"A Son for a Son" (HOTD S2EP1) (ACOIAF #10)

Read of the Upnoles and the Roydar and the first Men. Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the Realm, did you. Find what you needed? Your council stands at the ready, or grace. I will fly to Harold Hall at your command. Set our toe hold in the river lands, your grace. My lord husband's blockade of the Gullet moves into place. All seaborne travel and trade to King's landing will soon be cut off. I wan't aim and Tigerian. Welcome to the Unreal Hour. Hi there, and welcome our show. I'm Fiona and I'm Emma. This is season two, episode one. I'm so excited. I can't believe we're in season two. We made it, We got excellent. So this episode was directed by Alan Taylor, so yeah, we were very excited about this director. He's done a lot of big things, a lot of big CGI stuff as well, so going in we were expecting big things. And he is known for Terminator, Genesis, for the Dark World, Boardwalk, Empire, Great Show Nurse Jackie loved that, and Treatment. None of these are CGI stuff, but still good shows, real good shows. Mad Men, Law and Order, The Sopranos absolutely top notch TV Lost, Deadwood, Sex and The City Six Feet. Under the West Wing. I mean like these are on the top list of shows you should have seen. Definitely, so expecting big things from him going forward. I believe he's directing a couple more episodes this. Season at least looking forward to that. Yes, definitely, But for now we will move on to writers. It's written by Ryan Condall. We have ty Michael, who was the assistant to Vince Gerardis who was a producer and Game of Thrones. Tye is the story editor on this episode and I believe for quite a few episodes this season. So not a writer as such, but he has got a writing credit as the story editor, so look out for him up and coming. So yeah, overall thoughts about the episode, what did you think? I thought it was a great opening episode. I agree? What did you like? I liked the reintroduction of the characters coming from straight from what happened? Yeah, it's what ten days or something that's passed? Yes, no more of these time jumps. Yes, yeah, they were getting a bit hard to allow. It's like learning characters all over again. Yeah, because they grew up and changed and matured and absolutely some of them didn't. Some new characters, but we don't have that massive time jump, so that was quite nice. Yes, definitely, and we've really gone straight into it. Oh big time. We were right and picking up right where we left off and it's all action from here, a lot of emotion, oh big time. So I thought it was a great open. I Lovedrnida's face. Yeah, I think she said four words episode but her face was just absolutely fantastic all the way through. Love the new credits. Yes, and I have a huge bit on that. Well, let's get in it. Let's talk about that. So it's it's a tapestry this time. We no longer have the model of old Valaria, and it starts with us spot of blood and then we see the main fortress and it's from Visseri's model, the blood running into our dragon, which is maybe depicting the dragon bond. Not too sure about that. So yeah. We also see obsidian candles, yes, which I think is really cool when it comes to the dragon bond. Is this like a magical thing? Was there. What's the word I'm looking for? A ritual? Yes? Thank you? Yes? Was there a ritual with these obsidian candles? How did that go down. That's really cool that it's depicted in this tapestry. Well, there's the possibility that you know, it may be depicting Azora Highnesssa And the reason it's saying that is because it's very like the picture depiction of that sacrifice between Azora high and this Vanessa. I think you're right. So after that we have the Duba Valaria. Yes, we do. Awesome. We have then three dragons, which I'm going to assume is representing egg On, Vissnya and Rainyes. Yes, coming over to wester Ross. Yes. Then we've got har in the Black dead, surrounded by his family, surrounded in blood, and there's two dragons that seem to be maybe eating the remains. They're either side anywhere going to take it. That is Vaguar and Valerian. Yes. Then we have bending the Knee, which I think it's Aaron Stark and Lanister bending the Knee. That sounds right. We have the Tigerian Stigel. We've got King's landing. Then we have Megor dead on the iron throne. We have a young King Jeherries and Queen Alissan with a star of the seven in the lower corner. We have the Great Council of one oh one, which was the opening scene for season one. So that's really cool that that's in there. Yeah, definitely is important. Yeah, So there's all of these historic moments happening in this tapestry, and it's really cool that it's gold threads, stint and fire, and we've got the blood on the gold thread so we've got the blood and fire. That's awesome. So then we have Allison in her green dress moment. Yes, this is now into the story within the House of the Dragon. So we have a divided table on one side, but the Blacks demon Rainie's Corliss, Jess, Luke, and Geoffrey. On the other side we have the Greens, which is Otto, Kristin, Amond, Eggon and Helena. It is so opposite Alison. We've then got Rania, yes, black dress. Yes. Can I stop you there to offer a theory? Absolutely? Do you remember episode middle of the season It was the funeral at drift Mark and Helena was going on our mad ramblings about dragons of dragons, weaving dragons dragons of thread. Yes, yes, and I think that this moment in the tapestry is that. Yeah, it is Helena's little weirdlow rant that she was having blessure. We love her weird brands, absolutely do. So after that we've got a golden rose surrounded and swords which blooms into an image of Eggon, egg On the usurper will call them. Then we have Ranera crowned queen on Dragonstone, and it widened to a square with them on either side. On Eggon's side, there's a green hand ravens coming out. Then we have Ranera with two dragons and that represents her boys being sent out. So then we have sigils from all the houses that are surrounding the square. We've got Aaron high Tower, Lanister Valerian Stark, Barathian. There are more, yes, but they're out of focus. Yeah. Then lastly we have Vaguar killing Arax and Luke. Yeah. So I would like to see if the season progresses, are they adding more to the tapestry? Well, I would imagine so, because I mean they were what. Fifty eight scenes did you say in the bayout tapestry. Yeah. Also in season one we did have changes. Yes with then as people because it was about bloodlines. As new people were born or married in, new blood lines were added, so yeah, it makes sense that the tapestry will continue as we go on. So yeah, it's great. I love it. It's awesome. I can't wait to see what progresses. So for new characters this episode, we have Craig and Stark or some he's played by Tom Taylor who played young Mautred in The Last Kingdom. Yes, we have Alan of Hull who's played by Abu Backersaline. Sounds like one of Robin's merry men. He was father raised by wolves. Yeah, I see, that was a great show. We have Hugh who's played by Kieran. He was Bill O'Hara and Warrior. He also played the leading role in Bail Will Return to the shield Lands. Oh right. We have Sir Alfred Broom and he's played by Jamie Kenna and he was Fox and Stormbreaker. So Karen but and Jamie Kenna were both in Green Street. Oh yeah, yeah, Oh that's such a big. Mark, right. Got it's so long since I've seen it, but yeah, I think, I think, and yeah, it's coming back to me that I can almost visualize it. Yeah, it's a good film. I've seen it so many times, but they were all a long time ago. I have to give it another watch. So next, we have Blood played by Sam C. Wilson. Yeah, he was Bill Sikes and Dodger. Oh cool. So yeah, another scary character. And lastly we have Cheese. He's played by Mark Stobart and he was Neil in the season four of Line of Duty. Right, okay, a very different show, Yes, very different show. That's our new characters for this episode. Oh, there's plenty of them, and I'm sure there's plenty more to come with them, although except Blood and Cheese, I think they're just making an appearance for this one storyline. Yeah, so new characters, right, fab Well, when I was looking through the episode and I like normally structured it in a sort of major plot lines kind of way and then fill out at the end with some notes, but I felt like there were so many side plots, our potential future plots. Yeah, yeah, that I thought it was worth just doing a wee side plot section. So let's let's do that and get that. Do that first before we move on to the big stuff. Excellent. So, first of all, winter Fell Slash the Wall. I love that, absolutely love it. Just loved that we heard a stark voice. Yes, it's just brilliant. And it's so great to see the wall and all of that. But I'm jumping ahead. So yeah, well it starts for the raven flying over the mirror, and the first thoughts that went into my head was dark wings. Dark words. Oh yeah, and that raven was taking bad news and we all know what the bad news was. So yeah, that was Catlin Tully's saying. I believe Catlin Stark whatever. So yeah, we get to the we get to winter Fell and it's just. As I remember it, and it was so cool and I'm like, it's winter. Well, we're back like they're Stark banners. There's no bolleting banners anywhere. It's great, yes, all as well. Again, honestly, I've never been so emotional I've seen. It's when they tore down the bolt and banners and rehung the Stark ones. I think there was a bit of tears there and cheering and shouting and clapping and yeah, yeah, I've seen the Starks in Winterfell, so that was awesome and nostalgic. And they were through a process which is known in history as decimation, when one in ten get chosen to go to the wall. In this case, but