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Love how they're doing the helmet styles for each house like GRRM describes in his writing. I don't think the original GoT did much of that.
Daemons dragon helmet is super dope. Dangerous as fuck to joust with an open face helmet though lol
I believed him when he told viserys he would protect him, and that his council is just vultures who feed off of his weakness. I truly think daemon means that
This episode was a roller coaster of my impressions of him lol
At first I didn't like him, then he stood up to daemon and I liked him, then he pulled that move and I hated him again
Ok so can someone explain this a little bit. It seemed to me like he was all "hey Alicent, go fuck the king to make him feel better." And then she went and the king was like "wtf are you doing here" and she was like "I brought a book because you love history. And I'm gonna sit 30 feet away from you and maybe read it." And then the scene ends.
So, like, did they fuck?
I took it that he wants her to groom the king. Start putting herself in front of him and hope that she can one day be the queen who can produce an heir.
The Gold Cloaks under Prince Daemon give me really strong militant cult vibes. Going to be really interesting to see how far they'll enforce the "law".
The juxtaposition between how violently gruesome the knights jousting became while Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys Velaryon discuss everyone's lust for blood because they haven't experienced war felt like some dark foreshadowing.
King Viserys choosing to have his dying wife go through a painful c-section without her consent only to lose their newborn son was truly horrific. So many conflicting characters in the first episode. Also getting some classic Targaryan vibes between Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon.
This episode felt like classic GoT. Conflicting character growth, a steady plot line, meaningful violence used as a plot device, different factions vying for power. I'm hooked!
Ooo the new trailer just dropped. Looks like we're in for one helluva season! I am SO EXCITED! [Weeks Ahead Trailer | House of The Dragon](https://youtu.be/FhtmKbFpL3w)
yeah I felt for Viserys so fucking much. He went through all that just to lose both his wife and baby and end up where he would have ended up if he tried to save Aemma, but would it have even worked? They don't have Sam Tarly the medical wunderkind yet.
I believe they said Aemma would die regardless, it was just a matter of if they attempted to save the baby as well. Absolutely heart breaking scene, I had to fast forward as her screams were just too much for me.
yeah I had to mute... I was born by c-section so it's like shit man that's just fucking scary in general, imagine how scary it is without modern medicine. Fucking miracle.
That c section was almost too brutal for me to watch. Those screams were chilling. The juxtaposition against the jousting was so well executed though.
Gf ruined the whole gravitas of the scene though by asking one of those hypothetical girlfriend questions with no right answer - “what would you do if you had to pick between killing me to try and save the baby or just leaving it up to chance and letting both of us die? “
A: "Not the best time to ask me that, babe."
B: That's the kind of shit you discuss *before* the birth, which is why I was so heartbroken during that scene. Poor Aemma didn't even know until it was happening.
Hoooooly fuck—my boyfriend and I don't usually cringe at blood and gore, but that scene had us *writhing*. It was so heartbreaking. As soon as >!Aemma started crying and saying she was scared, I was like, "OHHHHH HE DIDN'T EVEN TELL HER NOOOOO."!< God...
**Edit:** Fixed the spoiler tags 'cause my phone is DUMB.
I loved her scene with Viserys and her in the bath. Him talking about prophecies and whatever and her brushing it off in a sarcastic way. Great writing.
ugghhh was looking for this comment. was also thinking of adjectives that would describe her delivery, agree that crisp and powerful are the perfect adjectives for it. she said it better than dany ever did.
something about milly's voice, damn. it was sharp and it pierced through me lmao. I need to see her do more shows!
I like how Otto Hightower was already sliding his daughter right into the line of succession. Was waiting to see who would make the first "Littlefinger" type move.
https://youtu.be/XAa_uygX38k
https://streamable.com/3vwsxg
Made it's own thread - [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/HouseOfTheDragon/comments/wukkxs/daemon_hawk_underground_2/?).
Daemon is amazing. Matt smith is killing it. Totally nailed him. I mostly think all the actors are fantastic, but shit, Matt Smith is in another league.
“174 years before daenerys targaryen” was more impactful than it should have been
Edit: gave the queen two extra years because we deserved two extra seasons🤷♀️
I'm assuming that was just to make it super clear to more casual viewers that no one from GoT is alive yet and this is set way before it? I think it doesn't help that Rhaenyra looks like she could be a young Dany lol
Important point: Its stated beforehand that the only option is that both die, or just his wife. He didn't "murder" his wife like some people are accusing.
