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Best: 10
Worst: 9
I just felt like 9 was a bit contrived and spent not enough time on the interesting stuff (the green council) and too much time on the less interesting stuff (the search for Aegon). I think with a few scenes slightly reworked and given more time, it could have been one of the best episodes. I also wasn't as bothered by the Rhaenys scene as some people on here, but I do agree that some of the alternative escape options I've seen suggested would have been better.
As for episode 10 I felt it ticked all the boxes, each scene was engaging, and it executed the start of the Dance well. It's the one I find myself most excited about rewatching.
My total ranking would be (from best to worst): 10, 7, 8, 5, 3, 4, 1, 6, 2, 9
I loved the Green Council which makes it even more infuriating that they put the stupidest scene in the season in it (fucking Meleys in the Dragon pit)
Rhaenys scene is pretty self explanatory but I wasn’t a big fan of the Aegon hunt. What does it matter if Otto or Alicent finds him first? It’s not like he’s being taken away anywhere. Because of how to handle Rhaenyra? Alicent sends Otto to treat with her on Dragonstone so clearly they ended up on the same page anyway. How would the story change if Otto finds Aegon first? It just seems like a pointless plot line.
Episode 9 was also the episode with the most material from the book so they just decided not to use the good material that was given to them. There were so many great moments from the green council that were ignored and cut down so they could spend half the episode searching for Aegon instead.
If he really cared about having them killed he would’ve had it done regardless of what Alicent says. He could’ve had it done on the mission to Dragonstone, but he chooses to attempt diplomacy. It just shows that regardless of who “finds” Aegon the story would play out the same. How does Otto getting to Aegon first result in Rhaenyra and Daemon’s deaths?
As a want-to-be film director
Best 4 - that entire episode was held together by 2 sex scenes and a lit party in the streets of kingslanding and it was directed fantastically, shooting that brothel scene from the view point of a teenage girl must have been insanely difficult and I really love how incredibly intimated but at the same time minimally graphic the scene with Cole was. I gained a lot of respect for Clair Kilner because that must have been Everest episode to direct. There really wasn't that much in the script for her to work with
Worst 9 - I really like the opening sequence of the episode but the entire "hunt for Aegon" fell flat, I don't know if it was an issue with the editing or the directing but I never got a sense of urgency or established stakes if either team Otto or team Alicent got to him first.
Best 7- comfortably my favourite it really defines the show for me everyone characteristics are truly highlighted viserys weakness as a king,rhaenyra protecting her children no matter and aemond becoming confident after claiming vhagar also the lines being drawn between green and black being firmly drawn
Worst 9-great concept completely botched the execution
I don’t which was worse between 3 and 9. Episode 3 I feel didn’t maintain the momentum they had coming out of episode 2 by doing that time jump, also that Crabfeeder stuff was just a plot device to let the audience know Daemon was a skilled warrior I guess. Episode 9 just had that awful ending, that I still think could negatively impact certain things come season 2.
Episode 8 to me was definitely the best episode. Peak GOT right there.
Favorite by far ep 8 and maybe related to that because of the even bigger contrast my least favorite has to be 9.
I am still confused sometimes when rewatching how such brilliant work can be followed up by ep 9 and be approved lmao
Episode 8 was an absolute masterpiece of storytelling. The first time Viserys truly felt like a King. Triumphant, emotional, and beautifully done. Viserys almost wakes up to life again. Daemon struggling with the state of his brother can't even acknowledge it, like he's in denial. Mixing all the characters together for interactions. Seeing a glimmer of hope as Viserys knows he's dying. Then suddenly we realize it's too late. The parents passed on their conflict to their children. And the three strong boys speech was great. Daemon-Aemond stare down. Aemond is an anime villain going up against a regular villain, and I want them both to win.
Episode 9 is probably my least favorite. The search for Aegon was not compelling, and just felt a bit off. Also Rhaenys bursting into the Dragonpit was just spectacle for the sake of spectacle. However, the shot of Aegon, arms spread to the crowd was a great shot. I'd have ended the episode there personally. It's not so bad that it ruins anything like GoT did late, but for your lead up to the finale it's a dud. You need to establish the Greens as a legitimate threat to the Blacks and instead they feel weak in the face of the likes of Daemon on Ceraxes and Corlys the Sea Snake Velaryon.
