HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Episode 1 REVIEW, Reaction, and ENDING EXPLAINED!

House of the Dragon seaosn 2 Episode 1 review! That was the most messed up moment ever in Game of Thrones. Thanks for shopping our MERCH STORE →
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Written and Hosted by Ryan Arey ( / ryanarey )
Edited by Lee Mazzio
Featuring
Rachel Leishman x.com/RachelLe...
Brianna McLarty @briannatmclarty on Instagram and Tiktok!
#HouseOfTheDragon #BloodAndCheese #GameOfThrones

[@luisjimenez8424]

I think you forgot that Ramsay killed his baby brother and his stepmother, the dogs ate them.

[@Quandryification]

Maaann...I hope he reading these comments.

[@mitchgunzler3737]

@@Quandryification Nah, he’s in Winterfell awaiting Stannis. Oh, you mean the guy with the video store.

[@retroeagle98]

Yea i forgot about that one. Lol, but still.

[@reyasyaN]

Oddly, that seemed to feel less impactful than what he did to Theon.

[@pulido6974]

And they ate him. Too.

[@rinehardt6837]

That was the hardest thing. Does nobody remember Stanis Baratheon allowing his daughter Shireen to be burned at the stake. that was one of the most horrific things in Game of Thrones or House of the dragons so far.

[@WillNelson73]

I was just about to mention Shireen, but I see that you did here. I haven’t been able to rewatch that horrific scene and never will. She was crying for her parents in agony. What happened to Aegon II’s son is obviously tragic but he wasn’t killed by his own parents and his death was perhaps quicker

[@luisavilez09]

I mean Father’s Day’s are a bit awful on this fantasy world

[@blkjem21]

You beat me to it

[@NOGAMESG13]

Exactly this 👌🏾

[@GundiSimmons]

I literally opened the comments to mention this death. EASILY the most f’ed up death in the series.

[@carlitobrigante7479]

Shireen being burned alive was the worst

[@justbeingnosy1644]

Agreed. Worse because it was her parents that did this to her.

[@retroeagle98]

For the night is dark and full of terrors

[@dillathekilla3110]

Fk yeah , all for nothing too! Morning straight after: Wife commits suicide, loses half of army and the Lady in red that told him to do it in the first place . . GONE!! Ffs 😅🤣

[@boinkers0625]

Cersei dying was way worst

[@retroeagle98]

@@boinkers0625 🤣🤣

[@untouchable360x]

Criston Cole, The Queen Layer.

[@Quandryification]

💯

[@hojocollider5276]

😂😂😂😂

[@JamesBurnell]

Awesome

[@RichSmithson]

I love how it must be like 15-20 years later and he is still bitter about Rhaenyra. Move on dude 😂

[@alphamemphis7207]

😂😂😂😂

[@ficrispin]

I know she was older than an infant but when it comes to innocence being murdered on this show or Game of Thrones .. Shireen Baratheon being burnt alive by her parents and Melisandre for their personal gain ... was the most heart wrenching and horrific.

[@WillNelson73]

Yep

[@sipandreadwithnik]

Facts!!!

[@friedrice7876]

Stannis did all that just to die like a chump💀

[@reyasyaN]

​@friedrice7876 id like to thing the old Gods and the New made it so to punish Stanis for that murder. "We don't take kind to kinslayers or kingslayers here."

[@RichSmithson]

It was all for nothing too. Honestly that part of GOT is where I started having problems with the show. They completely ruined Stannis.

[@Xterrorcz]

Did they all forget about Robert's bastard baby in season 1 getting murdered in the brothel ?

[@tiabeaniesemotionalsupportdmon]

Came here to say this, Shireen being burned alive, and Ramsey killing his hours old newborn baby brother.

[@brandonweaver3682]

I was about to bring up all of Robert’s bastards being killed in GOT

[@jaquanpowell4605]

Game of Thrones was the most violent show ever. I’m actually glad they toned it down a bit. It got to be a little too much

[@jeffreytimbang6756]

Jeofrey Baratheon still being talked about as the most hated villain in GoT up to this day is a testament that Jack Gleeson did an amazing job portraying his character.

[@kaschafe22]

Did yall forget that theon killed 2 random farm boys and tried to pass them off as the Stark kids in the original show

[@vanillathunder3024]

Hearing Rhaenyra’s dragon roar in sadness for Arrax and Luke really hit me for some reason.

