"Second of his Name" (HOTD S1EP3) (ACOIAF #4)

Many in my line being dragon riders. Very few among us have been dreamers. What is the power of a dragon? It's the power of prophecy. Too late, husband, When Rania was a child, I saw it. In a dream as vivid as these flames. I saw it the male babe. Born to me, wearing the conqueror's crowd. That so up did it to be true to be a dreamer myself. I sought that vision again, night after night. I never came again. I poured all my thoughts and, willing to it, my obsession killed Raniera's. Mother, the serrus. I thought Rana was the way I had that my abyss of grief and regret. And naming her heir would begin to set things right. I never imagine I would remarry and I would Amerston. What if I was wrong? Welcome to the Unreal Hour. Hi there, and welcome to our show. I am Fiona, and I am This is episode three of House of the Dragon, second of his Name. Wow, what an episode it was. It was absolutely outstandard. This is this is the reason I watched this stuff. This is the reason I want to a podcast on this. I feel it's really started now. Yep, it's kicked off. It is all kicked off. It was absolutely amazing. So what did you think of the episode overall? Emma? First half was hilarious. Oh yeah, so much about the succession and all that stuff that we've we've been focused on, some little bits of crab feeder, lot of dialogue, yeah, just as I said, so many funny moments. Yeah. And then obviously the latter half was so action packed. Really really loving the opening scenes and the closing scenes. Yes, that's what I wrote. I wrote, fantastic open, epic close absolutely. Yeah, yeah, it was absolutely browsing. So yeah, three year time jump. Wow, It's like they do this to us every episode. There like a time gap and it gets longer and longer. Yeah. Absolutely, I was. I was sitting trying to figure it out. I was like, okay, so she's pregnant with one, she's got another. And then Viseries gave it away when he said about the stepstones and he was like, it's been three years, it can wait another three days. Yeah. That's when I was like, right, okay, three years, Well, yeah, pregnancy nine months will sort of more or less wedding wedding night as you will. Yeah, and then Boss Eggon's name day. He's two. He's two now, So yeah, we're three years down the line from when Damon first stormed off, and she is do you know actually I didn't put a lot about this in my notes, but I thought about it a lot today, and so let's just have that conversation right now. I am feeling like she was acting a bit of a spoiled brat through this whole episode. I agree she was giving off petulant teenager vibes big time, big time. I mean, she's what fighteen, yeah, eighteen nineteen, maybe about my own daughter at that age, though she was still a petulant teenager, although she very much felt like she was an adult. Apologies, girl, if you're ever listened to this knave that's probably won't. But well, i mean, so he's two. I've got a long way to go before we get there. But I do remember my sister being particularly horrible at that. Sorry, Joel's but sorry, We've had this conversation. It's nothing she hasn't heard before. It's all good. But yeah, so I'm she's for eighteen going on nineteen. Something like that, and whoa stroppy girl vibes big time, And I'm feeling like after all this time, it's like it was just a bit unnecessary. Still be don't no, because she's she's not worked through her grief, she's not feeling like she's been supported. And then there's this whole a son has finally and everybody's making a big and blah blah blah jealous sibling. I've just right, I'm a big Raynier fan, I really am, and all as far as I'm concerned, Like, sorry to declare aside here, but the throne was it was meant to be for her, and that's the bottom line here, male females, whatever it was, the succession was. Supposed to got her, and this is why I'm team Runia. But in this episode, I found it really hard to connect with her. I found it really hard to see where she was coming from because I just saw strawby teenage vibes I really am, and not in the books, not in the first time. Watch. Yeah, this episode though, mm hm, Alison, I thought was really mature. Sorry for her. She was trying to be nice to everyone, she was trying to reconcile everything she was and she was very very pregnant and a very young mum, and she was just trying to be a good person, and she had strappy ranier. She was watching dad a debt. Did you just start husband watching everything that went down? Actually, I have that clip for Alison. Under the dragon z Samwell did again. Perhaps the princess might like to hear something else. She would not play it again. M hmm. She fled with her ships and happyople, her heart broke and fatheros your grace, I said to stop from the beginning. Oh that pure guy. He just didn't what to do. Talk about a rock and a heart. Ships, we're near, that's my queen. Your presence is wanted in the out of courtyard the royal hunt ready to depart, decided to remain here and read. You may go somewhere, not to stay by order the princess. The Queen commands you to leave the gods wood at once. Princess, your grace. The King wishes you to join us. King as much to celebrate, does not need me. He wants for us all to be together. Perhaps the hunt could be fun so the King's command. Yes, but then it wants your grace. You're not my real mum, But it need be, none of it needs be this way In truth, reneer up. Oh, poor Alison, She's really trying, yeah, pror Alison, and Rinita was absolutely petulant teenager. You're not my real mom. Yeah, And she was given off that if it was today, she would have had her favorite song on repeat, not listening sit in her bedroom. Yeah, and I listen to you. Does dad say I have to go? Well, fine, I'll go. Yeah. And then there's that really awkward scene in the carriage afterwards on the way to the hunt as well, and it's just like again, more strappy teenager vibes, and then she. Says, no one's here for me. That was sad. I thought I was sad on my first watch. On my third watch, I thought, it's not your day, hen you know. And I just I like, she is, like she's having a stop about the fact that nobody's there for her that day. It's her brother's birthday, and if she wasn't so jealous of her brother's existence, she wouldn't be feeling that way. She'd be joining in the celebration. Yeah. But if her dad had been a better parent, well not so weak willed, yes, she may have felt more included. And there, I mean not just her dad, because he does seem to try his best. Yeah, the whole realm given this. You don't have a cock vibe, yes, you know, and feeling it oh big time. I mean, I'm not saying that like her. She's not wrong for feeling the way she's Yes, but she's still being a brat. Yes, that's exactly it. Thank you for some of that, because I was going to get some times. I'm so good at summer teenage behavior. I've been living it for such a long time. It's why I drink. Why exactly by drink and I know things. Yes, aside from that, I do love and I give her this moment and I'm like, okay, I just add that this is it's teenage hormones. It's turmoil. It's the fact that her father and her have not connected in their turmoil. Yeah, she's feeling pushed out, and she feels a. Little bit betrayed or maybe a big bit betrayed by her her feelings and her best friend. Well, rather than dealing with someone being supported through them, her feelings are festered. That's exactly. And that's where we are with her at the moment. Her character, and it's hard to watch. It's hard to watch her like that because I like her and I want to see the parts of her that I like, and I didn't see a lot of them. There's so much expected of her, though, and there's no one to guide her. Yes, did her dad not say something like that carriage? Though? She says, I'm well aware of whatever's expected of me, and he's. Like, as I'm always reminded. Yeah, as I'm always reminded, And she said, actually no, that's later on when they're sitting at the table. And then he said to her, oh, wait the night. Yeah, well no, that wasn't the character. She said, as I'm always reminded. And then he said, he said, well, if maybe if you lived up to the to your responsibilities, people wouldn't have to remind you. Well that yeah, so I it's it's that springs around abous I can. I can see her point, but I suppose I'm coming out from a forty odd year old perspective. Now I'm getting it from the mum of my oldest has just past being a teenager, have one right in the eye of the storm, fifteen, you know, so I absolutely get that. Trying to understand a teenager. Yeah, Oh my god, they're such hard work. They're so emotional. Yeah, are your constant having to say as a parent, as Visser's is pointing out, you know, it's like when I said to my son, you know, if if you did your chores, then you wouldn't have to be reminded and you wouldn't feel like we're on your back. So it's that in a much greater sense for Nina. Yes, that's it a grander scale, but it's the. Same thing, and her duties are duties to the realm, and are recycling these However, they have the same emotive response. Yes, it's so true. So yeah, moving on from from that, I don't think there's much more to say on the subject unless you have any other notes on that. No, I'm going to be very honest with everyone this week, and my notes are sparse. It's been a week, so you know I'm hearing I'm winging it. But you have just just watched the episode before, watched its fresh and came here immediately, no problem. So we had some new characters this week. The first one introduced was Thailand Lanister. He was the one at the feast that was trying to tell the series what was going on about in the Stepstones and the series was just like, go away. I don't want to talk about this today. I love that every point in time, the Lanisters have always been cunts. Yeah, that's always been but oh yeah, but that was the brother. He was a show out, but the first one at this the Wee Feast series, just like there's troubling Stepstones for series, He's like, go away, it's been three years, it can wait another three days. That was Thailand Lanister. And it took me to my third watch before I actually picked up that that was the twin of the other one. With this stuff. And because obviously it was rushed to this evening. Yes, and I watch it on Amazon. I pause it to see who they are. Amazon is great for that. Pause to find out who's in the scene. I do love that. But yes, so Thailand he seemed a bit of yes man. Yes, although he did push the subject, but that was because it really was urgent, but he was very scared about pushing the subject. Bless him, bless him. So he is not the same as his brother as twin his brother is mister bad chaplines right, Well, Oh that was that was cringe. That whole scene was we've all been there, haven't we with some awkward situation with some guy that thinks he's absolutely amazing. Do you know what I had been earlier on that day before, before my second watch, I've been watching, well, I wasn't watching Louigian, was watching Beauty and the Beast. So when I watched the same watch the episode