"The Burning Mill" (HOTD S2E3) (ACOIAF #12)

Father, aren't you cold? Now? What are you reading? The Dance of Dragons. It's the story of the fight between the near A Targerian and are Half by the Dragon for control of the Seven kingdoms. Both of them thought they belonged on the Iron throne. When people started declaring for one of them or the other, their fight divided the kingdoms. In two brothers, four brothers. Dragons fought dragons. By the time it was over, thousands were dead, and it was the disaster for the Tigerians as well. They never truly recovered. That's dragons. Why is that a dance? It's just what they call it. I think it's poetic. If you'd had to choose between Nanierra and He, who would you have chosen? Who wouldn't have chosen either? So the choosing sides that made everything so horrible. Welcome to the Unreal Hour. Hi there, and welcome our show. And Fiona and I'm Emma. This is season two, episode three of Part of the Dragon. It's called the Burning Mill. It is, and that is a pivotal moment in Georgie's books. And I think they've done. It justice, don't you, Yes, yeah, I would say so. So this episode was directed by Gita Vesant Patel and written by David Hancock, who is known for the Crown Cool. So overall, thops, what did you think? It was a very talky episode? It was it was the cam before the storm I've got here. Yeah, I would go with that, But for a very talky episode, I missed the stunning dialogue of last week's episode. Yeah, I'm in agreement. I mean they got across all the points that they needed to get across and things, but just not quite so eloquently. No, but there was a few funnies, which was that was welcome? Yes, definitely, definitely. So let's just get into it. What would you like to talk about first? Oh, it has to be that opening scene. The battle of the burning mill. Yeah, literally we saw the mill burning, well, the aftermath of it. Yeah, so the forgating their names for a second there. So the Brackens and the Blackwoods are the Hatfield and McCoy's of western US. I've got a quote here from Sir Simon Strong. It says House Bracken and hou'se black Wood have long detested one another, and David says why, says, well, well, the answer to that is lost in time sin begets sin begets sin. I looked into it. I want to go to be back A wee bit further. I watched some YouTube videos and found some bits and scribbled down some bits and pieces here and there. How do we look through world of Ice and Fire? And here's what I found? Now, this one I've written down and no idea. I'm sorry. I didn't not take a note of which YouTube video I got this bit from, so I can't give credit to the creator of that video, unfortunately, but is quoting from one of the books, not sure which one, and says it goes back to the age of Heroes. The Blackwoods were kings in those days. The Brackens were petty lords, renowned for breeding horses. Rather than pay their king his due, they used their gold, used the gold their horses brought them to hire swords and cast him down. And then the Brackens say, before the andals came to western ofth house, Bracken ruled this river. We were kings and the Blackwoods were our vassals. But they betrayed us and usurped the crown. Well we'll never know, really, we will never know. I found some really interesting stuff in the books of the war in the World of Ice and Fire, So give me a sec so World of Ice and Fire says that the Blackwoods and the Brackens both claimed to have ruled the river Lands at various time during the Age of Heroes. However, the first of the Andal kings to bring all of the river Lands under his sway was a bastard born of a tryst between two ancient enemies, the Blackwoods and the Brackens oh Okay. As a boy he was Benedict Rivers, despised by all, but he grew to be the greatest warrior of his age, Sir Benedict the Bold. His prowess in battle won him the support of both his mother's house and his father's, and soon other river lords bent their needs to him as well. It required more than thirty years for Benedict to throw down the last of the petty kings of the Trident. Only when the last jail Dad did he don a crown himself. Interesting, he named his house House Justman, and the House Justman rule ruled the Riverlands for close on to three centuries. The chronicles tell us their line was ended when Corrid Horror, king of the Iron Islands, murdered the sons of King Bernard the second while they were held captive in Pike. Oh, that's really interesting. And that is when Househoror invades the river Lands and he was the grandfather of having the Black Right. Okay, so there we go. So that is a little bit of back history on them. There's also a really interesting story here, and maybe this is one of the reasons why they don't get along. But when the riverland lords were fighting back against Haron's granddad, the Blackwood tried to launch an attack or was it an escape, so the an attacker escape? Yes, Lord Turrick abandoned river Run without a fight, fleeing with all his strength to join the host gathering at Ravenree Hall Underness Blackwood and her sons. But when Lady Agnes advanced upon the ironborn Ironburn, her belligerent neighbor, Lord loth Bracken, fell upon her rear with all his strength and put her men to flight. Lady Agnes herself and two of her sons. All right, okay, yeah, right, okay. I'm so sorry. It's fine. I heard it too. He tried so he like attacks from the back, doesn't matter. What were you saying? And that does think. There's just no way, good way to say that, is there. And Lady Agnes herself and two of her sons were captured and delivered to King Herwin, who forced the mother to watch as he strangled her boys with his bare hands. Yet Lady Agnes did not weep. If the tales are true, I have other sons, she told the King of the Iron Ails, raven tree shall endure long after you and yours are cast down and destroyed. Your line shall end in blood and fire. Oh well, she wasn't wrong. Well, she wasn't wrong, But maybe maybe that's just been embellished over time to yeah what happened later? Yeah, but still cool though. You know, maybe you know the Blackwoods or you know they worship the old gods of the first men and stuff. Maybe she really did put a curse on household and they end in fire and blood, as we know. I'd like to believe that story. But we'll get to that later when we talk about Haron Hall. Yea. But yes, so the opening scene, wow, absolutely outstanding, wasn't it was? It was the sheer Oh what's the word I'm looking for, Just the scene of devastation, the impact that I like, I mean, I'm a bit sad we didn't get to see a battle. No, but I think that it portrayed exactly what is going to come, the greenness, the youth of these young boys. And then it cuts to every ones dead, all these bodies, the mills burnt, the lands blackened, all. Over a couple of boundary stones. Yeah, because, as they say later at the Green Council, meaning that they'll just use any excuse to fight. Actually, let's hear that scene. Mm hmmm. If forgive my liness important business, Nada. You've appointed new knights to the King's Guard, your grace, to replace those We lost the last one needlessly. Some might. So Eric was awarded the great duty of ending Raniera's challenge. He failed to discharge it. He failed because the scheme's rash. Perhaps your grace, But we cannot all hide in our castles waiting for water to come to. Us, as now it surely will, as now it already has. Als Bracken took it upon themselves to attack the Blackwoods. We declared for the pretend. Not Samuel Blackwood himself is slay good first blood in our name. Both sides too heavy losses, you guys, I'm not entirely certain we can declare this a victory in the. Blackwood and the Brackens are feuded for centuries. This is nothing more than an excuse for them to indulge their ancient grants. It's not true war. Call it what you will. I call it war and sold dragons to. The question is what are we going to do about it? Yes, well what are you going to do about it? So, yeah, there's this terronal feud has been the first thing to trigger first blood. Well not first blood, the first blood was the children, but first battle blood all over some boundary stones. And it made me think about the Prince Sharene talking to Stanis Barathian and talking about how it was all the choosing sides that caused all the problems in the first place. And yeah, that couldn't be more evident than in this particular episode. And I think that's the theme of the episode going forward, because it's it's where Danis and Danii's start again. Where did that come from? I've been watching Danny videos today where Runira and Egon's story is headed. It's yeah, so what we were other? Do you have another notes on the scene? No, no, no, more notes on that scene. It was pretty cool. Did you see the behind the scenes I did? It was really really cool. This prosthetic what's his name? Would which Brackenzzy, I can't remember. I want to say Aaron, I can't remember. I want to say Aaron Bracken. But anyway, whichever one he was, they made this prosthetic version of him to have him lying in the river afterwards. That's certainly was so. I mean, I don't want to use the word lifelike because he was dead, but you know, it really could have been an actor lying. It was very very good. It was really cool, and I think that one of the guys, one of the crew, had mentioned that in the thing. It was so cool to be able to have an actor in one scene one second and then the next scene have a prosthetic dead version of him lying there and you can tell the difference. Yeah, it's really good. It was awesome, very very good. And of course the burning mill in the background was cgi. I loved that. Yeah, it was great. So one of those iconic moments of the Dancer dragons and yeah it was. It was very impactful. So that means it's my. Turn, it is your turn. Yeah, excellent. What would I like to talk about? So just to lead on from that, then let's talk about the Cargolf general and Rainie's and Nina's rather intense conversation, which I think helps highlight what we've just said as well. Absolutely, and of course it's Rainy's and Rainie's has to get a slot in her. Clips what so high Tower would never. Learn know he would not. Hot her blood has prevailed. I think she's so wise. The young men have taken the bit in that he was to punish to avenge. Soon they will not even remember what it was that began the war in the first place. That is easy enough. If they usurped my throne, that is one answer. Or was it when the child was beheaded, or when Amond killed Luke hmmm? Or when Luke took Aiman's eye. Waited turn out at the point where none of. It won't matter? Or was it when Nagon was born, when. The desire to kill and burn takes hold on resurvice togotten. There may be another way, Allison, Hi Tower. When last we met, Alison said I would make a fine queen. You've seen what has happened since then. She came to me in the hours after your lord father's death. She knows war is coming and that it will be savage beyond all compare. There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin, no