House of R - 'House of the Dragon' Season 2, Episode 8 Reactions | Talk the Thrones
Episode Date: August 5, 2024The season finale of 'House of the Dragon' is here, and Chris Ryan, Joanna Robinson, and Mallory Rubin are here to give you their instant reactions to all of the drama in Westeros. From Ulf's courtly ...faux pas to Daemon coming through in Harrenhal to another unexpected reunion, 'Talk the Thrones' will be there! Hosts: Chris Ryan, Joanna Robinson, and Mallory Rubin Production: Jack Wilson, Felipe Guilhermino, Nick Kosut, Tony Perry, Bobby Gibbons, John Richter, Ryan Todd, Chia Hao, Aleya Zenieris, Arjuna Ramgopal, Steve Ahlman, Jomi Adeniran, Abreanna Corrales, and Yvonne Wang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Hello and welcome to Talk the Thrones.
We are here to break down the season finale of the second season of House of the Dragon.
I'm Chris Ryan.
This is Ringer Senior Staff writer Joanna Robinson.
And joining us, as always, the person in charge of hosing down triarchy mud wrestlers.
Oh, boy.
It's Valerie Rubin.
Chris, it does not befit a prince to pout.
Oh, yeah.
Well, here we are.
At the end of a long two months, we've been through so much.
Dragon fights, illness on the team.
but we're back live in the studio.
We are here on YouTube on the Ringerverse YouTube channel,
and I just want to say,
if you're watching us on YouTube live,
you can ask questions in the chat.
Jomey will throw him in here.
We'll try to get to some while we're talking about the episode.
Let's start really broad strokes with this episode,
the eighth episode of the season.
Yeah.
Usually we are used to 10 episode about Game of Thrones seasons.
How's the Dragon First season?
It was 10, 9, 10?
Did this feel like a finale?
Was this a satisfying finale to you, Joe?
I think the way it ends,
like the montage at the end and the score and all of that does feel very like final and energizing.
But I think in general it feels like an episode eight of a 10 episodes even.
Like I want those two more episodes.
Yeah.
And maybe this is just me being greeting and just wanting more.
There was the last 15 yards to go, you know?
Won't be the last time football comes up today.
I don't think.
Yeah, I agree.
I thought this was an enjoyable and good episode of House of the Dragon.
Yeah.
But as a finale, I think it was quite subdued.
And while a finale that is more muted
than the penultimate episode, say,
it's not exactly new in the Thronesverse.
That's actually like something of a Thronesian tradition.
It was, I think, hard not to feel like there was a 10 episode plan,
and then we wound up with eight,
and we couldn't get to time, money,
whatever the case may be, we're just speculating.
The two or three things that might have felt
like the no-brainer conclusion points for the season.
Yeah.
And then what do you fill that space with?
you have left.
Thailand and the triarchy in Raina
running around looking for her dragon.
But there were a lot of great character-rich
scenes in this episode, but that
until the montage, we were looking for that finale
feeling a bit. That said, heading into
season three, I think we're in like
bangers only. Yeah, we're a year away from
in terms of what's left. But we are two years away from that.
On the one hand, yes, I agree. On the other hand, I feel like that's what
we were telling people about season one is we're like,
this is all set up and wait until we get to season two
and it's just going to be all killer no filler.
you know. Good season of TV.
I will say that
I think it was just like
the best of this show
and sometimes,
not the worst,
that's a little bit unkind,
but like I think some of the flaws
of the show were on display
in this one where thematically
in terms of the dialogue
in terms of like some of the inter-character scenes,
awesome.
You know, like really good stuff,
really like things I'll remember.
If you end a season of TV
and you want to get that feeling
like now everything has changed,
I think you're asking probably,
especially in the more casual,
viewers to be like really counting on the dragon seed sewing stuff to be like a much more significant
thing than maybe it feels like just yet because we haven't seen them in action. So you're just like,
okay, like next year. I will not let you diminish the red sewing. No, I mean, I think it's
interesting before the season started, Ryan Condal's like we're basically doing two battles. Yeah.
And we got rooks rest, definitely a battle. And then I guess they're counting the red sewing as a battle.
And certainly on like a budgetary level. A lot of dead body.
like dead body level, that is a battle.
But I think that primed a lot of us to think, like,
oh, we were going to get one more battle this season.
Yeah, and if I can just nitpick a little bit, just a little bit.
It's just that you can feel all of the gathering armies,
like right on the doorstep of the thing that we wanted to see.
So, like, they're in the water, they're in their boats, they're on their way.
That's the montage.
Yeah, yeah.
I think it's a completely valid critique, and I won't be surprised if a chunk,
however large, we'll see if the fandom feels that, like,
if you spend a lot of your season positioning different forces to converge on a given location,
and then that doesn't happen inside of, like, eight episodes that are 60 to 70 minutes is not,
like, no room to make a big season of TV, right?
So, yeah, I think there will be a, oh, wow, we didn't get, like, a grand set piece in the finale
sensation, at least among some fans.
But we have a lot to talk about.
So we're in a new set.
I think there are at least two scenes in this episode that are among the best that not only House of Dragon but Thrones has ever been.
Oh, wow.
I do.
And then also, I mean, perhaps there are people sitting at home just being like, De Nairus Targaryen was in this episode.
That's a big enough deal, you know?
I think that that actually dumptails really well into obviously a very big theme of this episode was the idea of these characters being aware that they are part of a larger story.
Yes.
Right, and that, you know, to some extent it's about free will, to some extent, it's this idea of a tradition not only in the past, but this projection into the future.
Yeah.
That, like, they're just part a cog in the wheel, if you will, spoke in the wheel.
Wow.
You're going to break that wheel?
Well, someone will eventually, but she's only in dream sequences just now.
The connective tissue to Game of Thrones, the Mothership series is very strong now as we see at least in Aris Targaryen's back, the Knights King, and the Three-Eard Rating.
in Damon's vision.
But what did you make of like the...
It's really Damon's revelation,
but I think a lot of the characters
in this episode were like,
I thought I had a lot of control over this situation,
and it turns up I'm just swept up by fate.
I think that's a really interesting way to put it.
And I like...
In our notes here, you put story with a capital S,
which I like really felt,
and it made me, of course, think of Tarian and Bran
for better or for worse.
But I also think it's beyond that, like,
we're all part of a story.
it's this thing that we've been talking about
since Rook's Rest of having
your entire worldview shaken.
Because like Wayne and Kristen are sort of
overtly doing that in this episode.
Kristen talking about like
I had this sword and this is all I knew
and this is all I understood.
But Allison says something similar.
Is he deeply inhales a handkerchief?
Yeah, exactly.
He like sniffs.
Sentiment of a woman.
Yeah, exactly.
But like I think that like, you know,
Renera when she saw Adam on Sea Smoke
or Damon when he has this vision
in this episode. I think everyone here is like, I thought I understood the order of the world.
Amon Targaryen is like, I thought as soon as I claimed Vagar, I was absolutely like immune to any
attack and now I'm outnumbered by other dragons. I'm no longer, I no longer have that.
Egan's like, I thought I was like, I thought I would have my penis for my entire life, but that I don't.
You know, so like a sausage on a spitbook. Like worldviews are being rocked all over the place.
And so I think that's really interesting. Like what's not only I'm in a story, but I'm not in the story.
was or I'm not the character that I thought it was.
I kind of thought that that really came to light in this
Allison and Renera scene where you get the second
meeting with them this season, both of which are not in books.
These are show inventions, but
this was a scene where Allison comes to Reneira
as a person and not a character, and she's kind of like,
all right, I was wrong.
If you want, I can basically
hand you the keys to the kingdom.
Renira asks for Agon's head, essentially.
And Allison's like, I really,
you can't ask me to do that, but then eventually acquiesces.
But, crucially, in this scene, she's like, me and, me and Helena are going to get out of town.
And she's like, you should come with us, right?
She pulls a Kristen.
She invites Renira to just flee and escape.
And Renara says, once again, my part is here.
Yeah.
And so I think, like, to build off what you guys were just talking about and how the different characters are, like, one of the things I'm most interested in tracking in this episode and now coming out of this episode, you mentioned free will.
How do we assess the role of free will in a story where characters are increasingly confronting a prophecy about their fate, but also we as viewers know a certain end point in the future?
I think this is going to be a fascinating thing to discuss and parse. Which characters respond to some new perspective with like the Kristen nihilism? I have lost my bearings completely on what my place in the world is to the point where I don't think I have one anymore. Who can maybe say like Alicent, my purpose.
For the first time ever, I'm going to ask what I want.
I'm going to ask Helena.
What do you want?
Something that Allison's father never asked her, right?
And maybe the thing you want is to escape it all,
to not play a part in shaping the realm and in shaping events.
To get out of the story.
Exactly.
And so, like, a character like Damon,
it's fascinating.
We'll obviously talk about the vision in more detail when we get to that scene,
but it's fascinating to me that we talked a lot throughout the season about
the characters who confront prophecy in the story,
the characters maybe who confront specifically the prince that was promised,
the song of ice and fire,
For so many of them, it's like this justification for some foul deed.
It's inciting, right?
It's fuel on the fire.
For Damon to emerge now as a character where learning this,
getting this larger perspective and the sense of the wider board has a quelling and dampening effect on his impulses is such an interesting counterweight.
Which characters think they actually can still shape the future?
The future of the realm, the future of their own lives.
The list is small coming out of this episode, and so it makes a character like,
Renira, who has a sense of like, my father told me that I was the one. I am ordained. We talked
about this a lot last week. But to be then a rare person in the story who's like, I can maybe do
something that matters and has a bearing on the outcome of our lives is fascinating. So many people
leave this episode, like what I do doesn't matter or hearing that from someone else. Helena flat out
says to Amon, you can do the thing you're threatening and it won't make a difference. That's a very
destabilizing place for a lot of characters to find themselves in.
So, thematically, I find that very rich.
Yeah, it seems like...
Oh, go ahead.
Well, I was just going to say, like, Masaria in Rainier's ear,
saying the gods are blessing what you're doing,
the gods are ordained what you're doing,
is like really feeding into that difference and response.