in history he was often used by Romans as a way to punish muting his troops. So one in tent would pull the wrong colored stone and the other nine would have to beat them to death. Oh wow, so lovely that they've changed up that it's a reward as such rather Yeah. I mean, I'm sure they'll have their nervous nerves about going to the wall and you know, joining the Night's Watch and what they might face and what they have to give up. But at the same time it is an honor, yeah, in the way that they're doing it. So yes, I love that they've changed that around. But the practice of drawing stones like that is called decimation. So yeah, I love that they said winter is coming. Oh he did, he did, oh very early on. Love that it was to be back in the north. Yes it is, although it did bad, but yeah, going. And here we are at the wall. And they're having a conversation about troops and what Nina needs and blah blah blah. He says he's got he's got thousands, thousands of graybeards. But these graybeards can handle themselves, definitely. But he Jaharison al Sang got to mention talking about the fact that the dragons wouldn't cross the wall. I think it was silver Wing and the books specifically that wouldn't cross the wall, but I think they just made it the dragons for simplicity there. But yeah, do you think my ancestor's built a seven hundred foot wall of ice to keep out snow and savages? I don't think. So it was so great to yet again, Oh. They've done it justice, haven't they, Because I mean this is not like the old Wall just still there from before. This is they've had to rebuild this from scratch and wow they it looked amazing it which it just it was so nostalgic. It was like, yeah, you're back. So yeah. Then a raven arrives dark Wings, dark words, as we already said. So yeah, that was our end of our trip to the North. But it was lovely. It was great to be there. For that five. Minutes that we were there. It was like, Okay, this is really starting to feel like Game of Thrones again. Yeah, excellent. Next little side plot was Corlussi's new friend. Yes, like I said, sounds like one of Robin's merry men. Between them as well, that's like they're awkward. There is an awkward vibe there isn't there. Yeah, but he's asking about, you know, how the ship's going and blah blah blah, and what's going on. With the situation. He says, the gullet is vast. We are not likely to have the numbers to cover all that open water. So oh, well, I love that. Corliss is like, I just need my ship. Yeah, give me mash up. Just give me a mash up. We're good. He'll sort of the rest long they follow me, we're good. So yeah, he says it's going to be weeks, so the ship is ready, and then he gives some of the dagger. Oh and it was her felt and he. Says that I was very sorry to hear about your airs death. Twas the blackest of treacheries. Well, I think he's declared what what his opinions are on whose side he's on, very clear. So he rescued Carliss, he was the one that pulled them out the water. Was very humble about Yeah. He wasn't looking for credit, was he. I'll just get off and do what I'm doing. Yeah, he seems it seems so awkward to that moment, it was very awkward. Wasn't it. There seems more to that. Yeah, I'll be interested to see how that unfolds. But I liked him. I got a good vibe from him. I'm normally, you know, a good judge of character. In the first five minutes, I would say, and I got the goodie vibes from him. I think he's a good man. Well, we shall see, because wolves and sheep's clothing and all that, those exist too. So next. I can't decide. Actually, maybe this isn't my This might be my second favorite of the subplots. Kristin the Meatstick part two. Oh dear, yes, that guy, what is. That all about? That awkward chat about the weather afterwards? Oh? Can I just draw attention to the fact that there's been a bit of a room swap, right, So, yeah, she's in room, She's in Rania's old room, and the furniture is still in the same place. This guy, like, god, have you no self respect? Both girls in the same room and you're the same bed. And it's like, this is the exact thing that he said to Randa, like I don't want to be your whore, And yet Alison can only really offer him the same deal. She's not going to run away and eat oranges with them. Absolutely not sough he was in her orange. As I said, when it was Kristin and Rinia in that same spot. Sexual harassment in the workplace, yep, she is the queen, for fox sake, Well the queen mother now and oh. Did you have to see the queen mother? That the dowder queen. That's better, right, Okay, Dow's your queen. So yeah, I mean like. He's her sworn sword and she's like the queen and and it's ikey. He thinks he's the man. He's like just Bill. She's like, oh, we're not doing this again, and he's like, I just pot my cloak back on love. I know that's a lie. And it was like the way he was like, whatever you say, I'm sure, sure it will be the last time. I don't think he really believes that. So yeah, they're a bit ikey. Yeah he is. Actually I'm really glad to see Alison getting some I mean, let's face it, she's never had anything that would resemble pleasure. No, but again it's she's it's not it's not a loving relationship, sadly. No, no, it's not, but it is she's in control of it, and she's experiencing a little bit of debauchery in her life when she's always lived her life so on the straight and narrow. She's been loyal and faithful to Visseries, and now he's gone, she's got a little bit of breathing room where she could just be a little bit naughty. And she's not cheating on her husband. She's not. She doesn't have any deal with any of those complicated moral issues. No, but I think she's still hating on herself a bit. Oh she is, Yeah, absolutely, but I'm just glad to see her getting some So, yeah, her next side plot would be Lari's creeps on this guy. Do you know? I actually quite like how his character is evolving from a watching sense, like's I just think, oh my god, Laris, what are you doing now? What are you doing now? I love you're such a creep? Yeah? Oh yes, he really is your handmaid and says that you were indisposed as I'm come not on your door and you weren't there. Why weren't you there? You're supposed to be there. It was a little bit cheepy, but I have that clip. So let's have a bed listen. Can Mario Grace morlrd lars I can early to have a word before the small council convened, But your hand laid and said that you were indisposed. What is it you wish to discuss? Oh, she's so creeped out by him. I have completely questioning the whole of the castle staff. They produced rather interesting details, but I am satisfied I have exposed or betrayed Artress. What of them? They no longer breathe? I've chosen your new staff. Personally, Oh in your ear, it really is the voice always so good at. Matt you need them, you are so so cool. Yeah, we actually love him now because he's like so so good at being creepy, tuning into the actor here instead of. The character and loving them. But the character, oh my god, he gives me the creeps so much. But which is a sign he's doing such a fab job. So yes, he's disposed of the people that have betrayed them and replaced her staff. Now I'm sorry, but the new staff are creepy as hell. The new staff like they bathe her, Like, who is he to choose these people that dress and bathe as well? Exactly? No, he should maybe choosing the staff that close to her, and she was. She was feeling all sorts of things there. She was feeling a bit dirty for Kristina and it doesn't matter how much she's scrubbed, darling, that's not coming off like with a sponge. But she was also just so creeped out by these staff. She's like, I can't trust any of these people. So she was right to get rid of them. Absolutely, She's sitting in a naked, vulnerable position, feeling shit about. Herself, exactly, and we've all been there. Absolutely, so Yes, the next Lartice scene was him with Agon on the stairs. It was masterful. It was It was a master class in manipulation. Auto, sit down, you. Have been usurped as the king of manipulation. Definitely. That was I was just I was so intriguing to watch a master at work, just playing someone like a little puppet. Did you see him in the scene before with Agon in the Egon's court watching from the balcony. Yes, yeah, And so this is the scene that follows that. We're actually moving on to that see next. Anyway, it's because the Aggon scene fell in the middle of these two Larice scenes. So we've got a we bit jumbled but chronologically. But yes, So he was watching and he saw what was going on there, and he was like, Okay, how am I going to play this to my advantage? And he played a blinder if you ask me. So, yes, he knows exactly what he's doing. What a suck up. You remind me of jaharis I, right mate, what a suck up. I just love when he he delivers his line and then he stops and he puts this little puppy face on and he waits for the line to sink in. At no point in his face. Do you see the sucker insight? Yeah, definitely. Otto was your father's hand mm hmm, planting those seeds and. To three different kings. Hmm. Maybe he has he had his time, Maybe he could look a little closer. I'll start jazz hands and sparklers look at me like me. So yes, moving on to Agon's court, And I just found this as a we side bit of hilarity. I mean, it does have a little bit of reflection on the main story with the Smiths, but for the most part of this scene was a little bit extra and I loved it. I thought it was brilliant. So the first Gerard comes in having a wee moan about his sheep. Where does it got it with sheep? So he's like, I I will just pay you back, brilliant. And he's like the slow walk up to the kings. You know, can't do that because then everybody would want new sheep. And he do that and like. Fine, He's