S02.E04: A Dance Of Dragons

[AntFTW]

I understand the caution around Vhagar. However, I also think that if the Blacks have any chance at winning they have to be prepared that they will have to face this big ass dragon and be more strategic in how they lure her out because they know the Greens will deploy her.

The Rook's Rest battle, I think, shows that Vhagar is beatable. Vhagar's largeness is a strength just as much as it's a weakness against the right opponent. It seems to me that Aemond had an equal chance of dying as Rhaenys. Despite Aemond's confidence that he would come out as the victor, he seemed just as vulnerable to me. That plan could have went a completely different way if Rhaenys wasn't distracted with Aegon's stupidity.

[Uncle JUICE]

Just now, paigow said:

She sees Dr. Who beneath his asshole outer layer....

Beneath his asshole layer...so like the taint of his personality is Dr. Who?

Quote

I don't get the appeal either, but I try not to judge too much since I'm absolutely ride or die for Aemond to the very end.

We were so close to being board buddies, too. 

Guilty confession: I defend Alicent like all the fucking time :). 

[proserpina65]

1 minute ago, paigow said:

She sees Dr. Who beneath his asshole outer layer....

I'm seriously having trouble even looking at Matt's Doctor episodes right now.  Which is a credit to his acting.

2 minutes ago, AntFTW said:

The Rook's Rest battle, I think, shows that Vhagar is beatable. Vhagar's largeness is a strength just as much as it's a weakness against the right opponent. It seems to me that Aemond had an equal chance of dying as Rhaenys. Despite Aemond's confidence that he would come out as the victor, he seemed just as vulnerable to me. That plan could have went a completely different way if Rhaenys wasn't distracted with Aegon's stupidity.

I disagree.  I think it showed that it's going to take a lot more to beat Aemond and Vhagar than what Meleys brought to the fight.  Because once Sunfyre and Aegon were out of the way, Rhaenys and Meleys were just barely holding on against Vhagar.  Ground proximity and airspace had more to do with Vhagar not finishing Meleys off when they first engaged.  Which I suppose could be seen as using her size against her but future opponents can't necessarily count on that.  I do think there is a risk of Aemond becoming overconfident and that being his downfall, though.

[Jack Shaftoe]

54 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

It actually fits in perfectly with her character from very early on in the show.  She's spoiled and entitled and doesn't realize that she needs to be proactive until too damned late.

And that would be fine if the idea was to show Rhaenyra as flawed but her councilors' unwillingness to criticize her for doing nothing to prepare for the succession (as opposed to criticizing her openly for all kinds of other stuff)suggests to me that this is intended as more of a "there was nothing she could have done" kind of thing. The Greens are also only now scrambling to find firm allies despite basically running the kingdom for years before Viserys' death and knowing that they have a bigger need for allies than the team with the higher number of dragons.

[Oscirus]

 Seems like the main event will be Daemon vs Aemond, which I'm just realizing is anagrammed lolz. Everybody else is indispensabie/ inexperienced.  Unless they find riders for all those dragons on the their island ( still experience problems, but I digress).

That being said, if they deploy multiple dragons in multiple places, Blacks should be able to pick up a lot of property, especially with Sunfire out of the picture. Vhagar can't be everywhere. Also, with Rhaenyra finally committed to war and the main cheerleader for peace dead, I imagine the Blacks should perform better from here on out.

Edited July 9 by Oscirus

[Chicago Redshirt]

Just now, Uncle JUICE said:

This is true technically, but was he any good at deploying that dragon? The war there lasted for three years! I feel like if you gave me the only dragon on the board in any battle, especially with a navy to back it up, I should be able to burn every living soul off the stepstones in a weekend. Bored? Let me wait until nightfall, drop down to this complex of caves I saw earlier in the day, and just blast a bunch of fire in there, then take off and come back tomorrow. 

I am ready for my seat on the small council now. 

I could buy that there would be a way to wage a guerrilla war vs. a dragon, and after all a dragon can't be everywhere at once, and there are some places it can't go at all. 

