Viserys held out for years with half a face, a missing arm, six teeth, and doped up 24/7. I waited five weeks for an Alt Shift X video. We are not the same.
its crazy how incredible irresponsible these characters act almost all of the time. sending their teenage kids on diplomatic missions... trying to "scare" someone just for fun by using an uncontrollable animal while being in a conflict so thick that a wrong look could make everyone explode
I am probably not the only one to notice this: There is a layer to the chess analogy, beyond just chess being another game of thrones: Black is always the side that moves after white and is therefore in a more reactive position rather than white's proactive one. Considering that the Greens made the first move and forced the Blacks' hand by proactively crowning Aegon, the title "Black Queen" is quite fitting.
If you watch the first episode, the entrants for the tourney all have helmets that slightly resemble chess pieces. And those on the balcony are seated in front of a large mesh which looks like the squares on a board. The manner in which characters are positioned helps achieve this aesthichic. I believe there is even a deeper meaning to each knight representing a piece. Gwayne Hightower is a rook, who can only attack in cardinal directions. He loses to Daemon, who resembles a knight, a piece which can easily outmanouver and take the rook. Otto Hightower is the other rook, a piece which is famously known for being able to replace the Kings position - a move called "Towers". Ser Cryston's helm resembles a pawn, which is one of the few pieces that can threaten and defeat the knight, which he does.
@@melleen629 Wow, really neat analysis. Building on to that, it’s fitting then how frail and weak Visetys is, just as the king is the most vulnerable piece-especially after the death/sacrifice of his queen (Aemma).
The dragons disobeying resulting in Luke’s death makes sense. Aemond was trying to scare Luke with his big dragon, but didn’t consider that he’d also be scaring Arrax. Despite being giant magical weapons, dragons are also animals. Aemond’s use of Vhagar to scare Luke made Arrax feel cornered, and when an animal feels cornered, it lashes out to try and escape. Vhagar was just doing what her best buddy Aemond was asking her to do, and now this Arrax is attacking her. She’s probably like “oh you wanna be like that, huh? Fuck you, you little shit. I’m bigger than you and you can’t do that shit to me” and then eats him. Of course, the emotions of the riders could factor into this too, and it could’ve heightened what the dragons were feeling. But to me, this is completely within the realm of animal behavior.
I think it’s also a great demonstration of one of the oddities of humans, that our actions and desires are frequently not in alignment. It’s one of the main reasons we shouldn’t be allowed to control magical (or regular) nukes.
Yeah, I thought Vhagar's disobedience was kind of like a bestial power/ego trip. She was fine and chill letting the kids play around and scare each other and went along with it. Fire in her face though? Nuh-uh, she ain't taking any of Arrax's shit. Gotta show who's boss, so *CHOMP*
It also puts it into perspective that we think we are in control as humans, but we are nothing compared to a force of nature such as the instinct of an apex predator or a nuclear blast. In the end human hubris will lead to total destruction.
that's exactly how I see it, too! Especially with Arrax being so much younger/smaller/weaker than Vhagar. Vhagar is seasoned and can tell that Aemond wants her to pull her punches. But lil Arrax thinks he's being hunted for real, so he doesn't wait for the order, he acts instinctually, like any frightened child, or wild animal, would.
Sending Luke on this mission makes sense for Rhaenyra as her suggestion of sending dragon riders in early episode as a demonstration of power got rejected/ignored by King Viserys, and she wanted her kids to know she trusted them and recognized them as true allies. Luke's death is the 'kill the girl' moment for Rhaenyra and becomes her pivotal lesson of ruling as a Queen.
It only shows how Rhaenyra is a bad politician sending a teenager with zero diplomatic skills on his tiny dragon to a place called storm's end is an awful idea to bigin with and then assuming that proud lord borros will honor his father's oath and insulting him by commanding him to obey you without giving him anything in return but again such decision is totaly in character for Rhaenyra
@@kikima258 You understand this is traditionally how its done, right. Like, not in fantasy land, but in real life. Royalty send the princes (Charles, William, Harry) on diplomacy missions since as long as royalty has been royal. You never treat with the King/Queen. You treat with the prince. Charles went on his first diplomatic mission at 14 with Wales. And Borro's father is the one that hosted Rhaenyras marrige parade in episode 4. You understand that right? They arnt distant allys, they are direct allys. This is as out of pocket for the Baratheons as when Small Jon killed the Stark boy and joined the Boltons. I dont think youre able to grasp this.
@@spoons250 that is not the issue here but the fact that Rhaenyra send luce alone he is still to far inexperienced for such important mission Rhaenyra as a mother and a queen should have knowen that being the right age doesn't mean anything in politics and war it's your abilities and experience that matters luce literaly had no answer when borros asked him a very simple question she should have at least send him with a guarison that includes experienced diplomats even Robb stark despite his military geniouse and being surounded by older people helping and guiding him was a victim to his own young age and lack of political skills same goes for danny in the books.bottom line Rhaenyra messed up and theire are no justifications for it
@@kikima258 Many other houses honored their oaths, and the reason for the trip was to see who would support Rhaenyra, she had no idea that Aemond would draw first blood and become a kinslayer.
While I was initlally hesitant about it, I really like the decision to make Luke's death an accident. It makes a lot of sense that the bickering of these children would result in death when they're each given an atomic bomb with wings. Plus it'll likely add some interesting dimension to Aemond in season 2, given that he will forever be known as a kinslayer. These videos have been great all season! I look forward to seeing them again during season 2, and I look forward to further ASOIAF content in the future.
I'm honestly not that bothered that it's an accident, it's the way that the accident comes across in the final episode that annoys me. IMO it comes across as contrived and I'm not a fan of Aemond's delivery with the "NO VHAGAR NOOO!!!!" dialogue. I think it also takes away a bit of Aemond's agency but I'm more than likely just seeing this as more of a book fan than a show fan. At the end of the day, it is what it is.
I’m fine with the change too! The main argument against it was that Aemond would be absolved from guilt by the narrative and I don’t think that’s true at all. It’s still very much Aemond’s fault, he didn’t intend on letting it get that out of hand, but he’s responsible for the situation. It’s just more nuanced now
Nah, I'm NOT feeling it. 😒 Because they threw a lot of dirt on Daemon, showing him doing things like killing his 1st wife or choking Rhaenyra out... only to turn around, and give passes to characters like Alicent or Aemond. All of us book readers know what a psychopath Aemond One Eye is. He not only kills Luc on purpose.... he then goes back home & BRAGS about it, ffs. But the writers obviously didn't want the audience knowing that. So they place all of the blame on.... his highly trained, and battle tested dragon?? 🙄 Vhagar is the veteran of over 100 battles, and has NEVER been known to disobey her rider. Ever. So I wasn't buying that nonsense at all. And when you examine behind the scenes interviews of the writers... it's pretty obvious that they are #TeamGreen. Which means we can expect to see more dirt getting thrown on a lot of Team Black characters that we love, for no f*cking reason at all. I mean, what was that spectacle of Rhaenys bursting up through the Dragon Pit, and killing hundreds of peasants?! 🤨🐉 The audience might have thought it was cool... but now all that death is being held against the character. And it's especially stupid when you consider that she could have ended the war right then. These writers are just doing a bunch of fan fiction, instead of properly adapting the written work as they should. I can't believe George was okay w/some of these changes. It's really unfortunate, tbh. But oh well.
Regarding the misshapen baby, I heard a theory (sorry I don't have a source) that Targaryen fetuses normally have dragonlike features during pregnancy and only lose them and become fully human late in the term. (Reminds me of recapitulation theory in biology -- Targaryens are descended from dragons, and thus their fetuses go through a dragon phase.) Thus, any premature Targaryen birth is likely to be deformed. Dany's baby may have been premature; the baby in this episode certainly was. I don't know if all the babies described as being born with dragon features were also premature. But it would make this a consistent result and not an occasional bad-luck birth defect.
Good point and it's very likely they were all premature, as this most often occurs in highly stressed mothers. Given what we've seen on how these people live their lives - I'd say it's almost certain they experience a lot higher than average stress levels.
@@yay-cat Exactly. To be clear, recapitulation is discredited as a theory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recapitulation_theory but the evidence that caused people to devise the theory -- such as your examples -- made it seem plausible, and plausible is all we need for a fantasy story.
@@HighRevolver Then, isn't it likely that Targaryens would lose their connection to dragons over time due to marrying out but also just time. That's if the dragons had survived. Maybe Targaryens really do need to keep committing incest
The Prophecy is exactly the type of thing Daemon always wanted to know, protect and to be part of. Since the beggining of his life (and the show) he was after the thrill, the magic and the glory of being a Targaryan, but he lived in a time of relative peace and his brother Viserys was too indecisive and too peaceful. So when Rhaenyra told him about The Prophecy, it was almost as if he was robbed of his dream glory life, as if he was robbed of his real Targaryan purpose.
This has been well worth the wait. You have done an exceptional job summarizing the show without giving anything away from the books that will happen in future seasons.
I appreciate what the show runners have done with the Alicent Hightower character. Not just the one dimensional “Evil Step-Mom” character from the Book. Now you actually feel some sympathy for both sides
Yeah, for Alicent perhaps, however that could also be interpreted as naive. Hightowers and the council however have been plotting this since the birth of Aegon. BUT, that kinds of prooves your point that it's more tragic for Alicent, how she is being neglected in all the scheming, apparently because of her 'woman', 'soft' nature and her willingness to make up with Rhaenyra when Viserys "demanded" it. Yet, she's also plotting with Larys so all that stuff is layered so much I just can't stop but love all of it.
The young character is great, but after the time skip she’s rather inconsistent, the episode 6 Alicent is pretty bitchy and almost straight up evil towards Rhaenyra but episode 9 Alicent is suddenly almost a saint who doesn’t want bad things for Rhaenyra
@@arutlit62 nah i think its fine. cause its one thing to try and screw over someone you dont like and even to try and hurt them in an emotional rage if you feel they are responsible for hurting your child. but its another thing completely to order said person''s death (especially if you used to be close)
“Hey guys what are you doing tomorrow night?” “”Ordering a pizza and watching Ultimately It May Have Been a Bad Idea to Give Dragons to Children in a Political Crisis” Hmm.. nah. Doesn’t roll off the tongue the same
UIMHBABITGDTCIAPC is a bit long, I think it should be House of the Dragons: Ultimately, it may have been a bad idea to give dragons to children in a political crisis
Im surprised Luke could even mount Arrax with the valyrian steel balls he must have to see Vhagar in Storms Ends driveway and still continue his mission
Yup, definite oh fuck moment right there. I think the showrunners have done a really good job of illustrating the size difference between the dragons. That shot looking up as Vhagar flies over Luke was spine tingling.
