The Reel Rejects - HOUSE OF THE DRAGON 3x03 REVIEW – HER PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR STRESSED US OUT!

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Starting point is 00:00:41 Each week, we curate the wildest Reddit stories just for you. Whether you're into hilarious accidents, insane relationship drama, or pure chaos, these insane confessions are sure to make your jaw drop. Listen to the RR Show weekly on Mondays via your favorite podcast platform. Or get your episodes early and ad free by becoming a member. The R.R. Show. All of the drama, none of the hassle. Thank you to Hewle for sponsoring this video. More on them in just a bit. Boom, man. Fucking hell. I love the shit out of that episode. That was beautiful. That was brilliant. Oh man, what a brilliant episode. I love that so much. I was just enraptured in that whole experience. Holy crap. Guys, I want to thank everyone who's been joining our Patreon page supporting the channel you might hear other channels with reactions going through it as well and people who don't do reactions the copyright system is as always been bad

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Starting point is 00:02:06 get yourself some RR apparel. We have to make some new ones. I probably have a new one of mine. God damn, I love Emma Darcy so much. She's so good. Holy shit. A lot of people were saying, like, last episode. She should, this is her Emmy episode.

Starting point is 00:02:18 I'm like, I think this is her Emmy. She just held, like, outside of the prologue. She held down every fucking scene, man. This was a tour-to-force performance. Holy shit. John So we finally We took Kings Landing

Starting point is 00:02:33 And then it was Smooth sailing They did an episode Of when we left John In charge of real rejects Yes That's right I was like oh God

Starting point is 00:02:41 I got all these people Just walking around Asked me questions all day You need to answer now I was very much Sympathizing for you This episode I was like

Starting point is 00:02:50 Your two lives Must be like all If I feel in any This is what Pushed Turned to the edge Corporate management I was going to say

Starting point is 00:02:58 Like, I get little tastes of these when other people are around the office and you and Alex aren't. So then, like, by de facto, then I'm the next person in line who's got to, like, I don't know, at least know what they're talking about a little bit. So, yeah. No, man, no, you deal with a lot, too. You have a lot to manage here. But no, what do you think, man? What stands out to you the most? I'm with you guys.

Starting point is 00:03:19 This is great. And, I mean, I love, like, you know, the season started off with this huge battle, obviously. and there was a lot of, you know, there was a huge battle. And you got last week's episode, people seemed to like a bit more than that. And then this episode here just felt like its whole own little film to me. Like, it's still an episode, it's still in the continuum. But this had just such a unified style and a unified, as you pointed out,

Starting point is 00:03:47 way of putting you into the place and the feeling and the overwhelm of everything. And I feel like the thing about Game of Thrones, in general as a whole overarching franchise is that like what I remember the best stuff about the OG Game of Thrones series is that like you would have whole episodes where it's all just this kind of thing and it is completely gripping

Starting point is 00:04:08 and you are wrapped with attention and that was this like this felt like classic GOT style like we're dealing with all sorts of just actual practical problems plus some higher level deceits and things like that and so yeah you just I just really felt

Starting point is 00:04:26 for Rainier. This is hugely, hugely, and I love the amount of poise and tempering. She brings, like, a character who has to be holding in so much all the time and always sort of like having that level of perspective. I'm not just going to get carried away by all these things that are coming at me constantly. And you can see her constantly in these states of being sort of on edge or preoccupied. And every so often, you're like, oh, man, this is going to be a time where she breaks. And she doesn't throughout the whole episode pretty much. It's fascinating. So yeah, this was easily the best of the season so far. And I would agree with you. This might be the best episode of the show just in isolation, minus maybe a couple of those early Vassaris one. Yeah, it's probably my favorite. I mean, it could be a recency bias, but I don't recall like any episode quite doing it for me like this where I was just like over the moon with like the filmmaking flourishes and the writing of the dialogue.

