I was not expecting this, HOUSE OF THE DRAGON episode 1 REVIEW

[@fredEVOIX]

recently finished shadow of the conqueror buy it, it was really good ! I followed with a forgotten realms book and meh...I force myself to continue but it's nowhere near Shad's book where the 1st thing I did waking up was read a chapter

[@ianjohnson182]

The magic is so hard. Like, super hard magic.

[@marcuslobo5765]

Most books in the forgotten realms wouldn't be up to the shad coz they are hamstrung by systems meant for the games and an overarching mythos being built up in collaboration

[@neoaliphant]

@@marcuslobo5765 there were good for the time, as in 30 years ago....

[@mikaeldk5700]

Oh hey, the new super gen4woke series is so exciting! How is this channel now sponsored? You guys took the money for selling your integrity ...?

[@angussharington2374]

Yes, which forgotten realms book?

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

I think the scene of Daemon being unable to "perform" at the brothel is there to show that his being antagonised by the king's council preoccupies him more than he openly admits. His thoughts are still in that council meeting. This is reinforced by his final exchange with the king near the end of the episode in which he claims to want to support his brother.

[@batperson3532]

How are you supposed to perform when all that's in your head are the faces of old men?

[@edoardoprevelato6577]

@@batperson3532 tbf that woman is his long time paramour, so he's got more going on there than a casual romp

[@SuperNoobz22]

This is actually a really good take on those events, thanks for sharing my guy

[@Miller09095]

This is what I took from the scene as well

[@gerardojeriasanchez4946]

Yeah, I took it as a strong man just being vulnerable in his intimacy (because of his concerns over politics), you can see that in the kind, motherly embrace the girl gave him by the end of the scene

[@willmosse3684]

Daemon’s failure to perform sexually was to show that his position at court was causing him stress and anxiety. I think it was an important scene for humanising him. It shows the audience that he is not just a one dimensional psychopath or uber alpha, but is a complex character with conflicting aspects.

[@Thergood]

So I think the intention with the birth sequence and the big decision was to make the King look like he was obsessed with having a male heir because he didn't see a daughter as a legitimate heir. He just wanted a son. However, the end of the episode shows his true motivations when he tells the Princess of Aegon The Conqueror's visions. The only way to stop the White Walkers is with a Targaryen on the throne and a united Westeros. He knows the BEST chance of that happening is with a son as heir, and a clear line of succession. He was willing to sacrifice his wife, exile his brother, and alienate his daughter to ensure a stable Targaryen succession and a united Westeros is in place when the time comes. When it became clear a son was not possible, he quickly supported his Daughter. His only hesitation originally being that he knew she would face many challengers to her succession where a son would not.

[@azzy2001]

Shad tearing up at 29:26 almost got me! Myself and my missus had to struggle through a very traumatic birth last year... I can really relate to his feelings here. I've liked him for a long time, but lately I've really started to appreciate his very honest opinions. Go on Shad lad! Only real men cry 🇬🇧👊

[@disparutoo]

I took the stiff lip line to mean something very different. Maybe it's a British thing, but here the stiff upper lip is meant to be where you are standing something you don't like. In this example we'd also say something like "just lie back and think of England". To me it implied that they were with people they didn't like, doing things they didn't like.

[@RedHood001-KA]

I've never been relieved to hear Shad's review. To be fair, House of the Dragon has the advantage of George R. R. Martin's direction and counseling, something the GOT showrunners opted to abandon when they wanted to go further beyond their reach. The whole messages and lessons actually fit very well with the overall narrative, and by learning from the GOT show-regarding set designs, armor, etc-they were able to add even more improvements. It's just the first episode, but it's very well done. I hope it sticks until the end.

[@faustoutloud]

Rings of Power had the chance to have Tom Shippey's Direction and choose to fire him thats going to blow back so Badly for them its not even funny. House Of The Dragon will be headed into episode 3 after everyone has seen the release of Rings Of Power Episode1 man This show is going to be a massive success and Rings Of Power is going to be a Generic General Hospital Shit Show.

[@RedHood001-KA]

@@faustoutloud Yeah, firing Tom Shippey was honestly a bad move. I heard that Peter Jackson consulted with some people who were deep in Tolkien lore when he made LOTR, and that's why the changes weren't as jarring as it was in the Hobbit (though there were scenes from the Hobbit that were honestly straight out of the book, so even that trilogy had some accuracy). I could be wrong but that kinda shows that when you consult to the right people, you get great results. And honestly, I hope HOTD's writing keeps going until the end of the season, maybe even the end of the show. It'd honestly be a better alternative than watching RoP, if it's as bad as it's expected to be.

[@CNNBlackmailSupport]

I think Martin hasn't finished Wind's of Winter because the GOT showrunners WERE following what Martin said would happen. It just failed so terribly that Martin hid behind "It's beyond the books" and he is PISSED about it. "I don't understand how you could love something and then hate it. It's so toxic!" Exactly what he would say if he was really talking about his own book series.

[@takanara7]

It's not like they abandoned George - he basically stopped working on the show so he could "finish" winds of Winter Winter after season 5 - and then of course it's been another 5 years, lol.

[@takanara7]

@@CNNBlackmailSupport Martin thought they could so 13 seasons of GoT. The showrunners were bored with it and the basically speedran the ending, with disasterous results. They'd been building up the final battle with the weights the whole show and then it's done in one episode "winter" had basically no snow when in reality there's supposed to be like meters thick snow everywhere.

[@skyshatter3633]

Daemon armor is probably the closest image of what Rhaegar armor looked like we will ever get.

[@op_14-s2x]

Just to clarify, that's Deamons dragon, he didn't steal it. Also, i love the way they gave it a unique design and look, looking forward to seeing the rest of the dragons.

[@fookinaye8277]

one does not simply steal a dragon lol

[@knoahbody69]

Yeah, a dragon LETs you ride it. You can't steal a dragon, I think he rode in on a dragon. It's probably Daemon's dragon. The guys in the pit aren't there to keep the dragons in check, they're there to meet the dragon's needs.

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

I thought the dragon looked terrible. The effect was bad and he looked like a dragon from altogether different show. Dany's dragons were more scary and badass even when they were little.

[@ryanserdan4267]

@@johnnyskinwalker4095 that’s exactly how Caraxes was described in the book. The dragon is supposed to be malformed and ugly. And personally I really do like that they are giving the dragons more unique individual book accurate looks. All 3 dragons in game of thrones looked the exact same. In the books each one is supposed to be completely unique with their own character

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

@@ryanserdan4267 I don't care if it's ugly and malformed. I'm saying in Game of Thrones they look damn scary and impressive even when they were little. Like you shit your pants when you see them. The ones in HOD look like these sweet dragons we see in fairy tales.