again later on that night, and he's given it the big I am, And he's giving it the rocks taller than the tower of Old Town and it's taller than the wall, and I just thought. No one fights, Like that's all I can say. So from now on he's gassed on to me. I can't see it. Yes, I mean it looks nothing like him, but the attitude. Yeah, we talked and like I'm the best. Just so cringe. Oh he's so so cringe. And then he's a little smirk as he gives her the proposal, like I'm so smooth. No, no, no, you're giving her the no feeling, dude, back off, back off? Yeah, do you have a wingman to pull you back in? Dude? That's why he's missing his brother. Yeah, so he was hilarious. Who else did we get Otto's big brother? Oh? He was piling on the pressure, don't you think. And I've wrote here just to call back to something I said in a previous episode Ship rolls Downhill. Yeah, that's it. So otto's a lot of what you get a lot. It kind of humanizes him for a second, and it makes you realize that some of what he does is because of the pressure that's put on him from a buck finding human elements of Auto High Tower. I don't know why. The only human element I could find of him this week was watching Nanny McFee in The Big Bang and saying breaks the fans's uncle. It's like cravy uncle. But yeah, I don't know what just a devil's advocate, devil's advocate. I suppose it's the way I felt about Yeah, and. You're seeing the human in her this week. I generally think, oh, is it cunt? He is sly as fuck. It's a horrendous man. He's a horrible father, and he's getting worse this time goes on, Yes, but is in. That moment with his brother, I just felt a little bit like, ah, I kind of see where it comes from now. I like it when you get a little bit of an understanding of where a character comes from whether they're good or bad. And I think that's what I loved about the scene. It's that it's not that I now unlike t model. No, no, not at all. And I think that it's great that George gives such vast character to these characters. You know, yeah, it really does. But Ryan Condall and Miguel they have done such a good job with this season of building these characters and their their motives exactly and all the reasons that they're like you're saying with with these older siblings, even with the grown ups, why they're acting the way they're acting, the pressures in the feel and so you. Get two episodes of all it was a cunt, and then you get his big brother, the devil on his shoulder, whispering in his ear, and you're. Like, three episodes was a cunt and we've had oh god, he's a human, yeah, thirty seconds because let's say say he was a cunt for the rest of the episode. Absolutely, so we're not dismissing that. Of course, sam Well the Bard, we've already heard. Well, I don't know if you'll reappear, but god, he deserves his plates and use of the dragon history that poor guy. And we also had. We also had an introduction to Carlos Vallarian's little brother Raymond. Yes, and his son Leaner. Yes. So, but we'll save the talk about them for later. We will. We will, indeed, So time to get into major plot lines. What was your standout plot moment that you wanted to discuss. I think my standout plot moment is all about Viceeries this week. Yeah, is just so over being a dad to a teenager. He's so over being questioned by everyone about his decisions. Yes, sad about everything. That's not even sad so much for everything. There's some facial expressions that are made in this episode that just killed me off. He's so hilarious. He gets it's his son's second birthday and he just gets more and more and more pissed. Yeah, Alison's looking at him, very pregnant watching and he just is like, she just looks like that wife. That's oh my god, look at the state of him. And he's absolutely pissed. And he's everyone's coming up to him and asking him questions and I want to marry your daughter, and he's just like, oh, funk off, just on another glassy wine, and I just thought the week have had and it's only Monday. Guys. Yeah, but you're so relatable. Definitely. I titled this part of my notes turmoil and fucking politicking. Fucking politician was absolutely brilliant, had so many good one liners this episode really really did. In fact, let's play that scene before we get in here, because that was good. What do you make of Lord Jason's proposal that man's pride pride good, You're not only near his father, you're the king. She'll do as you command. And then he goes, I just start of the pot. I want her to be happy. Dance, puppets dance. There is another choice beyond castaly rock one. Perhaps you might be more comfortable you are closer to him having mine. And this is because he is what his brother says. Prince Egon. Balk the boy just turned to yes. But it would cease the endless proposals for any of his hands to be suffocated by all this fucking politicking. On his face. Let's just speak no more of it, aboard aboard on his face. But he's like he says, little two year olds, so he's fucking too fucking hell, oh my god, Like he's talking about he's so stressed about his eighteen year old daughter. That's been bloody awful night. God knows where she is, there are no phones, and now he's got bloody Auto. I said, oh yeah, well, well why doesn't your eighteen year old daughter that you're very worried about, that you want to succeed you on the throne, Why don't she marry your two year old toddler son? What I mean, Yeah, we've had like I mean, sibling marriage in the Targarian house is not unknown. But come on, anything Viseri's refused to marry Lena, Yes, because she was a child. Has he learned nothing? Clearly? As the pressure from his brother gotten to him so much that he suggests that he marries his daughter to his toddler son. Come on to have a thought. It's incomprehensible. It's just what I love that, you know, I love that reactionous Just fuck off and let me drink That is the title I gave that clip. You're you're the reason I drink wine. Auto, definitely, But. I mean, yes, so he's got this thing with who were us going to marry? He's got the succession being burned and easier. He's got the intervention in the Stepstones, and he just wants to celebrate his son's birthday and everyone will just keep coming at him with all this crap. So like, yeah, so you've got this thing with egone. Everyone expects him to be the Air. But Oo's brother said when they arrive at the camp for the hunt, and he says, oh, hail. A gone second of his name. I think he even said on the conqueror second of his name. I meant to go back and check it was. It was right on the conqueror second of his name. How presumptuous when he has a named Air. Yeah, it's shocking, and they're just trying to force this on him and he's ignoring that. But then he's got the direct assaults, so people are coming right at him and just point blank saying it, which. Is later on in the even like Jason Lanister has the absolute goal. Well, when you're my wife and essentially you've been supplanted by your brother, she's like, have your drink. Back, Yeah, yeah, definitely, I'm out here. Yeah, thanks for the wine, I see it. I want the princess was your own second name? As ground as this, I honestly don't recall in neither will. Egging Lojas, Lanister gathered that from all the lions. Twin serves in my father's counsel. Thailand is frightfully made, of course, of course mm hm. The King's world. It's fine hunting ground, but the best support is to be found at Costly Rock near my home. Have you been once on tour? It's my mother when I was young, and honestly can't recall much of that either. The rock thrice the height of the high tower in Old taller still than the world in the north on a perfect day, and I could see clear across the sunset scene because I don't have a dragon, but of course I do have a means of sources to build one. Why would you need a dragon pit exactly? That's dragons. Of course. I do anything for my queen, No do anything for a dragon lady wife, for the advancement of house. Lanister, Yeah, thank you. For the wine. Oh it's such a creep however, brilliant acting. Yeah, great acting. Both of them are fantastic. In that scene, he totally gave off creepy guy in a bar, and she gave off. I just can't be bothered talking to you you're so dull. Yeah, I know your agenda and I'm not interested. And we actually thought I knew your agenda, and you've just blown any chances of conversation. Yeah, goodbye, have your wine. Shout at my dad. Yeah rude, Oh definitely he is. He is something else like, there's lot my train of thought there. Oh, I can absolutely pick up your train of thought of this guy is a dick. That's exactly that of thought there. Oh yeah, he he's not. No, we're dere good enough for her. And he's like, oh, my brother's drightfully dull and he's not even really that good at being smarmy chat up guy. He has no charisma. He's just very dull and thinking that he's given off. I have this and I have that. I am. I am so wonderful, and oh you can come and see cast the rock and we use and we have the best line and we have the best game. And I was like, oh God, love you go away. In fact, I'll just excuse myself. And then she's totally I beg your pardon in the politest way. Have your wine back, No, I don't want your drink. Yeah, and I don't want to listen to your chat and there's no way I'll be your wife. I have no knowledge of this, No, absolutely not. How many times have you been in a situation there where some dude has bought you a drink and then thinks that he owns your conversation for the rest of the night afterwards. Yeah, it's like, come on, it's not just your conversation. He thinks that he owns Yeah, well I was being polite. Well, but that's that's the absolute vibe there. Yeah, I've you are essentially promised to me because I'm so special and I've no one fights Likeston. Oh that's the truth. Yeah. So it is an awkward position. I mean it is. She is of age to Mary and all the rest of it, but she doesn't see it. She's not in it. She's no, she has a million other things going on in her brain now and he is the last thing it needs to be approaching her with his very lame chat up line entitled attitude is so unattractive to Rania is It's. Is unattractive to anyone. It's awful. But the actor he delivered it so well. He really did, actually, and I think listening to it on the clip is actually better. Yeah, highlights it better than what. There's another clip I have of later actually that a similar thing happens. The voice becomes so much clearer because you're listening instead of watching. But we'll get to that. And then she goes straight to our dad and confronts him about this, and that was an awkward scene as well, and he starts shouting and in this moment, I'm sorry I'm doing it again, but thank goodness for at all. No, but he completely toned that situation down anyway, because he's a great manipulator. Yes, yes, yes, yes, but he like your grace, I'm going to tell you about the white heart that we've seen now and distracts you from the fact that you're creating a scene which again mentioning the white Heart in the way that he did. Oh yeah, I was basically saying that it's a sign