HOUSE OF THE DRAGON 2x1 "A Son for a Son" Reaction & Spoiler Discussion! | Game of Thrones

[@yannhollister9091]

They casted lord stark perfectly. you can literally believe he is a ancestroy of ned without question. That scene at the wall with Jace was superb

[@mst3KGf]

People are going to love Cregan Stark. I also like they set up the Winter Wolves (the advance force of "graybeard" Northerners that Cregan sends to the Blacks' aid while he gathers his main forces), which hopefully means we'll get to see Roderick Dustin down the line.

[@AtmosphereZoom]

literally

[@silvermisst]

Fr and they'll love the Starks more during the hour of wolf 🐺 the judgment of the wolf🙇‍♂️

[@Vismark1171]

They did, but everyone tries a Yorkshire accent for the role now

[@LaCheeserie]

Will we get a Sara Snow?

[@JavauriSmith]

You guys arent understanding why Aemond is acting different is because its better he lies n act like he meant to kill Luke than he tells everyone he loss control over Vhagar Imagine having an uncontrollable dragon in time of war and the most powerful dragon at that

[@manvirshergill1739]

Exactly! If he admits that he killed Lucerys on accident because he couldn't control his Dragon he would be seen as weak to people and his ego would be hurt however I do beileve deep down he does have regret and guilt but he definitely isn't going to show it.

[@marti9734]

THIS. And Alicent being mother of the year giving him the cold shoulder and not even trying to talk to him... jeez

[@vbb2076]

@@marti9734 i wouldn't want to speak to my son after he killed his nephew neither, and she at least put it on his age and anger rather than believing he has a darker side to him ig

[@Regenmacher175]

@@manvirshergill1739 I mean, would that be better for him than to be seen as an unrepentant kinslayer? I feel like being a kinslayer is way worse for his general reputation.

[@SE-gs6gd]

She's not the most powerful

[@Tarz2155]

36:12 The rat catcher asked Demon "what if we can't find Amon" and they looked at each other . The implication is if you can't find him then you have to kill a son.

[@akshatchheda1102]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh damn

[@Caraxes_RoguePrince]

@feloveilyamaz94no the writer of the show said daemon didn’t say anything about the boy lol that was all blood and cheese he saisb

[@Caraxes_RoguePrince]

Not true the writer said 32:02 that it was all blood and cheese that came up with that

[@Challenger180x]

⁠@@Caraxes_RoguePrincethe writer says that, yet in the show Daemon literally implies that if you can’t find Aemond - kill a son. They literally asked what if we can’t find him, then Daemon looks at both of them.

[@haridaspalleeri6765]

@@Caraxes_RoguePrince where did the writer say that? If you're talking about the BTS episode, he doesnt say that AT ALL.

[@jonathanblaze1648]

Rhaenyra had one line of dialogue in the entire episode. "I want Aemond Targaryen".

[@thomodachi]

easiest paycheck ever 😂

[@klass_1221]

Instead the idiots decapitated a child. Oh we on now. Targaryen civil war!

[@christinalock27]

Considering that's all she said... It would be awkward if she meant... "Send him a raven and tell him I wish to talk to him" not "kill him"

[@JustJenni07]

And it has the most powerful command. It means she is ready to go on war.

[@shobitchouksey3442]

​@@thomodachiyeah 😂😂

[@0721trb]

I think with Aegon he was raised as basically the 2nd son to Rhanerya as heir. He was never trained to rule. I think he is trying to be what his father was not to him and bringing his son with him to learn. He is more just trying to do what he thinks a good king would do because he has no experience and never had reason to learn bc Viserys always stood by Rhaneyra as heir

[@ideozublake8036]

facts. people forget he had no intentions of being king to begin with. he just wanted to live the life of debauchery as a privileged royal born only to be forced into being king by his mom & grandfather. he was basically used to as part of their plan against rhaenera. he even stated he wanted rhaenera to be king as he didn’t care only for alicent to say if that were to happen, rhaenera would kill him & his siblings. complete brainwash.

[@luke1397]

Well tbh after reading the book, Rhaenyra turns out to be a worse ruler than Aegon.

[@Griffithwas]

@@luke1397 The thing is that Rheanyra was never fit to rule anything... Viserys was an emotional fool who never understood that his Brother was not only the most loyal brother in targaryen history but also the perfect candidate for the throne...

[@AliSherrr]

@@Griffithwas Viserys sure was a fool but to say Daemon was a perfect candidate for the throne is wild. Perfect candidate to rule was Aegon by all measures. He was a just king and tried to do what he thought was best for his subjects even in the books. Viserys was a fool to not change his heir when Aegon was born. He put in motion the events that led to the dance of the dragons and hence annihilation of dragons and near annihilation of his house. If he had named Aegon his heir as was the custom of Westros, dragons would have lived for centuries more. The same thing happened when Aegon IV legitimized his bastards on death bed and hence cause another war of succession called Blackfyre rebellion. When you mess with a clear line of succession you risk people fighting a war over it.