It seems like the people who are most susceptible
to that kind of way of thinking, Mal,
about the idea that they can still control things.
They are the ones with dragons.
They are the ones like...
It helps. It helps.
It's like, I have a dragon, so I don't have to be...
small folk anymore. I have a dragon, so...
I can have as much quail as I want.
I can have as much quail as I want.
You know, we're going to go through this episode
scene by scene. Some scenes will spend
more time on than others. The triarchy scenes, right?
We're going to spend about 45 minutes on this
triarchy scene. I think it's only
right since obviously the makers
of this show thought it was worthy of
opening the season finale.
You are reaping what you have shown.
I saw nothing. I love the triarchy.
And said multiple times that you miss the step-sodes, you miss the
Crafeeter.
I want Kristen and Gwayne playing
Blackjack for four hours.
Honestly.
And then I want a dragon fight.
Yeah.
Okay.
So we open up.
We're with Thailand.
He's negotiating with the triarchy.
We thought they were gone.
They're not gone.
He's promising them the stepstones.
Well, he's like,
should I?
Step on a modest tax.
We fought a whole war over this in season one.
That's where they were fighting in season one where Damon and Karaxies and the
crab feeder and all of that.
Adjacent to dragonstone,
adjacent to like,
what's it like kind of neat?
It's a chain of islands that's off of the continent.
Basically, if the triarchy who are from ESOS, if they get the stepstones and we're playing a game of risk, they're just that much closer to be able to...
Control the shipping lanes, control the trade, control the tax.
The point not because these pirates, they want to go legit.
Well, I mean, we did have a very long Green Council conversation earlier in the season about never trusting the triarchy.
So do they want to go legit, Chris?
I don't know.
It seems like they want to get into tax collection.
I do want to shout out one of the...
One of the men on the Triarchekees Council here has the book-accurate Dario-Naharis, blue beard and mustache.
That was like a fun thing, I think.
I also really enjoyed Thailand being like, I was just really sad on a flag and a wine and a bath.
Yeah, it was like wonderful.
So Thailand has briefly offered the throne in this episode?
Like you could use this whole thing.
Well, you know, it's the Triarchy boast.
Like, you're worried the Prince Region is going to kill you for agreeing to this pact with us that you probably shouldn't be making.
Great news.
once you have our armada behind you,
you can take the iron throne for yourself if you want to.
You know?
And we'll definitely let you have that,
and it won't be an issue at all.
What did you think of the, like,
Tywin, Tyman, Tyrod?
I think that Tyrod was an Easter egg.
Because I didn't get Thailand's name right
for like the first six times I tried to make down.
Yeah, there's the personal connection
to getting the name wrong all the time.
But like, was that for George?
You know, Tyrod Taylor.
Oh, yeah.
A lot of, it's a great.
Giants QB, now a Jets Qaeda.
double George football action right there?
I just want to say that,
do you think that Ryan Condal regrets
killing the crab feeder in season one?
No. Okay, because he could have been...
And I don't think anybody but you think that.
This real hard character who shows up, emerges,
and mud wrestles tie.
The crab feeder could never be.
The crab feeder can't mud wrestle with people
because the crab feeder was riddled with Grayscale.
Oh yeah, that's right.
If I got he had a couple of recurring issues there.
Yeah.
We move on out of ESOs.
get back to Thailand because the show sure did.
Amon and
Vagar,
as just like a guy watching TV,
I was like, what do he just burn?
Sharp Point. Yeah. A place.
Yeah. But I think I'm supposed to,
am I supposed to know what that was necessarily?
It's a place in the Crownlands.
Okay. And why do you do that? Why do you that?
Well, Amund and Vagar burned
Sharp Point because Amon doesn't know how
to, as Allison has pointed out.
You know, the indignities of his youth
doesn't know how to channel his rage
and his sense of like some sort of affront.
We did hear Sharp Point mentioned in the sixth episode this season
when Corlis said to Alan like,
well, set course for Sharp Point.
Lord Barr Eman wants us to like pick up his nephew,
teach him how to be a boat swing.
But yeah, like it's really not that important though.
Let's just be clear.
Men will do anything to avoid therapy.
Sworn to Dragonstone, a connection to Team Black.
He was like too afraid to go challenge Renera after the sewing, rightly.
And so like here's an easy, vulnerable target.
You can just burn a bunch of innocence.
The point is he had his he fit.
or Nick Fit as you introduced me to that phrase earlier today.
And just, yeah, burn a bunch people.
It'd be amazing.
Amy was just like drowning a camel light.
I really need to chill out.
Anyway, his brother...
I wanted to ask you, though, later we see Alice Rivers wakes Damon up later.
Yeah, just sit on his man.
Just sit on his bed.
She's crying.
And I was wondering if she was crying because of this.
Oh, like she didn't feel a great disturbance
and the force kind of thing.
Voices cried out.
It's not like cut to her or anything like that.
I just didn't have a good reason
why she was crying.
And she has this history of like,
I care when people are screaming.
Here's my thing.
I'm highly skeptical of all people whispering.
Yeah.
All people whispering in the ears of leaders.
Sure.
As you should be.
As you should be.
Saria, I think, is really gassing up Reneira.
Laris, we're going to get to in his second right here.
And was the example you just brought up that I just messed up.
Alice.
Alice, like, what's her deal, right?
So, like, I don't know what any of these people's agendas are.
They all seem to be having, like, ulterior motives to the, like, why they're kind of
pumping up the people that they're...
Game of Thrones, man.
It is game of Thrones.
And Laris is playing to win.
He's got Agon here laid up.
RIP his talk.
God damn it.
Dynamite Laris in Angon scene.
This was great.
My new favorite duo.
Yeah.
Okay.
Let's talk it out.
So, he's basically saying,
Reneer's got dragons
Amon's going to kill you
we have to book out of here
We gotta go
I've got a bunch of money in bravos
That's right
Let's go
The Iron Bank
You love the Triker
You love the Iron Bank
We know these things about it
That's a high interest
Savings account
Laris basically makes
The Circe
Season 7 finale pitch
Let the monsters kill each other
Like bide your time
and wait
But I think what's so interesting
To your point about
Yes we should mistrust
Laris and Misari
and Alice
And what their ulterior motives are
But when Agon's like, I'm a monster forever a cripple, I feel like Laris genuinely was like, it genuinely piqued him to not because he felt bad for Agon, but because he was just like, that's, you know, it's tough for me to hear.
And I think also, it's all good.
Mal's getting over a little bit of the cough.
This is a wrong point.
It's live. We're doing it live.
Trying to drink a lot of water to fend off the coughing fit.
I think you're just excited to talk about this guy.
split sausage.
I'm gonna
sausage on a spit, my God.
Okay.
Well, but I think
the thing we have to ask
about your beautiful points.
I'm so sorry, yes,
I was definitely making a beautiful point.
I think the thing we have to ask
about Laris is
how much do he know and when
did he know it, which is a question
we were asking last week as well,
but he had this plan
ready to go.
Yes.
And so like,
does he not tell Amund
about the red sewing?
Like, the question was,
how bad of a spy master is he?
Because he was supposed to tell Amin
about Adam.
About Adam?
Or people were like, why did Laris not notice the parade of dragon seeds marching out of Kings Landing or a Linda running all over town in a non-settled way?
And the idea is like, perhaps he did.
And he was like, it suits me for Aman to be on the back foot, for the king to be in my pocket.
And when he says, like, he describes Vagar going to Dragonstone being scared, Amon being scared by seeing three dragons there and pulling a
back around. He says he fled in terror, so I hear.
How did Laris know that?
I mean, that's the great thing. That's what I'm saying about, like,
he's pumping Agon full of this stuff.
Laris wasn't there.
Egon was, like, rightly,
like, I can't win this fight,
but I wouldn't describe him as, like, quaking in his boots about it.
He was more just like, all right, Vagar.
No, I mean, he's, yeah, I mean, we get to the whole, like,
realms delight bit. We are, we are definitely gassing Agon up
in a number of different ways, but I still think that, like,
Laris, I think he has, like,
people over, I think he has people all over it.
the place and he's just keeping the information close to his vest.
When Ironrod was telling Aymond about the boats, I was waiting for Aymn to be like,
why has my master of whisperers not imparted any of this information to me?
But yeah, the You're Not Alone part was like definitely the classic Laris blend of like
genuine, something that felt really sincere there.
Like the only point he doesn't challenge anything Agan says there except that, right?
Because it's like the gift that he can give Agon that maybe he felt like no one gave to him.
Like, I will be by your side.
And I thought it was so interesting that in this conversation that part of it,
Laris is basically Tyrion, as we're continuing our discussion from a couple, the last couple of pods.
And then like, Agon is in the brand I'm still processing this new circumstance that I'm in,
but also like the Jamie, right?
Like give me a good clean death any day position.
And, like, characters like Tyrion and Laris have gotten to, they've built toward the, like, make it your weakness wear, like, armor point.
For Egon, he's in the brand, like, I woke up and I'm saying to Rob, I'd rather be dead position.
And so, like, all of these characters are-clips.
Like a sausage on the spit.
What are we going to do?
I love those comps, and I would add one more, which is, like, when he's like, let's go to Bravo.
And everyone will be so excited when you come back.
This is what DeNaris's shitty brother of Asaris.
Like, that's what he believed.
He was like, they've been waiting for us.
They were gassing him up in Esos his whole life,
and they were like, the people in Kings Landing
weep in the streets.
Cannot wait for you to come back.
I loved the way, too, that Laris packaged that idea
with, they will hail the returning king,
his father's true heir.
Like, he knows to give Egan the thing that
he never had.
Right?
Like, when Otto said, when Egan said to Aalto,
like, he made me King and Otto laughed in his face
and said, is that what you think?
Right.
Or in that, like, harrowing pre-Rooks-Rest fight
between or seen between,
between Agon and Allison, right, in the hope that he might be half the king of the father was.