[@jadelman-gutierrez7581]

You can’t call Helena’s son being killed the most heartbreaking when no one is invested in her character. So hyperbolic. Shereen being burned alive while her father looked on or Hodor being ripped apart while trying to protect Bran were both way worse.

[@ltils9081]

I think this is spot on. We never even meet her kids really. For the audience they're just some blonde kids. For me the scene was more impactful in the chain of consequences it will unleash, rather than any emotional connection to the children or Helena. Whether that was intended or not.

[@takishafolkes-moye8932]

Aemond used a weapon of mass destruction to stalk his cousin. He should have known death could be a consequence. It is like a kid playing with a loaded gun except Aemond was old enough to know it could end in death. He was playing a deadly game.

[@TheDeadlyefx]

Don’t forget……He is still a kid himself.

[@LeeLooDM]

The show killed Shireen for nothing, only for us to hate Stanis The Manis

[@newjones1754]

I like Stanis a Warrior at heart

[@potheadjojo]

It proved that Melisandre was not always correct. That “Royal blood” may not have mattered. And yes to kill Stannis

[@damiand2422]

Most heartbreaking moment in GoT ever... Hold The Door

[@reyasyaN]

Still hits like a ton of bricks.

[@derrickrcNnyc]

@@reyasyaNfacts, I still lose tears to my boy going down… 😅

[@fionahiggins8828]

Omgggg yes. 💯😭😭😭

[@angelat1839]

💯

[@azzurriblue65]

I really wish they brought him back during the battle of Winterfell.

[@yensid4294]

Jaime pushing a child out of a tower window, Shireen being sacrificed by her father, Theon burning a random farmer's children & passing them off as Bran & Rickon, the targeted deaths of Robert's bastards some of which were babies, Arya who is a child stabbing another child to death, Rob's baby murdered in front of him invetro along with its mother, Rhaegar's children being murdered by Tywin's men who also raped & murdered his wife, Jaime threatening to catapult a prisoner's baby into a castle to coerece him into betraying his family...did I miss anything? Oh yeah, all the child trafficking in the brothels 😮

[@urbanlegend1347]

+the butcher's boy who was playing with Aria in S1

[@foxsquad6992]

I don’t think Dameon will be mad. Cheese asked what to do if they can’t find Aemond, Damon just smiles and the scene cuts. So I feel like Damon told them go for one of the kids. Hence blood repeating “a son for a son” to Helena

[@lissam4200]

Right, I think this was the plan. Aegon was with the kings guard, no one was guarding the babies but their mom.

[@foxsquad6992]

@@lissam4200 so apparently we’re all wrong. The show runner did an interview saying that going after the baby was NOT Damon’s direction. B&C panicked when they couldn’t find aemond and made their own choice on this. BUT he’ll never admit that he didn’t plan it, just like aemond wouldn’t admit Luke was an accident. So it doesn’t change anything with rhanera being mad at him, but it at least helps the fans anger against him

[@reaper420hz]

red wedding by far was worse, you didnt really see it coming and you thought rob was gonna be a main stay character

[@Spacetech3000]

Nobody saw killing a toddler coming! We were like how is this fight gunna go down then boom, oh shit wtf

[@AxelordSMIJES]

Didn't see the Red Wedding coming? Even if you hadn't read the books, that was one of the most obvious consequences of the entire original show. I won't go so far as to say Robb deserved precisely what happened to him, but he spit in the face of an ally, knowing there could be consequences, and then there were. I saw that coming a mile a way.

[@DANGER123]

@@Spacetech3000well you know they will probably wont kill aegon since he has bigger role to play yet i kinda already know they will kill his brother or someone young wasn’t really shocking like GOT

[@shaneflores5657]

I think they have us these "Aegon is not that bad to his people" scenes as a way of showing the contrast on how Aegon was to the small folk before the death of his son vs after the death. He's going to kill a lot of innocent people after this and I think we will see him rampaging in Kingslanding on dragonback, letting out his frustrations on his subjects, which will lead to them revolting against him for it.