that your male heir on his birthday exactly, he must be the air. Yes, and Rania once again, it's like someone else, someone else bringing it up. Yeah, my brother is male, and there's signs, signs from the gods. Well, do you know what I'm not doing this? Yeah, And then of course we si he starts to doubt himself because he had this dream of a male air and now he'd given he'd given up on it, and it's now coming to fruition and everybody's expected. But he he he wants to honor the promises he's made to Rinina. He does. He he loved his wife, he loves his daughter. Like he said, he never imagined remarrying and having a son. He thought that that dream that he had was just just a dream, just one dream. And then you know it's it's not come to fruition. But he does have a son and another and that and another baby on the way that potentially could be another son. And you have everyone saying him, oh, well, you know it's not the dune thing. You should your boy up there and yeah, which brings us to the conversation that I don't want to have. But well, I'm I do, I do? Who am I trying to kid? Like? Fuck the patriarchy? It's seriously, it's ridiculous. And you know, I've spent the last couple of episodes going, well, this is just how it is and their world and their time, But I just don't I don't know if I buy that anymore. I'm looking into this, and I'm thinking to myself, no, it takes a princess Nimia or a Runia or Denaries to change that, and why like, no, hell no to these women that keep getting crushed down by things like what Rainie said to Runia last week and going that's just how it is. Absolutely, But the Rainie's side of it is the fallout of pushing that, and it's the amount of deaths and trials and tribulations and war within. Yeah, she's absolutely she's being pragmatic. But pragmatism doesn't bring about change, No, it doesn't. And that's what my inner voice is screaming. My person that just accepts the world as it's displayed in front of me because this is the story. He goes, Okay, this is how it is. But inside there's this voice screaming, going, no, no, fucking stand up, stand up, be counted. Fuck these men, show them what you're made of. And there was a little bit of that tonight from Ruanira during that hunt, but we'll get to that in a second. We're still on VI series right now, and. It's just he's having so much trouble with all this, like everyone just assuming he's having his own internal struggle also with all the points that people keep making about him having a son and that dream that he had and everything that he thought was going to happen within his life and it didn't happen with the death of Emma, and that was his choice, and he thought that dream was gone. And now he feels guilt again. Yep, he can't get past his grief because the guilt keeps coming back. Yes, yes, that that that's the harder thing to let go of. I think as a as a king that needs to make these decisions, it's hard for him. It's like he said to Nina, It's like, even I'm not above what's expected of me. I can't remember it said, even if she was strong, that said, even if she might not have been, even if she was jeheris reincarnated, Yes, it still wouldn't matter. Yes, Yes, I can't remember. Was that strong. I don't think it was because he was so. It might have been Atto, It might have been Lanister. I can't remember. I think it was Auto to Allison. Yeah, may have been. Oh that horrible scene when he comes in and gives her that horrible grooming chat about going to talk to your husband about my grandson, and she's so lovely about it. She's like, no, no, Ranera is succeed in the throne and she'll be a great queen. Yeah. She sticks up for Rinia a few times. Absolutely does, and it's so nice because this may be the last time to hold on to the fact that Alison hang a heart. She did. Yes, oh, actually, yeah, Ranina and Alison's sticking up for Rania. That was another scene that stood to me and other new characters for while we're on that so I missed them when. We were doing our new characters. We had Lady Kira, Yeah, I wrote bitch not wrong, and they had Lady red Wine. Oh oh, and I wrote boss bitch. Oh my goodness, lady in her little pug and just killed me off. It was the funniest, funniest line. Oh, I have the clip. Yeah, And I titled this clip the Council of Women and Sarcastic coat marks because Alissan would be turning in her grave abstely. She thought that this was the type of gossip and that the councils of Women alisorns. I think it may have been quite similar to Raniero's. Yes, I would have. She's definitely channeling her great grandmother that she oh big time right, Let's play the clip love it. It's important to have been abducted when one of low Swan's ships sailed through the stepstones. What will happen to Lady John? She used to be sold to a pillow house in the Free Cities. If you believe the rumors, I fear that God did not make me for anthy Might I sit with you? My lady is of course, please join us. Lar Is Strong, the youngest son of our master of Low's world Mina. My lord husband says that new king has ever been or detain the stepstones for long. It's an inhospitable place, suited only for savages. Perhaps the princess can give us some insight. Oh, I'm not sure how I cared. I've never been to the stepstones. Your dear uncle is the great mind behind this war. Is he not? I wouldn't know. I've not spoken to Damon in years since you supplanted him as her. Damon made his choices, Lady Kira, the princess was more suited to the right. He's made of merce, and the king must put an end to it. Send fleets and men and clear out the triarchy for good. But the crown is not at war. The crown is it war, Princess, though your father refuses to admit it. We've been dragged into it by your uncle in the sea snake. And now have you served the room with Late's lady and wine waiting cakes? And then the dogs just scoffed the key. I absolutely love that scene, do you know? I wrote that somewhere Lady here right when she's gone on about the intervention and both of them, in fact, there's no way on this earth that either of them would say that to Vassers or damon, no, they wouldn't. But lady Red, when is she the wife of the late the late so r I p section last week? That's right. She obviously feels that she has this. She can. Yeah, she's in the inner part her citty wisdom. Road. But I did notice that Alison and Rinera seem to be the youngest in the among this sort of very very old ladies. That I mean, in fairness to them, they've been around a long time. They've seen a lot, but they have seen a lot in the rule of Jeherris. Yes, they are also like when they're part of the Yeah, when Nra had to choose Kingsguard, when she chose Kristen Cole. Yes, it's the same thing again. Yes, it's these women are born of a time of peace, and their knowledge and their their suggestions come from a place of ideas within their own head. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Like I said, like, there's no way they would say this to Seri's face. They wouldn't say it to Damon's face. Well, what are you going to do about it? Because your brother started this. Well what's wonderful about it is Rania and Alison are very young. However, they have a better understanding because these older ladies of what's going on, and they are they're not standing for it. Yeah, I think you're wrong, Alison. I can't imagine Allison from last episode being that forward. I feel like I don't mess with a pregnant lady. Well that too, Yeah, we're not tolerant, definitely not. There's there's definitely some pregnant lady vibes going on there. And she's like, and we near and her have that moment where they look at each other. Yeah, and they've had such turmoil and it's that moment of no, we were together on this one. Yeah, we're not friends any any way, shape or form, but on this one we stand together. Yes we do. Yeah, I saw that it was sweet and like you said, it was probably going to be the one of the last times we ever see that. So absolutely definitely. So are we moving toward the hunt or do we have are I have a little bit more on I think who have we got? Oh right? So more on the term other than fucking politicking basically. So we talked about what's expected of age one, and then the we needer's marriage we talked about about. But there's also this nagging at him about the stepstones, which is, yes, the thing. So we talked about these women saying that he should do that. But then there's there's him and how he's perceiving the situation. And I'm not quite sure I understand why he doesn't want to intervene. Do I feel like he is compartmentalizing his life because his brain is so full of I mean, I think he's only meant to be in his late thirties at that point. Yes, So, however he's unwell physically and hiding it. Apart from the masters, he has a young wife, a young son, and a child on the way. He has a teenage daughter, he's still grieving. His teenage daughter is still grieving. He has a brother who is a rogue causing major issues, and then he has a whole kingdom to deal with, and all these lords giving their points of view about his daughter the succession of the throne. It's you should do this, you should do that, And I think he's giving compartmentalizing vibes. I can only deal with this situation. Please stop talking to me about the Stepstones, because right now we're doing Bloody Kid's birthday party. Yeah yeah, and I can relate to that. I suppose. Yeah, you kind had that week, haven't you. I have that week Every week it's it's either it's podcast night, or it's Bloody Kid's birthday party or planning your friend's wedding party. Yeah yeah, all that goodness me. Yeah, yeah, you're certainly having today. I'm running to channel and this week I'm running the kingdom. Right now, the same thing. It's wine and podcast. Don't talk to me about anything else, and I could completely relate to thees. Yeah yeah, I get that overwhelmed sort of. Yeah, please don't talk to me about that. I can't do that right now. So I'm going to drink lots of wine enjoy this kid's birthday party, because that's what you're doing with your kids are two. Because they who was the cheeky person that said, oh it was Jason Lanister, Oh was there this much of a fanfare on your second name day? And she's like, oh, I don't quite remember, and I'm sure Eggon won't as well. Yeah, yeah, definitely, And halfway through the day is already decided it's fucking ruined. So I'm just going to get like, funk this. There's a white still. I was like, oh god, friends, the grandiosity of the hunting party as well, I mean, come on, this was not a hunt. This was a party on the road. You know, it was a party, festival. It was yeah, that's the word. Yeah, it's a festival. They're just like they just took their usual party and they moved it into the countryside while they go and pick on some poor fucking defenseless sag And that was just like, let's move on to the hunt, right because oh yeah, there's there's a lot of a lot of elements of this that as an animal lover, it's not cool, not all and there was a moment in my house that yes, people may laugh, okay, but I meant it with all my