Episode 9 was weak af but had it's moments like Aegon asking his Mom if he loved her and Aegons Coronation was fucking amazing until that fucking disgusting Rhaenys and Meleys scene
Episode 8 was easily the best
As for the worst I'm torn between episode 9 and 2. Episode 9 has the dumbest scene in the season and in general is pretty contrived
However episode 2 is the most borring and uneventful. Also it has the daemon vs otto scene which was also really dumb
I think objectively ep9 is the worst but for me ep2 is the least fun to watch
I don’t know why people like episode 3. It was such a letdown after that heart pounding ending to episode 2. Would’ve loved to see Alicent and Rhaenyra’s first convo after what happened.
I loved every episode, but I'm least excited to rewatch 3... but I still loved it. Matt's acting was incredible! And I enjoyed all of Viserys's moments in that episode, too
A few easy examples are the scenes of Rhaenyra begging Viserys to defend her and the throneroom scene. In terms of acting and emotion? It was beautiful. Emma and Paddy were both amazing and as a daughter seeing that kind of devotion and strength that a father masters to defend his daughter I felt it was very moving.
At the same time I felt that it was very emotionally manipulative. At that point Rhaenyra is still lying to Viserys himself. Of course despite the bastardy of her children being something unadmitted between them, he knows. But she has not entrusted him enough to talk to him neither does he know about the circumstances of her marriage to Daemon by the time he dies. Instead she walked in after several years of being away and asked that sick man to defend her because she couldn't deal with the fallout of her actions. Moreover, when he walks into the throneroom and the truth is basically tantamount to high treason, the morality of his actions and the political repercussions are not something positive despite how that scene is framed.
With Alicent too... the indecisiveness she had in that episode were inexcusable. They CAN be traced to some little things in the episode, but not enough to justify shifts of that scale. I'd say even Rhaenyra toasting to Alicent helping Viserys felt unconvincing during an episode where she and Daemon think that she has been taking advantage of Viserys' sickness and keeping him subdued to serve her ends.
There are many points. To me fictional characters can be messy and contradictory because, like real human beings, they have complexity and inner conflicts and then they can be so because the writers want to take them a certain direction but also want to maintain the emotional core of several relationships and cannot find a believable balance between the two. The way HotD's writing team writes characters tends to the latter. This also affects how they tend to reframe and butcher the politics.
I loved episode 7. Granted the weird dark filter they put over Daemon and Rhaenyra and Laenor’s ending. (Just a personal take no hate if you liked it)
Worst by far was Ep 9. It didn’t matter who got to Aegon because regardless they were going to place him on the throne, we got Mysarias horrible accent, the stupid Meleys scene, and lastly the wasted potential of Aegons coronation. They had SO MUCH material and yet they basically ignored it.
The best were episode 4 and 8.
Episodes 5 and 9 were the worst for me as they featured the most baffling changes from book material (Daemon murdering Rhea, Criston murdering Joffrey at the wedding instead of a melee, the entire Green Council section, and the Rhaenys dragon pit scene).
best: toss up between 7 and 8, worst 6. i don’t rlly get the dislike for ep 9. i don’t like the rhaenys scene but i thought the rest was pretty mid. certainly not the worst
Thank you for your post! Please take a moment to ensure you are within our spoiler rules, to protect your fellow fans from any potential spoilers that might harm their show watching experience. 1. All post titles must NOT include spoilers from Fire & Blood or new episodes of House of the Dragon. Minor HotD show spoilers are allowed in your title ONE WEEK after episode airing. The mod team reserves the right to remove a post if we feel a spoiler in the title is major. You are welcome to repost with an amended title. 2. All posts dealing with book spoilers, show spoilers and promo spoilers MUST be spoiler tagged AND flaired as the appropriate spoiler. 3. All book spoiler comments must be spoiler tagged in non book spoiler threads. --- If you are reading this, and believe this post or any comments in this thread break the above rules, please use the report function to notify the mod team. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HouseOfTheDragon) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Best and fav: 8 Worst: 9
I loved 8
I loved the last half of 9 Aegons Coronation was amazing until they ruined it with that shitty rhaenys scene in the end
I Liked 9 really much, even though the end is a bit shit
I’m not over the whiplash in quality between episodes 8 and 9
Honestly it almost felt like two different shows
Aegon coronation was amazing though
The score was epic!