[@alonzabrown5345]

So no love for the butcher's boy the hound killed in season 1 of GoT. That kid was just playing with Aria

[@dru7151]

or Rickon Stark😅

[@MarxEsque-hy1zz]

Good observation 😮

[@embrown1442000]

We didn't see or hear that boy's death, so it had less impact on the audience. It did have an effect on Arya, and that's what was most important.

[@MasterGeek-mk5ne]

@@embrown1442000Yes, it was just a side character that many don’t remember it’s name

[@Johnny5isstillalive]

Micah

[@ayeshabjordan]

I don’t feel bad for Alicent at all. I did when she was forced to marry the king. But outside of that, she made her bed.

[@adriandenton6637]

She really didn't know too much about Ottos plans till it was too late.

[@ANKURDHAWAN-y9y]

I was team black in season 1 cuz general hate for Otto and sorry for Alice. Between the season 1 finale and season 2 teaser release, unknowingly shifted to team green cus let's be real, the princess chose the destiny of her son's.

[@themeanhornet1070]

I didn’t like the dog kicking part.

[@vrooooooooooooooooooom]

What about the toddler killing part?

[@themeanhornet1070]

⁠kids especially in this series die all the time. Blame the lack of guards.

[@docwash3921]

FACTS!

[@StudioTrainor]

Same, I wanted to cry. But films have characters kick dogs as a way to show who is the true bad guy. There’s good and evil then there’s guys that kick dogs

[@dolphinsfan3245]

​@@vrooooooooooooooooooomI was ok with that more so than the dog getting kicked

[@nicholasgarrick8855]

" the grief, and rage of loosing a son can burn down the world" - catelyn stark.

[@newjones1754]

not really is it?

[@newjones1754]

when did that ever happend?

[@vrooooooooooooooooooom]

Man, all the baby and child death on this show is brutal. 10/10

[@ranazoik]

We are not watching this for a zoom meeting

[@prettycyber8332]

I do not feel sorry for Alicent. Most pious, Girl Scout types are hypocrites. Not only did she want Rhae’s life. She became jealous. I rewatched S1 HOTD. She always wanted Cole. Alicent became one of the most powerful Queens and she could’ve changed the path for her entire family. I kind of agree with seeing more of Rhae Alicent when they were younger. In the books there were rumors about Alicent and Daemon

[@browncoatwhit9176]

We saw multiple children murdered in GoT Season 1, including Lommy and the infant daughter of King Robert.

[@hojocollider5276]

What the fuck's a Lommy?

[@browncoatwhit9176]

@@hojocollider5276 Your answer is the ONLY answer!

[@davejnz7485]

Right! Shireen, Rickon, Ramseys step brother, Roberts bastard(s) are just a few more. Not to mention Hodor, even though he wasn't a child..

[@Lionsgala]

It's obvious that people have forgotten that aegon is a grapeist it was literally one of his main problems last season

[@Quandryification]

Wait, we dont remember the 12 year old girl burned alive at the stake due to a fake prophecy?

[@idontuploadanym0re]

i always interpreted the dragons refusing to cross the wall as magical in nature. they can’t cross for the same reason the white walkers can’t cross: there are wards within the wall that prevent certain magical creatures from passing it.

[@tempellem]

The repeating word "like" is very contagious, as demonstrated in this video. 😂

[@lorenalavezzari2904]

Contagious and annoying!!! By the 30th “like”, I didn’t want to keep on listening. And I haven’t even reached the 10 minute mark of the video.

[@popunkid]

Shireen was a child and burned at the stake…that’s the closest comparison.

[@rickylee675]

May I remind you of the princess Shireen. A complete and total innocent that we spent seasons getting to know before she was horrifically murdered by her parents and Mel.

[@AbbySulcata]

Yes, I still haven't gotten over THAT one!

[@johnschwartz4098]

Yes, that was the most horrible scene in G.O.T and was more HORRIBLE than the little child getting his head sawed off.. they covered the boys mouth so he couldn't scream... but when Shireen was being burned, at the stake, we could hear her horrifying screams, especially when she was screaming for her mother and father, which was so heartbreaking. That scene took me a long time to get over.. and it looks like it's going to take a bit to get over it again 😢

[@rosannacordoba4223]

Alicent judging Rhaenyra for having sex with Cole, when Rhaenyra was a young child and he was actually a child m*lestor. But then she is sleeping with him as an all grown woman…. If Hypocrisy had a face..