heart. Okay, so yeah, the hunt part. Let's go chronologically through the hunt and then and then we'll get. To that, okay, Right, So Brinita's stormed off yep and went for a wee ride in the woods. Christian Coles followed her. Had a cute moment they did. It was really sweet. Actually, it was quite lovely. He boosted her up when she needed it and paid homage to the fact that she put them in the place that he's in right now. Right line was when she was saying, do you want me to kill them? Yes? I love that, And my brother would have said that to me back in the day. Do you want me to barrow? No? It's all right? Oh god, yeah no. That was a cute moment. I quite loved that. It was nice. They're having their sort of look, Rania, I think it's time we go back. It's it's really dark, like atuallybout twenty times now. Your dad's probably getting really quite pissed off and worried now, and she's like, don't care, don't want to go back. Rage in and then there's a noise and then interesting calls like I was his sword like proper the protector, Yes, and then he gets a wild boar puts him on his arse. Yes, it's the game. I think it's up and stabs it not fatally, not exactly. And Rina was like, I got this crazy wild board and I'm sorry, but it's you know, it's fantasy. But in no way could that wee girl have overpowered that boar, like even a pig can if like their teeth are so sharp as well, like they'll deg love you. Yeah, like oh so yeah. I was watching that on the edge of the sofa, totally clenched, like, oh my god, I've already seen it. Why am I so stressed? They can do that to you more than once. And I'm sitting next to my husband. I'm a dog, and what I would say is, and we're getting to the point now. So all of this hunting stuff when there's animal noises, my dog watches TV. So she's totally watching right, and I'm like it on the end of and Maze's like, mom, what's going on? I was like, oh, kill, kill kill. She's like proper, all of her all of her pent up aggression from everything comes out on the wild Boar and she is just stabbing for the sake of stabbing, to relieve all the tension. And there's a there's a great yeah part after that where she after that, after the bit where it has to about my dog. Oh my god. But when she comes back into the camp and she's covered in blood and she's just like and just keeps walking and girl eyes on her face face, she has a blood down her face. It's the first time you see her as a fierce, fierce character. And way more than the NAIs ever was. He's very rarely got her hands strong. Yes on the cantle, the master lot Harwin Strong's his son, Yes, Yes, the older son. The younger one is Larie was introduced the strong. Yeah, Lionel from the son is total giver. He's total giving. She Oh, that was a brilliant saying and that every single setting, and like Jason Lanister like more than intimidates. Yeah he did. He was not like fe and you backed the fuck up, bitch, Yeah, definitely. It was just it was a glorious scene. Loved it, and yeah, step forward for feminism. Absolutely, but I've pushed that forward. We do have to go back to your dog, my dog. So if we're going back to the whole vibe of there's a white stag, yes, and the hunt is for the white stag, and it's all about how this is symbolism for Prince Eggon. But it turns out they don't catch the white stag. They catch another stag that size. It's a good stage. Jason Lanister previously had come with this big spear thing and serious is like, piss off Love. Oh no, he said the spear was for egg On. Oh yeah, but but he's like, I want to marry your daughter and is like. That's the faulty medal when he says, my house Wild offers strengths and just. Like you think House Targarian does not have strength, is in need of your friends. Kiss off Love, take eight hundred foot rock. I mean, come on, bigger than the wall. We never gave that enough, like you know, enough air, bigger than the wall. Come on those lanisters once again. And then it's like hard, yeah, hell, we can't all be Tyrian. So back to you. It's about the stack. So it's about the stag, and we've got to this scene where the stag is tethered and the dogs are barking and being and my dog is watching itally intently, and I'm like, oh my god, what's gonna happen? So the series has this stupid Lanister thing from Jason and he like, I don't look very sharp. It didn't it look bloot is the spin. So my dog's watching this stag's making loads of noise and I'm watching so she's looking really intently and he I'm like, oh my god, and he goes to stab the stag and I put my hand over Mazy's eyes, looking at it like I hope he was thinking, oh that's close. Three. I've no idea what I was thinking, Oh my god, what a noise. And I'm like, oh, cover Mazy's eyes. Amaze's just sitting there in my hand over her eyes. And then if you do that with your kids, I've lifted my hands off, and then then on the says, oh my lord, if you just do it slightly to your left. I was like, oh, hands over a Basy's eyes again. Oh yeah. Mazzy's like squirming to see what's going on, and I'm like, Mazie, you don't see that. And then she looked at me and I was like, I'm so, I'm still we move. I'm so he wasn't nice. It was bad. So yeah, but moving on from that stag it was more of my trauma than yes. But you know, we didn't mention actually that it was the guy said to the series when they that the white Heart was a symbol of royalty. Yes, and I thought before the targetians were around. Yeah, And I just thought that was nice. It was nice to to still be recognized some of the older customers before. So that was interesting. When it comes face to face with Ranera and Christ and Cole and Christ and Cole draws his sword and was like no, yeah, and it's looking at her and looks very noble, and she's looking at the white heart and she says no, and it just runs off and it's it's a symbol of Rinira's has some affirmation from the gods. If you will, it should be me. I think it should be me. Yeah, No, I think that's the I hope. Well, I don't know, Maybe I should write screenplay. I don't know. I can see that you say. It certainly makes sense to me, but I got something different. So the first time when I watched it, I maybe saw what you saw third Watch. What I saw was it wasn't much what I saw. It was a thought that I had, and I thought, wait a minute, do she don't want them to catch it, because it would if they went back with that stag, they'd all see it as a sign that her brother was meant to be? No. Yeah, maybe, but I think she's had so much doubt. There was there was there, and there needs to be a builder up to where Ranera starts to find her faith in herself. And I think that's it. I think that's the start, the start of it where she goes no, that's that's for me to know. Mm hmm. No, I think that what you're saying plays out, plays out better. It's certainly a better story, it's a better origin story, it's a better arc its than what I thought. I just maybe I'm just cynical. I just took me to my third Watch to be that cynical. However, though, I can see where that cynicism comes from, because Rania's because she has been a spoilt brat all episode and she's not in a place where she can be hopeful and whimsical. Yeah, but I'm hoping for Rania that that's the first thing whimsical's gone, like maybe hopeful. Maybe I'm just wisic, don't. I don't think there's much or whimsy. And Ranina's future oh I know, bless her. So yeah. One thing that I did love about this, you know how I love a good juxtaposition. But I just felt like the boar kill versus the stag kill, for you know, it was it was two completely different things. One was visceral, it was survival, and. The other one was a tethered beast. It was just it was so hard to watch. Well that's why I covered eyes. Yeah, it was awful, and I just so I wrote, I wrote one note for each. For the boar, I wrote, he's did ten and for the stag, I just wrote, ship show you eyes. Oh here. But she did make another fab entrance when she entered the camp. She's certainly becoming them. And I absolutely do animal cruelty in any way or hunting or not on a point in society. If you're going to do it, you're fucking right and kill it with one fucking blow, yes, you know not That poor animal was suffering. It was walk up to it already had the fear of I can't. It's too traumatic. It's awful. Thank god, it was a c g I stag. That's not what I can say. It was brilliant, though, wasn't it. It was? It was really good. I actually really loved the white stag, the white stag. I love the facial expression of the white stag. It was so noble. It was Yeah, I really like that. The CGI was fantastic and that was badass, absolutely badass. It was like prop It was like an orc. Yeah, it was like a word. Oh yeah, it was just it was so fierce and it was relentless. It was just it was going for the It gave Ada Gordon with the word vibes, That's what it gave. However, Ara Goron went over the cliff and Ronina was like, oh no, not today, Oh definitely, so yes, absolutely fantastic. You got any other any other notes from the hunt? No? That was that. That was all for me. So where do we go from here? Well, before we leave the feast, I feel like we need to pay a little bit of homage to the Voice of Reason. Oh come on, everyone is like wanting a piece of this and a piece of a series and a piece of ruanera piece egg, and they said, so done. And he are you going to say, Jess that your son who has what? What is he falled? I think it's in the clip. I'll just pop that in. We've sent our writers to find Vernal graceful. So Kristen went after her. So the hope is that they are together. The girl is a heedless contrary. Fine said forbade her to wear a lanister, she would have run off with Lord. Jason out of spite. She probably wish truly great Doug here and king. Powerless over my known daughter. He's a bit put by, now, isn't he? Peace? While his children drove him to the edge of madness, his daughters in particular, see. The voice of tradition. It's so nice, he's lovely. Do you wish to hear my opinion on the matter? Should? I guess. You believe that your son saw him brak Bones, the strongest knight in the seven kingdoms. He's the best match for. All you flatten me or Grace, But no, it would seemed to me the best match for Raniera is the son of the sea Sake. So Lenor some years ago I counted you to take his sister to wife my reasoning remains the same. Lene Or is of pure Valerian descent. He shares blood with your cousin, the Princess Release, and he is the heir to the wealthiest house in the realm. The breach between your houses is not narrow since I. Last spoke of it. It would do much to assuage Lord call Us of any slights, real or imagined. Hum. We must pray, of course, that Leno survives the fighting in the step Stones. Well, yes, wait, I kind of feel like in that moment, is it he's slippery his own opinion in there about the intervention. I think he is the voice of reason when it comes to the marriage of Rania, because he's a good father and a good person, But when it comes to being a tactician, he's also slipped that in that. Actually, if he survives the Stepstones, so as Vices goes, Actually, the Stepstones