House of the Dragon | Season 2 Episode 1 Breakdown & Review
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2024
- It was the premiere Episode of House of the Dragon Season 2 and there is SO MUCH to talk about!
We visit the North and Winterfell again as Jacaerys speaks to Cregan Stark, we catch up with Aegon II Targaryen, his mother Alicent Hightower and her pappa Otto, Rhaenyra goes through her grieving while Daemon Targaryen goes through his rolodex, and lots of dragon talk as Aemond gets ready to battle the rest of Westeros! - Розваги
Am I the only one who thought it was cute seeing Aegon laugh at his kid at the table during the council lol.
I loved it, hah. I get on Aegon for being a bad father and letting his kid run wild (because I hate that in real life), but I love how passionate Aegon is about his kids.
Last season he didn't seem to care about anything other than sex and drinking, so this is kind of a major glow up for him by being a good father!
Okay maybe not a good father, but a PRIDEFUL father.
Nope! They made him likeable, personable. Like he really wants to try and be a good King.
@@AkodoGarou Totally
Rhaenyra is going to be pissed that this happened and rightfully so. This was done without her authorization and has now brought unnecessary consequences and has made her look just as bad. At no point did she say she wanted a son for son or an heir for an heir, she said specifically she wanted Aemond Targaryen dead and him only, not an innocent child who had no part in her sons death.
Absolutely. Rhaenyra finding out that Jaehaerys meets his end all because Daemon wanted to ensure that 1 son died no matter what is going to set her off. Daemon's gonna get mad at her getting mad, hah.
@TheBattProductions I like Daemon, but he needs to tread carefully.
On side note, one thing I liked seeing was Ice in a wooden scabbard. The ceremonial wolf pelt was cool, but I like the wooden scabbard to allow for more utilitarian use.
No one ever understands Helena in the show until it’s way too late. You think they’d catch on after the beast beneath the boards.
Absolutely...they need to start paying attention to this sweet little lady, clearly!
Not surprising Aegon doesn’t know how to be a parent given his mother just abused him while his father just ignored him, so he gives his legitimate children the attention and praise he always wanted.
Absolutely. It was always likely he was going to be an awful Dad I suppose, but it's kind of cool (from a storytelling POV) that we as an audience get to know why he sucks so badly as a dad, hah.
I thought that scene was cute when he was laughing at his kid lol
@@Nursegirlalexandra It was very cute, but he still seriously suggested that his master of Coin offer Jaeharys a pony ride.
Like it's clear he loves his son but that he's also teaching his kid that he can treat others like toys.
"Crypt Keeper peen" 😂😂😂
Yeah, a bit disappointed in the blood & cheese scenes. I know they can not show kids being unalived but, come on YOU re enacting that scene from the books was more entertaining. Plus, They showed a Barbaric C section on Aemma in season one for Pete’s sake! I digress. But some bright take aways: Was The Wall , I loved seeing it again. Cregan Stark was okay…. Waiting for more. The costumes are always spot on! But hopefully this is just a Lilly pad episode and we get some action moving forward. !
Agreeed
True, by making Helaena not having to choose between Jaehaerys and Maelor was a miss. I don’t know why they didn’t include him cause in the opening credits of last season he was listed in the family tree. It was still a tense situation tho.
Absolutely...I mean it's one thing to not show the head being lopped off, but the choice really was everything to me. I wanted to see that go down. The book also has Helaena present, but I didn't mind that not happening quite as much.
@@nyny.confidential74 Big time miss they didn't include Maelor and remove that choice, I think. Real bummer and lessened the moment.
The choice to omit Maelor in Blood and Cheese really killed a lot (but not all) of the emotional weight from the book canon. It didn't ruin the scene (the acting was phenomenal). I did however love Alicent not being present (getting bonked, no less) even though most of the scene felt very messy. The plan was very last minute (compared to the book where it's established that Cheese knows SO much about the castle and royal family that it's almost easy for him to do what he does), we never got confirmation from Daemon that they were 'allowed' to go for the little Prince if one-eye was unavailable, etc.
