House of the Dragon S1E05 Explained

[@AltShiftX]

Mushrooms in the chat 🍄🍄🍄 Get a free audiobook with an Audible trial: www.audible.com/asx

[@Glidus]

🍄🥁🍄🥁🥁

[@arihantasharma543]

Mushroom with the salacious rumors🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄

[@townsongs]

🍄🍄🍄

[@alexander_marvelon]

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[@steelenutz1]

🍄🍄🍄

[@mohsin90ish]

"A Westerosi wedding without at least one dead joffrey is considered a dull afair" -Criston Cole

[@faustsiftar7683]

10/10 comment 😂

[@mattm7798]

Haha, yeah, I would imagine Joffrey was his name in the books...otherwise that name is so loaded with meaning for GoT fans. One of the most satisfying death's in GoT was Joffrey...until you realized that Cersei was actually worse.

[@veggiesupreme3556]

Underrated comment

[@realyopikechannel]

@@mattm7798 Joffrey was doomed from the start with Robert and cersi raising him. absolute power corrupts absolutely, even more so when you're 12 and raised with the expectation of absolute power and the man who raised you is a stone cold killer and your moms a psychopath. the books explore a lot how first born sons in high up families are commonly super fucked up people compared to their brothers. its just a natural consequence of how the world worked back then.

[@puffmoneyo3590]

Joffreys wedding with the mock war of the 5 kings is so good

[@bub6010]

You can feel in each episode the tension boiling up it’s so refreshing to have this type of show back on

[@zoobiezaa]

anyone who thinks this show is anywhere close to as good as one piece you are literally brain dead and probably have an iq under 85 lmao

[@avi9066]

@@zoobiezaa 💀💀

[@bobbiecat8000]

@@zoobiezaa if only I was 5 years old again I would.

[@snuffcarl]

Yesssss love it! Have u seen the imdb reviews? Everybody shits all over the show for being slow and uneventful, wtf

[@zoobiezaa]

@@bobbiecat8000 ooooo sick burn

[@QuinnTheGM]

If Daemon is ever completely silent, he’s about to commit either a war crime or a murder.

[@dragonchr15]

what war crime did he commit?

[@greywolf7577]

@@dragonchr15 He crucified 2000 enemy soldiers on the beach after they surrendered. That's a war crime.

[@faustsiftar7683]

A better question is what war crime didnt he commit 😂

[@warbeatler618]

@@greywolf7577 Enemy soldiers? Are you talking about those pirates who fought for crab feeder that pillaged, robbed and murdered countless of innocent sailors and their passagers in a reign of terror? Yeah, I think feeding pirates to the same crabs they used to feed innocent people hardly counts as war crime. It was actually ironic justice.

[@InquisitorThomas]

@@greywolf7577 To be fair: 1. There are no Geneva conventions in Westeros or medieval warfare. 2. Crabfeeders soldiers are glorified pirates that attacked a non hostile nation’s ships and brutally executed their captives. Even modern institutions like The Hague would have found their crimes merit executions, much less a medieval society.

[@fairshareofdrownedsouls]

Viserys' illness started in his *hand.* A clever metaphor.

[@VendettaPSC]

First wound was on his back actually.

[@orkinho1]

Otto did nothing wrong¡

[@fairshareofdrownedsouls]

@@orkinho1 A number of people share a portion of the blame for the coming onslaught, some moreso than Lord Hightower, but Otto's actions had some part to play.

[@Cobalt360Degrees]

@@orkinho1 Otto essentially pimped out his own daughter to an aging king and then made *her* feel like the wrong one for not wanting to force the issue of succession. All to make sure that someone with his specific blood is in charge? For kids who wouldn't even exist if he hadn't pushed his daughter into that position in the first place? He's not the sole cause of the coming war, sure, but he fucked around and found out; he's responsible for a fair chunk of it.

[@Nedw]

@@Cobalt360Degrees Also because of misogyny, as he thinks very strongly that he is doing a favour to peace, as the realm is never going to accept a woman as "King"

[@EvanSol919]

I feel bad for Lyonel Strong. He's trying so hard to keep everything together and it's only going to get worse for him.

[@mst3KGf]

Strong is refreshing in that he doesn't have his plans and schemes and just wants to be a good advisor. He's already lord of the biggest castle in Westeros and is Hand of the King, so he's reached the height of his ambitions. Pity his kid isn't the same.

[@9989Wolverine]

We don’t know that he isn’t scheming yet

[@Captain_Insano_nomercy]

@@9989Wolverine agreed, he could be playing both sides through his boys

[@Asonunique23]

@@Captain_Insano_nomercy hes dead next episode, just the leave the man Alone.

[@Asonunique23]

@@9989Wolverine hes going to die next episode, just the one good man alone

[@Elementroar]

Rhaenyra was technically suggesting something with historical royal precedent - her great-grandparents (so Daemon’s grandparents) King Jaeharys and Queen Alysanne did elope together to Dragonstone. Their mother forbade them to marry since they just resolved the war with the Faith and feared riling them again with more incest. But Jaeharys and Alysanne were in love, and flew on their dragons to Dragonstone to marry, then defied everyone trying to separate them or get them off Dragonstone. Until finally their mother relented, and their story became a very popular love story about them. Rhaenyra had mentioned her great-grandma Queen Alysanne just at the start of episode 4 while on the suitor tour. I think she’s been fantasizing about how she could be with Daemon for a while, and doesn’t see why they can’t do exactly the same thing as their ancestors, and prolly believes everything would work out just the same.

[@mst3KGf]

Of course, the difference is that Jaeharys and Alysanne were also insanely skilled at politics and diplomacy and thus they were able to get people to accept their marriage. Rhaenyra doesn't have her great-grandparents skills at either.

[@fariyanahmed6592]

Daemon doesn't want to be with her, that's why he couldn't finish in episode 4

[@jamesgarretson2922]

@@mst3KGf No, but they have dragons. Which is probably what Rhaenyra would be counting on in that situation.

[@reginaphalange9417]

thanks for the explanation, also the first image at the beginning of episode 4, the necklace that Rhaenyra is touching, may be a sign that's she's already thinking about Daemon, and the mention of Alysanne makes even more sense after that

[@reginaphalange9417]

@@fariyanahmed6592 no, he deeply wants to be with her but he repeatedly suffers from impotence with women, that's probably why he got angry in the brothel because he couldn't go further

[@badgerbadger5061]

I don't feel like I've really seen an episode of HotD until I see the Alt Shift X analysis too.

[@arhamjain4527]

That is totally true 😁

[@SunnyCida]

I watch with my sister who has 1000 questions as we watch. I tell her nothing and show her the ASX recaps.

[@jimb8601]

Absolutely. I'm watching through the series for the first time and only watch one episode before watching the corresponding ASX review. There is so much I don't pick up on that ASX's reviews point out. The biggest being the significance of the opening credits. There's no way I'd understand what they were portraying without ASX's analysis.

[@OlrikMeister]

Characters like Larys are what make GOT and HOTD great.

[@mst3KGf]

Especially because unlike with Littlefinger and Varys, we NEVER find out what his motivations are. He's the riddle that is never solved.

[@spoonistoobig3316]

@@mst3KGf some men just want to watch the world burn

[@crd88918]

@@mst3KGf we don’t in the book, we might in the show

[@mst3KGf]

@@crd88918 Personally, I hope they don't. He's more interesting as this enigmatic figure.

[@fairshareofdrownedsouls]

Indeed. Mysaria as well. I won't spoil anything.