is something that I have to pay heed to because the only thing that Vices seems to be concentrated on at the moment is his children. Yeah, so I don't think it's in a manipulating sense that it's just in a point of look, Vices, as you're met, I'm having a point this out to you. Look, no, I don't want your daughter to marry my son. That's very flattering. But this is what I think. This is what I've always thought. I've always wanted the best for your house. I am a supporter of you. However, the step Stones is, he is so clever. The Stepstones is a major issue, and I'm pointing it out to you in a very diluted way so as you take heed of it from a point of view that you are interested in. Yeah, and it's the manipulation that I give my children. It comes from a loving place. Yes, yes, definitely. And let's for a second just pay heed to the fact that his son is far and strong. Yeah, and he absolutely could have advocated that marriage if he wanted to. Absolutely, And let's face it, we like them well she does in the end, And yeah, he could have if he was in a position. He's a he's a noble house, he's a position of power himself, and he could have pushed that issue easy. But he's the only one there that's not pushing his own agenda. Yeah, he's a good guy. It reminds me very much. Off varies, Yeah, because he always said that he served the realm. Yeah, and I feel that the same vibe from Lionel Strong. Yeah, that he's serving the realm. He is about what he's serving the series. It's about what's right for him and his house and his reign. Yeah, not the advancement of himself. And that's rare in this show. He's read in life, well yeah, yeah, definitely. People not pushing their own agendas is rare in life. Very very rare. So I suppose the only other thing left to talk to you before we we dive into the hot stuff is where the discussion on Venida's marriage options goes. So we come to one of those really awkward scenes within House of the Dragon where Auto comes to talk to his daughter and it's very very pregnant, and it's so manipulative, and he's just like, essentially, you need to talk to your husband and you need to do what I'm asking you to do. I don't even know if he was manipulating. He was just say, yeah, this is what needs to be done, because he's because he's got to that stage bankers though, Yeah, like she's just accepted it and the he doesn't. He's got so much control over Alison at this point that he doesn't even have to. Manipulate it anymore. He's just like, this is what you need to do, and this is why you need to do it, and she immediately does it, and oh my god. Right and. Sound audio that we call that EL cut. So the scene has already changed, but the audio is still looking out or is it the other way around. You've got a J cut and an EL cut, so the audio continues. So if you imagine that, and she's walking into the room with fasers, yes, yes, so, And it was really really clever. I like that it's an EL cut just because of the way an ellis shit is. I was sitting there trying to put herself you know. It's an EL cut, and I'll and I love that editing choice. It's brilliant because it's, like you say, it's immediate. Yeah. So he's barely finished his sentence and she's already walking into this room, and it totally pushes it home. She is like, I'm going to do as my dad tells me. However, she loves Vassers, she loves her husband, but she's so manipulated after years of this that she's like, Okay, I'll just do it. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, and she's just she's she's a puppet. She really is, which is sad because she seems like a smart girl who has her own mind. We certainly will see more of that later, yeah, we will, but right now, I just I feel for her and his creepy control of her. And although he sent her to do that her she kind of flumps down in the chair and has it's very conversational. Ye, it's acted out that there's no manipulation on her part. Yeah, she's just having a conversation. Yeah, Okay, I need to talk to you about something. Yeah, and and there it begins. Yeah, and it's She's still she's still on we Needa's side at this point to a certain degree. But she loves her son and understands the reasoning that her father has. But is that ship roll in the cusp? It's big Bro High Towers putting the pressure on Auto or puts the pressure on Alison, and then the ship takes a week turn up hill as she tries to. Put the pressure on the series. Yeah, but she doesn't successfully flow up, so it doesn't. Then that's why Ses ends up making his own choices within the show, like the way that takes the turn from being a very conversational thing to what's that it's a letter? Mm hmm, and then we the whole vibe of the episode changes. It does Alison as well. For the first she's like, why aren't you sending aid? Yes? This is this is a request for aid? Why are why are you not sending it? It's the first time that we see her make a direct, forceful kind of yeah, it's okay, you need to make a stand here, rather than being us to port of role. Yeah. She's like, no, there is no choice here. This is what you're supposed to do. Immediately in that moment, and I love how she suspected her paraphrased what he said. Yeah, and she's like, no, if it was this way, they say it this way. And he's like okay. She's like, what would the realm think of me if I offer them aid? Now he's like, well, perhaps they think that you're a man that loves his brother. Yeah, And he's like, I don't know if that's true. That's more or less waits. I think these words were if you believe that, then you're a you're a truly good person or something along those like he's even doubting his love for Damon and we know he loves statement, but. I mean, that's what I said, it's doing. He's just so racked with guilt about everything, yeah, that he just second guesses himself at every opportunity. Yeah, he has been drinking a lot of these last few days. Yes, it's a hard shift being the king Italy is heavy as the crown or heavy is the head that where's the crowd? That's the one? So yeah. Eventually all leads to this conversation between Vissers and Runia though. Yeah, and oh my heart just it was it just got a little bit fuzzy for a second in that moment when he says to her that she can marry her own choice. You know what was the hardest part for me watching that When he says that to her and their conversation's over and she gets up and he gets up, and there's no hug. It to be some sort of a look between the two of them, and he was like, Ronia, I love you and you can pick who you want. Please, I'm giving you a throw me a freaking bam here. Yeah, and she looks at I'm like thanks dad, But there's no hug. And there been a hug, but she that smile, she was just she was trying so hard to hold it in, and she turns her face away from them and tries. It was shy. It was a shy, embarrassed smile. It was just it was spreading all over their face and there was nothing she could do to control it. I think that I feel that differently. I viewed that, but that was the split. Second after he said it. It all happened in a second. I didn't do it that way. Oh. I viewed it as all the pain that both of them had felt. And there was that moment between them of understanding and well not so much understanding, but I've given you a lifeline and she accepted it. But it wasn't enough for them to connect. It wasn't quite. But there was death like at that moment that I didn't imagine it. It happened. She was just bursting with a smile that took over her face and and it wasn't enough to budge the gap. It was. It wasn't. They've got a lot of work to do, but it was a start, and I think that's what her face said, Yeah, it's a start, Okay, I can meet you halfway here. And I felt like I saw her walls crumble in that moment, just a little bit, a little bit, a little bit. She she brought them down a little bit. She let go of some of her anger, not all of it, but there's a lot to let go off. Yeah, but she definitely let go of some of them. I felt like in that moment she, if I could get inside her head, her head was thinking, maybe I'll be a bit less of a brat then, yeah, a little bit. Okay, maybe I'm I'm wrong, but I'm still going to hold on to this because everything that everyone else has said. You can't take that away with a couple of sentences. No, and that's that was a vibe I got from her that Okay, Dad, thanks for that little bit, but you can't take it all away with just that. Yeah, okay, I think we're both going to have to watch the scene again when we're finished. Yeah, yeah, let's rewatch that scene. I'm unsure I saw something different that that's the beauty of it is, and I would love to hear what our listeners think of that scene. Yes, absolutely, please let us know what you think of that scene, because it's. Even if it's like a couple of episodes down the line, we've already moved on. Please come back, because especially in moments where we're not quite seeing it the same way, we would like to hear a third opinion, of course. And that's that's the power of these beautiful stories. And there's been the screenplay and the direction and everything's been done by other people, and it's it's so individual experience of something and the best bit of fantasy is sharing it with other people. Definitely, definitely, And I think that's it's It's like the more the more in depth a storyliner perspective is, the more universal it becomes relatable. It's so clever, fantastic writing. The way we relate to the characters within fantasy is really quite special. I think, yeahs an escape. Definitely, and it's an expression of for all our own and our needs to be special, to be important, to live a life full of adventure and prospects. And you know, we relate to every character like this episode my week, like dragon rides or anything like that's not going to happen in my life, but. Through these characters and the battle tactician in me, you know, I like, I love nothing better than to pick up suns and just read some of his you know, principles of War. And I love that sort of thing, And through these episodes you can sit there and live that for yourself. I love sitting there watching you know, them planning for battle going. But that's not a good booth. That's certainly not be good. They're going to cut you off there. I'd make a fantastic battle tactician, fantastic tragist. I've served my time on Elder Schools online. Yes, well have general in that war during COVID anyway, So I think unless you have any other notes on the matters at hand, there's nothing less to talk about except the stepstones and the dragons. Oh yeah, dragons, which kind of intermingling to together. So I think we should just officially call this our dragon section. Ah, we're moving into the dragon section for people. Fasten your seat belts. Well, that opening scene. It was absolutely fantastic. Every opening scene has been so good, but this one. Yes, I mean the first one we had the dragonfly and the second one we've got the crab feeder on the beach, and it was all very teepe and but this. Is full of fire and blood. Absolutely yeah, yeah, it was freaking epic. So I love it. You've