[@slanderman92]

29:24 Not a big family guy myself, but Shad’s reverence for family is so endearing. This is just one of many times i’ve heard him get choked up in a video while talking about the sacrifices fathers and mothers are willing to make for their children. Even after enjoying so much success, you can tell his duty to his family is always at the front of his mind. We need more Shads in this world

[@emcdunna]

I'd argue Matt smith's armor is actually characterizing him as a show off, who cares about his image more than safety. The style too seems to imply this. He also might be relying on the fact that he's the prince, so people will pull their punches against him

[@GageEakins]

I absolutely agree. Every other night has armor that is much more practical. Matt Smith's armor is incredibly flamboyant and is really a showpiece. It offers the protection that would be needed for joust but not for what is needed for a fight.

[@John21WoW]

@@GageEakins protection needed for a joust? his entire face has 0 protection. It is a literal miracle he didn't die in any of the jousts... that helmet is beyond stupid for a jousting helmet... There is a reaon why incredibly big full face protection helmets like frogmouth helmet are called jousting helmet and him as a prince, possible heir to the throne, had neither the monetary issues nor the rank issue for not having a proper helmet...

[@ScottyOrange]

I was about to say the same thing. It also might show that people fear him enough to not offer feedback on his choice of armor.

[@kuwanger12]

@@GageEakins A joust involves basically having a wooden grenade explode inches from your face. People died all the time from the shrapnel. English kings died that way. Daemon having his helm open was just Hollywood rule of cool, and laziness when it comes to historical research. NOBODY would wear that for jousting, no matter who arrogant they are - its a death sentence if you know the first thing about jousting. And exactly this actually happened in season 1 of Game of Thrones to Jon Arryn's squire.

[@GageEakins]

@@kuwanger12 The comments about the joust are fair. I didn't mean to imply it was a proper helmet for a joust, I just meant that it could serve to stop head impact from being knocked off the horse so he wouldn't instantly crack his skull open. I think the visual storytelling was supposed to convey his arrogance. I think that because he is the only one who has a helm like that, even though there is another major character in the scene who has a proper helmet, not to mention all of the extras that also have proper helmets. I think the showrunners just went maybe to far with the lack of protection. My main point is that I don't think this was your typical have no proper helmet so the actors face can be seen Hollywood nonsense. I think it was intended to serve a narrative purpose, if not executed perfectly.

[@Blaskor314]

Daemon's helmet I thought would be super dangerous in jousting...but I think that was in line with his character and the point.

[@solarissv777]

I was hoping that, before the actual joust, he would attach some kind of bevor, or a removable visor, but well...

[@amishverma8415]

@@solarissv777 I mean... anybody who's stupid enough to aim for his face is getting executed so it's sort of a sign of his arrogance and rank. "Aim for my face, I dare you."

[@solarissv777]

@@amishverma8415 and what about lance splinters?

[@amishverma8415]

@@solarissv777 Fair

[@Eryomis]

I think that the sex scene is here to show how Matt Smith's character is feeling about it. He's really distraught to the point of underperforming during the act. Also the fact that he's moppy when she says that the "king won't replace him" indicate that it is the issue. While still lewd and i'd prefer if they used another way to explain it, we can gather than Smith's character deeply care about his image and to an extent, his brother (in his own way).

[@dragonchr15]

A writing book I read once said that it is ok to put sex, even graphic sex, in what your write....just make sure it is about sex AND SOMETHING ELSE! Otherwise you are just writing gratuitous porn. The opening of Basic Instinct (1991) comes to mind....it borders on porn but the writer wanted to depict just how brutal and sadistic this female serial killer was.....

[@GenomeSoldierDK]

I think you are correct - this is further supported by the fact that in their confrontation near the end he brings up how he has been shuffled around between positions and how he feels like he is unwanted by his brother.

[@jeromesullivan4015]

I’d bet that it never happened to him before 😉

[@zappodude7591]

They could have had him so put down that he doesn't do it at all. Plenty of steps involved - walking up to the building, going inside, meeting the girl, that he could have walked out at. But it's Game of Thrones and they have a -marketing gimmick- reputation to keep.

[@edoardoprevelato6577]

It also serves to introduce his paramour

[@rayous5480]

39:10 Daemon does not steal the dragon, that is in fact his dragon, easy mistake to make in the context tho :) This is one of the best BIG things we've got in years, personally I loved Peacemaker but thats about it, all the marvel series have been meh at best and from what I've seen The Rings of Power wont be anywhere near this good, I sincerely hope this keeps on being this good or even better because we all know that HBO can make good stuff in this universe seeing as they have before, we must just hope the politics does not overshadow the story

[@rpgadventurer32]

The ep was good, a solid start to the show with excellent acting by some actors especially by Matt Smith.

[@uhneeuhnjee1031]

Viserys actor really impressed me.

[@PauloRoberto-cv7ep]

the only concern is it's based on a History book, no dialogues or depth like game of thrones books had. They have to come up with all that

[@martynhyde1567]

@Муцухито I don't think it was bad acting so much as I find it hard to see him in that roll. He was a grate Dr Who but a bad villain in Morbius he just doesn't seem to fit the part of a bad guy

[@thebaron2277]

@@martynhyde1567 no he was amazing in morbius. He was the villian of all time just like morbius was the movie ever made

[@thebaron2277]

Matt Smith as Daemon was amazing. His intro was a nat 20 villian intro.

[@dyingearth]

The underlining story is based on The Anarchy, the Norman Civil War between the supporter of Emperess Matilda and King Stephen. Prince Daemon would be based on Robert of Gloucester, Matilda's half brother who leads her forces.

[@Nani-nh6qz]

I hope the best for you and your family man, love your content.

[@Perry_Wolf]

35:45 - I think the Hand of the King's motives for sending his daughter to the King's chambers is twofold. Not just to possibly strengthen his house, but at this time the Hand does not think the King will consider the Princess as his heir, so sending his own daughter may lead to the King bedding his daughter and increasing the possibility of a new heir because he is dead set against Daemon becoming the heir. I think this is his greater motive rather than gaining status, as you say Shad.

[@assortmentofpillsbutneverb3756]

Yeah I figured it was to wife up for that male heir

[@captianbacon]

The jousting bit was so much fun. And Matt's black dragon armor looks so kool and intimidating

[@RavagersPrey]

I just loved how colorful the Jousting Knights were, it's seems they learned a lot from Game of thrones in the armor and costume department.

[@TheNerdForAllSeasons]

That shit was NASTY. You could feel the impacts.

[@solarissv777]

But jousting in the open helmet though...

[@TheNerdForAllSeasons]

@@solarissv777 I think they communicated Daemon's overwhelming arrogance pretty well.

[@solarissv777]

@@TheNerdForAllSeasons but he was an heir to a throne, he should have been prohibited to fight in the tournament, unless a safe armor was used.

[@RavagersPrey]

@@solarissv777 Baby steps at least he was even wearing a helmet.

[@johngammon963]

And the Lord said unto them "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" and Shad certainly listened.