[@whynotcaptaincrunch]

I really like the way Daemon is portrayed here. They could have shown him to be a calculating manipulator, but I think he comes off more as emotionally repressed and impulsive, lashing out in anger and frustration without really having much of a long-term plan. The scene with him and Rhea was nicely done. It felt like even though he wanted to kill her all along, he wasn't sure he was actually going to go through with it until the moment he confronted her. I'm not sure how I felt about the murder at the wedding though. I think it was a very well-executed scene, a great character moment for Criston and reinforcement of the fact that this is a culture that glorifies and rewards violent thugs, but it's just hard to imagine how he was permitted to walk out of there. Since they didn't even take the time to clean the blood off the floor, it appears that everything afterwards was happening in a rush, so maybe he just slipped out and hasn't been caught yet. But still, I'd have expected him to be imprisoned within minutes after the murder.

[@Wveth]

I think the likely answer is that Criston claimed he was threatening. Joffrey DID have a knife and we never saw the start of the fight. If we don't get any answers then I agree it's sloppy, but they could explain it by just filling us in on how it started. Cole might he able to say it was self-defense. Although if they go this route then I think it was bad form to not show it in this episode.

[@kingbellos1403]

I think he got away bc of the shock and chaos of it. Ppl assume King’s Guards have the right. So no common person or guard is going to stop him. The King seems to always be shocked and freezes in the moment. I am sure Coryls isnt super upset his son’s gay lover is killed and Mom isnt going to draw attention to the the fact this was the boyfriend. So I can see Cole walking away and ppl just not knowing who to do to handle this.

[@michaelpierce5343]

yeah they dropped the ball with criston this episode i feel like it was stupid af when he went to rhaenyra asking her to run away and marry him like, A.) shes the princess and HEIR so as long as viserys is alive(for another tenish years btw) he would scour the globe looking for her and execute criston and B.) what the fuck was he talking about when he said the only way to regain his honor as a kingsguard is to QUIT THE KINGSGUARD?? thats a LIFE-long commitment wtf are you TALKING about bro like sure the broken oath of chastity yaddayadda but his solution to that is to just fucking bail AND steal the princess. One of these seems less honorable than the other lmao. As far as joffreys death it was shocking and the “riot” or whatever scene was intense but yeah theres no way that cole should’ve been able to walk out that bitch after intentionally murdering an ANNOINTED KNIGHT during a royal wedding while there were like 3 other kingsguard breaking up the mob towards the end and they just clear everyone out instead of restraining their clearly rogue comrade. Like yeah i think that he misinterpreted joffrey and while i thought joffrey was pretty clear and genuine he still acted sketchy but criston took their little conversation it as a threat of blackmail against the princess so it kind of makes WHY he killed him but it yeah seriously it doesnt make any sense how he was able to walk out of there and be unattended or not interact with any authority long enough to prepare himself for seppuku in the godswood.I wish the inside the episode provided some context but literally their only explanation was “UUUHH DUR wedding in game of thrones world equal bad”

[@olenickel6013]

He's a cop who killed someone while on duty. The general assumption will have been he was doing his job, shocking and gruesome as it may have been. It's really not that far fetched.

[@scofield1154]

Nobody really cares about Joffrey, so nobody is going to seek vengeance. Also kingsguard only answer to the king, they're much higher ranked than people think. Ser Criston Cole outranks literally everyone but the king himself, and the king is the only person who can punish Criston, but he won't do that because Alicent is going to convince him otherwise.

[@ahmedabdolghani8879]

“House strong is based” can’t agree more

[@Asonunique23]

They probably are starks too

[@-_-5470]

A house of gigachads, a shame they live in Harrenhall O.O

[@dr.embersfield1551]

@@Asonunique23 The word "strong" in Nordic languages is "stark". So...

[@Pacers00]

Rip

[@AJPzaworld]

I was hyped to see Larys coming in; I was hyped to see Harwin Strong coming in like a machine; I was hyped to see Alicent come in in that absolutely gorgeous dress. But nothing will compare to the hype I felt knowing my man MUSHROOM has made his debut. Absolutely glorious looking.

[@Blueeyesthewarrior]

I loved the way that he jumped in and started shoving people aside. Man is a machine, I tell you.

[@-_-5470]

Absolute unit of a dwarf. And his member is supposed to be as big as his head, can you imagine that?

[@mattm7798]

The Larys scene felt very out of left field...so much so it felt like a huge signpost that he is more powerful than he appears.

[@kaustralishamal2054]

Ah Mushrrom, the best historian on the seven kingdom's history

[@ZendikarMage42750]

All hail Mushroom

[@TrueMakaveli50]

Everyone else just puts a video out as soon as they can to ride the hype, but you always take your time, find quotes from the books, differences/similarities, etc. Never sacrificing quality for quantity. We all appreciate it! Seven blessings friend.

[@EJD339]

He also has the luxury of having a huge and dedicated fan base haha. Not to say his videos aren’t great.

[@LadyOfShaIott]

Loving your work. I wish you good fortune in the wars to come.

[@LolDarrellLol]

And now it begins.

[@TheHonoredMadman]

Noh, nowy tends

[@LadyOfShaIott]

@@TheHonoredMadman Indeed!

[@DongusMcBongus]

HAVE YA SEEN SEASON 5? -Glimbo

[@AdamG1983]

You didn't see him on the Trident

[@spearshake4771]

"The enigma that is Larys Strong the Clubfoot has vexed students of history for generations, and is not one we can hope to unravel here. Where did his true loyalty lie? What was he about? He wove his way all through the Dance of the Dragons, on this side and that side, vanishing and reappearing, yet somehow always surviving. How much of what he said was real? Was he just a man who sailed with the prevailing wind, or did he know where he was bound when he set out? So may we ask, but none will answer. The last Strong keeps his secrets." This is my favorite quote of Larys and tbh its what makes him all the more interesting and unpredictable. In GoT we could more or less guage what everyone's goal was. Varys wanted to ensure a good ruler sits the throne, Baelish wanted the power for himself and Pycelle was aligned with the Lannisters. Yet this man is all the more scarier exactly because we never know or probably ever will know what drove his ambitions.

[@traumer9622]

I don't think Varys truly wants a good ruler on the throne, I rather think his motives are much more... sentimental. So he wants Young Griff on the throne, no one else. This is indicated when he kills Kevan Lannister because he knows Kevan would have likely brought peace and stability.

[@spearshake4771]

@@traumer9622 Oh yes I was speaking more about the TV characters than the books. Still my main point is that all these other conspiring figures have a motive of some sort as opposed to Larys who doesn't.

[@alexanderzack3720]

@@spearshake4771 calling it now: he´s like the joker and to quote alfred "some just want to see the world burn". maybe his motivation is anger at the world at large for putting him on the sideline because of his foot. i dunno maybe i´m wrong. the only things i know about this guy is what we´ve seen so far in the show

[@icyman2]

Yeah he is strange person and his motives are unclear already.

[@stephenconroy5908]

Well put! Maybe he simply just wants to do what he always does: observe, out of morbid curiosity...

[@burntorangehorn]

Agree: Cole's murder of Joff wasn't about Joff. It was about Cole. Joff's comments just made him a target of opportunity.

[@bouji_]

I thought it was meant to symbolize Viserys being a weak king.

