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House of the Dragon S2 Ep 8 Review

I don’t know when it happened, but I do remember my reaction when I learned that season two of House of the Dragon would only be 8 episodes: disappointment. It felt like HBO hadn’t learned the lessons from the final two seasons of Game of Thrones. By shortening the season, they fail to give the show the time it needs for the plot to properly develop. The end result is the episodes trying to tell too many stories at once, damaging it as a whole with important moments not being given the time or focus they need! And despite making up for Blood and Cheese with Rook’s Rest and The Red Sowing, my worst fears came true. The finale is incredibly mid, capping off a season that, outside those and a few other key moments, fails to deliver on the show’s premise: dragons fighting dragons!

The Beginning of the Mid!

Did HBO learn nothing from the shortcomings of Game of Thrones‘ final seasons? The season finale to House of The Dragon seems to indicate that they didn’t because they made the same mistake. Rather than giving the various stories it has to juggle time to breathe, the finale seeks to cram as much in as possible to its own detriment. And that becomes especially egregious when it comes to three separate storylines that take up valuable time.

Firstly, we have Tyland Lannister trying to recruit the Triarchy for the Greens. Normally, I would like this because the setting and local attire remind me of pirates. However, while seeing the haughty Lannister mud-wrestle the Triarchy admiral was amusing, this bit of worldbuilding took up valuable screen time it couldn’t afford to waste. Thsts only made worse by the fact that all this does is confirm that the Triarchy will fight for the Greens in exchange for the Stepstones. That could’ve been explained through a bit of exposition.

Secondly, there’s Rhaena’s search for the mystery dragon. They shouldn’t have wasted time showing the progress. Instead, it makes more sense to have opened up on her finding the dragon, Sheepstealer, and the rest of her scenes showing her taming it. The episode doesn’t even have Sheepstealer appear until the final moments, far too late to make an impact. Considering he was the dragon I wanted to see most, this was dissappointing.

Lastly, we have the scene between Alyn of Hull and Corlys Velaryon. I loved seeing Alyn blow up at his father for only caring about him now that he needed a male heir. It’s rare for the Westerosi elite to get called out for how selfish they can be. However, I didn’t like how this happened in the season finale. Had we got more episodes, seeing the fallout to this and how it affects Corlys would be interesting. It’s apparent that what Alyn said, combined with his wife’s death, aged him a lot!

The Good Stuff

All these missteps made the finale a very mid one. And that doesn’t even get into the fact that we got little time with the other Dragonseeds. But there were still a few good moments.

The first involves Daemon’s Harrenhal arc finally coming to an end. Having had his ego knocked down by…whatever is messing with him, Daemon reunites with Rhaenyra and makes amends with her. Seeing him finally accept that he’s not fit for the Iron Throne is some major character development, but time will tell if this humility will stick. However, some fans are already upset about what it was that made Daemon change his mind: a vision of the future.

The weirwood trees give Daemon a vision of what will come centuries from now: most notably, the White Walkers and the rise of Danaerys. Thanks to that, Daemon gets the bigger picture. He finally understands why Rhaenyra and Viserys are so serious about ensuring their rule. I thought that it’s a cool call-forward to the events of Game of Thrones, but I know many fans won’t agree and call it mid. In addition, there’s also the matter of how Daemon could see the future.

The headcanon I’m going with is a fan theory that Brynden Rivers, Daemon and Rhaenyra’s descendant that everyone believes will become the Three-Eyed Raven, sent him a message from the future. The reason why is to ensure that events proceed as they do and lead to the White Walkers eventual defeat. It seems a little contrived, but I don’t care.

Alicent’s Bargain

The moment that I do care about is when Alicent sneaks onto Dragonstone to talk to Rhaenyra. After losing all her power and influence and doing some soul-searching, Alicent came to a single conclusion: she wants out. She wasted her whole life doing what others expected of her, and she’s done. She just wants to be free of it all, so she offers Rhaenyra a deal: she opens King’s Landing for her, and in exchange, she can take her kids and granddaughter and leave.

