I have to give a shout out to the costume department for the show. For a war whose teams are named after the colors of dresses, they understood the assignment and completely nailed it!

as a broke college girl i really appreciated that discord link

One thing I've always wondered is why Viserys didn't abdicate in Rhaenyra's favor once it became clear that his health no longer allowed him to rule proplerly. He should've made her his Hand when his health started to decline and slowly transfer the decision making power to her, he should've allowed her to replace the green's supporters in positions of power for her own supportes, and once she got used to ruling for a while, he should've abdicated the throne in her favor. She'd be crowned and anointed, and by the time Viserys died, anyone trying to push Aegon's claim forward wouldn't be supporting a rival claimant, but open rebellion against the anointed monarch. While many of the lords of the realm were willing to support a man's claim against a woman's claim and were willing to ignore their fathers' oaths to her, I believe less people would be willing to support a rebel against an anointed monarch - because Rhaenyra wouldn't be a rival claimant, she'd be the anointed queen. And those lords would've sworn their loyalty to the queen, so the situation would be quite different, and definetely in Rhaenyra's favor. Especially if we take into consideration Aegon's own initial reluctance to accept the coup. Open rebellion against a crowned and anointed queen, who succedded her father while Viserys still lived - therefore legitimising her position, since no one will be able to claim Viserys had a change of heart - and with a claimant who is not even competent and isn't even in charge of his own rebellion despite being an adult would be much less appealing to the lords of the real. Besides, with Rhaenyra as queen, she would be in charge of the dragonpit, and would be able to keep Alicent's children from reaching their dragons, should they want to rebel.

I forget what video/podcast it was, but Ryan Condal said that when he got an (unpublished) copy of Fire and Blood from George he consumed it in one go like "a racoon who found a twinkie behind a dumpster" and this comment makes me have a great deal of faith in him.

I love that you keep calling Seasmoke The Grey Ghost. In the 80s I drove an old grey Chevy Caprice Classic that we called the Grey Ghost. Crazy times were had in the Grey Ghost 🤍👻

Do the debunking video. Too many crackpots re-emerging in the fandom. Heard another about Daemon having greyscale (based on his scars) which is so frustrating when you literally see him getting burned in episode 3.

i think seeing how much the actors like each other and are friends (particularly both alicents and rhaenyra’s) makes the conflicts and moments of love feel so real

I would love a "Larys the Greenseer" debunking video! Who doesn't love more content 😉😄

"Larys the Greenseer" is on par with "Tyrion the Dragonrider" for me

I think they’re gonna bring back Laenor, with a shaved head, calling himself Addam of Hull “whose origins remain a matter of dispute among historians to this day”

I really REALLY don’t like the concept of having big name (undisputedly mainstream) actors in any part of this universe. I don’t know how to explain it but it gives me a lot of anxiety for the future of these shows. It’ll take me right out of the story. Especially those who have played major roles in super money making flicks in the superhero universe- not limited to zendaya and Elizabeth Olsen. I’m super iffy on Henry Cavil. He wouldn’t be my 10th choice either, but I could possibly stomach it because he did so well in the Witcher. Am I alone?

I wish the show would've stuck to the possibly Valyrian-esque appearance of the Hightowers. The few Hightowers we get description for from George seem to have silver and golden hair, though no purple eyes have been mentioned unlike the Daynes. The Hightowers and Daynes being remnants of the Great Empire of the Dawn is one of my favorite theories out there.

I wouldn't mind a dragon laying eggs at Winterfell, but it can't explain the hot pools. The Starks built Winterfell with hot water being piped through the walls. It seems to me that the castle is too old for a dragon to be down there. Or at least too old for a Targaryen dragon to be down there. I guess it could be a non-Targaryen dragon from before the 7 Kingdoms were formed.

I'm not sure about who got screwed the most, but Rhaenyra definitely screwed the most.

20:33 - 'Weirwood Tattoo' OMG !! I have tons of Weirwood Tree tattoo ideas/pics in my phone just have no clue where to put it 😩😩😭..pretty cool to hear someone getting that done 🤙🏽

Episode 9 hurt my soul but the rest of the season was good to great. I have small complaints here and there mostly with head cannon, but for the most part they did better than the book.

Thank you for this season!! Hours and hours of quality discussions! I need to become a member soon

Love the idea of you going back to doing some ASOIAF chapter deep dives.

Can’t wait for season 2 ! ❤

Order of the green hand had a video predating that quote with GRRM about Aegon having the fire and ice prophecy. I feel they were way ahead of the curve on that one! Great stream btw. Hope you got rested up during your short break!

Good afternoon, David and minty, just catching this on the rewatch as I was flying home from New York yesterday, always enjoy your commentary!

Henry Cavill as Maegor The Cruel definitely sounds more interesting than him as Aegon the Conqueror. Since we are doing a bit of "fan casting" I'm just gonna throw this one out there... Jodie Comer as Visenya Targaryen.