war. Her bloody is a war between dragons. I do not believe she wants it. She's sent a raven. Do you not care to read her message? What she did does not her but the men around her seat bloodshed. She permitted it. As you committed the murder of a little boy in his bed. She's spawn yep, absolutely Runita's face at that moment was like, oh shit, Yeah. Alison is in King's landing, her son sits my throne. There is nothing more. To be said. Well, yeah, she's been a bit stubborn, there she is. It's not black and white, it's not. And as we know, she changes her mind and decides to get Alice at the time of day at least. But shall we just talk about that now? Yeah, let's get into that. Yeah, let's get into that. So what did you think of this scene, which, of course never happened in the books. I really like that this has happened. I just love the penny drops moment. Yes on their faces, and Rinda was like, oh Shit's like, oh yeah, shit, and then she just it's a split second and then she goes to all we can do about it, so nope, nope, and she goes back into her sort of denial mode. Yes exactly. She really does ponder it for a moment though, and she's like, oh fuck, oh fuck fuck, But here we are. There's no point shutting the stable door once the horse is already, so I think, And it's out of her control now. Like Rainie said, her blood has prevailed. It was never within her control anyway, or not really puppet. Master, there was a time when Vissers was still around that in his final couple of years, you know, where Alison had some real power. But at the same time, that was because she was in alignment with her father. If she had tried to go against her father, things would have been different, because he was the one that was sitting that throwing Visseres's place, not her. He was and he'd already he already had the council moving the chess pieces towards make an egg on King. At no point did he see any other way ahead. No, definitely not. So. Even if Vissaris had never said what he said. If Alison had never confirmed what she thought he said, this all still would have happened because they wanted it. To be so absolutely, Alison played a very small part in the execution of the plan. Yeah. In fact, to be honest with you, at the very beginning, Allison was working against Otto for control of Eggon. Yeah, so she sent Kristen colan Amond after him. Well, he sent the Cargo twins after him, So right from the beginning she was working against him, not with him. So the events would have played out exactly as they played out. You're right, And again it's one of those scenes. It's like some people will be like, that didn't happen in the book, and to them, I answer, if George intended that to be the case, Fire and Blood would still read the same. Yeah, because it's a historical record, not a freaking diary. It's not like we've got Ranida and Allison's diaries to go and know that what happened between those two is between those two and it wouldn't go down in a historical record. So loved in the moment when she's coming in the beginning with the with the dagger. Yeah, il says like, shit, she's gonna stab me, and she's like no, Like, no, this isn't what I meant. I've started all wrong. I did think that I thought that was a bad move. Yeah, but she kind of needed it at the same time. It's like she needed some sort of. Yeah you catch more with sugar than you do a stick rander. Come on. Well she got there in the end because she is she is. But you know she went and armed because somebody probably went here to take this. Yeah, it was an intense conversation. It was something It was very satisfying for me for them to have that conversation. It's a part of me that kind of wished it was last week with the beautiful dialogue. It was a bit clunky. The dialogue was I felt the dialogue was a bit clunky. But their face acting was so good. They acted it so well, absolutely, and the point was made in the end. I just I feel like, Raniera, we just said it better. But one of the moments that kind of got me as well was that moment when Alison had almost convinced Rania that her dad really had chose eggon and Rania's. Face she looked so sad, so disappointed. I know, our we heart broke until she said egg On's dream or a prince that was promised. That was it. She said that was the trigger, and that completely changed her. It's changed everything that now she's like, well, if it's too late, it's too late. We're now off the war. And this was, like I said at the beginning, this episode is the cam before the star, but it was a last ditch attempt to stop the war before it starts. And kudos to Rania for making that attempt because that was against every bit of advice that she's been given. But I liked it apart from Rainie's. Yes, yeah, well, apart from Rainie's. She's so wise. She is, she's fantastic. She always sees the right way. She's very pragmatic. Yeah, and she's she's very good at side stepping the emotion of a situation and just seeing it for exactly what it is. She's very observant. She's always watching everyone, paying attention to every little thing that they're doing and every little ideal that they're pushing. And I think what impresses her about Raniera the most is Ranida's ability to show restraint. Yeah. So yeah, fantastic. Must be your turn. Yeah, going to talk about. Next we are going to talk about Yeah, I'd like to continue talking about Alison. But if we go back to the Green Council meeting. Yes, I think all through this episode she's really trying to get everyone to just fucking behave, just stop stop with your bickering. And oh yeah, it's so hard for us. She's lost her voice. Definitely, they're they're all taken over. Even there's another part with her and Helena. Actually I clipped the scene with Helena. Oh great, I loved it, do you know, aside from Harnhall, I think it was probably my favorite scene in the episode, and for because of Helena. I think this is one of my favorite Alison episodes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely, let's see quite cool. I feel sad about Jaharis, but I ought not to. I think. People die all the time, especially babes. They're so little, so they're taken so easily. Sadness is a condition of motherhood. There's not to be gained from it. That horrid procession where the small vocal stared at me, I warrant they thought I had no more right to grief than they do. Surely they lose their babes, not than hyborn ladies. Oh, the stranger comes from us, all, queen and commoner. You have as much claim to grief as anyone you. H. I love Jeris, but my concern has been more for you than what you have endured. I forgive you what I said, did I forgive you? And that right there is Helena given Alison the absolution that she was looking for all through the last episode, and she wasn't ready then she was, it was it was too soon, But it just shows how empathic she is that while she wasn't ready to deal with Alison's ship last week, she remembered that she needed that and when she gave it when she could. I think it's definitely something you need to hear. But what about Alison stood out for you in this scene? Oh? I just think she's never She never says the right thing all through, even the previous one we discussed with Rania, she never says the right thing. She's always so stuck in her own self, and she's usually quite hard to watch. But I really enjoyed this episode and I really enjoyed this scene that she seemed to be a mother for once rather than being completely stuck within herself and her own guilt. She let a little bit of it out, saying, yes, I love Jeharris, but I'm concerned for you. So nice to see her being a proper mother as far as she can. Yes, absolutely, but she didn't exactly have. I not gone when when she said I forgive you, and she was like, okay. Mm hmm, yeah. I mean it's a big forgive really, because the bottom line is, if Alison hadn't been buying Kristen, he probably would have been in the hallway, and that's a pretty big forgive. It is. But if you know, if Amond hadn't done this and yadda YadA, and. If Luke hadn't took Hyman's eye, yeah, yeah, I hadn't been born. If Emma Aaron hadn't died, and you. Know, yeah Bill on the Brave hadn't how far back the way you go? Well, we could go on a long time. Okay, I want to talk about Curly larryon Moe, which actually leads into another thing as well, So we'll probably get two topics out of this conversation. But first of all, I just need to say, who the hell are these clowns, right like Agon has appointed his bumbling drinking buddies to save his life during time of war as well, during a time of war when people are sneaking into your castle and murdering your children in an attempt to murder your brother, and you've got these three for guard. What is he thinking? He's just thinking? You know, when you know and you've been promoted to manager somewhere and your mate applies for a job, and you know they're absolutely useless, but you'll have such good banner and you give them the job. And the fucking useless. You're talking about me, I'm just thinking there was that time when you were the manager at that pub and that you got me the job. We had great banner. I was good at my job. You work at your job. But there have been others that I have taken on that have been less proficient at their job. But oh my god, what a good laugh. Bad. Oh, those were some good time we were remember the open mics? Yes, O so fun. Oh but yeah, you're right, it is. It's just that you know you've got a promotion, so that you're going to get your make sure your mates are. Personal guards, have to be with them. All the time. So, yeah, you're better than your best buddies that you get drunk with, even though they're useless at the absolutely. But let's hear the clip. This is so funny. Shall we escort you to the dragon pit? Grace? I think, mayhaps I shall fly another day. It does seem wise on reflection, come out with gay. So Martin has a new square that wants betting in. He's never fucked a woman. He also worn to chastity. Now of course, your grace. Oh the look they get here, it's brilliant. That's so Chris, oh dear, But it goes with them anyway. I think you just needed to exert his authority in that moment. And yeah, like they did really need to be put in their plate. But at the same time, like you said, there's a reason why he's got these guys around him, because his mates, and he's just gonna go back to default model, which is drinking and horan. Yeah. Hell, I don't know how these guys got right, Like, seriously. It wasn't for their merits. No, I hope they never see battle. Okay, So, like I said that, this one kind of leads into the other. They go, they end up going out drinking, which is where we come across the scene with oof. Oh yeah, the local storyteller. Right, what's his deal? He seems like he's a master of tall tales. Oh well yeah, absolutely certainly seems about far fetched to me. How dare you bail On and Alyssa were in love? I just I don't see Bailon tating on Alissa. I just don't. I mean, is medieval times and men will have their