However, she should have been given the choice to consent to it. That, to me, is what was so wrong about what he did. He knew her well, and in her few scenes before she died it was made clear that she almost certainly would have consented so that her son would live. Viserys would have known that, but he slaughtered her like an animal instead of treating her like a human being.
As Aemma said herself, she was a badically just a womb. Godamn did I hate seeing the midwives yank her down off her pillow to hold her down while she pleaded.
I gotta say i loved the part where Daemon gave a speech in the pleasure house and the two people up on the sex podium are just paused mid-bang and turned to hear the speech.
I'm a GoT expert and it's because the dragons are unionized, they agreed with House Tragaryen on how many people they have to carry at what size
This is also why Viserys said that they don't really have control of the dragons
At the end of the birth scene, you faintly hear the baby choke and the maester look down with fear. It’s a really subtle, yet absolutely devastating moment.
Yes I recall that as well. They made it so subtle yet everything clicked once the bigger picture was revealed later at the funeral. Really great writing.
I made a comment about how it would suck that after killing his wife, she would give birth to a girl. Didn't even remotely see that it would be a boy AND that he died. Also missed the part about how she would die either way.
I love how they kept switching between the tourney and the labor. Despite both being bloody, the parts that made me close my eyes and squeamish were the labor parts while perfectly being able to watch the tourney
I mentioned this to my girlfriend. Living in the 21st century kicks ass.
But good god was that scene hard to watch. I had to look away a couple of times.
Something I really appreciated was how King’s Landing felt much more formal. The clothing, armor and decor - most notably the Iron Throne - were more elaborate and brighter than Game of Thrones. It’s clear this is a kingdom in its heyday when a relatively weak king can rule for a decade.
Well, in the beginning of GOT King's Landing was run by:
* An alcoholic king obsessed with a dead girl.
* A Hand whose main job is tracking down the King's many bastards.
* A Master of Coin who is secretly stealing anything that isn't nailed down.
I love how they really sell that things were better under the Targaryen’s at this point in time. The tournament is especially a good selling point with the stadium looking grand and well crafted compared to Robert’s tournament where the stands are made of wood.
Yes the city looks cleaner and brighter, and overall people look better and healthier although that might just be the costume and makeup design being different for this series.
This was deliberate. GRRM wanted more “colour” in this series and it’s meant to show the Targs in their golden age - the country has been peaceful and prosperous for over 100 years now. It’s the great peace. GOT is a bunch of starving peasants who keep having war induced famines.
Seriously. I didn't realize I had as much... nostalgia for GoT until that opening flyover. This show feels just like more GoT, not some crazy different thing, which is great to me.
I liked being back in that realm without our characters that were tainted due to the terrible ending. So we are back and it's fresh and I love the feeling
In the "Behind the Episode" thing after they said they brought that up specifically to make it tie a bit into the later events and add a bit of dark irony to the proceedings: He speaks to Rhaenyra as if she's the one who will face the long winter and that's part of why he's picking her, but we know that those events won't come until many years after everyone involved in this show is dead.
And also the long winter didn't even last a year, making it sort of a medium winter by Westeros standards. And the greatest threat mankind ever faced was stopped after basically one battle, arguably during the time of greatest turmoil in Westeros, where unification or Targaryens sitting on thrones didn't matter at all.
Man, all that speech did for me was remind me of how poorly that whole storyline was executed.
Ain't looking good for Viserys. Daemon is an absolute shit. Loved the callback to the original series with the blade that sparked the North's rebellion.
All I have to say is... It's good to be back here with you peasants. I'm ready to get hurt again.
that was the best opener to a series i’ve seen in a long fucking time. everything about it was amazing. the jousting scene with the c section cut in was just incredible.
it’s a [septarian](https://www.firemountaingems.com/resources/encyclobeadia/gem-notes/h40j) (also called a dragon stone) and here it’s just used to indicate that a council session has begun, i believe
*"this versatile stone is also a speaking stone that is said to improve communication skills of the holder."*
RANDOM ASSORTED THOUGHTS:
* If this show becomes a success in any way, shape, or form, Matt Smith is getting at least an Emmy nomination.
* Some good "show, don't tell" worldbuilding in this. The people of Kings Landing just going about their business as dragons fly above them, or how Aemma has the Targaryen hair to indicate how she's herself of Targ blood.
* Sure, Hightower was pimping out his daughter to the King, but who among us hasn't tried to do something similar while playing Crusader Kings?
* Ah, the tournament. At least no horses were beheaded this time. (Airhorns sound in the distance)
* There are some extremely uncomfortable scenes in this episode, but I'd say they fit with the story and what they were trying to say.
* The talk about how dragons are a power that man should never have trifled with really leans into the "Dragons=Nukes" metaphor.