[@mekareactsandreviews3026]

No..His mother Alicent kept telling him he was going to be the heir...Never let him forget..shouted it to him whilst grabbing his face...so he had plentybof tine to read, learn and prepare

[@thedarkknight2221]

I have a horrible feeling that the murder and decapitation of a 4 year old boy is NOT going to be the most shocking and upsetting thing we see this season.

[@thatoneblackdude3333]

It won't largely because the show butchered it by removing maelor.

[@glensaldivar3169]

@@thatoneblackdude3333and nothing having Helaena say take me instead.

[@merykhan97]

They changed ALOT from the books so it wasn't bad actually. As for m**dering children, we've already had one of those. I'm afraid we have some left

[@Murder_34]

i mean a lot of death is coming but this one is pretty high on the shocking scale...especially in the book, it's worse if you can believe it

[@leisastalnaker3790]

Much worse in the books. The heir is murdered and the little girl is raped. So they did in a way soft pedal this.

[@AstroAvenger]

They weren't stabbing him, they were chopping his head off for Daemon.

[@dark_wyvrenadrian3336]

While the boy screaming for his life. F daemon and his defenders

[@dark_wyvrenadrian3336]

And yet fans still praise him

[@SamHunt-o7d]

​@@justsomeguywithnomustache6245In the book blacks are also evil but show wanted to make black queen girl boss to emulate dany who is not a spoilt brat

[@Rayl3w]

​@@dark_wyvrenadrian3336 Are you lost? House green wanted to kill all of house black & Daemon clearly stated to go after Aemon lol. A son for a son that's war bub!

[@jninekrabi2723]

And Team Green was stupid enough to see Aegon raped. Alicent is a promiscuous woman. And the fact that Green said he would kill Rhaenyra and her children. How hypocritical of Team Green?🤦🤢​@@dark_wyvrenadrian3336

[@mydreaminorbit9297]

Great season opener, the production quality is fantastic. Tom as Aegon really stood out with his performance for me.

[@Murder_34]

the actor did great but Aegon is a twat haha

[@nostalgicbliss5547]

The visuals is better than a lot of big budget movies out there. Directing, cinematography, costumes, CGI, score and acting were all on point in this episode.

[@corsicanlulu]

@@nostalgicbliss5547 the cgi of rhaenyras dragon wasnt on point for me, when they were on the beach it looked a little wonky. maybe its just me tho

[@Nikolas5842]

@@corsicanlulu I just don't like the looks of her dragon tbh

[@nostalgicbliss5547]

@@corsicanlulu Yea the color looks off, but didn't think it was that jarring, much better than it looked in season 1 when Syrax was burning Rhaenyra's mom and bro at the funeral.

[@Addam_]

The Rhaenyra and Jace scene 😭

[@brianalex5083]

Feeling bad for Jace fine but don’t feel bad for Rhaenyra it was her dumb decision to send him he was probably one of the least qualified to go sure he’s an heir ya then send him with others

[@OwnYourBaldSpot]

@@brianalex5083it was a decision that put way too much faith in the greens not risking war, yes, but she did lose a kid. It’s not exactly far fetched to feel bad for her.

[@mst3KGf]

@@brianalex5083 Luke was sent to Storm's End because she figured the Baratheons would be friendly (being as they are Rhaenys's kin) and thus it would be the safer mission. She wasn't expecting Borros to switch sides and even with that, she didn't expect violence since Luke was going as a messenger and not a warrior.

[@dept308]

@@brianalex5083 sorry no, she really wasn't, she just didn't expect the greens to go that low and it just so happens that the one person they don't want to be there with Lucerys was exactly at the right place and time to exact his revenge. he was sent as a messenger and it is high treason to harm a diplomatic envoy in any way or form, even at times of war.

[@islasullivan3463]

@mstk Then she should have sent Rhaenys seeing as she’s Borro’s cousin.

[@michaelanderson5301]

If only Helaena was taken seriously. Instead, she is dismissed as eccentric and weird at best. Mostly, she is dismissed as a babbler who spouts nonsense. I would listen to every word she said.

[@ideozublake8036]

plus she also despises aemond who she was FORCED to marry as well. she’s weird i agree but it’s understandable

[@adrianpeart]

@@ideozublake8036 She's married to Aegon

[@yusufraage8554]

The Hightowers dont know anything about dragon dreams, imagine if she had married Jace. They would bring a new golden age to house Targaryen.

[@Thinarri]

We listen her because we know, they dont !

[@dragonstouch1042]

Well, that’s the point. She’s a Cassandra character

[@thedarkknight2221]

The opening titles being a tapestry that shows the entire history of house Targaryen from the Doom all the way to now in the show is beautiful

[@bermudabengal]

its the force from Acolyte show

[@thatoneblackdude3333]

It's a lot better then the old opening and a way better way to show the Targaryens history instead of a vague bloodline that only book fans would understand.

[@skills4u2envy]

I love how they also tied it to Helaena, because she sews and also draws her dreams on the walls, and the style of the art looked similar.

[@Brendissimo1]

It's very much a nod to the Bayeux Tapestry and others which depict dynasties' narratives of conquest and glory, with beautiful threads of gold and other rare dyes, yet also soaked in blood. Beautiful imagery and symbolism.