"caramelo koala" such an australian thing ahaha keep reppin straya Minty

Looking good homie. I really enjoy your work!

Thank you for this entertaining stream!

Larys is a feet-seer 😂😂😂

Have you done a breakdown of the opening sequence for HOTD?

I felt like the show was mostly good, but it could've used a few more episodes. There was too little time to develop the characters themselves and the relationships between characters post timeskip. Ifelt like it was only the great acting that prevented the second half of the show from crashing, because almost all character and relationship development post timeskip was carried out by the little details in the interactions between characters. Personally, I'm still not a fan of Alicent mistakenly believing Viserys changed his heir with his dying breath. I get that it was very obvious she was deluding herself (and everyone but her could see it wasn't true, even her allies), and it didn't change the fact that Alicent and the Greens had been planning a coup for years, but it just irks me. On the other hand, I did like how Alicent didn't seem to have realized the innevitable bloodshed a coup would lead to, and I liked that she tried to steer the coup her own way. It makes Luke's murder even more complicated, because Aemond is clearly someone who wants to please his mother, and he knows his mother wanted to avoid a war if possible, but he just made it innevible with his own hands (I think that's why he had tha 'oh, shit' look on his face when Vhagar killed Luke and Arrax). I also like the idea of making Aemond become the monster rather than make him a mosnter from the start. In the last two episodes, we definetely got a few glipses of the monster he'll eventually become, but it makes sense that an untried teenager who's never killed or seen true war (despite knowing one was coming all his life) would wouldn't act the same way as someone who has tasted true war. I don't feel like the show whitewashed Aemond, because we could already see the seeds of the monster in him (I'd argue we could see it as early as the fight with the other kids after he claimed Vhagar, since he was the one who escalated it by picking up a stone and threatening Jace with it. While he ultimately didn't kill Jace, there was a moment when he looked like he would, and I think the only reason he didn't was that he had never killed anyone before and didn't want to become a kinslayer besides - and he might've thought of the consequences once Viserys found out, cause Viserys' reaction would've surely criplled the Greens' cause and Rhaenyra wouldn't let the off ever, either). I will never like Aemond and I don't find him likeable, but he is an interesting villain.

Thanks- DL Lot of great interesting info 🤘

“Nettles has to be dark skinned it’s cannon” and the next breath talking about the Valaryons. I’m loving the POC Valaryons so far but we need some consistency on whether or not cannon skin color matters

Awesome stream.

Could the Valyrians have prophetic powers because of whatever magic turned them into dragon people all the way back in the old empire of dawn? If the Valyrians were made into what they are from magic, it could have opended a genetic link between the magic in the world and the Valyrians' dreams.

I have my own HotD Conspiracy Theory: Bran Stark wagged into Vhagar and started the chain of events that made him King. Lol.

Thank you Minty for giving us the lowdown on Nettle’s brilliant casting dream of Henry Cavil as freakin Maegor!! He would make a fantastic Maegor! All the brothel and polygamy moments could give us plenty of naked Maegor glory!! Plus Maegor on Ballarion, Maegor killing the Faith, and Maegor just being Maegor!! Who should be Viscenya? Miranda Otto has my vote. She’s been Zelda and Eowyn, so… Ladies and gents, let’s manifest this vision of absolute kingly glory into existence!! Praise Garth!!

Im down for Henry Cavill as Maegor the cruel

I wonder, would it be a good video topic to look at how the origin of the dragons affects their variable morphology? I know that the producers intended for there to be three main types of dragons (based on skull shape), but that seems to only apply to Caraxes, Syrax (and maybe Sunfyre in the same category, although his horns seem to be a different shape), and Dreamfyre and Seasmoke. Meleys and Vhagar don’t fit into any of the three breeds, and Arrax and Vermax look like mixtures of Caraxes and the GoT-style dragons, with Arrax having more GoT-style features than Vermax. One concept I’ve thought of is that, if dragons were actually created by magically fusing Fire Wyrms, Wyverns, and possibly other animals, Caraxes might be a case of the Fire Wyrm traits overriding the wyvern traits to an extent, resulting in a more wyrm-like individual.

I watch David for the saga of his hair

Great to discuss asoiaf again.

i hope house of the dragon sweeps the emmys, they all put their whole draussy into their acting

Thank you :)

Can't believe I was asleep for this

Laenor brings adam to driftmark and gets killed by a crossbow

Have you done Fire and Blood spoiler free stream yet ? I think it's about time ?

I don't think Larys is a greenseer, and I think it would make the story less impactful. Larys doesn't need to be a greenseer to get information, the royal family is surrounded by people at all times. This is the way servants and other normal people enter the narrative, the information they overhear and what they do with that information is their power. If Larys is a greenseer, the impact of those people and their agency is just removed.

Any thoughts on the voice Arya hears when escaping Kings Landing before she kills the stable boy?