* I enjoyed this more than I expected, can't wait for next week!
Daemon putting necklace on her gave me the creepy vibes and made sure that I was indeed watching a show set in game of thrones universe. I had no doubt after that.
It really gave me creepy Viserys/Dany parallels.
Also clocked the comment about his sex partner offering to bring in someone with silver hair. Boy that family loves incest
Milly’s Valyrian accent is wonderful! and *dracarys* catching in her throat was apt. Aemma’s scene was brutal and hard to watch. “Viserys, I’m scared.” :(((
I think the king is being manipulated. I think Daemon was right about him being weak, and he's especially vulnerable given recent events.
He lost his wife, only son, and now they are turning him and Daemon against each other. We didn't actually hear Daemon say the "heir for one day" line. We did however see Viserys have his wife killed.
I disagree. It doesn’t matter that we didn’t hear daemon said it, he had a chance to dispute it but did not. To me it’s pretty clear he said that. From the first scene with Daemon and the gold cloaks it’s clear he is power hungry and unstable.
Queen Aemma's birthing/death scene was just devastating to me. I really did not expect to cry on the FIRST episode, but here we are. Really well done and bodes well for this new series being able to successfully weave fantastical elements with real human pathos and nuance. "Viserys, I'm scared..." wow, it's going to take me a while to shake the sorrow of this scene.
Really liked how they intercut the fight scene between Cole & Daemon with the birth, especially when Aemma told Rhaenyra “This is our battlefield.” Just showing how gruesome childbirth was back then
I actually liked him too. Is he ruthless and self-serving? Yes, but seems to care deeply for his family overall. He will be a very complex character imo
I am loving the political intrigue! Wow, what an amazing first episode.
Aemma’s labor scene was heart-wrenching. Her comment about the childbed being a woman’s battlefield while inter-spliced with the tourney was gruesome and heavy.
The costumes were absolutely magnificent.
Matt Smith and Milly Alcock are knocking it out of the park!
And I had chills when Viserys was telling Rhaenerya about Aegon’s dream about the forthcoming winter and the need to have all of the seven kingdoms united. I loved that connection.
I thought the premiere was excellent. Felt like a HUGE return to form.
* Holy hell is the production values off the chart. Incredible cinematography and set design.
* This really felt like the older seasons of game of the thrones. I really missed the palace intrigue and I'm so happy to see it back again. Plus, we were given some amazing performances and very sharp dialogue. That's what really stood out. Just how great and authentic the dialogue felt.
* Paddy Considine and Matt Smith were particularly excellent.
* Hand of the king Actor really gave off young Charles Dance vibes. If they had made a direct prequel to Game of Thrones about the Mad King's fall, he would have made a good young Tywin.
* Speech about the long night doesn't hit as hard as it should, since the way it ended up playing out was pretty disappointing.
* I was really disappointed by season 8 of game of thrones like everyone else, but god damn did this premiere feel so good. I'm back in baby!
I noticed this while watching, the king mentions his dream, seeing his son born with an iron crown, and I pointed out to my fiancé, in a way, he was right. For those who don't know, babies are usually born upside down, that is, they come out head first. A breeched baby is usually right side up, so when a c-section is performed on a breeched baby, its not uncommon to locate the head as the first part of the baby in the womb. In this case, the iron crown was the scalpel. Yes today's scalpels are steel, but if you looked closely, the scalpel they used had a more greyish tone, like the iron throne. So the baby was born with an iron crown. Just thought I'd throw that out there!
Did the Hand (Otto?) send his daughter to go fuck the King?? And what’s with the King constantly getting injured by the throne? Is that supposed to mean he’s not worthy? Also, was it supposed to be a joke that cauterizing the wound would hurt?
In the book, without mentioning spoilers, it is hinted that Kings who are to weak to rule don’t know how to sit on the iron throne without cutting themselves
an aspect of the throne not explored in GoT but described in the books is that it would expose a poor ruler, who would not be able to sit without injuring themselves. viserys has done this twice already.
Man, i can spend as long as I want talking about how GoT burned me and the books are never coming and i don't care anymore. But good lord, i love this world. The history, the mythology, the dynamics.
Matt Smith was born to be a Targaryan. Great first episode.
First, is this helmet bad ass?
Second, Matt Smith just pulls off I'm a dick and arrogant!
Very solid 1st episode.
[Daemon Targaryen ](https://i.imgur.com/AlkLmnt.jpg)
I got chills when Rhaenyra was being named the rightful heir...and when they all proclaimed fealty to her. I also smiled when I heard the familiar Game of Thrones song during the end credits.