like, perhaps we could just return his sheep came all this way, so he's like, no, no, we can't do that. He's like, but no one, no, no. It's like when this king talks, everybody hears it. So yes, he's like, oh, well, then I suppose. And then the next guy's like there's the blockades interrupting the salt trade. He's like, well, I'm sending vaguar next, so brilliant. And then we've got Hugh the Smith. He's looking for cash up front and he's like, you shall be paid, and then also does the eye roll, turned round and walks back up. He doesn't know, but he gets halfway there and Ago says, our victory depends on the efforts of the small flock, and. He turned right, turns he was so I lived. I have another that's absolutely hilarious as well, but we'll get to that. But yes, I have two moments that just killed me with like physical stuff, and that was one of them. It was absolutely brilliant. It's not a line, it's just it's all visual, so funny. So moving on from Meagon's Court, we had the we had Miss Saria, who has stowed away on this. Ship she has and she's been found. And yeah, she was absolutely busted. And you know, Damon's having this. You know, she's getting full on interrogated by Damon. And she's like, it was all the hide howers. I just played the game, which I suppose is true. It really is. She just took advantage of the situation that was right there in front of her. Because of her little spies and whisperers, she was aware of the situation, so she played it to her own advantage. It wasn't even to her own advantage. She wanted those fighting pits stopped. Yeah, I mean she was writing what she said, Look, it was going to go home anyway. Yeah, I was going to let. Him go home. I just I just yeah, yeah, I just used him to We'll use the situation. And she she actually I think she says to him, and she's like, I only profited from the knowledge or something on this. But she didn't really profit. It wasn't gold. She just wanted to. Maybe I heard that wrong. Maybe I'm playing that wrong in my head. I'll have to go back and look at that scene again and say she used that word. But she certainly didn't. She all she asked was for the children's fighting pits to be abolished. She did, and then she lost everything through it. She did, so she knew she was taking a gamble. Yeah, for a good reason. For a very good reason. It was a very very noble cause. And what the high towers like, yes, you shall have your word, creepy and then burns her house down. So this is her on the back of that. She's lost everything. She was just trying to get away, and the ship that she was on has been caught by Dragonstone of all places. So yeah, she says, I possess nothing of value to you. Damon. She's like, just throw me in a cell if you want, just I've got nothing, and I don't want to scheme with you. I don't want to play with you. But anyway, the next part of this scene carries on to a conversation between Damon and Eric Cargill, which I clipped because I thought it was cool. I like this conversation. Have I moved to the cells? She used to be treated as a trader to the crown. Forgive me, my prince, But the lady speaks the truth. She was no agent of high toes. What is it to you? She was Rana was her honor that made you stand by and watch as the high tower as you serve the throne and your treaders. She's so angry, Oh I have. Prince, I'm shame by That's why I abandoned the King's Guard and my brother and came here. I don't care. Egan was in your grasp. You should have killed him yourself. I reckon. I the names of the King's Guard. I just eight and ten, and we swore the same off to defend the whole of the royal family. So what were we to do when they turned against one another? He's so right, He is right, and a very diplomatic. Yeah. Absolutely, He's stuck between a rock and a hard place in that situation, and he felt he needed to make a choice and Agan was not going to be his choice, not after what he'd witnessed. Yeah, because he was Agon's personal sworn swords, wasn't he? He was because he said they had the conversation with also about the fact that he kept ducking them and slipping off and they couldn't keep up with them, and had got to a point where he just stopped chasing him. So yeah, he knows exactly what Egon's been up to, and he wanted nothing to do with them. So he made his choice in the end. So why are you getting him a hard time? Damon? Back off, leave the per guy alone. He made his choice. He brought the crown, man, he brought our crown. So that would be the last of. The side plots unless you had anything else that you can think of that wasn't really major plots. No everything else, I've got major plot. No bother. Let's take a short break. Then all right, we're back. Let's start with the blacks. So, yeah, we're starting with the blacks, Damon and Rainies. Oh mister bossy pants, Yes, oh yeah he was. So he wants to go and kill Vegar like she just like she just got back. She was absolutely knackered. Yes, so she's just totally shattered. You can see it's you know, she's looking like she's been in those clothes for a couple of days. Ruby, Yeah, definitely. So the question is waiters Unia, and you know Damon's trying to make plans without her. I love the way Rainie's tackles this. She's really cool. I'd always yes, definitely. So let's have a listen to the clip. We're going to Kingslanding to what end killing Vega? I cannot face that whole real pitchure. Then as Draggon and used together, we can kill Vegar in her rider. It could have sound for a. Son big plans. The Queen's come on. The Queen remains absent. I should paid haring or bending knees, but I must instead remain here to wedge her war, well. Perhaps more simply to await her return. She has been gone for days too long. She is exposed. She is grieving. The mother grieves if the Queen shirks her duties. Oh he's a raven that brought me news of Lena's death. I existed for weeks in torment, refusing to believe what I've been told. It was only when I saw my daughter's mortal remains that. I could begin to mourn her now A raven has told her Nier that her son is dead. She needs to know it for certain. She was a fool to go alone. What if amen would happen upon her. Then I would pity Aimen. The Queen was wise to accuse herself. She's not acted on the vengeful impulse that others might have. You. Yeah, if you'd have. Acted when you have the chance, Egon's line would be extinguished. Yeah, we've been through, this would be alive. It's not her place, don't get her. I love the way she just smiles at him and walks away. Though didn't she'd be a kinsler. It does a command? What did you with a king? I love her. I love her so much. She really is. She just she's not taking any ship. She sees right through them. She knows. He's just running on pure rage and adrenaline and a little bit power hungry, you know, being King Concert and all that. Now, closest they can get to the thing that he's always wanted. He seems to be seizing his chance. At every moment he's shot down in flames. He has to do it all in secret. Yeah, Yeah, so there's a lot of rage going on there. I did like a little grumbles from Mellie's. In the back. It's just wonderful how the dragons are. Absolutely there's a bit of animal just hear. The brilliant love it. So next for the Blacks, we've seen it. Wenda at Storm's end and whole she is a broken lady and desperate need of a bath herself. Yeah, kind of help, notice in the need of a bath, So just get it out there. So she obviously can't rest until she finds some sort of proof as Rainy's is just explained to Damon. And it's the face I mentioned it earlier in my overall thoughts, but the face. Emma Darcy and their face acting once again fantastic. Yes, definitely. So we get a little bit of her, you know, just looking around and and then I think there's some more stuff and then it comes more stuff with the greens, and then come back to her and she sees some commotion down on the beach where they found a dragon mine dragon. Yeah, totally. It took a few seconds to actually. You know, before he says anytime. And that was absolutely amazing. It really was the movement, etcetera. I'll save it for the dragon section, right, but wow, but it was so sad. It was Oh, it was so so moving. Grief and relief offer her in one moment. It is she's able to release those emotions. And it's not just that grief of Luces and not knowing and not being able to find I'm not being able to find that evidence. But she also in that same week lost her father, her unborn child, and her brother usurped her throne. She's been holding that in and it all just came out when she held that cloak in her hands. It was a cloak, at least that's what I thought it was. Yeah, Luke cloak along with a dragon wing, and that is all that will ever be found off Arex or Luke. I'm unclear as to whether Luke was eaten by Vagar or whether Luke was fell or fell. Yeah, it's it's hard to tell. I thought I saw one of the parts that were falling out the sky. I thought that it could have been a human body, but I'm unsure. If anybody has any ideas on that, please let us know. So. Yeah, then the next seen with the Blacks that we have is we near her returning. She's found she got what she needed as Damon asked her her view, did you get what you needed from that? And it's just a nod, Yeah, just a very slight nod and no more. And then we get those forwards. I know, well, sorry. Before we get those forwards, we get everybody just telling her the state of affairs. Your council's at the ready, the ships are in place, ready to move. We're all ready here waiting your commands. And she has one, yeah, I want Aimond Targerian. And then she's like, and I can't say anything else. I've got nothing else. I now I need a bath. Yep, yep. So yeah, it's the sinister music as she walks off as