House of the Dragon (HOT D) (possible spoilers ahead)

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Given the way GOT finished, I'm pretty meh on the entire franchise at this point. I'd watch it if I had HBO max but not going to subscribe just to see it.

[vinsanity]

Watched it; liked it.

I was a little distracted by the use and quality of the CGI, though. King's Landing had a much different look at the tournament and other scenes with the CGI fillers and the Dragons. Didn't really impact my enjoyment, just something I noticed being strikingly different from GOT.

[AdmiralKird]

There's a lot that's kind of "wtf" choices from an analytical perspective but on the whole it played like a better episode from some of the latter seasons of GoT. It's better than I thought but also don't know if I can take the grim-dark.

One of the best aspects of the first four seasons of GoT is it balances the dark with the adventure and heroism. The latter seasons are largely about how everything is miserable. One of the best comparisons between the two halves is GRRM's episode "Blackwater" where Tyrion gives that rousing speech that's very blunt and real and dark in subject, yet everyone cheers at the end and chants "half-man." There's a similar scene with Alliser Thorne in Watchers on the Wall. Then you get to the epic battles in the latter seasons. In Battle of the Bastards everyone is just miserable and the only one with any comparable lines at all is Smalljon Umber who yells something about "who owns the north? show me". The heroism and excitement got absolutely sucked out of the show's tone. The Jon-Dany alliance faces down the Others and the rousing moment is Pod singing a dirge.

I just wish the creative team could find that tonal balance again. I don't think we'll get it because of the bizarre montage with lords killing each other off senselessly during the tournament. It's a tournament. Deaths happened but they were injuries. That's what made the death of Ser Hugh of the Vale in the first season a "perfect" crime. Game of Thrones shown a light on the old tropes of fantasy by taking the shining knight in silver armor and literally cutting him down at the start. Ser Hugh's death had a point both thematically and plotwise. This version is like an extreme over-reaction in that direction to try and emulate GoT but not understanding what it was about.

[Jocephus]

1st episode is on hbo max youtube

[ghostrunner]

It's too bad Rhaenyra's actress has to be replaced due to the time jump. Probably my favorite on the show so far.

Disappointing resolution for

[SHOW]

the crab feeder. Had we not seen him until this last episode, it would have been fine. But they'd built him up as an interesting character and formidable threat. Then he goes out with no lines and and an offscreen death.

[heyzeus]

It's too bad Rhaenyra's actress has to be replaced due to the time jump. Probably my favorite on the show so far.

Disappointing resolution for

[SHOW]

the crab feeder. Had we not seen him until this last episode, it would have been fine. But they'd built him up as an interesting character and formidable threat. Then he goes out with no lines and and an offscreen death.

Awww she didn't even have time for an HBO-traditional nude scene.

[thrill]

Daemon just bare hands a corpse with what appears to be grayscale is good targ hubris.

[AdmiralKird]

The crabfeeder storyline could have been a full season but you'd be inventing a ton of material and have to have faith in the show going 6 seasons early on. It's not... really about him.

But I agree, if anything this show could use some slowing down. 100% of scenes are utilitarian, talking about plot points from Fire & Blood. A lot of people are complaining about slow pacing for episode 3 which I'd argue is more just that the dialogue/scene construction needs to branch beyond the outline to feel like... real people? Remember Ned and Robert sitting down reminiscencing about the past and such? All of that just screamed out from the page like you were witnessing two real people talk. People don't stick to one thing; talk tangentially. They don't really in House of the Dragon, ever. It's all business. There are characterizations but there's some magic missing in how the ebb and flow doesn't feel natural. It's beat. beat. beat.

[ghostrunner]

I wouldn’t want a full season of him. Just give him an episode or two to go back and forth with Daemon and/or Corlys a bit. Give it to an actor who can chew on it a bit. Some hint of why people would follow him, what his gripes were. Could be no longer than Hopper and Walken in True Romance. Idk. Im not a writer so easier said than done but as it was he looked really cool but didn’t end up feeling like someone who was formidable enough to hold off an army for 2-3 years.

I feel like the show is roughly as good as season 3 or 4 of GOT. Definitely moving along at a faster clip and the characterization does suffer a bit.

[heyzeus]

The crabfeeder storyline could have been a full season but you'd be inventing a ton of material and have to have faith in the show going 6 seasons early on. It's not... really about him.

But I agree, if anything this show could use some slowing down. 100% of scenes are utilitarian, talking about plot points from Fire & Blood. A lot of people are complaining about slow pacing for episode 3 which I'd argue is more just that the dialogue/scene construction needs to branch beyond the outline to feel like... real people? Remember Ned and Robert sitting down reminiscencing about the past and such? All of that just screamed out from the page like you were witnessing two real people talk. People don't stick to one thing; talk tangentially. They don't really in House of the Dragon, ever. It's all business. There are characterizations but there's some magic missing in how the ebb and flow doesn't feel natural. It's beat. beat. beat.

Yes! The thing that made GOT captivating was the mirth of it all. The joy, the vengeance, the gluttony. The characters were larger than life, and gleeful in their indulgences, whether it was Joffrey or Tyrion or Lady Oleana or many more. The violence was cruel, the naughtiness was pretty over the top. There were awesome insults! It was delightfully outrageous.

HOTD so far feels like reading a fake, really dry history book. The characters are dull. None of this is particularly compelling. Where's the mirth, man?