I CRIED like a baby when Viserys mustered the strength to get to that throne, when Daemon helped those last few steps and the last family dinner. Geez, this was the best episode to date.

50:57 Geeta Patel comes into the show

one of the best episodes of television ever. everyone's said it, but I'll say it too - Paddy is such an MVP. Just blown away by the emotional weight he carried like a beast.

Thank you, Geeta Patel. This was arguably the most emotionally impactful episode that I've ever seen. Pure art! And love 💙 💜 💙 💜 💙

The conversation around Viserys' walk to the throne - it was heartbreaking to watch and Geeta's version is so insightful. How crazy that a walk is so impactful.

After seeing this episode, I'm incredibly happy that Geeta Patel reached her goal. Amazing work. Please do more episodes in the future.

Right before Rheanarah's speech I paused the show and prayed. I prayed that the Lord would give her the right words to say and I prayed for her strength. I was serious! I hit play and my prayers were answered above what I asked! Her daddy came in and saved the moment! (please forgive the spelling) Praise the old Gods, the new, and mine!

Paddy definitely deserves an Emmy for his performance. BTW there is another set of twins. Baela and Rhaena. They just aren't identical

It was a powerful scene when Viserys took all his best amphetamines and went to protect Rhaenyra with her kids and to try to reconcile the family one last time. More powerful was only Daemon crowning Viserys.

This episode was wonderfully directed. I’m more of a casual consumer of entertainment, but I’ll will definitely take notice the next time I see the name of Geeta Patel associated with films.

paddy considine performance!! so fantastic, I will miss her conciliatory character very much.

Just a reminder that we haven't seen Rhaenyra ride her dragon Syrax since episode 2. I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever see her on a dragon ever again.

Really-really-really sad part is seeing this Valyria 40k model all in web and dust. Not even Aemond comes to play miniatures with Helaena. Not even Alicent orders to clean it up every once in a while. Poor Viserys.

I found Otto’s smile amidst all the targaryen merrymaking chilling. And his sudden relaxation made me question Alicent thawing and warming up to Rhaenyra as well.

So I would like to start by congratulating Paddy on his EMMY WIN for his portrayal of King Viserys. Anything else would be a slap in the face and straight robbery in my opinion. I would also like to say both Milly Alcock and Emma D'Arcy should at the very least be nominated as well as Matt Smith who is f-king ridiculous as Disco Daemon. Episode 8 is definitely my favorite episode as of now and the two moments that got me was the King's reaction to first meeting his grandson named after him and watching King Viserys make that walk to the throne. Talk about lump in your throat. Enjoyed the podcast and not only is Geeta Patel a great director but she looks absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for Episode 8. #RIPKingViserys

Dragon corrections. We have seen meleys when rhaenys flew in to the feast. And we have seen dreamfyre not only at the funeral, but also when she blew fire in the dragonpit when aemond was exploring

Viserys' last words "my love" moved me.

GEETA PATEL! That is a name that I will not forget from now on! What a director!

This Alicent-Dyana scene was my second flashback from "Succession": the scene where Shiv talks the cruise victim out of testifying and going public with this exact sentiment of "Yeah, I believe you, but others will call you all sorts of things". The first one was Roman Roy, I mean Aegon, doing his window business.

I wondered if all the shots of happy smiling faces of Otto, Alicent, Rhanera, and Daemon at the dinner weren't just in the King's imagination. Weren't there other shots where they weren't smiling? When you brought up all the happiness with the director, and she just said, Yeah...yeah, it had me wondering still. Gotta rewatch!

LOL I laughed my ass off when Daemon Targaryen sliced Ser Vaemond's head in half for dissing Rhanyera 🤣😂 & I just loved the scene at the dinner table with all them grown ass kids being messy most notably Alicent's sons. The funniest part of the dinner scene was when one of the cooks brought out a freshly cooked pig & Lucerys started chuckling quietly & subsequently pissed off his cooky ass, 1 eyed psycho uncle who immediately jumped up & started talking shit about Jaecerys & Lucerys's dead father! This episode was *EPIC*

I stan Viserys. A king can only do so much when surrounded by self-interested vipers. After his death things were always going to go astray.