got this guy on the beach and he's like, fuck you, Prince Drayhar and he nails them the post and he's screaming at the top of his lungs and he puts the crabs on them and they're start crawling towards his facing. You're just like, oh my god, this poor guy. Oh this is awful. And then out of nowhere fucking Dracardis. You're just like, come on, car Access. Absolutely the first watch through on this my only notes for the same word oof kraxies. It was just absolutely brilliant. I love it. The guys like, yes, yes, burn those cuts of life. But we've seen these moments of Chacxis where it's like, Carraccis is a bad ass. Car Acxis is giving car Access is given face. Caraxis is like, I am a badass, but you haven't seen it yet. And now Caraxis is like, come on, this is the real car Acxis. And you really see this dragon as a formidable dragon, a big war dragon, big time yes, and he's I loves so unique to the rest of the dragons. He's like so serpent, Like yeah, and. It's one of the best stunning, stunning visuals for an opening scene. It's amazing. I love this bit. The guy's like, he's like, burn those cuts a live, save me my prints splash, just stop up. You're like, oh, well that was not the rescue you were hoping for. It was a quick death. It was a very quick death. He did not feel a thing. And it's better than those crabs, absolutely definitely. So yeah, they like this point. Obviously, all these pirates are retreating into the caves and you see graxies fire breathing into the caves, but of course fire rises, so it's just going to the top and they're free and clear, and you're like fuck and I love that. Like Damon's like. Come out and face me, dre Her, and then he says and this is a bit this holiness, and he's poy Tonian accent. It's like, I feed you to your own crabs, and it's just like, yeah, I'm not feeling the threatening here, but the dragon's given it. But the dragon was giving it. The dragon was giving it, but I wasn't feeling it from Damon in that second, and it's just yeah, wrong tone Damon or wrong tone Matt Smith. Yeah, you tried, you tried, manacing was not what you achieved in that moment, No, it wasn't. But the dragon was pulling it off for you. So we're all good. We love the scene, we love the scene. But oh my god, it was just so funny. It's like I would feed you to your own crabs, oh dear so yeah. And then of course the arrows. There's not much you can do against that or caraxies, but caraxies was like taking it. He was cool. Traxies didn't flinch until Damon took an arrow. Yeah, and that was quite powerful as well. It was like you had this the visual of Deamon on the back of this dragon on fire, like do you need to adjust your seatmayeh. I have tried to really quietly not sit on my foot because I don't want to have pins and needles, and that's what happens, guys when you take a break and sit down incorrectly. Do you imagine you sat on your own foot on dragon back in that scenario and had pins and needles in that moment and then tried to do your Etonian accent of I will wed you do your own crabs I have pins and needles in my foot. Oh so true. We're moving on from the opening scene, so we go back to the letter that viceis has and alisand says, well, what's that. It's a letter? So that letter is very very important. Yes, because Demon did not ask for help, No, he did not. It was famous Valarian. Yeah, and that had asked for the help. Neither Corliss, Valarian nor Demon were are willing to ask for help. From the crowd. And it's a secret to Corliss. And yes they do not know this. They are. The war is not going well on step Stones, so we're having a moment where it's like hm hmm, we're running out of food. It could do just for a fortnight if we rationed it, well, possibly slightly longer. And then there's the whole sort of well, you know. They're hiding in the caves. We can't get at them. Yeah, well, oh I think there's one guy that could maybe draw them out. Oh well who's that? Well? Demon lovely that his nephew has such faith in him. He does, he was he thought Damon was the man. And his uncle's a bit like, oh but his dad's giving that sort of face of yeah, I know you might be onto something in their pal and this poor guy, it's like, I have a message King versers, oh the poor guy. For the love of God, poor guy. Just before the poor. Guy though, there was a really funny lie. Yes it was. Later to his uncle, he's like, how have you served the realm other than being Master of complaints? Relliant, absolutely brilliant as and it he should make that an actual role. Yes, that's brilliant. He does get his come up. And so master of complaints, Oh he does. You were complaining? Gets your pal no, big time. But so they're all sitting there and they're like, there's this one guy, and the poor guy comes in with a letter and then. Let's play the Let's. Play the letter and then we'll let you know how that's received. Brother, I have ordered ten ships and two thousand men to set sail from King's Land to join the effort in the stepstones. The time and circumstance have seen as estrange. Know that it is not my desire to see you fail in your cause. It is instead my hope that this aid will deliver the victory that has thus far evaded us. I shall pray nightly to the gods for your safe return. Short and sweet. Yeah, but first of all, you know, Damons just walked in to this scene where they're all, you know, there's a bit of dissension in the ranks. Yeah, they're all arguing and you know, everybody's trying to put their ten pains worth and and you know, getting shot down life and they're all. Yeah, and it's absolutely the case of look, stop trying to create a rebellion here. Yeah, like you're you're being at all stop it. He absolutely got put in his place big time. Yeah, And Damons walked in in the middle of this and he can feel it. He heard a bit of it. He's in he's pissed off as well. He's been out on Dragon back. I love this scene though, where he just comes in held it off and he's like, what's the chat? Exactly what is the chat? And then this poor guy, he's like, oh, the Chad from King Versara that don't know, I don't know why he's a puppet now. So this is my. My first thought was the first note I have on this is this guy and I just wrote need for the face pashion? What was that. Need? Whatsoever? I get he's angry, he's he's spent the last three years fighting this war in the stepstones because he has been you try to prove himself. Yeah, his his niece has taken what he feels this is right to the throne. He needs to find his place. He's losing this war. His brother hasn't supported him in the slightest and then suddenly this little guy comes in with this message from his brother and all the rage he's pent up for three years and more about his brother, This poor wee guy, he's like and just right, he said, murder the ship and everybody's grabbing him. And I was watching it and thinking, who's going to be brave enough to grab him? And yeah, and it's the Valarians that are like whoa, whoa, whoa, no, no, no, But yeah, he lets everything out in that moment, absolutely, and then he goes he walks off and he gets in. He's we bought and he's going for it. And I'm uncle as to whether there was a conversation in which they made a plan or if you just walked off and got onto the boat, because that's the way it was presented. Yeah, but I feel it was a bit of. A discussion about a plan before he did it. It was. You may be right in the overhearing part yeah, and the oh no. Basically uncle Demon is the cool guy that will do it. Yeah, and then he's like bash this poor guy's head. And then he's fuck it, kill beans. I'll just go with your plan. I'm I'm going to roll myself into a blouse. I'd like to think that he would check that they were aware that this was the plan in action. I think. I think after spending three years with these guys and being tactical, also keeping care, acxis back from that. Yes, he's obviously at least had a chat with Caraxis instead. Luke did not cool kind of have to lure these crab guys out, so you're going to have to hang back. In the conversation with the Dragon Elbow on the rock things, is like nodding like yeah, no, dude, no, I get that. I get where you're coming from. And Demon's like, yeah, no, you're going to have to hang back, man, Like you're going to give it away. Like you're you're massive, dude, You're You're totally massive. Is like yeah, no, I get that. I'm not offended. So true. Or Vallarians like yeah, right, Okay, see smoke, we're up this time, like correct is going to hang back? This is our ye the main stage. We're main stage this time. Smokes like yeah, yeah, totally like Scooby Doo, like you know, you know, I'm just taking that dragon chat way too far. That's good, right. So yeah, it gets to this beach, right and is he strolls up and wag he's white flag and you see the crab feeder and there I have questions. I have Fiona questions. Fiora knows all when it comes to this, right, I have questions. So is he has white flag and he takes the sword out? Is it dark sister? Yes it is, yes, so and what is the dagger? The dagger? He has a sword and he has. A dagger, just a dagger. So but I was like, is it dark sister? Because I was like, oh my god, Like I mean your surrender your sword. It's another thing to surrender that sort yeah, And I was like, oh my god, yeah, I was. Quite taking a back by that. Thanks for bringing that up, because I would have stepped right over that there because it wasn't in the front of my head. So I had to know. I had to know. So yes, it was during his fight scene. Yeah, he does drop the sword and he always picks it back up, and I thought. It is it's his ancestral sword. And then I wondered and I got confused with the with the lore like is a black fire blackfire is the one that Yeses has black fire? So those are the two Valerian Valerian steel Yeah, yeah, I was right. It was dark Sister. