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It’s hilarious how we’re ALL still traumatized by the Red Wedding 😂 I don’t think we’ll ever get over it

This episode reinforces two rules in the game of thrones universe, never go to a wedding and never name your kid joffery lol 😆 😄 😂

Ser Harwin Strong is the superior man in all of this, dude shouldered everyone outta the way to protect the Princess just on a simple nod from his father.

A story told through costuming... before this point, since her marriage Alicent always wore some variation of the Targaryen colors for all public appearances (red and/or black). That she appeared to this feast in the color of her OWN house (green) was very telling of the shift in her loyalties.

every time HBO releases a new House of the dragons episode i always say it’s my favorite episode 😭😭

The thing is Criston had already blown it by telling Alicent abut Rhaenyra. He does not love her, he only cares about his honor and name. He lost it because he realizes that Joffrey knew he had betrayed his ‘white knight’ oath.

NIkki: "When that weird Uncle comes to the wedding" And stays for the honeymoon

I think Daemon has been pretty clear actually - he just muddles his intentions behind all this stuff that he pulls on a whim. He has said three things: he wants Rhaenyra, as a hand he would protect his brother (i.e. their family), and with Rhaenyra he would lift their family to its former glory (again, the name of his house/family being what he appreciates). And he was the only one sitting while Alicent arrived in her green dress, which again emphasizes his position about his family name as Alicent made a deal about her own. I think Daemon would be happy being just a king consort through marriage to Rhaenyra, I don't think he necessarily wants the crown itself. And I think he's hoarding castles/glory (inheritance coming from his late wife as the latest example) again to amp up the family name most of all. He sure gets a kick out of causing mayhem, but in the end, I think he has been clear what he is really after.

I don't see Daemon poisoning or killing Viserys. From what I have seen so far in the series, Daemon seems to be someone who is impulsive and ruthless but he genuinely seems to care for Viserys and Rhaenyra. He is a great character and Matt Smith only does justice to him.

People are calling this the Green Wedding and I think that works wonderfully!

Crispin Cole told Rhanera that he thought if they got married he could restore his honor.... he doesn't love her, he only cared about his own honor

Notice how when the wedding finishes, Viserys immediately falls over. It might not be a coincidence. Maybe it was taking all his strength to keep standing throughout the ceremony and as soon as it finished, he finally let himself fall. As they had already established his propensity for falling throughout the episode.

Gonna miss Milly as Rhaenyra and Emily as Alicent. They did such a good job in just the first five episodes, but I’m excited for what’s to come and to see the other performances!

The two Dragons seen before the wedding was Princess Rhaenys riding her dragon Meleys, and Prince Laenor riding Seasmoke. Great episode!

Alicent showing up in green was a signal to her uncle and her house that came to the wedding to be ready for war

I understand Cole requesting death seems shocking, but honestly, Viserys considered disowning and disavowing Rhaenyra just bc she MIGHT have lost her virginity. Imagine what he would do to a common born knight who TOOK it. We know how it ends at least, in the words of the great Tyrion Lannister- “Heads. Spikes. Walls.”

First the Red Wedding, then the Purple Wedding, and now the Green Wedding. We really are making our way through the colours of the rainbow 😂

larys:”do you know what colour it glows” harwin:”green” steven:”oh!😟” nikki:*aggressively takes notes* 😭😭

25:30 The red dragon was princess Rhaenys's dragon named Meleys and the other one was Laenor's dragon Seasmoke which we saw in episode 3 during the fight against the crabfeeder.

Daemon still remains my favorite character. I’m invested in his storyline and I cannot wait to see what he’s going to do next.

This was a really good tense medieval court intrigue episode

"You ride dragons; you can't ride on a ship?" That's part of the problem. Viserys doesn't ride a dragon. His dragon is dead and according to him, he didn't particularly like riding. Just another sign of his weakness. Rhaenys, Daemon, Rhaenrya and even Laenor seem to thoroughly enjoy being on dragon back.

Criston asked Rhaenyra to give up her duty and honor for love but wasn’t willing to do the same. The second the queen asked him for the truth, he unloaded his conscience without any thought of what it would do to Rhaenyra or the realm-as long as he gets to die instead of sticking around for the uglier consequences. And his rage at the end was all about his refusal to occupy the space a gay man had been forced to occupy his whole life without complaining. Criston talked a lot about honor for a guy who didn’t actually have any.