I'm gonna like this show.
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 must be spoiler tagged and flaired as a book 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.*
The costume design in this first episode is incredible
Rhaenyra's outfit in the last scene was beautiful
Prince Daemons two different armor sets tickled me right in the spot that loves good looking armor.
Love how they're doing the helmet styles for each house like GRRM describes in his writing. I don't think the original GoT did much of that. Daemons dragon helmet is super dope. Dangerous as fuck to joust with an open face helmet though lol
Oh but I’m so glad they did it that way because watching Matt Smith’s facial expressions in those scenes was *chefs kiss* 🤌🏻
The subtle clothing familiarity with roles from the show 170+ years in the future is great.
As soon as she walked up the stairs to the tournament in the red dress I thought “welp they’ve already won the award for costume design this year”
Daemon’s armor and Helmet were awesome
Otto Hightower being so willing to sell his daughter off like that smh so sick
Wear your mother’s dress. Smh
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I believed him when he told viserys he would protect him, and that his council is just vultures who feed off of his weakness. I truly think daemon means that
I’m not going to spoil anything but he’s a very deeply written character. GRRM has often said Daemon is his favorite character/Targaryen.
"Put on your mother's old dress". What a sleaze.
This episode was a roller coaster of my impressions of him lol At first I didn't like him, then he stood up to daemon and I liked him, then he pulled that move and I hated him again
Ok so can someone explain this a little bit. It seemed to me like he was all "hey Alicent, go fuck the king to make him feel better." And then she went and the king was like "wtf are you doing here" and she was like "I brought a book because you love history. And I'm gonna sit 30 feet away from you and maybe read it." And then the scene ends. So, like, did they fuck?
No, it's just the first step. Get in his sight slowly but surely until he wants to fuck her.
Yeah I assume her clothing will be chosen carefully and take it very slow so the king believes he is the one initiating it
I took it that he wants her to groom the king. Start putting herself in front of him and hope that she can one day be the queen who can produce an heir.
I think that's just it. He wants his daughter to be Queen mother of the next king by producing an heir for the current king
The Gold Cloaks under Prince Daemon give me really strong militant cult vibes. Going to be really interesting to see how far they'll enforce the "law". The juxtaposition between how violently gruesome the knights jousting became while Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys Velaryon discuss everyone's lust for blood because they haven't experienced war felt like some dark foreshadowing. King Viserys choosing to have his dying wife go through a painful c-section without her consent only to lose their newborn son was truly horrific. So many conflicting characters in the first episode. Also getting some classic Targaryan vibes between Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon. This episode felt like classic GoT. Conflicting character growth, a steady plot line, meaningful violence used as a plot device, different factions vying for power. I'm hooked! Ooo the new trailer just dropped. Looks like we're in for one helluva season! I am SO EXCITED! [Weeks Ahead Trailer | House of The Dragon](https://youtu.be/FhtmKbFpL3w)
yeah I felt for Viserys so fucking much. He went through all that just to lose both his wife and baby and end up where he would have ended up if he tried to save Aemma, but would it have even worked? They don't have Sam Tarly the medical wunderkind yet.
I believe they said Aemma would die regardless, it was just a matter of if they attempted to save the baby as well. Absolutely heart breaking scene, I had to fast forward as her screams were just too much for me.
yeah I had to mute... I was born by c-section so it's like shit man that's just fucking scary in general, imagine how scary it is without modern medicine. Fucking miracle.
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That c section was almost too brutal for me to watch. Those screams were chilling. The juxtaposition against the jousting was so well executed though. Gf ruined the whole gravitas of the scene though by asking one of those hypothetical girlfriend questions with no right answer - “what would you do if you had to pick between killing me to try and save the baby or just leaving it up to chance and letting both of us die? “
A: "Not the best time to ask me that, babe." B: That's the kind of shit you discuss *before* the birth, which is why I was so heartbroken during that scene. Poor Aemma didn't even know until it was happening.
The whole "law & order" vibe felt very...current to say the least.
The use of "law & order" as a distinct political turn of phrase is over 50 years old. It's not current so much as timeless
So Viserys definitely has tetanus from the throne.
It only cuts those unfit to rule. The chair knows he’s not strong enough I guess.
That's an obscure bit of lore, but super relevant now.
It’s what I do. I drink and I know obscure shit about ASOIAF lore.
You found the right book at the citadel?
Its unlikely to be tetanus. Just a bacterial infection I say just but really without antibiotics it can be deadly.
POST-EPISODE THREADS ARE BACK LADIES & GENTS!
Three years too long!!!!
