All told I'm actually digging Daemon's side quests. This is a highly personal journey of self reflection that's building up to his battle over the God's Eye. He has to face his dreadful acts and Harrenhal is the perfect place to do it.
Dude, this storyline is about exploring Daemon's flaws, introducing the complexities of the Riverlands and Alys Rivers who is much more important later on. Is it really that difficult to understand?
Do you know what I would pay to have a scene with Alys, Daemon and Helaena - maybe Helaena’s spouting prophecy on the astral plane and just as she’s about to reveal something epic, “shh, don’t *spoil* it…”
Yeah, Simon Strong visibly recoils from her, but evidently doesn’t feel empowered to make her leave; she’s just a particularly upsetting part of Harrenhall, and he might as well command the castle itself to behave for all the effect it will have.
@@dorime3031it could be that he was looking over to see what the hell daemond was staring at bc she straight up walks into a wall and disappears after the clip ends
@@dorime3031I actually think that the reason he stared at her is because daemon was staring at her and he was looking to see what he's staring at. If you think about their conversations, she always says exactly every single thing that he needs to hear/refute. Either she reads his thoughts or she is a part of his subconscious.
@@dorime3031also one or two of his sons in the scene where Alys first appear…. Only for them to avoid looking at her a split second later They’re too afraid of her probably
She's so creepy but I love her.❤ She is deffo messing with his mind, and "what I hear, I hear in the wind" the background noise was sooo freaky. 😮 I can't wait to see her and Aemond, what their relationship will be like.
Have to admit, I always thought of the Brackens as punks and the Blackwoods as the 'good guys' in their dispute. This ep kind of messed with that perception.
That’s the point, it’s an endless feud between the two, both sides take turns being horrific but can’t end up destroying one another, the closest we’ve come to it is in the books as far as I know Raventree Hall was sacked and their Weirwood tree burnt by the Brackens because they supported Robb Stark
@@mitchellwright5478 Brackens supported Robb Stark too but after the Red Wedding, they bent the knee (alongside other Riverland Lords) but Blackwood was the only one who continued to be faithful until he bent the knee to Jaime.
Both sides have their vicious members and blinded by conflict. Later on it’d still be the same, Bloodraven was no saint and Bittersteel earned his name.
They're really making Daemon dirty... He was a prominent supporter of his wife's claim, never killed his 1st wife and was a good husband to Laena, in the books
It's merely the direction Alys wants to steer him in. Given where she ends up later, it makes sense that she would wish to do so tbh and his victory will be to go down a different path more in line with what he does in the book.
They also made it seem like what happened with Helena’s son was his fault. Whereas in the book I felt like it was more the Lady Misery’s doing. Not quite pleased with how that played out compared to the book.
@@jonathanlee7877 LOL even in the book, Blood was on his way to Harrenhal to collect his reward from Daemon. Mysaria hired the two but Daemon definitely had a hand in it. The show just refuses to make excuses for him like you're trying to do here.
@@Regenmacher175 I’m guessing someone is a green cloak then I take it. Daemon def has issues, but compared to so many of the other characters in the series I don’t think he’s as bad as people make him out to be. I think Cole and Aemond combined are worse for Westeros than Daemon. Though I admit I forgot about how involved he was in Blood&Cheese in the book.
@@jonathanlee7877 I am team smallfolk because I actually read the book. It's not about Greens vs Blacks, it's more like asshole monarchs fighting over a chair vs the smallfolk who suffer in their wars.
NGL it was Aemond that I had expected would start descending into madness at Harrenhal, but I really like that Daemon is getting this plot right now. He's hard to "fix", but again, Alys is a force of nature.
I am starting to enjoy the pairing between Alys and Daemon than Aemond and Alys and Daemon and Rhaenyra. Alys is not scared of Daemon at all she's a bastard but talks to him like an equal: she tamed the dragon
In the show, They make Rhaenyra to be secure,not jealous woman. I don’t think Nettle would fit story too. I think they make a femme fatale witch turn into eccentric woman for the purpose of mixing 2 characters (Nettle and Alys) together and the Dynamics is super interesting just like Brianne and Jamie.