[@derektorres3092]

Yeah, Joffrey was just letting the other paramour know that their has been a mutual agreement between their lovers. Throughout the entire scene Joffrey is relaxed and somewhat playful with the other characters. He tells Laenor who he thinks is the paramour, a continuation of their playful conversation back at Driftmark. Joffrey then goes to Cole and tells him that he knows his secret. However, the fact that he openly admitted to having an affair with the king-consort means he believes Cole was a close paramour of Rhaenyra similar to how he is close with Laenor. He’s simultaneously teasing and reassuring Cole in the agreement between Rheanyra and Laenor. Joffrey’s mistake was assuming Cole was elated at being able to continue the relationship with Rhaenyra. Joffrey felt that way about the Royal marriage so he projects that onto Cole. However, Cole is a time bomb of shame and guilt who resolves his problems with violence. I don’t believe their is a good argument for Joffrey trying to threaten Cole. He isn’t a idiot, why would he threaten a Kingsguard he thinks is in on the Laenor Rhaenyra agreement? He stands to benefit by becoming friends with Cole to protect Laenor and Rhaenyra.

[@trevorm1876]

i think cole saw joffrey as a mirror of himself and since he was full of so much suicidal anger he took out his self hate on his equivalent

[@donkeysunited]

I thought it was in part to protect the princess's honour.

[@SnailHatan]

@@derektorres3092 He absolutely did implicitly threaten Cole. “You keep my secret and I’ll keep yours.” essentially. He’s just admitted to being able to destroy Cole’s and Rhaenyra’s entire life and legacy. That’s not reassurance for anyone who isn’t an idiot, that’s obvious blackmail veiled as an agreement among allies. Standard AsoiaF shit

[@Wolfeson28]

12:09 It's interesting how Rhaenyra and Laenor might be the healthiest relationship in the series despite the lack of romantic attraction between them. They have a strong common ground of both being constrained by the rules of their society from pursuing the romantic relationships they want (in different ways, of course). So they agree to let each other pursue their own romantic relationships in secret, while playing the roles expected of them in public to maintain the expectations of their families. Obviously this deal has a lot of potential pitfalls, but it's a genuine effort to make the best of the situation that they've been pushed into, accept each other for who they each are, and allow each other whatever degree of romantic freedom they can.

[@kcrow430]

True.

[@elonif4125]

Every scene with Daemon in it is gold. He is such a fun character.

[@TheBansic]

One thing I thought was interesting in this last episode was how Viserys wished that he had been tested so he could've had songs written about how great he was, yet in nearly every episode so far he was given a test and every time he turned away from it because he didn't want to get involved. It took him way too long to address the 🦀Feeder and every time politics came up he chose to ignore it because he didn't want to think about it. While I understand that the tests weren't up to the caliber that he wanted, I doubt that he would have done something if it ever got to Maegor level problematic.

[@thaprofessa2296]

Lol He could barely kill the deer in the kingswood

[@FlyingFox1994]

This. Viserys was a good man but a weak one, and that's catastrophic when you're a king. The Dance of Dragons was begun by Viserys, not by anyone else. If he'd put his foot down, either on Rhaenyra's side or Aegon's, the realm (and House Targaryen) wouldn't have suffered half as badly. He allowed ill-feeling and hatred to fester and did nothing, he allowed his daughter's obvious bastards to be given trueborn names and claims (just like Aegon the Unworthy) and silenced anyone who spoke the truth (Joffery anyone?) because he was in denial and then later too scared to rock the boat. He denied Aemond justice when he was maimed, which only motivated Aemond to exact vengeance later. He refuses to clarify the position of heir after Aegon's birth, he simply ignored the subject when people brought it up as he was too afraid of offending one side or the other. This is where the confusion and division over who was the rightful heir came in. He frequently forgave Daemon (an objectively terrible person who intends to kill everyone between himself and the throne) basically for everything he did. He had all these tests as a King and as a man but ran away from all of them, and his family and the realm suffered, drowning in the blood of dragons and tens of thousands of people.

[@justcallmeD90]

That dress was everything. Also how Criston was able to walk out of the great hall is what really blew my mind at the end of the episode. Also them not cleaning the floor after what happened with Joffery was insane. Poor Laenor 😔

[@TheKeyser94]

The same reason why the Senators walk outside every-time that a murder happen in the Senate, in Rome, the Throne Room would be consider sacred, a place of power, such horrible thing to happen there, no one would want to be close to it.

[@va1tiel]

IMO it's not ambiguous at all what daemon's intentions were in the vale. the reason rhea reached for her bow is because she realized in the middle of speaking that he'd come to kill her. rhea is talking about rhaenyra -- asking if he plans to kill 'the child' that stole his position as heir but then it clicks in her mind that with him here and suspiciously cloaked, his intentions are to kill HER off so that he can marry his niece, as targaryens often do. it's subtle but the mannerisms give it away.

[@chaosmerchant]

Honestly feel like people are just projecting when it comes to Daemon due to his popularity (not saying ASX is!) but for example lots of people in the subreddit tried to defend his actions by saying that he didn’t go there to kill her, or that it’s her fault because she goaded him but what does any of that matter…in the end he killed her because he never Ed liked her and also wanted to marry again…

[@TheHonoredMadman]

Well the after the episode people said it was meant to be ambiguous, like if he came there to murder her or not, so whether or not it was portrayed well, isn't my point, I was just saying it was the intent of the director, it didn't seem ambiguous to me tho when I watched it

[@aascattery6170]

Okay, finally, someone who noticed the line

[@misselle1430]

It was not as clear why he had returned so suspiciously to his own home. But as the wife kept talking it became very clear he was there to kill her or incapacitate her in some way. Once she fell looks like he confirmed she was paralysed neck down and was okay leaving her like that but after she taunted him he came back to finish her. The poor girl

[@purpleblah2]

I thought Mellos refusing to stop leeching was suspicious, but actually I think he was just too proud to let some young upstart tell HIM how to treat the king by suggesting they use “herbs” and “medicines” instead of the tried and true method of leeching. I think it was pride and stubbornness rather than a conspiracy, Hanlon’s law and all that.

[@olorin4317]

Rewatch the scene from the first episode where they are inspecting Viserys back wound.

[@mugiwara-no-luffy]

Agreed. I think it's 90% a pride and ego thing. Like how the Grand Maester Pycelle in GOT could not accept the methods of Maester Qyburn

[@alexanderaz8]

A quibble: If Joffrey actually wanted to threaten Criston, he would have just said "I know your secret." He didn't need to tell Criston *his* secret. That's not how threats work, after all. You don't threaten a person by letting them know your own secret and vulnerability. And so logically this means that you *cannot* in fact "read this as a threat" seeing as Criston didn't even know Laenor and Joffrey's secret in the first place, and the only reason he knew about it was because Joffrey told him about it as a good-faith gesture, which means that, again, Joffrey never in fact intended to threaten Criston. P.S. Ludwig Wittgenstein once wrote: "The difficult thing here is not to dig down to the ground; no, it is to recognize the ground that lies before us as the ground . . . Our disease is one of wanting to *explain* ." So no offense to asx or to the people down there saying (some even insisting) that it was a threat, but the facts on the ground are clear: Joffrey knew Criston's secret. Criston did not know Joffrey's secret. Criston only knew Joffrey's secret because Joffrey told Criston about it, which Joffrey wouldn't have done if he had intended to threaten Criston. Nobody would go up to the person they intend to threaten and nonchalantly volunteer their own secret just so that they could threaten mutually assured destruction, after all. That's just not a thing people do. To insist that it was a threat, then, is to dig down to ground, which of course is not difficult at all. Shows like this are full of fan theories, after all. But then you'll have to ask yourself why. As for me, I seek only understanding and to be understanding, not to be groundbreaking. As such, I see the ground, and I recognize it as the ground. May we all live ever so simply and truly. Peace.