Appreciate your late night editing Steven!

I don't feel sorry for Cole being turned down with his "let's run away together" speech. He knew who Rhaenyra was when they started their affair & I can't help but think it's only because she's a woman who, according to Westerosi norms, shouldn't be worried about claiming the throne & ruling the kingdom that he thought she'd be okay with running away with him. If you make a proposal like that to your romantic partner where, in even making the proposal, you've already ignored everything about who your partner is- you don't get to be hurt when they make the obvious choice & turn you down.

That wedding sequence was fantastic. So many players in one room all exchanging looks with double meanings. In typical "Game of Thrones" wedding traditions you expect something terrible to happen and Ser Criston Cole sure provided it.

A few observations which you might want to keep in mind going forward: Daemon asked Alicent`s favor in the tourney in the first episode. For us, the viewers, it is clear that he only wanted to put her father in place even after beating Otto´s son in the tournament. But it might not have been obvious to Alicent. She might have thought that Daemon has chosen her for herself. After all she is a very young sheltered girl at that point in time and Daemon is a dashing knight. Another important dynamic is that between Daemon and Otto. Daemon sees through Otto´s manipulations of the king. He always has. The king is not as easy to manipulate with Daemon around. Daemon is a huge force to recon with. He is not only a wild card in the sense that Otto can never guess what he will do next but who Otto can´t control or manipulate but also a wild card with the second largest dragon there is alive. That might be the origin of Otto´s hatred of Daemon. Otto tried to put a wedge in Viseray´s and Daemon´s relationship for a long time now. But he accelerates this massively after Aemma´s death. He needs Daemon to be as far away from the king as possible or his plans regarding his own ambitions via Allicent would never work. We as viewers never see Daemon say "Heir for a day." nor does he ever admit to it. We only have Otto´s word for it. And Visarys falls for it due to his grief and the guilt he feels for his own role in Aemma´s death. He banishes Daemon leaving himself much more vulnerable to Otto´s plans. The same is true for Raeneyra´s relationship with Daemon. Her chance of being able to successfully claim the throne and to keep it after Visarys death would be also much greater with Daemon next to her. At this point in time there aren´t many people around with battle experience as Rhaenyra points out in episode 1. After episode 3 Daemon is one of few who has that experience. Let´s use Allicent´s later episode question for this situation. Would the Trageryans´ and Rhaenyra´s claim to the throne be stronger with Daemon close by or him being at odds with his family and far away? Who would profit from them being divided? I would also like to point out that the image we have of Daemon from the start is formed by the words Otto chooses to describe Daemon´s actions with to the king. Those words are chosen carefully by Otto to further his agenda to divide the brothers for his own benefit. We also see how much Viserys´ view of Daemon is influenced by whatever view Otto presents him about Daemon. Daemon himself is mostly taciturn. Since we as an audience are unfortunately used to characters and their motivations being explained to us in most shows and Daemon simply doesn´t explain himself we take Otto´s words as truth. We are as much manipulated by Otto in our understanding of Daemon as the king is. The only honest uninfluenced insight we have in Daemon as an audience are his actions and the conversations he has with his family who he loves. He is very honest and clear about his feelings, thoughts, motivations with them especially with Rhaenyra. Daemon expresses his disappointment at having been replaced as a heir to Viserys in the first episode but that might have been only due to him automatically assuming he would be the heir. Everyone else assumed the same. It doesn´t necessarily mean he