What Daemon is describing here is treason. He's a subject of Rhaenyra. She is his Queen. Two people don't sit on the Throne. He's not inviting her to join him. He's defected. That title "king" would have something added to it like regent or father. It's not his. The king named Rhaenyra as his heir. These ideas that Daemon has that he shared here with Alys, if he said them at the table at Dragonstone, he'd be in a lot of trouble.
0:08 I'm still trying to figure out whose screams haunt Daemon in this scene; I love the fear that takes over his face when he hears them though, brilliantly acted by Matt Smith.
I love the idea that Alys Rivers is the ancestor of Brynden Rivers, aka the Bloodraven (old 3 eyed Raven from the show). Can’t wait for Fire and Blood ii to explore more of that timeline and to see what happens with Alys the witch queen.
Those screams Daemon is hearing twice are probably the victims of the Backwoods, most likely Alys making him hear the women and children screaming . Then Simon Strong informs Daemon if Blackwood's victory and later late at night the riverlords come and scold Daemon of the actual atrocities Backwoods .
If Daemon has any sense, he would invite her into his confidence in a more official capacity. It's not often that a sibyl shows that much interest in you.
One thing to keep in mind here is that Alys does not moralize. She doesn't speak to whether she thinks of these actions as being "good" or "evil" but only stating the facts. She's clearly still evil, just a different sort of evil from the Others, or the Targaryens. She's the sort of evil that drinks suffering.
"That fool Aegon is unlikely to survive" = Aegon survives until the end of the Dance and outlives Daemon. "You should pray you never meet Aemond" Alys ends up having an affair with Aemond and gets pregnant by him.
You cut out a crucial detail at the end: When Alys disappears completely once she is behind Lord Strong. We dont see her go past him and further down the strairs, which kind of confirms my theory that she isn't really there, and only Daemon sees her.
@@henrycase3788 Honestly, people are reading waaaay too much into it. She's there. She's very much alive. She's not some entity haunting the castle. Yes, she's a witch, but not someone we've seen before. She's not Melisandre. She's not Kinvara. She's Alys. Just Alys. And she's playing Daemon. Just because she doesn't interact much with the other characters doesn't mean she's not there.
Lord Strong clearly looked at her before she disappeared. I think the writers wrote for Strong to look at her intently before she disappears, further confirming she’s not a ghost, but a witch.
I think of it more as making him human. It's very human to be those things at one time or another. I think Daemon escaping that reality coupled with the atrocities he's committed are coming back to bite him in a very real way.
well they have to set up season 3, so not a silly. i think it will really pay off with a nice Deamon-Alys-Aemond dynamic in s3 and an epic build up to the battle over the god's eye.
@@r.g6170I was looking forward to this NGL, the castle itself is a character in this story, and very important to Daemon's arc. I wish the people would just let the show runners cook. And FFS let them give Daemon depth and the character arc he deserves. Daemon is "kinda important to the dance of dragons" 😂 Like, really...
"Then I'll be dead and it won't be my problem anymore."
Best way ever to end an annoying conversation.
All told I'm actually digging Daemon's side quests. This is a highly personal journey of self reflection that's building up to his battle over the God's Eye. He has to face his dreadful acts and Harrenhal is the perfect place to do it.
I wonder Aemond will slowly become an apocalyptic existence that needed to be put down
So far he only faced and repented for his mistakes in relationship with his brother which is useless since nothing can be fixed there anyway...
Though once she takes Kings Landing he and Misarya might be the devils on her shoulder while Corlys tries to advocate mercy…
That screaming you hear is all the screaming from the Blackwoods pillaging the Brackens. It took me a couple watches to get that.
It doesn't mean that others have the same problem as you and need this explanation. It was painfully obvious.
Well I didn't know til I read that so I guess I do need it, thanks op!
@@yevgeniyaleshchenko849 snarky much?
Daemon : I may be Highborn but my dad taught me to put in the work just like the LOWborn
HEHEHE yeah Deamon is in his 'im not a nepobaby' era
Considering Pentos would cool to see Daemon as a sellsword mercenary Second Son
But he's so crazy he's trying to build back Harrenhal 😅
Daemon is doing side quests to unlock the battle above God's Eye to kill Aemond.
