"I will speak of my brother as I wish, You will not" was one of the great line from this episode. I loved that

The chemistry between young Rhaenyra and Daemon is unsettling. Great acting overall

I love how no matter how often dragons are seen flying around and roaring around Kings Landing and everywhere people are still in total AWE of them. They're so huge and scary and majestic that they inspire terror and it's impossible to grow accustomed to that.

The shot with the dragon coming through the clouds got to be the most beautiful scene in the entirety of GoT

8:33: The character they had this kid play is pretty much the perfect child actor role. Normally the problem with child actors is that they underperform and make it seem obvious that they're acting, but in that role, the character *herself* is acting and playing a part, so any wooden acting on the part of the child actress just seems like it's the nervousness of the character, rather than a flaw in the acting.

Also props to the Rhaenys scene. The actress is amazing and the dialogue was on point.

Milly Alcock's acting is SUPERB

The Crabfeeder conflict has me intrigued. He seems like a very terrifying antagonistic force, and it’s not due to his numbers, but rather it’s the way he goes about torturing his victims.

Milly, Paddy and Matt are killllling it. I’m gonna miss Milly Allock when older Rhaenyra is brought on.

One thing I haven't seen brought up is the fact that Caraxes only signals reacting its presence when Daemon's gets upset. That little detail ties nicely with the theory that there's a psychic connection between a dragon and its rider.

I thought the actress who played laena did a great job relaying that she was being coached by her father by the way the words didn’t just come out naturally that she was trying to remember exactly what to say that was great

I love that we all GOT stans get collectively excited about how good the episode was. The feeling we last felt probably watching Winds of Winter 6 years ago. Wonderful episode.

i really liked the scene where rhaenyra tells daemon to kill her, because she's the only thing standing between him and the iron throne, and then he throws her the dragon egg. their relationship is going to be really badass.

Apparently, Daemon is George RR Martin's favorite character, and since he's extremely involved in this show, it makes sense why he's quickly becoming the audience's favorite, too.

Alicent and Rheanyra are freaking fantastic. Their little quirks and fascial expressions totally sold me. Rheanyra is my favorite. Btu heck, even that little 12 year old Valaryia girl did great. You could totally see the... rehearsal of what her father told her to say and her hesitation behind it. Totally natural. Loving the writing, pacing, cinematography, the dialogue, the locations... I mean every shot looks incredible.

I end up so relieved after finishing each ep that airs, this show really seems to be heading to the right direction Got-wise in all its aspects (story, acting, dialogues, cinematography)

These two episodes have been great in every way The actors have been doing a phenomenal job (Milly don't go! 😭) The cinematography, set and costume design is beautiful The dialogue is reminiscent of early Game of Throne's, and the plot and characters are nuanced, interesting and logical The pacing is excellent because they're adding great character moments like the ones between Rhaenyra and Alicent and setting up multiple plot points, without lingering on any one scene

Acting and writing aside (which were great), the CINEMATOGRAPHY!! Wow!! This show is just soo beautiful to look at! Even when it’s just two characters talking, the way they look for beauty in every single shot, not even just wide-angle shots but also regular closeup character shots, every single one stands out, every one could be framed. I remember being awed by GoT cinematography as well, but this tops that show effortlessly!

I love Rhaenyra and Daemon's dynamic. I think they understand each other more than any other person outside their relationship. Rhaenyra understands and validates Daemon's desire for a high position despite being denied one repeatedly, which is why she doesn't insult him personally during the bridge scene. Daemon understands Rhaenyra's desire for a life not bound to the expectations of royalty and he doesn't seem to begrudge her place ahead of him in the line of succession because she has no power over it. Neither of them like the system as it is and they recognize that in one another. Most importantly, neither of them are idiots, which is such a refreshing change of pace after S5-8 of GoT.

My favorite scene of the episode is actually the scene with Viserys nursing his hand in maggots with Hightower and Mellos attempting to sway him away from Laena. The subtlety of Hightower and Mellos' performance was incredible. They state the obvious facts to Viserys about the benefits of marrying Laena but present it in a way that makes the prospect seem negative. It's like they're doing a good cop, bad cop routine. Mellos is "arguing" for Laena while Hightower against. Hightower begins by trying to paint the marriage as an overreach by Corlys and stating the obvious that Laena is young, but Mellos quickly cuts him off as if to say, "that's not the right argument, Otto," and lists a bunch of political positives to keep Visery's attention and give Otto time to think of a new talking-point. This time, Hightower inserts the idea that remarrying for duty's sake is an unenviable position, implanting in Viserys' mind that he should remarry for love rather than purely for duty (which Otto has made sure Alicent has been hard at work on that front). This is masterful manipulation and they are able to do it without arising the slightest suspicion from Viserys. This one scene had more complexity and subtext than any scene in GOT S5-8, and easily matches the quality of S1-4. GOT is officially back

I love this series so far. HotD doesn't think its audience is dumb and I respect it massively

The criticism of the 1st episode was so undeserved; they did a great job but it can't be compared to 4 seasons of character development and world building

Funny that when it follows the source material and GRRs guidance that the plot actually makes sense.