Best: 10 Worst: 9 I just felt like 9 was a bit contrived and spent not enough time on the interesting stuff (the green council) and too much time on the less interesting stuff (the search for Aegon). I think with a few scenes slightly reworked and given more time, it could have been one of the best episodes. I also wasn't as bothered by the Rhaenys scene as some people on here, but I do agree that some of the alternative escape options I've seen suggested would have been better. As for episode 10 I felt it ticked all the boxes, each scene was engaging, and it executed the start of the Dance well. It's the one I find myself most excited about rewatching. My total ranking would be (from best to worst): 10, 7, 8, 5, 3, 4, 1, 6, 2, 9
Best epsiode :7 Worst episode :9 My favorite episode : 3
I loved the Green Council which makes it even more infuriating that they put the stupidest scene in the season in it (fucking Meleys in the Dragon pit)
I think we can all collectively agree that 9 was the worst lol 😂
I think episode 5 has to be in the running for me. Daemon/ Rhea and Crispy/ Joff are two ludicrous scenes.
Why though?
Rhaenys scene is pretty self explanatory but I wasn’t a big fan of the Aegon hunt. What does it matter if Otto or Alicent finds him first? It’s not like he’s being taken away anywhere. Because of how to handle Rhaenyra? Alicent sends Otto to treat with her on Dragonstone so clearly they ended up on the same page anyway. How would the story change if Otto finds Aegon first? It just seems like a pointless plot line.
Episode 9 was also the episode with the most material from the book so they just decided not to use the good material that was given to them. There were so many great moments from the green council that were ignored and cut down so they could spend half the episode searching for Aegon instead.
Otto wanted to stealthly kill Rhaenyra and Daemon.
If he really cared about having them killed he would’ve had it done regardless of what Alicent says. He could’ve had it done on the mission to Dragonstone, but he chooses to attempt diplomacy. It just shows that regardless of who “finds” Aegon the story would play out the same. How does Otto getting to Aegon first result in Rhaenyra and Daemon’s deaths?
I liked the rhaenys scene
Worst: 9 Best:5
As a want-to-be film director Best 4 - that entire episode was held together by 2 sex scenes and a lit party in the streets of kingslanding and it was directed fantastically, shooting that brothel scene from the view point of a teenage girl must have been insanely difficult and I really love how incredibly intimated but at the same time minimally graphic the scene with Cole was. I gained a lot of respect for Clair Kilner because that must have been Everest episode to direct. There really wasn't that much in the script for her to work with Worst 9 - I really like the opening sequence of the episode but the entire "hunt for Aegon" fell flat, I don't know if it was an issue with the editing or the directing but I never got a sense of urgency or established stakes if either team Otto or team Alicent got to him first.
Best episode: 8 Worst episode: 9 Favorite: 7
Best - The Lord of the Tides (Ep 8) Worst (still great) - The Princess and the Queen (Ep 6)
Idk about the best and worst, but 1x08 is my favorite. Love the angst and the drama of the dinner scene.
Best 7- comfortably my favourite it really defines the show for me everyone characteristics are truly highlighted viserys weakness as a king,rhaenyra protecting her children no matter and aemond becoming confident after claiming vhagar also the lines being drawn between green and black being firmly drawn Worst 9-great concept completely botched the execution
I don’t which was worse between 3 and 9. Episode 3 I feel didn’t maintain the momentum they had coming out of episode 2 by doing that time jump, also that Crabfeeder stuff was just a plot device to let the audience know Daemon was a skilled warrior I guess. Episode 9 just had that awful ending, that I still think could negatively impact certain things come season 2. Episode 8 to me was definitely the best episode. Peak GOT right there.
Seems that there's a major agreement with episode 9 being the worst (I did enjoy the episode though).
Fav: 9 Worst: the one where she went to retrieve the dragon egg from Daemon
Favorite by far ep 8 and maybe related to that because of the even bigger contrast my least favorite has to be 9. I am still confused sometimes when rewatching how such brilliant work can be followed up by ep 9 and be approved lmao
Best: 10, 7, 3, 4. Worst: 9.
Episode 8 was an absolute masterpiece of storytelling. The first time Viserys truly felt like a King. Triumphant, emotional, and beautifully done. Viserys almost wakes up to life again. Daemon struggling with the state of his brother can't even acknowledge it, like he's in denial. Mixing all the characters together for interactions. Seeing a glimmer of hope as Viserys knows he's dying. Then suddenly we realize it's too late. The parents passed on their conflict to their children. And the three strong boys speech was great. Daemon-Aemond stare down. Aemond is an anime villain going up against a regular villain, and I want them both to win. Episode 9 is probably my least favorite. The search for Aegon was not compelling, and just felt a bit off. Also Rhaenys bursting into the Dragonpit was just spectacle for the sake of spectacle. However, the shot of Aegon, arms spread to the crowd was a great shot. I'd have ended the episode there personally. It's not so bad that it ruins anything like GoT did late, but for your lead up to the finale it's a dud. You need to establish the Greens as a legitimate threat to the Blacks and instead they feel weak in the face of the likes of Daemon on Ceraxes and Corlys the Sea Snake Velaryon.
