman is on her period at work, right? Empowering through it anyway. And I didn't actually look into, like, whether the discourse around it was good or bad if people liked it or not. All I know is, I was like, oh, my God, she and I are the same because I got my period surprisingly that day, too. And I was like, oh, my God, it is so painful. It is so hard. And I do have to keep working. Yeah, I was like, oh my God, you guys, I was like recording an episode a few weeks ago.

And I was like, I was in so much pain. But like, we have to get it out, you know. It's our, it's our role. It's our weekly role. You know, and we do it. Been there. I've been on five ibuprofen cramped over going. And that's why John Snow.

And she's just, and she's trying to make it through anyway, right? She like tries to keep, she's more or less. keeping a pretty level head considering everything that's there. Well, but you know how it is. Like, they're used to men ruling. Well, yeah, they're used to men ruling and men are so emotional. So they're probably just used to that. Yeah, I find that discourse really silly.

I don't know what, I don't even know what people said. Oh, you know, the usual. It's misogynistic writing and they should kill Sarah Hess with hammers. Again, you know, that kind of shit. I'm like, is it? I'm like, is it? bags with hammers every time. I don't know. It's my thing right now. It's my vocal stim.

Oh, word. It's that tweet that's like, I know one thing. My friends would kill ET with hammers. What? Yeah, me and my friends would kill ET with hammers. And so, like, honestly, I've been doing that a lot. Just like anything is being killed with a hammer. Are they reviving that IP yet? Anyways.

I hope not. I hope not. Emmett would kill him. There is that discourse where, like, it's misogynistic fellows, I guess, to have a period. I rather liked the way it was worked in. It wasn't overtly mentioned. It was just a thing because it is just a thing. I kind of forgot she was on it until I saw the discourse. Yeah, like, AFAB folks, like, deal with it.

It sucks. And often, it can be worse for some than others, and they deal with it. And that was great. I enjoyed it. I thought it was a great little touch. It really wasn't that big of a deal, and that's what I liked about it. I was like, yep, short period. That happens to a bitch once a month sometimes, or more if you're like, some people

that have a fucked up cycle. For some people who also have a fucked-up song. Yeah, one of my friends, she gets it quarterly. Yeah, another one of your friends, who knows? Who knows? Now she has an IUD, so now she doesn't, yeah. Oh. Oh, yeah, that's what they should do.

You want Femianazi propaganda? How about we start putting some IUDs in this show, and then we'll fucking talk. Yeah, we melt down the iron throne and use it to make, no, I'm joking. My fucking God. I like this entire scene was great. Corliss stands in the same spot. Otto once stood telling Egan, no, you can't help the small folk. And he's telling Reneira, no, you can't help the small folk.

She is in the same position. I loved that. Nothing is fucking changed. It's the same cyclical fucking hell on this throne over and over, no matter who sits it. Interestingly, it again kind of comes back to the issue of the sheep, right? because Otto was telling Egan, you can't do that. We need the sheep to feed the dragons. And this is exactly the same.

They're like, well, the sheep can't, like, with the wool, and they can't be used as meat. And they can't hunt in the Kingswood as much for some things. But I was like, oh, okay, it's again, it all comes back to the dragons. That's the root cause of the fucking problem. Because they don't create. They consume. Fire consumes. It doesn't preserve.

Dragons don't plant trees. And that's the thing that's so crazy is like, here we have Madam Sylvie come in, right? And she's like, well, the wealthy, hoarded food while the poor starved. And Reniro's like, I'm going to get them, which we're going to go to soon. But like you said, why are the sheep really gone? Yeah. I mean, like, I think we could train the dragons to like dig holes and then we put trees in them. But there's a lot to think about.

Much to discuss. You called it out. Yeah, the Kingswood. And Renier is saying, well, why can't they just hunt from the rich people stuff? and Corliss being like, I don't think your friends that are nobles would also love what you've said, because, you know, the nobles keep the good hunt and don't give it to the poor. And by the way, I'm really sure this isn't going to birth a group of vigilantes known as the Kingswood Brotherhood someday. Never.

I'm like, is he nodding his head at the Kingswood Brotherhood to me? Is Ryan Condal, Sarah Hess, winking through the screen at me? I see, I'm winking back. I'm winking back right now. Do they see it? Mm-hmm. Not the Kingswood Brotherhood. I love that shit because... They might see it. Not that they listen to our podcast, but not that they don't.