[@noop1111]

That's like what, 1/4 Duggar level

[@alberto5770]

Inside a marriage and with the same wife, maintaining the famiky with his work, not benefits....

[@KaitlinLuksa]

Five kids is like the minimum lol

[@berilsevvalbekret772]

@@KaitlinLuksa for him certainly. He isn't the one carrying the parasites.

[@KaitlinLuksa]

@@berilsevvalbekret772 Parasites aren't created from cells that originate inside your own body. There is no such organ that is designed specifically and exclusively for having parasites in it. There are no natural biological processes with the purpose to intentionally get infected with a parasite.

[@sorcha4841]

My husband said he liked Matt smiths tourney helmet because, even tho you wouldn’t wear an open one to protect yourself normally, he does as a way to show how arrogant his character is. He thinks he’s so good he isn’t worried about getting hit in the face and therefore he has better sight during the tilts and has an advantage.

[@VegetaLF7]

Same thing I was thinking. He's bragging about his skill by not going with a full face protection. It was a perfect visual representation of his arrogance.

[@iralsmith]

I think the scene at the end doesn't fully show that some people have issues with a girl being the heir, as some of the faces we saw showing contempt were Lord Baratheon and Lord Stark. The Baratheon was one of the strong supporters of The Queen Who Never Was during the Great Council of 101 AC at Harrenhall, the face he made clearly because he didn't support any of the succession from the Viserys' line, and for Lord Stark on the other hand, the reason probably had something to do with the New Gift incident before when the King (Jaehaerys I at the time) ordered them to surrender a territory in the North to the Night's Watch. And also the red dragon (Caraxes) is Daemon's own dragon so he didn't steal it.

[@vernonhampton5863]

How about the King grieving, and showing signs of his grief openly. He was contemplative, and wasn't cruel when dealing with his brother when he ransacked the criminals of King's Landing. So I say that one, no pings of toxic masculinity from me. And I really hate that term.

[@mimzthebugmimz1752]

And it's hard for people to day to understand just how important an heir was when the power of the government is vested in individual bloodlines. Without one, 1000's will die in the wars that can follow. Wars of the Roses or the Dance of Dragons.

[@kylegrey1071]

And his brother called him weak, likely for those same qualities. Just because they're showing a fuller spectrum of masculine expression doesn't mean it can't also critique it's less fortunate tendencies in some men. Being bothered by the term toxic masculinity seems like an over sensitivity imo, it's a discourse with a lot of nuance and you should be willing to engage with it.

[@KaitlinLuksa]

Viserys is a good man, but he's a bad king.

[@Namenlos-fo1ek]

The Sword Daemon is using is called Dark Sister. It is a Longsword of Valyrian Steel. The Targaryens had two Valyrian Steel Swords. The Bastardsword Blackfyre and this Dark Sister. While Blackfyre was used by the King and was some kind of sign for the King, Dark Sister was used by the second most important Person in the Realm. Visenya Targaryen used it in Aegon‘s Conquest, now Daemon Targaryen, Aemon the Dragonknight and the last one was Brynden Bloodraven who took it North of the wall

[@jimbokilo]

You missed the dagger the king has. Its the same one that Arya kills the Night King with.

[@KaiHung-wv3ul]

@@jimbokilo Well it's not quite a sword is it? Speaking of which, I wonder if there's ever been Valyrian steel spears?

[@Jwsponky]

@@KaiHung-wv3ul That... is a very good question, on the one hand it would depend on how common Valyrian steel was even in Valyria since spears from my understanding were the lower class weapon since they were cheaper to make and that's why swords were considered so fancy, you could afford all the metal to make one, but on the other hand spears are cheaper BECAUSE they need far less metal than a sword, meaning it would be better to make Valyrian steel spears than swords, more weapons out of the same supply... Arrow heads would likely be out of the question even though they need less metal again, since what are the chances you actually recover every single arrow?..

[@telchar]

I think the thing that made me so upset about the birth scene was that Viserys wasn't honest with Aemma. He didn't tell her what was happening and it just felt.... wrong. Sure, the whole situation was super messed up but Aemma at least deserved to KNOW what was happening. While in that moment she might not have been able to make a good decision in her mind, she at least needed to be told what was going on, and I think she would have been open to saving the child if she were to die either way. But in context of the world and the roles of men and women, it's presented in a great way - he thinks he's doing the correct thing even though it hurts and is messed up. Then our hearts are ripped out when the child died anyway and Aemma's suffering was for nothing :( That said it was a very enjoyable episode and a great start to the series.

[@MichelleParssinen]

That’s also the big issue I had with that scene! Not the decision itself, but the fact that Viserys didn’t TELL her. She was going to die regardless, and if she knew that, I am almost certain she would have agreed to trying to save babe. I also got so mad…like…you couldn’t knock my ass out first…? My immediate thought was “just slit my throat right before you cut into my womb,” but I get that that would probably cause some more issues. But knock me out, at the very least 😂😂😅

[@gailf1617]

I think that Viserys, who obviously loved Aemma, just could not summon the courage to tell Aemma that she was going to die, not only die but die painfully so that their son would have a chance to live. Of course he should have had the guts to let Aemma decide how her life would end, but this is Westeros, and Viserys was a Targaryen king, not a constitutional monarch in a modern real-life country.

[@31Herooo31]

I see you are paying a tribute to rings of power by wearing one of the chain mails from the set! Good Vid SHAD!

[@artyjnrii]

Imagine what Shad would be wearing with a budget of $1 billion lmao.

[@alberto5770]

@@artyjnrii sure the keys of 3 castles...

[@motocross_cooper]

Shad’s new meme: He screams….. *THAT’S BRIGANDINE!!!*

[@jones1171]

Well I'm glad to see that this is turned out well for a first episode. I am cautiously optimistic. Thanks again for doing this Shad. We always look forward to your review.

[@cartrips9263]

Keep in mind, The Boys turned fully woke only in the middle of season 3, The Expanse in season 4, etc. Other producers have deceptively edited trailers to not make a show look woke, but then it turned out to be completely woke. I mean I get it, hope dies last, but dont let your judgment get clouded.

[@mistersparkles1842]

@@cartrips9263 well put; expanse was always woke lite, but once it goes fully natty woke the quality of the show plummets with it. Prime expanse is among the greatest media ever created- season 4 and on is complete dog poop haha. Either way, this show is guaranteed to be woke despite its supposed strong start. Countdown to 5'1" girl knights judo flipping EVERYONE

[@gazlator]

7:55 Excellent, excellent point, Shad!! It often seems so commonly overlooked how much of a "battle" childbirth was in the medieval & ancient eras; one of (typically even the single greatest) most common causes of fatality among young women. I haven't seen the new episode myself yet, but this bodes very well.

[@misiopuchatek152]

I don't think it is overlooked. It is well known fact that women died usually while giving birth as well as children died during birth. It is one hell of a struggle for both sides. That's the reason kings children were so precious.