 

[Oscirus]

1 hour ago, Jack Shaftoe said:

The future Henry III of France rushed all the way from Poland once he heard that his brother the king was dead and the throne was up for grabs. His example is extreme, of course, but pretty much everyone knew that contested succession required quick and decisive actions, in order to avoid a prolonged succession crisisr. Rhaenyra doing nothing and not even having any agents in the capital to inform her of what's happening ASAP is typical Hollywood bad writing where nothing important seems to happen off-screen, so the characters always have to scramble and improvise rather than follow plans that were in place years ago. See also Rhaenyra only now looking for allies and everyone in Westeros only now picking a side rather than years ago.

 

It's even weirder because she had obvious agents since we know that the yellow cloaks are loyal to Daemon

[Uncle JUICE]

19 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I could buy that there would be a way to wage a guerrilla war vs. a dragon, and after all a dragon can't be everywhere at once, and there are some places it can't go at all. 

 

Fair point, but this is an island complex, it has only foothills and sand. The best case scenario for the Triarchy on the stepstones should be "hope to not get roasted while I eat cave dwelling creatures because I'm trapped here now forever, thanks a lot Crabface Killah."

[AntFTW]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

I disagree.  I think it showed that it's going to take a lot more to beat Aemond and Vhagar than what Meleys brought to the fight.  Because once Sunfyre and Aegon were out of the way, Rhaenys and Meleys were just barely holding on against Vhagar.  Ground proximity and airspace had more to do with Vhagar not finishing Meleys off when they first engaged.  Which I suppose could be seen as using her size against her but future opponents can't necessarily count on that.  I do think there is a risk of Aemond becoming overconfident and that being his downfall, though.

I don't disagree that it was going to take more than Rhaenys and Meleys but rather what I'm saying is that it wasn't an easy fight (not sure that I agree that Meleys "was just barely holding on") and Vhagar was wounded. The fight showed that Vhagar has vulnerabilities too that could be exploited. I think that fight was probably harder than Aemond thought it would be. That dragon hitting the ground a different way is the difference between Aemond dying and not dying.

Ground proximity and airspace can clearly make all the difference as we saw. That goes into my point about being more strategic in luring her (and Aemond) out.

If you're going to face Vhagar, there should be a strategy about how you would do that. 1) If possible, don't meet her in wide open up-high airspace; 2) if possible, fly low and lure her to you; 3) seize any opportunity to have Vhagar tumble or fumble under her own weight. A big enough dragon is needed to make that work... and they only had two (I think) with Meleys and Caraxes. Make every lick counts. Every second counts, and make every second she's disabled or on the ground count.

I actually think Rhaenys had a chance to escape once Vhagar hit the ground... but, man, did Rhaenys take her sweet ass time????

Edited July 9 by AntFTW

[proserpina65]

13 minutes ago, AntFTW said:

I actually think Rhaenys had a chance to escape once Vhagar hit the ground... but, man, did Rhaenys take her sweet ass time????

She actively chose not to escape in the end, probably because she thought the chance to incapacitate Vhagar was worth dying for.

 

15 minutes ago, AntFTW said:

Ground proximity and airspace can clearly make all the difference as we saw. That goes into my point about being more strategic in luring her (and Aemond) out.

That I absolutely agree with.

[Dobian]

16 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

(just noticed you can't spell "Aegon" without "ego" right there in the center) get in the way.

 

The naming had to be intentional. A EGO N.  A EMO ND.

[proserpina65]

1 minute ago, Dobian said:

The naming had to be intentional. A EGO N.  A EMO ND.

See also: DA EMO N

[paigow]

These guys most be popular in Westeros...

29 minutes ago, Dobian said:

The naming had to be intentional. A EGO N.  A EMO ND.

ETA: I knew a guy named Egon in junior high. He was Dutch

27 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

See also: DA EMO N

Edited July 9 by paigow

[aghst]

22 minutes ago, Dobian said:

The naming had to be intentional. A EGO N.  A EMO ND.

 

21 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

See also: DA EMO N

I think GRRM just got carried away with dipthongs, thought he was being clever with Middle English or medieval wordage.

[Colorado David]

was naming people so similarly a thing back in the middle ages? or is this just a habit fantasy writers seem to enjoy?