Starting point is 00:05:22 The music. Yeah. I said it like in the prolog of how it's interesting. how they've taken a lot more of these like cinematic editing flourishes throughout you know like and to have like a transition from the music and then go into the pro then go into the opening credits and then this time it really felt like the composer was like there in every scene yeah kind of in the background it's like a fucking it's like jazz where like scary stream music the whole time atonal yeah disconcerting vibes so michael as a as a reader of the okay so do you know if that's the twist in the book I'm not going to lie. I've been trying to remember it's been borderline embarrassing in the comment section. This chapter of things I've got to

Starting point is 00:06:08 really be mindful of my words. Please. I'm just going to say it like this. Transitions are hard. Transitions are hard. And I think this was such a great episode in that it was able to demonstrate

Starting point is 00:06:24 there is the spectacle of battles and all of that, but then there is something so inherently humanizing and just like, you're, as Rainera is making decisions, the moral quandaries are quandaries that we as an audience have to sort of play out. And where Game of Thrones succeeds the best historically is when it takes those and it demonstrates that there is genuinely no good options.

Starting point is 00:06:56 Like every action has a consequence, and that's part of the mantle of leadership, is trying to figure out which of those consequences is worth it. Because at the end of the day, there is no ideal situation. And the decisions go from microscopic to, should we just take our dragons and capture ESOs? Yeah, she's steal all the goals.

Starting point is 00:07:21 You know, but those, that is, The easy, that is the full range of decisions. And I think what's really brilliant about this episode is that, number one, it read scripting-wise like Shakespeare. And I felt like this script out of all the scripts that we've seen so far, especially this season so far and last season,

Starting point is 00:07:41 this just had a level of gravitas to it from start to finish. That just, I felt as though I could be watching this on stage. And it's a nice prelude for the fact that, they're doing the Mad King play at the Royal Shakespeare Theater. Right. But what really caught me the most in this episode is this idea of ghost. And not just seeing her son, but the ghost of her father literally on her shoulder and the ghost of her husband, uncle, on the other shoulder.

Starting point is 00:08:13 There is this moral conflict of her trying to figure out her identity while a specter of ghost, even having her best friends still alive, that is a ghost of a friendship, even in a living person that is still there. And so all of this sort of continues to, you know, add up to

Starting point is 00:08:35 the treason of the high towers, even in Otto's death, his cunning and his machinations and all the things that made him so brilliant and interesting, he's still in the game, even though he's gone. And for me,

Starting point is 00:08:51 like this episode was just it was magic it was perfect pacing and it was focused and that is something that is just so painfully missing as the narrative has gotten bigger and bigger and bigger and I think that's why I love the first season so much

Starting point is 00:09:08 yeah that's true it's really good points rejagnation summer is here and that means routine gets obliterated we got travel we got barbecue late nights long work days looking up at 1 p.m. realizing I have only been running on snacks and vibes, but something like H-U-E-L-Hule is what I love at a time like

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Starting point is 00:09:56 But, like, this year, Koi, he's been drinking Huel constantly while getting wedding ready. If you guys, follow him on Instagram, you can see a lot of his progress. And you know throughout this year he's been drinking Huell, he would drink it on camera evidence. So, guys, the Huel Black Condition is a complete meal. 40 grams of protein. 8 grams of fiber. You got to get your fiber, people. 27 essential vitamins and minerals, gluten-free, no artificial sweeteners, or color.

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Starting point is 00:10:56 And the director Claire Kilmer? This is written and directed all by women, it would appear. Oh, fuck this. Nah, they can't. God damn it, guys. But there's probably a bunch of men who did it for them. Is that why there was feminist agendas being pushed on me this entire episode? I mean, this episode passed the Bechtel.

Starting point is 00:11:14 It actually did. It really did. And even having your period on the iron drum. I don't think they did. Does Allison conversations with Reneira Reneera and Miss Marcia? I don't know, maybe.

Starting point is 00:11:28 Her mistress of whispers. There's definitely a couple. There was no men talked about. I mean, Allison talked about the boy's name. The High Tower. Oh, Osmond? Osmond.

Starting point is 00:11:42 And then the, no, the actual, the one that looked at Ormond. Sorry. Ormond. Whatever. Anyway, it doesn't. Orville. Or something else entirely different.