This was the thing he was always deprived of, like feeling like he was actually Vassaris's
chosen heir. And so for Laris to give him that delusion in the form of belief and affirmation,
Laris is such a deft maneuverer. That's very sweet. This is also a guy who's half
burned to death whose hog doesn't work anymore and he's really bummed out about it. And that's the
thing I love about this performance is that he doesn't
have like a regarding Henry moment where he's like
I'm a good guy now actually I've seen
death and like I'm really like maybe I could
I mean the look in his eye
talking about regarding Henry like
fairly right we do like the look
in his eye when he says realms delight
after Laris has gone
through the different monocers of course this like
takes us back to the first episode of the season
with Egon and his bros like
hanging around the iron throat should it be
Egan the Magnanimus no one knows what
Magnanimus means dragoncock we're going to have to
entire that one.
Right? Dragon Heart,
Egon the generous.
And, like, what is the thing
that he wants?
It's Rehams Delight
because that was what
the realm gave to Rehnira.
Like, again, the idea
of being not only accepted
but beloved.
Like, Agon has never felt that,
so of course it's what he covets.
And that's very much a book idea
that has been, like,
somewhat absent from the show,
but I thought it was interesting
that they brought back
Realm's Delight for Agan here.
The next scene,
first of all, I just want to ask
really quick, was Realms Delight,
your favorite nickname?
I like, I like,
peacemaker,
yeah, because that's what I think of,
I think of a bigot.
Did you have a favorite nickname?
If I were a mom, I would just stick with Dragoncock.
Yeah, sure.
No one needs to know.
Our little secret.
The next scene is just Rainer running around.
We'll get back to that.
If you're going to bail on your agreement with Renera
to protect Little Egan and Little Vesaris.
I think it's actually worth the dragon.
Diagramming what's happening here.
You need to go back.
Like, no water the way that's like.
This was a scene that's actually.
single gruntle of bar. There's a conversation between
her and Jane of
Aaron of the veil.
Jane's like, you can stay here if you'd like
as my ward, right? Doesn't she offer that or no?
No, she doesn't. I don't think so because Raina's whole job was to make sure
that kids were safe. Okay, so she gets outside
the doors, she waits for the doors to close, the people are walking, they apparently
aren't like, hey, Raina, and she runs on.
No one gives shit about Raina is the point. It may be a little confusing, as it was to
me as I was watching this episode, just like, I knew she was looking for a
dragon, but I didn't understand the levels
of distress she was in because she's
obviously like, if this doesn't
work out, I'm actually probably
going to die of hunger, right? She's out alone
and the veil exposed. Her boots are like split.
We don't know how long, and there's a lot of weird
timeline language in this episode.
Like, you know, we sail in
two days time or all this sort of stuff like
that, like a lot of weird timekeeping
in this episode. How long was Raina
out there? Feels like a really
long time. Very thirsty, very cold
at night. She runs around for most of this episode.
Jason Ulf is the next one.
This is an incredible scene.
I actually LOL-O-L did this.
This was great.
Tom Bennett is the king.
This is incredible.
This is very funny.
Do you see this slight character pivot of a guy who really wanted something more for himself,
but was a little bit full of ale and, you know, like,
an Ulf at the pub trying to, like, basically tell stories for pints?
He kind of slips into being a dick pretty fast once he gets this.
I mean, this is one of those spaces where I would love two more episodes.
for, you know, for this turn to happen.
Like, this turn was definitely going to happen for him.
This is, like, definitely what he was...
You know hire this guy to be, like, I'm really interested in Reneira.
But this is what he was, like, poised for.
Like, his character type was poised for, but it happened very immediately, which, you know,
a dragon's a heady drug, I guess.
The fact that we walk in and he's got his feet on the painted table.
You'll literally...
You keep that face clear for Stannis and Melisandra to fuck on.
Some respect.
Some respect.
Please.
But, like, his...
feet are literally sitting on the continent.
Yeah. The map. Like, that's,
you know, it's just a wonderful stuff.
And Hugh, Hugh Hammer then being
sort of cast in this role of like,
I'm not like, I'm the good one, I'm not like him,
you know. Yeah, I've made an appeal
to the king. I've never been to war
died. I've made scorpions for the crown.
Yeah. The character who definitely had a name, she did it.
I just love her.
So much. You've got like the comedy, the manners,
all of that. The whole, like,
all being a character
previously who was like happy to talk.
about Jace in the pub, right?
His connection, then doesn't recognize him, doesn't know who he is.
The absolute fucking gall, if you're Jace, not only of the hug, the way he was like pushing
his arm away, it was just so funny, but, okay, what did the entire emotional pitch that
he made to Reneira hinge on?
I don't want people to, like, think I'm just like them or that they're just like me.
Like, I don't want to do team bastard.
And then, oh, like, literally saying you and I got from the same cloth talking about their hair.
Look at that hair.
This is Jace's nightmare coming to bear in front of him in real time, and it took, like, a day.
But what I love is so good.
Is that Bail is, like, snuff the fuck out of it.
The Bailistine was amazing.
But when he says, look at that hair as dark as they say.
What's interesting to me is that Jace has a haircut before this episode is over.
And it's not like he can get rid of all of his hair.
But, you know, we loved the curls.
but he was looking a lot like his biological, his bio dad, Harwin-Sstrong.
So I feel like he, like, trimmed the curls up a bit to be like...
Why didn't Jayce just go Joe Burrough style and Targaryen it up top?
You know what I mean?
I have one other question for you about Jace.
This is actually real like armchair therapy or whatever.
But do you think that one of the dangers of bringing...
He said therapy, I got so excited.
One of the dangers of bringing all these like lowborn, quote-unquote,
people into the palace is that people in the palace are really fucking weird.
And, like, this teenager being, like, third in command is kind of odd to people who are, like,
I work for a living and, you know, like, I had to, like, scround for food.
Now I get in here and find out the reason all of this is happening is because the brother
and sister who are married have, like, a kid who's not their kid.
No, honestly.
My honest answer is no.
You think that the people who are small folk are, like, these guys haven't all figured out.
No, not necessarily have it all figured out, but I just think they're used to it.
Like, you know, Jay Harris was a teen when he took over.
Right?
Like, I think this is the way of life in Restros that you have boy kings and precocious princes.
And I think for a character like Ulf, just being in the presence of somebody famous is the only thing that matters.
I don't think he's like, you seem quite young and like, what's going on in his family.
He's just like, my bro, my dude, Jace, my guy.
Let's go to Corliss and Renera at the docks.
Okay.
Okay.
So we get Reneera's common refrain of using the dragons as deterrence.
Yes.
That the dragons are just there to scare everybody into giving her her birthright.
I thought it was very important, even though this has now been like hammered home by her all season long,
getting this one last utterance of this stuff.
Especially after the sewing.
We get to the end of the episode where she's just like, safety's off.
Totally.
I thought it was awesome.
I also loved, you know, to that idea of Corlis and his shifting worldview,
the idea that he's renamed his ship, his name for him, named it for Rainis,
but also just sort of like, in terms of that a high, like, what story am I in or what character
am I in the story?
Like, he was the main character of his own story.
Yeah.
Sailed the seas, all this sort of stuff like that.
I had all these things through an off show.
The whole night I might get a prequel show, blah.
And he's like, that was, that was the old me.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The new Corlis is way different.
Wait till I talk to Alan.
It's going to be great.
I liked too because like Bela kind of voiced that idea to him, right?
Bela was ready to give Jace the stop pouting.
Ceptock.
You should already give it to Corliss in the fifth episode.
And like when Beaver said, I wonder if any of them knew it was all for her.
It was tapping into this like deeply personal private thing.
And for Corlis to put that then at the fore instead of the obsession with legacy and kind of move that back.
Or think of what is your legacy maybe in a different way?
It's about the people you love.
It's about the people around you.
I thought was very effective.
I also thought it was interesting
that he was like, in essence,
giving Reneira the Olena to Danny.
Like, you're a dragon?
Be a dragon.
Be a dragon.
Yeah, right.
Speech, you know, doing the dragon math,
telling her not to wait.
It's been fascinating to track across the season,
like the idea of speed and haste
and how many different characters
have really been pressing.
The urgency of the moment
and then when other characters are like hitting pause
to think about the big picture
and the time that they have.
I agree with you.
that it felt super important
because we were like so alarmed, right?
This slaughter, this ritual
sacrifice, we talked about that term
that Connell used like that we watched last week
and so for Renera to come out of that
we'll build toward like the Dragon Seed dinner
and the like we need to go to Old Town
we need to go to Lanosport here are all the armies
that we need to annihilate.
We build toward that in fairly like short order here
but it felt crucial to have one more
moment especially before the Allison
and Renera scene where like their positions
are inverted.
We're near as the one on the receiving end
of like, are we sure it's too late for peace?
And we needed to hear one more time, like,
are we sure that we can't just get
the greens to hand this over and avoid war?
Corliss also does some like very valuable
that dragon math that we are constantly doing.
He's like, dream fire.
Dream fire.
She exists.
Melina has a dragon.
Guess you guys didn't know about that, but it's true.
As I've told you to,
that I've started getting served Thrones clips a lot on YouTube.
and I think
presently got served too
that were very
really useful for this episode
I can't remember where I think it's in seven
season seven
first it's
Danny's gonna burn
Ricken and what is the other guy
on the battlefield and they're like
I have a queen already
and Dick on. Trian's like all you have to do
is show them that you might burn them
you know like he's trying to be like you just have to use
the threat of dragons and she's like
basically like now these guys are going down
and then later
like I think around the time
when the whites show up
or when they show Circe
like the White Walker or whatever
she's talking about like
her bringing dragons back into the world
as this impossible almost like godly act
and you can see this arc of like
okay I understand I have like one
hand tie behind my back even though I have a dragon
because I can't go too far with this
to I'm a god
you know what I mean
and that happens to Reneera within one episode
here in some ways like you get to the end
of this episode and she's like
it turns out I've run out of diplomacy
and in some ways it's you gotta wonder
whether as a character it's because
she's just like bored
you know what I mean like she's kind of trapped in this castle
she's not allowed to expose herself because she
she would then ruin the entire
claim on the crown
Is that you projecting because you were bored when
Rainer I was just stuck in the castle and not
burning people of the dragon? I just I think
what I'm interested in is this
speed in which characters develop
on this show despite the show itself narrative
wise moving slowly
We were like talking on the episode seven, House of Our Deep Dive,
going back to the fourth episode to the eve of Rook's dress
and how Reneura was finally sharing Agon's dream with Jase
and how she was using that language then, ordained.
