Arrax*

I like to think Emilia Clark was watching this episode being like “the table lit up!?”

I really liked that she called Baela and Rhaena up to the table with her. She felt excluded as a child when forced to remain a cup bearer, but she didn’t want that to remain the case for them.

Aemond has been put in an impossible position. If he tells the greens he lost control of Vhagar, he looks like a wuss. If he tells them he purposefully killed Luke, he looks like a maniac. Which is why I’m so glad they made Aemond not originally want to kill Luke. This just created so much internal conflict within him

I think the reason Daemon accused the greens of murdering the king was because they crowned a new one straight away. If the succession went as Viserys intended, his death would not be suspicious.

Daemon saw Rhaenyra as a dragon, like him. Ambitious, calculating, and decisive. Fire personified. In this episode seeing her being, from his perspective, "wishy washy" in their hour of greatest danger and putting the lives of their whole family on the line he starts to wonder why he cast his lot with her. When she brings up prophesies and fairy tales to him it was just too much for him.

That final look from Rhaenyra’s eyes just chills to the bone. The grief and rage of a parent whose child was stolen from them is a terrible thing to behold.

I think the way Daemon was acting made sense. He’s always been a loose cannon. Especially after supposedly making shaky amends with The Greens and Viserys reaffirming Rhaenrya and her son’s claims to power. Suddenly they wake up two days later to Viserys dead and The Greens completely usurping the throne all before Viserys’ body is even cold. Rhaenyra freezes up from grief and fear of what’s to come, and Daemon rejects grief in return for action. I feel like it mirrors Corlys running to fight in the Stepstones to escape grieving his children while Rhaenys kind of locks up emotionally.

Daemon beat the shit out of a Targaryen messenger when Viserys was going to send help his way. Angry outbursts from Daemon is hardly new, especially with the death of Viserys who Daemon undoubtedly loved. He seems the type to act out in anger when sad. I think it's perfectly in line with someone who is emotionally driven like he is. At least that's my thoughts on Daemon as I've been watching him throughout the season. Rhaenyra I think had already accepted that Viserys was going to die which is why she kept a bit more even emotionally. But the death of Lucerys no doubt has awoken the dragon in her.

Great season finale. The whole Storm End's scene was visually taken straight out of the book

I think it's more that having several children over the years has softened her from her fiery childhood. It's not that she's a bad leader. Remember her introduction as an adult is child birth and trying to protect her child. The ending is her acceptance there is no peace that will keep them safe. She has to destroy them at that point. Works for me.

I think a big part of why Raenyra being a bit more mellow is in fact being a parent. Whe. You're 14 or so you're all full of venom because you feel at that age like you have nothing to lose, where as after you have kids most people have to reevaluate your moves because now you have something to lose in your own mind.

About Aemond and Lucerys’s control of their dragons slipping i got the impression it was the dragons responding to their riders’ true feelings ahead their verbal commands. Arrax seemed to act on Lucerys’ fear while Vhagar seemed to act on Aemond’s desire for revenge over his lost eye.

'The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion. They're a power man should never have trifled with' - Viserys Targaryen

I don't think Daemon's being out of character at all. He seems consistent. He killed his first wife, he fights and kills impulsively, he lies, and he has a history of treating his brother, someone he claims to love, harshly and threateningly.

I went in blind and I was completely blindsided with Luc's death. I was still nervous when they went above the clouds, but I didn't ever think he would just get chomped!

I think we should keep in mind that Rhaenyra is being told to declare war on her baby brothers and her childhood friends. We can't expect her to rush to murder them after affirming oaths of friendship and devotion less than 72 hours ago, she does bare love for Alicent even if it's faded and worn.

I think that Rhaenys not "bending the knee" at Rhaenyra's coronation, was simply due to her wanting to know where Corlys stood on the issue. She was waiting for him to arrive, so they could be on the same page.

I thought it was crazy that Daemon fans were surprised by the choke scene, I thought it was totally on par for his character.

can we all take a moment to appreciate emma’s acting skills. i don’t know whether she has kids IRL but she captures labour so perfectly, twice now. stellar acting from her!

Daemon is a narcissist. All his actions are perfectly in line with what is expect from one. Ego driven, impulsive, needs to be in control, etc.