*spoiler warning* imagine ep9 of season 2 they do like a flash back to a time when everyone was like happy in their little bubbles kinda. Like Rhaenyra and Harwin being finding happiness in each other, Laena and Daemon exploring Essos on dragon back, Alicent enjoying her younger but more innocent and loveable kids, Laenor's hot girl summer and then end ep 10 with the gods eye thing.

Henry Cavill would make a great Robert Baratheon if they're ever going to make a series on Robert's Rebellion.

You continue to be my main Man

They got the wrong Strong with those greenseer theories. We know Alys Rivers has some sort of visions, and she's hinted at being an Old God worshipper too (praying naked in the goodswood the same way another pregnant woman in Winterfell did in Bran's vision).

Yo David Ik this question is not related to HotD but it is somewhat related to you and ASOIAF since u came up with the Moon Meteors theory and often cite Graham Hancock and Randall Carlson as inspirations Have you watched their most recent JRE podcast interview / discussion? Idk if you like Rogan himself or whatever like that, but ik you like these guys and wanted to know your thoughts on it. Anyways thanks for the great content as always. I see you creeping in on that 100k subs mark and it's amazing for someone who's been watching you for years. Keep up man, peace

Rhaenyra's storry is the Hero's Journey, but told over the whole of her life, perhaps

Of course I like it

What about Henry Cavill as a Stark? Like Cregan Stark.

I think it’s definitely a great show, the acting is amazing, the costuming and makeup/special effects look amazing, and I think it’s objectively good. I don’t like it. I wasn’t excited about this show from the beginning, mostly because it’s just so tragic, and I really need to have someone to root for, and everyone in this show pisses me off.

Me scratching my neck with cracked lips: “y’all got any of them dragons laying around anywhere?! Hmmm?!”

Alicent needs a moniker like Viserys the Peaceful. Alicent the Pious? Alicent 'Dirty Foote'? Alicent the Self righteous? Alicent Happy Feet? Alicent the King bearer? Alicent Twinkletoes?

I gotta hop on a computer so I can subsquish. Need to get in that discord

I really hope they change the wigs for the Velaryons. Choose something natural-looking quality that doesn't look like a wig.

I want Henry as Daemon Blackfire myself

Praise Garth 🦌🌲

Larys is definitely connected to the weirwoods, could it be them trying to allude to the weirwoods being much like Larys, a silent observer?

Did criston cole get pissed about jofferys offer or the tap on the ass when Joff walked away?

Did you like it? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: It's complicated, but yes. I have issues with it. I hope they get fixed. GoT, however, has set me up to expect the worst, I was hoping for the final season to be a solid one. I think we can all agree that in terms of writing, that was not the case at all. I can see a future where HoTD is perfect, with no inconsistencies, no plot holes, and no things that are simply nonsensical but they attempt to provide a bizarre explanation for them. On the other hand, I can see a season 7 GoT level disaster. They're allowed to learn from their mistakes, but they're most certainly not allowed to repeat them. The material they've been handed to adapt is gold. It gives them a lot of freedom, while having a very solid outline to work with. Specific themes are very clear, and there's a great roster of characters to play around with. They do have to take this VERY SERIOUSLY though, it is a show that people will watch with a magnifying glass. Should be expected, a lot of them read books 📚🙂

Great season for sure! Any interest in 1899 now?

U and Joe magician Collab debate for larys greenseeing would be fire...and blood

Henry Cavil could knock it out as Aegon the Conqueror, Maegor, or even Bittersteel. That could be fun.

Geez David. WHERE IS THE LINK. BOOHOO!!!!!

You are going to hate this idea but is it possible they don’t do Nettles and give her role to Rhaena. They have been making a thing of her claiming a dragon and also emphasize Daemon ignoring her and this could be an ark for them.

Can we agree that Harwin would have wiped the floor with Cole? The vibe was strong.

I'll wait for the is larys a greenseer debunking haha 😆

Give me a Nymeria show please. It would/should explore so much of the world and different cultures.

Can we get a video on your debunking of Aemond being the father of Helaena’s children?

1:31:11

How could the 'Greens' (which of them?) be against dragons and Targaryens, when most of them ARE Targaryens and dragonriders or their mother? Who's supposed to be against dragons? Otto? He definitely never came off that way.

I too wondered about the throne on dragon stone

Do you think that we will witness aemond privately struggle with the fact that he accidentally killed his nephew?

42:30

What character got screwed the most? Surely Rhaenyra, those 6 children have to come from somewhere ;D

👍 👍

☄️☄️☄️☄️

Nettles will be Daemon and Mysaria's bastard. Book it.

👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

10:34

I only saw Mushroom at the wedding, where else was he?????

I liked t.

Is Henry cavil for HOTD confirmed?

Only dropping the discord link during the stream is so mean to other adhd people bc I gotta watch later so I can do it at double speed 🙄 /lh

Viserys got screwed more than anyone.

Gotta love how the men stay looking 25-35 but the women keep aging 😭