[@rife133]

Sigma threat

[@talusneedsalife]

I kind of saw it as a miscommunication on Joffrey's part. Because Laenor immediately told /his/ paramour about his and Rhaenyra's deal, Joffrey might have assumed that Rhaenyra had told /her/ paramour about Laenor's sexuality. If Joffrey thought everyone was in on everyone's business, it /could/ have been read as a threat, a "let's all be friendly, remember if you ruin me, I can ruin you" sort of thing. ETA: especially considering Joffrey and Laenor didn't know /who/ Rhaenyra's paramour was until the wedding, but all Rhaenyra had to know was Laenor's sexuality to potentially cause him problems

[@Yuuzhanvon]

Well yeah he threatened him without being upfront about it. Regardless he should of kept his mouth shut. Ser Krispy Kreme got that 1 hitta quitta

[@femalegays]

ppl have threatened others in asoiaf w/ the same tones as joffrey, even then, ser criston probably just took it more as "he could want me to use this against rhaenyra, i'm sworn to protect her"

[@Wveth]

Uh, yeah it was about how Criston saw it, not whether it was actually sensible as that particular kind of threat you mention, but the word CAN just mean "anything that has a particular ability to harm you," and in that sense Joffrey was indeed Criston's biggest threat. Criston was super emotional and not thinking clearly, and I think this is what ASX meant.

[@mindblown42069]

I swear HoTD episodes seem to come quicker than these videos, feels like forever waiting for the next one 😂 gonna make a brew and watch now 😊

[@-Scrapper-]

This video is basically the live stream summarized

[@bub6010]

@@-Scrapper- yeah I’d rather chill In the stream for 3 hours but ima still watch this

[@freeffree4133]

The live chat happens immediately after the show. These summaries are the best online.

[@smhdpt12]

No one cares.

[@mindblown42069]

@@smhdpt12 I’m sorry you’re in a place where you feel the need to spew negativity online. I hope you find happiness.

[@DatBoiChris420]

The simple fact that the producers linger on characters faces and you can see them go through every stage just by looking at their faces When Cole was tellin Rhaenery about running off, You could see it in her face that she went from happy to uhhohh to ohh shit same with Alicent finding out about Rhaenery and Cole

[@caboose202ful]

It's pedantic of me to say, but it's directors and camera operators rather than producers that you should be complimenting. For this episode, the director was Clare Kilner, and the cinematographer was Alejandro Martínez

[@markmywords3817]

4:00 finally someone said it! I sympathize with Alicent but she wouldn't be in this precarious situation if it weren't for his father's ambition to begin with. And while he's out of the picture in King's Landing, he's likely still in touch with Mellos and scheming continues.

[@zdmuchnelamniejesien]

Yup! Plus, Rhaenyra didn't trust her with her sex life because Alicent kept secrets from her in the first place. I mean, I wouldn't exactly trust someone who kept meeting my dad behind my back and then in a plot twist became my step mother.

[@pg1448]

How was Otto supposed to know that that oaf Viserys would not name his son heir like every king before him and like he even intended himself with Baelon? Otto naturally thought this was a perfectly good match. Remember that pretty much everyone thought Aegon would be heir and that Corlys tried to wed his daughter to Viserys for the very same reason. If Otto had known this before he would surely not have agreed to that marriage.

[@kikima258]

That is otto's doing not allicent she's now stuck in this dangerous situation and has no choice but to fight for her kids

[@kikima258]

@@pg1448 exactly i do agree that alicent is in trouble because of her father but this mess is ultimatly viserys's fault he was naive and arrogant enough to think he can change the laws and tradition of westeros so easialy to ease his guilt

[@AaronGuest]

This can easilly be countered with this. Literally everyone thought that Viserys was going to acknowledge that his heir was Aegon after he was born, (including Ehaenyra) Viserys being dumb is ultimately the reason for the Dance of Dragons. If Viserys acknowledged that Aegon was his heir shortly after he was born then the Dance wouldn't have happened. So really, once you think about it, it's all Visery's fault.

[@night.josephine]

I think people are missing that Criston is essentially the lone working class boy done good around these wealthy and privileged families. He would take the vow seriously, and it literally is life and death for him. He has to rely on favour: he's not astute enough for scheming, or wealthy enough to manipulate. His reaction - recourse to his fists and killing - makes sense in that context.

[@waffelmeister9477]

@@kmjkmjkmj Are you really saying that just because he fought in a war he can keep his cool at all times? Because usually, people with combat experience are far more likely to lash out violently at others when under pressure.

[@Nukefandango]

That definitely adds a layer to his decisions, but it doesn't make the system any less insane (and I know you're not arguing that it does). The system turns otherwise good men like Cole into murderous thugs.

[@raimondsstokmanis1892]

@@waffelmeister9477 This. That's why PTSD exists.

[@ravinrabbit7932]

Power corrupts and there is a Lot for Criston to loose. He raised his familyname from nothing up to the court. And we know nobody gives away his Power and Prestige once he got it. Criston might change and besides, he wasnt really raised in the way of a knight. Hes a poor lad who knows to fight. And we already know, this might be Bad actually. Much like Bastards often have a certain Charakter..

[@anarion211983]

@@kmjkmjkmj Are you really arguing rogues are better than thugs?

[@cubbeige7104]

Another detail Green is the opposite color of red in the color wheel, it's also complementary to each other. I love the duality of this detail because of how much it mirrors both Rhaenyra and Alicent's relationship.

[@samuelkatz1124]

Ngl I felt bad for Rhea. Royces and the Vale are cool, and I wish we could have had more of them in HOTD compared to dealing with Lysa's weird kid in GOT

[@mattm7798]

She seemed like a cool character...but IMO her mouth def got her killed. She just kept picking at him.

[@madelinemcmillan4020]

@@mattm7798 name calling isn't grounds for murder lmao, though we dont know the context behind why their relationship is so strained. I think he was planning to kill her no matter what, this is daemon afterall, he needed her out of the way.

[@Marjoss1]

I hope to see Willam Royce in the later seasons for the Ride of the Seven.

[@dev_kesse]

Not gonna lie I feel bad for the person I saw on screen for 10 seconds before being murdered. Lmao what an odd comment.

[@samuelkatz1124]

@@dev_kesse I just wish we had more stuff happen in the Vale. Tyrion there in S1 of GOT was fun but it's probably the least visited or discussed part of Westeros.

[@peterd9624]

weird that Joffrey picked out Criston to be the secret given how Daemon is behaving towards Rhaynera in that scene. Daemon would've been the more obvious suspect, given also that there were already rumours bubbling about the two

[@duhman3649]

It’s also kinda weird how Criston was the only kingsguard without his helmet on during the wedding conveniently allowing Joffrey to notice him glaring at Rhaenyra

[@Melissa-tw2gp]

I truly think Daemon was planning to kill her the entire time. She just realized it early and tried to defend herself.

[@liligaede1398]

Yeah I think so too. There's just no other reason for him to be there, esp when he immediately leaves afterwards. And he kept approaching the horse very purposefully, and to me it looks like he spooked it and then when it reared he pushed it all the way over. Like it does not look accidental to me at all. Also Caraxes had to have been nearby if Daemon flew there so that's likely what made the horse nervous and what Rhea kept checking over her shoulder for.

[@tshepherd8145]

Absolutely. His dress and demeanor made it obvious. Rhea read his intent and had a split-second to defend herself. Why else would he ambush her on the road? If he was just there to greet his wife, why not do it at Runestone? He wanted no witnesses and a plausible accidental death.

