I take back my comment about the teleporting:

This part of the map puts things into perspective…

It looked like Alicent was sincere about accepting Rhaenyra’s conditions.

IIRC Larys’ scheme to spirit Aegon out of King’s Landing is straight out of F&B - it doesn’t look like she’s privy to it. But who really knows…

(For the last time in 2024) Things I liked / Random Observations

• This was a bizarre finale.
  • Game of Thrones used this clever formula of having a great/impactful/explosive penultimate episode and then the finale episode as a palette cleanser and next season setup. This felt more like the latter without the former, and it hurt it.
  • I wouldn’t call it a letdown, but I can see how the rumors about this being changed from a 10 episode season hurt.
  • Season 3 has the potential to be the best ASOIAF television event - this is a great setup for it.
  • On a more darker take - I can totally criticize this as a 70 minute trailer for season 3
  • I feel like the story was just split between S2 and S3… so did we just get A-Feast-For-Crows/A-Dance-With-Dragons’ed ?
• I didn’t expect Otto to be imprisoned.
  • I think there’s something wrong about Otto being imprisoned - specially with what happens to Otto in F&B.
• This episode had GoT S8 teleporting going on:
  • Rhaenyra: Fly to Harrenhal and back.
  • Alicent: From the Kingswood to King’s Landing and then Dragonstone.
• Alys is now intimately tied to the (future) lore of the series… lets count the easter eggs in that vision
  • Brinden Rivers (could this be an cameo from the actor playing him in D&E?)
  • The Others/Whitewalkers (just the whitewalkers or the GoT Night’s King?)
  • A possible vision of the extinction of the dragons?
  • I’m shocked we got a Daenerys cameo.
  • Kinda related… what the hell was that thing in the godswood ???
    • I re-watched with subtitles on: antlered human 😱
• A dragon with striking cobalt blue coloring leading a Hightower host. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Prince Daeron Targaryen & Tessarion!
• I am pretty sure that the ending montage had all the leitmofifs of the great houses. Somehow it didn’t stick with me?
• The Rhaenyra/Alicent meeting felt like the Sept scene didn’t occur ? Is it just me, or did it felt like they were meeting for the first time in the season ?
  • I’m sorry, but having Alicent being OK with “a son for a son” as a setup for the fall of King’s Landing is fine? did Prince Jaehaerys didn’t count?

Going back to the antlered human in the godswood… I would have preferred an antlered being as a vision from a certain event in ASOIAF:

In a vast river stood a monstrous figure, antlers crowning its massive, muscled form. Shadows deepened as it loomed over a horse-sized black dragon, whose obsidian scales glistened in the dying light. The antlered being roared, eyes aflame with defiance, but the dragon matched it in relentlessness. With a bone-shaking bellow, the giant struck, its immense strength driving into the dragon’s chest. Blood mingled with the river’s waters as the dragon’s life ebbed away, sinking into the depths

Love this!