I actually think daemon was in the right to think Viserys was murdered. They’ve only just got back to dragonstone and Viserys has suddenly died and within not even a whole day, Aegon is on the throne and the entirety of kings landing is sided with the greens. He’s right to think that there must’ve been some conspiring to put aegon on the throne instead of Rhaenyra (because there was) which makes it seem actually quite reasonable that Viserys was murdered. Murdered by allicent though is a stretch and that’s where it’s obvious that Daemon is flawed in his thinking. But the actual thought that Viserys was murdered is not actually that wild. From his perspective I can’t say I’d think different
Before I was upset about Rhaenyra not having the opportunity to choose what crown she wanted to take up. But now I am so relieved that she got her father’s crown instead because it is a form of political legitimacy for her as she is the true heir of Viserys. It was very smart of Erryk to steal Viserys’ crown instead of Aegon the Conquerer’s. This video made me see that point of view, great insight!
I agree! Although, I don't think the Greens would've allowed Erryk to take Aegon the Conquerer's crown anyways since it was also a form of legitimacy for Aegon II (the name, the crown, and the blade) during his coronation. Rhaenyra looks beautiful with her father's crown.
Hey this is a side topic, but I have a theory about Daemon's attraction to Rhaenyra. This wasn't pointed out on the show, but the sound designers said this in an interview, that in episode 2, before we see Syrax in the clouds, Caraxes sensed that she was coming and he started making mating calls, like a dragon love song. We know how the dragon riders have a mental connection with their dragons, seen in how Caraxes flinched in pain when an arrow hit Daemon. What if, Caraxes attraction to Syrax predates Daemon's attraction to Rhaenyra, and that this is the reason they are attracted to each other, is because their dragons are in love?
That actually makes a lot of sense. Empathic connections work both ways, and incest should produce much more deformation in the offspring. Especially brother and sister. It makes sense.
I really don't like their relationship cause he kinda groomed her if you think about at 2am. I mean it looks consensual but because of the power dynamic we will never know for sure.
24:50 - Also, the fact that Aegon and Viserys specifically were granted spots at court is another slight to Rhaenyra's eldest 3 sons, at least that's how I interpret it. Aegon and Viserys are not just her youngest sons and easy hostages, but are also Targaryen on both sides, they are not just Rhaenyra's kids and her father's grandsons, but also Daemon's sons, Viserys's nephews in the male line, with no question of their legitimacy; the Greens are essentially implying which of her kids are truly worthy of being at court in King's Landing, and which ones are really the only threat to Aegon in terms of legitimacy.
But they did mention that Jace would remain heir to Dragonstone, and Luke would remain heir to Driftmark (IIRC). So I think it was a fair proposition that did not undermine their legitimacy, at least on paper.
@@obuw1 still, if the older boys were legitimate, it seems way more likely it would've been Joffrey as the cup bearer/squire, since he's older. Jace & Luke being allowed to keep their inheritance was just a very mild appeasement because those are the ones people are going to get mad about. Joffrey being overlooked in favour of Aegon & Viserys is still significant.
You cited the symbolism of Rhaenyra getting Viserys’s crown, but not the symbolism of Aegon getting Maegor’s crown. Maegor got the throne because his mother usurped the throne for him, just like Aegon II. They also have the same number of descendants to this day. 😊
@@azzor4134 Aegon was the first wearer. Maegor was the most recent. Jaehaerys didn’t want to continue use of that crown because of the bad things associated with that crown.
@Justt - Why shouldn't he be? The true heir is Rhaenyra & the whole realm f*cking knows that. So did the Greens. They are blatantly stealing something that does NOT belong to them. And for what?! To give it to an unfit, drunk, rapey psycho?! 🫣 Are you serious?! Oh but I forgot... Rhae doesn't have a penis. lmao
I love the symbolism of Vizzy T's dream of his son being born with Aegons Iron Crown and it being him that crowned him since it was Vizzy T's actions, or lack thereof, that directly led to Aegon being crowned.
I like the intentional dimensions being given to the characters, Daemon and Aemond are fan favorites, so scenes like singing in Valyrian really work, and I was legitimately shocked when Aemond lost control. It's actually delivering the idea the TV show alone made and just isn't in the books: that the dragons are power they cannot control. Even GOT's badly delivered ideas make more sense here; that without control passion and desire warps people. Daemon and Aemond, much like Rhaenyra and Alicent are written and acted as characters with sympathetic moments, intelligence, and ability. They are all political actors denied agency in different ways, and the tragedy is that they cannot simply blame society entirely for their ills and evils. I felt the last two episodes especially were what we were actually waiting for; I feel the show will be MORE engaging the less it's like the source material, I dislike the Dance heavily and find all the characters repellant or poorly developed. The show's second half won me over
Idk, I think George is a pretty good writer. The themes you discussed are absolutely a big part of the source material, it’s just that in the book nobody says implicitly “The idea that we control the dragons is a lie “. I think the more they stray from George’s work and into the realm of dick jokes and foot fetishes, the more it will all feel like Netflix with very little weight to the story.
Great video. I liked the chess reference. "If war's first stroke is to fall, it will not be by my hand" Rhaenyra says to Corlys. Just like in chess Black waits for the first move from their opponent.
Which is actually kind of funny, because the book explicitly states it's the *right* eye that Aemond loses. Maybe just a preference by the actor of which eye he could show more expression with.
Been watching you since freshman year in college (2015). As a fully grown adult, I still tune in like a child to Saturday morning cartoons at the sight of any Alt-Shift video. Thanks Alt, we appreciate your mastery in giving us new insights to the fictional universes we all love.
I love how much work you put into the visual explanations in your GoT/HOTD videos. Thanks for bringing to light additional important context to this show. I really appreciate it. 😊🖤
I think the scene with Jace and Luke training stems from the scene last episode where Aemon was showing off with Cole. Jace is scared but he’s also intelligent and dutiful. He knows that a day may come when he has to face Aemon or Cole and he has to be ready.
I've never read the books but its sad that I knew Luke was going to die as soon as Rhaenyra said she was sending them alone on these missions. The kid was too innocent, loyal and kindhearted that I knew he was going to die to be the catalyst for all out war. Pretty bummed we have to wait 2 years for the next season 😞
Might have been worth pointing out that Boros's maester could be manipulating him into helping the Hightowers, assuming the maesters are all on the same side as Oldtown.
I appreciate this channel so much. The World of Ice and Fire is such a well-built, interesting world but so many details go over my head. The way you look at these details, break them down and explain how they represent the bigger themes of HOTD and GOT makes me enjoy that world so much more. Great job on the final season 1 video, can't wait for season 2!!!
Thank you for being the VaatiVidya of Game of Thrones, and Vaati for being the AltShiftX of Dark Souls/Elden Ring. The similarities in speaking voice, narration style and quality content are great to see and hear. True juggernauts of lore.
We had to wait awhile, but it was worth it. What strikes me about your videos is that you can tell how much thought/time/research you out into them. A small detail that I enjoy is even though I know you know how this story plays out, you still manage to have a POV that’s very in the moment and situational to what is actually happening on the show. I really appreciate the depth that you have achieved with these videos, & thank you for doing what you do because I’m lazy af & this is so palatable it’s insane.
Incredible job on this whole series. You went into so much detail not just on the show but everything surrounding it, making connections even book readers might've missed. My SO doesn't really do the intensity and gore of the show, but does want to know how things play out, so we've been watching your breakdowns to get the scoop together :D Thanks so much. Rock on!
Man, I've never felt "phobia" before, and I don't think I really have one for 'giant things' but something about that shot of Vhagar when Luke arrives at Storm's End is geniunely terrifying every time I see it. It almost feels like they got the sense of scale wrong, he seems larger than the entire keep, incredible visual storytelling.
Then the shot looking up as Vhagar overshoots Luke takes your breath away. Great way to emphasise the size difference. Makes Drogon from GOT look a little pathetic now.
It’s interesting that Matt during a comic con panel mentioned both him and Emma actually didn’t understand where the choking came from and both struggled to work through the scene. Which is like, I’m just concerned when actors and writers aren’t aligned cos I get flashbacks to GoT season 8’s depressing table read sessions of Kit and everyone else.
Daemon is an inherently violent person. I don't understand everyone's shock at him choking Rhaenyra. He doesn't know how to handle his emotions in a healthy way e.g. him beating up the messenger, the confrontation with Craghas, his inability to be a good father. Especially considering the fact that Viserys was the person he wanted the love and acceptance from the most and then discovering that the one thing that would've, in a way, solidifed Viserys' acceptance as Daemon as his heir wasn't told to him? Yeah... That's definitely gotta hurt Daemon. Also, Emma has stated that they understand the meaning behind the choking in later interviews.
You'd think of all people, the actors would be the most realistic about the relationship between Daemon and Rhaenerys. It's not pure, the evidence is there, they just gave such great chemistry that people forget
Mr. Alt shift X, thank you for these years of good thorough analysis, all the while not spoiling big events to come. During the wait between the last hotd vid and this one I’ve been just floating through and revisiting your older content from before. Your hard work is evident, and it’s much appreciated from us all!
I just want to say, I purchased Fire and Blood and read the whole book last month. Before reading I watched all of your explanation videos and live discussions. Thank you for how well you protect spoilers. I'm amazed how you put these together knowing the story and still manage to explain it in a way in which the future is a total mystery. Well done!