And see, that's where I'm like Luther Largent's got a lot of jobs. What is she going to do next? Like, make him go out there and like work with the small folk about the Kingswood and negotiate. Like Arthur Dane did? Crazy. That's Sylvanus Sand again, baby. Just calling out. Madam Sylvie. We love her. Comrade Sylvie. So Misaria pushes her towards acting as a protector of the people while Damon has been at the council dismissing. this issue is whining, a disorder, and look, we can't help all the poor people. Very much I'm taking that Comrade Sylvie and Comrade Mizaria,

Comrade White Worm, playing a great game here to get some of that wealth moved out of the rich folks' hands. And I do think that Misaria has come to like and love Ranira in her own way as well. But she has her own motives. And then later in that council, she kind of looks around. and she says, Lord Corlis, is this true? Lord Corlis, what are your thoughts? And he's like, I defer to the queen, and she goes useless out loud in the council.

Surely that isn't going to have any consequences. Yeah, it wasn't the most graceful or tactful of things. I kind of wondered, like, did he say that and throw it back to her? Because he's, like, upset about the whole Valerian thing. Yeah, oh, he's pissed. He's absolutely pissed. But, like, that's not. Look, you compliment and praise in public, you scold in private.

That is not how we work this. This is like, it's not very girl boss of her is all I'm saying. No, that's true. You're right. And I guess it is like exacerbating. It's magnifying the way that she would like talk to her small council on Dragonstone while at the same time kind of like a consequence of it and how they didn't really truly advise her well.

Right? And Corliss, he is, he's different from them. He's not like them. He's not like the other small council members. That's true. He really is. He really is. He really is.

He really is. He really is. You're right. It was pretty shitty. He has a big pride and ego. I get it. But like he is an ally. You don't want to lose the pros of your entire regime and your, like, rebellion and

etc. Like all this shit has been weighing on the fact that you have Corlis and you have dragons. So you're starting to piss. those things off. Yeah. And they're going to go away. It is a little difficult too because in some ways like Corliss,

what he has now, his utility is, his ability as an advisor, right? Because part of it is he used to have utility and a lot more power before because he had a lot of ships and he had a lot of money. These are all gone. Yeah. So he has less leverage over Rainier and now as well.

Yeah. Well, let's talk about the rat pack. Oh my gosh. Yes, Reneira hosts a feast for the city's nobles. This would have traumatized Eliana if it was served to her because it would be an abomination. But instead of food, Reneira serves them rats and accuses them of hoarding provisions while the cominers starved. Gold cloaks raid their homes and seized stored food, which I was sitting here like, hell yeah. I think I literally just was like socialist queen and my friend just laughed.

No, amen, amen. And Reneer frames this as a duty to the crown. No, a joke. It does. Not Amand, it's Amen. It's not Amon, it's Amen, ladies. It does come off a bit robbery-e. You know, I mean, the breaking into the houses and stealing it yourselves, but I really respect the move.

It wins the small folk support, right, but does kind of make a room of nobles resent her a little more. And at the end of this scene, Sartoran warns her. because she meets Sir Torin Manderly. You might know him from the failed series of movies called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Other roles, too, but I just found that really funny. He warns her, by the way, it's very clever what you've done. And hopefully everyone keeps forgetting that you caused this whole shortage, right? Because you did a blockade.

It was you. Yep. It is a good reminder because I did like, yeah. Forget it a little. Also, as you, I was like, I was like, why do I know this man's face? And I had to look him up. And that's where it was, as you said, that's where it was from. Yeah, he's been in other stuff too, but I just thought it was very funny. He's good in this role. I like, I like this casting a lot.

I think he's a good actor. You might have talked about it like in Unleash the D. Our award-winning primer series. Sorry, not ours. Chloe's. I'm promoted to a series regular. Oh, man. getting executed now. It's always me. Thank you.

It is a hit series. It is always you. Yeah. You know, look, these are nobles, right? Like, I agree. They have great houses. Maybe not the biggest castles, but they all have their own keeps and castles and their own households.

But they're not like high lords. No, they're not. Ormond High Tower or Boris Barathian. They're not big lords. So these are more mercantile lords, a lot of them. And they all are crowners, right? Like, these are people who report straight to the crown. So if we're going to make the orb chart, you know, like you have people like your Terrells that manage the place and everyone reports up to them.

