Westeros.org on House of the Dragon, Episode 8: The Lord of the Tides

[@DisappointedDunsky]

Paddy Considine deserves all the praise in the world after that performance.

[@1080lights]

Paddy Considine gave an unforgettable performance this episode. The speech given by Viserys at the dinner was heartbreaking and touching.

[@chrismaxwell3001]

This episode said so much about Daemon's role in the family currently. I considered his involvement in digging out the new dragon eggs, being very symbolic. Fully invested in new dragon eggs, producing new heirs, cultivating, nurturing family members and strengthening family lines. Firstly, literally cultivating their dragons, later, his involvement in all his direct family. Showing new sons to Vicerys and protecting all Rhaenyra's children at the dinner, not just his own offspring was a great development. Helping Vicerys at the Throne, was very symbolic of Daemon's willingness to help fulfill Viserys's future molding for the family too. It was touching to see his support.

[@SunnyDayTeaFactory]

When Viserys makes it to the throne and sits down, with half his face gold, and half his own, that was a intense image. He looked like what I would picture as an archetypical Targaryen King to look like. Paradox is even though he was close to death and struggling both physically and emotionally, he looked powerful and quite king-like sitting there.

[@WesterosTV]

Very well said. Impressive performance from Considine!

[@khaledalnaser9967]

Thank you for the weekly content. Very insightful and well-articulated.

[@WesterosTV]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@JS-ok4dx]

Can’t wait to see what the show does with Daemon and Aemond. Definitely going to be the most interesting characters to watch interact and can’t wait for their finale!

[@WesterosTV]

I really liked how they both seemed to respect/understand one another. Smart choice from the writers.

[@JS-ok4dx]

@@WesterosTV YES!! Love Aeomond’s little smile when Daemon puts Dark Sister to work. Definitely cut from the same cloth!

[@ladyasriel7874]

Jaehaerys & Alysanne going to The Wall on dragon back: 3 days... Daenerys going beyond The Wall after receiving Gendry's message via the world's fastest raven: "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

[@WesterosTV]

Yeah, I know it raised a lot of eyebrows, and I wasn't even watching the show by that point!

[@Marc9.]

Thank you for your amazing work!

[@WesterosTV]

And thank you for enjoying it!

[@Skabanis]

Paddy was amazing but will Johnson was beyond amazing also…he is 100 💯 100 percent correct in his speech and dies for his honor…the whole episode minus maybe dinner after such agruesome death was odd…

[@angelfieseler5358]

Daemon sniffs the cup that Viceroys was given… maybe the Hightower where helping the king pass

[@WesterosTV]

Can't rule it out, but in general he seemed genuinely just suspicious... and per a recent interview, the idea is he's suffering from leprosy, which would probably be fatal anyways without the help of poison.

[@DrahminsGooch]

I love your discussions on House of the Dragon!

[@WesterosTV]

Thank you, Ernest!

[@nataliedaniels1443]

After the fiasco that was the adaptation of Game of Thrones I was hesitant to watch HBO turn another part of this long and fascinating story into a television show. I already decided I would not even renew my HBO Max subscription until after I saw you guys review the show. Thus far it has been amazing and pretty true to the Fire and Blood books. Honestly between you guys's reviews and Matt Smith as Damon I was pretty sold. 😍

[@DarthQueefious]

I know awards don't mean as much as they used to but Paddy deserves some. Even if the show goes off the rails, you'll always be able to watch season 1 and appreciate Viserys' story and portrayal.

[@WesterosTV]

Very fair. I've my quibbles with this season but it seems to me it compares pretty favorably with early-series GoT, especially in terms of the look and feel of Westeros (where I think it's superior to GoT). They've done a good job, especially with Viserys.

[@macferthi]

The Dance will probably be made to last much longer in the show than in the book. As we'll get one season every two years, Aegon and Viserys will be close to their book age, ready when the time comes for their part in the story.