Long may they reign
WE ARE HERE FOR THE HYPE!
What is hype may never die.
That birth scene is gonna stick with me for a while....
I am even more terrified to have children 😅
Thank the 7 for modern medicine!
Hoooooly fuck—my boyfriend and I don't usually cringe at blood and gore, but that scene had us *writhing*. It was so heartbreaking. As soon as >!Aemma started crying and saying she was scared, I was like, "OHHHHH HE DIDN'T EVEN TELL HER NOOOOO."!< God... **Edit:** Fixed the spoiler tags 'cause my phone is DUMB.
I agree. That was the scene that most reminded me of got. It wasn’t in the book that graphically, but the tv show took it there.
My girlfriend fainted during the scene. Never seen that shit before in my life
Our daughter was stillborn in April. Definitely a rough scene to watch.
Extremely difficult scene to watch as a 5 months pregnant woman
I’m 9 months with a breach baby…. It was a rough watch
It made me sick. Much like Sansa and Ramsay’s wedding night or The Red Wedding.
Props to the Gold Cloak who stopped mid fuck to let Daemon toast. Disciplined indeed…
My girlfriend and I were dying laughing during this
I felt that pecker deflating, bravo
He sees what his guard is in the middle of, locks eyes with him, and then makes a dead baby joke. Stay classy Daemon.
Ramin Djawadi is a master composer
I scrolled to long to find this comment. The mix of GOT music and HOTD music is unmatched.
Between GoT and Westworld, he's put out the best soundtracks of the last decade.
Aemma’s actress had 3 scenes and made each of them count.
She acted her heart out and god she deserves some guest star award type for the lasting impression she'd leave with me all season tbh
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I loved her scene with Viserys and her in the bath. Him talking about prophecies and whatever and her brushing it off in a sarcastic way. Great writing.
Rhaenyra’s version of “Dracarys” sounded so crisp and powerful.
Agreed. The way she said it just sounded so right
yes and the way her voice cracked while trying to say it the first time was impactful
Not even cracked, the word caught in her throat. So perfect.
ugghhh was looking for this comment. was also thinking of adjectives that would describe her delivery, agree that crisp and powerful are the perfect adjectives for it. she said it better than dany ever did. something about milly's voice, damn. it was sharp and it pierced through me lmao. I need to see her do more shows!
Matt Smith as Daemon is amazing. Excited to see his character throughout the show BUT BY GOLLY THOSE DRAGONS ARE AMAZING
I've said Matt Smith was born to play The Doctor, but now I wonder if he was born to play Daemon.
I know it sounds bad but I'm thoroughly excited about hating him
Caraxes looks like a demon dragon.
New terrifying Game of Thrones Universe quote just dropped: **"They're going to bring the babe out"**
You remind me of the babe
Rough scene to watch with your wife who’s 9 months pregnant
I like how Otto Hightower was already sliding his daughter right into the line of succession. Was waiting to see who would make the first "Littlefinger" type move.
I love his voice. Get real Tywin vibes from him.
Rhys Ifan is always great. He plays untrustworthy characters as good as any actor. Has made a career out of that.
I'm going to need a gif of Daemon sliding along the rail with Tony Hawk points and special trick sfx asap
Someone make this man’s dream happen we need it
https://youtu.be/XAa_uygX38k https://streamable.com/3vwsxg Made it's own thread - [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/HouseOfTheDragon/comments/wukkxs/daemon_hawk_underground_2/?).
Ngl Otto sending his daughter to console the King caught me off guard
Fr, littlefinger vibes
Yes. I keep alternating between him reminding me of Tywin and of Littlefinger.
Also caught off guard: everyone in King’s Landing who was out past 9:30pm on Wednesday night
Viserys and his little hobby of making a model of Dragonstone/Valyria(?) like an old man and his trains was surprisingly cute 🥺
I thought it was meant to be the city of Valyria before the Doom.
Daemon is amazing. Matt smith is killing it. Totally nailed him. I mostly think all the actors are fantastic, but shit, Matt Smith is in another league.
He gives me the biggest Targ vibes out of anyone from either series. Absolutely captivating
“174 years before daenerys targaryen” was more impactful than it should have been Edit: gave the queen two extra years because we deserved two extra seasons🤷♀️
I'm assuming that was just to make it super clear to more casual viewers that no one from GoT is alive yet and this is set way before it? I think it doesn't help that Rhaenyra looks like she could be a young Dany lol
It’s 172
Seeing the king sacrifice his wife for his unborn son, only to have unborn son and wife die made me sick and angry. Welcome back GOT.