Can’t wait to see more GoT/ASOIAF content from you! I’ve read all the books since the end of the show, and I’d love to hear more analysis/speculation about winds of winter and dream of spring from you too! 💙💛🧡
I think Daemon blamed Alicent for giving viserys the milk of the poppy. Like Alicent made him into that brittle state. So it makes sense that daemon would blame alicent for poisoning and dulling his mind with opium.
except it doesnt make sense, considering poppy milk is the only way to alleviate pain in Westeros, especially for already old and dying people. daemon is just being a spiteful idiot
@@godemperorofmankind3.091 wasn't it also stated in the books that Rhaenyra sent her Maester to treat the King and it was better for him or something? not really sure about this anymore
Bruh Viserys is literally crippling. He had one eye, one arm, difficulty in walking and moving, his other face rotten, and a dream. I was surprised he was alive for that long. I think he blamed Alicent midst his rage and tried to find any reasoning and because of his hatred against Otto and Alicent for pushing him down inheritance even further, he came to that conclusion.
Bruh Daemon didn't gave a flying crap about Viserys and he suddenly blames Alicent for giving him milk of the poppy? did you saw how he looks like? i mean she literally took care of him all this years, standing by his side.
@@notyourdaddude1957 you have to be very dense and miss the entire point of HOTD to get to that shallow opinion lol. otto and the maesters worked together to make the king more weakminded and susceptible to sickness. Hell, there was even a maester apprentice who said that the current treatment wouldn't work and recommended newer methods than maggots. (but he was turned down by the archmaester) So, Alicent Hightower just listened to the maesters and "took care" of viserys. And Daemon saw right through it all. do you understand now?
That shot of Vhagar killing Lucerys and Arrax was pure horror. I knew it was coming as I'd read the books but I still jumped. It is a gorgeous shot, the calm after the storm followed by a jump scare.
Love how this show doesnt spoon feed you anything. Some complain and say it sucks because they need the after show segments to get it. I like how its ambiguous and interpretive like events are in real life. Makes the story and characters feel more life like. Like I said, it gives the viewers a lot of credit and doesnt feel the need to spoon feed them. It just shows what went down and its on you to decide where you stand based on how you experienced the events.
They point out her kids aren't legitimate every five minutes. If that's not spoon feeding I don't know what is. It's way dumbed-down from the books and pretty big mess overall.
@@anwynoakenshield mentioning something and having to put two and two together are not the same things. No ballpark either. they're not even the same sport and wouldn't require everyone asking questions and analyzing. The books, are not the real deal as has been said OVER AND OVER OVER. The books are very basic sentences of the events which required that the show is the exact opposite of being dumbed down. Your comment makes sense not and reeks of argument for arguments sake without merit.
@@childrenoftheabzu lol..."your comment makes sense not". You were *really* trying to be super condescending, but just sound foolish. The show is tripe. But enjoy.
@@anwynoakenshield If your reading comprehension is above an elementary school level it makes sense. Im not dumbing myself down for you. Im tired of being people teachers.
Daemon says he would not use the dragons against dragons unless he had no choice. There are far better ways to use them he says. He's also the most accomplished military leader in the seven kingdoms and its not bullshit. I hope the show doesn't dumb him down.
@AltShiftX thank you for the intentional thoughtfulness you consistently put into your videos (especially after the livestream Q&A’s) - this S1E10 video was totally worth the wait! You & your team’s contributions make this series so enjoyable!
@@amelieb1013 Definitely when it comes to Otto cause he hates Otto with a fiery passion. I'm starting to see his point of view with Otto though, the guy is such a massive cunt. Also good catch @Cooper Noble
I think this episode makes it safe to say that Daemon married Rhaenyra to be closer to the Iron Throne and not out of love. Which means that he’s been grooming her for DECADES like the book suggests…
I believe that in marriage, you must realize: the person you're marrying will see you as you hoped they never would. That includes vices, insecurities, embarrassing habits, and so on. I don't necessarily believe he never loved her. Perhaps, though, it was more of a narcissistic love. Even if that's the case, it's pretty well established in the older episodes that there was something between them. Cliche, but a "spark" :p
@@sitcomchristian6886 Fully agreed. Daemon is an opportunist. Even if he truly loves his family, he’ll always do what is best for him. People seem to forget that he’s a second son. Him and many second sons like Otto, Larys, & Vaemond always have to fight for what they want since they stand to inherit nothing.
Word. He's fond of her darker, rebellious tendencies but it hardly seems like love. He knows her being heir brings him closer to the throne and center of the conflict. He knows violence is inevitable. He seems happier with his second wife but also bored by the conventional family life. Her death is sad but convenient. Rhaenyra's also using him to strengthen her claim by resorting to traditional Targaryen inbreeding. She knows if there's violence, he's a fearsome asset as well. He didn't hesitate to decapitate Vaemond.
@@sitcomchristian6886 From his side was definitely not love though, the dude killed his first wife and the second one literally provoked her death. And he didn't gave a crap about either of them, i don't know if this kind of person can actually love someone but rather see opportunity and clearly being besides Rhaenyra was his best ticket to reach Iron Throne. Maybe he becomes a better person with time? for now, he is still a cunt lol
What if Targaryens are dragons in the womb but over the pregnancy development they become human which is why Visneya who was still born and 2 months early still looked mostly human but also had dragon features?
Your channel made me go read the books. This was 2012. I was on my way to kuwait for a combat tour. I watched your video on GoT S01E01 in the Airport. I purchase yhe 1st 3 books right there in the airport and finished them on my tour of duty. Thank you!
It felt really good to have a show to look forward to and get excited about again. Actually sat down to watch it as soon as it released. Wish there were more amazing content like this put out there nowadays
I still dont understand how Rhaenyra found out so quickly? The dragon and her son fell into the see around storms end, it would take days for the remains of Lucerys and his dragon to wash up on the shore and weeks for Rhaenyra to find out.
@@frfras7 it's more detailed in the book. People on the ground saw Vhagar was chasing Arrax in the clouds. Who else can ride Vhagar if not Aemond? But in the book it's stated that Aemond killed Luce on purpose
As the season ended. It was a thrill ride. I started as Rhaenyra supporter from Ep 1, then my loyalty shifted towards Alicent from Ep 4. This is the beauty of the show. Creating compelling characters with moral complexity.
I preferred Alicent before the time jump and I preferred Rhaenyra after the time jump. Older Rhaenyra(despite her faults) and Younger Alicent are kinder than their other versions.
Interesting! Are you still on team Alicent? Personally, I find myself very conflicted. I understand where both are coming from and that makes it hard for me to decide.
Loved this show so much more than I thought I would they really did a great job. The only thing that sucks about it is the 2 year wait for the next season :(
Ah yes, that's the good stuff. What a great way to bring in the holidays, a gift of Alt Shift X commentary. Thanks for your work breaking this season down! It's been a fun ride!
Just an incredible ending and an equally awesome companion video, as always! Thank you for your dedication throughout this series - I can't imagine how taxing it must be to create content under such immense pressure. We all appreciate you and no matter when a release comes, we'll be here to watch and support!
the dragons scene with Luke/Arrax and Aemond/Vhagar is really the epitome of this season for me. It just has everything and it works on so many layers. First, the cinematic is awesome, with the climax that seems to drop when Luke gets to the sunny sky above the stormy clouds and then gets smashed by Vhagar, making it even more dramatic. Second, on the narrative, it condenses in a very spectacular way the core of the fight between the 2 branches of Viserys heirs, the ones he had from the first wife and the ones he had from the second, which is a family feud that is never going to be solved, giving it the flavor of a greek tragedy. Third, It symbolizes perfectly what's probably the most cruel theme of the series, that is kids getting tossed by egoistic parents into politics and power when they are not ready or they simply don't want to, resulting into killing them (or at the very least making them bad parents as well, like Rhaenyra proves to be by sending Luke to his death). And, at last, the nature of power itself, symbolized by the dragons, which in the end can't be controlled and guides whoever owns it to do what he would have never wanted to do, ultimately calling for self destruction. I have to say the screenwriters did an amazing job: even Martin himself told they improved his own book on certain points, and even if, of course, you might argue he just says so to promote the series he's making money from, it's obvious that he clearly didn't need it. this season went way past my expections and I cannot wait for season 2.
As much I enjoyed this season my biggest gripes were the big moment in each episode. Whether if it is ser Joffrey death or Rhaneys Dragon moment. They felt unnecessary or didn't convey consequences.
Joffrey's death would've had ramifications if there'd been another episode between the two timejumps. With this, you could solve the problem of no real buildup of Rhaenyra/Harwin at the same time.
Rhaenys's dramatic exit foreshadows the events at the Dragonpit later, serving as a reminder of how dangerous dragons are the common folk and how little Targaryens care about that. Rhaenys would not roast her political enemies to save the realm from war, but has no problem crushing a handful of peasants.
May I add Lord Beesbury's death being an "accident". Just Criston pressing an old man to sit back down and slams his face into those eyeball things, killing him. His death felt cheap especially for a character of his grandeur, and just there for a sudden shock.
I mean we can't know the consequences of "Rhaneys Dragon moment" until next season but yeah how does Criston cole still have a job. He and Alicent are such hypocrites.
@@rodrikforrester6989 whilst j agree to a degree, the way the show is shot does not convey this- and if you watch behind the scenes no one mentions this point. We can maybe interpret onto this scene but I don't think the intention was to show the commoners hatred of dragons. Maybe it was even written as such however the director decisions has castrated this meaning
I mean he's just going off what the books say and what we see in the show... just putting it all together for us in video format. It's so good because George R.R Martin's writing is so damn good
Well, Viserys didnt tell Daemon cause he never was truly his heir. He had hopes of having a male heir till the very last moment, so he didnt feel the need to tell him. When his male heir died and also his wife, then he saw the urgency of passing off the secret and then in dispair chose Rhaenyra. Thats why, not because she was meant to be heir. Probably he was going to tell Daemon after his son died but due to that "comment" he simply did not see him fit for it.
Thank you so much shifty, I know this series front to back 10x over and really have no need for recaps but I thoroughly loved and looked forward to these recap videos every single week. They're so incredibly well done. Looking forward to season two!
Rhaenyra sending her son's out as messengers during a time like this was a very poor decision. I actually don't get why Daemon and Rhaenyra weren't prepared for this when the whole reason Rhaenyra married Daemon is because she felt like she couldn't face the Greens by herself so she knew damned well the Greens wanted Aegon on the throne once Viserys died and yet neither Daemon and Rhaenyra did nothing to prepare in the last 6 years they've been married.