ways and all the rest of it. But like Alyssa, Targerian was absolutely badass. Like she was, she was cool, and theirs was a proper, proper love story as well as you know, a sibling marriage. They grew up together, they were very close, very close in age, and we're always knew that they were going to be married. It was, yeah, they're not They're not an egg on in Helena situation. No, they are not far removed from it. Absolutely, They're probably the greatest love story next to Jaharis and Alison. Yeah, so yeah, I found that like a bit mad. So I'm like, how dare you? I don't buy that? I mean, I've totally lost my chain of arguments. I did love that when he was telling his tall tale and then Eggon comes in and he's like, oh. Run, yeah, yeah, definitely. It was so funny though, I mean like he pissed his pants. Oh, and then it was like after he's like drinks for everyone. Did you notice Diana in the scene. No I didn't. Yeah, you remember Diana from last season. She was the servant girl. She's the one that the guy that was both friends slapped in the. Ass well spotted. Yeah, so could you see that she's still employed, still employed, and she seems in good spirits, but like you know, she was not happy again, slapped in the ass like there was but instead of fear, I saw rage. She was angry and like good for her, a bit fire about her, but good to see her again. So that's me done. What you got? Oh, I'll go on. Then let's talk about Larice. Oh Larice? Well, yeah, he was in that scene with Curly Larry and Moe, wasn't he. God. Well, there's a few things we could talk about about Laris. But first of all, just like that again was a master class of manipulation. It was I just love this guy is horrendous, but he's so hilarious at the end. Totally kills me. Off. Yeah, good to see him using his powers for good in this occasion. Yeah, I think Matthew Needham has got to be one of my faves because he's just got that down, that creepy, manipulating little worm. He's so even looking at him, he's so creepy. He talks barely above a whisper. He's brilliant. Yeah, you know he else was good at that. Did you ever watch twenty four wiki for Sutherland? I did not, Right, Well, I've watched it all. I think I was drinking and waring at that time in life. Enough egg, I was working in bars and coming home and binging. That might took a couple of days off round about season three well sucking, But yes, key for Sutherland in twenty four even when he was shouting, it. Was a whisper. He shouted like that, Like, how do you do that? How do you shout and whisper at the same time? But my kids wish I wish I could whisper shout. Yeah. I can think of a few people that wish I could whisper shout too, But yeah, Lattice is brilliant. Do you have any other notes on on on the scene in general or would you like to hear it? I'd like to hear it because I've already my notes. Did say, Matthew Needum is awesome. So let's hear them. Valerian Steel, it's worth more than a cast sight to stir the. Passion the conqueror. What is your business? The rumors that the king raidies himself to fly to war? What is it to you? I don't think would benefit all of us to prevent our king from being brutally oies, and. His body parts scattered to beasts, and his corte come to ruin. Cool lattice. What's excres his armor? I was given the conqueror's name and his crown, so I shall wear his armor to war. I fled to meet Sir Christian. Small in position before you depart, than your Grace, there are diverse rumors whispered on the streets of your city. One such is that your Grace sends his forces to battle, and in his courage and wisdom, flies with them. And others that his Grace was outwitted by his counselors and persuaded to fly to war with Sir Christen. So the Queen Alison may reign in his worst. She's obviously not sure feet anymore, ob keeping her tootsies to herself. Who spreads these lives that as little tales, take on a life. Of the own when you spend them ladders? Must they attended good liars? My father always said he had no use for a master of whisperers, and yet I. Find myself wanting for one. I should be glad of your talents. M hmm. And there he goes with that little creepy exit face. Oh I know, I love you want to He doesn't walk away, he skulks away. Oh he's so But Matthews, he's brilliant. Yeah definitely, Oh that's fab He's so good in that scene. I just feel, you know, listening to it back, it's like, let's away a little more Larus. It's such a little weird of. No, definitely, but he knows how it gets what you want. Yeah, absolutely, And he's so subtle with it. I mean, when you're listening to it, it's kind of obvious. But if you're invested and what he's talking about and your emotions are triggered, you could easily fall for that crap. Like he's just so clever, he knows exactly which buttons to push. He does, and let's not skim over Tom Glenn Carney's absolutely wonderful egg on acting. Oh yeah, he's just I am the puppet on the string. So good is the way his face changes when he's like, oh right, okay. And you can just see that inside of Laris rubbing his little hands together, rubbing someone else's feet together. He's an awful creature. Oh he's the best boat. It's so weird. I think that. I don't know, I find I'm horribly weird. But at the same time, holy hilarious. It's brilliant. I can't stop watching. It's like a car crash. One thing we do need to talk about from that scene is that armor. It's fantastic. It is absolutely stunning. And they said in the FETI I've got here, it said that twenty four weeks to make. So it was twenty weeks to make the armor, and then another four weeks for the detail, the inscription and Valerian symbols and the ornate of it. It's just stunning that bespoke piece to like six months nearly. Is it any wonder we're waiting two years for a season. Yeah, when it takes that long. And for how long was that armor on the screen? Oh minutes? Yeah, I'm sure we'll see it again, but for now it's you know, a few minutes. And god, you know, because it's bespoke and it's like made to fit Tom. If they do the spin off of Agon's Conquest, they'll probably have to make a whole new suit of armor for that guy. Oh. I love that's where your brain went. My brain went, that's how sorted for comic co on Forever. Yeah, yeah, you're just better. I like the where your brain works on that one. But yeah, I'm just thinking about further. How could you use that armor again? It took so much work, but it was stunning, utterly stunning. Loved it. Your turn? What you got next? Oh? My turn? Okay, I got a little I've got a small one here. I want to talk about Brandon. Okay, did you not notice all the brand? No? I did not? Right, So the first scene we see the outside of the courtyard, they're dropping the banners and it's the gold dragon on the green. This is eggone. This is a significant moment in the book when egg On changed his banners and Nia rather than changing her banners, quartered hers with House Valarion. Okay, they really made a big show of it in this episode. So we see these banners being dropped, but see the moment when the armies getting ready to leave. Right, everything everything is just branded, every shield, every cloak, every like the banners are everywhere. They're like they've got their standard bearners. Don't quote me on this, but I think it was like on the side of wagons and everything. It's just like it was so funny and it just made me think about the cat from Red Dwarf. This is man and this is man and all this is man just gone dagging everything insight. But yeah, Brandon, hilarious. I just thought it was brown. It was like one thing for them to change the banners, just like Yeah, Tim Green is launching a massive marketing campaign for the impounding upcoming popularity contest with his sister. I have weed on every blade of grass. That is the one. So Brandon awesome. I loved it. I would just like to say that I walked dogs for a living, so you know I do not be on every. But there's a reason Emma's brain went there. Yeah that was so random. Actually it was really fit. Oh yeah, definitely, He's like accept that bit. I don't want that bit, but all the rest of this is mad. So it's you. Well, I think we're going to have to discuss Ammond. Yes, because the next scene that we say going in is when he goes into the brothel. Well, actually when he goes into the brook we're going to have to discuss the blowy because that happened. I believe all the the dongs are fake these days though, you know, like, well in those situations, you know there's a fake dong because otherwise it's born. But yeah, so that shocked me definitely. I was not expecting that. But I have to say it is good to see equal opportunities full to day. You know, I would like to say I did not need to see that. I did not need to see that either. But at the same time, and these kind of things, we see a lot of naked women and it should be you know, like, I'm all for the seeing the naked men, but I did not need to see a Blowy's That's where I'm at with it. Yeah, like I'm all for it. Like it's not like I'm like, oh, naked men, right, It's not for that reason. It's for that So there's no double standard, you know, with all the naked women that we see an equal amount of naked men. If there has to be naked people, it's a brothel after all. So but did we really need to see a blowy No, well no I don't think we did. So they're like, anyway, moving on. Moving on. I think that was it was a hugely vulnerable scene. Yeah, and we don't see Emond being vulnerable, so it was quite good to see his character in that light. He's kind of fetal position and there's all the mockery and gibing, but I think the moment where he stands up completely naked and walks out, it's that he's doing a big fuck you to his vulnerability in front of them, doesn't I don't give a fuck what you say. I'm just going to stand up and keep walking. So now I like to talk about how fucking awesome the makeup department are with his creepy non eye. Oh my god, it was so cool. It is really, really really cool that the. Half light of the brothel and the makeup with his niprosthetics of the eye socket. It was so cool. It was it was very very cool. I mean, we don't say him, but they don't have to do it all the time because he's got that eepatch. Yeah, so when the work that they've put into it, when they do do it is just it gave. Me terminator vibes. You know, the naked man standing up and just walking out there strida and shoulders strong and the one eye thing. Yeah, give me total terminator vibes. Amon gives me terminator vibes. In general is like he does. He has that same posture. I think it is the tea too, he really does. He also had this coin moment at the Oh. Yeah, it was weird because like Amon was quite intimidating it that mat Yeah, right, he barely said a word and he's sitting and then his posture is very very intimidating and he stare and you know, the eyes got around the room and he's flicking this coin and way as well. The coin obviously means something to him. It's that the coin that he picked up from the blood and cheese