Rhaenyra, still salty about Alicent rebuffing her earlier, makes a counter offer: Aegon (and likely the rest of her sons) must die. It’s a very sadistic choice, and both of them know it. Alicent is being asked to betray two of her sons, something no mother should ever have to make! However, both of them know that it’s the only way. Now that Aegon took the Throne and Aemond also wants it, they wont stop until they’re dead. And, Alicent actually agrees.

For such a mid episode, this moment was a major highlight to me. The irony of how the two women’s positions are reversed isn’t lost on me, either. Speaking of which, the irony is that when Rhaenyra gets to King’s Landing, Aegon won’t be there. He and Larys fled to escape Aemond, who responded to being driven off by burning down an entire town.

Rhaenyra is right: they have to die. Aemond’s a war criminal and Aegon’s a usurper and rapist. Even the pity I feel for Aegon for what happened to him doesn’t change that fact.

Unfortunately, this is where the episode, and the season, choose to end things. No major deaths, no big battle; nothing. Hence why the episode is mid.

What a Mid Ending!

Truthfully, it feels like the entire season was mid. All that build up for the Dance of the Dragons, and outside a few moments, the season barely gave the fans what we wanted. Fans wanted to see the two sides tear each other to pieces. I wanted to munch popcorn and laugh at how pointless the whole thing was! Instead, the whole season is mostly just more talking and teasing us about what comes next. But that’s not what we wanted to see, and the whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And the fans know it. This post on Twitter stood out to me the most:

I don’t know what made HBO decide to do things the way they did, but they’re losing the faith they worked so hard to regain from viewers. What makes it worse is the fact that when the series decided to buckle down and follow through on its potential, it was awesome! This ending, though, wasn’t awesome! It was mid as they come!

We don’t know when the third season of House of the Dragon airs, but something has to change at HBO. They need to give the show whatever they need to give us more of Rook’s Rest and The Red Sowing. This is a show about a war between dragons. It needs to start acting like one!

At least next year, we get “The Adventures of Dunk and Egg.”

I give “The Queen Who Ever Was” a 2/5

House of the Dragon S2 Ep 2 Review

From the first episode of House of the Dragon, I’ve made my disdain for Otto Hightower no secret. More than anyone, I consider him the main culprit for the Dance of the Dragons. He had his daughter marry King Viserys to give him a son and a new heir he could guide like a puppet. However, by doing so, he destroys the friendship between Alicent and Rhaenyra, splits the realm in two, and condemns the dragons to a long, slow death. And if the show follows the books well enough, then Otto’s efforts will end up being for nothing. And while plenty of others are equally responsible for what’s to come, it’s still satisfying to see Otto get his first dose of karma in this episode. Otto Hightower gets fired. Again!

As I said on Twitter: He should’ve stuck with Rhaenyra. And this episode was

Peace is Now Dead. Let the Carnage and Power Plays Begin

The end of the season premiere was disappointing, but its follow-up starts on the strongest note possible. The entire Red Keep is in chaos as guards start rounding up everyone, determined to find the assassins. Meanwhile, the Greens spiral as they each try to grasp what has happened. It’s through this that I think the episode truly shines, with the actors getting to display the full extent of their emotions.

Aegon demonstrates what happens when a Targaryen snaps when he lashes out at everything in sight, with disastrous consequences. You can practically see the flames bellowing from his mouth as he declares war on his half-sister while also destroying his father’s model of Old Valyria. Meanwhile, Aemond is left shaken at how narrowly he avoided death by being out at a brothel. Now his nephew is dead thanks to his actions. Some would say it wasn’t his fault, but I don’t think that. Vhagar may have gone AWOL, but Aemond created the circumstances that led to her killing Luke and Arrax. Silver lining? It gave us some good memes comparing a naked Aemond to Lord Voldemort.