[@thedoomofvalyria6466]

In episode 4 Rhaenyra is 18 y.o. which is not young child even by our modern standarts, by medieval standarts she is a woman grown by that point. And Alicent is a huge hypocrit for sure, but about this particular matter she is not completely wrong. And 18 y.o. girl having sex by concent with 23 y.o. dude is not even close to child molestor. I am not saying that Alicent or Criston are decent people, but in this whole situation Rhaenyra just made a huge mistake that will come to bite her in the ass later.

[@rosannacordoba4223]

@@thedoomofvalyria6466it is my understanding, according to the books that she was 16YO and he was 23YO. That is no age a consent. Regardless the point being made is that when Rheanyra had sex with Cole she was young and inexperienced- she was a teenager. Alicient is making her decisions as a mature woman. I would mind if she wasn’t just so hypocritical, usurping the throne and playing a big role on the demise of house Targaryen

[@thedoomofvalyria6466]

@@rosannacordoba4223 In the show Rhaenyra is 14 in the episode 1, 15 in episode 2, and 18 in episode 3 and 4. According to your point about Alicent I agree, but the whole point is that both sides are to blame, so IMO Rhaenyra also fucked up.

[@CFav7]

Rhaenyra was 16 when she had sex with Cole, and that was not considered an early age to have sex -- or even to be married -- in that world. Women were often wed and expected to have sex with their husbands even younger than that. Remember when the Sea Snake's young daughter was initially expected to marry King Viscerys? She said to him: "My mother said I wouldn't have to bed you until I was 14." The reason Alicent was mad at Rhaenyra for having sex with Cole is because 1) Cole was a knight and wasn't supposed to have sex or marry, and 2) Rhaenyra was in line for the throne and was expected to behave a certain way because of it (dignity, honor, etc.). Considering that she was not married and was in line for the throne, it would have been considered undignified if she became pregnant.

[@blackeyedlily]

One reason I think they can portray Aegon as trying to show kindness to the Smallfolk is that he has spent time around them. He might have been doing horrible things in his visits to the city, but he spent time around a lot of the average people in the city. I think it is easier for people like Joffrey, who had never interacted with anyone like that, to not treat the Smallfolk like they have any significance. Joffrey was also influenced by how he was taught by his family and his personal disposition. But I think there was a difference when you actually interact and get to know people. And Aegon is trying to show that he deserves to be the king at this point.

[@kikiwest2001]

The way you slid in “this show has a clear cut villain, the greens”😂😂😂😂

[@MikeJones-zd6xi]

I thought they were plotting to overthrow the crown b4 they thought it was rightfully theirs

[@GlitteredUp4Easter]

I mean yea, it is obviously intended for them to be slightly less favorable to audiences at the start with the treasonous coup combined with a stupid misunderstanding on Alicent's part, then Luke's death. But they still give you plenty of reason to sympathize with them and understand their motivations, like the bastard situation which is a valid concern.

[@MikeJones-zd6xi]

@@GlitteredUp4Easter I mean I guess I don’t really feel sympathetic 😂 the kid was around really for 1 show I feel bad for hellaina but we didn’t see a gruesome death. So far anything the Blacks have done has been in retaliation regardless if it was worse

[@SouthernPrincipe]

​@@GlitteredUp4Easter the greens have nothing going for them...what you listed isn't anything

[@markkjacobson]

That scene compares to the killing of Robert’s bastards in Little Finger’s brothel.

[@MikeJones-zd6xi]

I guess y’all forgot them killing all of king roberts bastards including an INFANT!! None of them “chose their path” this show has a LONG way to go to match the RUTHLESSNESS OF GOT IMO

[@UMADl3RO5]

Exactly game of thrones is supposed to be ruthless. I’m getting tired of this shit. Episode one was disappointing. Hoping it picks up at some point.

[@happytrailsgaming]

@@UMADl3RO5idc how bad an episode is but to say to it wasn’t ruthless is worrying. The kid getting his head slowly sliced off as you can hear the flesh tear and bones break isn’t good enough? Christ 😂 If anything the first season wasn’t ruthless enough

[@TheJaker5]

I get that, but I don’t think it’s that LONG of a way. We’re really only 1 season into it and we’ve seen some characters go in ways that we didn’t expect (if ya didn’t read the books). I really believe this season is going to end in an incredibly horrible way, unlike any GOT season prior.