[@KelliFranklin]

I loved hearing the Stark music again. When Jace and Rhaenyra were crying that hurt my heart. Jace has certainly grown up since season one. Love this episode.

[@mamaseesa3122]

They weren't stabbing him over and over, they needed his head as proof so they could get paid.

[@margaretconnor5623]

What's worse is they slit his throat and then started cutting right away without waiting for him to die. A slit throat isn't instant. He was bleeding out and couldn't scream. Poor baby would still be alive for part of the decapitation. Not much but enough to mentally fuck me up just thinking about it

[@dark_wyvrenadrian3336]

@@margaretconnor5623and yet people still defend and simp over daemon is what disgusts me more about this

[@Atropineguy]

@@dark_wyvrenadrian3336 damon didn't ask for jeceryse ( the boy ) or what ever the spilling is He said slit aemond and they did the rest This wont be any good to rhaenyra and she did NOT had the revenge she want but she will hold the guilt for that kill because after all she is a mother

[@dark_wyvrenadrian3336]

@@Atropineguy he literary smirked when the rats asked him if they couldn’t find Aemond. It’s that obvious. Daemon knew Aemond is dangerous and capable of things.

[@Att964]

​@@Atropineguy in the books he did, the show removes all his bad qualities like in the books he was a pedo but they didn't mention it in the show and in the books he gave the order to kill the kid but in the show he ordered to kill Aemond instead

[@MrFredstt]

I actually like Aegon trying to be a good king for the smallfolk and Otto being an adept advisor as usual. He wasn't a hand to 3 kings for no reason

[@MyUniqueVibe]

Aegon would be a bad king without advisors, because he'd try to please everyone, handing out $$ without caring about his coffers. He needs people to keep his impulses in check.

[@MrFredstt]

@@MyUniqueVibe True but that's really no different than Viserys doing much of the same thing

[@MyUniqueVibe]

@@MrFredstt Personally, I don't think Aegon helping people is because he cares about the people, but rather to make others like him because of his actions. Fundamentally, he is not a good person.

[@MrFredstt]

@@MyUniqueVibe Doesn't really matter when the end goal is something good for the smallfolk. Gotta hand it to him for at least trying. Characters like Joffrey couldn't even pretend to give a shit

[@yusufraage8554]

Otto didnt prepare his heir for rulership because he himself wanted to rule. The next episode he will be fired I'm sure of it.

[@vonnyoutside]

Cheese actually appears in the beginning of the episode in the throne room, didn’t notice until second viewing great storytelling!

[@hali_55]

I think the only flaw is that so many seem not to have understood that when the rat catcher asked what to do if they couldn’t find Aemond, the implication is that Daemon told them that any son would do. Blood and Cheese were following orders when they killed the toddler.

[@CameronkAK]

Yeah but the show runners didn't want to make the blacks look too bad. Quite clear that the Blacks are supposed to be the good guys of the story.

[@merykhan97]

​@@CameronkAK because they are. With few corrections needed. But nothing compared to the greens.

[@howfire]

@@CameronkAK forgetting the part that they made Luke murder looks like a accident

[@hali_55]

@@CameronkAK I don’t really think that the case to be honest. I just think they could’ve been clearer on daemon’s part in this

[@TravisKastl-ui9mk]

@@merykhan97 They are just as bad as the greens especially daemon who murdered his wife for no reason and then ordered the murder of a 4 year old and even if they weren't both side are dictators since when should we defend any dictator lol. Also even if Aemond intended to kill Luke, Luke took his eye over an insult after 4 kids jumped him. The blacks ordered the death of a 4 year old that is sooooooo much worse than one teen wanting revenge for another teen taking his eye.

[@KaranRandhawa_YYC]

Rhaenyra and Syrax mourning together for their children’s death. 😢

[@jacksonbehrens461]

Oh my god I completely forgot how lukes dragon is Syrax’s egg. Two mothers, how heartbreaking

[@queenxx1690]

She send him there herself she responsible

[@KaranRandhawa_YYC]

@@queenxx1690 She sent him there as a messenger and Storm’s end is the closest. Messengers are not harmed.

[@queenxx1690]

@@KaranRandhawa_YYC well Daemon showed last season it is not true

[@KaranRandhawa_YYC]

@@queenxx1690 Lol Daemon showed he is reckless and Aemond showed his recklessness too. But that does not make it untrue.

[@aileenpi73]

The hypocrisy of Alicent and Cole is out of this world

[@jaimebergner]

these religious types are all like that - holier than thou but eager to get down

[@Vinod_Meel]

When jace came back to dragonston and holding in tears taking to rhaenyra was so emotional..they had me crying like baby 🥹

[@israsheriff870]

The fact that Alicent declared war during Rhaenyra's wedding reception for sleeping with criston yet here she is doing the same, but SHE is the one doing her duty making sacrifices

[@daurydavis3983]

It's insane lol, like imagine becoming your bff's enemy just because she didn't kiss and tell.

[@mekareactsandreviews3026]

I love how Aemond even pointed out how Hypocritical Alicent is..

[@praveen_1805]

I think the last scene was better in the books where blood and cheese asks to choose between the boys(when they are awake) and actually kills the other and ensures the younger one know that her mother chose him to die.

