Yikes. Horrible casting choices. Only the queen's older version feels like the same character. They either should have jumped earlier in the season or waited until season two. After kind of enjoying last week's episode I'm back to my overall impression of this being a poorly written and executed show.
There were already a few red flags in the previous episodes, but I decided to overlook them since the rest of the show was actually pretty good. However, these last two episodes (which interestingly are the ones people liked the most) are the ones that got me questioning the direction of the show and some of the directors' decisions. To me, it feels like the tone of the show has changed in this episode, it just feels different somehow. In view of the time leap, it makes sense that the characters would've matured and perhaps changed their views on some things, it just feels like I was watching different characters. For example, Rhaenyra having so many children and basically having become everything she stood against previously. Or even queen Alicent acting like she's the king and Viserys basically being Alicent's b**ch . Anyway, there are few more choices that just don't make sense in this episode in my opinion. It feels like the tipping point to HOTD becoming an average show at best. I sincerely hope I'm wrong, since I quite enjoyed being taken back into the GOT universe.
This felt like a second pilot halfway through the season, which is definitely a bold and risky choice but I still really enjoyed this episode. I did get a bit of whiplash from jumping 10 years ahead and having to figure out who all of these new kids are. But the show does a great job of introducing you to them, as well as re-introducing the older versions of our main characters. These families just continue to get more complicated which is perfect. I do miss the younger cast but at the same time am really liking the new older cast. And I was able to pretty quickly understand how relationships have evolved over the last 10 years into what they are now, a testament to the great writing and performances. You can really feel that tensions are higher than ever and things are already starting to come crashing down. Viscerys simply still being alive is literally the only thing standing between complete anarchy, and you can just feel the tension rising as he gets sicker and sicker and everyone sensing what is to come. Also, the emergence of the new villain near the end was great, he gets my blood boiling just like GOT villains should. Overall I really enjoyed this episode even if I was a bit overwhelmed with the time jump and all the new characters.
I don’t get why Rhaenyra had a kid with that loser, let alone 3
Also why does Alicent have so much power? The king needs to put her in her place
An hour passed by so quick. This show is so amazing.
Rhaenyra out here banging every hot knight in the realm hell yea you go girlfriend get that D #HotGirlSummer #HotGIrlAutumn
This is the first episode that I didn't like very much. Older Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) is nothing like the younger one. It's like we've been introduced to a totally new character.
But the worst thing about the episode to me was Larys. So far he is like a mix of Ramsay and Littlefinger, but without the good writing. He just seems like a total stereotypical villain.
Time jump is so weird. Rhaenyra looks 40+. Alicent is randomly the biggest bitch on the planet now. They all have 3 kids for some reason. Daemon is now a SadBoi. Criston is a huge bitch but still somehow the same age. I feel like there was just a lot to comprehend for this episode - I like what it is setting up to but at the same time, I’m missing what the previous episodes were setting up. I feel like the characters are ruined a little bit
Welcome to the two new actors... probably not the best episode to form a proper opinion of their skills as actors, but the episode itself had a lot going on and it was hard enough who was who and why just two actors needed to be changed and yet Ser Christon was his young looking self. And all those kids... are we suppose to keep track of them all? Such a shame Daemon's new wife (for this episode) had a problem, such a beauty.
We have a Dragon population explosion and there are a number of very interesting gaming pieces ahead methinks, for the throne. I'm not really sure why they chose to fast track the prestory into 5 episodes rather than extend the story over the first season. They must have their reasons I guess and we will know soon enough, but it better be a good reason.
We shall see how next week goes...I did enjoy this episode. Gave it a 7/10.
Personally, this episode sucked for me, last episode was the king falling down and this episode started with her delivering her 3 baby ?????
Excuse me .. WTF ?
at the end felt like the writers wanted to shut the show down and they are doing it in the best way possible.
Where is the story heading?
I thought the king was sick and about to die and then he is looking all well apart from no hair, was it the chemo?
That was the big jump in time I was always afraid of. Easy to mess this up. The old actors were wonderful and I just got used to them but they did this transition well. And what an intense introduction scene to the new Rhaenyra that was! (Not sure if the new Rhaenyra isn't too different from young Rhaenyra - let's see. Old Rhanenyra was such a perfect mix of frailty, innocence, sexiness, adventure and fieriness) But the new Alicent made quite an impression too. She is now "Cersi mean" it seems. It's also actually quite nice to see the next generation. This episode feels almost like a show premiere. It quite nicely explains the current allegiances, alliances and basic conflicts. Even better: we immediately understand much of what's going on and why since we know what happened ten years ago. Some gaps remain; some character developments are not explained fully. Your imagination must fill the gaps and come up with an expanation why some people are now in quite surprising positions (like ser Christian or the totally changed Daemon [changed for the better?]) It's like the first five episodes were a prequel and now the main story starts.
wtf happened here? did I miss a season or two?
1) I didn’t care for the new Rhaneara. She has a totally different accent from the young actress.
2) I agree with the preceding comments: why did some actors get to continue their roles but the women were substituted?