Completely agreed. The emotional weight of that decision, and then it flipped around, REALLY hurt my opinion of that scene. It didn't kill it, but it felt like it wasn't very complex at all.
That's a good point about Cheese's knowledge of the whole castle btw - especially the part where he supposedly doesn't know about the upstairs quarters, though he should know every nook.
I'm glad to see im not the only one who didn't like the blood and cheese route they took. I was so pumped up to see the revenge taken, then it was barely a thing. Helena loses her mind because she picks one to die and they kill the other one, now she just tells them which the boy is. Not that losing a child is ever ok, but the book version is way more traumatic.
EXACTLY...I didn't need to see the kid's head pop off or anything, but I certainly DID need to see the choice being made and then immediately reversed by Blood.
You are the first review I went to after I watched this morning!! Thanks Kevin!!
Oh after watching comment to add, do you think Helena pointed out her son because she didn’t want him to be pressured to become king if he didn’t want to be? And I have not read the books, I have listened to it on your page, but I did like the blood and cheese part, I found it interesting that she offered her son up. But I get what you are saying about the choosing between the boys. But Jahares (sp I know) is only 4, and if Maegor was younger then that line about mom wanting him dead wouldn’t be something he remembers unless someone reminds him later in life and I doubt Helena would be doing that!
You're the absolute best
@@tincoral That's an interesting point - I probably wouldn't say that, though. I think maybe this is another one of those foreshadowing things where it's like "well she has a nervous feeling of him being king because he isn't going to be alive to fulfill it anyway"
@TheBattProductions I didn't even think that she knew he wasn't going to be king very good point Kevin, and exactly why I watch you first :) After you was New Rockstars, then later today after I get some work done I will catch Heavy Spoilers and Screen Crush. Yall are my faves :) 🖤 House Forever
@@tincoral You're so freaking sweet. Bah.
I appreciate you, Tina.
Glad to see your vids again! Always a good day when I do!
Thank you for the love, my man!
I'm gonna be popping off lots of videos, so don't you worry my friend!
Hey hey! I've been waiting for HOTD S2 and of course your explanation and recap. ❤️👍👍
THERE YOU GO! I'm glad you're checking it out and you're enjoying the videos my man...I appreciate you as a longtime sub, DEN!
Hey, you came up as a notification on my phone so I jumped on this morning to watch! I love your perspective and the antler crown is fire❤❤
You're wonderful and I'm glad you saw it and you need to watch the episode if you didn't year, Farah!
@@TheBattProductions still trying to figure out HBO Max on my brothers wonky Italian Internet
I like how they’re setting up Otto getting the boot from Aegon with the petition scene. Also I can’t wait for the Erik and Arik scene it would be funny if Daemon apologizes to him for the way he treated him this episode and thanks him for his service in freeing Rhaenys and brining Viserys crown but he does it to the wrong twin and is so caught up in himself and what he is doing doesn’t even notice his beard is longer. LOL
As we now know, I mean this was brilliantly done and seeing Otto out the door bums me out but it's incredibly important for that to happen...I mean what a wonderful scene. And the poor Cargylls :-(
here we go, I would say it was a good episode. A bit different from the Rouge Prince, The Princes and the Queen, and Fire and Blood but great in its own way. Plus all that was Gildane and shrooms view and the show is what actually happened. Or this is another universe like GOT and Ice and fire. Anyway I'm happy to get just about anything from that world, good and bad, and see you next episode. Thanks
LET'S GOOOOO! I am back baby, so back.
I agree. It's different, but it's still good. I'm happy to get anything going and it is really good to watch of course....DRAGONS baby, more dragons.
I need to do more videos this week because I keep thinking of new things to talk about.