The thing is according to the books it worked well for Jace tho, he gained the northern loyal allies. The Starks probably wouldn’t have appreciated a regular messenger. I still think she should have sent Rhaenys to storms end tho, Borros is her first cousin and he wouldn’t have disrespected her like he did Luke. Aemond wouldn’t have attacked her either and I doubt Vhagar would have chased or tried to harm Meleys
@@901stinababy I agree that Rhaenyra should've sent Rhaenys instead of Lucerys to storms end because Aemond doesn't have a reason to go after her. But sending Lucerys was very dumb, the boy can't even defend himself
@@notyourdaddude1957 no it wasnt dumbass. in westerosi society 14 isnt a kid. luke was under protection as a diplomat and aemond broke vows and oaths by killing him as well as becoming a kinslayer.
It should also be noted that Luke's supposed tale of "survival" is extremely similar to that of the fool, Patchface, in which he became simple-minded and lost all memories of his life after their drowning after three dBay.. And they both "drowned" on Shipbreaker's bay.
In the book Luke's survival could have been portrayed as a possibility. I think the show decided to instead give us a definitive ending, one that doesn't leave room for "what if's", they showed Arrax being chomped and bits of him falling down to the sea. They took away the ambiguity that the books left and showed us there was no way Luke would have survived, either the chomp, or the long fall back down to the sea, either of which would have been fatal.
@@Steve_McMillen That was because his body was never found which is why it was theorized that he somehow survived, which is extremely unlikely to impossible.
If the scene with Daemon was at the begining of the show I think I would have interpreted him gathering the allies as a unsupportive move. I love his character development, because firstly it could almost appear to be supportive - as he is doing what needs to be done when she is unable to. But then I realised he is actually just distracting himself, because of the trauma of what his last wife went through. He seems stronger than viserys and yet he left his second wife to suffer and kill herself because he couldnt make decision to end her suffering.
Cant wait to watch this video atleast twice, been checking every day if you had uploaded or not! Thanks man! i know its a shit ton of work and i appreciate the hell out of you.
!!!!!!Massive book spoilers ahead!!!!!!!! ⚠️ I really want to talk with people about the upcoming story and how everyone thinks the plot will be laid out across the next three seasons (there will be 4 total right?) and where they might end the show? - But if they were to end with Aegon 3 on the throne at the end of the dance of the dragons, could they split the events by year? 129 in season 2, and half of 130 in 3, other half in 4? This could be a possible layout- S2 (year 129) Jace getting the vale and winterfell Blood and cheese Blackwood and bracken civil war in the riverlands Aegon getting worse and firing otto, making criston more important Cargill twin duel Jace suggesting the use the dragon seeds gaining addam, nettles, Hugh and ulf Death of rhaenys at rooks rest and injury of aegon Jace trying to get his younger brothers to safety, failing and then dying in the battle of the gullet S3 (year 130) Honeywine, win for the greens North uniting Greens taking the riverlands, aemond takes harrenhal Lakeshore/fishfeed (Blackwood and freys vs lannister and reynes) The greyjoys take advantage of the lannister lands Rhaenyra getting more vengeful after death of jace and thinking her son viserys is dead too Fall of kings landing, aegon flees, otto beheaded, rhaenyra takes the throne Aemond burns the riverlands Alicent tries to bargain with rhaenyra Criston killed and his army destroyed at butchers ball S4 (year 130 pt2- 131 onwards?) Tumbleton 1- advance of the hightower army, daeron burns bitterbridge after Maelor is killed, Ulf and Hugh betray the blacks Blacks fall apart, addam flees rhaenyra, Corlys arrested Aegon smuggled to dragonstone where he takes it, captures baela Rhaenyra lashing out at daemon/nettles Daemon vs aemond over harrenhal, aemonds death Helaena's suicide The people turn on rhaenyra, joffrey's death, then they sacking of the dragon pit Tumbleton 2, death of addam for the blacks, daeron for the greens as well as the betrayers Hugh and ulf Rhaenyra flees to dragonstone but finds aegon and is killed Aegon returns to kings landing with support of the baratheons, corlys put on his council Baratheon vs the Lads, win for the Lads The starks and arryns finally reach kings landing and join with the lads against aegon Aegon has no one left but refuses surrender, is killed by poisoning Rhaenyra's son Aegon 3 made King Starks want to punish the green supporters, Cregan becomes hand just to kill the betrayers and then resigns Alicent is imprisoned Regents take over until aegon 3 is of age- corlys among them ....but I don't really know how/where they will end it. Just with Aegon 3 being crowned or would they go beyond it? What changes would you make to this timeline? Because I know I will be very wrong with where they end each season I'm sure
Did they say that's where they're ending it or are they going to go on and do the rest of the dynasty? If they end with Aegon iii being crowned then yeah that could be how it'll play out but Honeywine not being until the 3rd season would mean a long time to make Daeron more important, unless they just show him being vaguely around/in Oldtown in the 2nd
@@evapalmer1658 yeah it was hard to know where to put it, because on the one hand they could set daeron up through the season and end with honeywine and his success, but on the other it might be too tempting to end with losing jace in the finale to mirror losing luke in the s1 finale. Or they could fit both into the same episode seeing as they're not that far apart time wise although then the episode would be a double loss for team black- it would certainly be a note to leave it on
Finally some Celtigar representation 🦀🦀🦀
Get a free audiobook with an Audible trial: www.audible.com/asx
Kept us waiting huh?
You’re such a tease
Wow finally!!!
Im glad you are ok.. I thought the worse.. stay safe!
Crabs in the chat!
Viserys held out for years with half a face, a missing arm, six teeth, and doped up 24/7. I waited five weeks for an Alt Shift X video. We are not the same.
lmao
Try waiting for a Glidus upload, he’s only halfway through the season :’)
😂😂😂😂
@@Ghostsurge64 Sometimes I think he enjoys torturing us😩 Glidus the Cruel (also The Hilarious)
😂🤣😅😆😁
I love the change at the end, with it not intending to actually kill Luke. It adds more tragedy to the coming war and the characters depth.
It makes them seem less like crazy psychopaths.
TEAR MY LIFE INTO PIECES, THIS IS MY LAST RESORT! SUFFICATION, NO BREATHING, DONT GIVE A FUCK IF I CUT MY ARM BLEEDING! THIS IS MY LAST RESORT!
he showed emotions like "i f**ed up, but i would have to pretend i kill him because i could kill him, bastard"
I so hope it haunts Aemond the entire dance.
its crazy how incredible irresponsible these characters act almost all of the time. sending their teenage kids on diplomatic missions... trying to "scare" someone just for fun by using an uncontrollable animal while being in a conflict so thick that a wrong look could make everyone explode
I am probably not the only one to notice this: There is a layer to the chess analogy, beyond just chess being another game of thrones: Black is always the side that moves after white and is therefore in a more reactive position rather than white's proactive one. Considering that the Greens made the first move and forced the Blacks' hand by proactively crowning Aegon, the title "Black Queen" is quite fitting.
Underrated comment
If you watch the first episode, the entrants for the tourney all have helmets that slightly resemble chess pieces. And those on the balcony are seated in front of a large mesh which looks like the squares on a board. The manner in which characters are positioned helps achieve this aesthichic. I believe there is even a deeper meaning to each knight representing a piece.
Gwayne Hightower is a rook, who can only attack in cardinal directions. He loses to Daemon, who resembles a knight, a piece which can easily outmanouver and take the rook. Otto Hightower is the other rook, a piece which is famously known for being able to replace the Kings position - a move called "Towers".
Ser Cryston's helm resembles a pawn, which is one of the few pieces that can threaten and defeat the knight, which he does.
Well I’m a big fan of house Targaryen 🐉 the blacks 🐉🔥🐉Down with the Greens
@@melleen629 Wow, really neat analysis. Building on to that, it’s fitting then how frail and weak Visetys is, just as the king is the most vulnerable piece-especially after the death/sacrifice of his queen (Aemma).
@@melleen629 "Towers"? Ya mean castling don't you?
"Vhagar is a 180-year old, battle hardened nuclear dinosaur" is a phrase I didn't know I needed in my life 😂
So you haven't heard of Godzilla
best
Also probably most of the other dragons mother, grandmother or great grandmother. Cranky old lady with all the seniority!
Yeah! I sat up and took notice at that description 😃! LoL!
The dragons disobeying resulting in Luke’s death makes sense. Aemond was trying to scare Luke with his big dragon, but didn’t consider that he’d also be scaring Arrax.
Despite being giant magical weapons, dragons are also animals. Aemond’s use of Vhagar to scare Luke made Arrax feel cornered, and when an animal feels cornered, it lashes out to try and escape.
Vhagar was just doing what her best buddy Aemond was asking her to do, and now this Arrax is attacking her. She’s probably like “oh you wanna be like that, huh? Fuck you, you little shit. I’m bigger than you and you can’t do that shit to me” and then eats him.
Of course, the emotions of the riders could factor into this too, and it could’ve heightened what the dragons were feeling. But to me, this is completely within the realm of animal behavior.
I think it’s also a great demonstration of one of the oddities of humans, that our actions and desires are frequently not in alignment. It’s one of the main reasons we shouldn’t be allowed to control magical (or regular) nukes.
Yeah, I thought Vhagar's disobedience was kind of like a bestial power/ego trip.
She was fine and chill letting the kids play around and scare each other and went along with it.
Fire in her face though? Nuh-uh, she ain't taking any of Arrax's shit. Gotta show who's boss, so *CHOMP*
It also puts it into perspective that we think we are in control as humans, but we are nothing compared to a force of nature such as the instinct of an apex predator or a nuclear blast. In the end human hubris will lead to total destruction.
Also shows what an inexperienced dragon rider Aemond is to not have known that.
that's exactly how I see it, too! Especially with Arrax being so much younger/smaller/weaker than Vhagar. Vhagar is seasoned and can tell that Aemond wants her to pull her punches. But lil Arrax thinks he's being hunted for real, so he doesn't wait for the order, he acts instinctually, like any frightened child, or wild animal, would.
Sending Luke on this mission makes sense for Rhaenyra as her suggestion of sending dragon riders in early episode as a demonstration of power got rejected/ignored by King Viserys, and she wanted her kids to know she trusted them and recognized them as true allies. Luke's death is the 'kill the girl' moment for Rhaenyra and becomes her pivotal lesson of ruling as a Queen.