The murder shakes Criston Cole because he failed to uphold his Kingsguard vows. Both by sleeping with Alicent, and failing to protect Helaena and her kids. As if to show just how far he’s fallen, instead of admitting his mistakes like he did in the past, he tries to deflect blame onto others. In this case, he berates Arryk Cargyle for getting his cloak dirty and for his brother choosing to join Rhaenyra. So he forces him to go to Dragonstone as part of an insane plan to kill Rhaenyra, which goes against what the Kingsguard stands for. Now the hate for Criston Cole has reached new highs.

Otto, What You Do is Messed Up

The Green who has the most unsettling reaction, though, has to be that of Otto Hightower. Whereas everyone around is visibly upset, Otto decides to milk this tragedy for all its worth. He has Jahaerys body displayed in a public funeral procession to gain sympathy from the smallfolk. And the whole time he has people proclaiming this to be the work of Rhaenyra, dubbing her ‘Rhaenyra the Cruel.”

Using the deaths of children for political purposes is not new, but watching this was just…wrong. Seeing the child’s body, its head sewn back on, paraded in front of everyone was wrong. Forcing the traumatized Helaena and guilt-ridden Alicent to take part was wrong. Otto is sad that his great-grandson is dead, but he doesn’t get how reprehensible this act is.

Plus, its rendered moot thanks to Aegon. But there’s also the reactions of the Blacks to consider.

I Think Rhaenyra and Daemon Just Broke Up

Contrary to the history books, Rhaenyra’s horrified by the death of Aegon’s son and the accusations that she ordered it. In truth, Daemon ordered the hit by Blood & Cheese without her knowledge or consent. And after figuring that part out almost +immediately, she’s livid at her husband.

That’s when HOTD starts to show the visible cracks in their relationship. Rhaenyra calls him out for going behind her back to do this, saying his impulsive decision destroyed any remaining chance at peace. She proceeds to pick him apart bit by bit, telling him that, despite claiming to support her claim to the Iron Throne, he doesn’t. Deep down, he’s still bitter and resentful at having what he thinks was his birthright passed over by his brother. While he does love Rhaenyra, he also sought to manipulate her, hoping to rule the Seven Kingdoms through her. In short, Daemon may be the biggest badass in Westeros, but on the inside, he remains a bitter, insecure man grasping for a station that’s not his. Nor is it it one that he deserves.

Daemon departs on Caraxes for Harrenhal afterwards, and I don’t remember if he returns at any point during the coming war. Even if he does, though, the damage is already done.

Not that the Greens fare any better, either.

Otto Has Zero Emotional Intelligence

When I say that I place most of the blame for the Dance of the Dragon on Otto Hightower, I mean it. He used his daughter to create a male heir to the Iron Throne that he could control. He thought that he could make Aegon into his puppet, through which his family could rule Westeros forever. But despite being an undeniably intelligent man, Otto was also a fool playing with fire.

Aegon proved utterly unworthy of being king, and everyone knows it; including Aegon! Case in point, after capturing Blood and learning it was a rat catcher who helped kill his son, he killed all the rat catchers in the Red Keep. Whatever sympathy the Greens won was lost thanks to this act, and Otto was livid. He yells at his grandson and wonders how he could be so foolish. And what does Aegon do, in response? He fires his grandfather.

And I relish the look on Otto’s face when that happens.

Otto is a smart man, and he’s great at thinking things through logically. That’s a useful trait in the royal court but also a weakness. He’s so lacking in empathy that he cannot understand why Aegon’s acting as he is. It just doesn’t compute to him! And while he’s right about Criston Cole’s plan being stupid, Aegon refuses to listen as he makes Criston the new Hand.

Otto, You Backed the Wrong Dragon

I loved this scene. Rhys Ifans gave an Emmy-worthy perfomance as Otto sees his plans blow up in his face. And he has no one to blame but himself. If he hadn’t pushed his daughter to marry Viserys and just accepted Rhaenyra as heir, none of this would have happened.

Reap what you sew, Otto. And when your death comes, may your last thoughts be “I wasted my life for nothing.”