wanted to become king just that he felt valued by his brother by being his apparent heir. He feels hurt that Viserys never asked him to be his hand either. He says as much in the same argument to the king. At any time after episode 1, probably even before that, he could have taken the throne by force. He could have harmed Viserys. He never does anything to harm his family. He just wants to feel being valued. I just realized something writing this. No one is ever (good) enough for Viserys, not Aemma for not giving him sons, not Rhaenyra for not being a son and certainly not Daemon despite him reforming/bettering the city watch and probably doing all the tasks his brother entrusted him with to the best of his abilities. All 3 people closest to Viserys say this individually in the 1st episode. Daemon expressed to want the following: - To become the hand - To be close to his family (being loved and valued by them) - To marry Rhaenyra - To restore the house Targaryen to its proper glory together with Rhaenyra. Not necessarily with himself as king. (He views Viserys as weak) Daemon´s tried to accomplish 4 things in episode 4: a) He wants to show Rhaenyra that a marriage/relations between men and women don´t have to be the way she imagines them to be. That there can be more to both. That sex can be a pleasure too not a death sentence as she sees it. And that a marriage doesn´t have to be a cage but it rather might give her a freedom she wishes so much for herself. Those are the worries she shares with him earlier. He is the only one she can talk to about her thoughts and being taken seriously. b) He wants to show Rhaenyra the view of the common people about her as a heir and teach her that for her to be able to become queen she needs them on her side. Otto´s and consequently Viserys´ judgement of Daemon´s actions in episode 4, wanting the throne for himself, are misleading. Otto´s single minded focus on having his family on the throne influences his view of everyone else, especially Daemon. He assumes everyone wants the same as he does. c) He wants to marry Rhaenyra because he loves her. And second to that to marry her because them together can strengthen the Targaryens. He wanted people to see and recognize him and Rhaenyra and word of them being in the pleasure den together reaching the king to create a situation in which Viserys has to wed Rhaenyra to him. He values Rhaenyra too much to deflower her in a brothel. That is the reason he stopped. It´s about appearance as Viserys keeps saying during the episode. He sees himself and Raenyra as very simmilar (Viserys says the same) and strong together. Each episode likes to draw comparisons between different things. Episode 3 with the hunt showed Raenyra and Daemon being the strong ones with both of them killing their foes (bloody faces) and Viserys not being able to even kill a trapped deer in comparison. It is not accidental that Daemon and Raenyra both speak Valyrian with each other from the begining. It´s like their secret language which no one except them understands. Their conversations are honest, intimate. They see each other for who they are and love each other for that. They give each other the love, admiration, respect, value that no one other in the whole world gives them. In episode 2 both them feel not being seen and pushed aside, not seen and listened to by Viserys. That leads to the scene on the bridge with the egg. In that situation both give each other respect and both of them feel seen and valued by the other. d) He wanted to out Otto´s manipulations to Visarys and make him do the right thing aka dismiss his hand to strengthen the Targaryan side of the upcoming conflict. His old flame the White Worm even sells Otto the information. (She even meets the little boy in front of Daemon.) He looks specifically at Otto when he kneels in front of the king and Raenyra finishes Otto off at the end of the episode. In the end he accomplishes 3 of his 4 goals. Additionally I think that one of the comparisons in episode 5 was Criston asking Rhaenyra to run away with him and Rhaenyra telling Daemon to fight through the Kingsguard, take her to Dragonstone and make her his wife.