While Rhaenyra is busy with the main campaign.
Dude, this storyline is about exploring Daemon's flaws, introducing the complexities of the Riverlands and Alys Rivers who is much more important later on. Is it really that difficult to understand?
@@Regenmacher175 of course you had to ruin it
Daemon needs to level up his woodcutting and fire making to get the buff against fire damage
@@bentooreo9849 He's not bothered with fire resistance, he's more concerned about increasing critical damage and piercing damage.
XD
Alys literally looks like female Ramsey.
I can not wait to see her and Aemond's relationship.
matt smith has chemistry with literally everyone
Dude is a GOAT. I think this is one of those performances where I cant see anyone else playing this role
He could be put with a sentient rock and he’d still have greater chemistry than other people.
"That any upright man would repudiate."
Great foreshadowing for Oscar Tully.
The Doctor keeps finding River apparently.. 😅
I get it.
Very clever!
Even in a world of pseudo-medieval fantasy, he always bumps in to her.
Do you know what I would pay to have a scene with Alys, Daemon and Helaena - maybe Helaena’s spouting prophecy on the astral plane and just as she’s about to reveal something epic, “shh, don’t *spoil* it…”
I love Larys' face when he sees Alys, "Oh gods, she's back."
edit: Shit, I meant Simon Strong's face, not Larys.
I really would like to see that 😂
She probably scares the living bejesus out of him 😂 should be really fun to see.
Larys'? No Larys in that scene.
He means the old man Strong who runs the place
Yeah, Simon Strong visibly recoils from her, but evidently doesn’t feel empowered to make her leave; she’s just a particularly upsetting part of Harrenhall, and he might as well command the castle itself to behave for all the effect it will have.
She appeared right after he heard the screams and clearly felt guilty. Almost like she is inside his head.
except the strong lord have acknowledged her presence in more than one scenes including this one.
@@dorime3031it could be that he was looking over to see what the hell daemond was staring at bc she straight up walks into a wall and disappears after the clip ends
@@dorime3031I actually think that the reason he stared at her is because daemon was staring at her and he was looking to see what he's staring at.
If you think about their conversations, she always says exactly every single thing that he needs to hear/refute. Either she reads his thoughts or she is a part of his subconscious.
@@dorime3031also one or two of his sons in the scene where Alys first appear…. Only for them to avoid looking at her a split second later
They’re too afraid of her probably
1:14 That smile gives me LIFE
She's so creepy but I love her.❤
She is deffo messing with his mind, and "what I hear, I hear in the wind" the background noise was sooo freaky. 😮
I can't wait to see her and Aemond, what their relationship will be like.
Have to admit, I always thought of the Brackens as punks and the Blackwoods as the 'good guys' in their dispute. This ep kind of messed with that perception.
That’s the point, it’s an endless feud between the two, both sides take turns being horrific but can’t end up destroying one another, the closest we’ve come to it is in the books as far as I know Raventree Hall was sacked and their Weirwood tree burnt by the Brackens because they supported Robb Stark
@@mitchellwright5478 Brackens supported Robb Stark too but after the Red Wedding, they bent the knee (alongside other Riverland Lords) but Blackwood was the only one who continued to be faithful until he bent the knee to Jaime.
Both sides have their vicious members and blinded by conflict. Later on it’d still be the same, Bloodraven was no saint and Bittersteel earned his name.
They're really making Daemon dirty... He was a prominent supporter of his wife's claim, never killed his 1st wife and was a good husband to Laena, in the books
It's merely the direction Alys wants to steer him in. Given where she ends up later, it makes sense that she would wish to do so tbh and his victory will be to go down a different path more in line with what he does in the book.
They also made it seem like what happened with Helena’s son was his fault. Whereas in the book I felt like it was more the Lady Misery’s doing.
Not quite pleased with how that played out compared to the book.