[@dhoakohime]

Viserys... I won't lie..I cried a little for him in this episode. The Viserys of the series is a character that I like a lot. Much more nuanced, has kind of a tragic halo.. I sympathize a lot with him. His entrance.... I had my heart in a fist watching his effort and suffering. So strong and magestic, yet so sad and tragic. And the end....yep.. this episode got me. His acting has been superb the whole seaon but in this chapter it has been magnificent. I also like Alicent a lot. She is more nuanced than in the books and you could easily find yourself rooting for her instead of Rhaenyra. That is a thing I am loving in the series...it is hard to side totally with one side, because you find yourself having sympathy for both. As you well say, amazing episode. The only think that seemed a bit .... ñeh...was Daemon killing Vaemond.i. front of everyone and having 0 consequence.... I mean...as a king you just can't allow that to happen before you have even dictated sentence.... Also, the begining of the episode confirming how idiotic the "let everyone think that we killed him to get married" is...with Raenhys, their greatest ally hating on them, but at the same time kind of standing with them we don't know why...opening a pretty stupid inconsistency in Raenhys character, which otherwise is a super solid character (one of my faves).... but the stupid decision in the previous episode now forces Raenhys into a stupid situation and inconsistent decision making... Also...I dunno why they decided to kill Corlys now...I wonder what they are going to do because he is a very important character further down the line

[@OneOnOne1162]

I loved this episode. I've mostly liked the series so far, but I've had some criticisms here and there. But this episode I pretty much loved from start to finish withr eally only minor quibbles. I also loved the little bits of foreshadowing and set-up throughout it. And Paddy's acting was incredible. I'm not one to tear up, but during that scene where Daemon picks up Viserys' crown I did have a tear in my eye. And I look forward to Daemon and Aemond... squaring off some more, let's say, in the future.

[@spacechampi0n]

Yes, the Pernese dragons are genetically engineered. The prequel novel Dragonsdawn tells the story of the colonization of Pern, the First Fall, and the engineering of the dragons and development of dragonrider culture, and migration of the colonists from the southern continent to the north. One of my favourite Pern books.

[@WesterosTV]

My only personal experience with Pern was that many, many years ago I played an old text-based strategy game where you managed a Weyr and tried to make sure you had dragons and dragonriders ready for Threadfalls, which would damage crops and lead to starvation if you didn't manage it properly.

[@spacechampi0n]

Tuttle and GRRM's Windward novel always struck me as echoing Pern in a lot of ways in the setting. The technologic decline from a former starfaring civilization, the generational trauma of colonists violently turning on each other and developing a class structure, those who are responsible for relaying communication standing somewhat outside that class structure, and the flying, of course. I always wished to come up with my own story in that subgenre, which i think is Planetary Romance.

[@Skepticktok]

Small complaint. I would have liked the show to introduce the Cargyll twins earlier so that their eventual fates hit with even more emotional power. Ditto Blood and Cheese. We already see that the Red Keep has a rat problem.

[@WesterosTV]

I can understand not having more characters so early, especially if they play no role this season. You can't cast an actor for a walk-on role in one season and necessarily expect to be able to have them another season. That said, a passing reference to fetching the ratcatcher(s) would have been nice. I like the fact that the Cargyll twins are played by actual identical twins, though.

[@geoffreykinsey5852]

I have a question (and this latest episode reminded me) has there been a Targaryen king least sexist enough to even consider a woman as Hand of King? I know its kinda of ridiculous considering the setting but I was wondering if you two ever thought about it?

[@WesterosTV]

No king has had a female Hand or even considered one. The closest may be Princess Elaena Targaryen, who was basically doing the work of her husband the Master of Coin. And of course we had Alyssa Velaryon as Queen Regent for Jaehaerys, Jeyne Arryn served on the council of regents for a future king... and of course Good Queen Alysanne ruled very closely with Jaehaerys, as did Visenya and Rhaenys with Aegon, but without the title of Hand.

[@UncleBernhard]

OK, this is the episode that brings me back. I really, really hate the Sky app! The usability is so bad in comparison to Netflix! But for good storytelling I will do my best. Please wish me luck!

[@WesterosTV]

Good luck! I suspect these last two episodes are going to be big.

[@thedragondemands5186]

Rhaenyra will return on dragonback

[@salpimienta2961]

Any thoughts on the absence of Daeron? Seems quite a decision to omit a whole royal child.

[@WesterosTV]

It's interesting that Viserys says all his family is gathered in KL... I guess they might go with the idea that he is being forgetful. We'll have to wait and see. George seems to think they'll have him in next season.

[@HailinJune]

My only quam is the casting for older Aeegon. Why does he still look like a child?

[@WesterosTV]

He does seem a bit of a contrast to the very lanky Ty Tennant, but I think he'll work out well.