It demonstrated how bad of an idea it was back then, and almost equally as bad when she sent Luc. At least she has more heirs..
It only shows how Rhaenyra is a bad politician sending a teenager with zero diplomatic skills on his tiny dragon to a place called storm's end is an awful idea to bigin with and then assuming that proud lord borros will honor his father's oath and insulting him by commanding him to obey you without giving him anything in return but again such decision is totaly in character for Rhaenyra
@@kikima258 You understand this is traditionally how its done, right. Like, not in fantasy land, but in real life. Royalty send the princes (Charles, William, Harry) on diplomacy missions since as long as royalty has been royal. You never treat with the King/Queen. You treat with the prince. Charles went on his first diplomatic mission at 14 with Wales. And Borro's father is the one that hosted Rhaenyras marrige parade in episode 4. You understand that right? They arnt distant allys, they are direct allys. This is as out of pocket for the Baratheons as when Small Jon killed the Stark boy and joined the Boltons. I dont think youre able to grasp this.
@@spoons250 that is not the issue here but the fact that Rhaenyra send luce alone he is still to far inexperienced for such important mission Rhaenyra as a mother and a queen should have knowen that being the right age doesn't mean anything in politics and war it's your abilities and experience that matters luce literaly had no answer when borros asked him a very simple question she should have at least send him with a guarison that includes experienced diplomats even Robb stark despite his military geniouse and being surounded by older people helping and guiding him was a victim to his own young age and lack of political skills same goes for danny in the books.bottom line Rhaenyra messed up and theire are no justifications for it
@@kikima258 Many other houses honored their oaths, and the reason for the trip was to see who would support Rhaenyra, she had no idea that Aemond would draw first blood and become a kinslayer.
A 44 minute Alt video is all I wanted for Christmas ❤
Truly a Christmas miracle
@@lifemattersnot better to tell her and move on then.
Here here.
I thought we would never get it. But we did and I’m so happy! Thank you, ASX!
IT'S NOT EVEN DECEMBER YET
While I was initlally hesitant about it, I really like the decision to make Luke's death an accident. It makes a lot of sense that the bickering of these children would result in death when they're each given an atomic bomb with wings. Plus it'll likely add some interesting dimension to Aemond in season 2, given that he will forever be known as a kinslayer.
These videos have been great all season! I look forward to seeing them again during season 2, and I look forward to further ASOIAF content in the future.
I'm honestly not that bothered that it's an accident, it's the way that the accident comes across in the final episode that annoys me. IMO it comes across as contrived and I'm not a fan of Aemond's delivery with the "NO VHAGAR NOOO!!!!" dialogue. I think it also takes away a bit of Aemond's agency but I'm more than likely just seeing this as more of a book fan than a show fan. At the end of the day, it is what it is.
I’m fine with the change too! The main argument against it was that Aemond would be absolved from guilt by the narrative and I don’t think that’s true at all. It’s still very much Aemond’s fault, he didn’t intend on letting it get that out of hand, but he’s responsible for the situation. It’s just more nuanced now
Nah, I'm NOT feeling it. 😒 Because they threw a lot of dirt on Daemon, showing him doing things like killing his 1st wife or choking Rhaenyra out... only to turn around, and give passes to characters like Alicent or Aemond.
All of us book readers know what a psychopath Aemond One Eye is. He not only kills Luc on purpose.... he then goes back home & BRAGS about it, ffs. But the writers obviously didn't want the audience knowing that.
So they place all of the blame on.... his highly trained, and battle tested dragon?? 🙄 Vhagar is the veteran of over 100 battles, and has NEVER been known to disobey her rider. Ever. So I wasn't buying that nonsense at all.
And when you examine behind the scenes interviews of the writers... it's pretty obvious that they are #TeamGreen. Which means we can expect to see more dirt getting thrown on a lot of Team Black characters that we love, for no f*cking reason at all.
I mean, what was that spectacle of Rhaenys bursting up through the Dragon Pit, and killing hundreds of peasants?! 🤨🐉 The audience might have thought it was cool... but now all that death is being held against the character. And it's especially stupid when you consider that she could have ended the war right then.
These writers are just doing a bunch of fan fiction, instead of properly adapting the written work as they should. I can't believe George was okay w/some of these changes. It's really unfortunate, tbh. But oh well.
Vhgara knew exactly what she was doing, maybe the young Prince shouldn't have a flying nuke 🤔
shit he's got -10 close family opinion now
Regarding the misshapen baby, I heard a theory (sorry I don't have a source) that Targaryen fetuses normally have dragonlike features during pregnancy and only lose them and become fully human late in the term. (Reminds me of recapitulation theory in biology -- Targaryens are descended from dragons, and thus their fetuses go through a dragon phase.) Thus, any premature Targaryen birth is likely to be deformed. Dany's baby may have been premature; the baby in this episode certainly was. I don't know if all the babies described as being born with dragon features were also premature. But it would make this a consistent result and not an occasional bad-luck birth defect.
Good point and it's very likely they were all premature, as this most often occurs in highly stressed mothers. Given what we've seen on how these people live their lives - I'd say it's almost certain they experience a lot higher than average stress levels.
Yeah don’t human foetus’s like have a tail that eventually becomes a spine? Also like some babies are born covered in hair that falls out later
@@yay-cat Exactly. To be clear, recapitulation is discredited as a theory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recapitulation_theory but the evidence that caused people to devise the theory -- such as your examples -- made it seem plausible, and plausible is all we need for a fantasy story.
definitely has something to do with the blood magic performed in old valyria
@@HighRevolver Then, isn't it likely that Targaryens would lose their connection to dragons over time due to marrying out but also just time. That's if the dragons had survived. Maybe Targaryens really do need to keep committing incest
The Prophecy is exactly the type of thing Daemon always wanted to know, protect and to be part of. Since the beggining of his life (and the show) he was after the thrill, the magic and the glory of being a Targaryan, but he lived in a time of relative peace and his brother Viserys was too indecisive and too peaceful. So when Rhaenyra told him about The Prophecy, it was almost as if he was robbed of his dream glory life, as if he was robbed of his real Targaryan purpose.
This has been well worth the wait. You have done an exceptional job summarizing the show without giving anything away from the books that will happen in future seasons.
I appreciate what the show runners have done with the Alicent Hightower character. Not just the one dimensional “Evil Step-Mom” character from the Book. Now you actually feel some sympathy for both sides
Yeah, for Alicent perhaps, however that could also be interpreted as naive. Hightowers and the council however have been plotting this since the birth of Aegon.
BUT, that kinds of prooves your point that it's more tragic for Alicent, how she is being neglected in all the scheming, apparently because of her 'woman', 'soft' nature and her willingness to make up with Rhaenyra when Viserys "demanded" it. Yet, she's also plotting with Larys so all that stuff is layered so much I just can't stop but love all of it.
Always amazing to see GRRM at work, especially when he's tearing apart all the "bullshit" from past GRRM :D
The young character is great, but after the time skip she’s rather inconsistent, the episode 6 Alicent is pretty bitchy and almost straight up evil towards Rhaenyra but episode 9 Alicent is suddenly almost a saint who doesn’t want bad things for Rhaenyra
@@arutlit62 nah i think its fine. cause its one thing to try and screw over someone you dont like and even to try and hurt them in an emotional rage if you feel they are responsible for hurting your child. but its another thing completely to order said person''s death (especially if you used to be close)
@@arutlit62 ikr?? i love how they made her not want to kill her in the council scene when she has already tried to stab rhaenyra 😭
“Ultimately it may have been a bad idea to give dragons to children in a polical crisis” seems like it could be the title of the entire show lol
“Hey guys what are you doing tomorrow night?”
“”Ordering a pizza and watching Ultimately It May Have Been a Bad Idea to Give Dragons to Children in a Political Crisis” Hmm.. nah. Doesn’t roll off the tongue the same
UIMHBABITGDTCIAPC is a bit long, I think it should be
House of the Dragons: Ultimately, it may have been a bad idea to give dragons to children in a political crisis
Fr Fr
Should be the last line of the book
Im surprised Luke could even mount Arrax with the valyrian steel balls he must have to see Vhagar in Storms Ends driveway and still continue his mission
Yup, definite oh fuck moment right there. I think the showrunners have done a really good job of illustrating the size difference between the dragons. That shot looking up as Vhagar flies over Luke was spine tingling.
😂😂😂😂
he was a bastard and he got owned royally by aemond
@@crasnicul3371not really
@@godiswatchingyee2633 yes really that nigga dead lol
I actually think daemon was in the right to think Viserys was murdered. They’ve only just got back to dragonstone and Viserys has suddenly died and within not even a whole day, Aegon is on the throne and the entirety of kings landing is sided with the greens. He’s right to think that there must’ve been some conspiring to put aegon on the throne instead of Rhaenyra (because there was) which makes it seem actually quite reasonable that Viserys was murdered. Murdered by allicent though is a stretch and that’s where it’s obvious that Daemon is flawed in his thinking. But the actual thought that Viserys was murdered is not actually that wild. From his perspective I can’t say I’d think different
This feels almost like getting to watch one final episode of the season
Ty Alt for all of this since got to now
You know, I watched episode 10 on a flight one night. It made the dragon battle with Luke and Aemond so much more intense 😳 🐉 ✈️
Haha! Same! I let out a welp and the dude next to me thought I was crazy 🤪 lol.
Awesome
How did you manage to download it?
@@achintsingh4552 HBO Max from my iPad. Did it through great Wi-Fi I think.
Battle? That was a straight up massacre
"No Vhagar no you obey to me!!!"
"we did it Visenya, we beat the Dornish!"
😂
🤣😅
Before I was upset about Rhaenyra not having the opportunity to choose what crown she wanted to take up. But now I am so relieved that she got her father’s crown instead because it is a form of political legitimacy for her as she is the true heir of Viserys. It was very smart of Erryk to steal Viserys’ crown instead of Aegon the Conquerer’s. This video made me see that point of view, great insight!
I agree! Although, I don't think the Greens would've allowed Erryk to take Aegon the Conquerer's crown anyways since it was also a form of legitimacy for Aegon II (the name, the crown, and the blade) during his coronation. Rhaenyra looks beautiful with her father's crown.