The Dance of Dragons in Microcosm

The major highlight of the episode, though, was the battle between the brothers, Ser Arryk and Ser Erryk. As expected, the infiltration of Dragonstone fails when Arryk is spotted by a departing Mysaria. The fight between the two brothers, while not flashy or filled with cool effects, is still very emotional. In the end, neither brother walks away from this fight. Erryk kills his brother and overwhelmed with guilt; he proceeds to commit suicide.

The duel between the Kingsguard brothers is this entire conflict in microcosm. Two siblings are fighting for what they think is right (or something), and in the end, neither of them survives. The sheer waste of life is tragic. And soon, all of Westeros will repeat this battle. Families will be torn apart, lives destroyed, and a great house rent asunder.

This could have been a better episode, but I’m hoping for House of the Dragon to rally. Bring on the dragon fights, HBO!

I Give “Rhaenyra the Cruel” a 4/5

House of the Dragon S2 Ep 1 Review

It has been two days since House of the Dragon returned with its second season, but I had to think everything over. When it came out two years ago, fans and critics said that HBO’s prequel to Game of Thrones did much to eliminate the bad taste the disastrous finale left us with. We said it was like the golden age of Game of Thrones had returned. Which is fitting since the show’s first season was about the beginning of the end of House Targaryen’s golden age. But with the Dance of the Dragons set to begin, expectations were high for season two’s premiere. And, though I hate to say it, the episode didn’t meet mine. Namely due to the ending and how it depicts the actions of two characters: Blood & Cheese.

How could HBO mess up what should’ve been the Red Wedding 2.0?

An Interesting New Opening

First things first, though. In a surprising twist, Season Two of House of the Dragon has done away with the show’s original introduction. Rather than juxtaposing the bloodline of House Targaryen against the late King Viserys’ model of Old Valyria, the show does away with it entirely. Instead, the family’s history is told through a medieval tapestry.

I didn’t understand what happened during my first watch and had to see Heavy Spoilers videos to understand it. Now that I do, I think that’s a pretty cool idea. Believe it or not, there is, in fact, a tapestry about Game of Thrones. Hand-crafted and woven by loom, it depicts the show’s events from start to finish and is house in a museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland. And I’m willing to bet that the events of House of the Dragon will end up similarly immortalized in the future. I dont know if HBO intended to do this knowing about the tapestry, but its still cool.

Speaking of which…

Return of the Wolves, and Fallout of Death

The episode starts off on a pretty strong note, with the return of (what I think) is the coolest House in Westeros after the Targaryens, House Stark. And more importantly, Winterfell and the Wall. Having been sent to the North by his mother, Jacaerys successfully persuades Cregan Stark to keep his family’s oath to Rhaenyra. Not only that, but the show gives us a cool moment of Jace and Cregan overlooking the Wall together.

I loved this moment, and considering what happens in Game of Thrones, its a great use of foreshadowing. Knowing that Cregan Stark is the ancestor to all the Starks we see in Game of Thrones, you can’t help but note how much of him is in his descendants. Sadly, the moment is ruined when they receive news of Lucerys’ death.

The entire episode focuses on how everyone on both sides reacts to Luke’s death. Rhaenyra is near-catatonic with grief until she finds what’s left of Luke and Arrax, and Emma D’arcy gives a very moving performance for this. Daemon immediately wants to retaliate with or without Rhaenyra’s approval. But the Greens’ reactions are most compelling since they’re more divided on it. Argon and Aemond treat it like a great victory. Alicent and Otto, though, see it as a disaster.

Too bad that this is where some of my problems start popping up, mainly thanks to Alicent’s actions.

Cracks, Green Hypocrisy, and Blood & Cheese Screw-Up

In the first season, I couldn’t help but feel bad for Alicent. Her father used her as a pawn, she married a man she didn’t love, and her best friend lied to her face about having pre-marital sex. Little wonder their friendship fell apart. She did try to reach out to her before Viserys died and again after Aegon usurped her throne, but it’s too late… She doesn’t get that.