[@UMADl3RO5]

@@happytrailsgaming sorry. It wasn’t ruthless enough for my taste. I prefer it to be very very dark and disturbing. The books version was perfect.

[@al28854]

i even feel sorry for Aegon's lil bastards growing up in that child 'day care fight club' from season 1, even with their white hair they are just used as bait for the other lil kids to be beaten to death before they reach age 10.

[@richfromqueens]

Dont forget cersei had all roberts bastards killed after he died so id say that was worse

[@blkjem21]

That was Joffery. He knew about his parents.

[@richfromqueens]

@@ThisIsMyHandle333 i think there was sound involved maybe im just desensitized by GOT i wasnt super shocked about that scene

[@GoJediJulie]

Given what was shown, I felt worse at the Red Wedding, especially Robb’s wife and unborn child; AND Shireen being burned to death.

[@jrbatek9427]

Sorry, the burning of Shireen was the most brutal - she was innoncent

[@cinemoriahFPV]

Idk sawing a baby's head off is pretty brutal.

[@liggerstuxin1]

@@cinemoriahFPV that implied violence was definitely brutal. Not very visual. Very mental. Show, don’t tell, type of scenario. But then that kind of violence is not really something people want to see on TV.

[@AbbySulcata]

AND - on a story telling level, we, the audience had emotionally invested in Shireen - for years. I loved her and her scaly face and back story. Shireen was so much worse than the infanticide last night. "One of the white haired kids got killed... which one was it again?" Not even close.

[@JeremyHilborn]

Game of thrones also had the time Joffrey order the death of ever bastard in kings landing. There was like 10 kids killed in that scene. all innocent. There’s also the time Arrya stabs a boy trying to escape kings landing. I think Game of thrones is a little more brutal. Then we remember some times.

[@yensid4294]

In a weird way, it seems like Aegon might be more sympathetic to the Smallfolk because he spent a lot of time slumming in Old Town so he knows how they are forced to live.

[@mydoghatesmovies9429]

You had people like Stannis who had a lot of shading in the first season. And many moments that compared to blood and cheese. Ramsays step mom and brother, burning alive of stnnis daughter, red wedding.

[@angelat1839]

It’s almost like you guys never watched Game of Thrones. There were numerous BRUTAL deaths of innocent children. I can’t even count them on one hand!

[@dylanstack8710]

I agree Aegon was nicer than I thought. Him enjoying watching his son cause mischief and trying to be nice to the small folk

[@chasegima]

I think they rushed into the Blood & Cheese moment. It didn't feel that heavy.

[@TheRoyalFino]

House of the Dragon is able to tell a story where 90% of the setup occurs on-screen. Game of Thrones depended on character development of key characters that took place before the show. Only a handful of characters in Season 2 weren't kids at some point in Season 1. Huge change from Game of Thrones.

[@mountainmummanz8418]

Nah man Shireen's death was definitely worse. Way worse. This episode made me cringe, but I havent managed to watch Shireen's death since the first time. She was such a lovely character, she was kind and good despite how she was raised and she had such an endearing relationship with Ser Davos. Only for Stannis to elect to burn her at the stake in desperation, to win a war he was never going to win, and then her mother to hang herself over it just the next day, and Stannis to die for nothing. It was so tragic, and her screams as she was burned were absolutely chilling. GOT is definitely worse.

[@totakekeslider3835]

Poor Shireen Baratheon. Forgotten even when discussing how an innocent child being murdered is the most brutal death in the series

[@TimothyMarshall88]

Starks accent is not Newcastle (Geordie), but rather Yorkshire. Sean Bean is a proud Yorkshireman from Sheffield, with Kit Harrington doing his best impression of Bean.

[@ginger9521]

Just gonna forget that the Karstarks absolutely butchered 2 innocent Lannister squires? Easily the closest thing to what happened to the little prince

[@davidwindell]

Alicent isn’t just a “stupid, pious idiot”. She’s a moral hypocrite who is clearly turning into a true villain. She’s the worst kind of villain, one who shouts about the moral actions of those around her, but who does what she wants behind closed doors. The Greens are clearly the bad guys and deserve what will come to them.