[@tanimal3964]

'you hear that boy, your mom wanted you to die', then they kill the other one right in front of his mother, probably one of the most shocking scenes. The show was pretty tame in comparison.

[@avaria1538]

I expected them to tame it down for TV, but I didn’t expect them to DUMB it down and make B&C seem incompetent.

[@merykhan97]

Exactly. Also that's the main reason why Haelena can't look Maelor in the eye after that.

[@terryjohnson5579]

Ya see I hadn't even read the books just heard the broad strokes but they were supposed to be highly effective Mercs ya. Just wander blindly and you get lucky and find the right room. Not even technically the target but Aemond would have murdered him a fool if they walked into his room

[@DavidCarradinesBelt]

@@avaria1538 Hmm you wanted cartoon super villians so you could whine about the moral superiority of the green huh?

[@maximumpotential3796]

This tragedy at the end could have been avoided if the Greens had attended their duty in the castle. We see the drunk king and advisors lying on the throne room floor like it's some frat house. Meanwhile Alicent is busy with the lord commander, rendering him useless to protect the royals at the castle, especially the king's heirs. Aemond is occupied with war in his mind, and Otto seems to be losing his foothold in the ranks. Helaena is neglected, not protected and vulnerable. A house without any order is an easy target for it's enemies.

[@saiiteja]

‘’ i want aemond targaryen ‘’

[@aengusog3415]

27:50 in the books helaena actually offered herself.

[@dchhhadarklight2428]

The worst part is I actually felt more sympathy for Helaena reading a history book.

[@DonHbankz]

@@dchhhadarklight2428yep also the fact that she was made to choose in front of her sons who were awake and knew what it meant and then for it to go the other way made it even more brutal

[@ValyrianSteel00]

The books are not factual to the story.

[@vbb2076]

@@ValyrianSteel00 that doesnt mean anything, both are stories. Hotd chosing not to follow how B&C happened is stupid and made the scene so bland. GRRM went into great detail about b&c, its the second most horrifying death in the Dance (id put M***** first, we might not get that tho). Helaena could've offered herself, could've screamed and should've had to chose between her sons, that's what made it an impactful scene. In the show its just ok

[@blondymonk1535]

@@ValyrianSteel00 Irrelevant.

[@jake_gon_jinn]

12:10 Arrax was actually son of Syrax (Rhaenyra's dragon). So in that scene both mothers were mourning.💔

[@manvirshergill1739]

The opening scene was so freaking phenomenal, seeing Winterfell, the Wall itself and off course Cregan Stark himself. Loved it. Emma D'Arcy's Acting is remarkable, Aegon having his fun with Tyland at the small council was so great 🤣🤣 Still pretty conflicted about Alicent and Criston as well as how Blood and Cheese was done but other than that... a good first episode. Great being back in Westeros. Bring on episode 2.

[@sug4rbabevs_]

Agreed, Phia’s acting as Helaena I think was phenomenal, and she had great potential, but the lackluster execution of the scene, as in how downplayed and underwhelming it was, I blame solely on the producers. Theres written material source, how hard is it to follow?

[@ValyrianSteel00]

The books isn't always factual. What you read from the books is the accounts or hearsay from different Maesters. Criston's and Alicent's affair is not in the books because none of the Maesters would have known about it or if they are blindly loyal to the Hightower cause then they would not have mentioned it.

[@Joomrally]

Opening scene was GOT nostalgia❤

[@AndrewSnarls]

When Aegon belittled the Master of Coin telling him to give his son a horsey ride I immediately thought, ' That's something Homelander would do.'

[@davbstn7547]

24:59 If you look back throughout the episode, you’ll see that the rat catcher has always been walking around freely in the background. So, it’s probably not unusual for him to walk past the throne.

[@Moompl]

In the books, Blood and Cheese goes much differently. For starters, Rhaenyra has no part in any plan to kill Aemond or Jaehaerys, Daemon only sends her a letter that states “A son for a son, Lucerys will be avenged”. The two similarity sneak into the keep, although their target is never mentioned to be anyone specifically. Maegors Holdfast is where Aemond was, and it was too heavily guarded to get in, so B&C go to Alicent chambers. They slay her handmaid and tie Alicent up to her bed and wait for Helaena and her three children (Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor), who visit Alicents chambers each night before bed. When Helaena enters, B&C take everyone hostage and tells Hel to choose which one of her sons is to die. Helaena begs them to kill her instead but they refuse. They tell her that if she does not choose, they will slay grape her daughter and slay everyone in the room. Eventually she chooses her younger son, Maelor; perhaps because she believes he is too young to understand understand or because Jaehaerys is the eldest and heir. Cheese, who is holding Maelor whispers to him, “You hear that little boy, your mamma wants you dead.” Blood strikes off Jaehaerys’s head instead. So in the books B&C is much, much worse

[@mst3KGf]

We now understand the show does have limits in not showing a 4-year-old kid getting his head chopped off on camera.

[@danika9411]

Yeah, I understand they wanted a softer version, but choosing one of her children to die is what drives her insane. She can't look at Maelor anymore and Alicent takes him in as her own. Also Alicent and Criston aren't a couple in the book. That is a show invention. I think they screwed B&C up.