Looks beautiful on her too
@@cecit6524 Well، the Aegon crown was made by King Miguor Targaryen، so it is also valid.
Hey this is a side topic, but I have a theory about Daemon's attraction to Rhaenyra. This wasn't pointed out on the show, but the sound designers said this in an interview, that in episode 2, before we see Syrax in the clouds, Caraxes sensed that she was coming and he started making mating calls, like a dragon love song.
We know how the dragon riders have a mental connection with their dragons, seen in how Caraxes flinched in pain when an arrow hit Daemon.
What if, Caraxes attraction to Syrax predates Daemon's attraction to Rhaenyra, and that this is the reason they are attracted to each other, is because their dragons are in love?
strange fan fiction
@@kaiden247 lol seriously. This is Westeros, not some teen paranormal romance.
That actually makes a lot of sense. Empathic connections work both ways, and incest should produce much more deformation in the offspring. Especially brother and sister. It makes sense.
I really don't like their relationship cause he kinda groomed her if you think about at 2am. I mean it looks consensual but because of the power dynamic we will never know for sure.
@@BhBc8f8 yes
24:50 - Also, the fact that Aegon and Viserys specifically were granted spots at court is another slight to Rhaenyra's eldest 3 sons, at least that's how I interpret it. Aegon and Viserys are not just her youngest sons and easy hostages, but are also Targaryen on both sides, they are not just Rhaenyra's kids and her father's grandsons, but also Daemon's sons, Viserys's nephews in the male line, with no question of their legitimacy; the Greens are essentially implying which of her kids are truly worthy of being at court in King's Landing, and which ones are really the only threat to Aegon in terms of legitimacy.
But they did mention that Jace would remain heir to Dragonstone, and Luke would remain heir to Driftmark (IIRC). So I think it was a fair proposition that did not undermine their legitimacy, at least on paper.
@@obuw1 still, if the older boys were legitimate, it seems way more likely it would've been Joffrey as the cup bearer/squire, since he's older. Jace & Luke being allowed to keep their inheritance was just a very mild appeasement because those are the ones people are going to get mad about. Joffrey being overlooked in favour of Aegon & Viserys is still significant.
You cited the symbolism of Rhaenyra getting Viserys’s crown, but not the symbolism of Aegon getting Maegor’s crown. Maegor got the throne because his mother usurped the throne for him, just like Aegon II. They also have the same number of descendants to this day. 😊
i thought that was aegon''s
@@azzor4134 Aegon was the first wearer. Maegor was the most recent. Jaehaerys didn’t want to continue use of that crown because of the bad things associated with that crown.
Fuck me! nice catch! Its like poetry, it rhymes
He’s’ biased towards the black faction
@Justt - Why shouldn't he be? The true heir is Rhaenyra & the whole realm f*cking knows that. So did the Greens. They are blatantly stealing something that does NOT belong to them. And for what?! To give it to an unfit, drunk, rapey psycho?! 🫣 Are you serious?! Oh but I forgot... Rhae doesn't have a penis. lmao
I love the symbolism of Vizzy T's dream of his son being born with Aegons Iron Crown and it being him that crowned him since it was Vizzy T's actions, or lack thereof, that directly led to Aegon being crowned.
Ok
@@IAmE37 alright.
I love the idea that dreams and prophecy destroyed the Targaryen dynasty
@@wyattrota9070 Amen. "Prophecy will bite your prick off, every time."
Vizzy T lmao
I like the intentional dimensions being given to the characters, Daemon and Aemond are fan favorites, so scenes like singing in Valyrian really work, and I was legitimately shocked when Aemond lost control. It's actually delivering the idea the TV show alone made and just isn't in the books: that the dragons are power they cannot control. Even GOT's badly delivered ideas make more sense here; that without control passion and desire warps people.
Daemon and Aemond, much like Rhaenyra and Alicent are written and acted as characters with sympathetic moments, intelligence, and ability. They are all political actors denied agency in different ways, and the tragedy is that they cannot simply blame society entirely for their ills and evils. I felt the last two episodes especially were what we were actually waiting for; I feel the show will be MORE engaging the less it's like the source material, I dislike the Dance heavily and find all the characters repellant or poorly developed. The show's second half won me over
Idk, I think George is a pretty good writer. The themes you discussed are absolutely a big part of the source material, it’s just that in the book nobody says implicitly “The idea that we control the dragons is a lie “. I think the more they stray from George’s work and into the realm of dick jokes and foot fetishes, the more it will all feel like Netflix with very little weight to the story.
Great video. I liked the chess reference.
"If war's first stroke is to fall, it will not be by my hand" Rhaenyra says to Corlys. Just like in chess Black waits for the first move from their opponent.
Surprised you missed how Arrax went after Vhaegar's left eye, similar to how Luke took out Aemond's
Which is actually kind of funny, because the book explicitly states it's the *right* eye that Aemond loses. Maybe just a preference by the actor of which eye he could show more expression with.
I think they both went right eye.
Been watching you since freshman year in college (2015). As a fully grown adult, I still tune in like a child to Saturday morning cartoons at the sight of any Alt-Shift video. Thanks Alt, we appreciate your mastery in giving us new insights to the fictional universes we all love.
Right? It’s insane how much this channel has grown. I remember when there wasn’t even half the subs he has now.
Hugs from bohemian forest.
The heart to heart talk Corlys had with Luc about inheritance of the name Velarion would have made Dominic Torretto proud
I love how much work you put into the visual explanations in your GoT/HOTD videos. Thanks for bringing to light additional important context to this show. I really appreciate it. 😊🖤
14:18 - Also a cool title because in chess, Black moves second instead of first. Rhae is reacting and making second moves the whole episode.
The legend himself
I think the scene with Jace and Luke training stems from the scene last episode where Aemon was showing off with Cole. Jace is scared but he’s also intelligent and dutiful. He knows that a day may come when he has to face Aemon or Cole and he has to be ready.
Just wanna say, thank you Schwifty for all the hard work and passion you put into these videos and for all you've given to ASOIAF and the fandom
Who's that guy?
I do love the look on Aemond's face as his dragon munches on Luke, it says "oh, fuck, nobody is going to believe this was an accident."
I've never read the books but its sad that I knew Luke was going to die as soon as Rhaenyra said she was sending them alone on these missions. The kid was too innocent, loyal and kindhearted that I knew he was going to die to be the catalyst for all out war. Pretty bummed we have to wait 2 years for the next season 😞
The production times are only gonna get longer, just like the books
@@biggiecheez6879 season 2 is gonna be a banger, a roberts rebellion tv show would also bang
@@CallOfPoop1 I look more forward to the Blackfyre rebellions, it's probably the bigggest of events in westeros, almost rivaling Aegon's conquest.
@@mohdshahariar5833 yes that would be crazy, but seeing a young robert holding his war hammer into war would be crazyyy.
@@CallOfPoop1 not as much as brynden rivers vs aegor rivers, that rivalry was huge
Might have been worth pointing out that Boros's maester could be manipulating him into helping the Hightowers, assuming the maesters are all on the same side as Oldtown.
He did point it out he said maesters have been known to twist words for their own advantage
I appreciate this channel so much. The World of Ice and Fire is such a well-built, interesting world but so many details go over my head. The way you look at these details, break them down and explain how they represent the bigger themes of HOTD and GOT makes me enjoy that world so much more. Great job on the final season 1 video, can't wait for season 2!!!
Thank you for being the VaatiVidya of Game of Thrones, and Vaati for being the AltShiftX of Dark Souls/Elden Ring. The similarities in speaking voice, narration style and quality content are great to see and hear. True juggernauts of lore.
You probably hear this all the time, but thank you for putting together these recaps. Your insight has made this series so much more enjoyable for me.
We had to wait awhile, but it was worth it. What strikes me about your videos is that you can tell how much thought/time/research you out into them. A small detail that I enjoy is even though I know you know how this story plays out, you still manage to have a POV that’s very in the moment and situational to what is actually happening on the show. I really appreciate the depth that you have achieved with these videos, & thank you for doing what you do because I’m lazy af & this is so palatable it’s insane.
Incredible job on this whole series. You went into so much detail not just on the show but everything surrounding it, making connections even book readers might've missed. My SO doesn't really do the intensity and gore of the show, but does want to know how things play out, so we've been watching your breakdowns to get the scoop together :D Thanks so much. Rock on!
Man, I've never felt "phobia" before, and I don't think I really have one for 'giant things' but something about that shot of Vhagar when Luke arrives at Storm's End is geniunely terrifying every time I see it. It almost feels like they got the sense of scale wrong, he seems larger than the entire keep, incredible visual storytelling.
Then the shot looking up as Vhagar overshoots Luke takes your breath away. Great way to emphasise the size difference. Makes Drogon from GOT look a little pathetic now.
It’s interesting that Matt during a comic con panel mentioned both him and Emma actually didn’t understand where the choking came from and both struggled to work through the scene. Which is like, I’m just concerned when actors and writers aren’t aligned cos I get flashbacks to GoT season 8’s depressing table read sessions of Kit and everyone else.
Daemon is an inherently violent person. I don't understand everyone's shock at him choking Rhaenyra. He doesn't know how to handle his emotions in a healthy way e.g. him beating up the messenger, the confrontation with Craghas, his inability to be a good father. Especially considering the fact that Viserys was the person he wanted the love and acceptance from the most and then discovering that the one thing that would've, in a way, solidifed Viserys' acceptance as Daemon as his heir wasn't told to him? Yeah... That's definitely gotta hurt Daemon. Also, Emma has stated that they understand the meaning behind the choking in later interviews.
You'd think of all people, the actors would be the most realistic about the relationship between Daemon and Rhaenerys. It's not pure, the evidence is there, they just gave such great chemistry that people forget
Mr. Alt shift X, thank you for these years of good thorough analysis, all the while not spoiling big events to come. During the wait between the last hotd vid and this one I’ve been just floating through and revisiting your older content from before. Your hard work is evident, and it’s much appreciated from us all!
I just want to say, I purchased Fire and Blood and read the whole book last month. Before reading I watched all of your explanation videos and live discussions. Thank you for how well you protect spoilers. I'm amazed how you put these together knowing the story and still manage to explain it in a way in which the future is a total mystery. Well done!