@@jonathanlee7877 LOL even in the book, Blood was on his way to Harrenhal to collect his reward from Daemon. Mysaria hired the two but Daemon definitely had a hand in it. The show just refuses to make excuses for him like you're trying to do here.
@@Regenmacher175 I’m guessing someone is a green cloak then I take it.
Daemon def has issues, but compared to so many of the other characters in the series I don’t think he’s as bad as people make him out to be.
I think Cole and Aemond combined are worse for Westeros than Daemon.
Though I admit I forgot about how involved he was in Blood&Cheese in the book.
@@jonathanlee7877 I am team smallfolk because I actually read the book. It's not about Greens vs Blacks, it's more like asshole monarchs fighting over a chair vs the smallfolk who suffer in their wars.
NGL it was Aemond that I had expected would start descending into madness at Harrenhal, but I really like that Daemon is getting this plot right now.
He's hard to "fix", but again, Alys is a force of nature.
Aemonds already mad enough, he’ll be nice and comfortable at Harrenhal.
Love how Daemon just listened to a woman who ordered him to sit down
I wish alys would order me to sit down 🫠
@santiagosanchez7559 😂😂😂
I am starting to enjoy the pairing between Alys and Daemon than Aemond and Alys and Daemon and Rhaenyra. Alys is not scared of Daemon at all she's a bastard but talks to him like an equal: she tamed the dragon
In the show, They make Rhaenyra to be secure,not jealous woman. I don’t think Nettle would fit story too. I think they make a femme fatale witch turn into eccentric woman for the purpose of mixing 2 characters (Nettle and Alys) together and the Dynamics is super interesting just like Brianne and Jamie.
It's hard being Darmon's therapist, but if there was anyone that ever had the patience for it...
1:54
She totally read his palm though
Why they look good together?😂
Yes 😅
✨chemistry✨?
I mean geralt and Yennfer lmfao
People have been griping about Daemon’s “side quest”, but Alys alone has made it worthwhile; what an entrancingly creepy character.
What Daemon is describing here is treason. He's a subject of Rhaenyra. She is his Queen. Two people don't sit on the Throne. He's not inviting her to join him. He's defected.
That title "king" would have something added to it like regent or father. It's not his. The king named Rhaenyra as his heir.
These ideas that Daemon has that he shared here with Alys, if he said them at the table at Dragonstone, he'd be in a lot of trouble.
0:08 I'm still trying to figure out whose screams haunt Daemon in this scene; I love the fear that takes over his face when he hears them though, brilliantly acted by Matt Smith.
I think that is Alys projecting the screams of the women from Bracken clan being attacked by the Blackwoods since that was going on at this time.
Bro really be playing minecraft trying to rebuild harrenhal while the whole kingdom is at war💀
Anyone noticed that she disappeared out of frame?
She didn't, or it was not clear, it ended with her sort of staring into the wall and the scene goes bacl to Daemon and Simon
I love the idea that Alys Rivers is the ancestor of Brynden Rivers, aka the Bloodraven (old 3 eyed Raven from the show).
Can’t wait for Fire and Blood ii to explore more of that timeline and to see what happens with Alys the witch queen.
Whose idea was that? Brynden Rivers is called Rivers because that's the name for bastards from the Riverlands, and he's the bastard son of Aegon IV.
DOESNT make sense because Brynden IS half Targaryen half BLACKWOOD
Meaning a Blackwood would Smash Alys kid ?
Those screams Daemon is hearing twice are probably the victims of the Backwoods, most likely Alys making him hear the women and children screaming . Then Simon Strong informs Daemon if Blackwood's victory and later late at night the riverlords come and scold Daemon of the actual atrocities Backwoods .
Daemon really is in sabbatical mode.
Something to mention :
Again Daemon has blood in his hand
Two times with Rhaenyra i think
Then with Alyssa Targaryen
And maybe i miss one more
Why they are showing chemistry between Daemon and Alys!!😑
It's kind of important in terms of what she wants and what he does vs what another character does when he meets Alys. She's quite important.
If Daemon has any sense, he would invite her into his confidence in a more official capacity. It's not often that a sibyl shows that much interest in you.