Like, I'm the chosen one, right?
It has been there, so it was more like reaching the fever pitch.
But I think not to jump ahead,
but the other thing, in addition to what she voices to Corliss here,
that felt really crucial to me in this episode,
is like this balance, it's counterbalance
in what we're seeing with Rinear.
was saying to Masaria,
I don't think this is what my father would have wanted.
Right?
Because we talked about that a lot last week, too.
Perhaps you're not current on the four hours of
a subsequent discussion of the episode.
Listen, I'm going to give you time.
You were watching your game around YouTube clips,
and I love that about you.
But we were talking about this idea.
This is like, Liverpool highlights,
human drones clips.
You'll catch up.
The pod is there waiting for you.
Like, did Renera?
I think it was.
Did Nira forget?
We talk a lot about what Reneer has inherited from Vassaris.
But, like, have they forgotten that core series opening note,
like the idea that we control dragons is an illusion?
There are power men never should have trifled with the Brothelaria's doom.
Like, if we don't mind in history, it will do the same to us.
The thing that I love about Mallory is she will say that every single episode so that we don't forget.
But I think if you're Reneera and Vermethore came when you beckoned.
Exactly.
And didn't eat you or roast you, then you're like, my dad said what?
Or maybe my dad was wrong.
Let's be honest.
Renier didn't walk out of the red sewing traumatized at the loss of life.
No.
She was like clutch.
We got a couple more dragons.
Absolutely.
Let's keep moving.
And let's talk about Dame, who's at Harenhall still.
Yep.
But this time actually, GtD, he's getting things done.
Yeah.
Broom arrives.
A rich donor.
Oh, you're skipping the conversation between Damon and Piper about the pigs for Keraxies.
That was great.
It was a great.
It was honestly great.
Damon making his way through the hallway.
Like, let me check your sword.
He prefers.
I like how Damon has essentially been robo-tripping the entire time he's been here,
and then all of a sudden is like the expert on everything.
He's like, good sword, move that water over there.
I'm totally on it.
But is there any reason, like, do we need to pause on pork the other way to eat for driving?
I honestly just thought it was a great little moment.
We get a rich donor who wants to replace his candidate.
Oh, yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
I'll be cool.
I don't know.
I just thought it was interesting.
interesting. You get the gender piece, of course. We need a strong man leader. Yeah, we need a king.
Alfred's basically repeating what he said directly to Renera. There's just like a few instances.
Yeah, no, that was Keltygar. Maybe Brum should get slapped. He's very tall, though. It's like,
Matt Smith is a tall man, and Brum was like looming over Damon. The moment in the, in the courtyard
where he's like, what's that? And then, you know, Damon says, this place will have you barking at the
moon, great stuff. I did think some of this, the language here,
and elsewhere in this episode
was just like a little too
on the nose
of like there just wasn't a ton of subtlety here
but I guess like someone like
Broome is not someone we would ever
accused of subtlety but like I don't know
there was just like a few moments
they don't beat around the bush
yeah yeah but and like
you know Simon Strong sort of like lurking
in the shadows
especially it's like tell me how you're really feeling
but I don't know if we were supposed
to watch this scene and think
the way that Simon does
oh Damon's definitely going to sign up for
Broome's agenda
Like if it's supposed to be a big twist at the end
that Damon is like,
JK, I'm not gonna...
Although, if he doesn't have that vision,
I don't know what we're talking about.
Well, I think that's a valid...
I mean, I think he has the season
of ghost therapy at Harren Hall to reach his grand conclusion.
But obviously, yes, this sequence
with Alfred happens before that final bit
of like I see that I am not,
in fact, as Alice said, the player I am a piece,
right? And I understand what kind of piece I am now.
I did think it was interesting, though,
that, first of all, like,
We talk about the magic, what is happening, this supernatural element in Heronhole.
So just for Damon to take him there, for Damon who has had this experience and resisted it so actively until he says to Alice, like later, I'm not inclined to scoff at this anymore, actually.
He made the choice of all the places in this giant, massive abode he could have taken him to go right in front of the werewood tree.
Like it shows us that I think he has this connection now to the magic of the place.
So I liked that part of it.
The tree whispering traitor at Alfred was just fantastic.
We talk about like the whispers of the tree.
we've talked about Ocean Brand.
Alice has, like, talked about this with Damon.
So you feel like that was Roger Martin himself.
Based on that word, maybe.
What do you think the alternative settings for this conversation could have been, though?
Because you think, like, you could have been like, hey, I hear a bunch of pigs are arriving.
I was going to say, the pigstye.
Yeah.
That's a nice place to take someone.
I've seen British gangster films.
You don't want to go to the pig style with Damon Targaryen.
I liked how proud Damon looked, too, when Alfred arrived, just the way he said, interesting.
He knows or nears.
Yeah.
He held to check up on him, and also he's like, what are you?
make of my giant fucking army.
He's got a little bit of swagger
before he has to kneel. And this is something that
Emma
Darcy was saying in interviews last week, this idea
that Damon and Reneer
are not able
to be horny for each other
when they are losing.
It is only when they are winning
that they can like share
victory for each other and they love to like
get horny for victory
but they cannot share sadness with each other.
In the times between got to dream about
eating out your own mom.
Yeah, you know.
And so this idea...
40 for victory.
I like it.
So like, when we see Renier at the end of last week's episode and she's like, I just
killed 43 people, but I got two big dragons.
But this is why like 40 for victory.
All of a sudden there's like dozens of babies in Philadelphia named Chase Huntley.
You know what I mean?
Because people love to love when things are going right.
So I think when we see, I mean, not to skip ahead, when we see Rainier and Damon interact
at the end of this episode, we talked about something that Condal said, I've been thinking
about all season, this idea that this season is just like a referendum on their
marriage. We meet them
and they're low at the beginning of the season. They cannot
talk to each other. And then we meet them here and
Damon's like, I got a huge army. I'm nearer's
like, that's cool. I got three new
dragon writers for us and they're like... We're practically
renewing their vows at the end. A little like
lean in, a little like almost head nuzzle.
Yes. Can't wait to talk about that soon.
Amon and Jasper, not a ton
here. Amen hates
people. Building on
let's close all the gates and lock them
in by saying
let's stop the only food supply who needs fish.
Just like they literally only have fish.
No more boats.
That's all they have left.
Like, Amon's trauma, I guess, with the eye and everything.
Yeah.
Like, he's really taking it out on everybody.
Isn't that what Allison said?
Yeah.
The indignities of your youth, you know?
He's a dick.
Anything else about the Amon and Jasper scene, though?
No, let's talk about Amon and Allison and Helena, though.
Oh, boy.
Yeah, this is ruled.
Chris, are you familiar with the, like, pretty sizable?
contingent of
Amon, Helena, Shippers
out in the readership,
because this was a tough episode
for us.
Well, us?
This is a brand new information to me.
Us, yeah.
Who is this?
For her and some Randolph-Selina,
and it's not me.
Halamond is the name of the ship.
Was it tough?
Or when he was like,
come with me to Heron Hall,
did you feel your, I guess,
Helaman Shipper heart,
pitter, pattern a little bit.
But, you know, her rejection?
I mean, obviously we have, like,
then the second scene
with just the two of them alone.
But my goodness, brutal.
Yeah.
So you're not into the ship.
I didn't occur to me.
Okay.
Yeah.
Well, I don't believe that,
given how much time you spend thinking about incest and Game of Thrones.
No, I guess I was just more taken aback by the fact that Helena was like, I'm going
to bed and it's clearly broad daylight outside.
She was like, I was just getting ready for bed.
Do they go to bed like super early?
Because there's no electricity.
I bet she does.
She's like, my crickets are dead.
You know?
Tough meat for Jace.
that Aiman basically has the same stump speech.
She's like, they've defiled our birthright,
made commenters into dragon lords.
That's not ideal.
Not ideal for Jace there.
When Helena says to Allison, I was happier before I was Queen.
Heartbreaking.
And Allison really was like, same.
Yeah.
Hard same.
By the end of this episode, I mean, we'll talk about it a little bit more when we get there.
But like, she's basically in season one episode one, Alice's cosplay.
But it was interesting because Helena, when Allison's like, let's get out of here,
Helena kind of blanks her
because she doesn't know anything different
than what she's living right now.
But is it also possibly, and again, I don't know this
because I don't understand the full scope of Helena's
you know, what she can see
and what she can't.
But like, is it just because she can't,
she literally can't see herself anywhere else?
You know what I mean?
She's like, what's the point?
Again, I have some interesting questions
about like the show's relationship
to free will inside of a story
where visions and the sense of the future
and this presentation of like predestination
is so central.
But I did think from Allison's perspective, it was meaningful for her to ask her kid, like, do you want to get out of here?
Like, would that make you happier?
Because, again, that's not a thing that her family ever gave to her.
Allison's just trying to find one person who will go to Cabo.
I just want.
She's just like, girls, girl, up, grosser.
She's like, actually, I can't go with you this time.
I've got other things going on.
I have other entrails to smush that cannot be bothered.
I also thought it was striking because Helena's like, I do not wish to fight.
I won't burn anyone.
You know, you're talking and observing.
rightly many times, like, what does it mean to have this power now?
And so to give us a character who's like, I have bonded with the dragon, I am a rider.
Not just any dragon.
I ride fucking Dreamfire.
Who is big time, like, boss the recruit? What's going on?
Oh, yeah. I mean, so we don't really have time. We'll talk about this morning house so far.
We don't have a ton of time now. I know we're running along already. But Dreamfire was
Rina, another Rana.