Starting point is 00:11:51 Yeah. Tower. Like the directing of this episode, if you look at like the first, not past the prologue, which is really tense, but if you look at like that first shot of Rainera, it's slowly zooming in on her.

Starting point is 00:12:05 It's cold. It's like coolly lit. And she's in her own thoughts. And you kind of, it's kind of like drowning out sounds. And she's saying what's on her mind and heart. And then immediately when it shifts into reality with Damon saying something, has nothing to do with acknowledging at all,

Starting point is 00:12:22 what she said. And it's such a great, like, tell of what this episode's going to be, that she's going to be in her own head a lot. And she's going to be very alone while dealing with everybody at all times. And then you take that opening shot of her, where she's just kind of lost in this coolness and sadness. And then it's, like, anger and rage and the fire and the final shot of it. It's like an interesting visual bookend that they do.

Starting point is 00:12:46 well and it makes all the more sense to have that prologue with the kid because then that's like a key to the very end cliffhanger of the episode yeah yeah yeah it's like this was so clockwork chest pieces into motion in order to and it was that was clever yeah it was clever blonde kids man and while it's and while there's like a lot of information spewing at all times it i never i never felt like i got lost in it like there were stuff i i didn't catch that's for sure but they knew how had to like make sure you captured at least the essence of the emotional stakes and the and the consequential stakes that are at hand too it's dizzying in the right way definitely because it's what she would be experiencing and they use that with their lenses a lot too as the as the cameras the cameras constantly gets a little bit more intimate and a little bit more disoriented where it starts feeling a little bit a little bit like a mind trip in the head where you're where she's her mind's always in two places at once you really see there were like cuts from night into day uh when she's in the carriage with missaria and she's just exhausted and they have this exchange about grief

Starting point is 00:13:57 and she's like i'm not grieving right now it's it's like sometimes when people when i've i've talked to a lot of people that when they when they lose someone sometimes you hear them say i don't have time to grieve and i'm like that's not really what's how you are grieving the process of ignoring your grief is part of like the grieving has begun. And, you know, there's just stages to that. And this is, like, part of her stage. It is what propelled her to be like, screw this. I'm going to take back King's Landing. But it's still washing over her all of this. And a lot of her decisions of inability of not taking time to like process stuff, because this is not a therapy culture, but not taking time

Starting point is 00:14:39 to like process what's happening and to be one who wants to correct everything and then get her her retribution in every single form, the stress and the anxiety, the turmoil, I felt like I was watching a combination of, like, the directions of Ariaster. It's sort of like Paul Thomas Anderson and Ariaster. It's like, he took, there will be blood meets hereditary. And I think that's kind of what you got here. Because they had, they had fun, too, with their music. I like those, like, bell ding, whatever those, like, dong, like to let you know, like, this is an important information change. Rameen Dijwati?

Starting point is 00:15:17 Yeah, I think this whole season since I'm still right? So the music. I mean, I think every season I don't know where that credit exactly shows up. It's funny, the last time an episode of Thrones,

Starting point is 00:15:26 I feel like captured that level of like intensity and being able to just like play to the, yeah, he's such a busy guy. Is ironically the last time that they were at the Sept. Oh yeah.

Starting point is 00:15:43 And then it blows up. Oh, spoiler. Yes. I mean, you saw a little bit of that, too, during the Battle of Winterfell. But this was, it had so much fun with it, to your point. The flourishings were just... The other thing about this episode, I just want to say, is that I appreciate how well Thrones does with exposition across the board.

Starting point is 00:16:09 I mean, in this one episode alone, they managed to, like, tie in, hey, you have to navigate your political dynamics with the church. You have to manage your political dynamics with the Lord Paramounts of the major, you know, the seven kingdoms. You also have to deal with the merchant class and the small folk. And all of them are going to have conflicting things. And every single one of them is an essential piece of the puzzle. And if you can't strike that balance or if you punish one over the other, there may be consequences. Well, I got a question.

Starting point is 00:16:43 Yeah. Because wasn't that Cordless's brother in the first season who got beheaded for saying that their children are bastards? And there was all these witnesses to that moment. So wouldn't he, isn't that cause to kill him? Yeah. By definition? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, but you also have to factor in he is the Navy.