[@mattm7798]

@@tshepherd8145 I have to disagree. After she falls off the horse, he starts to walk away. It's only after she continues to pick at him does he grab the rock. It's clear he wants out of the marriage but I don't think he planned to kill her from the start, especially not in the shaodw of a castle, where there were potentially plenty of witnesses. It's a bit of a moot point as it seems clear his intention was to get out of the marriage, we just different on his initial intent on the method. It's def not beyond Daemon to plan to just murder his wife, although that seems very on the nose and open to accusations given his public distaste for her and the marriage.

[@tshepherd8145]

@@mattm7798 That’s the thing though; he doesn’t care if people think he did it. He did it away from witnesses, so no one can ever prove it conclusively, but he didn’t care that Rhea’s cousin knew he murdered her. As long as no one can prove it definitively, Daemon is untouchable as the King’s brother. Accusations mean nothing to him.

[@gijssterveld3481]

How did Daemon get to Runestone? By way of his dragon, I'd guess. When Rhea looks over her shoulder, she might have been sensing the dragon. Not much later we see Daemon looking far more upward than where Rhea would have been seated on her horse. And we see the hood of his cape being filled with air. Just then Rhea's horse started rearing. It reacted to Daemon's dragon flying over them. He tried to calm the horse by gripping the reins? Only to be challenged by Rhea to finally 'finishing'.

[@TheWhiteDragon3]

Some details I like: When Lord Jason drops that distasteful joke about the King's heir directly in front of the King, Viserys does basically nothing and just chuckles it off, showing his weakness again, this time to nobles outside the family. Another detail: though we don't get much of it, I like how Larys' and Harwin's brotherly relationship is shown. Often a brotherly relationship between a strong warrior and an intelligent weakling is depicted through conflict, but I appreciate that we're shown the two brothers laughing ans smiling with one another. I appreciate that further humanization. Last one: I like how Alicent's "war dress" is also more adult and mature with a deep cut neckline instead of the modest "teenage" dresses she's been previously wearing, as if to say that she's fully realized into her political power and is no meek little girl anymore.

[@neryamofaz9121]

It’s a shame how when viscerys asks how he will be remembered it’s something we already know from the book, as a drunk lazy king. Same thing with daemons wife dying from “falling off her horse” history is not always accurate

[@Marb315]

highlight of the episode was Rhaenyra telling Jason Lannister that she couldn't think of a better match, polite shit talking is done so well in this show

[@marissa3248]

21:19 Lol I love how, in the same dry intonation, as the rest of the video, you include jokes and commentary like this. I must be one of many that enjoy coming back to your videos every Saturday in anticipation of Sunday. big fan of your work!

[@marissa3248]

also 23:30, how you say, "saying sarcastically but >actually kind of for real though

[@schwaben4120]

Also Rhaenyra manipulated her to get out of her possible sex scandal. Alicant ad been consistently trying to mend their relationship after she married Viserys and Rhaenyra played into that when she needed her to believe her. Calling her "sister" and swearing on her mother's memory.

[@LouieOcean2]

Alicent and her farther were actively trying to discredit rhaenyra I wouldn’t of told her the truth ether it’s not her business and she’s clearly been trying to snake her

[@schwaben4120]

@@LouieOcean2 Nah Alicent never actively went against Rhaenyra before the wedding. She's only been a chesspiece for her father.

[@LouieOcean2]

@@schwaben4120 she would of immediately told Otto who would tell the king because they want aegon to be the hair to the throne

[@theelectricprince8231]

@@reflekktor who lied again? Alicent actually vouched for Rhaenyra against her father.

[@BN-hp8um]

@@reflekktor You can tell you’ve read the books, or are applying personal stuff or something. Because show Allicent has done nothing to prove your claim, nothing. She was used by the king, by her father, and Rhae, and in this episode and sick of it. I can’t wait for the ending of this show because Rhae sucks.

[@_Sam_-zh7sw]

I really am surprised that people consider Alicent an evil Queen....she might be in the books but in the show she was clearly loyal to Rhaenyra till the day Otto left. Alicent has no one except her father and she couldnt say no to what he would ask her to do. Its not her fault that she is in this mess.....you cant expect a 15 year old to go against two most powerful men in realm....she had no choice but to marry Viserys. Rhaenyra and Alicent are victim and they have no option but to fight for themselves at this point.

[@tite93]

The show does a lot to humanize Alicent, which is very good. THe books are an unreliable historical narrative, which is, as always, not written by the losing side

[@shoazdon7000]

They changed her from the books, same way they changed Tyrion’s character. In the books Tyrion is much more like Tywin and is a lot more evil and scheming, that’s why the infamous scene where he asks for Casterly rock is so much more fitting in the books because Tywins response is more appropriate for book Tyrion then for show Tyrion

[@paulperkins1615]

The irony is that Rhaenyra does not really want to have children or to be Queen so there is no reason she and Alicent could not work together on their shared goal of restoring order and stability to the realm, with Alicent's boy to become King eventually when he's old enough to actually run things. There's sure not much order now, what with a banished Dragonrider crashing the wedding, which turns into a brawl, after which a murderer and a Queen can just wander around unescorted outside in the night.

[@_Sam_-zh7sw]

@@paulperkins1615 at one point i actually thought that Rahenyra adviced her father to marry alicent. But after council scene i realized that was not the case

[@dromankass8655]

@@paulperkins1615 I suspect that in the confusion Cole just slipped out, and few normal guards would stop or challenge a member of the King's Guard (they do kind of have a 'Access All Areas' level of security in the Red Keep, and if the King is not going to call for him to be stopped no one else is. As for Alicent going to meet Cole, I wonder if Larys didn't slip out of the crowd and tell her exactly where he was and what sort of mood he was in and say something like 'if you that man on your side when it comes to fighting, now is the moment to bind him to your cause'. And Alicent clearly felt no fear seeking out Cole, or was prepared to take the risk to gain a Knight, that she also slipped out to meet him.

[@mariovladimirozuni]

I’ve waited for this video 6 days straight only to see it posted one day before the 6th episode. No wonder they’re so good, bc it takes time to make them.

[@sezinkzltan140]

exactly

[@BotBehavior]

Dance of the Dragon, is also an advanced firebending technique

[@nunyabiznes33]

It's kinda sweet to think that Rhaenyra will name one of her sons after Joffrey, probably to allow Laenor to honor his beloved's memory.

[@thebradleyb]

If the Maesters are killing the king, it’s not in cohoots with Hightowers. The unhealing cut began before the Queen even died. Hightowers at this point would actually want the King alive until Aemon was able to lead men or at least not just be a weak child. Longer the king lives, more time to strength Aemon

[@NoOne-ol6dw]

Aegon* he's the oldest son of Alicent

[@synthdrive]

You could feel the tension rising during the wedding. I had to rewatch the last 30 mins of the episode to pick up details I might have missed on the first watch.

[@misterhenchmen]

I also need to watch this episode like 3 more times before sundayyyyy!!

[@kikima258]

I've rewatched and yes i've messed many details especialy thoses secret glances during the wedding

[@TheDiabeticGameMaster]

Omg, dude. You are just sitting there, watching, knowing something HAS to go wrong but having no idea which of at least ten different directions it is going to be coming from. It was truly a master class in building tension with subtlety.

[@misselle1430]

I was left very confused too lol. So why did the knight kill the boyfriend ??

[@jonttopia]

Seeing Larys get more involved after Otto's departure makes you wonder what the strongs are up to, or even if Larys is working with his father or not. Is Larys and the Strongs against the hightowers, trying to manipulate Alicent and Viserys now that Otto left. Or are they on the hightower side, Lyonel did study at the citadel. They might try to fill Otto's place for him, making sure that the hightowers are still influential.

