Lady S.

I'm not saying Aegon was a responsible ruler or that he wasn't being entitled by saying things like "mine are bigger" as if Vhagar were his, but if the original point was about him inviting Aemond onto the council I don't think that was about him being selfish. He didn't need Aemond on the council to have him fight on Vhagar or else Otto would have given Aemond a council seat himself and Aemond wouldn't now be expecting Helaena to fight on Dreamfyre without granting her a council seat. Also think it's worth looking at Aemond's words while grabbing Helaena, "They have diluted our birthright, made commoners into dragonlords! It is a sin and must be punished!". He has good reason to fear for all their lives but this is also very much an ego thing making him rage, hence why he just destroyed a town for no good reason. (Their lord being sworn to Rhaenyra does not mean there was any real strategic advantage in torching the place when their real enemies are on Dragonstone and in the Riverlands.) Interesting that this not only makes him sound more of a Valyrian blood supremicist and classist than Daemon or Jace, but also means he agrees with Jace that these bastards are not the same as Rhaenyra's. A brown-haired nephew raised as a prince with a dragon his whole life, born to two highborn official parents and a highborn natural father is no threat to him, but some rando peasant off the streets of unknown Targ ancestry riding an older, big dragon is an existental threat to his ego. And that would be true no matter how many dragonriders there were left on Team Green because he's built his whole identity on claiming the oldest, biggest dragon and if it's possible for any bozo to do that that ruins it for him. Before this, Team Black already had them outnumbered with 3 adult dragons with willing dragonriders and it was possible Meleys + Caraxas and/or Syrax could have taken down him and Vhagar, or at the very least killed him while injuring Vhagar, yet he still acted as if not only Vhagar but he himself were invulnerable and he could win the war all by himself. I don't think he had ever thought of the possible need to involve Helaena and Dreamfyre until now when he's truly desperate.

I also wonder how much of that was because she and Rhaenyra did not start out on the best of terms, teenage Nyra not even recognizing they were in the same position. Why should she do all the hard work of securing the throne for such a daughter-in-law when it should have been hers in the first place, yet there was nobody to do that for her? Just hand the throne to that brat who may not have murdered her son but certainly cheated on him and wasted no time mourning him? I think she and Corlys never really had the option of nuetrality once the war started, not with Baela and Rhaena on Dragonstone, betrothed to Rhaenyra's boys and Baela a dragonrider to boot, but key words there are once the war started. Rhaenys had plenty of emotional reason to hesistate starting things on Rhaenyra's behalf, and no personal reason to kill Alicent/Aegon and co. when all they'd done to her was confine her in the castle for a few hours and she probably respected Rhaenyra no more than she did Alicent. Whoa, and then the next time she and Aegon met, he ended up burned like Anakin except it wasn't even her dragonfire that did it. In all seriousness, I don't think any one player can be responsible for starting this war or failing to prevent it but they certainly all had a hand in their own way in making things worse. Whoever Viserys remarried, so long as he had a surviving son, there'd be people wanting that son on the throne, and Daemon was always gonna be a wild card. I do blame Otto for putting his own bloodline in danger just for the chance of a grandson on the throne, when he supposedly already believed Daemon was willing to kill any kin to gain power. Similarly, I blame Viserys as a father for sticking his head in the sand to try to keep everybody happy. He failed to strengthen Rhaenyra's position so as not to ruin things with his nursemaid/bedwarmer, while ignoring his children by that younger wife after Aegon's 2nd nameday, ensuring there'd be no ties of kinship between the eldest child and her half-siblings. Then the sins of the fathers Otto and Viserys were passed down to Alicent and Rhaenyra, then onto their sons mutilating and killing each other.

And only 5 of those dragons are adults. The other two are Vermax and Moondancer, which Rhaenyra does not want in battle. So it was 5 adult dragons vs. 2 when it could have been 5 vs. 3. Aegon is no warrior and should not have gone into battle when he did, but that's still better than someone who just refuses to fly in her own defense. Even if Aemond could force her onto her dragon he can't force her to command that dragon.