[@vonnyoutside]

@@mst3KGfexactly

[@stevopr1]

Just like Aemond, is much worse in the books, he killed Lucerys with full pleasure, and took his eye for his mother.

[@ideozublake8036]

they had to tone it down for the show cuz people are very sensitive these days. next thing you know it’s a narrative that the show promotes infanticide along with other bullshit. so i get it

[@merykhan97]

Rhaenyra's scenes had me crying my eyes out without her saying a single word 💔.

[@AmbieBambie212]

Luke got eaten, there is no body left!

[@jamien368]

yeah kill aemond not a child tf

[@mahmoodali5043]

Good so much more from where that came from GO GREENS!

[@adaezez8378]

@@mahmoodali5043 and now the greens have a decapitated heir. its not going great for the greens either lol

[@mahmoodali5043]

@adaezez8378 ooooh just you wait, if you know you know. They say false queens make for good barbecue

[@daurydavis3983]

​@@mahmoodali5043you people are so idiotic

[@ykc6754]

She took a detour to Alicent’s chamber because she know her supposed guard crispin is there thereby exposing him.

[@psI6]

You have to remember, Aegon did not want to be king. He spent half of season 1 avoiding the responsibility. It was Alicent and Otto who forced the role on him to keep the Greens in power.

[@ishapurandare5685]

Rhaenyra had only one line. It was brilliant!

[@Queenofdragons93]

I feel for Haleana. She's the only green I like. I was confused why they didn't have Maelor. The whole Alicent and Criston thing is bizzare. Daemon is messed up for having them take a childs head if they couldn't find Ahemond. They didn't even really look for him.

[@havok6280]

Remember how everyone was mad at Alicent for demanding an eye for an eye?

[@MrFredstt]

Ikr. And she only did that once it was clear nothing whatsoever was gonna be done

[@antomedelp_4175]

A kid’s fight is a little bit different than murdering a messenger tho

[@MrFredstt]

@@antomedelp_4175 Yeah, no. Maiming someone for life goes far beyond a kids fight.

[@merykhan97]

Luke should've been punished but not in the way she suggested. Keep in mind she defended Aemond even after he unalived Luke (conv with Otto).

[@howfire]

@@MrFredstt "a eye for a dragon" Aemond

[@reinsaxony4623]

In the book Blood and Cheese forces Helaena to choose between Jaehaerys and her youngest son Maelor. She asks for them to kill her instead, they refuse and threaten the kids with the R word. Helaena ends up choosing Maelor because he was just a baby and wouldn't understand as well. B&C then tells Maelor "you mommy hates you" and kill Jaehaerys instead.

[@InkingHare]

Blood and Cheese was kinda disappointing, because of how it was depicted--I'm not saying the killing of a child should be shown in detailed manners, the sound was enough, but what happened in that very room. Kinda wish they kept the line "You hear that boy, your mama wants you dead" as opposed to to what we got, but nevertheless, poor Helaena 😢

[@DonHbankz]

Yep

[@maxwellsope1080]

The thing is the books in universe are kind of written by historians who didn't have first hand accounts so they added stuff and depicted some characters in a negative light. For all we know the hbo show is how it really went down and the details in the books are completely made up like how blood and cheese bound and gagged queen alicent or how blood threatened to grape one of the kids if the mother didn't choose.

[@ksb3829]

Fr, that sentence was the real tragedy of B&C. Making a mother choose one child, just for the other to die and Maelor to know this. They went with the horror element, but ignored the psychological torture.

[@joesteel7409]

I’m glad I didn’t have to witness them threatening to ra** Alicent or the little girl like in the book, it was brutal enough.

[@TheGuyCalledX]

Still can't do that with child actors man. Would still be too traumatizing

[@havok6280]

Another mistake from the last two seasons of GoT. Dany's dragons shouldn't have been able to cross the Wall.

[@hali_55]

they simply did not give a fuck those last couple seasons

[@thatoneblackdude3333]

I like the subtle ways hotd basically tells you that the last seasons wasn't cannon.

[@stubbywankenobi1]

You could also read it as when she did it broke the magic and that’s what ultimately brought it down. But yeah they stopped caring

[@AzraelGrips]

The magic wore off

[@debutriah2854]

@@AzraelGripscap. that’s never stated

[@djbillybool8173]

man that final 15 minutes had my hands go numb it was so intense

[@Stephaniefarrah]

Damon is NOT doing what rhaneyra wants. She wanted Aemon for her justice. What Damon did was what he wanted.

[@IveGoneAnon]

The Blood and Cheese scene was tamed a LOT for the show. It was much more horrifying as it was originally written. Could've been the second Red Wedding. Also, Achara, he wasn't stabbing the prince so many times...he was sawing off the head to earn the bounty.

[@neonoires]

The killing of the baby made me so sad. Those sounds will haunt me forever.

[@maximumpotential3796]

I just watched the episode now, I am now actively trying to erase that memory from my mind.

[@yogeshronte]

​@@maximumpotential3796Just imagine they were cutting steak for the kid to enjoy a supper with him.

[@maximumpotential3796]

@@yogeshronte or it might be a leaky roof and some thunderclouds. Yaawn, sure seems a goodnight to sleep, and they lived happily ever after.