The acting is on another level, all the emotions portrayed through simple facial expressions. Allicent's realisation that her friend betrayed her trust when Criston confessed *chefs kiss*

Remember, its not just only that Rhaenyra lied about that night to Alicent on her face, but she actually used that lie as a maneuver to get otto out of the picture. From alicents pov, Rhaenyra is already starting to weed out the obstacles on her way to get the throne confirming what her father already told her. So, in her mind, her adversity to Rhaenyra is justified.

I really liked Milly. I’m going to miss her. She was so damn good. Her chemistry between her and Matt was insane. Great actors. I couldn’t wait for this episode. We all know shit goes down during a wedding in the Game of Thrones universe. Lol. Always a wild death scene. Ahhh man, the tension buildup during the dancing scene, yikes!!!

Poor Laenor's wailing at the sight of Joffrey still gets me misty eyed and I've seen this episode like ten times now 🥺

idk if it's just me but....i felt bad for criston UNTIL he said "i thought if we were married i'd be able to get it bacl" meaning he's holding so much guilt for breaking his oath that he expected her to abandon her entire life, title, and throne to fix HIS mistake. i just can't root for that, because i dont believe he was really asking her out of love.

The fact Nikki managed to miss that gore shot.. it's too perfect.

When Otto told Alicent of the big possibility that Rhaenyra would kill off all her children, so that no one would be a challenge her to the throne triggered Alicent... I think that is her motivation to be a major player to the game of thrones.

Not gonna lie, watching this the day after the show to process everything with you guys is like spending time with best friends. Love you guys! Thanks for being cool as hell.

Viserys: "Im going to throw a week long of festivities, the biggest wedding the realm has ever seen, so thats what people will remember of me if nothing else. Its gonna be great" Daemon, Alicent, Criston: "Allow us to introduce ourselves" The fucking three stooges, i swear to the gods.

39:15 “And Not Being At The Wedding” Alicent WAS At The Wedding, She Was Standing In Front Of The King And We See Her First Bend Down To Help Him When He Collapses

The tea was from Viserys. The point of that scene last episode was to show that to Viserys it doesn't matter what the truth is, but rather the bad optics. Her actually getting pregnant would be even worse optics

House Velaryon had the best Theme entrance in this episode. So much goddamn swagger lol

The moment the King stopped his speech, the audience turned their heads, I was like... what? who is it? what's happening and BAM! Alicent standing there had my jaw on the floor... I literally said to myself, Oh, she's here to play the game and I got shivers. Such a powerful moment for her character, walking to the main table, all in green, interrupting the Kings' speech. It was from that moment my nerves started to rise as I knew this wedding was going to be a tense affair!

The king stopped riding dragons when he was young, FYI. The last dragon he rode was Balerion the Black Dread, Aegon the Conqueror's dragon.

GoT is back baby! all the characters are so interesting and they have their own motives but its unclear what they would do next and it keeps you guessing what will happen. All the while, what is actually unraveling isn't what we are expecting at all. This is great storytelling and always keep you on the edge of your seat!

The man who talked to Alicent was Larys "the Clubfoot" Strong. He uses his physical issues to get in close so he can collect information on people, we saw that in episode three, and we finally saw him use it, here.

Let me just say this episode has me planted FIRMLY on Team Rhaenyra. I understand Alicent felt betrayed that Rhaenyra lied to her, but I think Alicent’s new icy persona stems from jealousy more than anything. She’s pissed because Rhaenyra was given some good ol Vitamin D, while she’s stuck with taking the long expired stuff. Go Team Rhaenyra. Also the most hilarious scene was Rhaenyra and Laenor discussing their preferences for eating Duck and goose.

I like how they leave little hints as to where this story will lead to. As a book reader, I already know the ending but it's exciting to see how you guys react to events and figure it out yourself. This episode, as the others, was so well done.

Alicent WAS AT THE WEDDING! She’s standing by Viserys.

Fun fact the actress that plays the older version of Alicent (Olivia Cooke) did mention in a interview that she auditioned for the part using Cersei lines from GoT.

Just this show is going great ep by ep 🔥🔥

I can only imagine that people that don't like Daemon, can't be enjoying the show as much as the rest of us lmao

daemon: *shows up late* alicent: *shows up later* daemon: *sits when she comes in* “and I took that personally”

I don’t think Criston Cole really loved Rhaenyra. He offered her to get married just to ease his guilt. He said it himself…

It's interesting from the perspective of someone who read the book to see you guys putting some things together and guessing some things, assuming some other (obviously I won't say which) but I surely enjoy watching it. Good job!

The wedding was the most tension I think I've ever seen portrayed on screen. That entire thing just went on and on with so many different ways it could go wrong...only for the surprise fight between Cristin and Joffrey to be the thing that kicks it off.

Otto’s speech to Alicent before he left was his “In the game of thrones, you win or you die” moment.

"If Daemon's not talking, fuckin' hide." Excellent perception, Steve!

Literally just finished the episode and saw this uploaded. OMG. What a episode

Y’all also have to remember that alicent's kids also grow up. So with the way alicent's going, those kids could also be a problem as well

shout out for getting the edit done and released to us already! cheers guys from the UK!

you upload at the perfect time honestly on fire with this schedule!

Wow, you're always the first to post your reaction for this show. Thank you so much. I really like how the show is pulling all this together. The book didn't reveal everything so there are still surprises each episode.