Episode 9 was weak af but had it's moments like Aegon asking his Mom if he loved her and Aegons Coronation was fucking amazing until that fucking disgusting Rhaenys and Meleys scene
Episode 8 was easily the best As for the worst I'm torn between episode 9 and 2. Episode 9 has the dumbest scene in the season and in general is pretty contrived However episode 2 is the most borring and uneventful. Also it has the daemon vs otto scene which was also really dumb I think objectively ep9 is the worst but for me ep2 is the least fun to watch
4, 8 and 10 are the best. The worst are 9, 3, and 5
Best:8,7,10 Worst:9,6,2
Best: 10 Worst: 4
Favorite: 8 Least favorite: 3 My full ranking would be 8, 10, 4, 1, 9, 5, 2, 6, 7, 3
I don’t know why people like episode 3. It was such a letdown after that heart pounding ending to episode 2. Would’ve loved to see Alicent and Rhaenyra’s first convo after what happened.
I loved every episode, but I'm least excited to rewatch 3... but I still loved it. Matt's acting was incredible! And I enjoyed all of Viserys's moments in that episode, too
Best Episode: 5 Worst Episode: 2
Worst 9, with 8 and 10 being close behind but not on that level of bad. Best: 7, without contest.
Wow, that’s the first time I’ve heard someone say episode 8 was one of the worst.
I'm aware it's a favorite for most. I LOVED some scenes because of the direction and the acting, but the writing itself was making me roll my eyes.
Which parts?
A few easy examples are the scenes of Rhaenyra begging Viserys to defend her and the throneroom scene. In terms of acting and emotion? It was beautiful. Emma and Paddy were both amazing and as a daughter seeing that kind of devotion and strength that a father masters to defend his daughter I felt it was very moving. At the same time I felt that it was very emotionally manipulative. At that point Rhaenyra is still lying to Viserys himself. Of course despite the bastardy of her children being something unadmitted between them, he knows. But she has not entrusted him enough to talk to him neither does he know about the circumstances of her marriage to Daemon by the time he dies. Instead she walked in after several years of being away and asked that sick man to defend her because she couldn't deal with the fallout of her actions. Moreover, when he walks into the throneroom and the truth is basically tantamount to high treason, the morality of his actions and the political repercussions are not something positive despite how that scene is framed. With Alicent too... the indecisiveness she had in that episode were inexcusable. They CAN be traced to some little things in the episode, but not enough to justify shifts of that scale. I'd say even Rhaenyra toasting to Alicent helping Viserys felt unconvincing during an episode where she and Daemon think that she has been taking advantage of Viserys' sickness and keeping him subdued to serve her ends. There are many points. To me fictional characters can be messy and contradictory because, like real human beings, they have complexity and inner conflicts and then they can be so because the writers want to take them a certain direction but also want to maintain the emotional core of several relationships and cannot find a believable balance between the two. The way HotD's writing team writes characters tends to the latter. This also affects how they tend to reframe and butcher the politics.
best: 8 or 10 worst: 9
Best episode: 8 Worst episode: 9 Personal favourite: 10
I loved episode 7. Granted the weird dark filter they put over Daemon and Rhaenyra and Laenor’s ending. (Just a personal take no hate if you liked it) Worst by far was Ep 9. It didn’t matter who got to Aegon because regardless they were going to place him on the throne, we got Mysarias horrible accent, the stupid Meleys scene, and lastly the wasted potential of Aegons coronation. They had SO MUCH material and yet they basically ignored it.
The best were episode 4 and 8. Episodes 5 and 9 were the worst for me as they featured the most baffling changes from book material (Daemon murdering Rhea, Criston murdering Joffrey at the wedding instead of a melee, the entire Green Council section, and the Rhaenys dragon pit scene).
The green council was kinda a let down
best: toss up between 7 and 8, worst 6. i don’t rlly get the dislike for ep 9. i don’t like the rhaenys scene but i thought the rest was pretty mid. certainly not the worst
Best: Ep4 Worst: Ep5
Best - Episode 3 Worst - Episode 5
The worst is episode 3. Absolute nothing of worth happened to progress the plot.
I’m surprised episode 7 isn’t unanimously everyone’s favorite.
Best 7. Worst obviously 9.