[@ThisNameIsBanned]

The vast majority of pregnancy and giving birth has no major issues. Women would give birth to 5+ children and more without much issues. Shows like this have a agenda to show it as awful as possible for the shock effect, which is not helpful to educate people how it actually is in reality ... even if it serves the show to make a point.

[@donaldmcgillavry1292]

@@misiopuchatek152 not usually. Just at a higher rate than today. If it was usual humanity would have died out.

[@MIKE_THE_BRUMMIE]

My partner had a 24 hour labour and nearly had to have a cesarean. Jesus christ it flet like a battle of attrition

[@neoaliphant]

not just medieval, a very high percentage now, especially in US, where numbers are approaching 3rd world country, death during pregancy is 50% higher for women under 20 than over 20, so that is just going to increase with less abortions.

[@RyanRott3n]

What I got from the scene in the brothel was that he could not perform because he had more on his mind he is conflicted. He is using sex to try and cover up his feelings. He has always been devalued and pushed away and is afraid he will be replaced in his position. The …service worker…says they can not replace you to him at the end to emphasize the point.

[@PhonesHQ]

One final point of discrepancy, Shad: Daemon Targaryen doesn’t yield at the end of his duel during the tournament. He just looks up at his opponent with this apathetic, slightly smug expression. Almost as if he’s saying “Go ahead and kill me. I don’t even care.” It’s one of my favorite moments in the episode because it shows just how psychopathic Matt Smith’s character is. He’s so engrossed in the fight that he almost doesn’t care if he lives or dies. Total fucking bad ass.

[@lordj3793]

Really I thought it was more of a I’m a Targaryen u can’t kill me and you know it.

[@SpadeApeiron]

Jousting in Witcher 3 game is the 1st time i;'ve seen heard or experienced ( virtually Duh ) this Jousting sport ~ and in The Witcher 3 rules were announced. "no hitting the horse, shouldn't Aim for the head and If u fall from the horse u lose"

[@PhonesHQ]

@@SpadeApeiron As Shad explains in this video, historically speaking there were not a consistent set of rules from one Joust to the next. Whoever was hosting the tournament would get to decide the rules of engagement during duels and jousts. Having said that, I still believe we were supposed to interpret Daemon intentionally tripping the horse instead of attacking the knight as a “dick move.” But because he is the prince and his father is the one hosting the tournament, he can basically do whatever.

[@SirDenzington89]

Can we say it loudly for the people in the back, all these strong female characters were actually created and written by a man

[@rhaenyralikesyoutube6289]

Preach! They are just as complex and multi layered as the male characters.

[@dominiqueodom3099]

really liked the Gold Cloaks doing work and the Argument between Daemon and Viserys. but man that Tournament was a Highlight,That POV of a Jouster was amazing. did anybody notice that Daemon not only injured Otto Hightower's Heir,but then had Alicent Hightower give him her Favor in front of Her Father? that's a Cold Move right there 😆 Also King Viserys by Paddy Constantine is on a whole new level compared to the Books. Daemon sliding down the Joust Barrier after being hit is an amazing Visual. Alicent's empathy for Viserys was very sweet.

[@jarnobrofelt1891]

Im happy to hear that you liked it too. 👍 I think it was good, i hope that show keep same quality whole season.

[@NabeelAbhan]

That whole prophecy near the end thing felt really ham-fisted in, as if HBO was saying "HEY, YOU LIKED DRAGON SHOW RIGHT?". Other than that and some of the dialogue, this episode was pretty good, and I'm actually for once not wanting to gouge my eyes out and am excited about the episode next week. Here's to it not going down in flames over the course of the coming episodes.

[@charleswain6124]

GRRM requested that they put that prophecy in. I saw it as a way to say "yeah s8 isn't canon"

[@keynanvarnado7592]

It felt a little out of place to me as well. Not the prophecy itself but rather Aegon being a dragon dreamer which has never been talked about in canon. However, George has intimated for years that Aegon had more reasons for conquering Westeros than simply power and my guess is Condal got this plot point directly from Martin.

[@protato911]

That prophecy things kinda watered down Aegon characters for me. Its not good enough that he is a ambitious conquerer, he had to be some mighty saviour of mankinds. Aegon being a brutal conquerer made sense (and Aegon Conquest is brutal, shit tons of people died), he lost his old homeland of Valeria, had great ambitions to rules his own realm cause back in old Valeria house Targaeryan is just a minor house, that gave him a chips on his shoulder and drive him to greatness. This made him a complex and yet larger than life historical figure. This Prophecy nonsense just made him into a comic book character.

[@nicolasritzke1042]

​@@protato911 It kinda fits a conquerer to think that his bloodline will save the world, you know?

[@maddoxglow3268]

@@charleswain6124 how would season 8 not be canon ?

[@antoinelatrompette4911]

Some people criticize the king for not consulting his queen when authorizing the caesarean section. Personally, given the medieval context of the series, I don't see any controversy in this scene. In medieval times, women had no say. It is the husband who decides who should live or die. And we can clearly see during this scene that the king does not have too many choices. He must sacrifice his wife to hope to save the child. We can clearly see, thanks to the acting, that the king is in agony at having had to make this choice and that he loves his wife infinitely. But, as king, he must sacrifice her for the good of his kingdom, saving his son and heir.

[@Jwsponky]

I admittedly only watched the show the once, borrowed it on dvd from the town library, but didn't the maester outright saw that the queen would not survive regardless, but they MIGHT be able to say the baby? Cards on the table I'm not married nor really have plans to ever be, but seems there wouldn't be much consulting to do, there's either two deaths or one death and maybe one life... Reminder to self, never comment before watching the whole video, Shad outright points this out.

[@Hot_Dice]

The only review for this show that I can trust. Thanks Shad!

[@stonewall01]

I see very interesting parallels between this story and the real history of Empress Matilda and King Stephen during a conflict called "The Anarchy." Historically King Henry I named his daughter Matilda his heir, after his Son died, and made his vassals acknowledge her as heir and swear oaths to support her. Well when Henry died, many of the nobles abandoned their oath and threw their support behind King Henry's nephew Stephen. The result is a 19 year long Civil (Succession) War between Matilda and her noble supporters against Stephen and his noble supporters. In the end Matilda won although she never became Queen because it was her son and not Stephen's who would become the next King and it would be her dynastic line that would rule England for the next 300 years. Very similar to the "Dance of Dragons" being told in this story.

[@irena4545]

I beieve this was the direct inspiration. Also, there was the Salic Law which excluded women from inheriting thrones and titles, so all those people getting their knickers in a twist because they think that Rhaenyra's cause is just modern propaganda, should learn their history.

[@spoonhouseinc.1124]

I feel like Shad cannot comprehend the idea that a political agenda in a work of art can also be engaging and nuanced, and a work of art is not inherently hamfisting simply because of the fact that it has political themes. The entire Game of Thrones series is a great example of this.