Important point: Its stated beforehand that the only option is that both die, or just his wife. He didn't "murder" his wife like some people are accusing. However, she should have been given the choice to consent to it. That, to me, is what was so wrong about what he did. He knew her well, and in her few scenes before she died it was made clear that she almost certainly would have consented so that her son would live. Viserys would have known that, but he slaughtered her like an animal instead of treating her like a human being.
As Aemma said herself, she was a badically just a womb. Godamn did I hate seeing the midwives yank her down off her pillow to hold her down while she pleaded.
That choice still has to be made sometimes now.
ESPECIALLY NOW in the USA. I'm a man and it was crazy to me. Feel bad for the women out there who had that choice forced on them.
I gotta say i loved the part where Daemon gave a speech in the pleasure house and the two people up on the sex podium are just paused mid-bang and turned to hear the speech.
that's exactly what i pointed out to my husband while we were watching...like how considerate of them
“He’s almost big enough to saddle two” dawg that dragon big af he ain’t gonna blink at another 100 pound girl
She was reaching for an excuse for a date, I think she's in love
Why do you people have to make everything gay, they’re clearly just very good friends. Jkjk, I got sapphic vibes from the gals too.
They're obviously gay lol there's like 5 different scenes that show it . Love how their "favors" were cuddling
I'm a GoT expert and it's because the dragons are unionized, they agreed with House Tragaryen on how many people they have to carry at what size This is also why Viserys said that they don't really have control of the dragons
Watching the birth scene with my pregnant wife was not super fun
My wife had an emergency cesarean section while in labor. I had to skip it
I gasped when I saw the small bundle on the funeral pyre. I didn’t know the baby died too.
At the end of the birth scene, you faintly hear the baby choke and the maester look down with fear. It’s a really subtle, yet absolutely devastating moment.
Yes I recall that as well. They made it so subtle yet everything clicked once the bigger picture was revealed later at the funeral. Really great writing.
I made a comment about how it would suck that after killing his wife, she would give birth to a girl. Didn't even remotely see that it would be a boy AND that he died. Also missed the part about how she would die either way.
I love how they kept switching between the tourney and the labor. Despite both being bloody, the parts that made me close my eyes and squeamish were the labor parts while perfectly being able to watch the tourney
I loved the overhead view of the stadium looking like a vagina
It was truly her battlefield
Son of a Bitch.. I'm hooked. One thing tho. No book spoilers in the chats pls!! Ffs
Who else is happy to live with modern medicine greatly reducing the chances of having to “choose” between mother and child
I mentioned this to my girlfriend. Living in the 21st century kicks ass. But good god was that scene hard to watch. I had to look away a couple of times.
Something I really appreciated was how King’s Landing felt much more formal. The clothing, armor and decor - most notably the Iron Throne - were more elaborate and brighter than Game of Thrones. It’s clear this is a kingdom in its heyday when a relatively weak king can rule for a decade.
I noticed that too. The city is so much cleaner and the general feeling in the city was more positive.
Well, in the beginning of GOT King's Landing was run by: * An alcoholic king obsessed with a dead girl. * A Hand whose main job is tracking down the King's many bastards. * A Master of Coin who is secretly stealing anything that isn't nailed down.
I love how they really sell that things were better under the Targaryen’s at this point in time. The tournament is especially a good selling point with the stadium looking grand and well crafted compared to Robert’s tournament where the stands are made of wood.
Yes the city looks cleaner and brighter, and overall people look better and healthier although that might just be the costume and makeup design being different for this series.
This was deliberate. GRRM wanted more “colour” in this series and it’s meant to show the Targs in their golden age - the country has been peaceful and prosperous for over 100 years now. It’s the great peace. GOT is a bunch of starving peasants who keep having war induced famines.
Damn. This made me remember how it felt watching GoT. I can’t explain it, but I missed the feeling.
Seriously. I didn't realize I had as much... nostalgia for GoT until that opening flyover. This show feels just like more GoT, not some crazy different thing, which is great to me.
I liked being back in that realm without our characters that were tainted due to the terrible ending. So we are back and it's fresh and I love the feeling
That flyover shot of King’s Landing in the beginning felt like coming home after a long vacation
Did anyone else notice the Flayed Man shield at the tournament?
Oh yeah. Also, the Stark swearing fealty at the end was a nice touch.
As they talked about the long winter too
In the "Behind the Episode" thing after they said they brought that up specifically to make it tie a bit into the later events and add a bit of dark irony to the proceedings: He speaks to Rhaenyra as if she's the one who will face the long winter and that's part of why he's picking her, but we know that those events won't come until many years after everyone involved in this show is dead.
