# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2022, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/121 "2022-08-28T03:41:03Z")
The history is murky, but it seems likely Caesarians have been attempted since the Late Bronze Age. Yes, they were done in an attempt to save the baby and the mother usually died. Even during normal parturition babies often succumbed. One can presume that the incision was not the safer, curved lower uterine incisions common today, that infection rates were high without sterilization and that infection and blood loss were factors. Yet elsewhere in the episode they cauterize a back lesion. This does not mean the mother always died. With a bigger uterus one might avoid the bowel, which helps a great deal. If one was generous with milk of the poppy, applied pressure or.cautery to areas which were bleeding, used boiling water when possible - the placenta is vascular, but again pregnant women are designed to clot easily (in the absence of preeclampsia). If you make no effort to do that, the risks are higher. Infection might take many hours to become apparent. Perhaps my expectations of maesters are too high, but as they were able to cauterize other wounds - so why not in surgery? It’s not like they were treating a greyscale epidemic, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/122 "2022-08-29T02:50:22Z")
What is killing the king? Cancer? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/123 "2022-08-29T02:59:19Z")
The throne itself. Really enjoyed this episode. Slowing it down so we can build the world a little more. Adding a bit more to Corlys and Daemon while showing how Viserys and Otto are just fiddling about and making bad choices (heck, even Viserys knows about Otto that while talking to Rheanyra). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/124 "2022-08-29T03:35:16Z")
Anyone else surprised they did not compose a new theme song? Just the same one as Game of Thrones. I guess it is the Song of Ice and Fire’s overall song and this is part of that. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/125 "2022-08-29T03:38:28Z")
Is Dorne part of the Realm yet or not? Part of King Viserys’s title is Lord of the _Seven_ Kingdoms and there’s a reference to the Rhoynar too, but they also talk about Dorne like it’s a separate country. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/126 "2022-08-29T03:45:34Z")
Is there a big time jump coming? I’m hearing lead princess and the brunette girl have alternate actresses cast as them that are older. Disappointing. I really am into the current cast and would prefer “suspension of disbelief” if the show jumps 10-20 years. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2022, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/127 "2022-08-29T04:34:16Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Is Dorne part of the Realm yet or not? Part of King Viserys’s title is Lord of the _Seven_ Kingdoms and there’s a reference to the Rhoynar too, but they also talk about Dorne like it’s a separate country. I think Dorne has just always been more independent because it is remote (protected by a desert) and historically was never conquered (hence Unbowed Unbent Unbroken) but instead swore vassalage to the Targaryens after they gobbled up the rest of Westeros. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/128 "2022-08-29T11:31:45Z")
Tell me, what was Hightower’s plan there? No, no, not sending his daughter to comfort the king in his time of bereavement. That seemed to have actually come to fruition. Rather, what was he thinking rushing off to confront a dude _with a dragon_ without having any form of draconic backup himself? Did he think that Prince Daemon was just going to say, “It was just a prank, bro,” and hand over the egg? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/129 "2022-08-29T12:38:22Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > Did he think that Prince Daemon was just going to say, “It was just a prank, bro,” and hand over the egg? Basically yes, he was counting on Daemon not actually wanting to start a war. Which was actually not wrong, Daemon mostly just expected his brother to let him get away with his petty bullshit, but killing the hand would have meant his death. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/130 "2022-08-29T13:15:35Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Is Dorne part of the Realm yet or not? Part of King Viserys’s title is Lord of the _Seven_ Kingdoms and there’s a reference to the Rhoynar too, but they also talk about Dorne like it’s a separate country. Dorne is not yet part of the Realm. It was not conquered by Aegon I (they responded to dragons by engaging in guerilla warfare to great success) and has not yet been brought into the fold. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/131 "2022-08-29T13:35:40Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is there a big time jump coming? I’m hearing lead princess and the brunette girl have alternate actresses cast as them that are older. Disappointing. I really am into the current cast and would prefer “suspension of disbelief” if the show jumps 10-20 years. About 15 years or so. The current actresses playing Rhaenyra and Alicent would probably look silly as mothers of multiple children ---
**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:** [August 29, 2022, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/132 "2022-08-29T14:39:56Z")
I don’t think it was made clear in the scene why Daemon backed down. I assume it is because he loves her and doesn’t want to kill her, but that comes from knowledge I have outside the TV show. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/133 "2022-08-29T14:56:01Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Basically yes, he was counting on Daemon not actually wanting to start a war. Which was actually not wrong, Daemon mostly just expected his brother to let him get away with his petty bullshit, but killing the hand would have meant his death. Both parties seemed quite willing to draw steel on each other. What if Daemon had just singed the Hand a little? > [@Acsenray](#): > > I don’t think it was made clear in the scene why Daemon backed down. I assume it is because he loves her and doesn’t want to kill her, but that comes from knowledge I have outside the TV show. I haven’t read any books, but I thought the show made it quite clear that this was the case. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/134 "2022-08-29T14:59:08Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I don’t think it was made clear in the scene why Daemon backed down. I assume it is because he loves her and doesn’t want to kill her, but that comes from knowledge I have outside the TV show. Based on Daemon’s later conversation with Mysaria, he was bluffing on both his claims of having married her and her being pregnant; Rhaenyra called his bluff in front of everyone. With no baby Targ on the way, his claim to the dragon egg was pointless. Also, he might have gotten away with roughing up Otto’s contingent but taking action against Rhaenyra (The Realm’s Delight) would surely bring the full force of Westeros down on him. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2022, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/135 "2022-08-29T16:39:45Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > Tell me, what was Hightower’s plan there? No, no, not sending his daughter to comfort the king in his time of bereavement. That seemed to have actually come to fruition. Rather, what was he thinking rushing off to confront a dude _with a dragon_ without having any form of draconic backup himself? Did he think that Prince Daemon was just going to say, “It was just a prank, bro,” and hand over the egg? Wait, did they know in advance that he had a dragon? I mean we were told that he stole a dragon egg but I don’t remember anyone saying that he had a fully grown dragon. (And one that looked bigger than the one Rhaenyra rode in on.) ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/136 "2022-08-29T17:37:28Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Wait, did they know in advance that he had a dragon? I mean we were told that he stole a dragon egg but I don’t remember anyone saying that he had a fully grown dragon. (And one that looked bigger than the one Rhaenyra rode in on.) It was well known that Daemon is Caraxes rider. Caraxes is one of the larger dragons at this time, though not as large as Vhagar, the last remaining dragon from the Conquest. Viserys and Alicent had a conversation about Balerion and Vhagar earlier in the show. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/137 "2022-08-29T18:30:08Z")
They mentioned in the first episode that there were currently ten dragons alive as part of the Targaryen dynasty. Not sure if that counted Vhagar who is apparently just freelancing somewhere, but there are plenty of dragonriders around, all well known and accounted for I would imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/138 "2022-08-29T18:42:32Z")
Not a bad episode. Advanced the plot and added a little more nuance to the characters. I guess those battle scenes were meant to be following the Stepstones skirmish. Not sure about an antagonist who sounds like a Red Lobster appetizer, though… ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/139 "2022-08-29T20:18:45Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I don’t think it was made clear in the scene why Daemon backed down. I assume it is because he loves her and doesn’t want to kill her, but that comes from knowledge I have outside the TV show. I also get the impression that she may be the only person he respects, at least among the high and mighty. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/140 "2022-08-29T20:33:10Z")
Her father is clearly not up to the king thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521.md?page=8)