2 movies is still far less runtime than 2 seasons of televison, whether 8 eps each or 10-12. Haven't seen anyone source the idea that Rhaenyra sent Silverwing to KL, but it's not in the Inside the Ep. As you say, it makes no sense that she would send Ulf, of all people, on a mission minutes after he bumbled his way into a dragon. This ep shows that Addam, who's been vouched for by Corlys and said all the right words after riding Seasmoke, is the only new dragonrider she kinda trusts. Right, and at a time when everyone else was blaming Aemond for kinslaying an envoy while they were at least trying to get Rhaenyra to accept peace terms. I think he genuinely had no idea of Aemond's resentment for him. It's like his reaction when confronted about assaulting Dyanna "just a bit of fun, she didn't have to get upset". Perhaps that makes his childhood bullying worse, that it wasn't coming from any real personal malice. But I don't think that dynamic continued into their teen years, so there's at least a chance Aemond wouldn't betray him if he hadn't slipped back into that role in the brothel scene. As for Aemond/Helaena, worth pointing out that he not only didn't comfort her in her grief, he's the only one to have no reaction to her son's death. Well, except for pride at being the true target. I don't think that's inconsistent with someone who's decided love is a weakness and to base his entire personality around acting like he himself had all the dangerous power of his giant dragon. That enforced hard facade isn't just for Alicent. The point of making Luke's killing an accident imo (and giving him a sad child backstory) is that he didn't have to be this way, he wasn't always evil, but after he became a kinslayer without really meaning to, he had a choice whether to just lean into that or admit he lost control of the dragon he bases his entire identity around. He chose to lean into it and lean into it hard, stripping away his humanity layer by layer as he gained more power, including whatever childhood fondness or soft spot he had for Helaena. A sympathetic backstory does not mean he was going to stay sympathetic or that the writers were changing him from a full-on villain. (For all that people complain of the show's sometimes annoying Rhaenyra bias, surely things would feel even more lopsided if Aemond were given more screentime to do war crimes, which perhaps explains why Alicent remains the Team Green focus since Aegon's rule didn't last all that long.) Welp, guess that's it, folks. An okay ep, but very disappointing as a finale. Hope to see some of you next year for the Dunk and Egg show. (I don't think it's too spoilery to say there's no dragon battles there but if you miss heroic characters like in early GoT, this should be a series for you. Imho those stories are the ultimate proof that GRRM is no cynic.)

I think she believed both Aegon and Helaena were in danger under Aemond's rule and was weighing the hope of saving both of them against the chance of saving only Helaena. Aegon is bedridden and lacks much will to survive, so the idea of saving him/his throne must seem pretty futile. The meeting was pretty ludicrous but I thought it was clear her priority was saving Helaena, who she believed was not safe. It's like Helaena's choice in the premiere, giving up a son she believed to be already doomed in order to escape with her daughter, because it seemed the likely alternative was all of them dying together. When Helaena said she was happier before she was Queen, Alicent knew exactly how that felt. It's like she wants to make up for marrying Helaena to Aegon and making her Queen because it's too late to fix her mistakes with her sons. There is an irony I enjoy that on the team based on the principle of male heirs being better, both Queens have ultimately decided their daughters are not worth any less and will choose their only daughter over the male heir if both are in danger. Updated character guide.

She also likely had better supervision from Rhaenyra and the dragonkeepers. We know Rhaenyra isn't willing to risk the life of her own stepdaughter/cousin as she told Jace in their original convo about more dragonriders in 2.05, nixing his initial suggestion of pairing Rhaena with one of the pre-owned adult dragons because she was already rejected before. (I think anyone could muster some fight-or-flight speed in the face of a testy dragon.) I'm still annoyed we never got to see Laena claiming Vhagar or just any scene of Helaena interacting with Dreamfyre.

Oh, btw, this was our first ep this season without Criston Cole. I'm sure all his many loyal fans must have missed him dearly.

I think the problem was that a dragon known as the Bronze Fury, said to be likely the fiercest was probably going to be a meanie no matter what. Ser Steffon speaking Valyrian to Seasmoke didn't save him, while Vermithor was eventually won around by Hugh just screaming "COME ON" in his face. It sure does say something about Rhaenyra's priorities, though, that she chose to start with the biggest, baddest dragon, rather than Silverwing, who appears to have a better temperment. He appears to have all four limbs, but he also has multiple broken bones. I don't think someone in this condition should be trying to walk again so soon, but Larys isn't doing this to be sadistic. He just needs Aegon ruling again because Aemond doesn't like him.