[@spoonhouseinc.1124]

Just kind of getting tired of the constant whining and complaining about "politics in media"

[@catmonarchist8920]

Difference between talking intelligently about a subject exploring the virtues of both sides and proselytising an ideology.

[@spoonhouseinc.1124]

@@catmonarchist8920 Yes but you can still proselytize and create a good story. I'd argue that tons of iconic literature is deeply political. Just look at Dostoyevsky's writing, or George Orwell, which are full of deep philosophical and political ideology, all very much one sided (of course, they portray "both sides", but usually come down on one side of the issue or another. Crime and Punishment pretty much flatout endorses themes of Christian individualism, and strongly refutes ideas like left Hegelianism and communism. The idea that you cannot be politically biased in creating a compelling narrative is completely stupid, and in fact many narratives WOUDLNT WORK if they did not have something to say, whether it be political or philosophical.

[@Ben-fk9ey]

Gotta feel sorry for him as he seemingly can't watch any media without thinking every frame is some form of woke mind hypnosis that's corrupting the world.

[@lordhelmchen3154]

When I heard a new show might actually be good: "Wait, they can do that? Is that even legal?" That would be a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. Especially considering the franchise is the one that gave us a show -that had quite the... special final two seasons- that sadly ended at season 6 and never gave us season 7 and 8.

[@Namenlos-fo1ek]

Wait, where did you find season 5 and 6. I thought the Show ended with Arya sailing to Braavos.

[@kobi-wanaenobi7080]

@@Namenlos-fo1ek yea it did go downhill but i likedd it till season 6 of couse not as good as first seasons but still good... afterthat it was a shitshow for me...

[@KaitlinLuksa]

@@James_Bee It went downhill but at least it was still watchable. Season 7 was only watchable because of the illusion that season eight was going to wrap the show up with a fantastic ending and they were just clumsily setting that up. In retrospect season 7 is just as bad as 8. Season 5 is where it started to falter and Season 6 is pretty bad but it's still not THAT bad. Except for what they did with Dorne. That's a monstrosity.

[@Jwsponky]

Am I just... the only person in existence who didn't mind the later seasons? I'll grant you I wouldn't call them GREAT, but I wouldn't call ANY of the seasons great, enjoyable to watch sure but not on the level of say... Lord of the Rings or How to Train your Dragon or... I'm blanking on a third franchise I'd call great. Overall a solid B, B+, not acing it but certainly passing. Yet every comment I ever read about seasons 7 and 8 is naught but vitriol.

[@purefoldnz3070]

The show was actually good. I was expecting Game of Thrones lite but it didnt pull any punches with the violence and sex. It was well acted and produced. We'll have to see how it goes but at least this story is already complete when it comes to the source material.

[@Gwenhwyfar7]

The main problem is the King should have warned her ahead of time. She would likely agree, because most mothers would be willing once they realized they will die no matter what anyway, might as well save the baby.

[@99Bobson]

I honestly really dislike Aegon having a prophetic dragon dream about the White Walkers. It just makes the world smaller, which kinda goes against the whole central point of the series. Just like those theories of "this person is actually this person" or "WW attacked Weymar Royce because they were looking for Jon Snow" It shrinks the series by making it revolve around a single, simpler motivation. It takes a story that is based around complex human emotions and actions and how they interact, and makes it about characters swept up in a prophecy that essentially makes them in glorified set pieces on a chess board. Now, Aegon isn't just this ambiguously vague Conqueror with ambitions that none of his ancestors ever considered, he is now just another piece in the Prophecy Puzzle that everything revolves around. George, we get it, you love the Targs, stop jerking off to them.

[@Kunumbah1]

No makes his character more interesting because he went from a noble hero trying to save the world into an authoritarian foreign monarch subjugating a people to his will and his incestuous despotic descendants. The other reason they included this prophecy is because this show is called “House of the Dragon”. They’re planning to make this an anthology series and the best way to connect every Targaeryan king is to have this over-looming threat of the coming winter in the back of their mind through dragon dreams and makes the illogical actions of future Targaeryan like Aerys I, my boy Aegon V, and Aerys II a little more logical. It’s not a bad addition to the story honestly without this extra magical element Aegon’s conquest is a really predictable and boring af story to adapt. Also the Valyrians make no sense. If 3 dragon riders conquered Westeros, and the Valyrians were sending dragonriders to Sothroryos, and they also had 300 dragonriders, and they were also trading extensively with Westeros, you’d think they would’ve sent like 5 dragonriders to steamroll the entire continent before Aegon.

[@99Bobson]

@@Kunumbah1 "he went from a noble hero trying to save the world into an authoritarian foreign monarch subjugating a people to his will and his incestuous despotic descendants." It's LITERALLY the opposite. In the overarching narrative, he is now not a subjugator, but a magical hero fighting desperately to unite Westeros against the evil hordes of The Others, lmao

[@svan81]

There were prophecies from the first book. There were more in the 1st and 2nd book than any others. It's not a change. Even Rhaegar decided to become a swordsman after reading about the prophecies. If anything, it's the opposite of what you are saying. Fans are the ones who moved away from the prophecies as the books went on.

[@99Bobson]

@@svan81 Are you equating reading a prophecy to having a prophetic dragon dream? Yeah, okay buddy, sure.

[@AmericanImperium1776]

@@Kunumbah1 The Valyrians never really seemed to show any interest in Westeros. They most focused on the east, smart empires don’t waste their time on lands they see no interest in.

[@TheREALSimagination]

Okay ... this may bode well enough... I do appreciate the integration of pictures as you go on.

[@Xearrik]

It's a trap! Don't fall for it! Game of Thrones used to be good once upon a time! Do you really want to suffer so much again? Don't stay in this abusive relationship.

[@everhall306]

Different writers, finished source material

[@FruityPebbles-420]

@@everhall306 I have to question the absence of Aegon I, Aenys Maegor and Jaeherys I. From this perspective they skipped approximately half of the book

[@everhall306]

@@FruityPebbles-420 I wouldn’t say necessarily skipped. The Dance of the Dragons is the most cohesive and interesting narrative of Fire and Blood - for the purposes of adapting that story they began right where they needed to.

[@FruityPebbles-420]

@@everhall306 I don't disagree that the Dance of Dragons is interesting. However I find it very odd that they omit the conquest from the series when that is what alarge portion of Fire and Blood focuses on. I personally think many were expecting or wanting to see Aegon, I know I was.

[@cooki3th1ef]

@@FruityPebbles-420bit late, but reason why is HBO is rumoured to be looking at an Aegon’s Conquest show maybe also the conquest isn’t as interesting from a storytelling perspective, not much you can really do with it

[@ameenoahmad]

This is actually a very wonderful review!

