Everything shown on screen is valid for discussion without spoiler boxes. If you’re going to reveal future events based on any other material please spoiler box it.
2.01: A Son for a Son
2.02: Rhaenyra The Cruel
2.03: The Burning Mill
Slow first half I though, great ending of the episode.
I do think that the Blacks were very foolish. You know that Vhagar is the biggest dragon in the world, you either have to track it at all times, or you need to send multiple dragons. Especially after Rhaenyra noted that the target was odd! Daemon thought that he and Rhaenys would prevail; I’m not sure if replacing Daemon with Rhaenyra or Jayce would have worked, but perhaps.
On paper, killing the King and his dragon (it was making sounds, but I thought Sunfyre was mortally wounded?) for a Lady and her dragon is a good trade, but since Aegon was an idiot and his dragon was smaller, I think practically the Greens come out of that exchange ahead.
eta The names in this show are so hard, but I hate googling for fear of spoilers. I should keep a stick note somewhere.
Is Aegon dead for sure? I thought we saw that he was BBQ’d but my wife suggested he might have been crippled but still alive. (Since the dragons seem to explode when they die, I’d think he’d be dead for sure, but who knows!).
It was definitely meant to be ambiguous.
In other places I saw a lot of people say they were looking forward to action scenes of dragons battling because it would be bad ass, but it ended up just being kind of uncomfortable. The sound department did a really good job of making it seem horrific. It’s hard to watch animals fight, especially if they’re intelligent and all related to each other as well as rare and majestic.
The conversation about which dragonrider to send to take on Criston’s army was idiotic. You send them all. I realize with the theme of slow escalation of the war and the realities of filming a dragon battle that may not have been possible. But we’re not talking about real world armies that move slowly, have a huge logistical train, need to defend and occupy territory. Dragons are more like jet fighters - they can scramble for sorties easily.
Now - if we were talking about a battle across the world that would take days to get to, then it makes a lot more sense to only send a fraction of your dragon force. But the whole plot point here is that they’re taking a castle practically across the street from Dragonstone. Send everyone. The only valid reason not to (which they could’ve mentioned) is if they feared it was a decoy attack and if they all left dragonstone then that’s where the Green dragons would attack. That would’ve been a good line of dialog to explain it.
Rhaenyra is going to have to face battle. They justified her not going because the queen is too important, but the monarch of ancient armies often lead from the front, and more importantly, she’s one of the few people who can pilot the pivotal weapons of the war - she’s going to have to get in the thick of it.
Aegon being dead would be an interesting plot development but I’m afraid they’re going to keep him alive but severely injured. It will feel like a cheat because they gave lots of signs that he was dead - Aemond was putting away his sword before Cole called out to him, which suggests that he didn’t see the need to finish Aegon off, and Cole fell to his knees rather than trying to feel a pulse or otherwise see if Aegon was alive. Those things suggest obviously dead. It will feel like a cheap fakeout if he ends up surviving.
I can’t help but like Aemond even though he’s a pretty bad guy. He has strategic and tactical savvy, he puts in the work of being good at what he does and takes his responsibilities seriously, and the dude has anime villain style. Killing Aegon wasn’t a scheme of course, of course - Aegon feeling weak and setting out to fight was unexpected, but Aemond didn’t hesitate to use that opportunity to kill his brother. If Aegon survives, he knows for sure that Aemond was going to kill him, but I’m not sure anyone else could be sure. Battle is chaotic and Aemond could make a claim that he was trying to help Sunfyre against Meleys. I suppose a lot of people would know he was late to respond to the signal. I hope that becomes a plot point.
It’s not that simple, dragon riders are not just their best weapon in the war, they are also all their closest relatives and allies. Rhaenyra already lost one son, I would be willing to bet she would rather lose the war than another one. The greens would be facing the same issues if Alicent was the one in charge. There is a reason Rhaenys was the one chosen, and Baela is the only other one Rhaenyra sends out. They are the ones she cares the least about, Daemon of course will do as he pleases. The blacks are now down two dragons, but the greens can only count on Vaghar as Sunfyre was seriously hurt and Helaena probably can’t be counted on to fight even though she has their second strongest dragon. Not counting Alicent’s third son that keeps getting name dropped as he hasn’t been seen so far.