3) I like the direction they’ve taken for Daemon.
4) I thought the young couple (Targaryen and Valaryon) had agreed to do their marital duties as well as have affairs. Why isn’t there at least one child of both bloods?
A smack in the face with these new actors.
Horrible casting
Milly Alcock had an easier job than Emily Carey in making her character one the audience would root for - as it's clearly been written in that way - but Emma D'Arcy's Rhaenyra has put me right off her (despite her remaining the more obviously sympathetic character on paper, that doesn't translate to screen at all).
Conversely, whilst Emily Carey's Alicent was a bit of a damp squib, (but was obviously written that way, so no fault of the actor's), Olivia Cooke has managed to imbue what is now a rather unpleasant woman (on paper) with enough nuance and depth that one can't help but feel for her a bit.
Ideally, I'd have Milly Alcock and Olivia Cooke in their respective roles from the very beginning and stuff this half-way cast-change nonsense - if it's OK to portray the young Rhaenyra copping-off with her much older Uncle, surely we could live with her having a female friend a few years older than herself?
I can't even console myself with the hope that Rhaenyra gets killed off soon, (saving us all from having to endure any more D'Arcy screentime), as that'd make for a very short story - so it looks like we're stuck with a lead who appears to have undergone a thorough charisma-removal for the foreseeable. Ugh.
Pros
+Dragon pit scene as well as the scene with Helaena were very good
+Training scene was great at showing the animosity between the two opposing sides
+Daemon and Laena's family are good enough and the whole pentoshi deal is interesting the death was clearly an attempt to add drama but honestly I didn't give a shit
+Larys being crazy was fun
Cons
------The amount of favoritism showed to Rhaenyra is super annoying. Alicent is now just a huge cunt for no reason, it's not even disguised under the pretense of wanting her children to be the successors at this point. Criston Cole's transition to enemy is too complete and the writing makes him seem purely spiteful. Rhaenyra is portrayed as having this loving relationship hidden under her marriage rather than an absolutely unacceptable behavior that threatens not only her sons' legitimacy but also their relations with the Velaryons (who should be fucking pissed about the kids clearly not being their blood), and leaves opening for Daemon to come back and start shit as well. Rhaenyra does whatever the fuck she wants in every single episode, gets no push back from her father and it's portrayed as her being persecuted when it's really her just being an irresponsible, spoiled brat. Harwyn isn't her secret boyfriend, he's just the best looking knight around who has no honor. It's crucial to the Dance of Dragons being interesting that both sides are legitimate, coming at it like one side is just a bunch of assholes trying to steal poor little Rhaenyra's crown is stupid and destroys everything interesting about the politics.
-New actresses haven't really impressed me yet. The jury is still out obviously, but they're both immediately unlikable and cold.
Sorry, but that time jump sort of destroyed the momentum the last episode built up for me, the change in actors and actresses doesn't work for me either (except for Alicent). But why even use other actors? I mean it's not a time jump of 50 years, it's 10 years, from 18-19 years old to 28-29 years... that could have been handled with make-up.
The only reason to move up the story is so that the children can fight each other, jealousy can run rampant, and blood can be spilled.
But honestly, can anyone imagine Alicent (and/or rumours) to wait for 10 years/3 boys to spread? And they wait 10 years/3 kids to remove the father from the court? And Criston didn't face any consequences for murder? Oh no, he's still as jealous and slighted in his manhood after 10 years?
And Alicent: Well, not sure if she's not the problem that started all that Targaryen madness with her petty jealousy and ambition.
Some thrones were gamed this episode. Got that flavor of cruel cunning and intrigue back in the mix finally. Before this episode the show felt kind of like "The Crown" with dragons mixed in.
While still enjoying the show, the time jumps are getting annoying. Not even the time to like get attached to a character and they've already killed them off or got them lost in a time jump or two as if they never existed. You see actions but rarely consequences, how is Criston still around after what happened? I don't like watered-down shows, but this definitely needed at least twice the number of episodes before getting to this point in the story.
I‘m quite confused. After the end of the last episode I was thinking the king is dead and now he’s very fit again. And some people look years older and others not. At least it should have started with a short „what happens in the last 10 years“ …
I don't know why I assumed that Harrenhal was burned to the ground by dragons when Tywin told that story to Arya?
Regarding casting choices, actress that plays Rhaenyra is started to grow on me by the end, but Alicent not so much.
Younger versions were amazing and I honestly don't quit get the need for it? Like is 10 years difference is such a big deal that we won't look past them looking younger? In all honesty both actresses for Alicent's character look the same age to me anyway.
Too much happened in this episode, pacing suffered a bit.
I'm also worried with the way they writing Larys. In previous episode he was as subtle as he is now, but with such a horrifying career choice... it seems like his character would have to be more subtle than he currently is.
GOOD!! GOOOD!! GOOOOD!!! GOOOOOD!!!! GOOOOOOD!!!!!