[@icyman2]

So far I think they are on the Targaryen side but Larys could be the black sheep working on his own, something like Varys mixed with Littefinger.

[@NoOne-ol6dw]

@@icyman2 I think Varys is closer to him, even though we never hear his real motives

[@jonttopia]

@@icyman2 If you mean trying to keep the Targaryen family together, I kinda agree. As Riverlanders they should be very vary of war, as the Riverlands are often worst affected by war. And the Strongs hold power through Viserys government, so they have nothing to gain from a struggle for power and a lot to lose. They might still see the hightower cause to be the most stable, since Otto is kinda right about Rhaenyra as Queen.

[@mst3KGf]

@@jonttopia Larys is an enigma and keeps his motivations to himself. That's what makes him so intriguing.

[@carlrood4457]

I get the idea Larys is working his own game. He's a younger son with a disability. Think Tyrion. Even a guy who appears somewhat decent (or at least politic), like Lyonel, probably doesn't see a lot of value in a son with no military or marital value. Larys could be resentful of his father and older brother.

[@ovskii96]

I'm glad you took a nuanced view of Criston. A lot of people are interpreting his reaction to being rejected as him being an "incel", which is super simplistic. His actions in this episode weren't logical, but they still made sense.

[@sammccloskey623]

Man your analysis is so good it’s like you wrote the show

[@joske2838]

Rhys Ifans is so good as Otto! I've read The princess and the queen & the rouge prince books so it's nice to see them walk a line between the maesters account vs what mushroom said, as in the real world there are reported accounts of what happened and then what actually happend, The Audiobooks for both are read by IIan Glenn (Ser Jorah in G.o.T) and he does an exellent job / on par with Roy Dotrice.

[@TheTrueReiniat]

I only saw Rhea for like one minute and she's stole my heart

[@dr.embersfield1551]

Only 3 minutes on screen and she already had more character development than Guy-ladriel in RoP.

[@OCMOOO]

I really enjoyed the moment when Harwyn got the nod from his Dad "get in their and get out" He's going to be fun to watch I think! Post edit: boy was I wrong

[@kcrow430]

Yeah that was a 🔥scene.

[@bouji_]

lol yeah, this the problem with this show imo. They really should have just started the show with Rhaenyra as an adult already.

[@Shade878]

These videos are perfect. Covers every detail, both obvious and hidden, and doesn't randomly throw out book spoilers and even promises there's no book spoilers for peace of mind. Keep it up Alt I look forward to this series every week.

[@chrisberry789]

Larys having magic is my new favorite theory and I'm so mad at myself for not thinking about that myself. Especially with the rats scene at the end.

[@carlrood4457]

The books say "Trees did not grow on Braavos , SAVE IN THE COURTS OF THE MIGHTY" Why do people keep omitting that last part when trying to make some big mystery of the Daenerys' memory? If they were guests of the Sea Lord, it's entirely possible there was a lemon tree there.

[@pyramidion5911]

I like how Larys is admiring a plant that isn't supposed to grow there but seems to be doing well despite a little physical stress (the plant was showing deficiencies)

[@ThatAussieBloke1]

this show is so well written and the actors are fantastic

[@rkiwtir1146]

This episode probably had the worse writing in the season. Most of the scenes have several plot holes.

[@thehoopman88]

@@rkiwtir1146 drink the cool aid bro 🤣🤣😅

[@rkiwtir1146]

@@thehoopman88 if i wanted to 'drink the kool aid', I would go watch a CW show

[@KOCChristian]

@@rkiwtir1146 plot hole or more puzzle to solve

[@elonif4125]

@@rkiwtir1146 Why has this comment 14 likes?!

[@MrAchsas]

honestly makes zero sense that cristin cole was allowed to keep living

[@LisaAnn777]

Because the queen saved him. They have the authority I am sure. Viserys just barely knows what's going on half the time.

[@chantintin10]

in the books, mysaria had similarly silver hair to the valyrians. daemon’s attraction to his own race was made very clear in the books but they sort of hinted at it back in episode 1 when mysaria asked daemon if he’d rather finish to a silver-haired girl.

[@zizoumonk10]

I just hope the showrunners have a plan for the transition to the new actors for Alicent and Rhae because Emily and Milly have done a phenomenal job and will be missed considerably

[@kaziglubey4455]

Yeah they set the bar very high indeed, I hope not to be disappointed.

[@mattm7798]

Emily yes, and am not at all sad to see Milly go. Not sure what it is but I just don't like her acting style. Could be that she is playing her role as a spoiled princess so well, but of the few moments of the older Rhaenera's actress, I like her far better. Allicent may be my favorite character so far since it feels like they learned the lesson of Sansa Stark being naive for WAY too long, and are giving Allicent depth of character alot sooner.

[@markperalta7722]

Yeah i was rooting for rhae in the 1st episodes but the showrunners really did a good job now im split between the allicent and rhae.

[@lesliegalen7018]

I saw Criston’s sudden attack being triggered not by Joffrey, but by Daemon. It was the moment Daemon tried to kiss Rhaenyra that all hell broke loose.

[@kcrow430]

Yeah I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

[@NuclearPenguin4]

What I cant understand yet is why Larys is doing what is doing. I mean his father and brother are clearly on the kings side and kinda help Rhaenyra so far. Has he gone rogue? Or they also have a secret agenda?

[@olenickel6013]

Well, younger brothers with nothing to inherit having ambitions and their relationship to their families has been a bit of a theme thusfar. I think it sets up something interesting, where GoT had its lines of conflict drawn largely between the houses, Hot D seems to foreshadow a civil war that will pit brother against brother quite literally...

[@nunyabiznes33]

Yeah, I wonder what he's up to. Or maybe the family is betting on both sides? Is that even possible?

[@St4rryN1ght760]

Some men jus want to watch the world burn.

[@greywolf7577]

I think the answer is simple. Larys believes that if he makes a friendship with Alicent early, he can get a high position in her son's government. So he will help her son Aegon take power.

[@stepanija]

Agent of chaos

[@PoguliPogalu]

High Tide is definitely inspired by the Mont Saint-Michel in France, it's a fortified little town on an island that's accessible by a walkway during low tide but that walkway gets flooded during high tides

[@vladdy1905]

I usually never comment on videos whatever the content may be, but I have been following this channel for some time now. The quality of these videos are like none other. Makes you wonder the time and effort that goes into each one. My thanks to Alt Shift X for creating videos to look forward to.

[@Aquaneos1193]

Audible needs to show you some love because your videos are a giant promo for Audible and it works. I have read 3 books from the series after watching your content lol

[@MD-sy3iw]

i look forward to these each week because you do such a good job of going beyond summary and blending the right amounts of commentary, context from the book(s), and a touch of humor. As an example, in this one, you made me think about how Viserys taking the ship is symbolic of many things, including his weakness as king, the power Corlys has over him (and the realm), his disconnection from the power of Targaryens (dragons and their dynastic reach), and his constant anxiety and indecisiveness. I would like to add to Leanor's commentary about dance being like combat. In several cultures that were invaded or colonized, the indigenous people concealed martial arts movements as dance movements. So, he may be referencing that also. Your "explained" videos for Hot D are miles above the other offerings. And your Tyrion video was fantastic, coming from a show viewer who hasn't read the books.