[paigow]

Generally, Targs are supposed to be fire proof / resistant. So the ideal strategy would be for one dragon to distract Vhagar while the other eats Aemond

[proserpina65]

4 minutes ago, Colorado David said:

was naming people so similarly a thing back in the middle ages? or is this just a habit fantasy writers seem to enjoy?

Yes, it was.

[Uncle JUICE]

Just now, paigow said:

Generally, Targs are supposed to be fire proof / resistant. So the ideal strategy would be for one dragon to distract Vhagar while the other eats Aemond

Spoiler

According to GRRM, this only happened one time, to Danaerys, at the birth of her dragons, and Targaryens are definitely succeptible to roasting. 

 

[proserpina65]

1 minute ago, paigow said:

Generally, Targs are supposed to be fire proof / resistant. So the ideal strategy would be for one dragon to distract Vhagar while the other eats Aemond

Are they, though, or was that just Daenerys?  There's been a lot of debate on that point.

But your plan is solid enough.  So I hope no one on the show thinks of it.

[paigow]

The team that recruits the Hill People ancestors of Shagga - Son of Dolf will win...

[WearyTraveler]

12 minutes ago, Colorado David said:

was naming people so similarly a thing back in the middle ages? or is this just a habit fantasy writers seem to enjoy?

England has at least 8 Kings Henry, remember?

Edited July 9 by WearyTraveler

[paigow]

6 minutes ago, WearyTraveler said:

England has at least 8 King Henrys, remember?

And 0 Haenaery

[AntFTW]

Quote

Aegon was very smart to get drunk, that woulda hurt a LOT more sober. That’s the kind of foresight you’d want to see in a king

 I saw this comment on Youtube and it cracked me up. 😂

4 minutes ago, WearyTraveler said:

England has at least 8 King Henrys, remember?

...and how about those Louises  in France?

[Colorado David]

10 minutes ago, WearyTraveler said:

England has at least 8 Kings Henry, remember?

well yeah, i meant to differentiate tween EXACT name matches versus close variations. I vs II vs III is easier than Aegon vs Aegin vs Aegan vs Aegun :) 

[proserpina65]

5 minutes ago, Colorado David said:

well yeah, i meant to differentiate tween EXACT name matches versus close variations. I vs II vs III is easier than Aegon vs Aegin vs Aegan vs Aegun :) 

They did that, too.

[Uncle JUICE]

Tons of Aegons...

Only one Aenys. Lesson learned by the Targaryens. Wonder where that dude it on the tapestry. 

[Jack Shaftoe]

29 minutes ago, Colorado David said:

well yeah, i meant to differentiate tween EXACT name matches versus close variations. I vs II vs III is easier than Aegon vs Aegin vs Aegan vs Aegun :) 

You mean like the kings of England who came after Alfred the Great? Prepare yourself - Edward, Ælfweard, Æthelstan, Edmund, Eadred, Eadwig, Edgar, Edward, Æthelred.

[SeanC]

3 hours ago, AntFTW said:

I understand the caution around Vhagar. However, I also think that if the Blacks have any chance at winning they have to be prepared that they will have to face this big ass dragon and be more strategic in how they lure her out because they know the Greens will deploy her.

The Rook's Rest battle, I think, shows that Vhagar is beatable. Vhagar's largeness is a strength just as much as it's a weakness against the right opponent. It seems to me that Aemond had an equal chance of dying as Rhaenys. Despite Aemond's confidence that he would come out as the victor, he seemed just as vulnerable to me. That plan could have went a completely different way if Rhaenys wasn't distracted with Aegon's stupidity.

3 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I disagree.  I think it showed that it's going to take a lot more to beat Aemond and Vhagar than what Meleys brought to the fight.  Because once Sunfyre and Aegon were out of the way, Rhaenys and Meleys were just barely holding on against Vhagar.  Ground proximity and airspace had more to do with Vhagar not finishing Meleys off when they first engaged.  Which I suppose could be seen as using her size against her but future opponents can't necessarily count on that.  I do think there is a risk of Aemond becoming overconfident and that being his downfall, though.

I would think that the best tactic to use against Vhagar would be to focus on Aemond himself; ideally, if you had two dragons, get him to focus on one of them and then the other try to come at him from a blindspot.