For some reason, Alicent spends this episode thinking that her son and Rhaenyra can still make peace. I’m sorry, but I fail to see how that’s possible. Even if Aemond didn’t intend to kill Luke (Vhagar did it), that doesn’t change the fact that he’s dead. Alicent should know Rhaenyra well enough to know she won’t forgive this. Yet she has the gall to think peace is still possible! This feels like either great stupidity on Alicent’s part, or a major oversight by the writers.

Not to mention that this episode reveals that Alicent and Sir Criston are hypocrites when they’re shown doing it! Twice! Criston made a huge deal out of breaking his Kingsguard vows of chastity and Alicent felt betrayed when Rhaenyra lied about losing her virginity before marriage? And now they’re both doing just that?!? Any moral high ground they once had is dead and buried.

The only reason I refuse to support either side is because of what happens next.

This Was NOT Blood & Cheese

After Rhaenyra recovers enough to lead her side, she’s out for blood. Aemond’s blood. So, Daemon sneaks into King’s Landing using his old contacts and hires two men, a Goldcloak and rat catcher, to kill Aemond. Or kill another prince from Aegon’s bloodline. Their names are Blood & Cheese, and I have to say…they are the worst part of this episode. And their entire portion of the episode drags the whole thing down.

If I sound salty, that’s because I am, and many fans feel the same way. In the show, Blood & Cheese were supposed to kill Aegon, but end up settling for one of Aegon and Helaena’s infant son. And the entire experience is just so disappointing when compared to the books! Here’s how it was supposed to go:

What Blood & Cheese Should Have Been Like

That is what we were supposed to get. Game of Thrones fans waited two years for the moment that should’ve rivaled the Red Wedding in terms of shock value. Instead, for whatever reason, HBO decided to pull its punches. It should’ve done the exact opposite with Blood & Cheese!! It should’ve been as horrifying and traumatic as the books and specials described it!

Out of all the moments I was looking forward to in this scene, Blood & Cheese’s murder was the biggest. And HBO completely botched it. It felt like watching Cersei and Jaime die from the collapsing roof all over again. I felt robbed! I’m sorry, but it brought the entire episode down for me.

I’m hoping that the rest of the season lives up to my expectations because that ending felt like Game of Thrones all over again. It had some good scenes and good acting, but the bad writing ruined it for me. They ruined Blood & Cheese!

I Give “A Son for a Son” a 2.5/5

House of the Dragon Ep 5 Review

WHAT. THE HECK. JUST HAPPENED? I knew knives would come out on House of the Dragon, since this is Westeros, but damn. I didn’t expect that to happen so soon! We are now past the point of no return for House Targaryen. In what should be a “joyous” royal wedding, instead becomes a tragedy. And for once, Daemon wasn’t at fault.

No, seriously, Daemon wasn’t at fault this time. 

In the episode’s opening minutes, we get our first look at Daemon’s “bronze bitch,” Rhea Royce. It’s also the last because Daemon kills her.

The books say Rhea died when she fell off her horse. The show takes some creative liberties that would make George RR Martin proud. Daemon tricks Rhea into causing her own fall…and then just kills her. The knives have come out, and Dameon’s taking crap from no one.

A Mutually Beneficial Relationship?

For the players in King’s Landing, though, there’s plenty of crap to go around, especially for Rhaenyra and Set Criston Cole. Rhaenyra heads to Driftmark to meet her betrothed, Ser Laenor Velaryon. On the surface, it seems like an ideal match. Both houses are Valryian, and both have dragons. However, there’s an issue: Laenor’s gay, and Rhaenyra knows it. While the parents discuss inheritance, Rhaenyra and Laenor come to an understanding. They essentially agree that after they do their duty, they’ll have an open relationship. It’s not that bad of a deal, honestly. Unless your Ser Criston Cole.