What I love about Fire and Blood is that the characters in those books are all grey characters. Everything they do will have you questioning their choices and what led them to there unlike Game of Thrones where it was always set up as Starks= Good Lannister=Bad. I think House of the Dragon really does a good job on showing the humanity but also the most vile and unhumane parts of someone

The rat feasting on the blood is a great metaphor... These powerful people are surrounded by rats waiting to feast upon them...

After years of watching reactions I always look forward to yours the most. You guys are awesome!

I love how Daemon just gives 0 craps and literally goes to flirt with Rhaenyra at her wedding 😂

Yes, Alicent has been wearing red ever since marrying the king -- a Targareyan color. This episode she has chosen her roots

Fun fact: The episode title, “We Light the Way” are actually the house words of House Hightower, which was a main focus in this episode.

alicent´s entrance is just a powerful scene. If we do not know the meaning of the green color, we still understand that Alicent abandoned Targaryen red color. We do understand that Alicent choose herself. Then the way she walks in the corridor, surrounded by people. She is this tiny girl, yet, she doesnt show any hesitation. She is frighted, but she doesnt hesitate to walk alone, showing that no more she will hear House Targaryen red color. When the green color is explain to us, we do understand that Alicent is not just making a stand of been loyal to her house, but she is declaring war and is ready to play the game. She is over Rhaenyra and doesnt care about Viserys or any other Targaryen. For now on, she only care about herself and her own. Its funny that Hightowers were the first ones to stand, when she passed by them. Like they were supporting her and getting ready to whatever would come. The way she nod her head to them, showing that she understands that they are supporting her, is just amazing! I just wish the scene was a little longer....

A wise man once said a wedding with less than 3 deaths is considered a dull affair

I just needed this reaction to feel better after that episode 🥹

Alicent's entrance in GREEN is chef's kiss.

You guys kill with getting this up so early! Great Channel! One of the best

Always love your reactions! But I do want to clarify like some have said in the comments, Daemon's true motives center around his feelings for Rhaenyra and those he loves. This episode shows the throne was never what he was truly after, maybe for a moment he considered the power of it all, but he ultimately wants Rhaenyra because he loves her, his feelings emphasized in 1x04 when he couldn't take her virtue (despite his initial motive of upsetting his brother, making it known Rhaenyra and him were seen together in the brothel and corrupting her virtue thus forcing Viserys to wed her to him) that plan got thrown out the window when he realized just how much she truly meant to him and that her feelings were reciprocated as equally as those he hard for her, scaring him for a moment and prompting him to leave her at the brothel because he didn't want to shame her like that. If it was solely power that he was after he wouldn't have taken Rhaenyra's own feelings into consideration, another reason he asks her in 1x05 if her marriage to her cousin is what she really wants. Him binge-drinking and being hungover the morning after was a way he coped with those feelings of wanting a woman he isn't supposed to want but does nonetheless. He could've abandoned Rhaenyra for some whore like she says in 1x04 but he didn't. And him not admitting to Viserys that Rhaenyra and him didn't sleep together, yet still wanting Viserys to wed them together when he says "I'll take her as she is" touched on Daemon and Rhaenyra's earlier conversation in 1x04 about marriage and Rhaenyra's standpoint on not wanting to marry or be subjected to the possibility of dying in childbirth like her mother, which I believe Daemon also recognized was a way he could protect her and keep her safe, not force things on her that she doesn't desire, to truly accept and love her for who she is, not what the realm expects her to become. I mean this man killed his wife and showed up to a wedding he was banished to, solely focused on Rhaenyra the whole time finding an excuse to get on the dance floor with her and speak to her, and was ready to take her away to Dragonstone and wed her right after she tells him to do so as he practically loses control of his feelings for her and is about to kiss her right in the middle of the entire crowd and Rhaenyra's betrothed. If that's not a man in love then I don't know what is.

Alicent was at the wedding, she tries to catch Viserys when he falls

Wouldn’t worry about hearing rains, quite a fair few years before that song gets written! 🤣

GoT were my fav reactions from you guys. How i found you honestly. Appreciate the talk before and after the episode. Steven you do a great job editing and so quickly. Cant wait until movie night and next Sunday. Let's go!

Episode 5 was one huge holy shit moment. This episode left me speechless.