[@paulg5507]

Interestingly, the first shot of Corlys shows a close-up of EXACTLY those two fingers Viserys lost, lying on the arm rest of his throne. There's a lot to interprete into this The shot I mean is also in this video at 9:54

[@TheNinetySecond]

That's *very* well spotted! Kilner really didn't hold back on the direction choices for this episode. Really, all of Hot D has been way more bold in direction than GoT ever was.

[@elonif4125]

@@TheNinetySecond Yeah. Early GOT was simply good because of the writing, the directing was pretty boring and straight forward. House of the Dragon has great writing and directing which makes fantastic TV.

[@cam6467]

Your turn-around time on these scripts is really impressive, week by week. Especially if you are editing yourself as well.

[@xanderguldie]

Him cutting his hand on the throne is also a great metaphor for the corruption and weight that comes with power

[@MrBroken030]

5:29 It would be kinda fitting if he really was a green seer given his flower metaphor he spoke in the garden

[@ruthbennett7563]

All hail the “Three-eared Rat”!

[@Shiva182Katarina]

the transition to the sponsor is always so smooth

[@cocobloco5056]

Criston was just a pleasant adventure for Rhaenyra. Nothing more. He is devastated. He's in love with her or at least he thinks he is. And nothing could be further away from her mind or feelings. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. Refuse her and he risked insulting her and in accepting he just decided to chance it and hope he could live with it. I wonder what will become him.

[@TheNinetySecond]

"or at least he thinks he is". This sums up Cole perfectly. He's stupid, repressed, immature and emotionally stunted. A life as a knight was perfect for him, because he truly doesn't have the capacity for anything else. He can not read his own or others emotions, and he can't play any sort of political games. The one thing he is good at is fighting and being surface level chivalrous - because he's fundamentally violent and childishly infatuated with chivalry - and everything else feels like a failure and a source of frustration. Like a child turning to violence when communicating with their siblings doesn't suffice, Cole turns to violence when he fails at politics or love.

[@greywolf7577]

He asked Rhaenyra to run away with him when he was on a ship. Doesn't he worry that other people on that ship would hear him?

[@Ashbrash1998]

I think they both had feelings for each other, but they both had other things more important. Rhaenyra had her duty to the crown and Cole his honor. He even mentions the reason he wanted to elope with her was to restore some little of his honor left.

[@socialus5689]

Honestly, i think the best part of getting a new show are your videos. Stuff that goes over my head is nicely recapped with narration and lore.

[@ethanomcbride]

It actually does look like Daemon checked the extent of her paralysis before deciding to kill her

[@traumer9622]

Or before deciding to turn his back on her

[@mattm7798]

Yeah, Daemon definitely seemed to go their with the intent of ending the marriage. But if his plan was simply to kill her, out in the open, in front of a castle was a very non Daemon way to go about it. IMO, he took advantage of the situation and only after she continued to pick at him. He's obviously a character that would fly into a rage and act impulsively.

[@Ashbrash1998]

@@mattm7798 That's what I thought to. He could ended the marriage on the grounds of nonconsummation, he might have met with her to discuss that possibly since they both have to agree to the divorce. But the director made his reasoning ambiguous on purpose so we'll never know.

[@mattm7798]

@@Ashbrash1998 Yeah the one thing that does stick out is he is very clearly trying to conceal his identity, which speaks to ill intentions....but they're out in the open, in front of a castle, which is the opposite of that. Honestly it does fit very well with Daemon's character either way. Will be interesting to see if they have Daemon say what his intentions were, and even if he does, he might be lying. Rhea felt like a cool character to keep around as a thorn in Daemon's side and a strong female character reminiscent of his mother(tomboy etc). But I have given up on Thrones' series keeping good characters around just for the sake of them being good characters(see Robert Baratheon, Ned Stark, Ygritte, Mons Raider...I could go on).

[@Darkknightzoey]

Yeah, it seems like Daemon decided to kill her only after she'd already been crippled. He knows his reputation, and if Rhea starts telling people that he tried to murder her, they would probably believe it. Might as well actually murder her, and leave her death a mystery.

[@yukuhana]

Excellent essay discussion on episode 5. I'm particularly intrigued by your character dissection on Larys.

[@iLive2PrayProducts]

How the hell do you pick up the fact that the runes on the actresses armour is just immediately on google? That's such a crazy thing for anyone to find

[@TheNinetySecond]

These videos are always pieced together from various discussions online. Someone immediately recognized the runes as Norse, and found the relevant text (by simply translating a few passages) on wiki. It was huge on various subreddits by monday.

[@ToussaintZephyrus]

Joffrey dying in a tourney would’ve made more sense. His death could’ve been deemed “accidental” and Ser Criston’s arc wouldn’t have to deal with explaining how he gets away from brutally murdering a knight in a royal wedding.

[@professional_cynic98]

No but it lines up with both Joffries dying at a wedding…

[@GeekFurious]

As I said in my comment, I think the point is to show that Ser Criston is a shitty person who was going to regain his honor in a murder/suicide of a gay man he saw as a stained knight.

[@andromidius]

It can be explained away, though it needs to actually be explained in the show. But eh, the time jump basically just makes it details at this stage.

[@arawn1061]

@@professional_cynic98 not enough

[@marksaunders7920]

Writing another tourney in a book is easy. Filming another tourney is expensive and time consuming, a wedding feast was the best option.

[@scottspa74]

I think this is worth note. At 16:45, when Christian Cole, isn't killed or gelded, he must feel like his life's achievement is a farce. To realize there is no consequence, and maybe all the the honor and pageantry is empty, and what he so valued as a personal success was utterly vapid and meaningless, and that he's a fool.

[@mrorganic13]

There’s just so much lore to the GOT world that I sometimes question if I’m just watching a history channel with how far back the story goes .

[@keirangrant1607]

I dont like the scene with Crispin killing Jeoffrey the way he did. They could have made it look like self defense when Jeoffrey pulled the knife on him. Maybe he could have taken it away and stabbed him with it. That could have exonerated him. I dont understand how he was able to leave the scene as freely as he did. Rhea's death also didnt make much sense. But I'm willing to forgive a few contrivances and plot holes.

[@tite93]

I guess everyone was stunned by what happened, so they didn't make an effort to capture him. Plus he outranks all of the guards except his Kingsguard brothers. I hope they address the consequences of his actions though, I doubt it will be just simple as "ice a guy and walk away"

[@nunyabiznes33]

@@tite93 People are already thinking that people on both sides would let it go for their own personal reasons, Alicent wanted him as an ally and a possible future weapon against Rhaenyra and Coryls would not want news of his son's homosexuality out it seems (especially in the next episode Alicent would make a big deal about Rhaenyra's baby's parentage).

[@beavilaya]

The place where Daemon "talks" with Rea is the same location as the Princess Bride scene 😀

[@PyroClit]

The only reliable channel that can explain thoroughly episode. Kudos.