Strategically, near-term, the effects of this battle seem largely a strategic nullity; both sides lost one of their effective adult dragons, which means the Greens go from 2 down to 1 (Vhagar)*, while the Blacks go from 3 to 2 (Syrax and Caraxes). The Blacks also have two smaller dragons (Vermax and Moondancer) who wouldn't be suited to primary combat against Vhagar (as we saw with Arrax) but have a variety of other uses.

* The Greens also have Helaena's dragon, Dreamfyre, but it seems a universal assumption that she's not going to fight, which seems in keeping with her personality.

[Lady S.]

3 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

My sense is that they have only pledged their loyalty and have not actually mobilized any men. It is, as we know from GOT, a long way from the North to King's Landing, so I don't even know if it would make sense to have Northmen head south at this or any foreseeable juncture without first securing the Riverlands, which is what Daemon is in his Daemonesque way trying to do now.

The Vale's support was conditional on having a dragon assigned to protect the Vale. I believe they were only just now sending a baby dragon there, so I would assume no one is marching from the Vale as of yet.

Yeah, the North is a long-ass way away, so even if Cregan already called his force of greybeards they'd still be on the march. And the riverlands are right in bertween the North and the Vale, with the Lannister (Team Green) lands on their west, hence why both sides want to secure that region not just to have rivermen fight for them but to allow other forces to pass through without too much challenge.

 

4 hours ago, AntFTW said:

I understand that but my point is that I don't think she really had "numbers." Other than Rhaenys, I think the only person that it would have made sense to send was Daemon... and he wasn't there. Sending anyone in addition to Rhaenys of all of the available options, I think, would have been a liability.

Yeah, Daemon and Rhaenys together could've maybe taken out Aemond, but I don't think Jace's and Baela's dragons together would equal Caraxes. Plus Rhaenyra especially does not want to risk Jace after losing Luke, and that's also why she told Baela to stay high up during her scouting. (I guess she assumes Baela would make for less of an unprovoked target as she's a girl and not Rhaenyra's by birth. She's way down the line of succession as Daemon's daughter, and even though Daemon actually did the kinslaying, Rhaenyra got most of the blame, so a son-for-a-son-for-a-son cycle would mean Rhaenyra's son rather than Daemon's daughter.)

Jace's plan of a quick hit-and-run strafe was sound, but he wasn't counting on another dragon being nearby to fight him. He was just thinking it would be the same as Criston's attack on Duskendale.

5 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

It also looked to me like Sunfyre was able to twist his body and therefore not land on his back.  Meleys hit the ground on her back meaning there was no escape for her rider.

Yes, Meleys was already dead in the air, unable to turn, so she landed on top of Rhaenys with a castle to land on. No way for Rhaenys to survive that. But Sunfyre was only wounded, not killed outright, so was able to twist back around to land right-side up. They also may have fallen from a lesser height, as Aemond/Vhagar pulled Meleys higher in the air after biting her neck.

As for why Rhaenys never retreated, I'm thinking we may need to keep in mind that they think Aemond is even more murderous than he actually is. The world thinks he deliberately killed Luke, who was only acting as a peaceful envoy, so it's not a far cry to think he wouldn't let any dragonrider in his sight escape him. With Meleys injured with holes in her own wings, she may have lost the advantage of speed in a chase and the last thing Rhaenys would want is to lead him back to Dragonstone or Driftmark where he could fry anyone caught on the ground. And I think Baela is headstrong enough to fly out to aid Grandma if she saw them flying over Dragonstone, which would likely result in her getting killed or maimed instead.

[AntFTW]

Rhaenys has singled handedly come the closest to killing Aegon twice.

The first time during Aegon's coronation, she could have taken the shot but she hadn't declared for either side yet. She remained neutral.

Rhaenys could have killed Aegon at Rook's Rest. Sure, they likely would have passed the crown over to Aemond if Aegon had died but that would have been a major victory for the Blacks.

6 minutes ago, Lady S. said:

I don't think Jace's and Baela's dragons together would equal Caraxes.

Agreed. That's why I think they would have been a liability. They would have been needlessly at risk, and they would have been of no help, not unlike Aegon in this particular scenario.