Arrax was like a chihuahua..well a nuclear version. He doesn't know he's a small dragon. So his instincts kick in and when he feels threatened he gonna snap.

When asked if he wanted to speak with the maesters, I don't think he refused because he didn't care. There was nothing he could do about her situation and remember every other botched birthing they asked the husband if he wanted it cut out or not. So him not speaking to them was letting her deal with her own body. But while he couldn't do anything about her going into labor early, what he could do was plan this war for her. So he was focused on fulfilling the purpose *for which she married him.* THIS was his job. Talking to maesters about cutting open his wife was not.

Remember, when they went to visit Vesarys, Daemon felt that they were poisoning him then. He felt the Maesters were keeping him drugged, so it does make sense that he would assume his brother was murdered. Daemon needs to be in charge of the war planning. He has more experience than her when it comes to war. A good leader knows when to take the lead and when to delegate. The choking of Rheynera was a symbol of his hatred of his brother's time as king. He felt his brother was an inept King because of all his scholarly pursuits.

Poor little Arrax.... he was just a scared, innocent baby dragon trying to puff himself up to look big because he was being chased by someone 4x his size. Granny Vhagar didn't have to take it so personally. The rest of this show is going to be hard. I care far more about the dragons than any of the characters, although Luke and Jace seem like really good kids (unlike Alicant's). Rhaenyra didn't do her job to prepare Lucerys adequately. In fact, she shouldn't have sent him at all. If she ever learned to read a room she'd remember how she snubbed House Baratheon during her marriage tour, along with every one of its vassal lords, and she'd have known to show up with some humility and a good offer to make peace before issuing demands. Luke was set up for failure from the moment he left. Rhaenyra's whole problem is that she didn't bother doing the work of preparing to inherit the throne. From the second she was named, she should have been currying favor from the lords of all the houses, knowing she would have to work twice as hard to have their support once Viserys died. She should have been building relationships with her subjects, and knowing about her sons, trotting them out in front of the subjects at every opportunity to get the people to love them and see them as the heirs. At the very least, she could have been gracious to her hosts on the marriage tour and offered the various vassal lords a way to save face when she turned them down. Then when the time came for her to defend her claim, they'd remember her as having treated them well. She could also have been way more involved in the running of the kingdom, in a public way, so as to have the peoples' confidence in her rule. Knowing that her claim broke with centuries of tradition and that she had bastard sons, it's common sense that she would have to get to work in advance ingratiating herself to the people whose support she would need. Instead Rhaenyra spent her entire adolescence pouting around the castle, frittering her time away on idle pursuits and taking her inheritance for granted, while it was obvious for years that her dad could literally die any day. And leaving for Dragonstone, while it may have been more comfortable, cost her years of opportunity to build necessary relationships for the future and protect herself. The cost to everyone is that a kid the whole of Blackwater Bay knows is a psychopath has now been installed to rule over them. And the biggest travesty of all IMO, the many preventable missteps on both sides of this conflict are the cause of the end of the age of dragons.

She looked a better queen than Aegon did a king with her crown on

I’ve watched a few video reactions and I feel like no one acknowledges Daemons grief. He’s going through it. Yea there was trauma from Leanas death and he avoided the birthing chamber but the pain when he saw the crown. His brothers death was eating him.

This is most well balanced discussion I have seen about Daemon lashing out at Rhynaera. Fans give Daemon the Halo Effect and don't understand that no one is all good or all bad. We can like Daemon as a character without projecting our own expectations so strongly that if he doesn't do exactly what we expect, we blame the writing or say it's out of character. He is still a good character with flaws.

12:47 Are you kidding? Daemon CHARGED A WHOLE ASS ARMY BY HIMSELF because he didn't want it said his brother had to come save him in battle. On what planet would you expect Daemon to be calm about being so severely wronged? He has a level 12 reaction to the smallest slight. Ask the top of Vaemond's head if you don't believe me.

Daemon is seeing reflections of his brother in Rhaenyra. His lashing out is a culmination of a legacy of his frustrations with his brother’s rule and his unwillingness to see that weakness, his brothers gentleness, be what ruins her. Rhaenyra isn’t “weak” in this episode. They’re showing that pieces of her father live on within her.