Things I Liked / Random Observations

• Oscar Tully is about 14, and the funny thing is, that’s the age Robb and Jon were in AGoT. So we just saw that accurate book-lore ages could have worked (in this case, at least).
• I honestly thought Daemon and Oscar had planned to “win” the Riverlords by dealing Daemon a “blow to his ego” (calling him Prince). I started getting nervous (with Daemon and Simon Strong) as Oscar “went off-script.”
• Someone get cartwheels for Oscar Tully and Hugh to carry their massive cojones.
• Jace’s classicist tirade was great writing, in my opinion. It hits his weak spots and mixes with genuine points and his own self-loathing (bastardy).
• Can’t deny it: That last shot was fucking cool.
• Piper, Darry, and Mooton sigils sighted!
• Silverwing: “I CAN FIX HIM…”
• Vermithor got a TREAT YO-SELF DAY: A catered meal and a new rider.
• Ulf accidentally claiming his dragon while running for his life is perfect for (our lovable) Oaf.
• Was that joyride on Silverwing more than just a joyride? It made it look like this was all a ploy to get Aemond to see Team Black Mk II.
• I have thoughts about Hugh’s maternity “reveal”:
  • Hugh Hammer’s mother is (now being hinted to be) Saera Targaryen. In the spirit of R+L=J, S=HH.
  • I need to revisit F&B - so is S=HH only canon for HOTD? Or is this also hinted at in the books?
  • Perhaps Vermithor sensed part of The Conciliator’s “unbreakable” will in Hugh? Jaehaerys could be incredibly stubborn (as in the case of Hugh’s mom, Saera), so Vermithor recognized that quality in Hugh.
  • If S=HH, shouldn’t he know Valyrian? I thought he was going to yell “STOP” in Valyrian to save that woman, and that was going to be the thing that got Vermithor on his side.
  • Finally, it is ironic (and poetic) that (probably) Saera’s bastard ended up claiming Jaehaerys’s dragon. That’s such a big middle finger, and I’m all for it.
• I kept waiting for Alicent’s bath scene to go horribly wrong as the before-the-finale event.
• This is very GRRM-esque: Aemond’s management style has people afraid to bring him information, and thus he misses out on crucial intelligence until it’s too late. That’s the sort of detail that the books would showcase to show the pitfalls of villainy.
  • This certainly would not have been done by D&D in Game of Thrones.
• I saw a possible stand-in for Nettles, and Rhaena is on a Sheepstealer-stealer mission… it kinda looks like the HOTD writer’s room is trying to have their cake and eat it too.
• Interesting development with the dragonkeepers. Could they be descended from a branch of their order who came with Aenar/Daenys? I perceived a “hint” of Valyrian exceptionalism in there.
• Rhaenyra’s obsession with the prophecy getting to fanatical levels is a nice parallel with Rhaegar’s and other Targs.
• I kept recognizing Rickard Thorne’s actor and could not pinpoint from where. It’s Garp from Live Action One Piece.
• Addam and Allyn’s mother being the parent with dragonlord heritage is a great development, in my opinion.

I’d say so!

For some reason the video’s preview image is not showing on Voyager. 🤷

Ohhh that’s a good theory!

Up until when he mentioned her, I was believing Alys was a ghost or manifestation of Harrenhal that only Daemon could interact with.

I still don’t think she has interacted with anyone else.

• “Here’s a description of sexual assault.” Great, let’s follow that with a makeout session…

Not a direct mention😉

Things I liked

• Intro updated! Meleys and Sunfyre are on the tapestry.
• The Lannister’s army bringing a live lion is such a vibe.
• Aemond saying, “No, you idiot, I’m talking about Grandpa,” was hilarious.
• I love the idea of Larys leaning into the new shared disability aspect between him and Aegon II. Clever.
• Gwayne being a proud uncle is a nice setup for introducing “The Daring” in Season 3.

Things / Random Thoughts

• I honestly thought that was Casterly Rock… turns out it’s just the Golden Tooth. 🫤
• Princes Aegon (the Younger) and Viserys seem way younger than in Fire & Blood. How is the Gullet going to work?
• Did Aegon’s drinking buddies get ripped apart by the mob?
• Can someone remind me if Rhaenyra is canonically bisexual in Fire & Blood?
• “Here’s a description of sexual assault.” Great, let’s follow that with a makeout session…
• Seasmoke: “You look like that kid I used to know—you’re my rider now, deal with it.”
• Are they merging Nettles with Rhaena?
• Also, Sheepstealer heard that the sheep are prettier than the women at the Vale. 😉
• Steffon Darklyn totally could’ve claimed Seasmoke if he didn’t get cocky. As soon as he thought, “I DID IT,” Seasmoke was like, “What are you doing, buddy?”
• I think Simon Strong knows more than he’s letting on. The way he described Alys trying her “healing powers” on Grover Tully was suspicious.
• Men will literally commit war crimes and sleep with their niece before giving their big bro a hug.