Really inspiring to hear from this young female director. Hope to see her career soar !

the line from the show y’all chose to open with 🤣 i’m deaaaaad 💀💀💀

This episode was filled with different emotions

The hearing is a farce cuz it biased against Rhaenyra, but as soon as Viserys enters it becomes already decided in her favor. I think Princess Rhaenys plays her cards then and there, as she knows that the only way her actual blood may end on both the Iron Throne and the Driftwood Thrones is through the marriages of her granddaughters with with Rhaenyras sons by now. I love that they managed to put in these nuggets of Velaryons as real players with their own grievances and ambitions!!

He can keep his tongue, in a fantastic episode what a line 😁 team black all the way, great goosebump moment when Visareys entered the throne room 🙌 the show keeps getting better ❤️🍀

I loved Matt Smith improvising that scene where he picked up Viserys' after it fell while he was climbing the stairs to the Iron Throne. It's apparent why they chose to keep that scene in the episode.

WHAT an Episode.....i am stunned, Heartbroken, and SO impressed by everything and everyone in this Episode.... I ugly cried.....a LOT! And fckn hell Paddy deserves an Emmy or whatever.....He is SO good!...Was... 🙄😭😭😭😭

This is BEAUTIFUL WORK!!! Paddy and this episode = Emmy....thank you all.

I love the fact that the Targaryens inability to come up with more than 3 names is what ultimatelly ends their golden age. This feels like vindication for all the Rhaenys, Rhaenyras and Rhaenas I had to tell apart

Am I the only one who assumed Diana was killed off screen? I know Alicent gave her the moon tea and the hush money, but the lines... Underling Who Knows Too Much: "I won't say anything!" Ruthless Boss: "I know you won't..." never seem to end well for the underling.

We have seen Rhaenys's dragon Meleys in episode 5 when they were flying into Kings Landing together with Seasmoke with Laenor.

The dinner scene is a masterclass of melancholy in simplicity. Viserys watching the kids in a last dance before the Dance. Fleeting moments of bliss. Everyone hoping for the best, expecting the worst. For something so uneventfully peaceful, the passing was one of the most foreboding & viscerally filmed deaths I've seen. Book Viserys also doses off to the great beyond in his bed, after telling stories to grandkids. The king who was most dissimilar to Aegon the Conqueror in life ends up being most similar to the Conqueror in death. Enough jokes. Now the serious stuff. "You're no son of mine" - Alicent getting crossbowed in the loo on mother's day confirmed. "Viserys wearing gold dragon instead of red” - Viserys secret Green Chad confirmed. Ep 9 is The Green Council😱!! Cue the Hoes Mad beat😤!! Our religion, tradition & patriarchy upholder Queen Mother & our redpilled King will make Westeros great again🙃/s.

The host said that we haven't seen Meleys yet but it was Seasmoke and Meleys above the Velaryon fleet during episode 5.

This was one of the greatest episodes of T.V history

Cool Podcast! Thanks for your work in bringing this to fans!💛

We have actually seen Rhaenys ride Meleys. And we saw Dreamfyre throw fire at young Aemond

Aemond told Cole that he doesn't care about winning tournaments. He just wants to be able to kill anyone he wants and he sees Daemond as his greatest rival.

Route of the prophecy is probably: Aegon => Visenya => Maegor Aegon => Aenys => Aegon 1.5, Rhaena, Alyssa Velaryon => Jaehaerys => Aemon, Baelon, Viserys => Rhaenyra I think Aegon told his sister-wives. I think Aenys told his oldest kids (and Rhaena had a chance to pass it to Jaehaerys) and he might have told his wife (who would definitely tell Jaehaerys).