In the Inside the Ep, Ryan Condal compares the sowing to a ritual sacrifice and says the idea behind Rhaenyra's speech (which was Emma D'Arcy's idea) was a cult leader hyping up dragonpower after her cult-like dragonkeepers refused to take part. (Guess Addam's line about the gods calling him to greater things really went to her head. I think Rhaenyra believes the Old Valyrian gods are blessing her cause with worthy dragonriders.) So I don't think this is a case like Rhaenys casually killing bystanders in the dragonpit where the writers and actor misread their own work. Most of these royals pretty consistently dgaf about the smallfolk from Rhaenyra and Laenor allowing Daemon to kill a servant in Laenor's place, to Rhaenys escaping through the dragonpit with considerable collateral damage, to Alicent having Larys burn Mysaria's house down (which the White Worm escaped from, but there were probably other people inside) and torture/kill all her servants who reported to Mysaria, to Aegon indiscriminately hanging all the ratcatchers, to Aemond closing the city gates and replying "so?" when told of his subjects' discontent, but Rhaenyra having her guards stop people from fleeing dragonfire really is a new despicable low. I admit I'd forgotten that Vhagar is meant to be too big for the dragonpit. Aemond's running leap onto horseback sure was impressive, but the distance struck me as another weakness. A dragonrider who actually knew what they were doing could have fried Aemond and his horse before reaching Vhagar. I like to think that any Valyrian blood is helpful to bond with a dragon, so Corlys could've claimed one if he wasn't so busy being a boat guy. Before this, I think the Targs were much more restrictive about who had access to dragons and their eggs to avoid overmighty vassals. In fact, I think Laenor having a dragon is more proof that he was considered a potential future monarch until the Great Council passed him over along with his mother. (Rhaenyra's mother Aemma was also a female-line Targ but never rode a dragon.) We don't know how "pure" blood of the dragon really needs to be to have power but I think this dragon econimizing would explain their preferred practice of keeping it in the family.

I was thinking his future half-Tully descendant, Robb Stark. Oscar's shorter and probably younger than s1 Robb, but they have similar curly hair and big confidence after calling the banners. We did see the riverlords questioning him because of his youth, which I think helps explain why he didn't feel he could declare for a side in this civil war and call his banners until he had total authority as official lord. That's like how Robb was reluctant to call the banners as acting lord when Theon first urged him to in s1, only doing so when the Lannisters struck first by invading the riverlands and arresting Ned. Right, the mongrel slur was uncalled for and it's true they're really in no position to turn away dragonriders, but he did have a point about the precariousness of his positon. His dragon was the one fig leaf making people ignore his obvious Strong heritage, but if any Targ bastard can claim a dragon, what's to ensure his special positon as heir? People right here are questioning the loyalty of these strangers, so I don't get arguing the danger isn't real. Being raised as a prince and insulted as a bastard, it makes sense he would not want to be associated with lowborn bastards. He's had to tell himself he's different, better than other Targ bastards because unlike them, both of his parents are highborn, his mother the Queen and his bio father a great knight, who was heir to Harrenhal and son of the Hand of the King. He doesn't want to identify with bastards born in brothels of uncertain parentage. And with his remarks about hair color, he has to have complicated feelings about his legitimate, Valyrian-haired half-brothers. (I've seen it noted that when they left Dragonstone with Rhaena, he only said goodbye to Joffrey, not l'il Aegon and l'il Viserys.) Rhaenyra thinks it's enough that he's her eldest son, but her own problems should have taught her that being named heir and supported by the monarch cannot guarantee a smooth succession. By remarrying and having sons with an arguably better royal claim than her firstborn's, and just completely ignoring the possibility of another contested succession, she's doing exactly what her father did to her. And now she sidelining Jace in favor of her new girlfriend, which is also what Viserys did with Alicent after Aemma's death. (Even Jon Snow initially thought he was better than his lowborn brothers at the Wall.) It reminded me of Sunfyre booping Aegon. Some dragons just like 'em drunk and stupid, I guess. Updated character guide.

I really don't think that would be a possibility even if she wasn't still recovering from hearing the decapitation of her son. Poor girl just wants to watch her pet bugs. Btw, the best interpretation I've seen of her cricket that stopped singing is connecting it to Gwayne saying Daeron is adept with a lute as well as swords. So youngest bro is a musician but he's gonna have to drop the lute and cease singing to go lose his innocence in the dragon war. I'm just here for the fucked-up family dynamics and cute doomed dragons, not going to try to justify or explain battle tactics and logistics. I feel like the years-long war (with two dragons) in the Stepstones in s1 show that's not a top concern for the writers either, including GRRM in the source matierial. Rhaenyra's even shorter on bodyguards than draonriders, with ferst Ser Erryk now Ser Steffon dead, she's down to only one white cloak left. RIP poor Steffon, his dad got beheaded by Criston in 2.04, then when he thought he had the chance to claim a dragon and avenge his father, Seasmoke was just trolling him. Lastly, want to note they finally updated the tapestry intro with the end of ep 2.04, while including the baby corpse/hanged ratcatchers, and (I think a different angle of) Vhagar chomping Luke/Arrax. And the vision of Viserys on the throne with his kingly Valyrian steel heirloom sword made it clear that's the same sword Aemond is now carrying. All that he's missing now is a crown.