As a fan who hadn't a clue what was gonna happen, that end scene had me literally gasp with my hands to my face and then cry. Very visceral reaction that I wasn't expecting. What a scene...

Daemon's anger is a result of his jealousy. He was Viserys heir for a long time but Viserys never told him about the prophecy. It shows that Viserys never took him seriously as his heir.

The noise Vhagar made just after she killed them was pretty horrifying. I imagine it would have been pretty traumatising for Aemond, fully and finally realising what a dragon can do. I think he may have even been the first Targaryen ever to witness dragon-on-dragon conflict since the Doom. Loved Aemond's face.

Arrax wasn’t no punk. He was like “Aye, Idgaf how big you are... snap at my tail, you get this heat.”

"The idea that (we) control the dragons is an illusion "! Showing Vermithor's and Daemon's eye shows that Daemon won't be controlled either. I think it's a phenomenal change.

@7:50 Let's not forget that Daemon is dealing with both the death of his brother who he followed around like a puppy as a child before their rift and the death of his daughter Visenya from Rhaeynra's stillbirth. Old boy is NOT running though this episode with a clear head

Daemon is chaotic and impulsive under normal circumstances, add the loss of his brother and his unborn daughter with the threat of war with the Hightowers I'm not shocked and I still love him!

Arrax is like a tiny chihuahua, they don't give a fuck they will bark at a grizzly bear thinking they are hot shit

I think Rhaenyra was caught off guard by Alicent as last they spoke she was going to come back to Kings landing and bury the hatchet with her. She sadly bought into the idea that she and Alicent could repair their relationship after the family's dinner with Viserys. I think she had HOPED that it wasn't for show and eventually allowed herself to believe that the greens were going to allow her to ascend the throne. Or at the very least Alicent had her back again. So it was as deep a cut as Alicent marrying her dad when she usurped Rhaenyra's throne.

I love the nuance the actors and writers bring to these characters especially in this episode. The make them feel like grounded, complex humans instead of cartoony caricatures that many viewers expect.

Devil's advocate for Aemond here - this is the one time Lucerys isn't hiding behind his mother or Daemon. Lucerys laughs at Aemond when it's safe for him to do so (the roasted pig at dinner), and now Aemond has him in a situation where both of them are out in the open. The way Aemond was bullied, the four on one fight, and the loss of an eye with no consequences for the person who took the eye --- how many of us can honestly say we'd just get over it? Of course, Aemond was wrong to pull the stunt with Vhagar. It showed his own lack of judgment and vulnerability in trying to control the biggest dragon alive. Thoughts? Thanks for the video!

Aemond said in Valyrian "You owe a debt" but never spoke any Valyrian word to undo that "thought" I think Vhagar felt his true feelings and came to collect.

That shot of Vhager makes me wonder bout the black dread always

I think Daemon reacts so aggressively as he does to Rhaenyra talking about the prophecy, is because in that moment, he sees what he considers the same weakness as he saw in Viserys. The inability to act resolute and swiftly to problems, instead of what he considers as hiding behind stories and fairytales. He wants her to act, so at that moment he recents her for reminding him of his brother.

Daemon is incredibly impulsive and has been all season. His reaction to V’s death isn’t out of character at all lmao? The man put his own life in jeopardy in the stepstones just because he didn’t want his brother to potentially claim the W. Him choking Rhaenyra isn’t out of character either. He’s been violent/murderous literally all season.

I genuinely loved episode 10. I wish they would’ve ended it with daemon saying “son for a son” but we got the point from rhaenyras face anyways I guess lol

An ending that was both satisfying and gets me extremely excited for S2 Very solid first season

I think one thing that was missed in this conversation regarding daemon, about his aggression and becoming very reactionary, is that he just lost his brother. Daemon really loved Viserys, and he seems to believe he was likely murdered, so he is genuinely enraged. I enjoyed the twist with the “dragon battle” though. I do, in general, think they have made the greens too sympathetic. But this aspect I thought was compelling.