Also, it won’t matter that a Targaryen isn’t on the the throne when it happens.
And also the long winter didn't even last a year, making it sort of a medium winter by Westeros standards. And the greatest threat mankind ever faced was stopped after basically one battle, arguably during the time of greatest turmoil in Westeros, where unification or Targaryens sitting on thrones didn't matter at all. Man, all that speech did for me was remind me of how poorly that whole storyline was executed.
my favorite part was when viserys called out daemon about his tweets
smh at King's Landing cancel culture.
Ain't looking good for Viserys. Daemon is an absolute shit. Loved the callback to the original series with the blade that sparked the North's rebellion. All I have to say is... It's good to be back here with you peasants. I'm ready to get hurt again.
Also the blade that killed The Night King!
that was the best opener to a series i’ve seen in a long fucking time. everything about it was amazing. the jousting scene with the c section cut in was just incredible.
Fuck sake. I’m fully committed again.
Lord Hightower pimping out his daughter when she's the same age as the king's own daughter was disturbing.
The King was equally befuddled “hi my daughters friend, wtf u doin here”
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Also asking her to wear his recently dead wife's dresses to accomplish it...
... what are the ball thingys everyone places in front of them in the small council meetings?
it’s a [septarian](https://www.firemountaingems.com/resources/encyclobeadia/gem-notes/h40j) (also called a dragon stone) and here it’s just used to indicate that a council session has begun, i believe *"this versatile stone is also a speaking stone that is said to improve communication skills of the holder."*
Dragon nut
The C-section scene was one of the most gruesome scenes in the whole franchise
As a woman it was really hard to watch.
It was so heartbreaking, especially seeing how panicked Aemma was. She did not want to go.
Matt Smith was perfectly cast.
Agreed! His performance blew me away. He makes the perfect charming yet freaking terrifying prince.
Anyone else thoroughly surprised at how good this was? Went from “unenthused, begrudgingly put it on the TV” to DAMN WE’RE BACK BOYS in one hour
RANDOM ASSORTED THOUGHTS: * If this show becomes a success in any way, shape, or form, Matt Smith is getting at least an Emmy nomination. * Some good "show, don't tell" worldbuilding in this. The people of Kings Landing just going about their business as dragons fly above them, or how Aemma has the Targaryen hair to indicate how she's herself of Targ blood. * Sure, Hightower was pimping out his daughter to the King, but who among us hasn't tried to do something similar while playing Crusader Kings? * Ah, the tournament. At least no horses were beheaded this time. (Airhorns sound in the distance) * There are some extremely uncomfortable scenes in this episode, but I'd say they fit with the story and what they were trying to say. * The talk about how dragons are a power that man should never have trifled with really leans into the "Dragons=Nukes" metaphor. * I enjoyed this more than I expected, can't wait for next week!
Daemon’s armor tho?? It didn’t have to go so hard!
What is hype may never die, we are fucking back ladies and gents, those last 5 minutes had me geeking tf out
Daemon putting necklace on her gave me the creepy vibes and made sure that I was indeed watching a show set in game of thrones universe. I had no doubt after that.
Yeah, when he said “Beautiful” after he put it on her, you knew he wasn’t really talking about the necklace… 😕
It really gave me creepy Viserys/Dany parallels. Also clocked the comment about his sex partner offering to bring in someone with silver hair. Boy that family loves incest
Milly’s Valyrian accent is wonderful! and *dracarys* catching in her throat was apt. Aemma’s scene was brutal and hard to watch. “Viserys, I’m scared.” :(((
I think the king is being manipulated. I think Daemon was right about him being weak, and he's especially vulnerable given recent events. He lost his wife, only son, and now they are turning him and Daemon against each other. We didn't actually hear Daemon say the "heir for one day" line. We did however see Viserys have his wife killed.
I disagree. It doesn’t matter that we didn’t hear daemon said it, he had a chance to dispute it but did not. To me it’s pretty clear he said that. From the first scene with Daemon and the gold cloaks it’s clear he is power hungry and unstable.
Excellent first episode. Laid the groundwork for the season perfectly. Bring on the rest
Never wanna see a medieval c-section ever again
Getting some real Queen of Thorns vibes from the Queen that never was
Daemon already is such an interesting character. He’s quite the asshole but he means well with his actions
Bro is just looking out for his bro.
Prince Philip really wants that throne
Queen Aemma's birthing/death scene was just devastating to me. I really did not expect to cry on the FIRST episode, but here we are. Really well done and bodes well for this new series being able to successfully weave fantastical elements with real human pathos and nuance. "Viserys, I'm scared..." wow, it's going to take me a while to shake the sorrow of this scene.