[@nickymo]

Love the full reviews as well as the breakdowns. Media literacy on youtube is in the toilet these days you guys are smart, consistent, and high quality. Thanks for being an essential companion to so many of my favorite shows!

[@nicholasgarrick8855]

I knew of the B& C moments in the books ,and still felt really uncomfortable really tense and really scared that entire time i knew it was coming , and still was on the edge of my seat. to me it was done very well it didn't need any additional trauma.

[@SouthernPrincipe]

Nah it needed more psychological trauma... It was sooooo good seeing haelena in pain... I was incredibly happy watching them sneak into the keep and that scene made me so happy ❤

[@jchavez789]

Red Wedding was much much much worse. There is no comparison. This scene was gripping and you real feel for Heleana. You know she is innocent in all this, and to see her go through this was just heartbreaking.

[@MatthewStewart-1224]

I had issues with the execution of the Blood and Cheese event. Not sure about the omission of Prince Maelor. Overall thought it was a solid premier though!

[@Justme0288]

I was bummed also. It was such an easy scene to creat and go directly by the book that I don’t understand why they didn’t. Sometimes I think they diverge from the book just to annoy us

[@achohelelwhy]

​@Justme028 Think about it from the production side of things. We'd need a new child actor for Maelor and an introduction. Parents of these kids are on set, their acting coach, and definitely a therapist. How do you say those lines to a child that is supposed to be 2, even if it's a cut, to get an emotional reaction sufficient enough to convey terror. How do you address they were gonna SA Jaeherya? That would have been traumatizing, even to a child actor, to film book accurate. A nightmare for the writers, and honestly, the higher ups of the company may have told them to change it, because it is so horrifying, and would have been a logistical nightmare.

[@Justme0288]

@@achohelelwhy I’m not even talking about anything with the child. I’m speaking only on Helana’s part

[@Quanic2000]

As a fan who has not read the source material but is familiar with it due to KZbin channel... I like the element of the show being different from the book because the show is what actually happened and the book being a 3rd person veiw of what happened in the show.

[@Giselle1289]

I liked this debate, good to hear different points of view.

[@rachelk5554]

I am disproportionately upset at the characterisation of yorkshire accents (yorkshire being almost as big and as populous as scotland) as "talking like kit harrington" (who was copying sean bean's yorkshire accent) or "sound like they're from newcastle" (which isnt in yorkshire). This is the least important thing that I've been annoyed at all week.

[@ninedragons99]

I just thought, 'these Americans really don't know what Newcastle sounds like'. Apparently all the Starks just copy Sean Bean's accent, that's how they speak 'oop North'. :D

[@carter358]

Many of you mentioned Shireen's death and I have to add this: the young actress who played Shireen deserved a dozen Emmys for that death scene!! She wasn't just scream queening it, she was expressing real terror! Her crying for her father to save her - the guy who's killing her!! - kept me awake that night! The look in her eyes sent chills up my spine!

[@mandolyn]

They did the same thing with Aemond ,making it an accident, so I don't know why people would be angry when it's the same with this. Alicent heard Viserys and heard what she wanted to hear ,it wasn't a mistake.

[@chriswillis7154]

Shireen was the worst by far because we got to know her.

[@KrissTheUnicorn]

Loved this first episode!!!❤

[@JayJay-de5jv]

6:23 game of thrones is way more gruesome they didn’t even show the kid getting his head sliced off only sounds game f thrones showed everything rob starts unborn getting stabbed in the womb the mountain gouging out the martells eyes out Joffrey getting poisoned hands down game of thrones more gruesome

[@good-questions]

i liked the open discussion format here. i also really was charmed by the sirens in the background from one of the ladies, brought me back a decade or so :)

[@rhonecherrington2131]

Bro, I can name 30 characters in GOT better than the best character in house of the dragon... atleast 20.... thats no exaggeration, people apparently forget how great GOT was

[@HACKTACULAR.]

It’s hard to top that first season where Ned Stark gets decapitated😢 especially if you never read the books! The characters on HOTD are kinda easy to dislike where as Edark was loved by all! And let’s not forget when Maester Aemon tells John Snow about his entire family being murdered at the behest of Tywin Lannister, all the women and children’s heads getting smashed in by the Mountain.😞 Rickon stark dying in Jon’s arms, the red wedding.. just endless killing of loved characters🫣 even watching Viserion get killed by the Knight King was heartbreaking 💔

[@Porkchawp25]

The first season of game of thrones is better than house of the dragons. Not saying HOtD is bad but it just different and I felt that the time jumps in HotD worked well.