By now Daemon absolutely knows that something weird & magical is haunting him in Harrenhal.
So why is he stilll sticking here & not moving elsewhere.
Because haunted or not Harrenhal is the biggest castle in Westeros and he needs it for his war against the greens
Is Alys "Tyler Durden" Rivers real or just Daemon's imaginary friend? I think she never interracted with any other character yet.
i love this comment :D
I have read all the source material and I have no idea what the fuck she is. She isn't a figment of Daemon's imagination though.
Could be the Spirit of Harrenhal
Considering that giant spoiler about her is a thing, I'd say she's real, but just... Witchy.
She's Lyonel Strong's bastard daughter and she's 40+ age
Alys Rivers was *EASILY* the best character this season!
About time we heard a Scottish accent in this!
Alys needs to get out of his head
nah let her live there rent free this season ;)
1:54 😏
i love alys the psychiatrist
One thing to keep in mind here is that Alys does not moralize. She doesn't speak to whether she thinks of these actions as being "good" or "evil" but only stating the facts. She's clearly still evil, just a different sort of evil from the Others, or the Targaryens. She's the sort of evil that drinks suffering.
Is she really evil? Or is she just being a chaotic neutral? Not taking sides but causing chaos to both?
"That fool Aegon is unlikely to survive" = Aegon survives until the end of the Dance and outlives Daemon.
"You should pray you never meet Aemond" Alys ends up having an affair with Aemond and gets pregnant by him.
Alys isn't there. She's in Daemon's mind. This is a Tyler Durden situation. Book it.
You cut out a crucial detail at the end: When Alys disappears completely once she is behind Lord Strong.
We dont see her go past him and further down the strairs, which kind of confirms my theory that she isn't really there, and only Daemon sees her.
@@henrycase3788 Honestly, people are reading waaaay too much into it.
She's there. She's very much alive. She's not some entity haunting the castle. Yes, she's a witch, but not someone we've seen before. She's not Melisandre. She's not Kinvara. She's Alys. Just Alys. And she's playing Daemon. Just because she doesn't interact much with the other characters doesn't mean she's not there.
@romanrhodes815 They'll see soon enough when Alys interacts with a certain character from the green side...
Lord Strong clearly looked at her before she disappeared. I think the writers wrote for Strong to look at her intently before she disappears, further confirming she’s not a ghost, but a witch.
Oh she is there , she is real…..
Did Strong really saw her? Because this reminds me of The Boys, Butcher sees ghosts too.
i kinda ship them
Who was screaming?
Survivors being pillaged by the Blackwoods
@@antonironstag5085 in Harrenhal?
The innocent people that suffered because Daemon had The Blackwoods do unspeakably horrible stuff to The Brackens
Where all these workers come from? I thought place haunted
It's definitely "functional as a castle" 🏰
Strong mentioned a couple villages/towns nearby where they could hire workers
This season is making daemon a lost, confused, incompetent, dumb, and all around weak person. WTF.
He is lost, confused, incompetent, scared...
Until he isn't.
Watch him.
I think of it more as making him human. It's very human to be those things at one time or another. I think Daemon escaping that reality coupled with the atrocities he's committed are coming back to bite him in a very real way.
Daemon is losing me this season
Not me. This is the most interesting he's been imo. The silent douchebag shtick wasn't going to keep him interesting.
@@martynaylfa1423 Why? He hasn't done anything that contradicts his character. He's always been about himself. Violent and insecure.
He bores me
3 eps left abd theyre still wasting time with this silly ghost of harrenhal arc
Alys Rivers is kind of important so no it's not "wasting time".
well they have to set up season 3, so not a silly. i think it will really pay off with a nice Deamon-Alys-Aemond dynamic in s3 and an epic build up to the battle over the god's eye.
harrenhal scenes are the best for me. i love them the haunting and the humor and the characters
@@r.g6170I was looking forward to this NGL, the castle itself is a character in this story, and very important to Daemon's arc.
I wish the people would just let the show runners cook. And FFS let them give Daemon depth and the character arc he deserves.
Daemon is "kinda important to the dance of dragons" 😂
Like, really...