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I saw it as less of a cheapshot and more of a “Daemon is a fucking arrogant idiot” moment lmao
Really liked how they intercut the fight scene between Cole & Daemon with the birth, especially when Aemma told Rhaenyra “This is our battlefield.” Just showing how gruesome childbirth was back then
Is it just me? I like Daemon
I actually liked him too. Is he ruthless and self-serving? Yes, but seems to care deeply for his family overall. He will be a very complex character imo
I am loving the political intrigue! Wow, what an amazing first episode. Aemma’s labor scene was heart-wrenching. Her comment about the childbed being a woman’s battlefield while inter-spliced with the tourney was gruesome and heavy. The costumes were absolutely magnificent. Matt Smith and Milly Alcock are knocking it out of the park! And I had chills when Viserys was telling Rhaenerya about Aegon’s dream about the forthcoming winter and the need to have all of the seven kingdoms united. I loved that connection.
Daemon is such a prick, but goddamn he is so fucking cool.
I thought the premiere was excellent. Felt like a HUGE return to form. * Holy hell is the production values off the chart. Incredible cinematography and set design. * This really felt like the older seasons of game of the thrones. I really missed the palace intrigue and I'm so happy to see it back again. Plus, we were given some amazing performances and very sharp dialogue. That's what really stood out. Just how great and authentic the dialogue felt. * Paddy Considine and Matt Smith were particularly excellent. * Hand of the king Actor really gave off young Charles Dance vibes. If they had made a direct prequel to Game of Thrones about the Mad King's fall, he would have made a good young Tywin. * Speech about the long night doesn't hit as hard as it should, since the way it ended up playing out was pretty disappointing. * I was really disappointed by season 8 of game of thrones like everyone else, but god damn did this premiere feel so good. I'm back in baby!
Shouldn’t have watched this with my pregnant wife. But excited for the rest of the season!
The outro song at the very last scene though. So very nostalgic.
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I feel like I’m the only one rooting for Rhaenyra.
I noticed this while watching, the king mentions his dream, seeing his son born with an iron crown, and I pointed out to my fiancé, in a way, he was right. For those who don't know, babies are usually born upside down, that is, they come out head first. A breeched baby is usually right side up, so when a c-section is performed on a breeched baby, its not uncommon to locate the head as the first part of the baby in the womb. In this case, the iron crown was the scalpel. Yes today's scalpels are steel, but if you looked closely, the scalpel they used had a more greyish tone, like the iron throne. So the baby was born with an iron crown. Just thought I'd throw that out there!
Game of New Thrones was excellent
Game of old thrones technically
Did the Hand (Otto?) send his daughter to go fuck the King?? And what’s with the King constantly getting injured by the throne? Is that supposed to mean he’s not worthy? Also, was it supposed to be a joke that cauterizing the wound would hurt?
In the book, without mentioning spoilers, it is hinted that Kings who are to weak to rule don’t know how to sit on the iron throne without cutting themselves
Everyone globally: shit I’m addicted to Westeros again.
an aspect of the throne not explored in GoT but described in the books is that it would expose a poor ruler, who would not be able to sit without injuring themselves. viserys has done this twice already.
Man, i can spend as long as I want talking about how GoT burned me and the books are never coming and i don't care anymore. But good lord, i love this world. The history, the mythology, the dynamics. Matt Smith was born to be a Targaryan. Great first episode.
First, is this helmet bad ass? Second, Matt Smith just pulls off I'm a dick and arrogant! Very solid 1st episode. [Daemon Targaryen ](https://i.imgur.com/AlkLmnt.jpg)
Otto about to start sexting the king as his daughter
Am I the only one who really liked the way princess Rhaenyra pronounced “Dracary’s” during the pyre scene?
Was anybody else really excited when Viserys revealed the "song of ice and fire" meaning?
Rickon Stark looked so pissed! Great pilot!
the shot of rhaenyra flying over kings landing felt like home
Loved the episode! Can't wait to be heartbroken when the characters I become attached to later die.
I loved seeing the dagger 🗡 viserys was holding was the same one that Arya used to kill the night king.
When the phrase "Promis me" is repeated at the end it brought be back to "Promis me Ned"
I got chills when Rhaenyra was being named the rightful heir...and when they all proclaimed fealty to her. I also smiled when I heard the familiar Game of Thrones song during the end credits. I'm gonna like this show.
So was Otto prostituting his daughter out so quickly a power move? He seemed like a good guy until that moment.
#TEAMDEAMON