[@OziJo1]

Come on. This kind of things has happened in GoT. Bran pushed out the window and crippled in Episode 1. Shireen burned at the stake. Rickon use as bait and target practice. Robert’s bastards. Ramsay’s baby brother. Yes killing a toddler as he lies in bed is peak atrocity but it’s not new. This franchise is brutal and uncompromising.

[@TreborPaulson]

18:54 Jaime didn’t join the kings guard, he was assigned by the mad king, right? To mess with Tywin Or do I have that wrong?

[@ninedragons99]

Jaime joined the Kingsguard in order to avoid an unwanted marriage and also to stay close to his sister.

[@_Shiimaru]

I feel this episode was very mellow dramatic. I was expecting a quite drama, her whimpering whike at the same time having to stay quiet all while others are close by able to hear. I was hoping this actually twist of them killing the other she did not pick for death and it would make sense that trick would make her snap and doubt herself. She just stayed quiet. Pointed . Lifted her baby and calmly told the queen 🙄 even in a state of shock I expected at Least some sort of panick

[@Redjack10]

Helaena is very much coded as on the spectrum in the show whereas that’s not the case in the books. She does not process emotions the exact same way as most people would.

[@embrown1442000]

Heleana is autistic. She doesn't express emotions like other people. Also, she was raised to keep her emotions in check, like most medieval women were. Plus, trauma like that does things to a person. You can't predict an emotional reaction to that. Heleana was probably focused on 2 things: 1) Get her daughter and run. (2) Go find her mother. Plus she saw Alicent getting busy with Ser Christan. Um, awkward.

[@NotSuicidal222]

One small point that irked me about what you said was the Cole chose to sleep with Rhynera. That felt a lot more of a rape by coersion to me. She had power over him and he couldn't really say no. But it feels like because he's a man we view him differently, and that's sad.

[@garywinnie6745]

I love GOT and i remember being so happy at the end of season 1 feeling like i had a grip on who all the players were and the first episode of season 2 broke me when ALL NEW PEOPLE were introduced! But love that show

[@popunkid]

Personally, I feel they pulled too many punches. They (obviously) didn’t need to show the coup de gras but the omission of the part where she has to choose in front of two awake children, and letting the younger boy know his mom chose him would have made for a much more impactful scene IMO.

[@ZestonN]

At this point, I don't believe ScreenCrush actually watches the shows they review. In GoT, Kids were burned by dragons, sacrificed to Fire Gods, Whitewalkers, shot in the back in the Battle of The Bastards, killed as scapegoats; the list goes on. These reviewers are morons for not knowing that.

[@nunnaurbiznez8815]

I think the reason that King Aegon approaches the small folk like he does is because he spent is happiest times before he was forced to be king with the small folk. I think he can actually relate in a way because many of those people sheltered him while he was at his worst and really just asked to be paid to do their job. He really could have been good as a small folk but falls short as something more. There are definite manipulators who are the worst. But the true brilliance of GRRM is the way he doesn't ever define the good and the bad. I think it's a true depiction of humanity to define us as somewhere in between. With the exception of those who are the extremes.

[@ro4eva]

Hearing what was occurring to the toddler was hardest thing I've ever experienced in GoT. In particular, if you're a parent, I believe you'd understand my despair.

[@julianlondono-kk9bt]

Was I the only one who was actually underwhelmed by Blood and Cheese? There is NO WAY that this was more brutal than the Red Wedding. I feel like it was overhyped and then underdelivered.

[@mortagon1451]

The entire segment was very poorly done. It's a shame for the rest of this show have been great.

[@FupaDoncic]

That noise once they get to the spine/vocal chord. That’s etched in my mind forever.