I’m certain Aegon is alive. Killing him off would simplify the plot too much, and Aemond is too interesting as the spare to make him the heir. The conflict there is driving the plot.
I have no knowledge of any spoilers. Hopefully those who do know will continue to keep quiet about it.
Honestly, Aegon has been my favorite character this season and it would be a huge loss not to have him around any more. Even if he survived though, his wounds should be horrific. The crash alone was bad, but he took a full dracarys to the face from Vhagar.
I agree, the most interesting plot development of this episode was the reveal to Aegon that Aemond wants him dead. A far cry from, “My brother is as loyal as a hound.” Aegon will live for now, although it remains to be seen in what condition.
I wonder if the dim-witted Cole will figure it out? No one knew Aegon was going to fly in at the last minute, but Aemond spotted him overhead and due to that, told Vhaghar to wait before flying to take out Rhaenys. Cole was frustrated by the delay. The clues are there for him to work it out, but he probably won’t. If Aegon can talk, will he tell Cole?
I am sad that Rhaenys is dead, but it was heavily foreshadowed. I will miss Meleys, too.
And, if Aegon does in fact survive, it’s kind of QED, isn’t it? “Of course I was only trying to help. It was a risky shot, but you’re alive, aren’t you?”
Anyway, I thought the, uh, “dance” scenes were magnificently done.
Yeah, there is enough plausible deniability there for Aemond to skate by, specially since Aegon was not supposed to be there. Aegon will know, but that is not enough.
I think watching the dragons fight is going to be very hard. I may have to avert my eyes for a lot of that. It feels too real. The dragons didn’t ask for any of this.
I hated to see Rhaenys die. She was my favorite character. I named my cat Rainise (with boring normal spelling) after her.
If Aegon is dead, I’ll miss his frat bros Kingsguard.
Some may know that there is a spoiler for this show in GOT (Joeffry telling a story to Margary). Aegon’s dragon eats Rhaenyra. It looks like maybe the writers have made a change to avoid that outcome. I hope so. I hated knowing that.
I think traditionally the Kingsguard stay on. They did from Robert to Joffrey to Tommen. Barristan and Jaime even stayed from Aerys. Logically it doesn’t make sense since different kings would have different needs/trust/etc.
I did enjoy the detail of the new bumblefuck Kingsguard running into each other.
I’m sure the Kingsguard stay on between kings with perhaps a change in Lord Commander if the Kind prefers. I think they’re supposed to be entirely apolitical and just good at their job like the secret service.
Can someone explain to me the significance (if any) to Daemon’s hallucinations chasing a vision of Aemond through the dark ruins of Harrenhal, only it was actually himself with an eye patch? Or will explaining ruin an upcoming plot point?
If yes, I’ll just wait.
On the most basic level, I’d imagine it’s a recognition that they both consider themselves the rightful heir, even opposed to their faction’s actual purported heir, and they are both similarly *ruthless. And both second sons (which, I believe, someone in the series already claimed cause all manner of problems).
So maybe there’s some foreshadowing there? Maybe D will follow A’s path of (what he images to be) practical treachery. Or maybe it’s an internal conflict he will overcome. But I imagine it’s definitely a harbinger of some sort of conflict, external or internal, though the resolution maybe TBD.
Never read the book, but that’s my read of the series as it’s own standalone work.
*Though I think Aemond is the more cunning.
Yes, I think you are right. I appreciate the analysis.
Like you, I’ve not read the book so it’s all news to me.
I agree that Aemond is more cunning. But Daemon has more experience being a ruthless bastard. Should be quite the epic battle!
That’s what they said about Llewelyn Moss and Anton Chigurh.
Also Aemond is now in exactly the same position Daemon was. The King probably wants his daughter as the heir, but Aemond should be the rightful heir lacking a male son of the King.
It’s not clear to me as to the dragon lineup here. So there’s 2 (with the biggest, but one not really in play, sad mother) on the greens side? And… At least 3 (maybe more, plus Daemon) on the Black side? Assuming Aegon’s is done now…