Just a remark on people dying alone -- the infirmed and dying aren't always as out of it as we may believe. When my mother was in her final hours, we were told she may decide to slip away when she was alone, on her own terms. And she did. We'd all had the chance to say farewell, but when we left her for a bit and came back, she was gone. She was peaceful. It's true, there is a commentary here about Viserys being isolated, but passing on is a journey we can only take on our own and it doesn't have to be heart-breaking. It's okay. ♡♡

Teared up twice this episode the gods give as they take away. I wondered why Alicent left Viserys at the end but then was happy he was with Aemma. Daemon helping him with the last steps hit home. Bravo to the team absolute masterwork of a episode 👑

The only thing that makes sense to me ,as far as the whole Targaryen secret prophecy thing goes, is that Aegon I told his son Aenys ,then Aenys told his wife Alyssa as he didn't trust nor didn't expect his brother Maegor would steal the throne. Then Alyssa told Jaeharys who in turn told Viserys

18:00 I think all of the 7 iconography is more of a subliminal symbol of the Hightower’s, because the family is the seat of Oldtown- home of the Starry Sept and had the strongest factions during the Faith Militant Uprising. It’s like putting the Hightower Sigil up without putting it up.😊

King V's physical condition is proof that he needed Daemon as Hand of the King. Thankfully, Daemon created the Gold Cloaks to protect the King or he may have been murdered long ago. Daemon would have made sure that his brother was cured... not high off of milk of the poppy thru his pain.

Regarding Vaemond: it already became very clear, when the war was going on at the Stepstones. Leanor named it by saying ... "What have you been doing, but being the master of complaint?" (Translating it from german to english). Further even Corlys says:"Even if you are from my blood, I won't let you starting a rebellion". Vaemond was not so strong in belief, it seems. He rather plays the safe cards in this play; he wants to secure himself whereas the others take the risk, not knowing about the outcome. Paddy should have get at least an acknowledgement for portraying Viserys during his last breaths.

I believe Geeta Patels agent will receive many calls in the next days...brilliant job, easly one of the best episodes of a series ever made

1:15:48 me too ❤ I loved those little but meaningful interactions, like him gently rubbing her belly…

Erryk and Arryk are actually the third set of twins in the show. Baela and Rhaena are also twins

The imagery of Viserys dying and suffering in bed with the face covering,, the frilly shirt and his gaunt face was so grotesquely beautiful!

Regarding the prophecy, Jaehaerys probably shared it to Viserys after the Council named him heir…

what song is playing at the end?

I'm so used to the time jumps at this point. I'm just in for the ride.

41:15 I do believe we've seen Meleys in episode 5

(Caveat: I've read WOIAF but not FAB) - Given how Alicent has been built up as someone who will stick to her duty, as well as her being religious, I think that it was totally necessary, plot-wise, for Viserys to reveal ATC's dream-secret so that 1. - his words will be misinterpreted by Alicent and 2. - that she will have a reason to push for her son to ascend the throne. Otherwise, whatever her feelings on the matter, she would probably still support Rhaenyra, even in the face of pressure from, eg, her father. Btw Jason "legally legit" lmao

Meleys was in episode 5 flying to the wedding with Seasmoke

Alicent can't even control her kids

Well, when King Viserys meets his grandson Viserys and he says "A name fit for a king!!", well, the child DOES become king, even though he only serves for about a year.

Iron Rod has been there since episode 6 I'm pretty sure but he has never been named yet

Siri, play the Light of the seven

It was sad that Viserys died alone. Reminds me of the death of Elizabeth I, who spend her last 2 weeks in her bedchamber, mostly on her knees praying abd didn't eat. My question is WHY did Rhaera leave her dying Father - who everyone could see was taking his last breath - take her kids home ? Daemon could have done that. I can't believe she left him..

🤩It's great

I’ve noticed that these commentators. While funny and engaging, Do seem to hold a lot more sympathy and understanding for certain characters and their motivations than they do for others.

Aemond is our New Favourite.

Leana and Daemon had twins as well. Arik and Erik are not our second set of twins.

