# House of the Dragon, an HBO prequel series to Game of Thrones **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, hbomax-wb-dc\ **Created:** [May 6, 2021, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521 "2021-05-06T13:17:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/382 "2022-10-04T15:24:29Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Qarl and Laenor were in on it, but not the Targaerians, I assume. Daemon tried to get Qarl to kill him but Qarl realized he could fake the murder and run away with Daemon anyways. So why would Daemon kill a guy for them to use as a fake Laenor? ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/383 "2022-10-04T15:25:18Z")
Yes, even then most of the latest episode was black silhouettes. We turned on adaptive-HDR setting on our TV and it helped lighten the dark scenes, but with very bad motion-smearing artifacts as a result. This is the only show, on any streaming channel, with this consistently bad dark scenes problem. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/384 "2022-10-04T15:25:54Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > So why would Daemon kill a guy for them to use as a fake Laenor?. I didn’t see that post until I had already made mine, and I had forgotten that bit, but you’re right. Which surprises me because I’d have thought them not knowing that Laenor is alive would make for more drama. Still, murdering a random innocent servant so you can finish your plan without spilling any “noble” blood is not exactly less evil. ---
**Author:** ![SlipperyPete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@SlipperyPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlipperyPete)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/385 "2022-10-04T15:29:26Z")
Yeah it seems like it only works if Daemon is fully aware of the plan. And he would consider the life of a common servant as far less valuable than Laenor’s, given that Laenor has old Valyrian blood. I imagine Daemon (and maybe other Targaryens too) view the people’s worth in this ranking: Targaryen with true Valyrian blood on both sides (Viserys, Rhaenyra, Rhaenys, Daemon) Targaryen mixed with noble blood (Alicent’s children: Aegon, Aemond, Helaena) Velaryon true blood (all Valyrian) – all of Corlys’s family Velaryon mixed with noble blood – don’t think we’ve seen this category yet? Targaryen/Velaryon bastards, or mixed with commoners (Rhaenyra’s children) Nobility (Lannister, Baratheon, Stark, etc) Noble bastards Commoners ---
**Author:** ![SlipperyPete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@SlipperyPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlipperyPete)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/386 "2022-10-04T15:38:40Z")
Try going into your TV settings and make sure you have it in “Standard” and not “Cinema”. Then increase your backlight and brightness settings. Try messing with contrast too, see if significantly higher or lower values than your current setting help the dark scenes stand out more. They should look dimmer than the rest, they’re supposed to. But if you are just seeing silhouettes I expect something is off with your contrast. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/387 "2022-10-04T16:03:08Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > > [@Babale](#): > > > > Qarl and Laenor were in on it, but not the Targaerians, I assume. Daemon tried to get Qarl to kill him but Qarl realized he could fake the murder and run away with Daemon anyways. > > So why would Daemon kill a guy for them to use as a fake Laenor? Daemon wanted to marry Rhaenyra but couldn’t as long as she was married to Laenor. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/388 "2022-10-04T17:53:28Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Daemon wanted to marry Rhaenyra but couldn’t as long as she was married to Laenor. Right, but the question was whether the Targaryens were in on Laenor escaping or not. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/389 "2022-10-04T18:25:31Z")
> [@SlipperyPete](#): > > Targaryen mixed with noble blood (Alicent’s children: Aegon, Aemond, Helaena) > Velaryon true blood (all Valyrian) – all of Corlys’s family Corlys’s wife is a Targaryen. ---
**Author:** ![SlipperyPete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@SlipperyPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlipperyPete)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/390 "2022-10-04T18:26:26Z")
yeah, I meant the rest of them, of course ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/391 "2022-10-04T18:55:20Z")
I just meant that since she’s a Targaryen then in your chart their kids would actually fall slightly above Targaryen-mixed-with-Westerosi-noble because they are Targaryen-mixed-with-Valyrian-noble ---
**Author:** ![SlipperyPete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@SlipperyPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlipperyPete)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/392 "2022-10-04T19:30:36Z")
Their kids would be Velaryon-pure. If the man were a Targ and his wife a Velaryon, then they’d be Targ-pure. Kinda weird, but they’re still quite paternalistic. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/393 "2022-10-04T20:42:21Z")
My favorite scene might have been the heartfelt conversation between Laenor and Rhaenyra. I’m glad that Rhaenyra didn’t end up conspiring to murder Laenor. That would have been really hard after this scene. The conversation between Rhaenyra and Corlys was also good. And of course, seeing Vhaegar up close was pretty great. The wedding at the end, showing the union of the Velaryon and Targaryen children was also touching. I really wonder how Alicent managed to raise two monsters like Aegon and Aemond. I wonder whether they will explore that. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/394 "2022-10-04T20:46:10Z")
And their father is actually a decent guy, though not a greatly effective ruler. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/395 "2022-10-04T20:52:53Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > their father is actually a decent guy, Yes, exactly. He has many faults, but he genuinely loves his family—his spouses, his children, his grandchildren. I really like that characterization of Viserys. That he has this goodness in him, but he still doesn’t have the ability to make the choices that will avoid catastrophe. So far I think it’s Viserys I have the most empathy for. ---
**Author:** ![SlipperyPete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@SlipperyPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlipperyPete)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/396 "2022-10-04T21:05:58Z")
How is Aemond a monster? He had no dragon, he courageously claimed Vhagar, then they ambushed him 4 on 1 and cut his eye out. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/397 "2022-10-04T22:11:38Z")
Just caught up on the last 2 episodes, and I’ll reiterate that I think the show is excellent. The characters are far more complex than those in GOT, and they are also allowed to evolve. I noted in an earlier post that the adult Rhaenyra was the not the same as the young adult version we saw in the earlier episodes. Now I think that was intentional, and none of the characters are really the same. And that’s natural, as people do change over time. That said, this was also apparent in the early episodes, when we saw Viserys try so hard to have a son as an heir (although the price was paid by his wife). But he became so reliant on Rhaenyra that he still named her heir, even when his new queen actually did produce the sons that he so desired. I wonder how the Velaryons can accept that a Targaryen just came in and took one of their dragons. Is that the way dragon ownership works? Can anyone just claim any dragon? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/398 "2022-10-04T22:18:16Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > s that the way dragon ownership works? Can anyone just claim any dragon? I don’t know that there is a whole lot of detail regarding dragon ownership and operations in the source material. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/399 "2022-10-04T22:19:22Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Can anyone just claim any dragon? I would think so because it’s really up to the dragon, and failing would be a death sentence. I assume non Valyrians would not even try. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/400 "2022-10-04T23:36:23Z")
> [@SlipperyPete](#): > > How is Aemond a monster? He had no dragon, he courageously claimed Vhagar, then they ambushed him 4 on 1 and cut his eye out. I guess you must have missed the bit where he beat two little girls, and two boys younger than him, threatened them with death from fire, and tried to brain them with a rock. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/401 "2022-10-04T23:40:47Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > I guess you must have missed the bit where he beat two little girls, and two boys younger than him, threatened them with death from fire, and tried to brain them with a rock. They jumped him and where beating him quite handily four on one before he had to get serious. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521.md?page=21)