Starting point is 00:17:06 He's also the hand. There is a lot of, she has to now play a, is a, it worth it game relationships wise and she doesn't have she has those that have bent a knee but she doesn't necessarily have a lot of loyal advisors

Starting point is 00:17:25 and loyal friends. No I mean what she did with those the rich folk was like oh man this is like it's playing like evil not evil there's a menacing catharsis in a way

Starting point is 00:17:38 because you're like yeah get back at them but teach that really, really striking and grim less and what's the fundamental difference is if Vesaris did it when he was king it was a time of stability you could punish

Starting point is 00:17:54 and you didn't have to worry so much about the consequences she's literally living in a kingdom of cards well the one thing that for some reason is just reminding me of the Damon exchange and when he is saying what like we should just go out there

Starting point is 00:18:09 and just rule right now suddenly the because I don't know what the motivation is in the book but because they had that ending part of season two where he basically sees all of all the seasons he came through us the song of ice and fire yeah he's where he sees Danny and everything

Starting point is 00:18:27 the song of fire and ice don't get it you know make sure you say it right frozen ice fiery record but because he saw everything he his motivations doesn't seem solely rooted now in only conquering? It seems like there's something rooted in,

Starting point is 00:18:46 no, we have to do this or else everything is fucked. He feels justified in his conquering. Yeah. Which is, historically speaking, not great when somebody gets red ocean in their head. Yeah. But I can. But I also think that he understands that it's easier to conquer and to fight than it is to rule.

Starting point is 00:19:05 Yeah. You know, have you ever seen Hamilton? Mm-hmm. Fighting is easier, son. Living is harder. Living as easy, son. Governing as harder. George Washington, he has thoughts.

Starting point is 00:19:18 Happy 4th of July. George Wash. Happy 4th, everybody. Yeah, that's right. 250 years of hot America. How are you feeling about the Allison scenes? You're an Allison sympathizer. I know you are.

Starting point is 00:19:32 I mean, I don't find myself, like, rooting for her or, like, taking her side generally, but I can sympathize with the positions that she is often put in outside of all the machinations and stuff as a mom and as a human. Yes, I have some sympathy for Allison, and I do appreciate their backs and forth, especially now. I think these have been obviously awash in other things, but the Allison moments here are very punctuated, and I love the way that last scene with the kid played out. Do you think that Allison intentionally showed that that wasn't? her son in order to build more trust and more like do you think that there's further sort of

Starting point is 00:20:17 she is playing a little game trying to convince ronirah that she can be a trusted advisor and friends still i could see that being a i don't know like i i know she wants to go off and be free and and not have to deal with any of this stuff but in that scene i wasn't a hundred percent joking i was like are you trying to get some throw down some advice And I can also see Renira being like, well, you have been here this whole time. Can you give me some advice? Like, you know, I'd be curious about it. I'm also, I'm going to take that scene at face value.

Starting point is 00:20:48 But, you know, like, it's a bit of a twisty tourney. So I'm like, okay, could this be some kind of triple cross of some weird variety or like, okay, if I know I'm seeing this kid with blonde hair? Like, does she recognize this kid for some other reason? If she played into it, though, that gives her kid a scot-free safe. If the kid goes to the... That's what I'm saying is. I want to believe. Despite her being terrible at the game,

Starting point is 00:21:14 she's pretty good at the game, I think. Yeah. Kind of. She kind of jack sparrows her way around. Yes, that's the exact one-to-one I was looking for. She's, I mean, this episode would have you think she's being sincere and not duplicitous. Yet, at the very end of the last episode,

Starting point is 00:21:38 I think it intentionally zoomed in on both of them for a reason because I feel like Allison is going to cook something up or is cooking something up even if this episode because you're in Renera's perspective

Starting point is 00:21:54 and her interactions and Allison kind of knows how to play to Rainer's feelings which I don't know how if book readers I hear that's not really in the book at all the, uh, I mean it's like friends and shit