[@ahamedramadan8030]

Shad the show says that the C section was something new the Maysters learnt so i think the queen didn't know of it's existence. Also a C section was bound to be lethal during medieval times. It's the prince's own dragon i believe. Also fun fact the iron throne cuts the people who it doesn't think worthy of it...

[@mhaipeter42]

when i first saw deamon in his tournament-armor, especially the helmet, it gave me so much elric vibes. simply give matt smith red lenses and he is the perfect albino king of melnibone

[@neikiv8843]

About the brothel scene with Daemon, I believe its meant to show him being vulnerable. He couldnt perform, things are affecting him, despite how arrogant and in control he seems usually. He was shown covering himself with a shawl/cloth. I do not think its supposed to show how he's got the hots for his niece.

[@Tom531Cat]

That’s more of the thinking I’m getting.

[@rhaenyralikesyoutube6289]

True, but he does later marry Rhaenyra in the book, and she has been enamored with her Uncle for many years. In this scene, however, I believe he's just trying to take his mind off of the stress he is under.

[@ryanratchford2530]

Daemon's sex scene also shows that even though he's a bad boy rouge, he is legitimatly concerned over his position in court & being heir to the kingdom

[@mlproplayer171]

Dragon show good???

[@tiagoalex9573]

very good

[@sunso1991]

It is so cute Shad is so precise and excited regarding swords and armors

[@wray272]

Hey Shad could you do a "living with" review of your brigandine armor? Would love to see if your opinion has changed and how the armor holds up to wear and tear. Stuff like did your prediction of the fabric around the rivets tearing come true? also what type of gambeson would you recommend, i.e. the thickness, if any armor ties are needed, what types of helmets would work/look best etc.

[@Goro_Maj1ma]

Love your review! Just leaving a comment for the algorithm 👀.

[@DirtyDan77]

This very much captured the old feeling I had of watching game if thrones season one.

[@samuelsafin6564]

I really chuckled at the "would you like a silver-haired one" line, since canonically, Mysaria (Daemon's mistress) is supposed to have extremely pale hair and skin, to the point of being known as his White Worm. Oh well, chug along lads.

[@LuxLoser]

She’ll probably still be called that since she wears white all the time

[@acolddarkgentlebruh8205]

The pointless race changing is enough for me to dismiss this show completely, I don't even care if it turns out to be good in some way, if we want to stop politically motivated token characters and woke crap in our shows, we need to speak with our wallets. If people must watch this fan-fiction, they should torrent it, stop giving these companies money, and viewer counts.

[@jerryhampton5755]

@@acolddarkgentlebruh8205 well I kinda feel like if the guy who wrote the books doesn’t care well I don’t either.

[@MrFredstt]

@@jerryhampton5755 Idc tbh. If the books explicitly state how a character looks then they damn well look similar instead of a nonsensical race change. Also, sometimes just because an author says something doesn't mean it's accurate. Rowling said Harry Potter was gay even though everyone knew that was false

[@rpgadventurer32]

@@MrFredstt You mean Dumbledore. She established his sexuality already in around 2008 after the final book had come out. She answered in the media that he was gay and so confirming what was only hinted in the final book. As far as this aspect is concerned she was pretty consistent, though it was never a big part of the story not even in the book.

[@zonefreakman]

I really like the conflict in the family of Targaryan. Daemon wasn't a complete a hole and wanted to help his brother against the snakes of the court. But the king doesn't completely trust him, and that's understandable from what we've seen of Daemon. Their last interaction where the King sends Daemon away is kind of heart breaking. The "You're weak and they know it" line did seem not like an insult but a fact of reality.

[@_ariosto1519]

Thank you for this great review! I just managed to watch the first 15 minutes before falling asleep, so glad to know what the show is like! 👍🏾

[@damnitstroubleman]

There's a difference between pushing an agenda, and having a conversation. Sounds like House of Dragons was doing the latter, while She Hulk was doing the former.

[@orenmontgomery8250]

Wow, pleasant surprise. If Shad gives his approval (tentatively) I'll have to give it a chance.

[@9tz768]

one episode is out dude

[@Ost6891]

Thanks for the review

[@bullthorson2693]

Small point - Daemon’s sword is the Valyrian Steel sword Dark Sister. If they were following canon, the Coal knight would have been mincemeat.

[@crazybirdybird4312]

Ser Criston Cole won in cannon...

[@KaitlinLuksa]

Valyrian steel swords are awesome but they're not so OP that a great knight couldn't still defeat someone weilding one.

[@susanness9518]

Historically, the risk of death in childbirth was 1 in 10, with the same risk for each subsequent pregnancy. Childbirth, by the way, is still one of the most dangerous things a woman can undergo.

[@Toporshik]

What I really love about Shad that even if he may get emotional and nitpicky in his opinions, he always tries to look at things with open mind. It takes a real man to say "I may have been wrong in my concerns, and I change my opinion in the light of new information".

[@YipYipss]

This was a great start for sure

[@JustTooDamnHonest]

Well it would seem that it is getting a good rate in terms of medieval/fantasy realm. But I'm still not going to hold my breath.

[@sabinamolinelli3618]

I have been enjoying your analysis of all of the episodes of House of the Dragon. I like the format, your passion, and your knowledge of medieval life and battle style, which take de discussion to another level and add more flavor to the HOTD universe. But what I like the most is how you are invested in the show and appreciate the quality of the story, the consistency, the writing, the acting... Tell me, are you as disappointed as I am, because Paddy Considine **Vicerys** has not been nominated for the Emmy? Let me tell you, that the context of your video here compares to the devotion and quality that many KZbinrs from Spain produce. They love HOTD.

[@mattc1647]

I can't believe they got Matt Smith, superstar actor from one of the movies ever made, *Morbius!*

[@rhaenyralikesyoutube6289]

I didn't care for his villain role in Morbius, but he is killing it in this role of Prince Daemon, and I'm loving his character already.

[@engineerforthefuture8593]

The sheep line is right out of Fire & Blood, love that they kept as much of George's lines as possible. Loved it.

[@oswinhull4203]

One of the things they are trying to do with the brutality of this tournament is to juxtapose it with the later periods that we saw in the original series. It is meant to represent how tournaments in the earlier medieval period were less structured and more brutal.

[@LilBerny7389]

In the throne scene between Daemon and Viserys, Daemon described himself while insulting Auto Hightower which is just brilliant dialogue

[@DawnOfMutilation]

29:29 - I felt that mate ...

[@mattmatician]

Great review!!

[@J1283-s1k]

Very pleased Shad enjoyed it. We're all sceptical and I think that's even going to keep all of us reserved and reluctant in giving our judgement. But it's reviews like this what will make the difference for me in the build up of anticipating what to expect. I've been hoping it is good and I continue to hope with a bit more faith now. I felt very similar, praying it was going to be accurate to the book lore rather than 2022 social justice themes and I had my fingers crossed that those talking points were more from the cast and crew as opposed to actually making their way into the show (which I believe GRRM this time around has fundamental authority over).