WRT what ends up happening with Seasmoke, Laenor always seemed pretty thirsty for battle, shot in the dark maybe he just dies off-screen in the intervening years. Its not really terribly unlikely that he would. Maybe someone else claiming Seasmoke will be the audience's only cue that he died. Also I guess maybe he returns to Westeros in disguise and retakes Seasmoke (Especially, if you know what happens in the book, I think the show is pretty likely to change some things because it doesnt really match the show's depictions of certain characters)

So cool that Talya (cool name 😊) has been a spy for Mysaria! And she is the only unique character to the show and not from the books.

*DAEMON* *IS* *STILL* *THE* *BADASS* *KING* 👑 *DAEMON* *STOLE* *THIS* *EPISODE.* I thought it would be AEMOND and he looked cool. But when Daemon sliced Vaemond's head, Aemond looked SHOOK. Then when Daemon walked up to Aemond, his nephew knew what's up and walked away. Aemond doesn't want Daemon's smoke even after trying to shame Jace and Luke. 🤣 This episode showed that Daemon is still the biggest BADASS in the show and Aemond is the young pup trying to be like him. It's like Aemond is Kobe and LeBron worshipping MJ 🐐 as kids. We also saw the most compassion from Daemon in this episode by seeing the pain in his face seeing his brother like that. Helping Viserys walk up his throne and putting the crown on him. This was compassionate, caring Daemon at his best. This is where I believe Daemon will always be higher than Aemond on my favorite list. Because Daemon has a HEART. You can be a BADASS but if you don't have a heart and compassion, it's harder for viewers to care about that character. You don't want to be a badass but also a cold, heartless monster. This is the difference I see from Daemon vs. Aemond. Daemon has that heart in him the way we saw in Jaime when trying to save Brienne from a gang rape. Daemon cares about others and Aemond seems unfriendly and spiteful. Aemond may look like a badass but Daemon is already a certified badass while still charming and funny. Seeing Daemon and Aemond standing face-to-face is foreshadowing of the main event later down the line. The O.G. vs. Young G. Bravo to Paddy Considine. He will truly be missed. My MVP in terms of acting from Ep 1 through 8. With Viserys dead, let the Dance begin. Let the 💩 hit the fan. My favorite moment: After Vaemond calls Rhaenyra a whore, Viserys stands up and says, "I will have your tongue for that." Daemon slices Vaemond's head from behind and then says, "He can keep his tongue." Then Otto yells, "DISARM HIM!” The cool part is when the knights drew their swords, Daemon being the GANGSTA that he is looks totally nonchalant and is cleaning the dripping blood from Dark Sister. Then the scene when Daemon chuckles when Aemond walked away from the dinner scene. Aemond might be a badass but Daemon is on a far higher level of being a BADASS. To Daemon, none of this stuff surprises him. This O.G. killed at least a dozen people in a span of 90 seconds in the Battle of the Stepstones. This wasn't sparring with Criston that Aemond was doing earlier. To Daemon, killing mfers is just another Monday afternoon to him. Where's the "strong boy" in you, Aemond? Poser. 🤣

Not 30 years, it’s 20. Rhaenyra even says “20 years ago…”. She was 15 at the beginning, so now 35/36.

we also saw vermax with jace in episode 6

We have seen meleys and we've also seen dreamfyre in the cave

Not to correct you too, but Allison chose to not punisher son. It wasn’t that she did not have the power to do it. She knew that accusations like this diminish his potential future as king she was complicit in the crime.

Did Corlys make it

But if everyone who is cut by the Throne has leprosy then Maegor and Rhaenerya and I think Aegon II and the Aegon that legitimizes all his bastards all get it too and that is stupid and too many people getting leprosy should be just Viserys

47:54 made me so sad to see him die alone z my grandma died alone on a nursing home my auntie didn’t even tell anyone she was sick. So messed up

Dragon of flesh weaving dragon of thread is to me Vhagar (bigger/more flesh) fighting Ceraxes (skinny/threadlike)

really hope yall get Emma D'Arcy for one of the last 2 episodes

GOT!!!