Chris, they do all have the same names. Another Rina, Rina Targaryen's dragon, and was like,
because of where Raina traveled, like all across the realm.
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Out of the wall? I get scared?
Silver Wink.
That's so right.
All right.
But you tried.
We could go more than dragons.
I can't wait any longer.
I need to get to my guys.
Gwen and Kristen time.
Another dynamite scene with these shows.
It was.
My fucking guys.
Fantastic.
Desire for women has brought me grief after grief.
I l-o-led.
Just an awesome scene.
Completely over the top and ridiculous.
I don't know why he's just full-on sniffing the Queen's handkerchief.
Not just any handkerchief.
In front of the Queen's brother.
This is like the titty cloth.
Like she pulled this out right.
Remember when she gave it to him in the courtyard?
Like you can't do this in plain view of everyone.
But also if you're going, you can't them put this.
Is that this earlier before the camera started rolling?
And I was like, is she going to say it again?
Is titty cloth like a thing on Etsy or are you just?
I don't know.
We have our computers.
Let's find out.
You find out.
But like if you're going, you also can't put your sword to the Lord commander and say you've been fucking the queen.
You can't do that with like all the soldiers are behind them.
watching and listening.
Like we always talk about this.
Like, guys, go to a private little grove of trees and have this exchange out of
earshot of everyone.
But like Kristen the poet, Kristen the nihilist, this was incredible.
True honor is a mist that melts in the morning, which is similar to something that Allison
said.
But I just think that like his like, they look like strong hands, don't they?
Like never any story.
Rockbiter moment where he's just sort of like, here's my sword.
I always thought it meant something.
That's all I understood.
But we've heard him say that before.
My cloak, it's all I have, you know.
I love my name, it's all I have.
Putting a little extra seasoning on this one.
But the first thing I thought of while this guy is kicking his game about like,
we're just ashes, yada, yada.
Is this like they're Sigfried Sasooning this dude.
Like he's like this warrior poet who's seen incredible trauma.
Sigfrid Sissuim was like a World War I soldier who wrote very beautifully about like his experiences.
And then they made him, you know, Pat Barker wrote a novel about him regeneration.
But that was actually what I was thinking of,
because I was like, this guy was just not betraying
this level of, I don't know, poignant introspection
before he saw all his guys get lit up.
And now he's kind of like,
whatever we're doing doesn't really matter
because the dragons are going to decide this.
And here's the way.
The dragons dance and men are like...
That's my camera.
I'm going to look at it.
I'm sorry.
I was wrong.
Masaria and Kristen are interesting characters.
There you go.
And they really brought us back around, I think.
Yes.
I just can't believe how invested I am in Kristen
it's unbelievable it's like what the show does
and what a throne story does at its best is like
wrap you up in I mean we have many examples
of redemption arcs I don't know if that's what we're getting here
but like okay when Kristen used to like because Gawain is like
don't you give a shit about your oath and Kristen's like it's literally all I think
about and all I talk about and all I've talked about on the show to this point
You know, in the past, for Kristen, this idea of like the fidelity, the honor, our response to that was like, why do you think you get to decide and then why do you get to be such a hypocrite?
And now seeing his worldview turned on its ass where he thinks, I have absolutely no ability to make an impact on the world I helped to usher in was so, like, I thought more disturbing than the place we had previously felt.
down to him in because that hopelessness, that sense of utter defeat, like, he didn't find
enlightenment.
He's just got nilely.
On the other end, he just found a complete lack.
Well, he's just marching towards his death, whereas Allison, who has a very similar...
The die will be a kind of relief.
Don't you think?
A little too ironic, yeah.
Like, Allison has a very similar revelation.
This world I help build, I am completely locked out of any ability to shape it.
except she's like
Girl's trip Cabo let's go
and Kristen's like
die anyway I guess
in the chat
Will Duncan said
is Kristen redeemable
after everything they did
I actually think that he's redeemable
as a character through his candor
like I just think like the
sort of how
you know they're making him into this
vessel for ideas
about like marching into certain oblivion
which I think lots of soldiers must feel
and like that's an interesting thing
to play around with
I love that point
And I think that like when people would ask me and whenever I would rail about how much I hated Kristen Cole, why are you invested in Damon Targary and you hate Kristen Cole?
And I would often say self-awareness.
He lacks any self-awareness.
And so it just irritates me the way that he, you know, to paraphrase Renier-R-Litt in his episode, sort of like cloaks himself in his self-righteousness.
And that bothered me so much.
Damon at least knew he was a piece of shit.
You know what I mean?
Like when he smirks about a murder that he did.
He knows he did that murder, whereas Kristen's like,
I am the only thing that is on earth that is left on this earth.
And now that all of that is crumbled around him, he's fascinating to me.
Totally agree.
Wow.
I bought the dip and it paid off.
Lexine was Loher and Thai mud wrestling.
Correct.
It was.
I'll leave that for House of Arc.
You guys can go deep on that one.
That was fine, I guess.
We'll come back to them in two seconds.
I don't know why this was in the finale.
Jace and
Jace the powder and Bela
just him going I'm reading
This is just an amazing
Absolutely iconic
This is so good
He's never read in his life
How dare you
No maybe he did
But he wasn't reading then
He was just pouting you know
And Bella's like I'm so tired
Of holding the hand of every single
Pounding person around the area
I thought that Bayla is saying
That does not make me common
Or you was like one of the moments
Of the episode
And I think that, like, again, it's about balancing these ideas and holding multiple things in our head at once because Jesus, while he did not maybe voice it to Renera in the most productive fashion, right?
And while a lot of that...
That's a soft pedal of what he did.
While the greeting that he gives to Olf and Hugh is not the most despitable one, he was right when he said, just going to chip away at this idea.
of Targaryen exceptionalism
if we democratize dragon riding
and let me just like an annual
bastard claim a dragon. But I think
Bela offering again like a counterweight.
This is like an episode of counterweight was crucial
because it's like you don't have
to feel diminished.
People have made Jayce feel that way his entire life.
That is true. But at the end of the day it's up to him
whether he wants to go stand by or near a side,
go to the dinner with the dragon team.
I mean, we could sit there at the table, right?
a Lohar and Thailand having a seafood tower.
I only mentioned it because Lohar is like...
You also skipped Raina freezing in the veil.
You know, we go from Rana freezing in the veil into Thailand singing.
Maybe they've just like not even written that down.
Lohar and Thailand, they're having seafood.
They talk about going to the gullet on the morrow.
On the morrow.
On the morrow.
That's so soon.
Here's my main critique of this entire episode.
Thailand and Lannister sings the captain's daughter, a song, a new song to a song of Ice and Fire
Canon.
But where are the days of Game of Thrones when we would get like a,
a banger, rock version of this.
Where's the chapel rhone, the captain's daughter, to close out this episode?
I don't know, but Loher does have the special request to Thailand, which is, will you have
sex with my wives?
It's still funny.
It's still funny.
That's me.
Reneira and the Dragon Riders.
Yes.
What a dinner.
Really something.
Olf fucking loves quail.
He really does.
He loves eating small birds.
More why I'm here, more of those little birds.
He's been, like, eating broth and the occasional piece of fish.
And it was a thin broth, Chris.
It was a very thin broth.
As you will recall.
My guy needs iron.
We're talking about Dragon Training Camp here, basically.
Reneira lets everybody know they need to be up on their verbiage.
Yeah, in two days.
The playbook needs to be off.
It's just all committed to memory.
I hope they've got the wristbands with all the plays right there.
Because that is just not enough time, Chris.
It's just simply not enough time.
This scene is very useful.
about some of the stuff I noted here, more or less, like, the turn Ulf makes from, like,
lovable Braggart to disruptive force within the palace.
Continuing to talk while the queen has stood up to make a toast is one of the most astonishing
things we have witnessed in the history of the show.
Best make me a night then.
I mean, the problem is, the way I feel conflicted about this is that I do not believe in
the monarchy.
So, like, on the one hand, I'm like, yeah, I mean, he's got a dragon as much as they do.
But at the end, it's like, maybe just kill him and try and find another.
one.
Maybe this isn't the guy.
They enjoy him saying like, Silver Wings a goer.
And then I really loved Adam being like, we'll have time enough to see which of us is a
coward.
A lot of attention at that table.
A lot of attention.
Also, the little look on Jace's face.
When she takes Adam.
Yeah.
When Mr. Jardis comes in with the message from Simon and Jason's like, ready to, first
he's ready to listen, right?
No, you're not invited to listen.
And then when we're near a summons Adam and Jason's like, do you think it?
I have questions about why she took Adam.
Yeah.
Do you think she actually?
is like, I mean, obviously she's trying to keep Jace safe still, but why not take Bela?
Does she want Bela there to keep an eye on Jace?
It's hard to...
With the seeds.
I mean, I think that there is something about Adam's introduction to Reneira after she's,
look, that's the first, that's the only guy who's kind of given her unconditional support
and loyalty in a long time.
Hugh is really trying.
Ulf is dragging down his reputation.
Maybe they just haven't had any one time.
Reneer even says to Corliss, like, oh, you can give me like a good report on Adam, right?
And then he does, right?
She's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, that guy, that guy.
Yeah, he's fine.
But, like, Sir Laurent having to reach for his fucking sword?
The Kingsguard reaching with a sword.
Because his Ulf was being.
What Ulf is doing?
That's all.
But I, yeah, I have questions about why Adam and C. Smoke went to Haranol.
They do go to Haran Hall because she gets a message from Haranol and she flies out.
Yes.
Before she gets there, Damon has another vision.
As, you know, he's walking with Alice, she's like, do you want to see what all of these dream sequences were really about?
But before we get to the dream.
Okay.
I just, let's just like let Chris talk about this for a second.
Did it, did you see the person clopping with antlers on their head behind the tree?
No.
Yeah.
There's a green man.
A green man.
Of the Isle of faces.
So the.
So it's huge.
Yeah.
This is huge.
So it happened really, it's like blinking you'll miss it.
So I'm not, I'm not upset that you miss it.
But there's like before, right before he gets the tree.