If they're going to fight Vhagar, I think they need seasoned dragons. If Rhaenys was going to head into the Rook's Rest battle, it's either with Daemon or no one. I think anyone else would have been in the way and a distraction for Rhaenys.

[AntFTW]

Coolest shot of the episode IMO

Edited July 9 by AntFTW

[SeanC]

5 hours ago, AntFTW said:

The Vale and The North are sending some men, right?

Are they on the way and just haven't gotten their yet?

5 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

My sense is that they have only pledged their loyalty and have not actually mobilized any men. It is, as we know from GOT, a long way from the North to King's Landing, so I don't even know if it would make sense to have Northmen head south at this or any foreseeable juncture without first securing the Riverlands, which is what Daemon is in his Daemonesque way trying to do now.

The Vale's support was conditional on having a dragon assigned to protect the Vale. I believe they were only just now sending a baby dragon there, so I would assume no one is marching from the Vale as of yet.

55 minutes ago, Lady S. said:

Yeah, the North is a long-ass way away, so even if Cregan already called his force of greybeards they'd still be on the march. And the riverlands are right in bertween the North and the Vale, with the Lannister (Team Green) lands on their west, hence why both sides want to secure that region not just to have rivermen fight for them but to allow other forces to pass through without too much challenge.

The depictions of travel times in-universe have, obviously, varied wildly over the eight seasons of GOT and this show. Sometimes an episode or two may cover months in a particular plotline, other times a much shorter period. Unlike much of GOT, HotD has comparatively few plotlines and I don't get the sense that some are operating on a dramatically different timescale than others.

When Alicent's brother arrived in KL last episode, he said he'd been on the road from Oldtown (in the southern Reach) for three months. Assuming that he left after word of Viserys' death had arrived (which isn't expressly stated anywhere, but it's logical to assume), that would roughly indicate how much time has passed and also how long it would take armies to mobilize.

The Lannisters, who were Team Green from the get-go, also don't seem to have actually done anything yet (compare the first season of GOT, where Tywin basically mobilized and overran the Riverlands in like one episode).

[paigow]

10 minutes ago, SeanC said:

The Lannisters, who were Team Green from the get-go, also don't seem to have actually done anything yet (compare the first season of GOT, where Tywin basically mobilized and overran the Riverlands in like one episode).

Maybe there are no Cleganes working for the Lannisters yet....

[AntFTW]

On 7/9/2024 at 5:23 PM, SeanC said:

The depictions of travel times in-universe have, obviously, varied wildly over the eight seasons of GOT and this show. Sometimes an episode or two may cover months in a particular plotline, other times a much shorter period. Unlike much of GOT, HotD has comparatively few plotlines and I don't get the sense that some are operating on a dramatically different timescale than others.

When Alicent's brother arrived in KL last episode, he said he'd been on the road from Oldtown (in the southern Reach) for three months. Assuming that he left after word of Viserys' death had arrived (which isn't expressly stated anywhere, but it's logical to assume), that would roughly indicate how much time has passed and also how long it would take armies to mobilize.

The Lannisters, who were Team Green from the get-go, also don't seem to have actually done anything yet (compare the first season of GOT, where Tywin basically mobilized and overran the Riverlands in like one episode).

When Alicent says to Larys "only weeks ago, my lord husband was alive...", I interpreted that to be somewhere between two weeks and one month. "Weeks ago" could be two months so it's hard to tell how to interpret that.

Edited July 10 by AntFTW

[paigow]

Is there a fixed time window when Moon Tea is effective? - e.g. use only during first trimester... It would be interesting if too much time has passed and the only solution is at a Flea Bottom clinic run by The High Sparrow.... 

[baldryanr]

59 minutes ago, SeanC said:

The Lannisters, who were Team Green from the get-go, also don't seem to have actually done anything yet (compare the first season of GOT, where Tywin basically mobilized and overran the Riverlands in like one episode).

I think Tyland mentioned his brother could put together a "great army" in weeks, but the more pressing issue for the Greens is the lack of a Navy.  Since the Blacks don't seem to have an army at all Criston could go marching through the continent with relative impunity, but that doesn't alleviate the blockade making the smallfolk in KL miserable. 