[@joseeduardoblairsuazo7320]

Show viewers:"Totally unexpected!!!" Book Readers: "Hey this is the part when xxxxx gets kill and it was worse in the books"

[@ShadicXCIV]

Game of Thrones walked so House of Dragons could Run

[@theraywestband]

They burned stanis's daughter at the stake.Remember she was innocent

[@troywingler5729]

Closest comparison? We’re forgetting about a certain Baratheon who burnt his daughter alive at the stake because a witch said to? THATS the only thing on par with this. Nothing has touched the sound of that child dying though. Major yikes.

[@Stello203]

I listened to this while driving and thought I was being pulled over at least twice 😂

[@unbanunbanunban9083]

13:20 The hatred is not there because we barely know them.

[@fmaries7000]

What doesn't make HOD as good as GOT for me is that GOT tended to have a bit of major action as well as story building in every episode. HOD is not doing that for me. Yes, unaliving a child is terrible and shocking but it's not anything new. The episode is called "a son for a son". We all knew it was coming. I.E.- The Red Wedding was shocking cus we didn't know that was coming.

[@XxtraXxtra]

I 100% agree with you! HOTD is missing a little more action, in my opinion

[@mrnic4787]

Shout out to innocent butcher's kid that no one remembers from GOT ep1 😂

[@rafaelherrera3812]

Comparison is the death of joy. And remember if it wasn’t for Game of Thrones crawl house of the dragon could not run. and for the record season eight is great. Y’all are crazy

[@kenr.9177]

I wish that the Blood and Cheese scene played out more as written, with a psychological mark being left on the child chosen to die, that was not killed. GoTs should never pull it's punches. For that watered down approach alone, this scene can't be considered comparable to the most shocking moments of the original series.

[@aoielf]

It doesn't matter if she had misunderstood or not .. Alicent's sons were always going to be a rallying point for people who didn't want Rhaenyra in power. Eventually they would have had to die and Alicent knew that

[@matthewfitzsimons3626]

I think a theme of HotD has been that history is here-say, and going off that theme, it would cool to learn that Torrhen Stark knelt to Aegon because of Aegon’s prophecy and not fear of the dragons. And then bore the shame of kneeling, echoing Ned’s cover-up of Jon’s parentage, it’s like poetry, they rhyme!

[@nonoomgno]

The hound definitely killed a kid. And what about all them babies that got sacrificed to the nights king.

[@Solidify13]

Worst moment on Game of Thrones cause it has to deal with an innocent? … Shireen would like a word…

[@Deebosbikerepo]

Aegon wasn't being a good ruler: he was just saying yes to everyone publicly. This is definitely coming back to bite him later. Maybe not from these decisions, but the wanting to be loved, thrusting his sword in the air to hear the adulation of the crowd at his coronation is going to be a theme for him. Paying for weapons is probably a good policy though.

[@williamclose6978]

The only death that I felt was as horrendous as this episodes child murder, was the (thankfully off screen) death of Stannis's daughter by Melisandre. It was another innocent. Daemon has one thing in my mind that keeps him in the narrative's good graces. He's honest about who he is. He is impulsive, fiercely loyal to those he chooses, and will say the quiet part out loud.

[@charlesmccullough7221]

No mention of Shireen Baratheon's gruesome death.

[@mortagon1451]

That was the worst for me. That scream still haunts me.

[@grayben23]

I wouldn’t say EVERY bad guy was just very clearly a bad guy in GOT. Jamie Lannister had an awesome character development that made you change your mind about him multiple times throughout the show

[@grayben23]

Oh, they mentioned that later in the video

[@Markthenarc2]

It’s almost like shureen burned for nothing in these people’s eyes

[@mortagon1451]

This scene pales in comparison to Shireen's death. To me that's still the most horrific scene in GoT. That scream is just haunting.

[@heatherpetersen2642]

rhaynees said it best, *that girl* is the only thing keeping the realm from being plunged into war. you hit it on the head, this show is truly about motherhood, rhanera showing the restraint that she has, even after losing 2 children, is clearly the stronger leader by not doing exactly what every single male leader says that women do, which is to allow emotion to govern their decisions, where alicent is doing exactly that, with cristen Cole, with her kids, etc. rhaynera is a better leader because she is a better mother.

[@jaimevelez4861]

How is it no one mentions Shireen’s death in GOT. That to me is one of the horrible and tragic deaths.

[@andru8ontiverx986]

I don’t blame Cole. She did him so dirty. He later found out he was basically just a rebound for Rhaenrrya after being with Daemon