assault that he found on the floor afterwards, and it's a symbol of the fact that they were coming for him. Yeah, so he's playing with this coin. He's been very very intimidating, and then the tables have turned in this scene and Egon's a bit pissed and he's just gone back to his old ways of bullying these little brother I think Aimond really held it well. I felt sorry for the lady, though I can't remember her Sylvie, Yeah, I think that's her name. I felt really sorry for her in that moment. But I also understand why he played it that way. Yeah, I think she did too. She did, Yeah, I think she did. It's the king in the room. You just shut the fuck up if you're at her level. And I think Agon felt that as well. Yeah, but you're right. It was a very very intimate moment they were. They were naked, curled up, nose to nose. Yeah, they were clearly having a moment of it. And it wasn't like the last time, where it was him curled up in her lap and it was a very mother's you know, she's stroking his hair and it was very. Very It was a different vibe this time. Completely different vibe. It was way more intimate. Yeah, well, a different kind of intimate. Yeah, it was a more grown up intimate for him, yes. Yeah, definitely. So I felt really sorry for him and her in that scene to be honest with Yeah, but I. Don't know if I can feel sorry for a terminator. I know it's hard determinator. I know's it's hard to like, isn't he? But I think I respect his character if not, like, I don't like him, but I think I respect him. I think he's he carries himself very well. He has rage like his brother, he has mummy and daddy issues like his brother, and yet he he has a lid on it in a way that Eggon doesn't. So I think I think I may have a small tag of respect for that. IM not sure why. Maybe it's just you and Mitchell playing him very well. Yeah, maybe maybe that's it. But he's not as good as creepy club football. He's the best sometimes, I like, I really can't decide between him and Receiveence. But I think I think Laris One's out, like. Oh, Laris is brilliant. Definitely. Do you have any more nuts on the aiming situation? I do not. We've seen very little of Ammond in this episode, but what we did see where it was played very well. Yes, definitely definitely is it me? Then? Yes? It is? Okay? I want to talk about the lovely scene at drift Mark Harbor with Rainy's and carlis okay cool. Shall we hear the clip first? Yes, let's do the clip first, then we'll have the chat. My babe, I will to rain and before I return, I. Wish so well. I would fight one hundred battles before I went into exile with a number cuttling babes. One of those babes is your air. Geoffrey, a boy of six who knows nothing of the sea, and yet somehow it. Would displease Neither are nearer nor the gods Rainer were named Ertha drift. Bark Rainer, lord of the tides. The girl knows nothing of ships, nor even of dragons. There is rain or there is Jofrey, so soon to be far from the creak of ships in the ocean's row. Then we must hope to see our way forward in time. And if there is no time, we are at war. Carus. If something was before. You, then it is well that I am a good sailor. Oh there's a lot of tension in that conversation, but I feel like their love shone through. Yeah. I love the way like you know, they're feeding each other and stuff, and it was just it was cute and just having a wee lunch break under the pier. Whilst it's absolutely lashing it down. Yes, yes, I loved the making of this. It was so cool. So it's like they planned for this rainy scene and they're pumping water into the place and then on the day of filming it actually rains. They've got all this extra war and they were absolutely drenched. But that set, that harbor set is phenomenal and that's a real ship and it's so so cool. Just love the scene. It was. It was just really cute, little intimate moment with them, and of course we're discussing the succession a drift mark again. Yeah, I feel sorry for for Reina. Mm hm, yes, yeah, actually, yeah, I've forgotten that scene for a moment there. I hadn't I hadn't jumped out of my notes at my yet. So yeah, I do really feel sorry for Reina. She feels like she's been given she feels like she's being sent away because she's useless, and actually that's that's not the case. I think by the end of it, she understood the importance of our mission. She's absolutely important. If all goes badly, then she is the only thing that will carry everything on. Yeah, exactly, and that's really important. Go safely, sister, I will be safe enough far away from any danger with only babes to nurse me. You do a great service, and my yet found yourself glad to be out of harm's web. Do not call only Bena. Grant me at least that tag. I meant, no insult. We each do what we can. And here I think you're some consolation. Tyrax season Stroecloud are young and vulnerable. These eggs are even more fragia. But should all come to ruin, here you will beorrow hope for the future. Okay, Yeah, I think she, Like I said, I think she got it the importance of her mission by the end. But she was doing the pettied lip thing, and. She was but I get it also. Oh my god, it must be so awful to be in her position. Yeah, the feeling of my mum's gone. My dad doesn't give a shit about me. I'm being sent off because I don't have a dragon. I've got to look after these little kids. When your whole family's legacy is built on dragons and you're the only one that doesn't have one. And also that's the inconsiderate go to Pentoss, to Prince Reggio, that's where her mum died. And there's no there's no talking about that, there's no saying how do you feel about that? I understand that might be difficult for you. It's just that's it. That's what I told you to do. Go do it. This is the way it's happening. Yeah. Actually I saw a video earlier on today regarding that scene. There was a scene in the episode that Lena died of damon comfort in these girls that got cut. Ah, right, Okay, I'm really sad about that. I would have liked to see that. It was a touch. I saw a tiny, wee glimpse of it because it was just a picture still in a video. But if I'm hugging the girls and just yeah, this, this really heartfelt scene between them got cut. I would have liked to have seen that. But it is what it is. We get what we get. Yeah, I agree, that's sad, and that's. Why we'll get the DVDs later and get the outakes. Yeah, yeah, so fab is it you? Maybe? Okay, let's talk about my Sariah. Yeah, where is she? In my notes, so I wrote, Massaria wants a job and maybe a dragon. Yeah, yeah, I think that's fair. For some of this situation. Definitely, But I'm liking this dynamic between her and Rania. Yeah, she seems I mean, she's not on the same scale as Rainies because we love Rainies, but she really sees people. She does, and she sees Rania. When you come from the kind of background that she does. She's clearly been through some abuse in her life. Did you learn to read people very well in that situation? And yes, she sees Rania for exactly who she is and who she could be in who she is. Not, and how she will benefit the small folk most importantly. Absolutely so. Yeah, she thought. I love the way she was eyeing up that dragon. I was like this, Masaria, see herself there. She's very interested in them anyway. I don't know if she's looking to be a dragon writer. I know that that is not the case in the books. So she got very close. To side as season one. Yeah, she did, very close, but she is she was certainly she's certainly interested intrigued by the dragons, and I like her. We read on say Smoke maybe he's lonely. Yeah, that was cool, very insightful, even with dragons. Absolutely, and I like that she is now being helpful to Ranina. Mm hmmm, so the whole you must know about what Allison's movements are. Come on, give me some menful help me out here girl. Yeah. And she's a bit like I get into trouble when I help you fuckers. What was the line? It's like, do you wish to kill her? It's like, no, No, I just wished to talk to her. It would be easier to kill her. I love that. So true. Do you have any other notes or thoughts? No, she didn't have a massive part to play in this episode, but the small part that she did have was important enough to mention. Yes, definitely. So it's my turn. I would like to talk about the Black Council. Oh, cheeky buggers, they certainly are. It was very, very tense, So let's play the clip. Still no. Men, no horses, no ships, no dragons. Good. Then we must seize the hour and act before our enemy does. They penetrated our castle walls, and now the riverlands are a flame after the Battle of the Burning Mill. How fares Prince Damon with our army. There has been no word from Prince Damon, your. Grace, and we must press what advantage we do have, and what is that dragons? Send them all out, start turning green strongholds to our cause, and burn those who resist. No, if dragons begin fighting dragons, we invite our own destruction. Fear of it is in itself a weapon. The Greens will make the same calculation. The value of a sword is not within its scabbard. We will secure victory with armies, not with dragons alone. The Greens understand that the Veil and the North will send men. We must give Damon time. Eh, your grace, you have witnessed first hand just. How vulnerable you are. Prince Davin is abroad, and Eggan's factions are enraged at the death of his son. You have never been so exposed. Perhaps it is si for you to think about secreting yourself. Some are safe. Hm. Well, we remain here as a source of. Distruct Absolute cheek totally. He proposed to conduct the war in it would merely be a precaution. It would be treason correct, definitely. Oh, they are cheeky. You were fortunate you took it no further. Well done, this counsel would do well to remember that the queen's the crown of my grandson to her as the conciliator, a prudent ruler, the wisest of Tulgarian kings, who's run out lasted every other. Even had gone. The conquerors. Clap clap, clap, Well said, radies as usual class. They're ridiculous old men, aren't they. Oh absolutely, that Alfred Broom guy. I want to punch him so hard. I think Rainies did as well. Oh, definitely, such a dick. I love that she word punches. Them, she really does. Yeah, so clever, but yes, so yeah, that would be treason. Yeah, she's just you're lucky you did not act on it. But they are, like, they're so dismissive of her. They see it as a figurehead. They don't see it as an actual ruler. And every single one of them's like, I find myself wondering why they're even backing her, right, because it's for all the wrong reasons. They they don't respect her. No, they see it as a figurehead. They they just want her out the way so they can ruin her stead. I suppose, yeah, they see her as malleable and she's not. No, she is truly the blood of the dragon. So yeah, that scene was worth noting. And they're really pushing her to attack, attack, attack, And meanwhile, I think this is when Rainy's words start from earlier start going through her head about Alison. And yeah, at this point, they're still in Rania's mind. There's still a hope to stop all out war. Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think that's why she goes back to her room and I'm not sure the toy that she picked up was one of the little kids, or if it was something of looks or something that she was putting away in a momental box. And that's when she's found the scroll from Alison and decided to give it a read. I didn't get to see much of it. The word mother jumped right out of me, jumped out at me. And those toys away. I know she's lost a son, she's lost a daughter, She's had to send her little ones away. Yeah, Oh it's so sad. Yeah, it's the family that she had is slowly. Yeah, as much. She doesn't know where things stand with her and Damon either. They left it so badly. Yeah, everything's all displaced. Do you have any other notes on this, I do not. I also do not. I think that. The only other thing I've got is Gawayne High Tower. Oh yes, so we talked about the branding, but we didn't actually talk about the army. And in that part, so Colin said, the river lands are key and they all get ready to work off, and then we meet this gwyn High Tower dud. What do you think of them? He comes across as a bit of a fop, doesn't he a. Bit of a what fop? I don't know this wordp It's like a dandy. Oh oh yes, absolutely a bit of an elitist snob if you ask me. It was a bit condescending the way he was talking to the hand. Yes, because because he's not come from a family of notoriety. It's just a donish man, rude son of a steward. Mhmm, you've risen high and how come you're in my daddy's seat? Yes, I'm ever really sweet with his sister, which is really nice. And the weird sort of call and allicent moment also, which I'll just put in here. Yeah, oh yeah, it was a bit. It was a bit cheesy, was wasn't it? It was we did need that. We could have cut that scene. Yeah, absolutely, Like genuinely, I'd see no point in that scene. I don't care about their shitty little relationship. So yeah, but it was a bit. It was a bit cheesy, and I don't want it to be a romance between them. I just wanted to be it to be Alice having some pleasure. Yeah, you know, just maybe letting loose a little and living a little in her widow days. She's earned that she has. Do you have any other notes on the little scene between them? No, back to Gwen Hid, back. To Gwen then, yeah, I mean there's that initial scene. When was that? When's the next time we see him? Is this when he's heading off to the tavern. Yeah, he's did like along with his men, isn't he. No, yes, we're there's a taverners down the road. Girls, like we're exposed, Like what are you doing? I actually really like calling this scene. He had the moral high ground, absolutely abs He was just like, oh my god, I'm surrounded by idiots and it just shows you, like, well, Cole is so out of these depth when it comes to the politics and that sort of stuff. But when he's out in the battlefield. He knows what he's doing. Yes, he's a very experienced battle tactician, isn't he. Yeah, definitely experienced soldier at all levels. Yeah, And there's a reason they have rules, and there's a reason the army stays where the general says the army is to stay, and there's reason you follow orders. And Gwayne's just so boiled. It's Yeah, I really liked calling that scene. And of course we will talk about the middle of this scene later in the dragon section. But you know, when things when the chasers died down, Gwayn knows he fucked up, he really does. But actually eclipped this because I just thought it was so funny. Good show. Its Christen, You're dead. They know we're abroad, they'll be hunting and we must move under the trees in by cover of dark starting tonight. And no fucking ends and no fucking ends. Fantastic, brilliant. Oh, it was so good. I've, like I said, I really loved call in this scene. He was he was funny, he had he was right even for once, he was the smartest man in the room. Yeah. Yeah, he's he's in his element now. Definitely, do we have anymore on Gwaine or Call for that matter. Yeah, I don't think we do. Uh do we have anything else except Haroen Hall. I don't think so. Oh my god, we're on a Hairen Hall. Oh this was just amazing. It was this set is phenomenal, like in the behind the scenes and they're talking about getting lost on it. It's so big and it's so so creepy and eerie, and I think they've done a fantastic job. I mean, Haroen Hall was great in Game of Thrones, but we mostly saw it during the day. Yeah, this they've really gone out their way to make it a scary, spooky place. It's wet, stormy. Yeah. I honestly, Damon's walking through the hallways and I half expected that we bump into Salmon Dean with an MF reader supernatural moment. But yeah, it was so creepy. It was like a proper horror Like it felt like an old horror movie. You know, you know, any around any corner, someone's going to jump out. Yeah, instead you get this one guard that's like Halt's like boof. That was so funny. Oh my god, over exaggerated response. Definitely like yeah, like that's going to stop can you imagine though, like, because this is this was quite a wee guy compared to Damon. Damon in this really imposing targarian armor, and he's like, halt, that. Mus been the first word that came to his mind other than shit, help. It was unconscious the second layer, so there was no second thought. Brilliant. But the scene is just amazing. The roots growing through the. Castle, Yeah, that's super cool. And there's so big and there's so much of it, and I'm like, surely that can't be the roots from the godswood outside because the god'swood's quite far from the castle. Castle is absolutely enormous. Yeah, the grounds are massive, but so in a scale of you know, from where Damon was walking to where the godswood is, those roots are like crazy. They're not doing that in any other castles in winter Fell, you know, for example, or in Storm's End or any of these other castles that have a godswood. That's not happening there. It's only here to Haron Hall. And the only thing I can think of comes back to the legends of being Haroen cut down the grove we wearwood trees in order to build Haron Hall, and I can't help but think like when you cut down trees, you don't destroy that root system, do you. And it doesn't seem so with Haroen Hall. No, it seems like the Warwoods are trying to claim back the land. It's so creepy and cool, and it's just so lower heavy. The bats, the bats. If any of you want to know the significant of the bats, look at House Lost in from from somewhere in the two hundredths two hundred and something asy. The bats are definitely associated with Harron Hall in later times, But let's talk about the times leading up to where we are. What do we know about Harron Hall. What we know about Haron Hall is it was built by Harn the Black and it's and many many atrocities happened in the building of Harron Hall. Slaves the word slave is not used, but that is what Haaren did. Haden rounded up the people that he was supposed to be ruling and made them work in practically slave camps in order to build this prize, this status symbol, this cock extension. With his five phallic symbols. Yes, exactly so. In a Clash of King's Aria, Stark says that had the old man told her that Haroen mixed blood into the mortar and in a storm. Serge Jamie Lanister, as he approaches the castle, sees those five fingers, describes them as grasping up towards the sky, those five towers, sorry, grasping up towards the sky like fingers. Yep, yeah, I can see that. I do know about egg On the conqueror which part the part where he went on Blirian way way wait wait, wait, way high above the clouds, almost bursting someone over the rainbow there wrong genre. Yeah, So then he comes back down and hails fire on Haroen Hall. This is the day that has moved in. No, the day that Haaren moved in was the day that Eggon landed right at King's landing. This is that Haren's moving Indy, this place that has taken him decades to build. But it was just moving Indy that he first. It's got firebombed, No, that. Was It took time. It took a couple of months. It took the whole of the conquest actually took like two years from egg On being from when the landed to when Eggon was crowned. It took about two years. So when we talk about AC. It talks about where we talk about AC from the coronation. So this was to b C. Technically when to b C. When Eggon landed, it was Harn's moving indy and then a few castles in conquests later, few, you know, a few fights, a few dragons sent out on recruiting missions, let's say. And here we have egg On attacking Harron Hall. And he gave Haroen the the chance to to bend the knee. And Haren was just so cocky. I was like, I've built in stone, stone doesn't burn. He thought he was untouchable. He didn't just build in stone already. And Egan said, tomorrow your Lyne shill end and away walked and like you say, he flew up and up. And I have this theory about this. So the gods would in the old times and the times of the first men and everything they were, they were supposed to be create a magical barrier. We we know for sure that there's magical barriers built into the walls that like Storm's end, and yeah, these gods woulds are supposed to be some sort of magical protection. And I wonder if Eggne flying up and up and up and up and up was to go over the barrier, but down he came, and we know he melted those towers. He melted everything. Everything that could burn did burn, including the stone that, having claimed to be untouchable, clearly never come across dragonfire before. And I heard the thing that I do believe that dragonfire gets hotter with age as well. It does. Yeah, I know you've done a lot of research recently into dragon anatomy and things like that. So yeah, so yeah, Blurryon was probably around one hundred and twenty years old. Now we know that because we can now date bleerry On to being a young dragon at the time Danny's had her dream. So no bigger than a horse, it was stated. So therefore Bileryon would have been about three years old, because when Drogon was described as being about the size of a horse, there was about three and so there we can discern that the time of the conquest, Belerion would be around one hundred and seventeen years old. Okay, cool, So he's a Scotch bonnet fire. Stage, Yeah, absolutely enough to melt stone. Yeah, are you ever in Scotch bonnet sauce? That's enough to melt stone? Definitely. So many atrocities were committed in the building of Haron Hall and then this thing that happens with egg On. And we talked earlier about the what I did about the area, saying that they mixed blood into the mortar. And I don't know about you, but something about blood plush, dragonfire equals magic to me. You know, they seemed like two components of a spell. And I don't I don't know for sure, but I have this theory that this might be part of what makes everything so spooky. It could be something to do with the curse. I mean, maybe it was cursed before, because I mean Eggon landing the day moved in. That sounds like a curse to