SOOO GLAD TO BE BACK WATCHING YOU ❤❤❤❤❤
SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE TO WATCH ME!
Love chatting with you about the show/story
First, loved the show. And having read fire and blood have been waiting for blood and cheese, it was okay, not nearly as great as could have been. Kicking the dog pissed me off. There was utterly no reason for the dog, except to show blood was an ...hole, we already knew that. That being said, I am holding my judgment for the season. I'm Team Dragon, so I really don't have a vested interest in any of the humans.
I think it was beautiful as well...also yes, I forgot to say it BUT F*** CHEESE FOR KICKING THE DOG
I was more traumatized by the dog being kicked.
Cregan was an absolute boss! Perfect actor as usual just like Ser Arthur Dayne. Blood and cheese was ok but I did build it up in my mind 😅
Cregan was an awesome actor - big fan of what they did with that in the North and think they'll be able to do a lot with him in the future.
I built Blood and Cheese up in my mindin a big way. I helped hype it up and that's my fault, hah.
I will say it was great seeing some of the stark ancestors. I read the books so I can’t wait to see their roles later in the show
Amazing to see the Starks again…when that STARK THEME HIT
Outstanding review!!! So excited to see this first thing this morning! I could not agree with you more on all counts…and I’m concerned that I’m a little blood thirsty wanting more from the Blood & Cheese scene 🥴🔥🐍
THANK YOU
They gave the episode a good touch
I think they generally did, too. Wish it was more like the book but hey I'll take it.
Halaena Targaryen, much like Aegon I Targaryen before her, is a prophet. She has EXTRAORDINARILY accurate prescience but nobody takes her warnings seriously because she's "weird" (autistic). It breaks my heart to see her suffer so much and genuinely be misunderstood by her whole family. She's absolutely the MOST innocent person affiliated with the Greens besides the literal childrencon both sides. I really wish she had been able to escape the Dance before things got so bad for her.
Yeah pretty much...I mean I guess maybe she counts as a dragondreamer. Is she autistic? I don't know, but it does seem they're coding her to have something along those lines.
Definitely the best of the Greens. So sweet.
The mom in me wants to scoop Helaena and her remaining child up and take them far from Westeros. 😞
@@S.D._777_ Oh the mom in all of us I think want to do that! You're sweet.
Definitely bummed out with the scene. I was looking forward to the choosing and the "you hear that? your mama wants you dead"
I also think it adds to the fact that no one was watching the royal family and specifically
The prince!
I think that's probably a fair thought!
They showed a helpless woman getting her belly sliced open and her unborn baby ripped out but couldnt show a kid getting yeeted.
I mean....when you're right you're right, haha. I have very little argument with this statement.
FWIW I wasn't dying to see the kid murdered, I just wanted to see them make the choice between the two.
I actually like the blood and cheese change, cause it leaves team Green in the same predicament as Visarys, without a Male heir! They can't claim Jaeharya cause that defeats their whole argument against Rhaenerya! It's a more interesting dynamic
That's true I suppose! I suppose that means Aemond is the heir now, right? Very interesting...
I'm finding it sooooo difficult to not give away spoilers due to my body language. 😂 My boyfriend hasn't read Fire and Blood. Thanks to Mr. B, I nearly have it memorized! Sensing that the infamous Blood and Cheese incident was coming made my whole body freeze. Boyfriend knew something bad was coming. I almost wish he would watch it solo so that I don't ruin anything for him!
Harles I replied to this comment and somehow it DIDN'T COMMENT.
I think it's so difficult to not give things away when you're with someone who hasn't read the book - but I mean how fun is it to know you're going to have the person near you witness something *wild* and see their reaction?!
Also I love that you call me Mr. B just like Harley and the Joker :-)
Hello Kevin baby!🥰 Cole needs some breath mints! 😂 I guess reverse cowgirl was invented yet or she would have seen her come into her room!😂
Amanda!