I hope Milly gets so much work after this, loved her acting. I also agree the show is the best case scenario of how this could have turned out. I love it and I had many doubts before it aired.

I actually liked that they kept the original theme. It really is a sign that we’re back into the GoT world and I got kinda emotional hearing it again. I can see how some people were looking for something completely new though

This is the best Westeros has been in quite some time. The time jumps are working thus far and I like how Daemon still has respect for his brother

After seeing Glidus's blisstake about e1 and now seeing this, I'm so genuinely happy and you guys are loving HOTD as much as myself.

I heard they had to change director last minute with this episode. How can it be this good tho? It isn't obvious at all! I'm so impressed with the production of this show. And I also heard that the show runners think this is their worst episode. How?! If it is like they say, what can possibly happen in the next episodes?! 😳 I'm so exited for the rest of this series, it's so great to see Martin's works at their peak again😍

I think people need to stop comparing this show to the first 4 seasons of GoT. Not only is this show only two episodes in vs 4 seasons, it's also got a different perspective, different endgame (it's got more in common with Succession, than GoT imo) and isn't based off already written dialogue. This is original dialogue, that has been approved by GRRM. We need to view this as just a new HBO show, and judge by those standards which are already fucking high.

Episode one impressed me, but I thought to myself, perhaps it's wishful thinking, or unconscious bias to GOT. Episode 2 has made me sure. I have fallen in love with House of the Dragon.

I think the time jumps really help with the problem of teleportation in the later seasons of game of thrones too, because they can kind of just explain away characters being somewhere right away because of the nature of the show compared to game of thrones

Yes. I must admit that I loved it more than the first episode. I dearly hope they will continue that way.

Dialogues are so strong

Rhaenyra's reaction after hearing that her father decided to marry her best friend speaks a lot I loved Millie's acting 💖

I liked the sound that Daemon's dragon made before he showed himself

so much happened in this episode you'd think it's near the end of the season! i'm excited for what's coming

Matt Smith screen presence as Daemon is pure lit 🔥♥️

After watching just 2 episodes of House of the Dragon, it depresses me that D&D/HBO didn’t make Ryan Condel a replacement showrunner for GOT after Dan and Dave said they didn’t want to do it anymore when season 6 ended. This guy would’ve wrapped it up well imo, if his HOTD work is anything to go by

Top tier character building and set up for things to come. Great episode

There was very much a fast travel still for Otto to go 500 miles to dragonstone in one day

Spoiler: Even though I knew King Viserys would choose Alicent, that scene drew elation from me. It was so well done and the way Corllys reacts is beautiful.

The use of those moments with no dialogue and just reacting wow really remind me of season 1&2 got where they just let the great lines sit and sink in

Thanks for featuring the Volume tech in your video. Honestly I'm just learning of it existence

Happy to see that you transcribed Jawadi's piece for piano! sounds great indeed

These first 2 episodes have been an absolute treat

i like how the 2nd episode showed how the smaller, less powerful houses all start pouncing on the small power vacuum left in the queen’s death it really gave off season 1-4 GoT vibes

The show is really great and so is your review. My only complaint is the dark washed out cinemaphotography: I hate the dull, heavy filtered Netflix look they've given it. Game of Thrones had beautiful cinemaphotography which was brilliant, clear and vibrant.

It's so amazing to watch a show which is engaging, beautiful ,full of fantastic creatures,great dialouges and amazing acting from the same universe which gave us s7 and s8

I actually loved that it was the same music for the opening

i agree, second episode was also the one that won me over and made me excited for the rest of the show

Yes great description of this episode l can't wait as the story develops for the main events, the dance of the dragons.

My favorite scene in this episode is Rhaenys and Rhaenyra. Rhaenys was amazing. Like Rhaenyra tries to defend herself during this scene, but gets obliterated by Rhaenys during this dialoge. (Though Caraxes showing up was EPIC)

this is a great review of a show that’s really turning out to be awesome 🥳!!

Excellent analysis and breakdown. This has the definitive potential to be a truly great show. Production values are impressive as well.