Can’t wait to see more GoT/ASOIAF content from you! I’ve read all the books since the end of the show, and I’d love to hear more analysis/speculation about winds of winter and dream of spring from you too! 💙💛🧡
Big Jon Snow video coming in future!
@@AltShiftX I dont want it
@@AltShiftX Do you think a sequel series 'Snow' is possible ?
@@serarthurdayne5880 its already in development
@@AltShiftX hopefully this is similar to your previous vid about tyrion in the books. Jon snow in the books maybe?
No wonder it took so long to get this video out - there's SO MUCH to unpack. Episode 10 was dense in the best way imaginable.
I think Daemon blamed Alicent for giving viserys the milk of the poppy. Like Alicent made him into that brittle state.
So it makes sense that daemon would blame alicent for poisoning and dulling his mind with opium.
except it doesnt make sense, considering poppy milk is the only way to alleviate pain in Westeros, especially for already old and dying people. daemon is just being a spiteful idiot
@@godemperorofmankind3.091 wasn't it also stated in the books that Rhaenyra sent her Maester to treat the King and it was better for him or something? not really sure about this anymore
Bruh Viserys is literally crippling. He had one eye, one arm, difficulty in walking and moving, his other face rotten, and a dream. I was surprised he was alive for that long. I think he blamed Alicent midst his rage and tried to find any reasoning and because of his hatred against Otto and Alicent for pushing him down inheritance even further, he came to that conclusion.
Bruh Daemon didn't gave a flying crap about Viserys and he suddenly blames Alicent for giving him milk of the poppy? did you saw how he looks like? i mean she literally took care of him all this years, standing by his side.
@@notyourdaddude1957
you have to be very dense and miss the entire point of HOTD to get to that shallow opinion lol.
otto and the maesters worked together to make the king more weakminded and susceptible to sickness.
Hell, there was even a maester apprentice who said that the current treatment wouldn't work and recommended newer methods than maggots. (but he was turned down by the archmaester)
So, Alicent Hightower just listened to the maesters and "took care" of viserys. And Daemon saw right through it all.
do you understand now?
That shot of Vhagar killing Lucerys and Arrax was pure horror. I knew it was coming as I'd read the books but I still jumped. It is a gorgeous shot, the calm after the storm followed by a jump scare.
Love how this show doesnt spoon feed you anything. Some complain and say it sucks because they need the after show segments to get it. I like how its ambiguous and interpretive like events are in real life. Makes the story and characters feel more life like. Like I said, it gives the viewers a lot of credit and doesnt feel the need to spoon feed them. It just shows what went down and its on you to decide where you stand based on how you experienced the events.
They point out her kids aren't legitimate every five minutes. If that's not spoon feeding I don't know what is. It's way dumbed-down from the books and pretty big mess overall.
@@anwynoakenshield mentioning something and having to put two and two together are not the same things. No ballpark either. they're not even the same sport and wouldn't require everyone asking questions and analyzing. The books, are not the real deal as has been said OVER AND OVER OVER. The books are very basic sentences of the events which required that the show is the exact opposite of being dumbed down. Your comment makes sense not and reeks of argument for arguments sake without merit.
@@childrenoftheabzu lol..."your comment makes sense not".
You were *really* trying to be super condescending, but just sound foolish.
The show is tripe. But enjoy.
@@anwynoakenshield If your reading comprehension is above an elementary school level it makes sense. Im not dumbing myself down for you. Im tired of being people teachers.
@@childrenoftheabzu * I'm
You're looking pretty dumb already. I doubt you could go much lower.
Daemon says he would not use the dragons against dragons unless he had no choice. There are far better ways to use them he says. He's also the most accomplished military leader in the seven kingdoms and its not bullshit. I hope the show doesn't dumb him down.
@AltShiftX thank you for the intentional thoughtfulness you consistently put into your videos (especially after the livestream Q&A’s) - this S1E10 video was totally worth the wait! You & your team’s contributions make this series so enjoyable!
It is also funny to me that Daemon threw the line “mummer’s farce” back in otto’s face in the same spot on dragonstone as their previous confrontation
Daemon is so petty, he remembered it all those years lol
@@amelieb1013 Definitely when it comes to Otto cause he hates Otto with a fiery passion. I'm starting to see his point of view with Otto though, the guy is such a massive cunt.
Also good catch @Cooper Noble
I think this episode makes it safe to say that Daemon married Rhaenyra to be closer to the Iron Throne and not out of love. Which means that he’s been grooming her for DECADES like the book suggests…
I believe that in marriage, you must realize: the person you're marrying will see you as you hoped they never would. That includes vices, insecurities, embarrassing habits, and so on. I don't necessarily believe he never loved her. Perhaps, though, it was more of a narcissistic love. Even if that's the case, it's pretty well established in the older episodes that there was something between them. Cliche, but a "spark" :p
@@sitcomchristian6886 Fully agreed. Daemon is an opportunist. Even if he truly loves his family, he’ll always do what is best for him.
People seem to forget that he’s a second son. Him and many second sons like Otto, Larys, & Vaemond always have to fight for what they want since they stand to inherit nothing.
Word. He's fond of her darker, rebellious tendencies but it hardly seems like love. He knows her being heir brings him closer to the throne and center of the conflict. He knows violence is inevitable. He seems happier with his second wife but also bored by the conventional family life. Her death is sad but convenient. Rhaenyra's also using him to strengthen her claim by resorting to traditional Targaryen inbreeding. She knows if there's violence, he's a fearsome asset as well. He didn't hesitate to decapitate Vaemond.
@@sitcomchristian6886 From his side was definitely not love though, the dude killed his first wife and the second one literally provoked her death.
And he didn't gave a crap about either of them, i don't know if this kind of person can actually love someone but rather see opportunity and clearly being besides Rhaenyra was his best ticket to reach Iron Throne.
Maybe he becomes a better person with time? for now, he is still a cunt lol
What if Targaryens are dragons in the womb but over the pregnancy development they become human which is why Visneya who was still born and 2 months early still looked mostly human but also had dragon features?
Thought you were doing a "winds of winter" on us with this release! Great to see your content as ever!
Must've been nice not to have to crunch and rush to get this out in a week, thanks for the vids
My guy Dolan darker supporting a fellow Australian creator
Thank you so much for working so hard in this video ❤ we really appreciate it!! To us this is just as valuable as the series 😊
The Greens are still figuring out their new logo had me cracked up 😂
Your channel made me go read the books. This was 2012. I was on my way to kuwait for a combat tour. I watched your video on GoT S01E01 in the Airport. I purchase yhe 1st 3 books right there in the airport and finished them on my tour of duty. Thank you!
I really enjoyed watching all of your videos for House of the Dragon this season. Thank you.
hold up, you gave what?
@@paulhui3282 28 US Dollars...lol
@@paulhui3282 that's Thai currency, about 30 dollars
That's a very generous contribution. I'm sure he will appreciate it.
You actually gave money for content which is free?🤣🤣🤡🤡
Finally!! ive been looking forward to this almost as much as the season finale. Love you alt shift x
Luke was so stubborn when it came to Driftmark, that he actually died just to avoid it.
It felt really good to have a show to look forward to and get excited about again. Actually sat down to watch it as soon as it released. Wish there were more amazing content like this put out there nowadays
While the wait was tough, this video was so worth it. Such a great video to end the season on. This has been better than even the show itself ❤️
I still dont understand how Rhaenyra found out so quickly? The dragon and her son fell into the see around storms end, it would take days for the remains of Lucerys and his dragon to wash up on the shore and weeks for Rhaenyra to find out.
In the books people see him fall, that’s why they assumed Aemond did it on purpose
probably took weeks, the next scene was done after a timeskip
@@slaireawesome2824 Well in the movies no one would have been able to see through that fog right?
@@kamo808 read the book. Arrax head and other body parts was found on the seashore of Dragonstone 3 days later after Luce's departure to Stormsend
@@frfras7 it's more detailed in the book. People on the ground saw Vhagar was chasing Arrax in the clouds. Who else can ride Vhagar if not Aemond? But in the book it's stated that Aemond killed Luce on purpose
The season is never over until Alt Shift drops the ‘episode 10 explained’ video
This video took a while, but they never disappoint. I loved your explanation of the series, hope you continue to do it with season 2
I love the quote "I'm not here to be queen of the ashes" over the clip of Drogon destroying King's Landing.
As the season ended. It was a thrill ride. I started as Rhaenyra supporter from Ep 1, then my loyalty shifted towards Alicent from Ep 4. This is the beauty of the show. Creating compelling characters with moral complexity.
I preferred Alicent before the time jump and I preferred Rhaenyra after the time jump. Older Rhaenyra(despite her faults) and Younger Alicent are kinder than their other versions.
Interesting! Are you still on team Alicent? Personally, I find myself very conflicted. I understand where both are coming from and that makes it hard for me to decide.
I don't understand how one can be team Alicent. Do you want Aegon on the throne?
@@fagelhd I'm Team Alicent because I think she's a more interesting character.
Loved this show so much more than I thought I would they really did a great job. The only thing that sucks about it is the 2 year wait for the next season :(
I hate the wait so much, but at least that means they're actually putting real effort into it. No more mistakes like GoT season 6-8
Ah yes, that's the good stuff. What a great way to bring in the holidays, a gift of Alt Shift X commentary. Thanks for your work breaking this season down! It's been a fun ride!
Definitely worth the wait because I knew the longer you take to make the video the better quality it's gonna turn out 👍🏼👍🏼
Just an incredible ending and an equally awesome companion video, as always! Thank you for your dedication throughout this series - I can't imagine how taxing it must be to create content under such immense pressure. We all appreciate you and no matter when a release comes, we'll be here to watch and support!
I really get giddy at how much some of the cast really take seriously their roles. It translates.
Been waiting for this for ages! Thanks Alt, this was incredible!
Papa Alt Shift X Lives!! Been checking literally every day for a month for this to drop! So stoked its finally here!
Alt Shift X is one of the best on this platform. Highly anticipated
Been waiting for this since Episode 10 aired. And boy was it worth it.