well. That was very very intense. You could feel her rage emulated through the the music that was playing. She is one angry, angry lady, and who could blame her? Did you have any other notes on. On that scene? I felt that her counsel mostly demon They were all looking for her to outwardly rage. Yeah, and she doesn't. No, no, And it's all these men that are looking for her to give them the nod to go and be. Men, I mean, raise havoc without thought or yeah, sort of consequence or. Well, men of from days of old, let's say, because our mother may quite quite bad now, well, most of them give you guys credit here, but yeah, they seem to be waiting. We've waited so long. There's been a couple of day, but we've waited so long. We're giving you all these where we are. And she she just has to go because she's so smart when her grief, she's so smart. I've just I won't aim in target in. That's the the most rage you're going to get from her. Controlled. Yeah, she's a great monarch, she really is. Couldn't agree more so. Yeah, it was powerful stuff. I think you've hit the nail on the head analyzing that what she was feeling there. Definitely couldn't put it better myself. So the next scene regarding the Blacks was Jason's return. This was so sad. Oh, that's what I said. That's what it says that right here. So sad. And he's trying his best to just get out. He was being a good soldier reporting in and she's been I've got two thousand men from the Starks, and Lady Jane has pledged her support. And choking back his tears, he's. Trying to just be the strong soldier. But I just love that she goes to him and just give him a yeah, absolutely, just forget the report right now, So let's just cry together. In that moment. They're just mom and son. They really are, And it was it was beautiful. I cried me too. Did you You cried a human moment? Right? Okay? God, well it must have been a good one, then it was. It certainly was for me. But I don't have you know that big gauge on these things. It's like emotion. Was crying or at least a week tea. Am I if it's mom stuff. That's is the mum's stuff that gets me the most, to be honest with these days. And I know my my son is at the point of becoming a man, and he does try and be very strong. Yeah, at the times where he really needs his mum. Yeah, I felt that that moment for them, Oh, it was beautiful. But he says he has two thousand men from the starks. That's great, those are good numbers. And then no, he said thousands. I have thousands of gray beards, he says us, So, yes, then they have a funeral. I think it was definitely needed. After all this time they've all been. They needed some closure. Yeah, definitely, And I love the way the funeral is played side by side along with Allison's candlelighting ceremony. In the set, she says her mother's name. And she hesitates a little. But yeah, and one for Vallarium. Not in their books books, But that's just the realms perspective of her. Who knows she's ship in the books, but I've really borned her. I think she's bad. Well, you know, history is documented by the winners. And TV shows are absolutely documented by the actors. Yeah, she's smashing it. Oh, she's absolutely fantastic. I lover her. I think she's great. Right, Okay, So I think that was it for the Blacks, unless you have any other notes. Okay, So onto the Greens. First of all, Helena Helena's prophecy. So did you hear what she whispered? No? So she's sitting so in and it's before Agon comes into the room and you're getting shots of the room. Shout out to the carvings on the wall. Helena has been drawing her dreams. I'll get into that a little bit more in fun fact, but for now, let's just stick with the scene. And Helena whispers something as she's sitting sow and she's whispering something to herself. Now, I've seen some YouTube videos of people having a speculation about what that is, and I've turned it right up myself in order to hear it. And it sounds like she's saying, they only want the boy. Okay, how good your lip reading? My lip reading is not bad. It looks like they only want the boy. We could have a little listen, see what we think. Let's do that. So did you hear it? There? Heard it right? Well, that's before I've even cleaned up the audio. Let's hear it again without all that background noise. What do you think? Oh? I don't know if it's that or there. Let's hear it again. It's hard to tell, isn't it very hard to tell? The last two words are muffled, but the first three are definitely they only want Yeah, I'm absolutely sure of that, and the last one I'm boy as well. It's just that second to last word, is it that? Is it there? Either way? I think it means the same thing. Yeah, So well done on that. That was awesome. Yeah, thanks, I had a little bit fun with that. So, yeah, we've managed to decode the whispering. And then she says that she was afraid and I can't remember what is Acon says. Do you remember what he says? Not verbet, it's very nice. His demeanor changes and he says, we've got dragons, don't We're going to be fine. That was it. Yeah, She's like, not the dragons, the rats, and obviously, knowing how the episode turns out, we know what that means. Yeah, and she very weirdly stares at the bed. Yes she does, and all the servants are like, oh here she is off on one again and eggon It's like, but do you have the line there actually that he says, have you. Written the queen is an enduring mystery? Is she not? Yeah? Absolutely so. Yeah that was really funny, but at the same time really really creepy. Yeah, and this prophetic, disturbing kind of way. It's a very disturbing prophecy she's having there. Also, one of the times we were we see it going actually be nice. Yeah, yeah, he's nice. He doesn't understand her one little bit, does he definitely don't. So moving on, we have the hilarious small council scene. What's really funny? Actually, do you know what the funny part is? The beginning? And I have the clips, so let's just play that first and then we'll talk about the next the ways if he used to rule one day more? Are my lords? Mother? What news our let us to the veil and to the north and continue to go unanswered, Cats stormlands should be ours. After Prince Amen's marriage pack to the Lady Flores Birefian, I anticipate the sworn declaration. My brother is raising the strength of the west, a mass of the golden tooth. But we you can hear them. That's very helpful. My nephew, Lord. Ormond musters his forces to sully Forth from old towns. They expect to march quickly, meeting little resistance until they reach the river lands. My letters to Raniera, has there been any answer. An apology for her dead son? None, your Grace. Between that and the blockade of the gullet, we must presume that the Princess has refused the offer terms and that war is now inevitable. But perhaps your Grace might lend his voice to our outreach. New terms like you might be negotiated. What is the aid of a flown bothering you Thailand. No, No, not in the least, Grace, because I think he wants to ride a pony ride. Wouldn't that be fun to Harris? Should the Master of Coin be your royal steed. Your grace, there are important matters to discuss, despite said Thailand's interruptions. Very well, no time for amusements, Thailand. Oh, that was so funny. I really like being going in the scene. It's so funny. As we've often said, it's very different on the audio, and I loved a little bit where Ja Harris is like mine. Oh. I had a moment like that with my weie girl today. So I've got the new book, as you saw, the my new copy of the World of Ice and Fire to go with my audiobook and Kindle version. Beautiful book. So she's eyeing up my book, she goes, Oh, I was like my book, I said, as I picked up as she went my book. But she was winking at me, she. Said, And then a couple of minutes later she said again she went my book like, no, it's not. So Yeah, had that moment today. It was brilliant. But Jehernas was hilarious. I loved that. It was so funny. Thailand was so uncomfortable. Agon was loving every moment of it. Was very, very funny. So when they get back to serious matters, they say that we must assume war and then Amon joins, which was awkward. Yeah, Alison was not happy. To see him. You're not supposed to be in here, definitely, but she got shot down quite quickly. He goes quite happy for his brother to join, who immediately suggests Harndhal and can we just draw a little bit of attention here to this in the map? Yes, it was amazing. It was so cool. I mean it's no dragon Stone table, but it was cool in its own right, wasn't it. Yeah, it's absolutely like World War two map. It's really cool. Yeah, and it's got the little move on moving parts and they're all like got their little sigils on them and it's cool. So yeah, awesome. So they're talking about sending the dragons, and you know, Eggon's quite insistent on sending dragons. He's quite excited about has dragons as well. Minor Bigger. Another fantastically delivered line. Loving Tom glen Carney in this scene. He's been awesome. Yeah, Allison giving the Stinkhi to Amond when talking about you know, the mistakes already made. In the war, I Walkward. My favorite moment of the entire scene and possibly the episode has been also makes the speech about exercising patience and restraint. Acon slumps down in his chair like something out Harry Enfield. Devin, Yeah, that is exactly. It was brilliant. It was so funny. I loved it. I was laughing about that for two days after, still chuckling away. Brilliant. So was there anything else you had on the council scene? Was great? In this scene he was so mature and calm and collected. Yes, in the moment. Yes, And it seems to the viewer if you don't know anything else about it, you know, if this is all you're watching and you haven't read anything that he's