[@JesseEwiak]

It's hilarious the split on Blood & Cheese is basically - Non-Book Readers: OMG, What a Horrible Thing! Book Readers: Meh, they made it basically PG-13.

[@algorhythm.]

I haven't read the book but the way people were hyping "can't wait for blood & cheese" all over reddit and twitter, I expected it to be lot more brutal.

[@blondymonk1535]

@@algorhythm. They ruined it. Just like everything the black side does, it's whitewashed.

[@haridaspalleeri6765]

@@algorhythm. they cut open a 4 year olds throat slowly. How exactly did you want it to be more brutal?

[@algorhythm.]

@@haridaspalleeri6765 brutal in the sense of the reaction from the mother, she was emotionless. She gave up the prince pretty easily unlike in the books.

[@haridaspalleeri6765]

@@algorhythm. You might want to rewatch or something lol. She was shocked at what was happening and she froze. A normal reaction to shocking events.

[@believer9443]

I am just appreciating the dialogues! All of them were bang on... also, I liked how they had Heleana say "They killed the Boy" instead of saying "They killed my son"

[@rhaenyraitargaryen6360]

In the book, Queen Alysanne Targaryen was disturbed and troubled by the fact that her dragon Silverwing would not go beyond the Wall. So much so that she wrote a letter to Jaehaerys about this. It might've alarmed them considering they know of the prophecy. Daenerys and her dragons going North of the Wall was a *creative decision* because the showrunners did not read Fire and Blood at that point because it was not published yet.

[@leongwaikit6658]

Aegon said “Mine are bigger”😂😂😂😂

[@ksb3829]

Man's lying, except Vhaegar they're all smaller 😭

[@Superman-vd6yo]

@@ksb3829 No way. Dreamfyre is big as well, at least the size of Meleys and Caraxes. Sunfyre is young but big for his age, easily outsizing Baela's Moondancer, Jace's Vermax, and even Rhaenyra's Syrax. What's more, there's also Tessarion, Daeron's dragon, who isn't small either.

[@alexass8987]

I'm really glad they didn't make Aegon is Joffrey. He does not evoke antipathy and I really feel sorry for him in his own way. And of course the murder scene was terrible, but strange at the same time. In the books there was no talk about Aemond; the order was to kill the child. Helaena chose the youngest son, but the killers laughed and killed the eldest (yes, the writers forgot that Aegon has three children.

[@ideozublake8036]

the directors put a twist to that. she pointed at the elder son hoping blood & cheese would pick the other but the rat catcher called her bluff & it backfired

[@sheshatheblackqueen]

It books too, Aegon was not like joffrey

[@coltenparks9642]

Aegon, this episode is the best king we've ever seen on screen in Game of Thrones.

[@jsan3743]

Pretty sure Cole was supposed to be guarding Helena and the children. Also, they were not stabbing him over and over, they were sawing his head off. 🫣☹️

[@michellehawk282]

What makes the scene where Rhaenyra found Lucerys even more heartbreaking is that Syrax (Rhaenyras Dragon) was the mother of Luc's Dragon Arrax. Two mothers mourning their sons.

[@Redfield982]

Aegon is a way better dad to Jaehaerys than Viserys was to Aegon imo

[@jamien368]

that's actually true

[@thecoolestfaisal]

Viserys was best to Rhaenyra and he wasn't even a particularly good dad to her. He didn't bother to even act remotely like a father to the rest of his children.

[@kittyorasheepy]

I agree with you. But the bar was fucken low tho, ngl.

[@zawa7497]

​@@thecoolestfaisalviserys was a bad dad to rhaenyra too

[@gailf1617]

Another reason why Cregan Stark decided to send the "greybeards" to fight for Rhaenyra was that old Northern men, unless they were important to noble houses, were the most disposable during Winter, when food became scarce (sometimes they'd just leave their homes and go off and die so that their families would have more food). At least, if they survived whatever battles occurred, the Northern greybeards would have a better chance to survive Winter by going South.

[@clintoyclintoy9025]

Syrax mourned also cause Arrax was her offspring and so is vermax and tyraxes…. Mother’s pain

[@helifanodobezanozi7689]

Luc wasn't burned, he was eaten.

[@TheAbominableDrFaustus]

You guys got this out quick. Which is greatly appreciated.

[@jafrulislam7529]

Looks like someone forgot to put in the the actual title of the episode in the title of the video today 😂 Great episode regardless

[@weaks7390]

it was done on purpose

[@havok6280]

The title is a spoiler. Some people may not have seen the episode yet.

[@Wolfhunter5607]

yea the title would be a spoiler

[@tupushbiswas30]

Halaena is a dreamer so she is autistic that's why she is like that 😭😭

[@SE-gs6gd]

She specifically said she wants Aemond. They didn't follow orders

[@MikeArelliShreds]

What's crazy is that scene, while a little different, is so much more messed up in the book.

[@cyber2cyke]

30:10 they're not stabbing they boy. They're sawing his head off to be taken as a proof

[@terryjohnson5579]

My man got ate up by Vhagar and if that didn't kill him then fell to the ground from above the clouds he's dead.