Things I liked

• Matt Smith certainly looks like The Warrior himself (God/Aspect of the Seven). If HOTD becomes an antology series (post-dance of the dragons) I would not be mad if he played another Daemon…
• Speaking of Daemon, how ducking funny is his reaction to the Brackens saying, “go ahead - burn us”. Mad respect for him to actually realize that THAT is the kind of soldiers he needs.
• Alys Rivers remains one of the breakout characters of this season.
• Trippy/Trippin’/Mystical Daemon >>>>> “Regular” Daemon
• Baela is a boss. Loved her conversation with grandpa Velaryon. Indeed, Rhaenys chose to go out like a dragonrider.
• 🤩 🤩 🤩 More Book-accurate Eyrie and (Frey) Crossing 🤩 🤩 🤩

Random Thoughts

• Parading Meleys’ head around is definitely a bad idea. It’s diminishing the mysticism that the dragons possess. This is also undoubtedly setting the stage for the <event from F&B>.
• That’s a level of incest I was not prepared to see, Daemon.
• So far with Daemon: Brother issues, niece issues and are we adding Mommy issues ? Next Episode are we getting Baelon cameo ?
• Is the Valyrian armor “HOTD-Canon” for Aegon surviving Rook’s Rest ?
• I’m not quite sure who Rhaenyra’s handmaiden was seeing at the end.
• “What time is it” “The WOLF”. Loved how that line could have a meta context, in addition of the actual in-universe meaning.
• I loved the proposal and extent of the Dragonseed plan for the Blacks. To me, it sounds more out-of-left-field and grandiose than the F&B version.
• Was this the first usage of “Aemond One-Eye” ?
• Good job, Otto. All that work to keep Daemon off the throne… only to end up with Daemon on the throne - just with the D moved to the end and a cool eye-patch.

Things I liked

• We got Rook’s Rest.
• Even more young Rhaenyra! ~ Hi Milly!!!
• Daemon is getting a crash course into Spooky/Mystic Westeros.
• They spent all this time setting up Cole as a stone cold warrior… Only to have him shellshocked at what a Dragon vs Dragon war really entails. “What have I unleashed”
• Alys Rivers for best new character of the season.
• I love how disorienting the mystic scenes at Harrenhal are.
• We have Muppets Tullys!
• Clever bit of foreshadowing (for the end of the episode) with Alicent dropping the 🐲 figure

Weird Things / Random Thoughts

• Doesn’t appear they’ve added anything new this week to the opening credits. Still ends with the hanging of the ratcatchers.
• War isn’t romanticized… we’re getting the futility of war. I’ve read before that GRRM writes conflict from an anti-war point of view. Could not be clearer now.
• Was Aemond really going to double-dip into Kin-slaying ?
• Do we prefer HOTD’s version of why Cole gains the Kingmaker moniker ? I think the book’s version makes more sense; he is a much bigger player in F&B.
• Looks like we’re getting no differences in post Rook’s Rest Aegon from F&B.
• Well done HBO… I can’t believe Criston Cole is likeable in this episode.
• Alicent’s actions in being a horrible mother again are devastating.

ROFL for Trump to not invest… that’s not a low bar. The bar is buried and no shovel would help.

Bush Gardens was/is awesome, how dare you 😂

For Drumpf, it’s more of a sequel to Action Park (NJ)

My question: does that indicate that weirwood is impervious to dragon fire?

I’m unsure. My theory is that Ryan Condal (and GRRM by extension) are hinting at the magical properties of weirwood and, more specifically, that it could harm dragons.

During Aegon’s Conquest, Brandon Snow (Torrhen Stark’s bastard brother) offered to cross the Trident alone at night, sneak into the Targaryen camp, and assassinate the dragons while they slept. So, at the very least, Brandon thought he had something powerful enough (and maybe fireproof—or at least resistant) to get the job done.

The connection to Weirwood might be in ADwD. In that book, one of the visions Bran has through the Winterfell heart tree is of “a pale, fierce, and dark-eyed young man” slicing three branches off the weirwood and shaping them into arrows. I’ve read before that this may be Brandon Snow, preparing Weirwood arrows to kill the three Targaryen dragons.

It seems that way (at least according to HBO)… in book lore, it is hinted that Danny’s dragons are the eggs stolen during Jaehaerys’ reign by Elissa Farman.

Ballsy… she is learning from “chaos hoodie” Daemon.