Been waiting for blood n cheese for so long and was extremely disappointed. The choice is what makes it juicy.
Totally agreed...the choice is the spice of my choice.
Blood and cheese was a let down.. am hoping it isn't a prediction of how the season is going to go
Big time. I am thinking it probably won't be any serious indication of the future of the season, but they could've started with total devastation and they opted to really soften the blow. Considering it's essentially the TRUE beginning of the war, it should've been more monumental.
@TheBattProductions Down playing Helenas choice and not adding "your momma wants you dead". I think softens her later guilt and madness.
@@stephaniec9539 Absolutely it does. I agree wholeheartedly.
Heres a few changes they could have done
1. Alicent should have been there bound and gagged.
2. Instead of saying a son for a son they should have told helaena she had to choose between a future queen or future king. This way it makes it more shocking to the characters that they would pick the other child, even though us as the audience knows they will choose the son
Love the first one - the second one I laugh a little bit because knowing the Greens, Helaena would go "oh dude, yeah we're gonna schmurder Jaehaera. No queens around THIS CASTLE!" hah
@@TheBattProductions 😆
i was so disappointed how they did the ending at all! they could've done it better
Totally! I think it could've absolutely been better.
Someone suggested a really awesome ending where instead of showing the "wait let's bumble around the halls looking for Aemond" stuff, they could've interspliced Blood & Cheese silently going through the halls, with clips of Aemond waiting in his room and doing stuff, then Blood & Cheese bursting through the door...only to find Helaena and her kids instead of Aemond.
Masterful
Thoroughly enjoy your breakdowns, man. Just outta curiosity, what did everyone want to actually see when it came to the son's death scene? People seem to be underwhelmed, but as someone who didn't read the book (tho I know what happens in that scene in the book), it was still super disturbing.
Thank you my man! I appreciate that quite a bit.
What I primarily wanted to see was Helaena having to decide between her 2 boys (Jaehaerys & Maelor), then once she finally decided, they choose the other one anyway and she's even more devastated.
Adds so much tension to the scene, IMO. I mean the book also adds in other elements that make it more brutal, but I don't need that necessarily.
You have a fair point. It would've added more to the scene. I wonder why they chose to go this route instead. Thanks for the response!
@@adamfine3490 I'm not sure, either! I think it's an interesting creative direction by them to leave that out.
There's other really vile stuff they left out, but I get why...like Alicent being there to watch it all, threatening to r**e Jaehaera, cutting off Jaehaerys' head, etc.
I definitely did not want to see the child die. I wanted more of the conversation/negotiation. and then choosing the one she didn't choose. it adds to how ruthless and terrible both sides are and how both sides have been hurt
@@nodpod1 Exactly! That's all I wanted...to see the negotiation of it all. I don't want to see a kid die, hah.
Man some folks are ready to hit the outrage button quick on this one eh!
Correction: Alicent didn't cause these problems by misunderstanding Viserys. The Greens were planning on taking the throne FOR YEARS. The only thing misunderstanding Viserys did was make her believe she's following his wishes. Even if Viserys' lasts words were "make sure to make Rhaenyra Queen after me." The Dance would have still happened, just with Alicent giving protest and being ignored.
Have to disagree (at least in the context of the show - book is different). I don't think Alicent would've supported the plan to usurp without Viserys' dying words being misunderstood.
@@TheBattProductions Right, but given there was already a plan in the making FOR YEARS that she just didn't know about, what she said on the matter wouldn't have mattered. How exactly would she have been able to stop the Green Council from crowning Aegon? Do you not remember when she tells them their response is basically, "yeah, sure, whatever, now onto the plan we've been setting up for years."
@@MissKashira Basically I think you're saying it's Otto vs. Alicent in this situation, and I have to defer to Alicent because she's got the juice here - especially with Criston Cole whom the boys look up to (Aemon and Aegon).
Just my opinion. It's a big what if, IMO.
