Same problem. Nothing is allowed to slowly come to a boil, where you can become invested in implications down the road. Too much quick and convenient resolution within the same episode removes all the dramatic tension, b/c setups work best when you wait as long as possible to pay them off. I hope, with the next lurch forward in time, things slow down a bit.
shareThere were a few things that came to a boil. Can you explain to me why Ser Christian became berserk all of a sudden? So the guy went up to him & said that he knew his secret & that he hinted that he was with Rhaenyra’s betrothed. Ok, so again, why did he go crazy all of a sudden. He could’ve been like “yeah ok” but he really lost it & now he’s dead or at least he should be.
You can’t blame the guy totally. Who wants to be a round the way guy? He had his pride & dignity in his profession. He’s guilty of really loving a woman, he didn’t want to be her man whore, poor guy was broken. Felt bad for him.
I wonder if Joffrey said something to Christian along the lines of "maybe when the queen and king consort are getting it on we can also." I could see that leading to a snap.
shareCriston's going berserk at the feast was a significant departure from the underlying book (Fire & Blood). In the book he kills Joffrey Longworth alright - ultra bloodily too - but it's as part of the tournaments that are scheduled for the week between the opening feast and the Wedding. In other words Criston does something terrible but it's in the context of legitimate violence so he can get away with it. In the show he's now marked himself as a complete criminal psychopath, someone who would be way too toxic for and beyond the regular power of Queen Allicent to save. Daemon doesn't kill his wife in the book either.
The show's consistently making characters more extreme versions of their book selves which in turn is going to quickly end up straining credulity.
Well if Matt Daemon can get away with being a complete criminal psychopath because the King is too weak to deal with him then I guess Ser Christian Cola can get away with being a complete criminal psychopath too because it looks like he will have the Queen ( Alicent ) on his side.
I thought this was a good episode, but I can agree that things seem to be resolved rather quickly but still leaving some things unanswered.
I suppose the ultimate question is, do you like it or do you hate it? lol...
or is it something in between?
I have to admit, I am starting to like it quite a bit. It's becoming more and more unpredictable and has an eerie tone to it. The dance scene reminded me of GoT's red wedding which was one of the best scenes in GoT.
I almost want to call HOTD a mystery/thriller at this point rather than strictly a medieval fantasy. I am not totally sure if this was the intention of the writer/author when they set out to make this show but this is how it's turning out.
However, we all know a war is going to happen and that's when it will probably turn into mainly action/fantasy for the most part. Hopefully it will maintain it's mysterious edge.
The storylines felt rushed in this episode. The pacing was always a little weird in this show, it feels like it's rushing through the timeline to get to the older Rhaenyra story, but in this it was just weird. They introduce a new character and than kill her out of nowhere. Suddenly Daemon is married, now he's not. We get a black-mailing scheme between the two couples, than Crispon just kills him off.
shareGrowing more and ore bored but eh way the show is being run. See Cristan's disintegration was so rapid an unearned it bordered on laughable. It brought to mind the Mother of Dragons'.
And to have that whole fateful fight going on without us having any idea what was happening or how it started was just ridiculous storytelling.
And Daemon is welcomed back, but then turned out to still be a bastard? Well, never could have seen that coming. After it happens 15 or 20 more times I may tire of it.
666, I will agree with that. Daemon is just not a very interesting character. At least not in the way they're writing him.
Maybe the book Daemon is better, I don't know, but it is a little predicable when he's around.
I thought Criston's descent into chaos was alright. Again, we don't know exactly why he did this, at least when Dany went nuts, we knew why.
And if Daemon has no heirs, does this mean he's impotent or has some other kind of sexual problem? lol... that's the vibe I'm getting. I suppose he never had sex with his wife or what?
SPOILERS
I thought it was a good episode in that it set up the conflict ( bloodbath, civil war ) to come. The lines have been drawn and sides have been taken. Matt Daemon continues to be the wild card playing his own game and Rhaenyra continues to goad ( and encourage ? ) him.
And all because poor King Viserys is/was a weak King. He should have had Matt Daemon's head off long ago and he should have married the little Velaryon girl instead of Alicent and he should never have named Rhaenyra as his heir.
As far as Ser Christian Cola goes the fatal poofter bashing scene was sickeningly over the top but it sets him up as another psycho on the field of play besides Matt Daemon. And it seems that Alicent has decided that she might be able to make use of him. To set a psycho against a psycho perhaps ?
And the scene between Otto Hightower and Alicent 10/10
I will agree, quasi.
That scene between Otto and Alicent was quite good. So was the scene between Rhaenrya and Daemon when she dared him to take her away. She seems to know how to handle him like she did in Dragonstone. But does she still have an odd attraction to him?
And that scene with Viserys and the new hand was good too, the one where they're talking about how he'll be remembered. I'm starting to like Veserys more...
The scene with Criston and Rhaenrya on the ship was solid aswell.
I think this show is just starting to heat up. We'll see how much next week's time jump effects it.
It was a great episode. Loved every minute of it. I could feel the tension rising during the ballroom scene and knew something was on the edge.
share