like. He's been doing this for a while. Yeah, he's the main man. He knows exactly what he's talking about. He's a tactician, and he certainly comes across as a fantastic strategist. He knows what he's talking about. He's not making stupid suggestions. They're very clever and well thought out. Yeah, he doesn't come across as the younger brother. No, he doesn't. He's on his mission to prove that he's the better man for the job. Still he is the main side bops. So the next scene involving the Greens would be Alison and Auto. Well, and the conversation was quite interesting on a few levels. But I've clipped it, so let's have another Leson refresh. I find myself wondering. Do we pursue the same end? I must admit there are days where I myself can't be sure. I shall tell you mine. It's victory. And how would you define victory when you're bending the knee and Eggone's sitting there in the throne in peace, as Bessara's wished. Well, that's how you describe it. Then we are aligned. Then be my ally, and I would not repeatedly cut my legs from beneath me at that table of men. I sit there, and. I feel your anger frustration these critical days, since the servius is passing, I haven't gone to plants fault. Hmm. My sons both see you as the great example the hand to three kings. Eggon is ever eager to prove himself, and aim and Aimed is angry not sure took his eye, was never punished for it. What he did, however, vicious. Priests of youth. Hmmm. I can only hope aim and erred. But he is fiercely loyal, he wishes to please. And Egon still heeds me in private at least. But if you undermine my voice, both those boys will grow deaf to it. I hadn't seen it that way. You only need to. Mind until the novelty of really spent. Once he tirees of it, you and I can steer our course to victory. A fine strategy. Not that you must accept that the path to victory now is one of violence. I know it, but that does not mean it. Must be wanting. No, and you know his face says something else than his words there. Yeah, as also often does. Yeah, definitely. Alison is not coming across as a mother in this scene. She is only thinking of the good of the realm. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, But she's also concerned of being pushed aside from her mothering role in which her boys still listen to. Her for the good of the realm. From my perspective on it, I don't think that her boys are her number one iority. No, I don't think they are either the realm. I mean good because there's a lot of lives at stake, but yeah, as a as a mother, that's that's quite hard to take. Yeah, definitely, it's it's an intense scene. It's a definite power shift. And Alison and Otto's relationship, she was very very upfront, like, tell me to be are we home for the same thing. Here on the same page? Yeah, so very so. Yeah, more like a wife than a daughter, So yeah, she was. She was very very frank with him and how she felt, and she got her point across, and she actually made him understand. I think what she is trying to achieve, whether he listens to it or not. He's coming across is less manipulati, even more weary, a weey side of atto. I feel, okay, interesting, and I'll keep them out for that. I don't think I've noticed it up to now, but yes, yes, maybe yeah, maybe. His age, maybe just the constant shifts, maybe the situation not playing out the way he had imagined. Creepy Laris is right that his time is up very possibly well we shall see. Indeed, So it seems as good a time as any for a shortbreak. Okay, Okay, we're back and we are ready to have a little chat about Amand and Kristen. Yeah. They seem very close, don't they. Yeah, and a big brother kind of way. Coal seems towards Amond. Yeah, yeah, I can see that. Yeah, definitely, he's known his whole life. He's he's trained him. Yeah. Yeah, and he's am has huge respect for him. Oh yeah, definitely. You can see in those earlier episodes, but was aimed at this age when they were fighting in the courtyard that there was there was comaraderie between them. They were having fun with it. Yeah. So yeah, definitely, just. There's the respect for Kristin seems to be very proud and the man that he's become an or becoming. He's probably got more influence on the man that he's become than his own father has. Yeah. So yes, definitely. So they want to conquer the crown land with vagar and an army, with Kristen leading the vanguard. Yeah, they want to take one castle at a time, gathering numbers as they go. That's very good girls sitting there having to chatting there so wouldn't be, But it's not up to you. Is it so true that was the vibe I got. You can chat it through all you like, but ultimately not up to you. And you can be as bitter and nasty about your mom and Raniera, but you're just two gossiping boys. Yeah, exactly. End of the day, my brother is hostage to my grandsire and mother, and they tell him that a war of dragons can yet be avoided. More Ranida hate follows. Yeah, and somehow Allison's a victim. Well, yes, of the poison that is Ranida. Somehow, Well that's Cal's perspective, isn't it. Yeah exactly. They're moving their week coins around their map and planning their way strategies, but snow up to them, is it. Club sitting there. And then also interrupts and says, it would concern me, grandson, if plans were being considered beyond the ears of your king and his hand. I love that. Put your jamas on and brush your teeth. Oh that's so good. I love it. Yeah, So I only wish to serve my king in my house. He says, m yeah, sure. No, you can't have a drink of water. So then he goes on It's like, oh, I understand that you're you know you're young and you wanna ax and everything, and you know your youthful urgies make you excited to go for it, says but I promise you, Amend, you will have the vengeance that you seek, but you must keep a grip on your impulses. We both know that your brother cannot. And I think in that moment, Amon really listens to him. Yeah, yeah, I think he does, because as much as we hate him, he's right. Yeah he is. He is absolutely right in that moment. So, yes, I don't call him for nothing. Oh absolutely not. That is his name. That is what we are calling him now. And that brings us to our final plot point, which was the introduction of Blood and cheese. Yes, so Damon goes and asks Massaria for knowledge. This is on the back of Runidas, I want aim and Targarian. Yeah he's fully wrong with that. Yep, definitely. So after he gets the knowledge from Masaria, the next thing we see is him coming in on the boat and he comes up to the gates and when he meets Blood and says, I'm told you have a mislike for the High Towers, to which Blood replies, fuck the high Towers, like you're definitely guy, I'm looking for brilliant so you Then they go and they meet Cheese, who talks about the rat infested Megor's tunnels, which he knows better than the shape of his own cock. Yes, apparently he does. I'll love the line from Damon. He's like him in Targetia. He's silver hair and one eye. Should be easy at spot, he says, So how will we know, like what if we can't find him? And Damon gives this really strange look like he's like, well, I have a backup plan. But never any point did I feel like the backup plan was then falling back on something Damon had told them to do. I felt like it was their own backup plan. I'm not sure. I think that because he said a son for a son. He he said it in a loose way, being an intelligent inch and a mile type guy, knowing that they may be quite cowardly in the in the face of it. Yeah, and just take any son that they could. Yeah, it was it was evil. There was pure evil on his face. It was evil. There was another evil that was committed by blood. Actually, oh, kick the dog, kick Cheese's dog. Yes he did. I was absolutely raging when he kicked the dog. My husband was so angry, he said, I hope he dies. Well, I think he said something worse than that, but it was it was along those lines. It was awful. I believe you kicked that poor dog. Mean, yeah, but before that, they're moving up through the sewers and come on, these were absolutely amazing. This is a set built. We saw this in the making of the episode as well. The work that went into creating this sewer was absolutely outstanding and worthwhile because it was so believable. And Meger's tunnels and you. Know, absolutely the way the use of light. Yeah, they didn't use a lot of light. They just had you going with you are moving with the characters. Yeah, where the characters are going, Yeah, but you're you're you're going with them. Yeah. And the way the light bounces off the tunnels and off the water. Yeah, really really cool. Loved it, very very very cool. They they come to they come to the Throne room and Agon is sitting getting drunk with his his three friends, who I am, by the way calling it right now, I'm now naming these guys Curly, Larry, and Moe. I have no idea what their real. Names are, but they are curly, larry and move. The magnanimous and brilliant. I have the clip, let's get it. I need to be a symbol of small book as well as the ability. He would always be strong. My nephew is already taking that. I need to be both my mother and grandson. Mind me like some helpless stuff thing. Oh you're the king who gives a ship? What they say? My brother at least knows his place. He's as loyal as a hound, like I said to him, and he's draggon on my thos at will keep your eyes. This style demonstrates power and commands respect. No one knows what Magnanon has mean. Taking the generous that which I'm a small folk. I like that? Is there more strong eye? Egg on the dragon hearts better. The dragon cock? Yeah, I is particularly hilarious in this episode. He's absolutely bladdered there though. Listen here, I thought you acted very well. May possibly have actually just been drunk