me. And I also mentioned earlier that Lady Blackwood did curse the horror line. So yep. There's also the the chopped down wear Woods and their network of communication. So you have the children of the forest. Yeah, and that whole under the grounds and the spirits have been disturbed. So I mean they can send messages everywhere. Can they send messages to the dragons? Maybe they could. Did they send Baliria a message to say you need to go up and over that? Do you think maybe. Yeah, because was egg On in control in that moment or was that all on billion? Yeah? Who knows. But what we do know is that the place has clearly got some sort of creepy curse going on. And we made a little bit of a joke about it last year in the last season when they were talking about the Strongs when they were murdered in that fire, and that the curse was the number one suspect. We laughed at that. We kind of scoffed that as ridiculous. But the more I look into Harron Haller and the more I remember from when I you know, it's been a long time since I read a Song of Ice and Fire. The more I remember, the more I started to realize, No, I think the stories about har and hall are true, and I think the curse is real, or the curse could at least be real, or maybe it's all Alice Rivers. There's definitely something in the curse. However, I do really like the storyline of creepy Clubfoot being at being the one that's orchestrated the fire. Oh no, that was definitely him. We know that in the show. That is for sure the decisive It was Laris. Laris did that, but the curse itself, I mean, like, I mean, there must have been some pretty good arsonist, you know, to get a fire a light and had it and for it to be powerful enough to spread with that intensity. But at the end of the day and all the time, the last time there was a fire there was when its egg n attacked. So the fact is, in one hundred and thirty years, there's never been a random fire. The curse has taken owners of having all out in many many ways, but there's never been never by fire. So I'm yeah, I'm putting that a thousand percent on Larice, but I still think there's something definitely creepy going on there. But I could do an entire episode in Haron Hall, and we're like, we just don't have that kind of time. Yeah, So what I'm going to do is, because I believe, you know, there's a lot more Haron Hall to come, is I'm going to have a little bit more about what happened next in between the conquest and the dance that makes harn Hall so compelling and creepy and cool. And I feel like this is like George is not really a horror writer, but aid apples, and this is He's done some of his best horror writing right here at harden Hall. If you ask me, so cool? So cool? Do you have any other notes on Harron Hall in general? But before we get into the scenes. No, I'm quite happy to move to the scenes because Simon Strong stole this show. Oh he was hilarious. He was absolutely browant. It is my favorite favorite by far. Loved him. Thought he was so cool. He was so fun. I actually took a couple of clips for this scene because I thought it was brilliant. Fat venison is well aged. Shame let it waste. I've survived many a battle. I do not mean to be felled by the poison. Peace. I'll admit that my cook's pies aren't exactly the stuff of legend, But poison it's an easy way to kill a dragon rider. If you've not yet surmised, you are welcome here. And what of your lord Larry's Strong, He who sits at the false quarter of their goal? Lary's club foot is no lord of mine. He's a scourge upon this castle and this family. Do not think it's strange that his father, my nephew, Lord Lyonel, perished by fire and his son too here in this damp place. It was the first fire here since Valarian end of the line of Harry and the Black. Even in summer we struggle to light the hearts. So no, you will find no loyalty to Larry's Strong here, my Prince, your grace. He's very passionate about it as well, isn't he. Forgive me? I I I'd only assume that conc. We are reminded of the perilousness of assumption. Indeed, your Grace, I do love that bit. I love it absolutely. There's two bits in this clip for me that stand out, and it's Simon Strong really was very fatherly to Lionel Strong. And you can hear the not grief in his voice. But he's yes, he's very angry. Oh definitely, definitely. He's known Hilaris's whole life, so he probably knows how devous he is. He seems like a clever man. So and then there's also that hilarious Oh dammon, no, you are not your Grace, You silly to it. No, But there's no precedent. He's he's trying to set a new precedent here. There's no precedent for what do you call the husband of the queen because they've only ever had the king and yeah, and it should be king consort. But he's like, absolutely, well it should be he should be called prince when when he's addressed, because if he was to be called king, that would that would suggest that he is of the same standing as the queen, and he's not. She's the region in charge, so he has to be prince. But by saying you're grace, that's him saying no, I'm the same as Rania. No you're not. No, you're not love. Yeah, I know, I get where you're coming from. But I think it's like it's the term your grace. He is while he is not the king, he is still above in station than he was when he was just the prince who was the brother of a dead king. He would be your highness, he wouldn't be your grace prince. I feel think that's a term. I think that is a term that's actually kind of coined by the British royal family. Highness So what would he be there? Oh no, wait, now I want to Yeah, I'm not sure which century, but I think Highness was a Henry the eighth thing I might have to look into that. Don't quote me, but yeah. It certainly wouldn't be your Grace because that would suggest that he is on the same level as Rinira, and he's not. But they still call Alison your grace. So yeah, you're right. Here is wrong and he is pushing his luck. But I can almost see why because there is no precedent, so he's trying to set a precedent. And also he's like found a bunch of people that he can bully. Yeah, I don't get care who bully's at this point, does he? No, No, he does not. I have a little bit more of this scene. Some of your old paramounts, so that I may treat with him myself and turn them to our cause. That would be Lord Grover tally. But he grows frail. It's said that he can longer speak, not seeing his bouts. His grip on his banner, and his week. I feel they can do as they please. I will speak with him. Nonetheless, people should obey their liege Lord. Whatever is condition. Perhaps the presence of the crown and a dragon well sharpened minds around these parts. Mind, I ask your grace, if you are successful, well, when you are successful. What then. We march on King's landing and take the throne. The throne. It's a big chair made of swords. Oh, such a good scene. That's such a good scene. I want to give a shout out to Sir Simon Russell Beale who plays Sir Simon's because Sir Simon who plays Sir Simon. I love it. I love it. So I must actually look into why he was knighted. What he was knighted for? No time like the present. So he was. Knighted in twenty nineteen by the Queen for services to drama. Okay, as part of her birthy honors. Oh okay, so yeah, probably one of the last few people to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth. Awesome anyway, stand up guy loved him in this scene. Very brilliant. His face, he's another one with the face actor. Yeah. Oh the throne, it's a big chair made of swords. Brilliant saying. Damon was great in it as well. Actually he was really cool. It was a brilliant. He's definitely pushing his luck though, You're. Right, is the face acting? Yeah, that's so hilarious. I can't wait to see more of him. I feel like every time, well not every episode, but you know, I'm like, oh, he's my favorite character. No, no, no, you're now my favorite character. No, you're now my favorite character. My current favorite character is Sir Simon. Definitely. We'll see if it's still the same next week. So that brings us to the last thing on the agenda, which would be Damon's dream. Oh that was all kinds of messed up, wasn't it. It really was, first of all, loving that he's like totally barricaded himself in the room true form ever paranoid day man, And I mean that was creepy with the door rattling. Would you think someone on the other side or ghosts? No, I think it's just a very lucid dream. Yeah, yeah, probably, And. Like you say, it's it's his paranoia. Oh and it's manifesting, so like you say, lucid dream bat. But the fact that he ends up at the heart free and I'm choosing to assume that he sleepwalked from his chambers to the God's would but in his head, he was walking through the castle and he enters this room to find Milly all got yay, so pleased to see her. She's his version of Ranera that he She's the only person he really opened up to. Adult Raniera he's had his troubles with, but that Raniera seems to be the only person in the world that he's ever been really honest with. Yeah, So it's it's. So weird that it's her, it's the version of her that he is the most connected to, because it's the version of her that idolized them, and the other Rania is seeing through the red rose colored glasses that she had as a child now and he's maybe, you know, wishing that he could go back to that Rania, that Nina who just hung on his every word. Yeah, no, there's there's no way back, love. No, not there. So there's I found it interest in the dialogue used here, which was always coming and going, aren't you and I have to clean up your messes? And it's not something a little Nina would ever have said to him. No, it isn't. And I'm trying to think what messes has Rania cleaned up for him, And the biggest one I can think of is when he took her to the brothel and everything and in primate, almost ruined her name. Yeah, that he he then buggered off. He was sent away. To be fair, he was exiled from court, but she was one left to kind of pick up the pieces of that in respect of rest, like fixing things, marrying the Layer Valarion, and you know, in order to maintain her reputation and also with the heartache that that left the series. Yeah, and she was the one that was around and had to pick up those pieces. And then he was back again for the wedding, and then he was gone again for many years, away off with Lena, and then you know he's and yeah, she's the being, the constant that's there, but he's always flitted in and out of her life. Yeah, that's very true. He's I think it's his guilt manifesting. Oh big time. That is. Little Jahers as well, because he didn't he didn't intend that, although it played out that way. Yes, you know that is not what he intended. You can there are moments where you can see the the guilt of that, mainly his conversation with Ranida last week's episode. But also there's a contradiction because in the previous scene when he's sitting at the table and they're all discussing who the possible murderer of j Harris was and Damon's sitting