[@agromchung]

The actor is two years younger than Olivia Cooke lol

It seems the showrunners decided to exclude Daeron

[@WesterosTV]

Viserys certainly says _all_ of his family is present, and yet Daeron is missing. That said... we know he's a bit delirious and also occasionally senile, so I guess in theory they _could_ leave themselves the out that he misspoke in that moment. I feel like they filmed season 1 trying to leave the possibility open but with the understanding odds were good they wouldn't have him in following seasons. We have two more episodes to see if he's referred to at all...

@@WesterosTV We'll have to wait and see if he appears.

[@melissablackwood]

To be fair, I didn't see Rhaenyra's other 3 boys at the dinner either. Nor Helaena's kids. Daeron would also be quite young, so it seems like all the smaller kids were fed in their nurseries, not with the grownups. Holding out hope to see Daeron later.

[@WesterosTV]

In the books, Luke is a year younger than Daeron. If Luke is there, Daeron should be there, as far as ages go.

[@melissablackwood]

@@WesterosTV I don't dispute the books, which I have read and enjoyed. These comments are about the tv show.

[@shytguy]

I know you don’t want to spoil anything, but are you talking about how some Targaryen stillborns are born with wings, etc.?which may refer to splicing genetics with dragons? Or is there more evidence to support genetic splicing that you are referring to?

[@WesterosTV]

What you refer to, plus GRRM has made references to the bloodmages actually using their magic to create creatures.

[@shytguy]

@@WesterosTV ahh I see. Always appreciate the responses. Big fan of both of you. Glad to see you both pleased with an “A song of ice and fire” tv series again. I wasn’t sure if you were going to give this one a shot after how we were spurned in the past. I don’t know your thoughts, but I feel Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik have done their homework far better than the other two buffoons who shall not be named. I know it’s the first season, but I have a positive outlook toward the future of house of the dragon. They actually seem to understand the world and one can only hope they don’t stab George in the back like the other two did. In the interviews I’ve seen, Ryan Condal always appears to want to confirm with George when he explains something about the lore or the show. That alone is a promising sign. It’s clear that they respect the material and are willing to challenge the audience.

[@user-td4do3op2d]

Does anyone else not like the way the “ice and fire” prophesy keeps getting shoehorned into the story? I especially disliked the scene where Alicent thinks Viserys is talking about their son Aegon when he’s talking about the other Aegon… It seems like the whole Dance will just be a sort of misunderstanding between Alicent, Viserys and Rhaenyra.

[@WesterosTV]

I chose to read the scene as Alicent wilfully deceiving herself into that reading, because she so wants her son to be king and (more importantly) for the indecent and irresponsible Rhaenyra to not be queen. But yes, we're not fans with how hard they are going into this prophecy thing. We definitely think they are making way more of it than George intends.

[@user-td4do3op2d]

@@WesterosTV I suppose that's the best way to read that scene. It's as if George gave the writers the information with the intention of it being a sort of "Easter egg", but they got too excited and decided to make it part of the story at every opportunity.

[@mariamhossam7066]

So the Targaryen civil war is gonna happen because of a misunderstanding, well that's what happens when a family sticks to only one name and keeps giving it to every new born child 😂😂😂

[@bruhhh._.150]

Why are they turning Aegon into Joffrey?

[@WesterosTV]

He did have some aspects of that in his character according to the chroniclers. But it's true, the goading Jace and Baela is a bit of Joffrey.

[@bruhhh._.150]

@@WesterosTV My interpretation of his character was more like Robert. Drinking, Whoring and not caring about any of the responsibilities. 80-90℅ fans are already team Rhaenyra, Now It'll be almost impossible to root for Aegon by making him rapist. Seems like wasted opportunity for nuanced back and forth between fans choosing side.

[@Firestata84]

Thank you for mentioning the twins! Why is everyone forgetting them? Vaemond is certainly forgetting that even if Laenor's three sons were not fathered by Laenor then Laena's daughters (one of them, they are twins so i don´t know how to solve that) inherits. Would have been nice if someone had pointed that out in the episode. I also think this wife/daughter confusion/misinterpreting/misunderstanding thing is very bad writing. Why not let Alicent deny Rhaenyras request of a meeting at the end and just tell her "No, we have nothing to talk about. The Throne belongs to my son". And please - can the series STOP talking about this Ice & Fire prophesy BS. Stop connecting it to the other materials that you already fucked up HBO. Otherwise, a really good episode.

[@Skabanis]

Three eggs daemon got are…….Dannie’s lol conspiracy theory