[Stardancer Supreme]

18 hours ago, CeeBeeGee said:

She was caressing his cheek--which said to me that maybe he had blond stubble and she saw it and the gig was up.

Nawl. Any man diligent enough to keep his head shaved would not have stubble. Rhaenys likes the chocolate and she had to touch because he looked like young Corlys. Plus we don't see any other Driftmark sailor with a shaved head. Male pattern baldness was probably not a thing there. Leanor had to shave his head to flee to Essos...  

[paigow]

5 minutes ago, Stardancer Supreme said:

 Rhaenys likes the chocolate and she had to touch because he looked like young Corlys.

She watched Raised By Wolves 

[SeanC]

8 hours ago, Jack Shaftoe said:

The Greens are also only now scrambling to find firm allies despite basically running the kingdom for years before Viserys' death and knowing that they have a bigger need for allies than the team with the higher number of dragons.

While I would agree that Rhaenyra didn't do a good job of firming up her support in the leadup, I don't think the Greens are in the same boat. They're planning a coup; they have to be very careful about who they talk to. Otto was able to win over (or appoint) a mostly sympathetic Small Council and basically seize control of the capital in the crucial hours, and he recruited House Lannister, one of the major powers of the realm. He does not appear to have approached any of the other great houses (save maybe House Tyrell, who were mentioned last episode), probably because he didn't feel it was safe to broach the subject with any of them (it doesn't really seem like Cregan Stark, Lady Arryn, or the Tully boy we meet in this episode would have gone in for any of that).

What we've seen the Greens doing since is consolidating support among minor houses in the Crownlands, two of whom seem to have been passive and two of whom were actively pro-Rhaenyra.

[proserpina65]

After watching the episode more times than I care to admit since Sunday night, my definitive thought on the final scene is that Aemond was not trying to finish Aegon off.  He had his sword drawn because there was a battle going on nearby and he didn't want to be caught off guard if a stray enemy soldier showed up.  Based on the position of the sword and his hand and arm, however, he was preparing to sheath his weapon when Criston showed up, not stab something.  Doesn't mean he wasn't seriously thinking about it, though.

[CountryGirl]

Sunfyre was just the cutest and that little bop he did with Aegon before they took off for Rook’s Rest made me smile.

One of the few bright spots in the episode. Grumpy old lady Vhagar just wanting to take a nap in the forest was another.

The dragons don’t want any of this. 

I was spoiled for this episode but I was still yelling at Daemon to get his ass back to Dragonstone so that he and Rhaenys could take on the Greens together. I’m beginning to get bored with Harrenhall and Daemon’s dreams (save him moving exactly like EW’s Aemond in one of the dream sequences).

The less said about Alicent and her CC bun in the oven the better. Larys totally knows and I think Alicent knows he knows and knows she knows he knows. I’ll be curious about his reaction to Aegon’s injuries and incapacity because of course that asshole would survive.

Rhaenys went out like a bad-ass as did Meleys. Should she have gotten the hell out of there when Vhagar showed up? Probably but that isn’t who she is. She was trying to do all she could by taking out Aegon and Sunfyre and try to at least wound Vhagar and Aemond, the biggest threats to the Blacks. And it isn’t lost on me that she was killed by her late daughter’s dragon.

But Eve was just fantastic in this episode and she, her Rhaenys, and Meleys will be sorely missed.

The bond between her and Meleys before they took flight.

Those final moments where they looked into each other’s eyes, knowing it was the end.

Yup, I’m sad all over again.😢

It’s always the dragons (or direwolves) that affect me, not the humans who aren’t Shireen or Hodor.

I thought I was ready for the Dance of Dragons but I wasn’t. 

[ChicksDigScars]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

After watching the episode more times than I care to admit since Sunday night, my definitive thought on the final scene is that Aemond was not trying to finish Aegon off.  He had his sword drawn because there was a battle going on nearby and he didn't want to be caught off guard if a stray enemy soldier showed up.  Based on the position of the sword and his hand and arm, however, he was preparing to sheath his weapon when Criston showed up, not stab something.  Doesn't mean he wasn't seriously thinking about it, though.