[@noriyakigumble3011]

Honestly I feel so horrible for Criston. There’s a huge power differential in his relationship with Rhaenyra that resulted in him living in fear constantly. While for Rhaenyra, Sleeping with Cole was an assertion of her independence and revised relationship with sex, For Cole, It’s a point of no return that can result in his death, Or worse. Rhaenyra is the Heir apparent who can deal with a lot of court drama without much direct consequence, But for Criston, Hearing Lonmouth playfully allude to his greatest crime and Shame just pushes him over the edge. The life and death matters of Cole are nothing but a game to the nobles and ladies of Westeros, and that realization broke him. While Joffrey didn’t Threaten Criston, What Joffrey did was shine a mirror on how screwed Criston is. More secrets, More oathbreaking, No end in sight for him being dragged along in these power plays and games. Mind you, Joffrey didn’t deserve to die, And Criston DID overreact but I think calling him a Thug teeters on victim blaming someone who is in a shitty situation. He’s basically Rhaenyras messaria

[@PoPo-qp8zq]

The show: Larys likes to observe Larys: I learnt to observe This channel: Larys used magic

[@zafarabbas5563]

Hey Alt shift X, the quality of the content you put out always blows my mind, can you tell us how long does it take to create one of these videos? (On the off chance you see this comment)

[@matthaeusphilologos8617]

This episode has the most shocking twist out of all ASOIAF properties. Not only does Sweden exist in this universe but the Royces are specifically from the region of Skåne or Scania, as the Anglo-Saxons say. Evidence: Rhea Royce is literally walking around with text from the oldest preserved example of the Scanian (ironically the flattest region in Sweden, in the southern part of the country) law on her armor. Not only are those skåningar everywhere in our media but now they're showing up in fictional fantasy universes as well! What ever will they think of next?

[@tgo007]

Really appreciate the attention to details and information in your videos. Everyone puts out a recap video for the latest ep hours after the ep but you sacrifice quality most of the time rushing. You'd probably get triple the amount of views if you put a recap video a day after the ep but I doubt the video would be this good.

[@Tormund_Giantsbrain]

The ending montage was my favorite scene so far. Give me the aesthetics of the red hue of the weirdwood tree glowing in twilight, give me the flickering lights, give me the gloomy ambience of a GoT wedding with an equally gloomy soundtrack & hook it to my veins! The very underrated heartfelt exchange Otto & Alicent had at the beginning was the most significant moment of the episode. Otto is not wrong. You either hope for Rhaenyra’s mercy in the future or you act now. It's the Tywin Jaime "we can establish a dynasty that last a thousand years" moment. The events at the wedding sets up the first chess pieces for Dance of Dragons. We Light the Way is the motto of House Hightower. This is the episode the Greens come into their own. *Rhaenyra and Laenor were exchanging wedding vows, but it was Alicent and Criston who were getting “married”.*

[@kcrow430]

It was very moving. I get goosebumps when I rewatch it. Especially when Alicent calls out Criston's name and we see her face and she stops him from killing himself. I didn't expect that because I didn't read Fire and Blood yet. Then afterwards I read about their history on the AWOIAF website and got goosebumps again.

[@tabulldog2743]

I think that the fight started because of a couple of factors- like I think Daemon kissed Rhaenyra and that set off Criston, who came over to fight Daemon, but Joffrey and Laenor tried to hold him at bay, but it spiraled out of control.

[@jodie3950]

That would actually make a lot of sense. I keep wondering what happened when we couldnt see what was going on

[@lawinaabraham3073]

@@jodie3950 I read a theory that Criston might have thought Joffrey was the one who told Queen Alicent about their relationship, since he must've wondered how she found out Thus him believing Joffrey was the one spying on them and now coming up to blackmail would have been incentive enough.

[@captainweekend5276]

Loved Matt Smith as Daemon in this episode, his response to Gerald about Rhea "ah yes, terrible thing that" definitely had the same energy as The Doctor. In many ways it's a similar role just with a different attitude, both are outsiders who don't take everyone seriously, however whilst Daemon sees himself as above everyone, The Doctor sees himself more as a spectator.

[@Felixrsc]

"It's surprising somehow Criston scapes the wedding" very elegant way to put it 😄

[@lReyReyl]

Thank you for not spoiling past each episode. I’ve been watching you since the original Game of Thrones and you’re arguably the best at explaining everything without spoiling upcoming events. I haven’t read the books but I love these shows. Maybe one day I will. Thank you , keep rocking!

[@minskhanly1988]

I support Rhaenyra the legitimate next in line! I'm sure nothing bad will happen to her and her succession will happen without dispute. Nothing you tell me will convince me otherwise and Westeros will have 300 years of peace. Long live AltSwiftX

[@geoDB.]

Aegon is legitimate

[@thorfinn7291]

Swift?

[@NoOne-ol6dw]

Why did you just spoiler us the whole plot of the next seasons?

[@venus-zt8ww]

@@geoDB. lmao, did viserys said that??? rhae is the heir and the legitimate

[@NoOne-ol6dw]

@Hypatia As far as I know there's no codified law in Westeros. So Jaehaerys indeed made a law who inherits the Iron Throne through his decision by naming Viserys his heir. Viserys changed this law by naming Rhaenyra as his heiress. Jaehaerys did nothing wrong. Viserys also not directly, the problem was only that many lords didn't like this law

[@icyman2]

It's worth to note that both Leanor and Rhaenys didn't rushed to help Viserys at the wedding, they both stood like "meh whatever". I don't know if it's intended or just blooper but it looked strange. Even Corlys rushed to him, but not his cousin?

[@nunyabiznes33]

Rhaenys probably still haven't completely "forgiven" Viserys, despite her saying she don't want to have any involvement with the throne anymore.

[@kcrow430]

I noticed that too.

[@archivist_of_dragonstone]

I have to keep reminding myself that Paddy is fine in real life, because his acting is so convincing. XD

[@Kashedra]

These are the best recaps and explanations. I wish I found your channel when GoT was on.

[@gkceu8157]

Daemon being told not to show up at the Red Keep but waltzing in anyway reminds me of Tony Soprano storming out Melfi’s office and always coming back

[@kcrow430]

😀

[@dylanfort5148]

These are the best breakdowns on KZbin

[@batgurrl]

Great analysis and your opening was top notch - it has a royal wedding so naturally there’s politics, drama and a murder immediately made me smile. These analysis truly help me as I’ve never read any of the books. Daemon’s ex wife really knew how to get to him. I Agree that we don’t what his original intention was her.

[@iChillypepper]

I love how you give credit to other content creators. Thanks for such a good breakdown

[@thesummerwiind]

Daemon used Intimidation on Horse It's super effective!

[@misterhenchmen]

true! a horse would sense his deeply sketchy motives

[@jessicavanrijbroek8283]

What I really like about this episode is that it's Harwin who scoops up Rhaenyra and carries her off over his shoulder like he's the one who's going to perform the bedding ceremony. Everything about this show is so excellently and subtly crafted, and the acting has been just superb. All of the young actors have really proven themselves and the direction in all of their grief scenes has been really beautiful. "Though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater", shame the Rings of Power haven't taken the same standpoint beside their author like this show has.

[@KaritKtana]

One correction: this wasn't technically a wedding! At least, that wasn't the plan... I think Rhaenyra's white dress makes it even more confusing. One minor thing I didn't understand, but was actually REALLY looking forward to seeing, was the exchange of capes at the actual wedding. I wanted to see both the Targaryen wedding cloak and the Velaryon one, just to admire the craftsmanship. But as the ceremony concludes, Rhaenyra is still wearing the Targaryen cloak. Is that a mishap? Does it tell us that everyone is too distracted and flustered to follow protocol? Or that the Targaryen bride will not take on the Velaryon name? At the overhead shot when Viserys collapses there seems to be a lighter lump of fabric next to Rhaenyra, but I can't be sure what it is.

[@sstteevveenn77]

I honestly don’t get all the Alicent hate from many HOTD viewers. Most of it stems from when she got with Viserys secretly. But aside from the fact that she was forced/pressured by her father to do it, she was also a literal child. Of course she’s gonna cave to pressures by her own father. You can tell in that scene with her father when he asked her if she was gonna visit the king that night, she looked miserable & it was obvious she didn’t wanna do it.