In a normal succession after the death of the reigning monarch there would be a period of mourning for the realm. There would also be a big, public display of the King's funeral procession as his body is laid to rest. When that doesn't happen, when people are being forced to pledge their fealty & witness a rushed coronation before the previous King is even buried, it absolutely screams Power Grab. So of course Daemon would assume the worst. Who wouldn't based on how The Green's acted? With the Dragons, take a real world kimodo dragon & scale them up, give them the power of flight & the ability to breathe fire & their behavior makes total sense. The Dragon Keepers train & feed the Dragons & that keeps them somewhat docile so that the bigger ones don't eat the smaller ones. In the scenario between Aemond & Luke, both riders were in a heightened emotional state in the midst of a storm & the Dragons instincts just kicked in (possibly enhanced by their riders panicked emotional state) The best thing Luke could have done was to find shelter, somewhere too small for Vaghar to access & wait the storm out. It actually looked like he was going to do this for a second & then both Dragons went into predator/prey mode & just reacted. 😪 The Dragons were bred for war, they aren't winged ponies you ride for fun & relaxation & keep stabled the rest of the time. Once the Targaryens did that, the Dragons died out.

For everyone arguing, questioning, or just trying to make up their own character motivations and actions, I suggest watching the episode breakdown that plays after the credits of each episode because they do a really good job of explaining what the characters were thinking or why they did what they did. Just putting this out there because it's frustrating to see so many comments that are just ridiculous and can easily be cleared up by watching those breakdowns

Vhagar is the sickest fucking thing I’ve seen on screen in a long time

Daemon was in character the whole time. Even choking Rhae Cause he's very emotional. He's seething. His brother is dead. The greens usurped the throne. He's not trying to hear anything but war. The tension was real. The last scene incredible. Her look conveyed it all. She will be unleashed next season. Lastly wow, a dance of Dragons to kick it off. Poor Luc stood no chance.

"Vhagar got a lil' snack for her tum-tum" Duude! Too soon! 🙊😂

Stuff people are missing….Grief is a strange beast. Daemon and Rhae are grieving on many levels. Rhae just had and lost a baby. Hormones are all over the place. Anyone who expects consistently rational responses is missing that. Daemon did his Ike Turner routine as a little bit of a power reflex. He wanted to remind Rhae. I’m still your husband and I was the first heir. It’s a little bit of jealousy on his part too. He loves her but he still has issues. There was so much emotional stuff to process I can’t even blame him or Rhae. She basically laughed in his face like. Ha ha. He didn’t tell your dumbass and you’re mad bro. I don’t think many people are giving Daemon and Rhae enough grace. They handled this situation the best they could. Rhae should have kicked him in the balls once she recovered from the choke. But we also have to remember Daemon groomed Rhae from a teenager. That power dynamic is set. He is also pissed because he wants her as angry and reactionary as he is. Remember he sees anything short of violence as weakness.

I get why Daemon was so pissed . He shouldn’t have taken it out on Rhaynera or anyone supporting her but in his mind he saw Otto and the Hightowers for what they were long ago and the fact that Kings landing has been taken is proof he should’ve dealt with them years ago.

I can't imagine feeling sadder about Luc. As a mother, this episode was nearly too much for me. I knew--but I wasn't ready. 😭

As soon as I saw Vhaegar I knew Lucerys was going to die and that would spur Rhaenyra to war, just didn't know how Aemond would kill him. Love the way they did it (even though it's awful that she lost 3 loved ones in about a week), once she had 5.5 children I knew not all of them would survive war...like the Starks, too many kids.

HBO always selects great actors for their shows. Even the unknown ones bring their A-game. Going all the way back to Oz

I think Arrax just spew fire as a self defense mechanism then escape... and to think Laena and Vhagar was playfully flying around with Daemon and Caraxes (she even ordered Vhagar to playfully Dracarys), Hiccup could have given them tips... new finale title "How to Not Train your Dragon"

Totally agreed with Aaron about Daemon, don't understand why Daemon Fans are so surprised he totally would do that especially being so hurt and frustrated. 🇧🇷