Poor Ser Criston Got His Heart Broken

Oh, poor Criston. My heart couldn’t help but go out to you just as much as I wanted to slap you across the face. Rhaenyra made him break vows of celibacy as part of the Kingsguard, something he deeply regrets. Being the idealist he is, he gives Rhaenyra an offer: walk away from all this madness. They can leave for Essos, forget everything, and leave the insanity behind. 

Hindsight has never felt more painful than it does here. Because if you know the story, then you know how it will likely end. What Ser Criston’s offering is the best chance Rhaenyra could get for a happy life. If this weren’t Game of Thrones, then maybe Rhaenyra would take that offer. Instead, her sense of duty, pride, and desire for the Iron Throne make her turn him down. And he’s not happy with the idea of sharing Rhaenyra with someone else. 

Again, I feel for Ser Criston. From his perspective, he feels like Rhaenyra just used him for her own amusement. The Lords and Ladies can afford that kind of slip-up, but someone common born like Ser Criston? He tarnished himself as part of the Kingsguard for nothing. It’s painful to watch, especially when he just admits it to Alicent when she lightly prods him. 

Knives Come Out With Blood in the Water

Things come to a head at the feast that’s supposed to mark the start of Rhaenyra and Laenor’s weeklong wedding celebrations. Alicent comes dressed in Hightower green, which is her way of saying to Rhaenyra, “I know what you did. I know you lied to me, and our friendship is over.” 

It gets worse. In the middle of the dancing, Ser Criston lets the guilt and resentment he’s feeling get to him, and he snaps. What happened next was a tragedy that left people horrified and me with my jaw on the floor. Thus, Rhaenyra and Laenor hastily wed in a private ceremony, even while blood lays dripping on the floor as a rat comes by.

So, to recap: two minor characters are dead. Any relationship Alicent and Ser Criston had with Rhaenyra’s damaged beyond repair. And if it’s not clarified, King Viserys won’t live to be old. 

Knives Out, Lines Drawn, Bonds Destroyed

Can someone ring the gong to announce the impending doom for the Targaryen’s? Because, as Princess Rhaenys said this episode, knives will come out. People will fight over who sits on the Iron Throne. All because they can’t accept having a woman as a leader. 

What’s especially tragic about all this is that Rhaenyra had an out. She had the chance to walk away with Ser Criston. They could’ve taken Syrax and left for parts unknown, but pride and duty made her stay. Now she must face the consequences of what comes.

This episode also marks the final appearance of Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra and Alicent. Starting next episode, they’ll be played by older actresses to signify the big time skip. They both did an amazing job as these two women, and I hope they find success in the future. 

Alright, people, the knives are out. Let’s watch the Dragons tear at each other’s throats!!

I Give “We Light the Way” a 4/5

House of the Dragon S1, Ep. 1 Review

It’s been three years since the end of Game of Thrones, and I thought that the world had moved on from it. I know I did; the final season left me as disillusioned as everyone was with Daenerys Targaryen. And with how much flak HBO Max’s gotten with their recent Purge of the Batgirl film and shows like Infinity Train, I had even less motivation to support their Game of Thrones prequel. Yet, as last Sunday night came around, I found myself sitting in front of the TV, ready to watch House of the Dragon. I convinced myself I wanted that I wanted to see it simply for the dragons. I didn’t want to deal with the hot mess that was House Targaryen again anytime soon.

It looks like I was lying to myself. I got sucked right back into the world of Westeros, albeit one that’s far different from what we know. 

Westeros Under Targaryen Rule

Taking place almost 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon shows us a much different Westeros. One ruled by the Targaryens at the height of their power, with plenty of dragons to go around. It’s a Westeros that’s, for the most part, free of the corruption and rot prevalent in Game of Thrones, and the madness of the Targaryens. At least in the beginning. After all, the whole point of House of the Dragon is to show the events that would lead to House Targaryen’s slow decline over the next two hundred years.

For those who don’t know, House of the Dragon aims to cover the Dance of the Dragons. In a nutshell, it’s a civil war that pits House Targaryen against itself over who gets the right to sit on the Iron Throne. One of the candidates has yet to be born, but the other one gets introduced in the show’s opening scene riding her own dragon: Rhaenyra Targaryen, the eldest child of King Viserys I. 