And then again, like you've been talking about delegation, you would talk to the Terrells and say, I don't like the way you're managing this. I, the queen, think you should not do it that way. Please fix it. And the Terrells would go to their vassals and say, hey, we got to. to fix this. And if there's dissent, they deal with it first before you deal with it. So all that said, you don't have that same luxury in the crownlands. And yes, all of this is coming from my KK3-A-Ga and K-2-A-Gat education. So thanks for listening. But she's turning to these guys who are maybe, you know, the upper middle class of the lords. They're not quite there.

and I think she is taking out a lot of that anger on them in some ways because again, she's doubly responsible for some of these shortages in some aspects. And the only reason this stuck out to me was when fake Darren told Reneera earlier, right, hey, my family are merchants. Like, they're lowly lord, like, they are not like high lords and like, they're merchants. They're not rich. they're being held my mom's being held hostage and like I'm being you know yeah they don't extorted because of it agreed like they're clearly like not they're not powerful lords right like and it wasn't right of them to do what they did but they she needs those allies this is as you said like they are directly reporting the crown acts as their lord in this area in this kingdom and Also, also reminded me a little, I don't know if this is meant to be inspired by that, but in a dance with dragons, Denari's a storyline, right?

Like, first of all, yes, it is good to redistribute the wealth of the slavers because it is terrible. Like, it is not truly theirs. It is stolen off the labor of like the slaves, et cetera, right? But at the same time, I kind of was like, is this a little bit inspired by that arc? and the way that denarius, because she doesn't have much funding or money as well when she comes into Marine, because they've burnt everything, she's left with nothing, there's no money, there's a fucking war with Yonkai again, and Asapur, like, as well, and suddenly there at war. So I was like, is this eluding or not alluding, is this like inspired by literally that storyline? That's what I thought this entire episode.

I was like, this is so Danny. Yeah. She's in an impossible place. She is. She needs to be extorting the great lords. Oh, yeah, that too. She should be extorting the great lords that are not paying their taxes because they're openly rebelling against her rule. But she can't. Which makes it a difficult part.

I mean, like, I guess that's the thing. That's what the fucking dragon is for, you know? That's what the money. I mean, the dragon is for. It does also make you think of, like, you were talking about, like, I mean, reindeer is a little, she is like, fucking this. up a little. It's a reminder of like she was not she was not the most skilled of politicians and diplomats when she was doing

her tour and trying to look for a husband back then when she went down to Storm's End. So yeah. I will say this is also a little bit in continuity as well with like, you know, Reineer. A lot of it is hearkening back to like the seeds of who we saw of young Rainier, right? When she was at that large banquet, her father

hosted with the Royal Hunt, speaking of for again the second's birthday, and they were talking about the Stepstones War and Rear Ray Niro was not like very diplomatic as well when she was talking to those other noble lords and ladies, right?

She kind of talked to them like they're stupid like this is how what we should do, you don't know anything, not really making friends and allies there either. Absolutely and it makes me too think of like not that she needs to please men, but Jason Lannister, right? Look at that entire shebang. All because men can't

handle rejection without a little murder or emotional outburst. No for real. He fought against her. I mean, he's dead now, thank God. But, you know, that is, um, she does not bend. She's very fiery. She does not bend. She's got to be an Aries son when you really start to think about it. And she also wasn't She didn't really learn to bend. Her father didn't teach her things. Her father didn't teach any of them things. He taught no one anything. Anything.

How not to do things. I guess he started teaching her. But didn't mean to teach Allison. What? You don't want to assign guardianship to a girl at court under you that you're going to marry? Man. All right. We're in the final count here, folks.

Real quick, love the Damon Conquest scene where he's telling them, like, hey, you're thinking too small. Why bag for gold when we could conquer Dorn? Okay. Assos, the free cities, and more. They're gods, not politicians, he says. He didn't say that. Reneira kind of calls it like petty piracy,

and he's like, no, it's our birthright. We were meant to burn across the whole globe. And also, we get that call of him being like, hey, your dad, which I've come to terms with it, also my brother, he sucked kind of. Like, he renounced his dragon. He didn't embrace being Valer. We could be real old Beleria bringing it back all over again.

Could we? He did, he did, like, say something about them being gods, and that did stand out to me because of the exceptionalism thing that we saw, like, harkened to a lot here. And also, it is talked about, right? Like, it's mentioned in a song of vice and fire regarding, like, the dragon kings had wed, brother to his sister, but they were blood of old phlearia.

And like their dragons, the Targaryans answered to neither gods nor men. And there is another line. I didn't pull it. I'm sorry, where they are spoken of as gods. And that's the whole, goes back to the whole power thing that we discuss all the time. We've definitely discussed this during our POV reread multiple times. And I don't remember which one.

But you guys should just listen to the whole thing again. We're not going to, but you should. And if you're, some of our listeners have, and I love them for reminding me of what I've said. or maybe I don't, I don't know. It's fun. And it does tie in very well of like, what does it mean to be a god, et cetera, with like the faith coming to the forefront and believe.