And I'm sure Damon's like, I've seen.
so much at this point. I can't even. You hear clip-clop and you see a guy who's like, I guess
since he's clipping and clopping is sort of Sater-like, but he's got these antlers. And in the
god's eye, which is the lake that's right there, there's an island in the middle called the
Isle of Faces. Renair and Adam fly over it. You see it. Yeah. That humans cannot get to. People
cannot get to this island. And the people on the island, the guardians are the green men.
And what I love about the fact that we see this group, I mean, this is huge because we've
never been there. We don't go there in the books. It's like you can't get to it. It's like old
nan telling Brand stories, et cetera. It's like, okay. No one visits the Isle of Faces. That's where
the Green Man live. What I love about Brin, so Bran, here's these stories from Old Nan in the
original books. And every time he's like going somewhere and someone mentioned someone,
he's like, do they have antlers? If they had Antlers, that was a green man and that's so sick, man.
So anyways, it's a huge deal. We saw a green man. So we see a green man. Add that to my notes.
Alice visit Damon
takes him to the godswood and he touches the
weird wood tree. He has a vision
and I'm like, oh God, who's he going to have sex with
now? Uh-uh. He gets
the three-eyed raven. He sees some dead
dragons. He doesn't just get the three-eyed raven.
He gets fucking Brendan Rivers' blood raven.
But that's the three-eyed raven that we've seen.
Yeah, but like the birthmark was there, Chris?
Two eyeballs still.
We've now seen three actors play that.
I care. Okay, it's Maxxon Cito. It's Macon Ceyla.
Or the elderly bearded man.
who was in the visions before they cast Max Monta.
He also sees some dead dragons and soldiers.
We don't know what war that's from.
Could be any number of them, I guess, right?
Valerie and I have some, like, House of Art theories that we'll talk about.
Okay.
And Deneres birthing her dragons.
She's got them on her shoulders and stuff.
Renira on the throne.
White Walker, the Army of the Dead.
And then I thought kind of the most crush part of this is Helena is in the vision.
Red Comet.
And also seems to know that she's in the vision.
This is wild.
Not only that, but they got the set from Stranger Things
when Levin goes into the void space.
I thought that was pretty cool.
It really does open up a Pandora's box of
who, how does Helena know Alice?
Is there a sort of realm or plane of existence
that Helena accesses?
She pops up in people's dreams.
I'm excited to see her potentially dreamwalk.
Like, this is the thing about Helena is that this is a huge show invention, that Helena is like a dreamer in the first place that she sees things and has visions.
It's a huge expansion of the character.
And it's one that George R. Martin has said, actually, they improved on my Helena.
Like, often George R. Martin's like, don't take a thing.
Don't like it when you do that.
Causes a ripple effect.
But he's like, the shit that they did with Helena is really cool.
That's awesome.
Yeah, that she's doing all this.
So, like, yes, on the one hand, it opens up a lot of really cool possibilities.
but to your point in terms of like a monkey's pot,
like narratively this could be sticky.
But I think it works really well here,
maybe a little less so when she's talking to Aman a little after.
But her talking to Damon here, I found really effective.
I thought De Nair, I didn't mind DeNaris being here.
I thought that was cool.
I thought it was a cool way to like, we're not getting Amelia Clark,
but we all know.
She was like, what's up, Damon, I can see you.
Right.
We all know who that is.
The White Walker stuff, I was like a little.
less, you kind of need it for him to truly be like, I get it, now you're, I know why you're the queen.
Zombies.
So he's basically seeing, let me actually save that question, because I want to ask if that's, I mean, I basically want to know if that's Agan's dream, Agan's dream, right, of the Song of Ice and Fire.
Yep.
Or some things different than that, but gives him the same cumulative effect that it has when Vassaris passes the story on and René, Renaud.
I would say it's the latter.
I mean, to just answer your question,
even though you said you might save it.
I would say it's a ladder just because
of, like, Renera being part of it
and also him being part of it,
him, like, walking through it and falling into the water.
It's like a more contextual to his life framing
of the same end game, right?
That may be the end game of Agons.
That there's something else we have to fight.
The song of Ice and Fire is there.
It's the White Walkers.
It's the rebirth of the dragons.
Like, that part of the dream is there.
But, yeah, this is framed around his circumstance
in his life.
So that Helena can say,
it's all a story.
You're but one.
part in it, you know your part, you know what you must do, and that he can then say...
More important than story?
What, as Deerean once asked is more important than story.
But, like, I'm curious to ask you both what you...
What you...
Like, how you are feeling about these, because obviously the series opens with this, right?
This number of years until Denear's Targaryen, we get the dream.
We're like, okay, show invention.
We know how that all goes.
We know how Game of Thrones ends.
Like, when you see stuff like this, when you hear the, like the vision, cue, and the score kick in,
Are you like, let's fucking go?
These are the connections and these like bits of connective tissue that make this all feel like more of like there's a reason they went with a tapestry for the opening credits now of the series, right?
This idea that we are stitched into this great story.
Are those things that like those connections that you're, they felt inevitable as soon as they introduced the idea of that stream certainly.
But like, do you want more of them?
Do you want to really limit them?
And then to that question of free will, like how are you guys both feeling about that?
because on the one hand, we have, like, again,
we talked about it at the opening,
all the different relationships to that.
Are you feeling that this is a rich
and thematically potent way for us to look at what the impact
on the characters is when they think they know the end point?
Something we love.
What does it do to a character if they hear a prophecy?
Or are you feeling like if we pan back to us as viewers
and also the show that they're making
where they're like, this is a story
and this one part.
The Dance of the Dragons, House of the Dragon,
is one part in a story,
and you know a crucial part of it.
And so we can't forget that.
And does that make this feel more hemmed in?
And I think it has, for me, it's a lot of what you want out of, like, franchise, maybe fantasy-leaning IP story-telling.
And I would rather have a world where there is not always going to be a throw-the-ring in Mount Doom or the White Walkers get defeated.
Frankly, how dare he?
No, I mean, like, I don't want to move past.
I want to be able to move past.
points. You know what I mean? Like, I want them.
Yeah, you don't want to have to be in prequel then.
I think the best
version of a prequel that we've seen in recent years
in television is Better Call Saul.
And Better Call Saul, one of the things I love Better Call Saul as a
Breaking Bad prequel is, when you
watch this character of Saul, do this,
that, or the other thing, or Jimmy, if you prefer,
you have the tragedy
of Breaking Bad looming over it.
And so, to your point,
Mal, I feel like I've always felt
the tragedy of Game of Thrones,
which is that there will be a
where there are no dragons.
There will be a world where...
I kind of have to say, though,
I do like it more when it's about flawed people
than it is about people with no control.
Like, that Jamie shoved Bran out
because fate determined brand needed
to have this great injury.
This is my...
But I almost like the idea of it,
like, that there are no dragons in the show,
which is kind of what Game of Thrones is more about.
I agree with both of you,
which is why this is such an interesting question to me.
And I think it's too soon to always willing to answer.
We're kind of saying the same thing.
We're using different examples, I think.
But I just, I think that like,
I don't know.
I don't think I believe in Asconvice and Fire
or this world is a deterministic world.
Right. I think like...
We're almost using House of the Dragon ideas about Game of Threat.
Exactly.
And that's...
I'm interested to see how they navigate that now that these ideas have been introduced
because thinking about where we know this is heading
and the long, spanning, swirling history
of the Targaryen dynasty and the loss of magic
and the rebirth of magic, etc.
it's so thrilling to have this front row seat for all of the characters along the way who did actually,
despite whatever fate or destiny might say, did have a bearing on how we got there.
You guys have been covering the shows for a really long time.
When Helena says, like, it wouldn't change anything to Aman.
That makes me nervous.
Yeah, that's exactly what I was going to say.
I really did not like that.
Helena Aymond's interaction.
We had a question on a scale of 1 to 10, how much.
did Joe Amos freak out over Helene and Amin's combo,
I don't think they freaked out the way you think that they freaked out.
I did find it very emotional to see Amund in this completely broken space,
because in the book, this idea is like,
Septu Eustis tells us that the kinslayer,
which is what everyone's calling Aymond,
was determined that this should be his victory alone.
He had no wish to share the glory with his brothers nor any other man.
And it's presented in the histories as he wants to stand on his own,
he wants to do it on his own, he wants all the credit,
and to see the truth of it, which is so much more heartbreaking,
nobody would stand with him.
Yeah.
Like, that part of it was, I thought, quite sad and quite affecting.
I mean, but no one won't stand with him.
But again, that was of his own making because he sent everyone away in the last couple
episodes.
And then he was like, oh, no, I can't do this alone.
And then it's too late, as it is with all these sort of things.
I think this idea of it's too late hooks nicely into all this, because we're going
to get that, of course, with Rainier and Allison.
And Simby gets in.
It's too late.
but I don't think
that's the same to me as it's inevitable
which I agree with you is
sort of what it sounds like when Helena and Aeman
have this discussion and I
didn't like this. Yeah. That makes me a little
lurk. I think that there's an element
of watching these shows
and maybe reading the books because they're not complete
that really
No they're not.
It really plays to like the predictive
side of reading
or participating in fandom
where you're like, I want to say, these are all the signs I suggest this is going to happen, right?
When you have characters in the story itself being like, this is going to happen, it's a little bit different.
Do you know what I mean?
Because you don't want it to be like, I kind of want that to happen naturally, not because Laina called it in advance.
Well, I think the end of Game of Thrones, the last few seasons were so interesting in terms of like a fandom phenomenon because we had this book knowledge that could help us.
but we didn't know genuinely where the story was going
because George hadn't finished it
and like Weiss and Bennoff were inventing some things
at the same time and so
the speculative fervor around Game of Thrones
were never going to have something like that
for Fire and Blood for House of the Dragon
because Fire and Blood is already written
and we also know like mushrooms version is the version
you know?
Exactly. There will be these like these things here and there
that are a little different than how they're
so it's more like nuance and less like
is that Syria Farrell in the background?
And, you know, like, all that sort of stuff.