I really didn't like the huuuuge time jump
A great deal happens in the episode and the plot thickens. Also, there is quite a lot about dragons in this one, and we get a close-up view of some of the beasts. There is the dragon training, Daemon and Laena flying on their dragons (apparently they found the oldest dragon Vhagar in Pentos and it bonded with Laena) and at the end, Laena's suicide by her dragon, this was rather tragic as it seemed that she and Daemon were a happy marriage and there was love between them, it is also a pity that she orphaned her children, making her dragon burn her when she couldn't give birth to her baby. It is noteworthy that Daemon, unlike the king, didn't want the maesters perform the Caeserean section on his wife, and after she killed herself, he seemed devastated, so maybe there was a true affection between them. They were both living in Pentos, but Laena didn't want to stay there as guests and encouraged him to return to Westeros.
Alicent and Rhaenyra are now open enemies, with Rhaenyra countering her every statement during the privy council and Alicent forcing Rhaenyra to go to her with her newborn baby just after the labour. Rhaenyra's children look like the captain of the city guard (Ser Criston is now on Alicent's team, probably because she saved him from death penalty after he killed the guy in the last episode? though it is a pity it is not explained how he escaped punishment) and Alicent tries to make the king see the truth about Rhaenyra's children but he supports his daughter and turns a blind eye to it; though the matter gets out of hand when the said city guard guy (apparently the son of the present Hand of the king, it is hard to remember all the personages) attacks Ser Criston, who taunts him about the parentage of Rhaenyra's sons. Here plot gets really thick as the Hand wants to resign but the king does not allow it, though he allows the Hand to escort his son to their castle Harrenhal. Alicent is mad about it. It turns out she dines regularly with Larys (apparently another son of the Hand) and they share juicy gossip and intrigue together. She suggests she would like her father back as the Hand and he hires some criminals sentenced to death, who kill his brother and probably his father as well in the fire of their ancestral seat; even Alicent is a bit shocked by what Larys has done, and it looks like it is dangerous to have him as your enemy, and he turned out much more perilous than he seemed at first.
With her lover gone from King's Landing, Rhaenyra decides to leave with her family for Dragonstone, and she tells her husband to bring his lover as well as they need every sword they can get, so maybe she intends a power grab? I wonder what happens next episode, will the war called Dance of Dragons finally begin? I started the book but I didn't manage to finish it before the show started airing, so I have no idea what is going to happen ;)
after the trailer I think I could change my mind.. I can't wait for sunday
Not happy with the new direction the show is leading to. Definitely don't like the"new" Rhaenyra... She looks far too old for the supposed 10 years jump and we discovered Milly in such a good way that it's hard to forget. Viserys has become Alicent's dog, Daemon has become a sad resigned husband. Alicent is now just a b**** but not enough to make us forget Cersei ^^,..... So much things going bad in only one episode... I don't feel confident for what is coming next... Fingers Crossed
Awful boring a:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol: episode.
im scared if i like the new rahenyra or not, years have gone by, is she still the same?
Rhaeneyra has quite a talent to make herself some enemies. And she got even dumber about it.
Generally this show doesn't really provide characters you could consider likeable and reasonable. Alicent is probably the closest match.
Alicent’s behaviour before going to dinner with Larys and taking her shoes off makes so much more sense after watching ep. 9. :see_no_evil:
Larys is a twat head. A ten year time jump is a lot without knowing what the hell has been happening. I expected the King to be dead and that that there was a big war someplace.
And Laena dies just like that?! I thought she was supposed to be one of the strongest female characters on the show and then suicide?! feels so bloody incomplete... liking the older Queen. Rhynera - not so much... also they turned alicent into a complete bitch!
I kind of think they sharked the jump a little! I think the new actress is not as good as the younger version. Not the same presence. So all this is complicated. Don't know if they should have done a better casting for the older version or cast only one actress for both time periods. There was a huge disconnect in this episode. I'm not as invested as before.
A whole different story from here;
Sir Criston Cole, really? Lol
Rhaenyra, we’ll the most closed character to the novel version but Emma D’Arcy plays her completely different.
Larys, my god, what’s version of Lord Baelish…
IMO, this is the “lesser-enjoyable “ so far.
The first domino pieces are starting to fall, I like it.
And that was such a fast timeline jump, all of the big players already have 2 children or more in this episode. Lady Laena Velaryon you will be missed, she was a badass woman taking her own life using her dragon.
Of course I'll miss Milly, but Emma D'arcy is definitely filling her shoes and more.
This wasn't exactly the best episode to form an opinion, as we did not get many complex scenes or dialogues, but the truth is that the Rhaenyra we left in the last episode is not the same that welcomes us into episode 6. Obviously, for the actor switch, but if there are book readers out there, you'd have known that Rhaenyra changes a lot over the years and after the birth of her sons. The preview for the next episode looked really interesting and I can't wait to see how this develops.
Sad we saw so little of Laena. What a badass way to go!
And also... VHAGAR! Welcome. Hope to see more of you soon.
Shout by PatRFinleyBlockedParent2022-09-26T02:24:26Z
Solid Roman Roy impression! Didn’t know they got HBO in Westeros?!