I read it as possibly putting his brother out of his misery, not actually assassinating him to get the throne. He's shown to be ruthless, and I don't trust the little one eyed shit any farther than I can throw him, but he's shown that even though he WANTS the job, he grudgingly rescues his dim witted brother when he needs to. He seems to respect the rules of succession. He doesn't respect his brother as a person,  AT ALL, but he respects the fact that Aegon was born first and rules are rules. I think that Aegon was in agony, and Aemond was thinking to end his suffering, and if he got to be the next king by doing it....BONUS.

[paigow]

15 minutes ago, ChicksDigScars said:

Aemond was thinking to end his suffering, and if he got to be the next king by doing it....BONUS.

Double XP for mercy killing...Triple XP for reviving... Double is OK...

[PatsyandEddie]

My impression was that Aemond was going to finish the job. Criston’s presence stopped that happening. I’m leaning towards that because Aemond sheathed his sword without a word and picked up the dagger. He didn’t hand it to the King’s Hand but walked away with it. I also think Cole realized that he accidentally prevented regicide. 
If Aemond had any love for his brother, he would have behaved differently. 

[iMonrey]

19 hours ago, Lady S. said:

Yes, Meleys was already dead in the air, unable to turn, so she landed on top of Rhaenys with a castle to land on. No way for Rhaenys to survive that. But Sunfyre was only wounded, not killed outright, so was able to twist back around to land right-side up. They also may have fallen from a lesser height, as Aemond/Vhagar pulled Meleys higher in the air after biting her neck

Again . . . it's not a question of where he grips it  how they landed. It's the mega-ton fiery explosion that ensued in both instances, which should have incinerated them. If we're to believe Aegon survived simply because of how/where Sunfyre landed, they shouldn't have depicted what looked like a bomb going off in the forest.

18 hours ago, SeanC said:

When Alicent's brother arrived in KL last episode, he said he'd been on the road from Oldtown (in the southern Reach) for three months. Assuming that he left after word of Viserys' death had arrived (which isn't expressly stated anywhere, but it's logical to assume), that would roughly indicate how much time has passed and also how long it would take armies to mobilize.

There's no way it takes three months to get from the Reach to Kings Landing. It didn't take Ned, Robert, et. al. three months to get from Winterfell to Kings Landing all the way back in Season 1 of GoT. Also, we are still only a few weeks out from the death of Viserys, per the dialogue.

I assume Gwayne just took his good sweet time stopping to see the sights and frequenting the many brothels along the way.

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

Sunfyre was just the cutest and that little bop he did with Aegon before they took off for Rook’s Rest made me smile.

One of the few bright spots in the episode. Grumpy old lady Vhagar just wanting to take a nap in the forest was another.

MeeMaw needs her sleep.  And Sunfyre's little head boop reminded me of my cats, so I had to love that.

I really hate seeing the dragons get hurt and killed.

1 hour ago, PatsyandEddie said:

If Aemond had any love for his brother, he would have behaved differently. 

He definitely doesn't have any love for his brother.

I'm basing my opinion on sword arm position; it wasn't in a stabbing position but a sheathing position, imo.

32 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

There's no way it takes three months to get from the Reach to Kings Landing. It didn't take Ned, Robert, et. al. three months to get from Winterfell to Kings Landing all the way back in Season 1 of GoT. Also, we are still only a few weeks out from the death of Viserys, per the dialogue.

I assume Gwayne just took his good sweet time stopping to see the sights and frequenting the many brothels along the way.

Sounds like Gwayne was already on en route to Kings Landing before Viserys' death.  He was definitely lollygagging his way there.

[AntFTW]

50 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Sounds like Gwayne was already on en route to Kings Landing before Viserys' death.  He was definitely lollygagging his way there

Stopping at all the inns.

[Oscirus]

The contrast in moms stood out too. You have Rhaenyra pulling Jace to the side when he was starting to become unruly and telling him the story of ice and fire to show that this was bigger than this war while Alicent just dismissed and told her son to stfu when he came to her. 

[CountryGirl]

On a lighter note, this made me snort-laugh.

Suck it, Crispy Creme!

[Is Everyone Gone]

I mean, this was one of the few good decisions Alicent made in the series.

The world does not need Colicent spawn.