Oh, man, I loved a Syria theory.
Let's do Rinaura and Damon.
This is one of the two and the other.
Yeah.
Like, this is so good.
A lot of stuff happens in this episode with language.
I find that, like, it's quite obvious that, like,
all for instance speaks differently than the highborn people.
And I thought, no, not really.
No, yes, he does.
But I was just telling Mallory, I will not be doing any cockney.
Cockney war crimes.
No, no, I will not be offending.
It's a little bit different because they speak
High Valerian to each other.
But that's their intimacy language.
Exactly. Yes.
And I thought that was cool.
This was one of the better scenes of the
series, probably.
Yes, and I would say anything.
I think you could have...
So good to have them back together.
I think you could have ended the episode
on this. Like, this was like...
If this had been the last scene of the episode...
And then you get the montage?
I love the montage. Sorry.
You love the montage, the montage is like, see it in two years when we move four feet ahead.
And the montage is almost sustained me for those two years.
This is essentially like the West Side Story, like, quintet.
I don't have any major comment on this scene other than I thought Emma was incredible.
Like when she needs to change what she's saying so that all the soldiers can hear, like when she's like,
and to whom are you sworn?
Versus like whispering to him versus talking to him and High Valerian.
It's really cool.
Nobody bending the knee when Renera walks into that room until Damon does.
The threat, the genuine and sincere threat that you feel to Reneer's chances in that moment was like...
But also, Syrac's perched above.
And even that didn't make them kneel.
Even that didn't make them kneel.
I just think...
I think this was such an excellent scene.
There were like nine things going on at all times.
To your point, the language used here was almost...
I meant to serve you until death or the...
end of our story, essentially like a wedding vow.
Like, you know, they're just like, you know, yeah, redoing their vows in front of this
group of Riverlanders.
And where are they doing it?
They're doing it in the room again where the Cesaris was chosen at the Great Council,
like where the decision that set all of this into motion was made.
There is no more fitting place.
Now, I would argue, like, maybe not even in front of the Iron Throne for this conversation
between them to unfold.
And, like, that, I love that moment so much when you're like, you sound like my dad,
because as we've talked about a lot,
Damon's response to
Reneira bringing up the
prophecy in the season one finale was like
my brother was a slave
to his omens and portents
like dreams didn't make us king's dragon's day
and now we see not only this new connection
to Reneira but to Viseris
and he actually has
not just clarity and cohesion now with Reneer
but something that she doesn't
she has inherited this story
but he has seen it directly
and so like that is
just a fascinating dynamic too.
He got spriers, man.
He doesn't have to watch the leaks.
He knows what he's doing.
No, and I love that, like,
Reneera, this is exactly what Reneer
asked for at the beginning of the season
that he could not give her.
Yeah. Right?
Do you accept me as your queen and ruler?
And, like, we're hoping to do it
in front of all those people.
Incredible.
And, like, we said a little early in the season
that we were a little uncomfortable
with this idea of Damon
being disloat, having,
like, ideas of taking the throne
for himself, is like that,
And we were suspicious that it was the middle arc of something that would end on something like this.
I still don't think they needed to go quite as hard as they did early this season, but this was extremely satisfying.
I love, too, the pulling of the hand, you know, and that threat from Reneera, like, don't pull this again, right?
And he's like, I couldn't.
He's like, I tried.
And that felt like a real Matt Smith acting decision for him to be, like, to play it as, like, a joke.
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
I just thought that was so good.
Also, just one quick thing before we roll on from Harron Hall.
before, when we watch Syrac's,
this is just a thing they do sometimes
that is really fun.
When Syracs and Seasmoker are flying over the gods eye
past the camera, the camera shakes.
And that's just like a digital,
a digital, like, these dragons are fucking powerful thing
that they do is so cool.
We're running a little long, so I'm just going to condense some stuff here.
We had two scenes.
Mallory has like two more bottles of water,
so we could be here.
She's trying to avoid another.
In a certain point, she will need to pee in the episode one.
But Alan and Corliss on the docks together felt like a little bit of a letdown scene
after the highs of Reneira and Damon when it first began.
Because I was like, oh, yet another scene of these two guys not being able to express themselves
and being like, yes, I will go get your boat ready, you know?
And then actually it turns into a performance review of like, hey, your guys, they could use like a little
bit more relatable content.
And Alan's like,
fuck you, man.
And they have this huge explosion
on the dock for, you know,
in terms of,
of Valerian explosions.
Yeah.
And I thought it was a cool scene.
It's another scene where small folk
and nobles clash in this episode.
You know, like you have like these
moments where like these lowerborn
people are like, you know what, man,
honestly enough.
You know, and I thought you kind of get that
a little bit with Kristen and Gwain.
You certainly get it with all.
and everybody, and you get it here with Alan,
who's just like, I'm tired of you not, like,
kind of honoring what you know you did here,
which is father me.
Right, and you think you're conferring honor on me
when I know I've literally, like, Lainor died and Lina died,
and then, like, you know, Luke died,
and now you know who I am?
Bala rejected you, and now you remember me?
I thought, like, because we were talking earlier
about the growth from Corliss with the renaming of the Seasnake,
and, like, weights and counterweights,
like, Alan's saying,
to him, like, you don't just get to, like, live life completely on your terms.
Mm-hmm.
You know, felt very important.
It was great.
And, like, I agree with you.
Alan has been a bit, like, it's similar to Adam as, like, a bit sort of, like, a
cipher all season.
They had these two notes that they were playing all season, and we were like, we get it.
But as soon as Adam gets claimed by C-Smoke, I'm, like, all in on this character.
And once Allen did this, I was like, yes, I want more.
We get a quick scene of Masaria and Raniara.
Another scene of Rana wandering.
Oh, yeah.
Raina's still out there.
She's doing...
Meanwhile.
She could really use an REI or something.
And then Masaria and Reneira
are chatting.
This seems to be
she gets back with Damon.
She fully is now turning the page
to, it looks like I have to go
on the front foot. It looks like I have to be
the aggressor. It looks like this can't just be for
deterrence. And Masari is saying what?
She is saying,
the gods have chosen you.
So whatever you choose must be divine will.
Of all the players playing people, Masaria feels like she's, yeah.
Now we get a scene like the last sort of dramatic scene before this montage is what I wonder
whether will be somewhat controversial with the fandom, which is the second Renira and Allison
scene.
Wonderfully acted by the performers.
Yeah.
Certainly interesting as a mirror or inversion of Renira coming to Allison.
Yep.
In the beginning, towards the beginning of the season.
Yes.
And being like, you know, let's try to figure out a different way of handling this.
And Allison's saying too late.
Now Renera is saying it's too late.
Yes.
You get the great moment with Olivia Cook biting her nails.
Yes.
All this stuff.
I just wonder whether or not people will sort of be like,
you guys can't keep doing this.
This wouldn't have been able to happen.
I mean, they were already saying that, so I think we just have to sort of, like, put that, people felt that so much about the first time that I, of course, that will happen again.
How did, just so, these are not written about in the books, we do not.
Right.
How did Allison get there, Orwell?
Shat Orwell.
Yeah, my goodness.
You want to go see Renira?
The emotional payoff.
The person who were war with?
No props.
The emotional payoff of Allison saying, come away with me.
wearing Robbins Egg Blue that she wore in season one episode one.
In that episode, Renera says, I want to fly with you on Dragonback,
see the great wonders across the narrow sea and eat only cake.
Never jest about cake.
And like, in that scene, Alicent is very much like, you don't care about,
you don't care if your dad is a son.
You don't want the throne.
You don't want, like, what about your duty?
What about like all this sort of stuff?
Like this constant duty versus love, you know, binary that we've been talking about all
season on House of R for sure.
and this way in which their circumstances have flipped.
I think I really love that Allison here was talking about sort of her revelation in big bathtub that she had last week.
That helped clarify that for me.
It was really helpful.
Big bathroom season.
But like, I love, and just the formalism is to the watch.
Sure, that's me time.
The, the Halayman Shippers might not be having a very good episode.
would be.
The Allison Renierrez-R-R-N-R-Nir-Shipers are having.
It definitely had a vibe.
Yeah, she invites her to run away with her.
The one thing I thought might be controversial now is the idea that Allison is essentially
like, I'll leave the back door unlocked if you want to take.
Not only that.
But you can have, you can have egg on's head.
I mean, this was huge.
Like, first of all, I loved the way that they leaned into, again, like that meta aspect
of how we talk about the story that we read and the way the show is adapted.
history will paint you a villain, a cold queen, grasping for power and then defeated.
That is true.
That is how the...
You didn't like this.
Two on the nose to you.
Two on the nose for me.
It's...
The show kind of exploring this idea of what its mission is, I'm compelled by, right?
Like, we are, to your point, seeing things that to some viewers may, like, defy credulity.
Like, can they keep having these secret meetings?
But then they almost, I think, like, they lend credence to the possibility by reminding us that the histories won't know.
and don't remember it that way.
So I was like interested in that idea.
And then the way that like duty and sacrifice has come up between them so many times,
it's this recurring idea.
I loved and thought it was so satisfying when Reneer was like,
you're the one who made virtue your banner.
Exactly.
Incredible moment.
Yeah.
For Allison to be like,
don't judge me for fucking Kristen Cole when you fucked Kristen Cole.
And Rennar is like, yeah, but I'm not the one who was like, it's immortal thing.
Yeah, it was incredible.
And then talk about because that builds up.
Of course, there are history with each other.
You mentioned the dress, that beautiful opening series note.
The Egon moment, Reneira is 100% right when she says to Allison,
you still think you can have everything you want,
and there's no way for you to go live your life and for us to make this arrangement.
You're just going to let me in and the throne will be mine if Egon lives.
No fucking way.
And we've been hearing it the entire series.
From Otto.
From Otto.
Right?
in the fifth episode, when he said to Allison, like,
you're no fool and yet you choose not to see it.
The time is coming.
Allison, either you prepare Egon to rule or you cleave to Reneura and pray for her mercy.
This was it.
Praying for her mercy.