This is an actor-endorsed reading, btw. Here's an interview where the actors discuss the Rhaenyra/Mysaria makeout: Emma D'Arcy also mentions frustration at not getting to have more scenes with Matt Smith in s2 and missing working with him. (I'm not measuring minutes of screentime, but I don't think he's really on any less than s1, he's just not with s1 characters except as hallucinations. Whatever your feelings, I think it's weird to look at Matt Smith's performance and think he's bored to pieces. If I'm the only one who likes haunted Harrenhal hijinks and bisexual Rhaenyra confirmation/implied Rhaenyra confirmation, that's fine, just makes it feel like they're writing parts of the show just for me.)

Oh, yeah, the family bullying is absolutely his villain origin story, I may have misworded things there. I just think it's a bit of history revision/forgetfulness when people talk as if he wasn't Mummy's Special Little Guy in s1 until the whole neptocide incident, or suggest that she always disliked him as much as Aegon. Helaena is her #1 favorite just being a daughter and not a potential male heir, but l'il Aemond was the closest to a 2nd favorite kid/favorite son. (I also think it's clear that while her control of Aegon has always been limited, he's desperate for her approval, to the point that he did ask for her counsel in 2.04 after she chewed him out and it was just her dismissing him as good-for-nothing that was the breaking point. It also seems he did listen to her about standing with his brother against their bastard nephews, so IA that he would have listened if she'd just tried to get him to stop being mean to Aemond period before that.) I think Aemond still loves his mother and would've wanted her by his side if she'd only support his violence and not repress the side of herself shown at Driftmark, but if she's going to start acting like his mother just to scold him all the time then it's best for her to concentrate on "domestic pursuits". Speaking of villain origin stories, I for one, enjoyed getting a backstory for Larys. Obviously he has his own agenda here to stay close to the king after Aemond insulted him, he'd probably dump Eggon Toast for a new patron if the right opportunity presented itself, but the feelings he's revealing to establish a sense of cripple solidarity are real enough. With that tear falling as he stammers a bit about people staring at him like a freak, that's the realest he's ever been. (I wonder what his relationship with Alys is like. We don't know whose bastard she is but the simplest answer is she's Lyonel's daughter and half-sister of Harwin and Larys. Now both the bastard and the cripple have weakened Targaryen "kings" asking them for help.) Speaking of murderers, noticed the Rains of Castamere tune playing over the Lannister army ride, even though that mass murder is still a long way away. House Reyne of Castamere is still going strong at this point, with one of them being the blond lickspittle in Aegon's Kingsguard according to subtitles. Though it's unclear if those three stooges survived the riot they helped make worse. (I think the old guy who grabbed Alicent was actually calling her Your Grace or My Queen. So while grabbing a queen is dangerously stupid, he was just trying to help, and they could have all probably gotten out of there easier if the three stooges hadn't drawn swords and started chopping.) I like how Alicent ended the riot scene with blood on her arm just like when she cut Rhaenyra with the Valryian knife. Finally, the kind of Daemon vision I've been waiting for with the return of Viserys. It all goes back to him and Daemon never got over that first rejection. Interesting how the vision makes Viserys's pain clear by making him more sad than angry, ending with him removing the crown and crying. That sadness was Daemon's breaking point, sending him running from the imaginary throne room, totally flipping out, and trying to finally leave Harrenhal. Nothing Dreamnyra or GhostLaena could ever say would affect him like that. I think this is confirmation that he did say "the heir for a day", even if his mood in that brothel party was never as merry as Otto made out, to reveal this kind of regret over failing Viserys in his grief. For all you haunting haters, perhaps the 2nd Viserys vision will be the last with Daemon actually getting some sense of closure and relief, breaking into cathartic tears after smirking at Grover Tully's death. (I was half expecting dead Aemma to start talking during the brotherly embrace since it looks like they really brought the actress back to just lie there.) Like how Ser Simon's response to Daemon's crazed allegations ended with him just shshing him like Daemon's a toddler throwing a tantrum or a nervous animal, which is not far off. And enjoyed how we all thought Alys just meant she'd get more of her "news" on the wind or cast some spell, but she actually just meant she needed 3 days to go to Riverrun and kill that old man. (Though I find it hard to believe she did it to help Daemon, prefer to think she's just doing all this for funsies.)