Daemon isn't acting out of character at all.... He couldn't bare being by Rhaenera when she miscarried as it was too similar to how he lost his previous wife. He is acting impatient at the war council yes but has allways acted impulsively against treason or rebellion. You saw that when he was undermining his brother when he was king/alive. He choked her put because he allways wanted to rule and hearing Rhaenera recite a secret prophecy that gets passed down from King to King that he would have heard had he be named heir and it be the same prophecy that kept Visarys peaceful (cowardly in Daemons eyes). He wasn't having any of it. You forget his plan to wife Rhaenera was as much about love as it was about him gaining power. He only liked her for her rebellious nature and "pure blood". His two defining traits are pride and confidence. Nothing was out of character

I think you need to think back to episode 3 where he beat someone down for giving a letter guaranteeing he’ll get help in a war. He gets super on edge when real fighting comes to play. Even the other dragon (I thought it was the cannibal, but I guess it makes more sense to be what ever dragon was named at the end of this episode) scene adds to this. For someone who loves actual dragons, he understands how to tame that hyper aggressive and unhandled side of the Targaryen blood. I think it’s great setup that Daemon will have to fight his true side and his targaryen side thirsting over being safe at any cost.

That confrontation above storms end has been living in my head rent free. A truly iconic moment in the AWOIAF showverse

Considering how relatively unperturbed Rheanyra was during the choking, I get the feeling that it's not the first time something like this has happened. I imagine they like to play rough with each other some times. Hell, she starts laughing at him. He's not going to seriously hurt her, she knows it, and he knows she knows. Add to that the realization that Daemon was never a true heir to Viserys, and it's clear Rheanyra was the one ultimately in control of that situation without lifting a finger.

I felt so bad at how smol Luke and his dragon looked next to Vaghar.

While I understand wanting to spend more time getting to know Luke more so that his death feels more impactful, it would probably drag the story. People would get bored. There is not much source material in the book about Luke anyhow.

I didn't know beforehand that Luke was gonna bite the the dust, but once I saw that they were flying into the sunset I knew it was over LOL

34:14 It was the exact same instinct that Luce had when as a small child he pulled out a knife and went after Aemond. Arrax like his rider fights when threatened (even if neither are very good at it).

The bridge scene round 1 Otto calls it a mummers farce then on round 2 Daemon calls it a mummers farce

I mean if i am Daemon for a second there in that moment . I suspect my brother got killed by the Hightowers my wife got betrayed they are coming to fk us up i lost a child and when i talk about getting revenge my wife start talking about some poems of ice and fire im kinda looking at her like shes crazy. Nobody ever try to think what that man could feel ever just because he doesnt show his emotions doesnt mean he has none .

Rhaenerya lost two children and a father in one day (she learned of Viserys' death the same day anyway). That was so impactful I thought - she's the only one at Dragonstone trying to maintain the peace, then news of Luke's death reahces her and she just snaps. No coming back from this now. Awesome stuff.

And now the long wait between seasons

I actually think how Borros acted was pretty interesting.We kind of keep forgetting that at the end of the day the Targaryen's are a family of conquerors, people only kneel to them because of the dragons. If there is a split with the family then yeah, screw honor and vows, get the best deal you can.

Excellent work this season 🥳 Thank you for all your hard work. I am so happy you all came back!!!

Really enjoyed your coverage this season! Glad that your feeling better! Keep the content coming!

During the final scenes flying through the storm, it occurred to me, why are none of these people wearing any kind of eye protection/masks? Imagine all the insects they swallow?

38:50 My wife hasn’t read any of the books, but she constantly tries to get spoilers out of me. When Luke got to Storm’s End, I had such a hard time not laughing when she asked if I thought anything crazy was about to happen. The pure jump shock she had when Vhagar chomped them is one of my favorite tv watching moments

Really enjoyed watching this season of HOTD with you guys. Been following you since those dark days of GOT season 8; I always enjoy the analysis and discussion. Keep it up!

Daemon is still older, brother to the fallen King, her Uncle and only ready for business not politics. (He probably will always think he knows best in these areas). Rhaenrya is more mature than she was as a kid, more measured because she is an adult now and has more to loose, (her kids in addition to the throne).