This is me word searching cleave in my notes.
I was like, it's the auto moment.
What have we heard Reneer say all season?
I hope they don't mistake mercy with weakness.
I hope they don't mistake mercy with pliancy.
And like, Allison looked at Egan when we were just,
just wanted to like fucking wank out the window and was like,
you are the challenge just by living and just by breathing.
And Reneira knows that that's true.
But it doesn't matter what the facts are in the reality.
For Allison to nod and agree.
We talked about this literally last week.
Yeah.
No matter what, no matter how fraught the relationships were,
she stood in front of Eggon and blocked him from harm,
at the Dragon Pit.
She stood in front of Helena at the riot.
She was always going to save her kids no matter what.
This is a huge moment.
It's a huge moment.
She's like, well, I've got that.
that backup kid, Darren.
I hear he's getting nice.
I heard he's kind. I think I could get the bug one to come with me, maybe.
You know.
Oh, man.
Amon is burning villages left and right and center.
And I asked, or while, will Agon really have any kind of quality of life if he ever
recovered from this?
I heard his penis got split open like a sausage.
So maybe it's like time to pack it up.
But I think that like, um, I,
I think in all seriousness, Emma's performance of Reniro waiting to see what Allison will do in that moment.
Master negotiator.
Master negotiator, but like the way that they, I think Emma is just so extraordinary and the way that just a million different emotions play across their face there.
Like it's just sort of like there's, I have to steal myself and ask for this, but also empathy for.
You don't want to do that to the person you love.
I don't want to say a son for a son, the person you love.
I really like that she repeats multiple times, like, why did you come?
Because it's trying to get to the actual pure motivation.
Is it purely for you to get out of this life?
Right. Or is it because you really want to save thousands of lives?
I really was only bringing this up as a controversial idea because betrayal in these stories is a huge scarletter that, like, Jamie carries around for the entire show of Game of Thrones as you're the Kingslayer.
It's like, remember what Vera said to Ned when Ned was like, who do you serve?
the realm someone must. That's always one of the things we love talking about. How many characters
could really claim that that was true? That they actually cared about the good of the realm.
How many of them just tell themselves they care about the good of the realm to further whatever
their agenda or their ends might be? So if you've lived your life talking about duty and sacrifice
and you really believe that giving Renera the throne is the right thing, that it will lead
to peace, and that's the sacrifice you have to make, then everything you've ever said you believe
is on the line. Just be like, go public, the two of us, like, I fucked up. I, like,
like the vision that my husband told me about was...
You are the challenge, just by living and my breathing.
It's too late.
Okay, so...
Cindy gets sync, Chris?
I think one of the most important sort of grace notes on this scene,
because then we get the montage of like all the army's marching.
Tessarian!
We get the blue belly of Daryon's dragon, Taserian.
The Macauper wings.
That all happens, but the final shots are Reneera,
framed by all this lattice work.
Like, the his she's caged in.
Where she found the seeds, right?
Exactly, but, like, she's all caged in,
and Allison is in front of a wide open horizon,
and all season, we've been watching Reneera in front of a wide open horizon,
and Allison caged in, caged in, caged in.
Did she make a window in a while of her prison?
Exactly.
No, she, like, busted, no, she didn't even,
she's been looking out of the window, and now she is,
she took one big bath.
That's all it took, and now she's, like, the whole world.
So, like, Allison, I don't know what's going to happen for this character going forward.
I do in some sense, but I don't in another,
because the portrayal is so different in the version of the book.
But I think I believe her when she's like,
I found my way myself a way back to myself.
Sure.
Like, and no matter what miseries are to come,
for Allison, I think there will be just solace in the fact that like,
she's located, I think, actual morality,
which is an odd thing for me to say in a scene where she was like,
okay, you can kill my son.
But like, I think that idea of like, no, this is, this is me.
I have been play acting, ever since my dad told me to dress up in my dead mother's dress
and go talk to the king, I have been play acting a role.
And now I am finally back to season one, episode one.
To be fair, not a great son, though.
You know what I mean?
Like, it's not like it was like Helena.
Everyone wants to do something great and be remembered.
And Allison literally says, I want to die unremarked and unnoticed and be free.
And like to stare out into that open air and that water.
I also love that framing of that, that Rainier shot because she's like, it's very much
of a piece with this question and theme of the episode,
like you are a piece, a part of that history.
Right, so small.
They're both framed so tiny in those shots.
And also just, yeah, what has,
what decision has Renera made in this episode?
Because early in the episode,
she's out on her balcony with this area,
like getting her wide vista shots that she usually gets.
What decision has she made in this episode
that has put her in that tiny little box?
You know?
And I think that's something for us all to think about.
Yeah.
Was it smaller than the box?
No, it wasn't?
Let's talk to Otto.
In this montage, we get a bunch of stuff.
Agon and Laris escape.
Yes.
Otto is in a box.
He's in prison.
He is in a cell.
Okay, we don't know anything about this.
Isn't it moving, though?
It seems like he's moving.
I think he's on a boat.
A brig.
So a brig.
Or in a carriage of some kind.
The triarchy wouldn't have told Thailand, by the way, we got your guy.
Okay.
Thailand.
I mean, I would have.
I would have.
are approaching the gullet, which is the sort of barricade,
the blockade that they've got, right?
His twin, Jason, he has a twin.
Moving toward that red fork.
Is approaching the Riverlands from the west.
This is all Joe, by the way.
I did not know what was going on.
Like, approaching the riverlands from the west of the continent.
Darren, we have not met yet.
Wow.
He has not been cast yet.
But Tasarian, the Blue Dragon rides over the Green Army.
this is not Kristen and Gween.
This is the High Towers
from the South Market.
We've been hearing about them all season.
Ormond High Towers.
We're going to do fun video only
but also just kind of
open air mapping right now.
This is Kings Landing and this is the Riverlands,
right?
These are like...
Steve Conrackia.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
give me my big board
and some khakis.
If this is Kings Landing
and this is the Riverlands,
Thailand's coming this way.
Tessarion and Darren are coming up
from here.
Jason and the Lannisters
are coming from here.
The Starks are coming down
the twins.
Winter wolves.
Yeah, the Starks are coming down into the Riverlands.
And what is so interesting about a lot of that is...
That we will have to wait two years to see.
That's one part of it.
And also, shout out Ramin Javadi and the score
where he would just like introduce various house themes
into what was happening here.
But as everyone's assembling, as we see sheepstealer,
not just as sorry, but we see sheepstealer,
really cool, like rattling.
Amazing.
Like, great dragon.
Raina's dragon.
That's Raina's dragon.
Well, it's the dragon that Raina is pursuing.
Is he eating a sheep?
At the end, there?
Stealing a sheep?
There are elements on the board that people are aware of, and there are elements that they're
not aware of.
So again, we'll talk about this in two years' time, but like...
So you guys are 26.
No, I will see both of you next year for fucking Duncan A.
Yes.
Well, they had a Night of the Seven Kingdom's footage tonight.
It's on HBO's YouTube and everything.
We both shrieked about it.
No, no, but I just want to say really quickly, and then we're done, maybe, is that
you know, like,
Damon thinks he's like
amassed this huge Riverland army. He's like, I get it.
I know what's happening, all this sort of stuff like that. They don't know
Thailand's coming with the triarchy. They don't know
that's happening. And then Jason Lannister's like,
I'm going to kill
these Riverlanders. They don't know the Starks are coming.
They don't know the winter wolves are on their way. And so
like, there are these pieces on the board
that are moving around, but no one
except for maybe
Laris has a full
And he's not telling anyone. Maybe
Elena.
Born.
Elena's
never seen it.
I'm on season
seven of Game
for games.
Yeah, exactly.
Let's ask,
I have a couple
questions from
YouTube commenters.
One is,
I asked already,
which was who is the
dragon at the end?
This is a sheep stealer.
Sheep stealer.
One of the wild
dragons of
Dragonstone,
who we heard Lady Jane
explained
had to head to
venture up to the veil
for more sheep.
It's so cool.
It sounded
sounded great.
David also asked here,
who is your
MVP for season two?
Character?
or performer?
I'm going to tweak this question a little bit.
Who is the character that improved the most in your standing?
You just want us talking about Kristen again?
You're shameless.
We already talked about Kristen.
I already stared on the camera.
That was the character.
That was naked, Chris.
No, I don't know.
Who's your MVP for the season?
It was your favorite character this season.
I think the scenes that I enjoyed the most were the ones between Laris and Eggon, genuinely.
Okay.
Welcome to Team Laris.
Genuinely.
I loved them.
And every Gawain scene.
Yes.
I loved the Gawain scenes.
Fine.
But I remain Team Black.
Just by picking two
Team Green character sets in that answer.
You know where the fun is.
You know where the parties are.
I'll represent Team Black and I'll say,
and I said at the beginning of the season,
Simon Strong and Ulf the White.
We needed that levity.
We needed Simon clapping with glee in the background.
As Tim is screaming to war and everyone's roaring behind him
and Alfred Broome's like,
I got to go.
Yeah, so Simon and Ulf.
But, like, really, it's Emma Darcy as Renier.
Yeah, I mean, she's, it's like, the character Reneer is, like, the one who I think is kind of, like, stepped into the maybe, like, this show needed a main character void.
Kristen and Gwain are, my guys.
We know.
We know, buddy.
Thank you so much for doing this season with us.
Oh, God. Don't leave us.
Well, you guys have like five that hours of podcasting to do this week anyway, right?
This is our fun for our song.
Thanks so much for watching us on YouTube.
Thanks for listening to us.
Thanks to all the people who helped me.
Yeah, thank you to our incredible talk to the host crew.
Team, thank you.
Every week we've got to do this.
This is a real pleasure.
Hopefully we'll be here for Night at Seven Kingdoms.
I'll be here.
House of the Dragon Season 3.
Just smell it.
You know, I can't wait.
Render 2099.
We'll see.
Thanks to everybody for watching on the Ring of Earth's YouTube.
And listening on House of Ar and watching on House of Ar,
We'll see you soon.