Whether intentional or not, there is a lot of Daenerys in Rhaenyra. They’re both beautiful, smart, and skilled dragon riders. The main defining difference is that Rhaenyra’s a lot happier overall since she got to have a happy childhood with loving parents. Since this is Westeros, though, don’t expect that happiness to last. Count on it not to last. 

The Players Emerge

Much of the first half of the episode sees most people in good spirits in the Royal family. Viserys is due to have another child any day, with the whole realm participating in a tournament to celebrate the birth of his soon-to-be heir. However, cracks already start forming with the arrival of his brother, Daemon, played by Matt Smith, aka the 11th Doctor (and one of my favorites!)

I was initially hesitant to see Matt Smith play someone who, according to lore, is the deadliest man in Westeros during this time. However, my doubts burned away after seeing Matt’s performance as Daemon. He plays him as this arrogant, self-assured jerk who’s abrasive to everyone except his niece. Unlike Joffrey, though, he’s got the chops to back up all these claims and the dragon. 

As fun as it is to see Westeros at the height of the Targaryens, nothing lasts forever. Pretty soon, trouble comes when the Queen goes into labor. In what has to be one of the bloodiest things HBO’s ever done, we watch as the Queen dies due to a C-Section, and her infant son not long afterward. Everything gets worse from there, and soon, it’s clear that the Iron Throne will be contested.

The Big Twist About House Taragaryen

It’s not until the final minutes of the episode, though, that we get the biggest plot twist, which affects everything about Game of Thrones. In a conversation between father and daughter, Viserys reveals there was another reason why their family conquered Westeros. Aegon the Conquerer had a dream about the future, where death marches from the far north and threatens to destroy all life. In other words, the White Walkers. So, Aegeon knew that the only chance the world had was if Westeros was united, leading to his conquest of the Seven Kingdoms. 

So, all that talk about Jon Snow being the “Prince That Was Promised” wasn’t just a red herring. The Targaryens tried to set themselves up so that one of them would be the one to save the world from the White Walkers, and they’ve passed that knowledge down from King to King for generations as a warning. 

This Only Means They Screwed Up Even Worse Than We Thought

Of course, this only makes what happens during Game of Thrones all the more important since Aegon’s dream became a reality, though not in the way he thought it would. Of course, it also makes the Targaryen’s fall all the more tragic. They forgot their true purpose, squandered their potential, and almost left Westeros in ruins before the Night King ever marched south. Even though they ultimately succeeded, they lost everything, with their last remaining member exiled to the far north. 

I thought this inclusion was a cop-out meant to make up for what happened with Game of Thrones ending. However, the revelation that this reveal was due to info directly from George R.R. Martin, I’m willing to tolerate it. I’ll like it even more if Martin finally finishes the last two books and gives us a better ending. 

So, despite my reservations, I find myself hesitantly returning to Westeros. I will try and avoid getting attached to any characters, though, since I expect many of them to die before the series ends.

I Give “The Heirs of the Dragon” a 4/5. Don’t Waste this, HBO.

Eight days. In eight days, winter will come to TV. And it will be one of the greatest nights in the history of entertainment. And I am going to be there watching it through to the end.

I may not have been one of the people who watched Game of Thrones from the beginning, but I have caught up on everything that has happened in the show. All the death, love, loss, murder and betrayal since the first episode. Then I thought about how I should honor the beginning of the end for one of the greatest achievements in TV history.

That is what this is for. Starting tomorrow, I will going back to each season of Game of Thrones as we count down to the premiere. Each day will have two articles: one counting what I thought were the big deaths for each season, and the moments that I thought defined the seasons. It all leads up to Sunday, April 14th, where I will reveal my favorite things in Game of Thrones. To clarify, that means:

• The best villains on the show
• My favorite death scenes
• My favorite characters
• and more!

Let the games begin! See you tomorrow!

Click here to see my GoT Page.