It also seemed out of touch when Daemon asked, "How did he die?" all bewildered. Like, idk, last time you saw him, Daemon; He almost died several times just walking from one end of the throne room to the other. "Viserys was slain!" he concluded. Like, okay. When half of his face melted off, that didn't raise any concerns? Maybe, they were poisoning him at the start of his face melt. Only his death, did it raise enough alarms, for him to conclude that he was slain. Little late there, brother Daemon. Maybe, when his eye fell out for no reason given to the viewer, that should have had Daemon asking questions.

Arrax fuckith'd around and found out

Luke's dragon was Arax (rip🤞), not Vermax, Vermax is Jace's dragon.

The Sea Snakes reaction to his brother being beheaded by Daemon in any other show would feel odd, that’s his BROTHER, but in this miserable world he knows the rules and it’s why we don’t need a scene of Corlys staring at Daemon with the “i know what you did and i’m coming for you” type look, gonna be a long 2 years waiting for the next season.

I genuinely think that the meta writing like how wild the dragons truly are, the vagaries of birth and the roles of each person in the society and the undercurrents thereof, is genius in this show. Some scenes are uneven, but the whole current through is very well done.

Honestly, I'm just happy to see a return to discussing the nuances of the characters and their machinations, what makes them tick, and their consistencies and/or faults. For example, with Daemon, I saw the usurping of the throne as a catalyst to bring back that inner warrior he's subsumed for so long. That's actually a fairly consistent theme throughout with many characters, -- which is to say Viserys' reign of peace was an aberration. People, particularly men of stature, are defined through their fighting ability. Recall why Cristan Cole was chosen for his position: actual combat experience. That strife, as a man and as a warrior wanting to live up to historical legacies, is what you saw come screaming (well, singing) out of a Daemon. It was a celebration of the wars to come for him.

You cannot make a Dragon obey. Aemond chases Lucerys on Dragonback through stormy skies with Vhagar. Lucerys on Arrax's back tries to escape but his Dragon spits fire 🔥🔥 on Vhagar, he retaliates by choking Arrax is Lucerys. This drama will make Queen Rhaenyra more hesitant, finished the negotiations! war is declared.

12:59, I agree to some extent but I think cus the blacks were on dragonstone Otto was feeding them lies about Viserys health, then they had ep 8 so saw what he was like but Viserys walked to the throne in support of Rhaenerya and they had the dinner so they knew he wasn't well but didn't think he would pass that night. In ep8 Rhaenerya even says she's going to sail the kids home and return on dragon back.

The scene where Daemond chokes Rhaeneyra for believing in her dads superstitions/ jealousy over not being in the loop puts me in the mind of when Alicant grabbed Aegon by the face and told him he was the challenge. Not cool to choke out folks though. The frustration could have been better portrayed in a less abusive way.

Rhaenys doesn't bow because she is waiting for her husband to officially declare for rhanaerya.

I have greatly enjoyed your podcasts and videos during this season of HoD. Thank you.

Awesome job as always with your reviews!! 🤩 huge fan of yours. ❤ ❤

I had JUST finished watching when your video posted so I got a sweet deal. I just wanted Rhaenyra to assert herself much more in this episode, specifically with Daemon and Otto. I would have told Daemon I'd unalive him in his sleep if he put his hands on me again and I would have taken Otto straight to the dungeons but...well, that's just me. Lol I needed that energy.

Otto rolled up to Dragonstone like a straight up legend lmaoooo.

I prefer Aemon unintentionally kill Luke. One miscalculation results in all out war. It feels especially relevant when we look back to the Cold War. There were so many instances that could have resulted in nuclear annihilation. The same could be said about the current war in Ukraine.

I wish Lucerys could’ve asked the Stormsend maester to send a raven home to summon Daemon to Stormsend & chaperone him home. Luc was way in over his head on this. Literally the biggest dragon stalking him from the skies & it was so heartbreaking even though I knew it was coming😩! #HOTD

I do love the flame effect you use for some screen wipes.

Aemond's evil laugh really tickled me.

Vaegar doing that jump scare at the end was priceless, lil dudes had zero time to react.

seeing rhaeynera say bye just felt like a worried mother reluctant to send her child out into the world, but had some serious undertones of a character's last meaningful goodbye. so while I knew something was about to happen, I didn't think it was gonna go down the way it did.

Whether intentional or not, I loved the puns in this video. That alone earned a subscriber.