[@TheDemigans]

Absolutely. When I saw a trailer for it I just laughed. "After that stunt you pulled with the last one? And House of the Dragon must feature a perfect angelic never wrong female as leader&protagonist right?". This makes me actually want to watch it. Its OK to put political messaging in your content as long as it fits! Not the "and now we interrupt this program (again) to tell all men they are evil misoginistic rapist A-holes and women are perfect beings who are always right and if you hate that message YOU are the problem".

[@dws0828]

Not skeptical at all, the story’s finished why would they have the same issues of GOT?

[@TheDemigans]

@@dws0828 because I for one didnt know the story was finished and even if I did I may not have known who were responsible for making the finished product. And with currenr culture in the media being about shoving a political message so far down our throat we can feel it tickling our colon a "finished story" isnt a guarantee for any good story.

[@CasanovaPugilist147]

@@TheDemigans just cause the story is finished doesn't mean anything and anytime they want, they can make a new season and start veering off the source material and claim that the writers wanted to tell their own vision of GRRM's story updated for the "modern times" and GRRM would probably ok it too lmao😂. I'm not going to invest any time at all until the show is done with all seasons and I know its good from trusted sources. Fool me once... fool me twice....

[@thedrakken9199]

It is refreshing to hear that the 1st episode is actually decent, but I’m with provisional power here in that I won’t give it any views until I know it’s good throughout. GoT’s last couple of seasons was scarring enough.

[@gailf1617]

Paddy Considine's performance as King Viserys really anchors the show this season, in my opinion, his influence is everywhere. He deserves an Emmy.

[@theaverageDon]

I'm with Mauler from last night. The scar runs deep from Season 8 and even 6 and 7. The fans have been burned way too hard by both what atrocities occurred on screen and the attacks on fans off screen It's a solid start, but has so much ground and good will from fans to claw back before anyone ought to give this show the benefit of the doubt

[@TealWolf26]

They're not only fighting cynical expectations from the GoT franchise in particular but from modern cinema in general. I could honestly see it go either way. The trajectory looks good, not perfect, but good. A cruel third act twist can still come in later and burn this in a trash fire as well. So healthy skepticism is good.

[@alberto5770]

From the coals I raise my hand and cry "nevermore!!!" I am done, will leave the privilege to moderner audiences

[@juniornisthal2216]

@@TealWolf26 😂😂 the fact you guys don’t know the story is already done and finished 😂😂🤦🏽‍♂️. All the show needs to do is follow GRRM writings.

[@TealWolf26]

@@juniornisthal2216 Yeah...that's the point man. They can still screw it up by going off script like the GoT did.

[@DillsyYourDaddy67]

@@TealWolf26 I doubt they will. After the reaction to how badly D&D went off the reservation and how Game of Thrones is literally never spoken about by anyone in a positive light these days, I could not see HBO going off script with it. They got burned badly by D&D and I hope they learned their lesson. But again, I could be 100% wrong on this one

[@calvinchan8511]

Regarding the joust tripping maneuver, it looks like they did the scene as a real physical stunt but did not want to truly risk tripping and breaking the horse's legs, so they got the lance as close as they were comfortable with and then cut to the falling shot.

[@protector_of_the_realms]

I loved what the King serves to the story and the portrayal of him by the actor who is phenomenal. However I hated his character in this episode haha (however I will say a later episode completely redeems him for me and I actually love him now). I definitely got the misogynistic vibes and how the potential for a male heir was of much greater value than the wife who doesn’t want to go through with another pregnancy after this and has her agency taken away from her and she is brutalised and killed in line with the views and values of a patriarchal society, but it was done tastefully and powerfully and ultimately I definitely agree with portraying this archaic way of thinking in a negative light obviously. And it’s a dilemma I love presented in that who do you save the wife or the son but just plays into the themes so well with exactly how it and she is executed. And obviously that mentality is in accordance with the time and highlighted also by the King’s fixation for a son when he has a daughter really well suited to rule seemingly. So if this is the complexity and way they’re presenting the social messages I’m all for it as it actually serves the story, fits the setting and isn’t ham fisted in there at detriment to characters, it only enhances them. Rhaenyra and Daemon were standouts for me and I already love them as characters. But I loved all the politics, the character work, the story and the issue presented and further how all were executed. Cannot wait to continue watching this series

[@zacccarter5955]

I love George RR Martin’s nod to a knights tale with the fist at the top of the lance

[@SB-yp8vp]

What were your thoughts of the killing of multiple knights in the tourney. I thought they went overboard. My understanding is that deaths were rare and usually accidental.

[@Tyler0789]

Had Viserys consulted Aemma about the C-section .. that would have been some stronk waman power stuff for sure. They set this up perfectly. She stated that she's done having kids. She lost 5 in 10 years, and she's done. That had to have played into Viserys's decision, even though he wasn't really presented with an option where Aemma lives.

[@Kelleeart]

As someone who had a breech pregnancy - let's just say I was happy to be having a modern C-section, and not ....one of those. 🤢

[@joklamarbgd5303]

21st century perks

[@saturn580]

HBO: “A bold new story set in the Game of Thrones universe...” Me: “Interesting, go on.” HBO: “We race-swapped one of the major houses and gave them blonde dreadlocks...” Me: “NOOOPE!”

[@zachj61]

Having a female ruler also complicates things with succession in that her children will take the name of their father, therefore the royal house would be Velarion and the Targaryens would fade into obscurity. Unless you pull an Elizabeth II and force your name onto your children, or beforehand arrange a matrilineal marriage, where the children take after their mother instead. Rhaenys children were Velarion, and Rhaenyras first three children were Velarion. I dont think this aspect was taken into regard enough in the source canon, but with dialogue, it could be here. Unlikely, since they failed to even mention Laenor's claim

[@DillsyYourDaddy67]

As you said, a matrilineal marriage would solve the problem. But the biggest issue with a female heir is that the ruling ruler would need to take steps to ensure his heir is properly supported by prominent houses and to eliminate other claimants to the crown.

[@Zveebo]

I think the name thing is a red herring - as there is no precedent for the Targaryeons, the Queen could easily just say the royal name trumps all other for her offspring (and in any case, the Velaryons are the main Targaryen marriage partners, so would inevitable marry in again at some point). Medieval queens couldn’t do that quite so easily as they often needed the backing of their husband’s family - but the Targs have dragons and no one else does, so the power is there. I think not mentioning Laenor’s claim was just to simplify things (as his claim never comes to anything anyway) and to avoid having to go back and explain Rhaenys’ claim.

[@Transformers217]

“House of the Dragon” and HBO are showing Amazon how it’s done! It’s all about character and story, and not about what an actor looks like.