@@TheBattProductions Otto is the Hand of the King. Crowning the next ruler is specifically his duty to enact. Alicent is now a Lady, she's not even Queen Mother if Aegon is not crowned. These people aren't going to surrender their livelihoods, their power and likely their lives because Lady Alicent has fefes for Rhaenyra. They'd think she's blinded by sentiment and send her to her room to go cry.
*Maybe* Criston Cole takes her side, but that would mean cutting down the entire Green Council for the privilege of spending the rest of his life listening to Rhaenyra and Daemon make babies and possibly one day being ordered to go kill the children he helped raise. He'd likely also assume she's being womanly and emotional and ignore her wishes. If there is any doubt about how little sway she'd have, look at how little sway she has now. She's done her job, she's made the babies. Now the men are making all the decisions.
@@MissKashira I have to disagree with you there, but I don't know how literal you mean it...the idea that Otto essentially picks the next King. Nah - the line of succession was already laid out. Anything other than Rhaenyra is him decidedly not doing what he's supposed to do.
Criston definitely would take Alicent's side. I think that's pretty clear at this point. She saved him from death and gave him purpose. Now he's her hoe, basically. If Alicent doesn't hear that from Viserys, I'm convinced Rhaenyra succeeds in the show.
Since I hate the killing of children in general, I can't honestly say which version is better because I don't like either. Although, for the traumatizing to Helaena, the show version can still work since she did leave hearing the gruesome sounds of her son's head being removed with a knife instead of the quicker slice of a sword. Also, SHE has to live with the knowledge that she either gave her son up so easily or that she was going to them kill her daughter in place of her son.
As for Alicent, she's a hypocrite for bonking Cer Crispin. Even if nothing happened before Viserys actually died, he hasn't been dead long enough and people will believe that she was bonking Cole for years, especially after her comment at Driftmark about him being sworn to HER.
Lastly, can we say that Emma D'Arcy is the mvp of this episode? 👏 She only said 4 words, yet her performance was perfect in feeling her pain and grief. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 She was perfect.
I think if your position is you don't like seeing children die in these shows or films, then yeah I can understand you not digging the scene no matter what! (Anakin and those younglings...woofah)
Helaena I dunno man...she gave up her son but like one of them was going anyway so I just feel the drama isn't as much as when they trick her in the books. But that's just me.
I'm glad they change the ending scene. That scene was too much for me in the books.
Fair - it was a rough scene. I wanted the choice, but I get why you wouldn't want it!
Why does it seem like Ned and Robb never cared about any of this?
I know it's been all but 150 years, but the scene with Cregan implies the Stark heirs are told from birth the Walkers will be back one day, and the Northern army has to stay in the North.
But by Episode 1 of GOT, ned's like "lmao madman!" and dismisses all of it out of hand. Robb is all too eager to march south. yes it was his dad but still. And I suppose if Cregan's dad was a hostage in KL, he wouldn't have been talking so much about the Wall and the Watch.
Also we are led to believe that even though there's been only really one big war between the Dance and Jon Arryn's death for the Starks, that they let the Watch fall to near-ruin and become undisciplined boys and tired old men.
Ned knew, and sent Jon there all the same. And what do you know, Jon's there for a few days and almost gets murdered and tossed off the top of the Wall if not for Tyrion.
To be fair that was something the show runners of game of thrones messed up as it a hard of hearing old guy not the well spoken young man who survived. There was only questions of why he who had been a loyal member of the watch for many years would abandon it now.
Though I do understand why they changed it.
The Starks will have a succession crisis in the future, I’m assuming the knowledge is lost during that time?
@@islasullivan3463that was my thinking as well (the knowledge being lost over time). Benjen seemed to care so there's at least one Stark who cared about the impending danger.
Edit: previously couldn't recall Ned's brothers' name but it was the one who went to the Wall
Perhaps Rickard knew. And maybe Brandon too. But they didn't have enough time to pass on the secret to ned.