for that. I think there was a method acting going on there. It was howard. If you wasn't method acting, he did very very well. Definitely, So back to blood and cheese, And yes, they are sneaky, sneaky in their way through the castle, right past the king in the throne room. Oh definitely. It's so so eerie. You're like on the edge of your seat. The whole way through this scene is so creepy. And then they get to this space. J says, we can't go any further upstairs as up limits, and I've just thought to myself, Oh, no, the meat head is the brains of the operation. Oh it's the job's fucked. But here they go. So they enter a secret panel in the room that aimed and also we're just sitting in. Nobody knows. Is there maybe love the Horruce and Jasper vibes from like one hundred and one Dalmatians. Oh yeah, definitely. It was a bit like that, wasn't. They were so like the dumb one and the mean one. They were absolutely Horrace and. Jasper they were, and I think they were both dumb, but maybe the same with Horace and Jasper. And then the dumb mean one, Yeah that kicks dogs. We don't like him. So yeah, they're in. They're like bloods like scooping up all the coins that then Kristen have just left lying around, and they split up and go go searching for something and blood has a moment with this maid and she doesn't raise the alarm, no need. She's definitely thought something was up. She looked very freaked out. And then he's like for the rats and he and he shows off his voices. Now you know what this is. But anyway, it's rat catching here. And then he's he's on the floor with his torch, rolling about to see what's going on, Like, am I in the right room? Because he's no idea where he is at this point balls to him. He's like he's writing to think of it, isn't he. He really is, so she's definitely. He thinks he's going for amon. Yeah, and he's not looking for a baby in his bed at this point. No, he's not. So he must have been shitting his parents definitely. And when she disappeared, he was off. After he pulls out he's blade and he goes running out after her. This amazing scene with the rain coming down, and it's so cool I. Did behind the scenes with the rain coming down. Yeah, and there's these guys with squeeges and I love that they'd said, Oh, actually the main part of the clear up of this is the squeeges. Yeah, it's all about man power. I'm like, go on, go on, boys. Yeah, but hard labor. Yeah, absolutely, it doesn't matter how much you put into something. It actually boils down to just working really hard. It really does, and. That's what's really cool about these things. Yeah, definitely, definitely behind the scenes. Guys, if you haven't seen it, it is on YouTube. It's an after show on HBO Max that comes after the House of the Dragon called The House that Dragon Spilled and yeah, so check them out on youtubebe or on HBO if you're in the States. We can't get that here. I tried. They won't let us, but they said they're working on it. So yes, House the Dragon's Belt. Check it out. So where were we we were? Oh, the rain, the rain, that's where we were. And this made she runs off and there's a there's a good amount of time between this moment and the end of the episode in which if she thought something was wrong, she could have raised some sort of alarm, but didn't. I wondered if she just feared for her own safety in the moment. Yeah, maybe she feared rape or or something like that. Yeah, he was a big guy, Yeah, Yeah, it could have been that. I don't think that she would have thought there was an immediate danger to the royal family because he'd shown himself as well, I'm a rat catchers. Yeah, I'm supposed to be here. But she yeah, I think she just wanted to scurry out of there. I'm sorry. I word. Curry, Yes, brilliant. So right here we go, and then he hears the noise coming from the other room, where he walks in to find Cheese standing with Helena. At knife point. And I have clipped this scene, so let's just play it. I still. As the fuck. Shere's the coin chaes the. Son first son, he said, what does she look like a fucking son to you? Hopefully? God? His laugh is maniacal. I never noticed that, and watching it as the audio. Ready to get out and get out, the bo look the same. This once a. Boy maybe that one. Well, look for a cock m. Mm hmm the mother nose. Do anything, but what I ask I don't break a homely lawyer, which. I have a necklaces. Great, that's no son. M Oh, it's so tense. Mhm. What he's the other one? She's not going to give up the King's head easy. There's something about her face, Yeah, definitely, she's telling true, hold him down. And she says no. In that moment, I feel like that is the moment where suddenly she realized she wasn't in a dream anymore, that this was really happening this time, because this moment has played out for her so many times in her visions, and I think she just realized in this moment that it was like, it's not a dream this time. Okay, I need to get the girl, I need get the hell out of here. I'm actually surprised they let her go, like while they were still doing what they were doing. I think even though they were carrying it out, it still must be such a shocking thing. Yeah they were doing. Maybe they were just so engaged in that act. Yeah, Yeah, you could be on something that was pretty intense thing that they were doing, and they were engaged on getting it done. And getting it out, getting out of there. Yeah. And let's face it, there was barely a brain cell between them. Yeah, so they obviously weren't thinking, let's not let the witness escape until we've done the job. Because let's say he knows Megor's tunnels. They quite easily finish what they're doing and get out of there. But if they let her run off, lessens their chances of getting out. Absolutely, Like, why did they grab her in the first place? Well that too, you know, silly billy. Yeah, he was. Was intense. So there's no one around, She's running through the hallway and this scene of her running right through the keep was absolutely amazing. It was you just were like, where are. All the people? Why is there no one there? Why did you find anybody? I was right there with her in her panic, and she's making aware through the cat She doesn't know where she's going, She's just fleeing, and then she has this moment she's like looking in all directions, trying to decide where to go, and I think she heard Did we hear noises coming from Alison's room? Not as far as I remember. I was very engaged in the scene and the rainfall. Yeah, I was actually listening to see if Jehara was making any noises, right, because I thought, why is this kid not crying? Why is she not screaming? But you did hear her make but I was a couple of be noise. But I was very engaged in Is that okay? Yeah? I was, of course, I'm concerned for for the week girl. I don't think she saw anything, so. I think him. I think, as far as I was concerned, she'd just been scooped up and she was you know, she probably felt her mother's tension. But I don't think she saw anything, so I don't think she had any cause to be scared. If I had dragged mad door out of bed and ran through the rain in my jamas, you best believe my youngest would be like, what the hell is going on, ma'am? Where are we here? Why not? What's going on? Oh my god? Help, Like mum's lost her mind. No. I think my wee girl would just put her head on my shoulder and go back to sleep. Yeah, but there's just two, yeah, and she's. A wee bit older. She's These twins are six. Yeah. So my daughter's nine. Yeah. So no, if you did it to her now, and the. Rest of them are older, mine're older at six, I reckon my kids would have been very aware that I'd taken them out of their bed and it was raining and I was running, yeah, and I yeah, that was my my what I was listening for. So I didn't hear if there were any sex noises coming. I don't know if it was sex noise, but there was definitely and or at least I think I heard a noise just before, and I think that Helena heard it too, because when I thought I heard a noise, she turned her head quickly like she turned in towards a noise. Well, I mean that's what it was. Yeah, pretty noise. Yeah, I think there was that, and she went straight for her mother's room were Raniera's old room where they're doing it in Rania's old bed, and there's so much. For it can't happen again. Well yeah, but. The only words from Helena were they killed the boy, which, if we're right about the thing that she's whispering earlier in the episode, they only want the boy. They killed the boy. I think for me, the thing that in my brain was Rania is going through a terrible grief and only said four words. Also, Helena only said four words when her boy died. Yeah, it was the four words for four words. Very well spoiled. I like that. I didn't make that link, but I see it now. It's clever. Yeah, you could be on at something there, so you're you're linking it to the comparison of Rinida's only four words, and I can see that. Little the title of the episode, so a son for a son, So for me, I had to find a link up there. No, no, it's a great lineup. So yeah, there was the four words for the four words between the two mothers. Yeah, I see this, I see that, and I'm also thinking about that they only want the boy and then they killed the boy. It's a very similar language, very similar. Helena. It's like she's just realized, Okay, it's really happened now. Yeah, I've seen it loads of times before. This time it really happened. And I fell for her so much. That's awful, and she's so innocent and possibly a little autistic. I kind of felt for Allison in that moment too, if I'm honest, because we've all been there when the wee ones come through when you're having a grown up cuddle. Yeah, that hasn't happened yet. What do you want? Are you? Okay, On