Jaeherys likely found out about the prophecy from his elder brother who was usurped by Maegor. Because he was his brother's heir. His brother only had daughters.

The King died because of the poison mixed in his tea by a servant who visited Missaria close to the end of the episode. So it was Otto who poisoned the King before he didn't ruin Hightower's plans.

13:10 yeah they should’ve kept it like the books and have had her only being away from court cause she’s in confinement ready to give birth

We do know how Rhaegar learned of the prophecy. 😏

10:30 If that's the case why did they change Baela and Rhaena from being twins like they are in the book? 14:20 Actually we already saw him at another small council meeting in episode 6. 41:16 We saw Rhaenys' dragon Meleys in episode 5 when they went to the wedding.

We have seen meleys haven't we?

The time jump has been puzzling to me if you have years to tell a story, but is this because filming started during covid? It's not hard to tell who's who, just get to like a character and the acting and there gone.

everyone needs to hear geeta's comments abt alicent i wish more people bothered to understand the character on that level.

While the show is amazing, them changing so much is messing with the flow of things. Yes, it’s creepy that GRRM wrote young kids in but Rhaenyra died at 33. Also, the Corlys injury didn’t happen, it was simply a complaint about the legitimacy of the Velarayon sons. The dragon egg scene was weird too because they allegedly get eggs at birth, yet we saw two toddlers. All the time jumps are screwing things up. I’m also really surprised that there is no discussion of how Viserys has clearly being slowly killed over time. If Otto & Alicent were swiftly handled from the beginning, things may have been different but the time jumps have muddied all. In totally, it’s been about 19 years since the kids were added. ETA: When will we hear from Paddy C. & Matt Smith?

Mulher você é tudo, só temos que agradecer você, e a todos os envolvidos. Que diretora meus amigos. Que mulher top

so far they make the greens and the blacks like slytherins and Gryffindors .e except for Helaena who seems actually naive and sweet. i kinda wish one of the strong boys or Daemons girls have a bad quality about them to make the black kids more grey.

Sometimes it just baffles me how these people make this show since they say the weirdest shit like McTavish saying he was sort of fatherly to Rhaenerya and Alicent apparently beating her children even though it seems like she just hits Aegon solely which both have never been established as well as Jasper Wlyde being there since episode 6 still not named and Daeron not being alive yet as far as we know because he should have been there in the previous episodes unless he was just raised in Oldtown with Hobert as a squire/ward for life

From now on, i have decided not to watch House of the Dragon any longer. All this war happened just because of misinterpretation of Alicent to understanding what Viserys has meant. Honestly!!!!! I'm at peak of dissapointment

😂alicent just doesn't want to be shamed, religion hasn't "softened her heart"

I don't like the ending of this episode! Honestly how can the writer put such a bias scene into this... Like, hell.. can you just build up the conflict something else??

Bruh team blacks all the time, they have been on the side of right the entire series, I dare someone to try and make them out to be in the wrong, the Hightower are the main instigators and cause of this civil war and its all their fault and I hope they loose

I hope we get other podcast hosts for season two. This is too effin forced. The conversation just does not flow naturally...

The good guys always lose painfully & horribly in GoT books….. mabey the show will change that for a certain Princess and her sons.. mabey not

... Aaaand the director is also an idiot. She did not understand the story and seemed to have no real insights into the characters, having to canvas the cast as to reactions and improvisation which I think led to an unfocused sense of direction. At key moments in the action, in the looks of the actors, their focus and reaction do not seem in concert with what is happening. The show runners gave her a shot, and I think she let the quality of the show down. Whatever goodness there was in this episode, it happened not because of Geeta, but despite her - THANK GOODNESS!

the show is mid at best

18:50 I know what Aegon did is wrong but a lot of the audience should remember Rhaenyra did the same thing with Ser Criston Cole…