@@danielsilva-duarte571I agree. Another video brought this up. But that sense it was passed down from heir to heir. And Ned was not the intended.
@@danielsilva-duarte571 That's what my hypothesis was from my Cregan Stark video I posted a few days ago!
I'm not sure if Ned really understood the severity. Hmm,
I wish blood and cheese was done differently. I wish the choice she has to make was still there. I get the stuff about the outcome not being shown on screen. But the choice she makes kicks off her story
Exactly. I feel the same way!
Disappointed by blood and cheese. But I think when we are talking Television and the horrific murder of children its understandable they went this route. Even for GoT standards Blood and Cheese in the books is actually an unthinkable thing to portray in the live action setting. You can push boundaries and I think the decision was rather safe while still pressing the “holy shit” factor.
I suppose that's fair my friend. I wanted to see the choice really is it, but I guess this was a safe decision. I just...bahh.
Idk why i get the feeling that helaena ran with the boy and they killed the girl. Idk but it might be far fetched especially since the girl's survival ends the civil war. They'll have to change a lot of things if that happens.
If they do that, I'll be pissed on multiple levels. But I'd say that's probably not true since Helaena ended by telling Alicent and Criston that "they killed the boy"
@@TheBattProductions yeah maybe you're right. The episode was a bit underwhelming but I'm excited abt the upcoming battles.
@@nyawer92 Oh totally. I'm not hating on it - I am so happy to have HOTD back!
Is maelor in the show?..maybe leaving him out is why it was only the 2 kids
I think he is based on the credits. But even so, that isn't really an excuse to me because they should write him in if they want that to be a part of the story. It's their own problem of course.
@@TheBattProductions ..oh yea I agree 100%..I'm just trying to think of a reason they differed from the book..as far as it maybe being to brutal there's still ways to do it the same way as the book but not show the death..I mean got had a baby killed in little fingers brothel
@@beammeup1930 For sure!
I'm not 100% but I think she might have taken Jaehaerys out of there. Look at the hairties...I think she took Jaehaerys.
The last scene was very uncomfortable.
In what way did you find it most uncomfortable? Tell it to meeeeee
@@TheBattProductionsKilling a child in that way on the TV, it is not easy to watch even only hearing the sound. Thought i know HBO already makes it easier compared to the book😂
@@bananasoda902 Very fair! Can't blame you there. Child death is never easy.
Fire and blood is a history book. House of the dragon is what actually happened.
I'm aware of the 2 different mediums, yes. But it's a little of both.
Maelor was in the books, and so far is not shown or even mentioned in the show which changes the lore of the books. It's two separate mediums that tell a similar but different story
@memecity9849 that was the part I found strange. But I think the historians in that world wrote it to make the greens more sympathetic instead of saying Helena was a nutcase, was frozen in fear, then went to her mom who was with cristen Cole in bed 😆
@@memecity9849 Pretty much. They're just different interpretations at this point.
@@theteachers1 Could be! I'd say the writers just didn't want the kid in there, but it could be the writers of Fire & Blood (in-story) manipulating the events via written history.
show version of blood and cheese was so bad i missed david and dan
Not those hacks!
David and Dan should stay away from any a song of ice and fire material but tbh they probably would've made that scene more dark?
No
Yeah no.
BBahaha. I'm not gonna say ALL OF THAT but who knows maybe they would've made that scene more true to the books.
Blood and cheese was such a letdown , I can't believe I'm saying this but D&D would have done it better if it were in their hands
I dont agree Sapachnik or whats his name, the guy that directed Hardhome, battle of bastards and others would be better.
@@aleksanderpopov5060 well i guess they are no longer capable of doing good stuff like that now , cause aint no way they'd look at the source material and end up with THAT...
Total let down...I don't know if D&D would've done better or anything, but I can say that I think it wasn't the thing I was hoping for.