Truly à masterpiece of télévision making, House of the dragon is the next big thing 👌.

caraxes !! what a freak of a dragon with the twisted neck of his producing that terrifying squeak. I love it.

What you say at 4:36 is SO true, such a fantastic observation I was blissfully ignorant too. I never even considered the travel time gap because they made it seamless and natural. Frigging brilliant

The Hightowers are like this century's Lannisters; grasping and power-hungry.

Oh god this show is already doing it. The first ep made me like Daemon and now this one made me like Rhaenyra and the next one is probably gonna make me like Corlys. God damn this show is so good

That confrontation on Dragonstone with the fog was so great and intense🤧👍!!!

You said it all. The second episode made me incredibly more confident about the series going forward.

Love your honest reviews 🙂 One of the few folks left on KZfaq who know what they're talking about and not pandering to the industry.

Honestly Matt Smith fucking kills it. I really love him from Doctor Who, but damn *this* ..I was not sure he will fit the role, but he just comes out on top of every scene he has been in so far.

I love the emotion from the actors and sense of dread that’s coming becasue of dameon and his niece knowing the only that can tear down the house of dragon is from within

So many beautiful shots acting and scenes. But the line I will speak of my brother as I wish, you will not Is hands down best line

When the Dance starts, we will get quite enough of Dragon spectacular. No need to rush into it.

This is easily the best Dragonstone has ever looked 🐉

I‘m soooo glad that show is so great so far. Can‘t wait for the next episode!

i liked the banter between the queen that never was and the future queen...from different perspectives, i have been where you are and know how this ends from the older queen and dannys optimism from the princess of bringing a new world order...really cul

Your video makes me like it even more.Indeed the episode is not dumb.

best part of episode 2 was hearing the OG game of thrones intro music. fucking chills.

dude seriously this is an awesome breakdown

The different types of dragons is what I’m most stoked about that red mfr looks so crazy

I want the opening theme to be just like GOT where important locations for each episode are shown.

I actually liked that they used the original score. Brings me back to when I would hear it and get that flutter of excitement. Well, at least before it went bad. Still always watched the opening sequence though.

I have no idea if it was intentional but in every scene this episode Daemon looked like he was nearing 60

U remind of a friend who is intricately describing a scene of a little plot in the show just to get me excited to watch it without spoiling it. Love his attentiveness and geekness taste just like urs!

This series is already a masterpiece, this will be a great tv show I'm calling it

Going to the bridge scene I remember thinking “Otto, this man has no respect for you. He has the gold cloaks and a dragon. He’s also a skilled fighter. Volunteering for this is a suicide mission.” Then I got so enamored and immersed with the dialogue exchange that, when Caraxes announced his presence I was like “Oh yeah, he has a fooking dragon.” The scenes intensity and dialogue tenseness was enough to make me forget about that for a moment. I think when art can do something like that it’s an amazing feat. Especially knowing that these characters are protected by plot armor there was still doubt. Kudos.

“Perhaps my prince recalls when I knocked him off his horse” 💀💀

I’m surprised that people don’t like the title music being back. I love it. It’s the westeros music.

The scene between Daemon and Otto was pretty dumb. Why would Otto Hightower be the one to go to a Dragonstone? Daemon has 2000+ thugs under his command, whatever local garrison was there, and at least one dragon. Daemon hates Otto, if there’s anyone in King’s Landing Daemon would want dead most, it’s him. Otto knows this, so he comes alone with maybe 40 dudes on a single ship. WHY?!? I thought Otto was a smart guy, so why is he doing something so obviously stupid? He should be the last person you to Dragonstone. I’m reminded of a scene from GoT Season 7, when Jon, Dany, and Tyrion are privately discussing who should visit with Cersei and get her to commit to their joint war with the Night King. Jon suggests that he go speak with her and Tyrion retorts, “She’ll definitely wan to kill you.” It just makes Otto look like a moron.

You thought it was sad and disappointing they didn't come up with a new intro theme!? Trippen. The second that theme started I was overly hype. So glad they kept the original, it worked so well.

I want to put the spotlight on the direction of this two episodes with one example that i saw on a Spanish Channel (jordi maquiavelo, if you know the language and want to see a lot of technical details) after the king and queen were talking on a bathtub scene about their child, the next transition went to daemon's guards using their chests as percussion, sounding like a baby's heartbeat. Showing subtle confrontation between the unborn character and the prince

We're only two episodes in an it's painful waiting for more episodes. Can't remember the last time I felt like that for a show

Great episode and I love the new intro, GoT is so Iconic glad and the intro makes sense. The casuals will not like it though. Loving HotD so far

I'll admit, I was pretty on the fence about episode 1 as well. The quality of production was great, the dialogue a thousand times better than the later seasons of GoT, it had compelling characters, and yet it felt off. However, I'm happy to say episode 2 has rekindled the love I had for GoT and Westeros. Everything made sense. It was back to the political intrigues and well-written characters. I have the highest hopes for this show now.