[@darthyamilcollado8886]

Well they changed it a little bit in the books Daemon actually ordered Jahaerys death, in the series Blood and Cheese did it on their own it was Aemond Daemon wanted dead

[@SavageThrifter]

It's not that they were stabbing the boy a ton of times, they were beheading him to bring his head back to Daemon

[@Ashley_e]

Aegon was NEVER suppose to be king. He was treated like a second son. Rhaenyra was Viserys heir and only child he truly loved. But no excuse for Aegon’s former behavior.

[@tjfkc]

Achara - they didnt stab the kid repeatedly, they said they wouldn't get paid without a head :/

[@IswearIwasBatman]

it was done due to Daemons orders: jahaerys was option B. this was in the books as well

[@mariajosepinto1754]

The rhaenyra and jace scene was the best for me, the acting was amazing and it make me cry, this episode made me realize how much i hate the greens except for haelena

[@theawesomeman9821]

I felt sorry for Rhaenyra until she had an innocent child killed.

[@dept308]

@@theawesomeman9821 lol, that was Daemon.

[@merykhan97]

​@@theawesomeman9821 she literally said "I want AEMOND".

[@TravisKastl-ui9mk]

@@dept308 Rhaenyra asked daemon to do it and he is a wild card at best at worst he's a sociopath who murdered his wife and now a baby. If you have someone hired to someone else and they kill a child instead you are still guilty weather they killed the right person or not lol

[@dept308]

@@TravisKastl-ui9mk lol what the fuck? 😆

[@christinestreeter8566]

They cut his head off to bring it to Daemon to show they had done the deed.

[@Gaurav45699]

Almost 200 years before GOT but the lines of Winterfell folks remains the same "Winter is COMING"

[@sug4rbabevs_]

isnt that like their house words?? im sure even 1,000 years before game of thrones they were still saying it.

[@coffeecakes1858]

Luke is definitely gone. If you watch the bite carefully, you can see his head fall, away from whatever is left of the body. 😢😢

[@theawesomeman9821]

As someone who has read the book, Rhyanera and her faction are like the Clones in Star Wars. There are fun moments to root to them early in the story before you realize that they are just horrible people no decent person would ever like nor respect.

[@JUANxxTNAFAN]

Still team Black! A son for a son 😎 makes sense to me

[@TravisKastl-ui9mk]

@@JUANxxTNAFAN You support baby murder. got it.

[@MrBuzzcake]

​@@JUANxxTNAFANBut an for an eye makes Alicent a horrible monster, people really are stupid (for the record i lean slightly black)

[@hrishikeshXXV]

@@JUANxxTNAFAN spoken like a true TV watcher with zero thoughts and concepts of gray areas.

[@shania991]

If you read the books and got that conclusion I don’t believe you actually read the books because the greens are way worse in the books and made to seem like victims in the show just say your team green and move on no need to try and act like one is innocent.

[@essee3984]

6:54 Rajasthani dolls in the background 😂 wah

[@Redfield982]

I think Achara is predisposed to see Aegon only as a narcissist, and to be fair to her - the show has done nothing in season one to prove to her that Aegon can feel compassion and that he genuinely does want to be a good king. Hopefully she keeps her mind open for Aegon’s development this season. The coolest thing about Aegon is that he presents as Joffrey, but there’s an element of tragedy and a need to prove himself that Jaby has correctly honed in on.

[@hrishikeshXXV]

Yup true these reactors have zero concepts of gray areas, only black and white

[@kittyorasheepy]

It's the fault of how they chose to write Aegon in S1, tbf. They literally picked all the horrible possibilities for Aegon. And although i can guess why that was done the way it was, for a certain effect on S2, i must say that is lost on most of the watchers who just blindly follow Team Black for the narrative... Achara isn't alone in that prejudice. I really like seeing Aegon depicted this way, but I don't think majority will appreciate it as much. the choices the writers made for S1 had already tainted most watchers against Aegon for the sake of Nyra.

[@blackman7186]

That ending was hair raising. The nonchalant of the killers just walsting in the red keep like no one business and then just... That was insane. Holy shit. The music.. the choreography... Oh man

[@rashadginn8768]

In the Books...They Chop the child head off

[@hali_55]

They chopped it off here too. Or sawed it off rather

[@Brendissimo1]

The ratcatcher kicks the dog to make it leave the castle because he doesn't want it to die. Probably less cruel ways of training a dog to "go home" but he doesn't seem like the sharpest. It's a terrier that helps him kill rats in the tunnels and lower levels and presumably it would be out of place, potentially noisy, and in danger up stairs. But I do think he kicks it because he wants it to live, and so it won't give them away.

[@EleventhCubFan]

Daemon is such a bastard. I LOVE HIM!

[@jamien368]

he murdered kid, you love who?

[@TravisKastl-ui9mk]

You love baby and wife murders.... Okay gotcha. 😬

[@dark_wyvrenadrian3336]

You love child killers/ wife abusers. Seek help

[@DonHbankz]

He is the GOAT

[@InsightHub89]

​@@jamien368 He killed his wife, too.

[@travelback5700]

They didn't just stabbed the boy. They beheaded him.