This should be called the green wedding

"a Westerosi wedding without a death is considered a dull affair"

This is peak Game of Thrones here, secrets getting unveiled, weddings getting bloody, king getting really sick, future storylines are set and the music oh god. Ramin did it again! Alicent's and Criston's actors really did an amazing job. MIlly was already lit!

I saw someone point out about how hypocritical it is that Alicent is acting like this towards Rhaenyra after she secretly got Rhaenyra’s dad to fall in love with her hahaha

Allicent resisted her Father’s insistence on Aegon being pushed forward as rightful heir out of a loyalty to Raenyra. Allicent for so long had strived to repair their relationship after marrying Vyseris. Her defence of Raenyra over the alleged Daemon scandal essentially got her Father booted from being hand of the King, and left her isolated in a loveless marriage.. all because she trusted Raenyra! Christen’s confession left her feeling betrayed and a final realisation that she needs to stand on her own and start looking out for her own families future. Her growth arc from episode one has been remarkable!

"The Rains of Castamere" is a song which immortalizes the destruction of House Reyne of Castamere by Tywin Lannister during the Reyne-Tarbeck revolt. The song hasn't been composed yet at this time

When Alicent entered the wedding in Green, the song playing was the theme song of The Sept, which was last played in GoT S6E10 when Cercei blew up the sept with green wild fire.

Damn, Alicent's entrance was everything

From what I've seen, I don't think Alicent would have poisoned the king (slowly or suddenly) because him dying was one of the worst things for her father because then he's stuck with a ruler that hates him

People, if you're going outside, at a wedding or at a nightclub, dont forget to bring your Harwin Strong.

As an overnight worker, my Sunday nights are simple. I watch the new episode, go to work and then when I get off work in the morning, I come home and rewatch the episode. But through your reaction video. Can't wait for next week!

hmm I interpret things quite differently. I think that Alicent had a lot of faith in Rhaenyra. She felt that they had a strong relationship/bond and never questioned whether her children would be safe during a transition of power. But after the incident in episode 4 she realized that Rhaenyra isn't being honest with her and that faith was broken, and now she realizes that her father may be right and that her children may be in danger. I also think that Alicent is a bit more traditional in her morals, and that Rhaenyras "affair" really disturbed her. I also have to say, I went into this show thinking of Alicent as the primary villian (having read Fire and Blood), but given that the show is meant to show what REALLY happened (vs. what the history books record, as is the case in Fire and Blood), I find myself feeling very bad for Alicent, as I find her and her position far more sympathetic than the history books go on to portray her. This of course could change as the show goes on, I guess we'll see.

Cristin Cole had to have known Rhae didn’t love him like that. For her it was a sexual awakening. He had so much at stake that he took it as something more than it was. I dunno but that marriage proposal did not seem to come from feelings of love but guilt. He said he thought he’d amend what he did, breaking his vows and all by marrying her. Your pride and ego can be hurt without necessarily having loved someone. To me it just seems like the guy lacks so much self awareness.

I love these guys reacting so much as soon as the episode finishes I quickly go check if they post a new vid great Ep great reactions

Love seeing your reactions - you’re always so descriptive of how I’m feeling too haha. Also did Nikki get her hair done? Looks lovely!! 💗💗💗

Criston doesn't love o like Rhaenyra, the only hurt is his ego and he said it himself, he only cares to restore his peace of mind for what he did

It's kind of a nice detail that both Alicent and Otto are prone to beating around the bush.

The king: "Wedding!" me: "I love weddings! Drinks all around!" the producers: _this is Game Of Thrones!_ me: "....oh."

It took me ages to finish this episode, my anxiety was at an all time high 😭and then the wedding stressed me out so much

The only lie Rhaenyra said to Alicent was she didn't touch Daemon. It's no reason to start a war. She never asked about Criston Cole. Plus, the King believed Otto because he punished Daemon for it. I feel like Alicent is done with the whole family more than just Rhaenyra.

lol...your "F*** OFF!" was awesome. Why I love you two.

Sir Cole has the syndrom of "Can't keep a secret and it's going to cause tragedies" like Jon Snow 🤣

It was Viserys that gave her the tea. They say it specifically in the show more than once 👍