How can I be a god dealing with questions about candlesticks, you know? Yeah, for real. And even like Rainierre being like, but I was chosen. And I do think it was stupid of Damon to be like we could take door and it doesn't. fucking work with dragons, as you and I have covered in our folding in Dorn series on Patreon, where we talk about the only Daryant that I really care about. And also, yeah, I don't know, Damon, like, why would you take all of Esos? Like, what are we doing here? This is silly.

Maybe he thinks they have to because he sees, like, Deneres being born in Esos. Anyways. Maybe. I don't know. Let's talk about someone else who has to listen to Rainier, talk about being, like, God's favorite and shit all the time. Renair and Nazaria and the public anointing. Which is also a religious term.

Exactly. Comrade white worm. Comrade white worm and the public anointing of Reneerah. I love it here. They stage a public food distribution, framing it as her true anointing by the public. I love the scene getting ready for it. Alinda Massey is telling her the people await you, do they? And helping her dress and choosing what she wants, she says,

why don't you wear jewelry? Trappings of power. And Reneer's nibbling on some food during the scene. Good for her. As she's getting put into her outfit. Actually, really, I like that they're showing that, right? Like, readying her. You would watch, like, a knight or a king get ready for battle and get into their armor. So why not the queen? There's that line where Alinda's like, well, I'll get your jewels. And she's like, no, I can't wear jewels. That's too much. They won't like that. But I should take the sword. And Alinda's like, well, that might take the wrong mess. right, that maybe like you want to kill everybody. But Reneer's inclination, as you were saying earlier, is that masculinity is power, that they will not respect her if she doesn't have the sword. They will not look at her as a king because Reneer is not trying to be a queen. She's trying to be a king. Yeah. And I mean, that is so interesting too in the blackfire context of like they say that the sword is not the kingdom.

Right? Mm-hmm. Something to think about. But also like, yeah, so a little. Linda suggests the chain to add gravity. And I love that Rainira, it's interesting. She is listening to, like, her women advisors, right? She listens to Misaria's counsel.

She listens to Alinda's counsel. She takes what Madame Sylvie says seriously. But I will say, you know, the chain out in gravity may be really like a symbol of being a prisoner or a servant, the way that it works with the maesters. Not the only clean in chains. Yes, exactly. They're both in chains. It's hotter that way. For them.

I don't know. And me. Yes. So I'm glad Alinda's back. Yeah, you know what? They're actually treating her semi more highborn now. That's good. She's not just a servant.

So she's doing, like, this is the stuff that, like, I expect her to do. And she's speaking. That's exciting. Yeah, she is. She's given thoughts. And as you said, like, it's good that they were showing this dressing scene as though it's armor. But also, like, this is the pants suit episode. like it was giving a little bit pantsuit

so beep so Hillary Rainier's heart Oh my god That is like this entire show But her ravens But her vagina Reiner's heart is in the right place It is good that she wishes to please the small folk

And to actually provide for them But like as you've been saying She does She does need those nobles They need to fall in line and she's not really doing a good job of getting them to do that in a way that's sustainable. Yeah, because here's the deal. All those nobles will be there.

And eventually, she will not. Only one of her. It's a bummer. What a bummer for all. A bummer for all. And that's our final thing too, right? Our final bummer for all. The reveal of what's going on with Tumbledon and Fake Daron.

So, fake Daron reveals Orrin. Mormon's deception. I love the acting in this scene, the buildup for Allison who thought she would get to see her boy one last time. And also that Renira made a compromise and trade off in trying to save him, right? As Damon tells her, you should kill him. You have to kill him. He's a pretender. I love that that's becoming something big that like she's realizing any pretender does need to die. And this is exactly what Allison feared, right? Growing up, this is what Allison thought would happen and guess what? Now Reneira is hearing it in her ear. You do have to kill them all. Kill them all. Kill them all. So here Reneira says she's going to send him to the watch. Why? For her

girlfriend, for her closest childhood friend out of the love for her. No, she will not do anything else for anyone else that has loyalties to her like Hugh or Corliss. But she will try to save Allison's only quote unquote good son and send him to the watch instead of off to murder. just like she allows for Otto's head to be sent to old town, but no mercy for others. Interesting, interesting. Interesting things you do for love. Oh, wait, no, it is like Catlin and Jane. No, I'm joking.

It's giving John Snow. It's giving John Snow, Targaryen going to the wall. Yeah, interesting, claim it. Yeah. That's it. Also, like, yeah, as you called out, that line where Darren's like, I don't know, like, they threaten my mom and she's just, she's just a woman. Like, she's just, she's not a queen. And that makes her vulnerable, right?