[@tetamale4280]

I have read the book and I know everything that is going to happen but even at the beginning of the book George R. Martin says that not everything written can be true because it is written from the perspective of the maesters, understanding that there are readers who may be upset by some decisions in the series but, personally I love the decisions that both the writers and George and Ryan Condall as showrunner are making

[@randomiser2267]

In a world plagued by the likes of Rings of Power, modern Doctor Who and The Acolyte this show is a godsend.

[@havok6280]

There is a fan theory that Luke has amnesia and lived his life as a fisherman.

[@augustussmythe8379]

If you go by the book, sure; but the show made it visually clear that Luke was almost certainly eaten. Neither theory affects the overall plot, anyway.

[@AloGAYcia]

That theory is rediculous considering we literally saw him get eaten. Like actually saw it on screen. Plus he was hundreds of feet in the air and would have fallen. So the theory is incorrect

[@mst3KGf]

@@AloGAYcia In the book, it's dismissed in-universe as a nice story, but not plausible.

[@peepinR]

Wishful thinking. Luke got chomped

[@mmemori]

only delusional people would believe that (me)

[@Animeke-san]

I love the funeral scene because the fire can symbolize rage, Rhaenyra's grows bigger as Alicent's dies out.

[@jamesteele5726]

When shooting a scene like the last one, it is far more powerful to let the audience imagine what happens when "they killed the boy". This is a master class in filmmaking. The horror of the mind is unlimited. To ignore that fact, would be criminal. Well done HBO. Must see TV!

[@susanleach9106]

The episode name is A Son for a Son. Great to see you both back.

[@titleofyoursegstape]

He did not get burnt to a crisp, he got chomped lol

[@jbird1812003]

Alan Taylor directed this episode. He directed GoT and movies.

[@janedeluxxe]

I can't with criston 😭

[@joebond545]

God damn i love this show. And ur right jaby we dont deserve this high quality anymore, this was by far the best episode of television so far this year, it was sooo layered yet fans are still crying that we didn't get this this and that. I get it, it could have went the book route, but i say we just be grateful we have this show in a world of acolyte and other trash. Edit: but i forgot Shögun episode 9, thats still the best

[@santiagofaleroni]

the fact that alicent said "velaryon" and not strong...

[@aokiQ]

As long as I saw Alan Taylor at opening credits, I knew this is going to be a great episode, he directed so many memorable episodes for GOT

[@AkronRain69]

Emma D’Arcy did an amazing job this episode and they only had one line of dialogue. 👏

[@sandragik5595]

Aegon and Daemon have the same political view: Bend the knee or get barbecued. But they are getting different reactions for some reason.

[@merykhan97]

B&C was 💯 more cruel and heartbreaking in the book. Haelena offers herself first then ends up choosing Maelor to save Jaehaerys. Which is why she can't handle both grief and guilt after all of this is over and she can't look at Maelor after that. Also, i believe Alicent is in the room with them when it happens.

[@babluprasad813]

Yeah Alicent was tied up to bed

[@Ashley_e]

Yea was much weaker emotionally in the show.

[@thecoolestfaisal]

They blew the opportunity to make one of the most horrific and memorable moments on TV ever. On par with, and perhaps even surpassing, the red wedding. Instead we got a horrific moment, but one that I feel a lot of people watching will just forget by the time we get to season 3. I'll keep watching but it's a real shame.

[@merykhan97]

​@@thecoolestfaisal I absolutely agree. They're probably planing to delete Maelor's character meaning they would delete his storyline and that's another missed opportunity for a horrific event.

[@ganjahiwalker2641]

You can tell that aegon wants to be liked so he tries to give the people what they want but he does it without empathy

[@Adriana-so5jn]

Girl why dont say nothing about daemon about to beat mysaria? Aegon was acting normal unlike this old man yet you only criticize the young one lmaooo

[@Oyajiph]

@CinePals just to not make it more disturbing I think Achara needs to know that they're not stabbing the kid , the sound is caused by the slitting of the throat and severing of the head

[@roguechevelle]

I think some don't pick up on that the character of Halena is played as a Neurodivergent or on the Autism spectrum, he response to stress or trauma isn't going to be similar to most as her brain processes things differently. People often think of fight or flight as the most common responses but there is also Freeze where you are paralyzed by fear and another called Fawn where you do what you are told to do to avoid being harmed or avoid conflict. Halena is not only different because she is a dreamer as Vyseras put it but growing up she didn't like to be hugged or touched by her mother or anyone. She cried often while being held as a baby these are all indicators for Autism. Also not meeting people's eyes or only briefly but rather looking down, away, or off to the side instead. I like this interpretation of a very real condition with the twist of having a dreamers foresight, she can't express well verbally what she sees to interpret it. Also many mentioned things are very different in the books how they go down but the histories are written by biased maesters several years after the events take place, it leaves room for the writers of the show to tell how things really went down from the shows perspective.

[@akeemhands]

I think secretly Aemond is dying inside for killing Luke and a little scared that Vhagar didn't listen to him but outwardly he's wearing it like a badge of honor like he meant to do that and he must confide in someone but who maybe Aegon definitely not Cole.