Great job Alt Shift X.
the dragons scene with Luke/Arrax and Aemond/Vhagar is really the epitome of this season for me. It just has everything and it works on so many layers. First, the cinematic is awesome, with the climax that seems to drop when Luke gets to the sunny sky above the stormy clouds and then gets smashed by Vhagar, making it even more dramatic. Second, on the narrative, it condenses in a very spectacular way the core of the fight between the 2 branches of Viserys heirs, the ones he had from the first wife and the ones he had from the second, which is a family feud that is never going to be solved, giving it the flavor of a greek tragedy. Third, It symbolizes perfectly what's probably the most cruel theme of the series, that is kids getting tossed by egoistic parents into politics and power when they are not ready or they simply don't want to, resulting into killing them (or at the very least making them bad parents as well, like Rhaenyra proves to be by sending Luke to his death). And, at last, the nature of power itself, symbolized by the dragons, which in the end can't be controlled and guides whoever owns it to do what he would have never wanted to do, ultimately calling for self destruction.
I have to say the screenwriters did an amazing job: even Martin himself told they improved his own book on certain points, and even if, of course, you might argue he just says so to promote the series he's making money from, it's obvious that he clearly didn't need it. this season went way past my expections and I cannot wait for season 2.
As much I enjoyed this season my biggest gripes were the big moment in each episode. Whether if it is ser Joffrey death or Rhaneys Dragon moment. They felt unnecessary or didn't convey consequences.
Joffrey's death would've had ramifications if there'd been another episode between the two timejumps. With this, you could solve the problem of no real buildup of Rhaenyra/Harwin at the same time.
Rhaenys's dramatic exit foreshadows the events at the Dragonpit later, serving as a reminder of how dangerous dragons are the common folk and how little Targaryens care about that. Rhaenys would not roast her political enemies to save the realm from war, but has no problem crushing a handful of peasants.
May I add Lord Beesbury's death being an "accident". Just Criston pressing an old man to sit back down and slams his face into those eyeball things, killing him. His death felt cheap especially for a character of his grandeur, and just there for a sudden shock.
I mean we can't know the consequences of "Rhaneys Dragon moment" until next season but yeah how does Criston cole still have a job. He and Alicent are such hypocrites.
@@rodrikforrester6989 whilst j agree to a degree, the way the show is shot does not convey this- and if you watch behind the scenes no one mentions this point. We can maybe interpret onto this scene but I don't think the intention was to show the commoners hatred of dragons. Maybe it was even written as such however the director decisions has castrated this meaning
why is this just as good, if not better than the show? you should be a writer for HBO my guy
I mean he's just going off what the books say and what we see in the show... just putting it all together for us in video format. It's so good because George R.R Martin's writing is so damn good
Well, Viserys didnt tell Daemon cause he never was truly his heir. He had hopes of having a male heir till the very last moment, so he didnt feel the need to tell him. When his male heir died and also his wife, then he saw the urgency of passing off the secret and then in dispair chose Rhaenyra. Thats why, not because she was meant to be heir. Probably he was going to tell Daemon after his son died but due to that "comment" he simply did not see him fit for it.
Thank you so much shifty, I know this series front to back 10x over and really have no need for recaps but I thoroughly loved and looked forward to these recap videos every single week. They're so incredibly well done. Looking forward to season two!
Getting Alt shift X week by week really makes you miss it when he goes away for almost a month, so glad you're back and Great Video as Usual.
Rhaenyra sending her son's out as messengers during a time like this was a very poor decision. I actually don't get why Daemon and Rhaenyra weren't prepared for this when the whole reason Rhaenyra married Daemon is because she felt like she couldn't face the Greens by herself so she knew damned well the Greens wanted Aegon on the throne once Viserys died and yet neither Daemon and Rhaenyra did nothing to prepare in the last 6 years they've been married.
The thing is according to the books it worked well for Jace tho, he gained the northern loyal allies. The Starks probably wouldn’t have appreciated a regular messenger. I still think she should have sent Rhaenys to storms end tho, Borros is her first cousin and he wouldn’t have disrespected her like he did Luke. Aemond wouldn’t have attacked her either and I doubt Vhagar would have chased or tried to harm Meleys
@@901stinababy I agree that Rhaenyra should've sent Rhaenys instead of Lucerys to storms end because Aemond doesn't have a reason to go after her. But sending Lucerys was very dumb, the boy can't even defend himself
@@sydnitheromantictaylor112 Yeah he was just a kid after all lmao, was a very stupid decision
@@notyourdaddude1957 no it wasnt dumbass. in westerosi society 14 isnt a kid. luke was under protection as a diplomat and aemond broke vows and oaths by killing him as well as becoming a kinslayer.
“A battle hardened nuclear dinosaur” a badass description
HotD was such an amazing show. I'm even more impressed after having listened to the book.
This channel is amazing. Love how he ties book and show together. Not a book reader so this is the best! Thank you
It should also be noted that Luke's supposed tale of "survival" is extremely similar to that of the fool, Patchface, in which he became simple-minded and lost all memories of his life after their drowning after three dBay..
And they both "drowned" on Shipbreaker's bay.
Yeah, and Luke became an ordinary fisherman. Don’t know if it’s true ‘cause that’s just a rumor from the book. Supposedly, the show has the truth
In the book Luke's survival could have been portrayed as a possibility. I think the show decided to instead give us a definitive ending, one that doesn't leave room for "what if's", they showed Arrax being chomped and bits of him falling down to the sea. They took away the ambiguity that the books left and showed us there was no way Luke would have survived, either the chomp, or the long fall back down to the sea, either of which would have been fatal.
Maybe daemon or aemon will suffer patchface's fate instead
@@Steve_McMillen That was because his body was never found which is why it was theorized that he somehow survived, which is extremely unlikely to impossible.
Just finished watching. A 44 min video from you is all I needed for today 🦀
Love the bit about The Cannibal being on Dragonstone before the Targaryen's. Symbolizes the cannibalization of the Targaryens themselves. Awesome!!
If the scene with Daemon was at the begining of the show I think I would have interpreted him gathering the allies as a unsupportive move. I love his character development, because firstly it could almost appear to be supportive - as he is doing what needs to be done when she is unable to. But then I realised he is actually just distracting himself, because of the trauma of what his last wife went through. He seems stronger than viserys and yet he left his second wife to suffer and kill herself because he couldnt make decision to end her suffering.
Oh my God, I hadn't thought of it like that but you make a really good point
Hola señor Alt shift I bought all ASOIAF books thanks to your videos. You're the best game of thrones channel on YT. Keep it up pimp
Im glad i watched all these, the show feels allot more rich with lore then it first felt to me, ill give season 2 a chance now
Cant wait to watch this video atleast twice, been checking every day if you had uploaded or not! Thanks man! i know its a shit ton of work and i appreciate the hell out of you.
totally forgot that last episode didn't get your "Explained" Treatment yet - Perfect as always! Appreciate the details! see ya all in 2024 :D
!!!!!!Massive book spoilers ahead!!!!!!!! ⚠️
I really want to talk with people about the upcoming story and how everyone thinks the plot will be laid out across the next three seasons (there will be 4 total right?) and where they might end the show?
-
But if they were to end with Aegon 3 on the throne at the end of the dance of the dragons, could they split the events by year? 129 in season 2, and half of 130 in 3, other half in 4? This could be a possible layout-
S2 (year 129)
Jace getting the vale and winterfell
Blood and cheese
Blackwood and bracken civil war in the riverlands
Aegon getting worse and firing otto, making criston more important
Cargill twin duel
Jace suggesting the use the dragon seeds gaining addam, nettles, Hugh and ulf
Death of rhaenys at rooks rest and injury of aegon
Jace trying to get his younger brothers to safety, failing and then dying in the battle of the gullet
S3 (year 130)
Honeywine, win for the greens
North uniting
Greens taking the riverlands, aemond takes harrenhal
Lakeshore/fishfeed (Blackwood and freys vs lannister and reynes)
The greyjoys take advantage of the lannister lands
Rhaenyra getting more vengeful after death of jace and thinking her son viserys is dead too
Fall of kings landing, aegon flees, otto beheaded, rhaenyra takes the throne
Aemond burns the riverlands
Alicent tries to bargain with rhaenyra
Criston killed and his army destroyed at butchers ball
S4 (year 130 pt2- 131 onwards?)
Tumbleton 1- advance of the hightower army, daeron burns bitterbridge after Maelor is killed, Ulf and Hugh betray the blacks
Blacks fall apart, addam flees rhaenyra, Corlys arrested
Aegon smuggled to dragonstone where he takes it, captures baela
Rhaenyra lashing out at daemon/nettles
Daemon vs aemond over harrenhal, aemonds death
Helaena's suicide
The people turn on rhaenyra, joffrey's death, then they sacking of the dragon pit
Tumbleton 2, death of addam for the blacks, daeron for the greens as well as the betrayers Hugh and ulf
Rhaenyra flees to dragonstone but finds aegon and is killed
Aegon returns to kings landing with support of the baratheons, corlys put on his council
Baratheon vs the Lads, win for the Lads
The starks and arryns finally reach kings landing and join with the lads against aegon
Aegon has no one left but refuses surrender, is killed by poisoning
Rhaenyra's son Aegon 3 made King
Starks want to punish the green supporters, Cregan becomes hand just to kill the betrayers and then resigns
Alicent is imprisoned
Regents take over until aegon 3 is of age- corlys among them
....but I don't really know how/where they will end it. Just with Aegon 3 being crowned or would they go beyond it?
What changes would you make to this timeline? Because I know I will be very wrong with where they end each season I'm sure
Did they say that's where they're ending it or are they going to go on and do the rest of the dynasty? If they end with Aegon iii being crowned then yeah that could be how it'll play out but Honeywine not being until the 3rd season would mean a long time to make Daeron more important, unless they just show him being vaguely around/in Oldtown in the 2nd
@@evapalmer1658 yeah it was hard to know where to put it, because on the one hand they could set daeron up through the season and end with honeywine and his success, but on the other it might be too tempting to end with losing jace in the finale to mirror losing luke in the s1 finale. Or they could fit both into the same episode seeing as they're not that far apart time wise although then the episode would be a double loss for team black- it would certainly be a note to leave it on
Ive read the books and watched the series so much goes unsaid that its easy to miss. These videos you do digs deep. Thank you.
30:06 "And because of these ambitions, Corlys' family was destroyed."
He should have put these foolish ambitions to rest.