hasn't climbed out her cot yet, so. You'll get there. We're good so far. So do you have any other notes on those final scenes? No? That that was that was my my parting thought that the mums had four words each, really when when their sons had passed. So if that's us on those matters, that's all my notes too. It means it's time for Dragonside. So not a lot going on in the dragon section this week. Few fantastic moments, though small as they were. First of all, there was Melee's in the cave when Rainie's was bringing it in for arrest. And I think the best part about this scene, because you mean you've got a stationary dragon at this point, is she's not doing much. But what was impressive to me was this year size compared to Rainie's herself and the cave. That cave, it is awesome. It's so cool little dragon harbor that's killing definitely. So yeah, that was that was really killed at you have any. No, I mean, like I said earlier, it was just a little snippets of raw or slight grumbles. Yeah, yeah, definitely. She's Mellies and Rainy's are definitely close. Very ye. So the next thing we see dragon related would be those scorpions, which. Yeah, and we do see Vegar flying around with yea holes in our rings. Oh I know. I just shows her battle scars, which was really cool. Yeah, none of them were attracts that those are those are old ones. We battle scars and that old girl. It's only Vagar, Yeah, only a drag. But those scorpions look pretty deadly. They've been around for a while. They I think it's the first time in a long time they've had to have them on the walls. Yeah, so Vagar, but from a massive distance. So, but the holes are in the battles that that dragon. She's very imposing. Yeah, yeah, I'm trying to think of the battles that Vegar has been in. There was the Darnish Wars, where Vagar and Bellerion were just the equivalent of bombing darn for years. But I don't know if a lot of fighting back, So I'm thinking that a lot of that damage to Vegar happened during the field of fire. Yeah, that's the only huge battle that I can think of that Vegar has been in. I can't think of any others, unless you know, the Dornish got off a few scorpion bolts at Vagar during the Dornish Horse. Maybe could could very well be that so interesting how badly damaged Vegar is because she can still fly. She could choose that turkey neck to fly at the stage to be fair. Definitely. Actually there was one other battle because during the initial conquest, before she flew in and just took the castle, there was an initial battle at sea with Vegar above. So it was the Vallarian fleet and Vagar against the aar and fleet. Right, okay, so yeah during that battle, I mean the Vallarians and Vegar won, but they took a lot of damage as well. So yeah, moving on, what was her name? Ex Dragon? Our next dragon is side Axe. Oh my god. This scene was absolutely amazing. It was phenomenal. The CGI we mentioned earlier was absolutely outstanding. The way that dragon. Moved it was really cool. Yeah, like Vania, the way she jumped down of it. I saw that in the making of and it was just like a little platform, some steps. Platforms that the dog gets up to bed on. Yeah as a dragon. No, no, not at all, but it was seamless. It looked really good. Did you have any other notes on six? I thought Side X was sort of mirroring Nida's emotion. Oh big time. Yeah. There was lots of lots of moaning and wailing type noises from side X, although Verna was giving nothing away because she just had the face but Cyx was emulating her emotion. Definitely, such a beautiful dragon she is. Again, it's the dragon bond. It's lovely, isn't it. Yeah, yeah, it's lovely, So definitely love that. Did we have any other dragon moments? I think that might have been it. Just draining a returning. Yeah. We saw the dragon flying in through the window from Eric Cargill's perspective there realizing Mammy's home, so yeah, and then her obviously arriving, and again it was pretty much like. The earlier scene with Mellie. Is just the dragon in the background as she's walking down the platform, but no other dragon action. No, it must be saving that for another episode, I would imagine. Yes, definitely, so that. Do you have any other notes in general? No, I don't. I mean just check, I don't think I do. No, No, no extra notes. Well then that brings us to. R I P. So in this episode we said goodbye to Jeharis Turgarian, named after the old king great grand no waiting. Great great. Yeah. Yeah, becasers is Jiharis's grandchild and he's. Grandchild great great. Yes. They say that there's a connection between twins that you know, when the ones lost the other one, it's just missing something for the rest of their days. That's sad that he was a cute little boy though, wasn't he He was full of fun, yes, and mischief winding up Thailand. It's really sad. It's really it was very shocking death and it is certainly one that will go down in Game of Strones universe history as one of the most shocking. I think hardest one so far. Yeah. In the House of the Dragon, definitely, So no hilarity in the rip section this week. It is just pure shock and sadness. So rest and peace, Jaharis. So that brings us to fun facts. We have a few from IMDb and we have some stuff that we've put together ourselves. So let's start with the IMDb stuff. Blood and Cheese were changed noticeably from what happens in Fire and Blood. In the book, Alison is also present for the murder and the children are all awake. Blood and He's makee Helena choose which of her two sons to kill. Helena bargains with her own life, but is denied and finally chooses mail Or to be killed Blood instead decapitage. J Harris, that's a big difference. Yeah, definitely equally as horrifying. Yeah yeah, yeah, definitely. Oh the whole thing was justugh. So not a fun fact, really was it? No? No, no, but a fact nonetheless. So the next one. Tom Taylor appears in this episode as Craig and Stark. Although not from Yorkshire himself, Taylor uses a Yorkshire accent. The accent was originally established as the accent of the Northman because of actor Sean Beane's native Yorkshire accent. That is a fun fact. That is like that, and he smashed that York agent. I think, oh yeah, definitely. They've cast him in their row and decided that that's going to be the accent. Of all the Norsemen. How cool is that? So, as we know, being starred as Edward Stark in the first season of Game of Thrones. Okay, so the next one. Jaharis's murder is foreshadowed heavily throughout. Rats are a motif throughout the entire episode, with many rats being shown in shots off the red Keep, foreshadowing the rat catcher Cheese's involvement. Helena tells Aigon that she's afraid of rats. Cheese can be seen in the background at the scene of Agon's meetings in the Throne room, walking in the hallway outside, and he's in the background of the scene that Egan's meetings. He's also precedes the small council meeting as well. Just as they're all going into the room where they have their small council meetings, he's in kind in the doorway picking up his little rat catchy boxes. So yeah, the rats were heavily foreshadowed all the way through, right. The next one is the first. This is the first episode in the series to be directed by Alan Taylor, who previously directed seven episodes of the original Game of Thrones series, which I forgot to say when we were giving his CV earlier on and I completely forgot to say Game of Thrones. But yes, some of that I do remember when I looked this up. I can't remember which ones though, but yeah, so do we have any more? Oh? Yes, one more. In the book, Damon is at Haron Hall when he hears of Luke's death. He sends a letter to Ruanira that says an eye for an eye, a son for a son, Luke will be avenged. That's a different turn of events, definitely. I mean Damon actually actively goes in takes that revenge in the TV show version, but I think he probably had something to do with it from harn did he you've read that part of the book. I haven't read that far ahead. Did he? Was he complicit in the events in the book? Can you remember? I can't remember. Okay, I'm going to come back with that information later as well. I actually listened to that chapter the other night and fell asleep, so I didn't get the end. Of it, so I'll have to really have a go at that. So that's it. We are now onto the interesting stuff that we found out regarding the bio Tapestry. So the bio Tapestry is a unique artifact. It was created in the eleventh century. So if you step into the engrossing story of the conquest of England by William, the Duke of Normandy, he was the inspiration for egg On the Conqueror. I did some research into William the Conqueror, so it goes as follows William. I mean, some of this I put together from Wikipedia. Some of this comes from iron Fire and Ice, the Real history that inspired Game of Thrones book by Ed West. Some of it's from YouTube. So yes, William the Conqueror, sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman King of England, reigning from ten. To sixty six until his death. William was the illegitimate son of Normandy's Duke Robert and a low born woman. Robert is said to have spied William's mother, her Lev, while she was out washing by the River River in her hometown of Phillaise, a tale borrowed by Martin to explain how Lord Bolton first saw the mother of his psychotic bastard Ramsey. Snow, oh that is a cool fact. So yeah, not only did William inspire Egon, he was also an inspiration for Ramsey as well. Yeah, this tale was rather more romantic. I remember rightly, Rus Botlands was a little more RAPI okay, yeah, so her Lev was of modest background. They were unmarried, but although a bastard, William was accepted as his father, Duke Roberts heir, something that would have been unthinkable a century