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, he certainly was. And that's a huge thing for him to be surrended in it, which is why I'm thinking, do you know what, like how these guys did not know it was a trap? He gave it till the last point, didn't poker face? He did. I was thinking, how was that mask still on your face? What level of pain are you in? It's absolutely he has very melted skin. His hair is very sparse. I had a look about this. Actually he so the gray scale had not only affected legged apparently spread his brain as well. Right, Okay, And the mask that he wore he found in a shipwreck and it's off Gascar origin and it's the same kind that was used by the Sons of the Harpy two hundred years later. Am I right? In saying that he has Prince Craggers Crags Drahan. He is a self proclaimed prince, right, Okay, Prince Admiral actually is the title that he's given himself. And that's all we know about him. That that's all I could find on him, and other than what happens between him and Damon. But yeah, that's it. So he he has he has grace Gale and it's spread to his brain and all over his face and et cetera, which we saw. So how great a tactician was he before it had spread because he does seem quite switched, Yeah, he does. And then but at the same time, the whole feeding people of the crabs thing does seem to be delving into madness. Yeah so but he's Yeah, so he's part of what they call the triarchy, which to me reminded me of the Triumphrate, which was Marcus crass Pompey and Julius Caesar and this was this big power triangle. So they're this hell Marcus crass Is had the money and the wealth, and POMPEII. Was the he No, Pompey the person, not the place, Okay, So it's Pompey and Pompey. With an eye at the end. Pompey is an ey. I want you could see the face I was making right now. I wish you could do. So. Yeah, so disappointment and not being the volcano blaze, although Marcus Crasss did have a fight with Sparkus at the foot of Volcano Pompey, so yeah, there is a connection to Pompeii there further down the line. But at this point, Julius Caesar and Marcus Crassus and so Julius Caesar had the title, and Marcus Crassus had the wealth, and Pompey had the armies, and together they were just a powerhouse. And that's what I feel like they're trying to portray here triarchy. So yeah, really really cool. But no, that's really cool. And when you do the edit that you're going to cut out asking for this, can you please put a pompeiid noise volcano thing? And when I ask about that, because I'd really like that, please, thank you. You want to leave me asking for volcano bompy eruption noise in and then that's absolutely fine too. I am totally cool that I just felt like there was a need for that to be in there. I'll see how it goes during the edit. I jumble this about a bit, but it might leave it all. Yeah. But yeah, so we've got this guy and he is like he's contagious. Yeah, he looks contagious to be fair, and I'm just thinking, what are you going to do when you get him, because like, I don't think you should touch him. He's not stepping forward from his cave hole. No, he's just there looking minging. Oh he's gross. And Demon is absolute poker face. And then he gets to a point where he's like taking this hard back. Damny stabb with my knife, a little dagger. He running, He flips this one, he Malki's that one, he chips the next one. It's absolutely total Stephens said Gal Vibes. He liked it. How many arrows felt that he dodged? Come on, so when Damon ran the gauntlet, Yeah, he had fifteen takedowns before he took an arrow. Well done, Demon, absolutely freaking brilliant. I loved it. I won Demon's Gal didn't even break a sweat, not a button off his shirt. Absolutely. So the first thing I thought, is, like, you know, apart from don't touch him was fuck your backup? That was that was the total vibe. That was the whole thing. That was the smashing the guy's face, and that was jumping in the boat. That was that From that moment when he. Sat with that podcast, well of course you're going to fuck the backup, and I'm going, where's the backup? Where's the backup? Where is it? Why is he so confident there must be back up? Where are you guys? Why is there not a dragon? Ah? I just saw fuck your backup? He was like he was in there. I mean, little did that. I know at this point that there was back up there. I felt like Damon had just gone off solo and the side. Oh no, no, no no, I was time. The first time I watched that, I thought, is he really just going to try and take on all these guys by himself. I didn't realize they'd actually actually executed the plan because they didn't. Really talk about it. They were talking about it before Damon landaid he's caught the tail end of it, and then he bashed some guys face in and wanders off. I can only surmise, like I said that, there was some kind of chat with his shoulderer, like yeah, or elbow sitting on a rock like our car accents, you know, not this time, dude, definitely. So after the fifteen gauntlet takedowns, then it's just let's fucking go, right. You see all these guys are running in towards him, and then it was the surrounding. They were completely off the arrows and then I remember he took an arrow at the beginning of the episode as well. There's one in his one in his chest or on his chest plate, yeah, one underneath his breastplate that's sort of in his lower stomach, and one in his thigh. Yes, and he snaps them off and he's just badass, like, oh god, that's so fucking sore, but I'm up fuck it, and you knows he in that moment, you can see that he knows, Yeah, these guys are coming. And then you see the Valarius Dregs and the Brilliant and then it's dragon. Oh it was just like it was brilliant. It was absolutely amazing scene sea smokes floating around the sky because remember this is our dragon section. I was completely confused in the dragon section. I'm like, is it car Axis? Is it? Why is leonard Onis? Like, what's going on, and then I'm like, oh, no, it can't be. And then I'm like, oh, well, who's whose dragon is that? Oh? Does he have his own dragon? And I'm like Sea Snake Smoke confused? Help? Yeah, so it was leaner on Sea Smoke. At one point I thought there was another dragon there and it wasn't Karaxis because Karraxies is very distinguishable because of that serpent Like, yeah, thing, it's just very clever screenplay, I think, yeah, But it was just maybe a shadow that made the because Sea Smoke's really white, and I think maybe in shadow it didn't look so white. So I thought it was another dragon, and I thought, for a minute, is it Melly's because Melly's would be on Team Vladi on absolutely, but she wasn't there, and I would feel like if Mellie's was going to play a. Part, we would have seen Rainy's. Yeah, So then I googled it to see if there was more than one dragon in that scene, and then no, there wasn't. The only one that was mentioned was Sea Smoke. It yes, and so. Was owning it. There was and he took out so many that all the ones that surrounding it was brilliant It was so good and he was so enjoying himself, wasn't it. He was, And it is everything I want from a house to the dragon episode. It's like brand new. We're only three episodes in, but we've all seen Game of Thrones and this is exactly what you wanted. We got this little bit of dragon flight at the beginning, and some dragon fire during our. Funeral, and then this is what we've been waiting for. This is this brings us right back into those big, massive battles with the fire and the string crescendos and all like, oh, it was just it was a stunning I don't remember Lenor Valaria and being this cool in the books. No, And I mean, I'm still I'm the same as you. I'm really listening to it on audible because it was twenty twenty when I read it, so first time read for you, second time four years later for me. But I genuinely don't remember this guy being that cool. He's he is a warlord. Yes, he's a dragon rider, and he's fucking cool. He's a cool guy. And I felt like in the books he was a bit more portrayed as like less than Ranierer, you know, kind of sort of. He's a forced to be wreckon with himself. Absolutely, he was powerful. He was a leader, good ideas and good insight and yeah, stick like. When his uncle is very much his elder, who made a stupid point, he was very quick to shut him down. He was confident enough in his own self and his own abilities, his own insight to know that he was talking shy. So to be honest, w we covered a lot of the funny lines while we were going through my scenes that they were in. Well, I only have one that we didn't cover during the scenes, and that was the opening conversation between Otto and his brother, and his brother's like, your grandson really does have a kingly presence, doesn't he? And all says yes, Well, but this morning he was eating porrige with his hands. Yeah, of a toddler, absolutely relate to that. Absolutely. So he was eating porrige with her hands yesterday. She was also eating creyons today. That was fun. She was drawing away quite happily, and. Then I turned around and I'm like, where are you eating that? Creyle? Give it a go, Just give it a go here, daughter, are the smartest wee girl in the world. So you know, that's a nice color. That. Yellow. I think that's what happened, is it? Like Nina? So other notes from the episode. Did you have any funny lines? I think we cover them all. Just once again, that Lady red Wine, just how have you served the realm of late Lady red Wine by eating cake? And that pug eating her cake was just so hilarious. I just I was so dead and I put it back three times to watch the pug eat that lady's cake. It was so so funny. And the other part, which I think I may be the only person at the world that found this as funny as it was, was Kristin Cole when he said, you want me to kill him? Oh no, that's my not want me to kill It was good, It was very good. I liked it. We had a little smirk afterwards. He didn't mean it as a joke, but he delivered a dead pad and then smiled afterwards, which is my kind of humor. That's kind of how I delivered my jokes. Yeah, it's a Scottish thing, I think maybe. Yeah. Thea is definitely a Scottish and I totally reminded me of my brother, and that's my brother would say that you want me to kill like, no, no, no, Michael, I don't. I don't mean that. So other notes was, no, we did that, We did that. Just the one that Renina was not wearing her necklace. Oh god, I'm noticed now she did not. I didn't notice that in the earlier scenes she was wearing a high collar neck during the whole hunt thing. It was in the later scene with her and Jaharis and not Harris with her and Viseries that she was wearing a lower cut neck and she had a gold chain on. And I just noticed the gold chain was pretty, and then I went, wait a minute, she's got a very special necklace. She's not wearing it right now. So yeah, I did that. Was that was really my only other note. So that brings us to the rip section. It's a sad rip section this week. It is is today we said goodbye to the boar, fought bravely. We also said goodbye to the stag. It didn't get a chance to fight bravely. It did not, And I shielded my mazy mood and it suffered unnecessarily. Yes, it was pinned down, and all he had to do was strike one killing blow and wild to be fair. He was given a blunt, fucking gold spear concolightly to the left. They could have spared my dog, the agay. Poor dog, pure stag, So yes, rest in peace, the stag and the boar. We also said goodbye to a bunch of it's a trap, you dumb ass pirates. And that poor man at the beginning begging for his prince to save him, squished by caraxis. Yes, rest in peace, poor soul. And finally we said goodbye to the crab theater Prince Drehar, Prince Admiral of the Triarchy, with his intestines hanging out for all to see as Prince Demon dragged him from his cave. He did have gloves on, didn't they? Please tell me how? I can't remember. I have no idea. At least he had gel or something. I don't know, but that was just not not okay in any way, shape or form. Let me be dragging on like a hook with a chain or something like. But please don't tell me you touched him. So maybe they all rest in peace. That brings us to the end of the rip section, and it's time for the news. Oh wow, Well, I'm going to be very honest here and I have done no news because I have had the I have had a week, is what I'll call it on a