Starting point is 00:22:06 because they play that up here as like that's in the back of all their exchanges, that there is a history of love between them still. I mean, I think we veered from what I remember from the first read-through. I think we've veered so far that it's hard to even want, like it's generalized inspirations. I will say the one thing I'm curious about is if at the end of this series they're going to share

Starting point is 00:22:29 that it's from the POV in a particular character, the ending, like the version of the story that we've heard. Ooh, Fred Savage. Yes. And his grandpa. Well, that explains a couple of those scenes. That's right. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:22:41 Prepare to die. I mean, this was, I don't want to diminish the work of any other creatives, but like this was a time during a show like this. This show and prestige drama in general where I was struck by the like, I want to go look up who wrote and directed this. Because like, yeah, this was a so big, big props to the two of them, Sarah Hess and Claire Killingher. Because this was like every shot, every lens choice, like everything was so clock. work and so tight and again like going from battle to then like okay episode two i guess we're taking kings landing and it's kind of going to work work in quotes out a little bit and then this episode you're like oh yes the onslaught of it's like ever since they took kings landing i've been

Starting point is 00:23:23 waiting for like okay some big dramatic strike is about to happen and this was like a fun twist where i'm like yeah okay this is a world where it takes things a little longer to move and this is probably what you would have to do right now even while your enemies yeah even while you're greater enemies are like on the horizon somewhere. So like this I like the proportionality that this is bringing us into. Yeah. Well the whole episode's driven by

Starting point is 00:23:47 Renera's inner conflict of trying to be a ruler the way her Viseris would want her to be versus being a well it's hard gary. And a ruler is defined by the times. You don't get to choose the times and I think that's the biggest difference is he inherited

Starting point is 00:24:03 an era of peace and her whole assent has been nothing but war. And you can't just put that back in the box when people have suffered despite the many attempts to do so. It takes time. Boxes open, people. Boxes open.

Starting point is 00:24:19 Anything that anyone wants to shout out before we close up. Justice for Witch Lady. I'm afraid that Amon and Witch Lady are going to cook something up and I love Witch Lady, so I hope that she's cool. I love the cool balls. in the in the chamber for the council you're supposed to take one and you're supposed to put it in but they didn't put it in and i got a little sad

Starting point is 00:24:46 i didn't give a shit about how you're supposed to know they're in session but i guess that's not actually the but yeah i love those marble balls yeah shitty small council what about you any straight details they got that one dragging they captured uh the little guy the the the the night scene was interesting and i do feel i do feel for it i was talking semantics of what might happen in a core list based off what he was shouting, but I feel for him. Like he's also a person in grief. He's lost everyone and everything. And now he's taking these bastard children

Starting point is 00:25:17 who he's ignored and being like, you know what? You are my children now. You are my heirs. And like, this is all I need, though, please. And I trust me, she's good for it. You know, we're good. We're tight.

Starting point is 00:25:27 Yeah. And I really do see, and honestly like a lot of times happening you here for a reminder of some of the political applications that I'm sort of forgetting about. like oh yeah she can't just like because of the bastard children you can't just do that because of everything it's a PR crisis it's a game of PR

Starting point is 00:25:46 yeah game of press there's things I don't want thinking about in the moment or completely like blanking on I was like oh yeah you can't just go ahead and do that so appreciate that and the nighting was interesting I don't know what's gonna I feel like there's something with Hugh that might be bad there's there's something there like especially with his wife leaving and there's there's something there I'm like there's, he looks like the good night, but I don't know. Hugh and all of both. I don't know quite what to, what to make, because they're giving him both reasons to be resentful.

Starting point is 00:26:16 And then Alan obviously has his own, or Adam has his own reason now to be resentful. So they all have something, but yeah, the most punctuated is with Hugh. Yeah. You say nothing. All right, guys. That's it for today. I know nothing. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:26:31 That's it for today. Thank you so much for being here. Thanks, Michael, for bringing the game. Thanks, John, for bringing your game. bringing the throne. Please have a like, subscribe, keep a lookout. When we back, baby.

Starting point is 00:26:42 Peace.

The Reel Rejects - HOUSE OF THE DRAGON 3x03 REVIEW – HER PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR STRESSED US OUT!

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