It's a reminder that, like, Reynira, you are fighting for all these things for yourself. But, like, what about the rights of all the other noble women? Are you going to, like, make any for them? Pulling the ladder up after her. She is for the bastards. For the ladies, probably for everyone else, is because she doesn't feel like she has the power. She has to make those sacrifices, which is, which is, that's so true. This is an episode of Veep, not to spoil Veep for everyone.

We will not, but like, man, that last episode, fucking is. There was a line from Comrade White Worm where she said something along with like, no one can stop you. And I was like, and no one can stop me from standing. and walking with my country. But like that moment, again, no spoilers, no spoilers, no spoilers, no spoilers. But that moment right there in VEP for those that are in the know, that one moment is, I mean, akin to some of the horror moments in this episode like you were saying, like, no one can stop you. Yeah, no one can.

Or the, you know what you have to do, which is what this entire arc is about. Welcome to ruling. For real, before you were just playing at it in some ways. But now, welcome. Now we can begin. Like Damon says early in the episode, also, not an eye roll from me, but... I know. I felt like was that...

Was that like a callback? Yeah. That was a nod to the hit show Game of Thrones that George R. Martin adapted a song of Ice and Fire from. Yeah. Or even like, this is not like only Game of Thrones, but like when Rayneuris says that line in her monologue of like he was strong then, I was like, oh, is this a gods? I was strong then.

thing. I thought that too. I did think that. God's he was strong then. Cute though. Yeah, it is cute. Well, speaking of welcoming things, like, we're welcoming this dragonkeeper. I don't know why he was like at Tumbledon. So, I can give you my explanation as well. What I understand is that in the very first scene, Damon takes Daron and likely was going to have the dragonkeepers bring his dragon. to lock up. So I believe the dragon keepers were probably going to bring Tessarian but the trick. But again,

this is what I'm believing. So yeah, it was clunky. It was not very, in my opinion, well done. But they were going to take the dragon and probably Ormond pulled his trick reveal. Because are the dragonkeepers really going to be able to take Tessarian when Tissarian's rider

is right there? I don't think that she would like that very much. Why do you think they're caging Tessarian also like you can't cage a dragon baby get ready tessarians we're going to unleash the d but yes the dragon keeper says ormond has seized tumbledon they have tessarian in the town with them we couldn't get maybe they sent more dragonkeepers to go get i don't know because i didn't see that guy in the first scene but basically we're setting up tumbledin as the next major crisis and i'm just going to roll with it i'm not going to be mad about it i'll figure it out if that's

not what they meant. Maybe we'll find out. Yeah, I guess. I don't know. All I could think was like the giant bonfire that she's in front of. It makes me think of the scene where Viseries is very drunk and telling his dream to Alicent in front of the bonfire. Yes, I was thinking that as well.

And her looking in the flames, there's a lot of... Oh shit. Yeah. There's a lot of really strong visual storytelling in this episode that ties it back into like the other moments that happened throughout this series. And I do think that's something that's really smart and well done about House of the Dragon. I think you could argue that Game of Thrones did that, but I just never thought about it for them. They didn't take as many risks in a way. Like, I think they were very formulaic in a lot

of ways, where I really respect the risks that Hot D is taking, if that makes sense. I think Game of Thrones will tell you that they made callbacks visually. Yeah, I'm sure they would. I'm sure they would tell me a lot of things. Well, we hope they you enjoyed us telling you our thoughts on this episode. Overall, I loved it. I really did. I was kind of actually surprised how much I loved it, considering a lot of departures, obviously, from Fire and Blood, but they played with them really well. There's a lot of great nuance. I'm not mad about it. I really enjoyed it. Yeah, it was a big risk, and I know I think, like, my partner was like, I loved that episode.

Like, it was so good. It was a risk, and I think... I love that they did it. Nice. Good job. Good job, Claire Kielner. Good job Sarah Hess. We'll be back next week to talk more about House of the Dragon with Season 3, Episode 4. I hope to continue to be surprised.

We love themes. Yeah. It's good? I think so. Maybe it is for eighth grade book reports. But again, as Chloe always says, open the schools. Yeah. Maybe we need it.

Maybe we need it. Maybe we fucking need it. Hey, you can catch up with us at our Patreon. Patreon.com slash girls gone canon, where we do special episodes every month for patrons in the Stranger Tier and Above. And, of course, we do have a Discord. You can check all that out. That comes with the $10 and up tier, the Thunder Tier.

We'll be back next week. Make sure you follow us and subscribe on your favorite platform. as well as leave us a five-star review if you enjoyed your stay at Girls Gone Cannon. I've been one of your hosts, Chloe. And I have been another one of your hosts, Eliana. See you next week. All right. Don't tumble on down.

I don't know. I don't know. Oh, my God, goodbye.