Monday. Yes, it was certainly do have news, not a lot. I got one article here, which is it's about a conversation starter to be honest with Yeah. So this article Clay is in the Metro and it claims that House of the Dragon is already made one big mistake with toxic fans ahead of the season two. Okay, so they're talking about the black versus the Green trailer and choose your side. They put out these trailers and most of the fans that we assume have seen them, or at least no of them. We have the black trailer and the Green trailer. And the article is basically describing the fact that they are divisive, that they are splitting fans down the middle, starting crazed arguments that was quite ripe during season one and then following on from that, a lot of actors took a lot of backlash on the back of crazed fans who are attacking these people for the roles that they play. Do they say who? I believe? I can't remember her name now looked up earlier on and I can't remember now the girl that plays Young Alison had to delete her Twitter Okay, hold on, I can find that. Emily Carey, Emily Carey, so Young Emily Carey had to delete her Twitter account because of abuse that she was taking. Okay, So people get a bit obsessed, they choose their size and it's very polarizing, and so HBO have been criticized for this polarizing type of advertising. It is divisive and it creates these massive rows online amongst fans. I think absolutely discussing this as a general thing, it's fine, But I think I'd like to say that the Metro, for example, in my opinion, isn't a reliable source. Oh no. So however, it is a good talking point for that Yes, which is why for that subject I. Would normally just not even I would dis regard the Metro. But once I had a look at the article, I realized. It that is actually a good point. It was I agree. So so I said, if you're unfamiliar with what happened on social media during season one, just imagine opening a door to a room that contains people yelling very loudly and very angrily about something. You simply just want to relax and enjoy. Now, imagine yourself closing that door to block out all the noise, but realizing you can still hear all the yelling despite it being shut. That is what has always been like to be a neutral viewer of House of the Dragon, desperately trying to ignore arguments over who's the best between Alison and Rinia, choosing instead to focus on the larger anti war and anti patriarchal story being told, but finding yourself unable to. Escape, and thanks to decision made by. The people responsible for promoting season two, that yelling is only going to get louder. I would like to say on that note that fantasy, for me, and I know for you and most of my friends is an escape. Yeah, and we enjoy it in that respect. We have our views, but we don't impress them on other people. And anybody that uses something that I love, like fantasy, to turn that into something negative and hateful, they're not genuine fans. They are just negative and hateful people, and they are using something that I find very dear to me to just be a negative and hateful person. I agree, So I don't think that fans of fantasy should true fans Yeah, No, I've been to comic on so many times and it's such a lovely environment. There's such lovely people. There's no there's no hate, there there's no shame, there there's every everyone gets to be themselves. And I always find there's always someone that jumps on the bandwagon of something that you love because they're a horrid person. Yeah, with their hateful lattitude and spoils it. Yeah. So I find that, like, you know, you get these these actors who you know, you're watching this character unfold in front of you, and they are horrible. They are absolutely hateful, And all I see is a wonderful actor, wonderful doing a fantastic times. Have we said it over the last few Jack Gleason that played Geoffrey, Yeah, he is acting again now I'm glad to here. But he was traumatized. He's quit acting. I was so great at that part. He was. It's brilliant. Yes, he was the most hated man in the country, but his character was you stupid people, not the person, not Jack. He was fantastic in his role and he was hated and persecuted for it. And I believe that this is the same thing that we're talking about here. The article goes on to say, purely from a market in the perspective, is a genius move. What big TV shows need right now is engagement, and they'll get that. In Spade Blacks will argue was greens and vice versa. Casual watchers will think that they need to pick aside. Whoever came up with the idea has earned their pay packet for the year. But the reaction to the split tailers hasn't been completely positive. On x user, Muna said, the House of the Dragon fandom and fandom culture in general has gotten toxic, but the fact that HBO is exploiting that toxicity for views and engagement instead of protecting the cast members is discussing even as far away as Brazil. A far of the show commented, I avoid comment on hoty here so's not to get involved in with the fandom again. But I found it interesting, to say the least, the series marketing choice to use to choose a side premise after the actors talk so much about that assment they suffered because of it in the first season. So hold on a minute, It's okay to make a whole series and spend millions or billions of dollars on this on things that are controversial. However, your opinion is something that you can be absolutely persecuted for or you're acting within that show, or something you can be persecuted for, and that's not okay with the world. It doesn't make any sense to me. So it's not real. The real people are carrying out their job and doing a fantastic job. If you can't see that for what it is, maybe you shouldn't list to this podcast. Because we are not people that persecute actors for performing brilliantly within their role. No, we're that that's not going to happen. It's not okay as far as I'm concerned, and it never will be okay on this show. No, you need to be identify something for what it is and be real and give people credit for the wonderful creative jobs that they do. Yes. Absolutely, it's a story, guys, It's a story exactly. This is the truth of it, and this is why I felt like we needed to talk about this. On In Instagram, people are already accusing those on opposing side of supporting Team Incest and backing the bitch Queen. It's all scarily reminiscent of how Dark Things Got during the first season. In twenty twenty two, Emily Carey, who played the young Alison how Tower in season one, was still a teenager when the first season of House of the Dragon was broadcast. The poor girl shut down her Twitter accounts numerous times because of the hateful comments about her character and performance from Team Black fans. The social media accounts belonging to Sarah Hes and Claire Kilner, two women who wrote and directed episodes in season one, were targeted with misogynistic bile sent by Team Green fans for choosing to produce certain Green characters in a negative light. Years before that, Game of Thrones cast member Sophie Turner was forced to leave social media after receiving abuse for her portrayal of Sansa Stark, and outside of Game of Thrones, fandom just looking too the stories of Star Wars actors Kelly Marie Tran, Ahmed Best and Jake Lloyd, who portrayed characters that particular fandom decided it was unhappy with. Not only does this current marketing campaign miss the point of a series that explicitly displays the incomprehensible negative cost of war, and conflict, but it spoils the experience for everybody watching, from fans to casual viewers, right through to the cast and creative team, and it's disappointing to see HBO so willingly play up to it in Game of Thrones itself. Sharen Barrathian Kelly Ingram, one of the few innocent characters and the entire story reads a history book that outlines the events currently being depicted in House of the Dragon. She is asked by her father Stanis Barrathian whether she would have chosen to support the Greens or the Blacks if she'd been alive to witness the war. I wouldn't have chosen either side, Sharen says. It was all the choosing sides that made everything so horrible. We should all absorb the meaning of Sharen's words before it's too late. I I have mixed feelings about that. I feel like the article is biased. It's biased against HBO's advertising campaign, and I don't completely disag with the marketing strategy. I think it's it's clever and as long as people do aren't taking it all too fucking seriously, then it's just a bit of fun. Yeah, it's it's a story. It's a story. It's a made up story. And the world is full of hateful people, hateful, entitled people that I've caused the world to come up with these insane legislations and red tape that make life so difficult to live in, even just sticking in the realms of fantasy and stuff. It's these standards that people expect from You know what, why don't you go and write an epic fantasy. You see, if you can do any better. They are living in epic fantasy, they really are. And you know what, one of my favorite lines from Game of Thrones is, if you think this story has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention. Yeah, And I feel like that's what a lot of these people are missing. It's like, this story is not here to please you and your idealisms of how the world should be. It's George Martin's fantasy. It's his world that he's created. It's his story to tell. He's created that world from historical it's his version of historical fiction. Yeah, absolutely, taking the best bits. We've got a little bit Caesar in there, We've got a little bit of you know, myths and legends. We've got this wall, We've got all the I mean with it pissing anybody off. If you don't have the fucking intelligence to absorb that, don't watch it. Yeah, readings happen. You know, it might be a fantasy, but some of them really did happen in real life in a worse way. Absolutely, So I think that pretty much brings us. It does bring us to a close listening to rambling red wine filled old ladies. Now at this point, yes it's getting about Randy. But yeah, thanks for listening. Guys. It's been a fab show. We will be back next time with episodes four and five, The King of the Narrow Sea and we. Like the way. If you want to contact us, you can head over to our website, the unreliver dot com, where you can find links to our Facebook page and Patreon to review, like, follow, and subscribe. You can also leave us a voice message that we may use on the show. Finally, you can email us at listener zone at the unreliver dot com. If you like what we're doing here and you want to support the show, then you can visit patreon dot com slash the Unreel Hour, where you can subscribe for ad free listening early access episodes and explosive content. If you don't want to commit to a monthly subscription, then you can buy us a coffee at buyingeocoffee dot com. Slash the Unreal Hour. All your donations will go back into the show to cover costs and keep lights on. Once again, Thanks for listening. Until next time, Keep it Unreal.