[@KimM13744]

Episode 1, for me, did a great job of showing Prince Daemon as a villain and the Hand of The King as a good guy but we saw that shift during the end and as the show continues it will probably turn even more. Daemon is a very grey character but he does have good intentions for his brother. Plus we don't actually see Daemon call his nephew "a Prince for a day" or even his intention when saying it if he did. We see him in a sorrow mood yet it is presented as if he was mocking his brothers loss. We only have the story on the word of The Hand.

[@margisama]

I think the controversy over the birth scene is that while some are choosing to interpret it as 'he chose to sacrifice his wife for the baby!' (some taking it even further than that and claiming he ordered her 'murdered' for it), the showrunners said in the after the episode that she was going to die anyway....so it was a choice of let them both die (the baby was indeed stated to be in a breech position and so couldn't have been delivered naturally), or put your wife through admittedly a horrifically painful and frightening experience for the chance to try and save the baby. I appreciate the fact that Viserys is shown to be a good man who clearly *did* love his wife and as you said you could see him go through that heartbreak. I tihnk the issue with him is that he's a good man, but by the standards required of their rather brutal society he's not a good king. Daemon is willing to do horrible things in the name of keeping order without flinching at the brutality, whereas Viserys is a gentle, kind man who clearly doesn't like that. As for the actress that plays young Rhaenyra, she won't be in it much longer (or the actress who played young Alicent) the episodes are going to skip considerable periods of time so both Rhaenyra and Alicent are going to be aged up and replaced by older actresses (older Rhaenyra does the opening narration of this episode). And Targaryens being a rather incestuous bunch with a history of marrying brother and sister together, yup....Daemon and Rhaenyra are going to be a thing, but at least it'll be older Rhaenyra and not the younger actress.

[@annamiau8116]

You said you´d be "fair if things are actually good" about some show and you kept your promise. Not blind hating but a nuanced perspective is always appreciated. What's good is good, what's bad is bad.

[@karlanderson2231]

Did a good job of introducing a huge number of characters in a very short period of time

[@Namenlos-fo1ek]

That sheep Line came directly from the book and I loved it. Even the „Bronze Bitch“ was mentioned in the Book.

[@UnwrittenNoise]

Daemon really just is alot isn’t he? Love the character.

[@rhaenyralikesyoutube6289]

He is caught in an unwanted marriage he never wanted or asked for. I think she's a Royce, and they tend to be pretty big people.

[@DOSBoxMom]

I heard this morning that HBO Max in the USA crashed for thousands of viewers shortly after Episode 1 of "House of the Dragon" began airing. I've got the "Fire and Blood" book it's based on, but haven't finished it yet.

[@LordOfAllusion]

That pregnancy scene actually was super well done, as someone who has never been near someone giving birth. But I was super sympathetic, squirming, and it was just so damn horrific when that scene was going down. I could definitely empathize with her pain. It was very tragic and just made me cringe in an appropriate way. The past was rough.

[@mygetawayart]

the birth scene was actually kinda hard to watch for me, props to those who made it cause it truly yucked me out. The rest of the episode was fire tho.

[@sarareimold3151]

Interested to see it as a birth doula. Some labors are really hard, but some aren't. (Mine weren't). I wish we weren't always getting the message that labor is awful and the worst ever. It doesn't really have to be like that.

[@absolutelydegenerate1900]

@@sarareimold3151 from what I’ve heard in the reviews they wanted it specifically to be horrible and risky, not understanding that a 50/50 chance of death would mean the population would die out REALLY quickly.

[@everhall306]

@@absolutelydegenerate1900 Yeah their numbers are off in that regard. For the people who give birth over the course of the story, the main characters, it’s fairly accurate. Targs are notorious for having fertility issues.

[@thebaron2277]

God that was so hard to watch. It's also very symbolic becoming the mother said that "a woman's battle is not out there it's on the child bed" and you have the mother giving birth with the scene cutting to the men in the tournament killing each other in battle. It was hard to watch but it was so well done

[@ijclnl48]

I totally agree. I was pleasantly surprised by the pilot. Very entertaining

[@tomk3478]

I watched it earlier today. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised, but as noted, it's only the first episode. Still, some solid performances and some interesting plot lines laid out. My hope is that this one pans out better than GOT did.

[@ianjohnson182]

I saw your thumbnail and decided to give the first episode a watch. I like how they VERY clearly set the story in time in comparison to GoT, enough that ANYONE would get it; Gary from nerdrotic was worried normies wouldn't get it. But they did it in text before the episode really started, so the exposition was super in your face, but didn't interrupt anything. I like that it was there because it shows that they aren't abandoning the fans to be confused or anything like that. It's a good episode. They set up the three main characters (the king, his brother, and his daughter), they were all well characterized. They set up the side characters pretty well. They set up the story pretty well. Flashback showing the conclave of lords at Harrenhall, and which mirrors the conflict that is fully set up by the end of the episode. All the stakes, players, and motives are laid out clearly. It's, dare I say it, competently written. I'm most worried about the princess. She didn't seem like a fantastic actress. I thought the hand maiden was much better in her scenes. They missed an opportunity to fix a problem with Dani from GoT and dye the princesses eyebrows white along with her hair, but they didn't do it. They didn't draw attention to the race-swapped Blackfyres, but I'm still not super happy with that. Weirdly, I saw a few asian people as extras. They would have to be from Ashai (I think), but King's Landing is known to be a more cosmopolitan place, so it was appropriately and subtly diverse. We'll see if they stay subtle with it or hamfist it where it doesn't belong. It left a lot of room for future conflict. The Baratheon lord seemed a bit reluctant to bend the knee to the princess. I didn't see any ironborn bend the knee. The Queen that Never Was might feel slighted that she was skipped over but her niece (?) was chosen as the heir, and her husband expressed interest in pushing her claim so his son could be king after his wife. The Hand obviously wouldn't mind having his daughter become the new queen. There's troublesome nationbuilding across the Narrow Sea. You could get a LOT of mileage out of just what was set up in this one episode. Overall, I liked it. If it kept up this level of writing, acting, props, and sets, I could see myself watching all season. I wouldn't say I'm hopeful that it will, but if it does then I would be happy about that.

[@TheHornedKing]

Well, color me surprised. There is actually some hope.

[@sunrayuk]

Really small thing but I did notice that the baratheon knight had a crown stag on his shield. Which he shouldn't have the baratheons only had a crown stag when Robert became king.. small thing I know but just stood out to me

[@zachj61]

I believe this is a common myth, whereas House Durrandon already had the stag crowned before Orys Baratheon took the sigil and words from the Storm Kings, without removing the crown. Its supposedly mentioned in the Dunc and Egg stories that the stag is crowned, set long before Robert's Rebellion.

[@mayankbisht7691]

My only problem is about "Aegon's Dream", I hope that it doesn't go into too much fan service.

[@robertflux8011]

I know, late to the party. I thought that the way the measter framed it the kings choice with the birth was that if they did nothing both wife and child would die but if they intervened then the child might live