later. So in ten sixty six, following the death of Edward the Confessor, William invaded England, leading an army of Normans to victory over the Anglo Saxon forces of Harold Godwinson. At the Battle of Hastings and suppressed subsequent English revolts, which has become known as the Norman Conquest. The Normans were descended from Vikings who had settled around the River sen In the ten fifties and early ten sixties, William became a contender for the throne of England, held by the childless Edward the Confessor, his first cousin. Once removed, there were other potential claimants, including the powerful English Earl Harold Godwinson, whom Edward named as king on his deathbed in January ten sixty six, arguing that Edward had previously promised the throne to and that Harold had sworn to support his claim. William claimed that Harold had sworn an oath to him when the Englishman had shipwrecked in northern France, which may be true, but was probably under duress. So William built a large fleet and in varied England in September ten sixty six. It was not dragons that gave him the advantage, though, but cavalry and the Normans had bred a new. Type of warhorse called the Destrie. Medieval mounts were much bigger than the animals used by the Greeks for the Romans, and it was the Parthians and the Byzantines. This began the development of these big war horses. However, in northern France, this is where horse breeding really took off. So it was a bit of an armed race of larger and more aggressive animals. As cavalry became the most effective form of warfare, the Normans had a warhorse called the Destrie, as I said, and pioneered a new terrifying tactic, the cavalry charge. That's really cool. So instead of dragons we've got these big, perfele horses that no one's seen before. That. They also developed armor to protect their mounts and bread animals that were temperamentally better suited for war, and they could even be trained to bite. So yeah, I find that really interesting. So that is really interesting. I wonder obviously I've not seen the whole Bio tapestry. Yeah, and bits of it and a little bits of research that I did, but this thing is over seventy meters long. Yeah, it's called the Bio Tapestry, but it's not actually a tapestry. It's an embroidery. Yeah, and there's fifty eight scenes, so I wonder are the armored horses on it. I have to go and have a look now. Oh yeah, that's really cool. I wonder if there's a whole or spiting anyone. Oh, that would be interesting. Yeah, that would be really cool. I'm going to have a wee look for that now you've said. The tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo, who was William's maternal brother. So another bastardy. But this guy was like he was still brought up and trained to be a swordsman to write, he was educated. It was William that made him a bishop and sort of rose his standing very very close. And when he conquered England, William had put Odo there in his stead while he went back to France. So Odo was essentially the King of England in all but name. Yes, and this guy was a total arsehole although he was meant to be a religious man. It was very violent, yes, and he ended up with loads of embezzled money and lands, and William found out. And it was actually William that arrested them when it came to pass yeah, because he'd ordered guards to arrest them and they didn't move, so he physically had to arrest him hisself and put them in irons, and he went to a jail in France for five years, and the other bastard half brother kept begging William, please we let them out, We let them out, and William was like, no, it's an arse he stole from. Me, right, Okay. So that's a much more in depth a little bit than what I've got here. But it's really cool. It's very cool. You know, we know that George has taken inspiration from that, and the feud within families and the brothers and definite sons and all of that stuff, and the greed and the entitlement and the power struggles. Yes, so definitely. So I've got here on top of the it was like, so he decisively defeated and killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings on October fourteenth, ten sixty six. After further military efforts, William's crown king on Christmas Day ten sixty six. In London. He made arrangements for the Governess of England in early ten sixty seven before returning to Normandy, which brings us to your part of the story. Several unsuccessful rebellions followed, and then I got a little bit here about Odo as well. This says that William spent the twenty years following his invasion fighting rebels and rivals and falling out with almost everyone around him, including his eldest son Robert, his wife Matilda, and his half brother Odo. Oh that's right, because his son Robert spent a lot of time with Odo when they went up to Scotland, right, and it was it King Malcolm. I think they made him bend nee ascensions, right, Okay, so he's wore fieldy and all of this time Odo kept saying to Robert, or talk to your dad. Yeah, talked to your dad and he refused. He never spoke to him, even though they had that success up there, and say, oh, your dad will talk to you now, and I don't care. I don't want to talk to him. Did you hear yourself there when you were talking about that northern king that bent the knee? Yes, there we go. There's another bit of the story that's totally taken from this as part of history. So yeah, so William's hold was mostly secure in England. By ten seventy five, allowing him spent the greater part of his reign and continental Europe. And there's a really interesting bit here about names. So the Norman conquest helped bring England closer to the mainstream of Europe. English names such as Ethelred Athelston or Leo Fine were replaced by the names more popular with the Northern French, Aristoa, the Frankish William, Henry, Robert, Richard and Jeffrey, along with Big Bickle or Greek names such as John, James, Catherine, Margaret and Thomas, and so to give West of Ross a medieval feel. It features names such as Robert, John, Catlin, Marjorie and Thomon. So yeah. In fact, indeed, numerous characters in Wester Ross have names with real wife parallels in England, so so much of it is taken from from just this part of medieval England. It's really cool. So the rest of his life was marked by struggles to consolidate his holdover England and his continental lands. He died in September of ten eighty seven when leading a campaign in northern France. His reign over England was marked by the construction of castles, so soon after Christmas in ten sixty six, the conqueror's work began building their first castles, there being such structures in England before the Normans, but only a dozen or so, mostly were wooden and small, but they built them by the hundreds to protect themselves from the natives and from each other. But the most famous was the White Tower in the east of London, known as the Tower of London and the inspiration. For the Red Keep Awesome. So yeah, And finally, he was also famous for settling in a new Norman nobility on the land and a change in the composition of the English clergy. He did not try to integrate his domains into one empire or seven kingdoms, but he continued to administer each part separately. His lands were divided after his death. Normandy went to Robert and England went to his second surviving son, William Rufus, which also caused some problems, but that's another story. Actually, just remembered when he said about the religious stuff, So Bishop Odo, he tried to overthrow the Archbishop of Canterbury. So this was all sort of just before he was caught out for his in besling from the crown. But he also had ideas that apparently there was a seer and had told him she'd had a vision and someone called Odo would be the next pope. Yeah, he genuinely thought that he was here some sort of people vision. Oh my god, that is so funny. Do you know it actually ties into something else that I read. I swear I was in my notes somewhere, but I didn't say it, so I must have missed it out. But I actually said the tapestry was so the part of the reason that they think it was commissioned by is because some of the scenes in the tapestry paint odo and a much better light than the history records too. Yeah, totally. You know that that's the vibe now after hearing about what this guy is like. Yeah, definitely, it sounds totally on the nose. Absolutely. Well, it's like I am ruler here and all but name Yeah, well there's not here, so I'm going to have this big tapestry that says forever it was me. Yeah, that seems that seems well in character. It's such sibling stuff. It's so funny. Yeah, and the son's stuff as well. And then there's the fact that William's grandchildren were Matilda and Steven, who basically it's the story of Egon and Runia. Right, Okay, so when Matilda was supposed to be the heir to the throne, and then when their father died, her cousin Steven, had him self crowned and usurped it. I didn't know that. That's really cool, all right, Okay, no, you do know that because we talked about it in our last fun Facts it was, but we were just like so laughing our way through that one. I think we've just got lost in translation. I have a brain, Yes, me too. If I hadn't listened to it recently well editing, I probably would have completely forgotten about it as well. So that brings us to the end of our fun Facts. Then cool. We will be back next time with episode two, yet to be named. If you want to contact us, you can add or to our website I knew I will drop on. You can find links to our social media and patrons diould you like all you and subscribe. You can also leave us a voice message that we knew us on the show. Finally, we can email us at talk at them. 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