with that smile on his face, which is what told Rania that it was him. He didn't look sorry in that moment. No, this is the first time we see him having guilt in this dream when it's little Rania that's sitting sewing the head back on. Because it's always a performance with Damon. What we see on the outside is you know that what he projects, what he wants people to think, what he wants people to see. But this was a glimpse in his subconscious Yeah, so I thought it was fantastic, really great to see Millie again. And of course I'm ending up by the heart tree to where he opens his eyes to see Alice Rivers standing there saying you will die in this place. That's rather ominous. So it takes it very well though, Fairness, if you woke up out there some creepy lady said that, you'd be like, oh, how did you get here? Yeah? Is this a bit like what's going on? And then he's a bit taken aback by what she said, and does she not just walk off before he has really has much chance to respond. She's already on her way yeah, back into the castle. It's a it's a good representation of how Lucid his dream is. He's not quite sure what's real, what's dream and what's reality. So is she another part of his dream? Has he woken up? What's going on? That's so cool And I love the imagery though in that courtyard, the dilapidated courtyard with this heart tree which is practically in the water, it's there's just a wall. You're right on the banks of the lake there, right that set and you could see that the gods eye the lake and it's just like, this is how close Harron Hall really is. So the curse is it the trees? Are the trees calling him outside? Well, this is the thing it's is it Alice? I don't think it's Alice. I think that the Alice's connected to the where would the old gods the green Seers? Possibly And she's like a living manifestation of what the old the direction that the old gods are maybe trying to point Damon in. Maybe, but why would the old gods be talking to Damon because he's the blood of old Valeria. So there's there's a theory out there that Damon could possibly be a Green seaer. I didn't look into it too much because I don't want to completely spoil myself. But from what I could gather in what I'm seeing in this episode, I'm starting to think that the theory might have weight. Maybe I think that's a good place to say. We're going to do some research on that. Definitely, that's where I was going with that. Yeah, so going to dig into that. Have a wee look. Well, next week we will have more on Alice and Karen Hall. Absolutely if anyone else has any views, opinions, or has done research, we would love to hear about it. Yes, yes, no spoilers please, though no book spoilers, but theories. I am all about theories. I want to hear them. So moving on, that pretty much wraps up all the plot lines. I think we've done everything but dragons. Yep. We touched on dragons a little actually, but let's get right into it. So dragon section, So what would you like to talk about first? So in my notes we've already said about my Saria and Sea Smoke. Yes, we talked more about Massaria there though, and less about Sea Smoke. Sea Smoke is really restless. Yeah, yeah, I mean we're just seeing a sea smoke in the sky. Ange. Yeah, and you know, like Masaria says, perhaps he's lonely. I don't know, maybe Leonor has died. Seems like it seems like I mean, I have no idea what a grieving dragon would look like or sound like, but possibly that could be an indication Vagar. Was kind of acting similarly after Lena died. Yeah, it's possible I would fill a plot hole. That would be great. Not to fill a plot hole would be to tell us what happened to Lene Or. I'm good with the power of suggestion. I'm okay with that too. I have a great enough imagination. Yeah, I can. You know, I can surmise from what's presented in front of me. Yeah, So a really good T shirt ones Okay, it says there are two types of people in this world, those that can Number one is those that can extrapolate information from incomplete data. And number two, there's no answer, there's nothing. Number two is blanks in. Well, there you go. I'm not going to explain it. So yeah, I'll find that T shirt quite hilarious. And it's one of those situations here with sea smoke is they don't have to give us everything laid out on a plate for us. We can use their brains. I'm choosing to see it that way. I'm sure there are plenty other fans out there like I want answers, and that's okay too, but I'm choosing to accept what I see in front of me at face value and suspend disbelief. Yeah, so what did what else was going on in the dragon section? I love the eggs, Oh yeah, and the what do I want to call them? Broiler thing that earns? Oh, the amazing it's the egg cozies, the egg cozy I'm calling them the egg cozyes. Oh that's cool. I like that. Let's go with egg cozyes. I love the scales on them, I love the colors. It was all very cool. It was really cool. And I love the eggs and Game of Thrones also, so yeah, it was really cool to see the eggs a bit close. And yeah, there's so much prettier in the House of the Dragon though, because those eggs and Game of Thrones were petrified and worn with many years. But I'm cool. Back then they were. They're so pretty and shiny. I love it. It's so good. And we also kind of like I can really see them. But there was a couple of baby dragons there too. Ah yeah, to Axis storm Cloud, very little dragons, but we didn't really see them. We heard them screeching in the cages, shaking about, and maybe a wee glimpse of there being something in that cage, but nothing, nothing that I could make out. It would be nice to see them. Maybe we'll see them when they're they're bigger. Who knows. Well. We know that Raina is taking what's thet Geoffrey Geoffrey to the Veil, and to assume that Taxes would be staying with him at the veil. I think Taxes and storm Cloud are staying because Jane Aaron wants the dragons in payment for looking after Geoffrey. Basically, yeah, but I think because she did say she did say dragon. But because she wants a dragon, Rania is giving her two teenage dragons. Yeah, but. It's still egg on dragon. I think there's an understanding there that it's still egg on dragon. That there has to be surely because it's egg on dragon. And if they're going to pet she's going to Penthos with the little ones. I was under I had assumed that that storm Cloud was going on to Penthoss with Raina and the little kid, and that Geoffrey and Taxis were staying there. But I swear, now that I think about it, I think when talking about Lady Jane, she said dragons. So I might have to go back and watch that scene in double check. But almost a baby dragon. I want to see one. So I've not seen one since season two of Game of Thrones. Oh yeah, when they were little tittlers. Yeah, they were just tearing them off. Yeah, she was like choking. Them a little bits of meat and they were toasting it out. We all thought it was so cute but really kill And of course, so that brings us to the piece to resist storms off the dragon section. There's there's one week bit before what is a miss? It was car Acxis at Harry. Oh yeah, no, yeah, absolutely, I've wrote it there and I was almost going to say it a minute ago, and then I've just forgot. Wow, that was so cool. I really quite love this dragon because it's so weird. Yes, definitely weird weird. You did some breeding on kraxes, didn't you. I did a bit of reading on dragons and Karaxes, the blood worm. It's actually a mutant type of dragon. So there's three breeds of dragon that have been developed, shall we say, by Ryan Condole and well this is what they co op but for House of the Dragon, and it's Miguel Sapotchnik, and I think Ryan Condall did have a lot to do with it as well. But anyway, there's three breeds of dragon, and you can differentiate them by the shape of their skulls based on three types of animal. You've got a t rex breed, which is your like Vermuthor Valirian sort of thing. They're bread for war and they're they're really large. You've got horse skull ones like cyras, so they're bread for speed. Then you've got wolf skull ones like Araks and Vermax and their bent their bread for tracking and hunting, and they're sort of middle sized. All the dragons scout and dragons like yeah, well much like wolves. So they've all got black bones due to the high carbon content in their bodies. Did not know that, and their scale sticking with age and their fire heats with age. So if you want to check out more of this stuff, it's in a book called Making of the House of the Dragon, and this will tell you all about the skull shapes. And why don't I have this book? I need this book. She will have this book, guys, absolutely. I'll have it for next week. This is a fact. So car Access the blood worm is a mutant and doesn't have when it doesn't fit into one of these categories. So it's got a serpent body, it has an extra hot flame, but it has a wolf type head, so they're thinking it's been a hybrid between a fireworm and a wevern. Yeah. Caraxis also has leg wings. Yeah I noticed. I didn't. I didn't. It was like a fleeting moment and then completely forgot all about it and never thought about it again. It's until you've just said it. Due to the shape of the body. If Caracxis didn't have these leg wings, flight really wouldn't be possible because it's it's needed, yeah. To support that. Yeah, yeah, that makes complete sense. And I I don't know if anyone else has noticed. Have you noticed that Caxis it doesn't roar, Yeah, it shreaks, yes, and it's because it has a deviated septum. That is so cool. Well not for karaxies, but it's so cool that we've like, there's an explanation for that, yet they can't give us an explanation for Lenor. Yeah, but we know that Caraxis has a deviated septum. And can't roar details details. Do you love the dragon details? So that's really kill I have to get that book, you do, right, we will. We will have a wee scout it for that. I'm searching for it now. Not gonna lie, guys, No, we're not. Did you have anything else on Kaxis? I did know. I'm going to let you move on to the main event of the dragon section. Oh my god, this scene was amazing. So the brief that the designer was given for Moon Dancer was David Bowie. Yeah, and I love it. It's so cool. This dragon has a mohawk. What shaped skull is Moon Dancer? I think Moon Dancer is the horse skull. I would go with that, I think so we felt similar to Sidaks now that I think about it. Yeah, yeah, cool dragon though. Those webby wings, Yeah. And the color and yeah, it's just that mohawk coming to dragon with a mowk. It doesn't get any cooler than that. And we have some pretty cool dragons on this show. But mohawks man, that's awesome. Yeah, that's really cool. So yeah, this spee chase was absolutely outstanding. I love that. You know, Kristen Cole and that are already running before Baila even sees them. She's like, oh, I what's that doing there? Going in for a closer look. I love her moment with Runia later and she's like, well, I didn't engage exactly. Didn't brake the rules, bent