Can't wait for next episode!

Oh, I'm not sad or disappointed that they used the same intro theme, there's no beating it.

I was definitely happy with episode 2. The one area I'm not sure about yet is the narrowing of the age gap between Rehnera and Allicent from the book. So far I think it makes things much more interesting but I wonder if they will be able to stick the landing so to speak as the story goes on because I think it will necessitate some reworking of characters and potential motivations down the line.

also the smoke with dragonsone being a volcanic area

Viserys is a good man. With a good heart. And it's hard for a good man to be a king. ~T'Chakka, father of T'Challa~

This series is so promising.

we back man, feels good

Take note of *Laena* *Velaryon.* She's talking about *Vhagar.* Laena will be an important ally to two of the main characters for the future wars to come. She's only 12 but she'll grow up and marry... 🤐 Three different actresses will portray her in this series. The oldest one, Nanna Blondell, appeared in Black Widow (2021). I became Team Daemon/Black the moment Matt Smith uttered the words "pack of hounds" and "squalor". But I do enjoy the sleaziness coming from Otto "Middlefinger" Hightower. I believe I'll remain on Team Rhaenyra/Daemon even after Blood and Cheese happens because I think the Hightowers screwed this all up by not honoring Viserys' will that Rhaenyra should be Queen. It doesn't make sense to be pressured to marry someone else after 6 months so the king can produce male heirs when Viserys just named Rhaenyra as his heir in Ep 1! 🤣 Hello? Then what the hell was all that talk about you messing up by always ignoring your daughter for succession? Viserys chose "friend" over family. He chose poorly. All Daemon is trying to tell Viserys is he needs protection. He needs a REAL MAN by his side. Daemon can wipe out leeches and infiltrators like the Hightowers. But Viserys is too weak to be a king. A grown-up Tommen. He's easily influenced by outside his bloodline. He didn't listen. By listening to Otto, this will be House Targaryen's downfall. Otto is a parasite. He's already entered Viserys' bloodstream by having her daughter be Viserys' next Queen. Marrying Alicent means a civil war between Targaryens. 🤦🏻‍♂️ Viserys should've chose Laena. She's a sound pick. It doesn't look right at that moment because she's just a child, but Laena will grow up to be a bad*ss character. VHAGAR, baby. VHAGAR. And Laena happens to be Viserys' favorite cousin's daughter. Or Viserys should've just listened to Daemon and let Daemon cut Otto's throat. Laena is only 12 but Daenerys was 13 in the books when she marries Khal Drogo. The writers aged her up to 17 in the show. If you close your eyes, Daemon does sound like Ramsay Bolton when he's speaking. Find a Ramsay scene on KZfaq where he's talking. They do sound alike. So Daemon is a mixture of a lot of characters: Tyrion's intelligence, wit, and whore-mongering. Jaime's nobility, brotherly love, swordmanship, and physical attractiveness. Oberyn's wild temperament. Hints of Bronn and Euron in there. And Ramsay's voice and touch of sadism. Complex indeed. It's all Viserys' fault. Or maybe Jaehaerys' for passing on Rhaenys because she wasn't born with a penis. 🤦🏻‍♂️ At least Rhaenys even as a salty, bitter old woman she became is still a dragonrider. I'd be bitter too if my title is "The Queen Who Never Was". That sounds way more insulting than Kingslayer. Viserys lost his dragon before his ascension to the throne.

I couldn't even imagine it would be a day we all are back in Westeros, having fun with each episode... Just like the beginning of GoT series, when we loved the dialogues, the plot twists. And we didn't know how badly it would end...

Awesome video. The Lionel scene I completely agree; I only wish they fleshed him out prior because that was the ONLY scene in episode 2 that felt weak. Everything else was an absolute master class in cinematography, acting and story telling. Can't wait for ep 3 this show has been nothing sort of spectacular! GEORGE IS BACK BABY!!!!!!

Tensions rise, blood boils, and fire is coming

It’s good to be back!

My only real complaint is that the show seems to be in such a rush. The manoeuvring, manipulation, and backstabbing surrounding who the king should marry feels like it could be the background for a whole season, but it’s only one episode. And because of that we already know the answer before he tells us, which isn’t very interesting. Slow down and let things play out!