them. Just bent them a little. But I like that. I like that. And Beila, she's got a bit of spark, a bit spunk, a bit fire, bit of fire. Definitely love it. The dragon was fast, very very very fast dragon. I don't know, I mean like she was a good girl. She backed off. I might have like burnt a little circle around them in the forest, you know, yeah, yeah, let's set food trees on fire just a bit. Yeah, but you know, she's been a good girl, and it was more important to get the information back absolutely then having her little glory moments, which she totally could have had. She would only got three of them, but God, the queen's brother and her lover and who was also handed the king and Lord commanded of the King's guard. That would have been a good, you know, report to take back that they were all gone. But then she probably would have got in trouble for engaging. I think I would roasted them, to be honest, but hey, here we are. I would have tried. Good girl Bella though, and fantastic scene from Mundancer. Do you have any other notes on this? Nope? My men notes were the Webby Wings. The Webby Wings did it all for me? Well, that will be the dragon section. Then there was one other thing I wanted to talk about, actually or regarding dragons. It was just some random information that I found that I was just beyond fascinating. Let me find it. So, when Bealerian came to Dragonstone, there was four other dragons. He was one of five, and nobody knows anything about these other dragons. We're assuming that you know a lot of people assume that, for example, Visnia was the first to ride Vegar, but Vegar was fifty sixty years old at the time of the conquest, so generations before probably play flew Vagar, possibly probably who knows, But we don't know a lot about these other four dragons. And I found on Reddit, of all places, it's just a chat thread. It was a reference to Game Thrones, and it says that in the show Visceres, Danny's brother mentioned the names of large dragons who are not cannon to the books, those might be the names of the pre conquest dragons. Guy says. It says they got bigger and bigger and bigger. There was Giftscar and Valion, Vermuth, rax Vesuvius, Arcani, Maraxis, Vagar, and Bali, and the dread whose fire forged the seven kingdoms into one. Now there's an extra dragon here. Our's that was? That was five dragons us, Maraxi's, Vagar, and Valerian. Are they named after Valerian gods? Yes, yes, Vegar certainly is. I know that Vegar is definitely named after a Valerian god. I couldn't tell you for sure on the rest of them, but they sound like godlike names, don't they. So there is one extra dragon here. But in the first book, this is very cool. Terryan mentions that there is a three thousand gerold dragon skull in the cellar with the others. So maybe that's the other dragon that's there, and that is awesome. That is awesome. I didn't you know I missed that when right over my head or it was just fourteen fifteen years ago when I read it and I forgot not sure but if I've just missed it or forgotten it. But that was so cool. I was like, Oh my god, I've got some names for these dragons. I would love to know. I would love to know a little bit more about that one hundred years between the Doom and the conquest. Yeah, and what went on in dragon Stone in that time. That's another spin off. Oh God. I also read some or a video or something the Garden twelve potential spinoffs. Oh Jesus that dog wants in, but twelve potential spin offs, And I'm like, I can think of four off the top of my head that are pretty much confirmed or in production, and I could think of another two or three that I would like to see that would be good. And I know a lot of people would like to see, you know, blackfire rebellion stuff. But then that's only half of the number. Yeah, else could they do? What else could they be doing? Maybe there is that pre conquest targeting stuff, do you know. I like prequels. I love the idea of all these prequels because there's so much rich history there to explore. But if they were to do a sequel, I want what's west or west of us with area? That would be the sequel that I would be wanting. I wanted to know, I want area to go a shy and all these But you know there's but that's the thing. When the map stops, the land just kind of goes off the edge of the map. There's still stuff there that's not on the maps of the known world. And if the Earth is round, and we will let's assume it is, what do you hope so well? I mean our Earth is round, but we're going to assume that theirs is as well. Comments fallen from the sky and all that. I would say that that indicates that there's space out there, and it's a round planet, not discworld. Nope, they're not on top of a giant turtle. Not a flat earth. No conspiracy, then it's from westerns. But anyway, maybe Laris, maybe. Let me tell you, Oh definitely where was I completely lost between the thought? Now, yeah, what's west or western? Offs? That was that? That would be why that would be cool, that would be very cool for a sequel. Um right, So that brings us to R. I. P. And is. Not very big. You said goodbye to Emma's sanity because ghost keeps running up and down the fucking stairs. Yes, this week we because he's a cunt. We can start at the ip sex again. You can cut that, That's fine. I just had to get that off a fucking chest. Sometimes you just got okay. So in this episode we said goodbye to the Brackens and the blackwoods, not all of them, just a lot of them, a lot of them. I'm more concerned for their bannerman who fought alongside then the poor sods that got dragged into their feud because they couldn't have all been Brackens and blackwoods. So many many men died needlessly over some boundary stones. Awful. And the first battle of the war has begun, so I'm sure we'll see a lot more bracken than blackwoods throughout the rest of the store. But for now, a huge chunk of them have met their end. So goodbye to say goodbye, and anth Banner went goodbye. And that brings us to a fun facts. Do you have any other fun facts other than the ones you've already given us, which were awesome? No, I think I have used up all of my fun facts for this episode. I just thought of another that isn't even on my list. Here was the the water at Harron Hall where they kept putting Damon under the shower. It was the water leaking in through the roof. They kept to keep Damon looking like he was dripping wet. Just go stand ard of the water again. And I love that. Matt Smith said, I really enjoyed being absolutely soaking wet. Yeah, he really had fun with it. He said he wept for about twelve hours or something. Is insane. Good sport. Oh, actually, no, I do have a fun fact. Oh do you I do. The tapestry has changed. The tapestry has changed to reflect to Harry's Yeah, and the rat Catchers. Yeah, it was. Wow. It was quite brutal, wasn't it. It was, and I believe, yeah, we're going to keep seeing it. Added to it. It was after we'd watched the first It was when we watched last week's episode. I became more aware of the threads still weaving their way down the line as the House of the Dragon title comes up, as if to indicate there will be more. So, Yes, very well spotted. Thanks for bringing that up. Why is that not in my notes. Okay, So the IMDb fun facts go as follows. The first This is the first p pearance of Gail Rankin as Alice Rivers in the book. Alice is a figure of mystery and different sources can't even agree on her age. She possesses magical abilities, and her true intentions aren't clear. Yeah, apparently she was the daughter of Lionel Strong, a bastard daughter mother unknown, was it a serving girl. Apparently she was the wit nurse for Larison Harwin, and apparently she bathed in virgin blood. To keep her youthful looks. She is believed to be around forty at this point, although people say that she is actually older and that the bathing in blood is what keeps her youthful. But people also say that maybe she nursed Lionel, and that Lionel is not her, she's not the bastard daughter of Lionel. That maybe she's even older. Than that, very possibly. So Alice Rivers is shrouded in mystery and there is a lot more to come with her, I believe. So we're keeping our information on her tight liped at the moment because they've not given much away. We didn't really talk about her during the episode. Actually, now that I think about it, there was that very ominous line of you're going to die here. I mean, that's all we see, not for that's yeah, that and a couple of a couple of dirty looks when in the dining room. But yeah, you're going to die here? I mean, what do you take from that? I think that she means. I don't think she means literally there, literally there in that spot, because well if I say why I think, then that would be a spoiler, so I won't. But I don't think she means in the spot. I think she means in the vicinity. Yeah, so we shall see, though, we shall see. The next fun fact of IMDb is the brothel scene caused controversy due to showing a woman performance fillatio on a man's erect penis. The erect penis was a prosthetic. Yes we did think so. But thank goodness for that. So I can't wait for next week's episode. So before we go, a couple of questions. What was your favorite scene? Oh, my favorite scene was Baila on her dragon. Right, okay, fab My favorite scene was dinner at had Hall. YEA favorite performance has to be Laris, Laris brilliant. I'm going to take Simon strong then, right, okay, And the biggest surprise. Oh biggest surprise was the appearance of Alice Rivers. Right cool, Mine's is the blowy that shocked me? It really did. I did not expect that. Right. Well, that brings us to the end of our show. So at this point we are working up to doing some listener feedback et cetera at the end of the season. If we get enough, we may even just do a feedback episode. So it'd be great to hear from you guys, and we will hopefully be able to use your comments on the show. It'd be great to hear everybody else's opinion rather than just being ours. I want to hear if you agree with us. I want to hear if you totally disagree. We want it all absolutely, It's all in good fun. So in the meantime, Emma can going to tell you how you can't contact. Us Before I do that. We will see you next week for the Red Dragon and the Gold Yes we will. So here's how we can contact us. If you want to contact us, you can head over to our website, the unrelour dot Com where you can find links to our social media 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 talk at the unrelour dot com. And if you like what we're doing here and you want to support the show, then you can visit patreon dot com slash the unrel Hour, where you can subscribe for ADVI listening, early access episodes, and exclusive content. If you don't want to commit to a monthly subscription, then you can buy us a coffee at buying meacoffee dot com slash the unrel Hour. All of your donations will go back into the show to cover costs and keep the likes on. Once again, thanks for listening. Until next time, Keep it Unreal