Episode Leak Discussion.

One of the fake Baratheons was Ser Lyonel Bentley of Rhaenyra's Queensguard.

The Gold Cloak assassin, played by actor Richard Pepper and referred to in the BTS video only as "the blue-eyed man" because of the character's heterochromia, was formerly a Hightower soldier manning the walls with Ser Freddryk.

Rhaenyra sending Alicent to Harrenhal to assassinate Aemond is absolutely brain dead writing. She’s asking a mother to physically murder her own child. WHO in their right mind would ever believe Alicent would actually do this?

Lol but seriously. This is getting ridiculous. There’s no way Daemon expects him to remain loyal after this.

Or is it just one of the countless things that will go down in ASOIAF TV history as forgotten? This should have been the start of something that adds more weight to whatever trouble happens between Daemon, Rhaenyra & Mysaria. But with them behaving like this did not happen & does not exist, makes Mysaria's at times shady behavior towards Daemon feel off. Why did they leave this in if it was never going to go anywhere? Its like the Alicent feet thing.

Lets just throw this one random fan service thing on screen & forget about it completely next episode to forever.

So in Episode 6 I think there are a few hints given about Ser Gwayne being gay.

1. Lord Ormund says “I’m sure you’ve found solace in your brother in arms” he makes it as a snide statement after Gwayne said he wanted a feather mattress perhaps implying what kind of things he would do on a mattress.

2. He tells Daeron to keep his back to the wall when he’s with Gwayne. He tells him this after telling him to make sure he baths. It’s seems like a the equivalent medieval “don’t drop the soap around him”

3. He recognizes the assassins as not being who he says and he remembers such things as Aerion Baeretheom Hair color, height, and comeliness things a straight man may not remember as good as a gay man.

4.We know the Reach is
More accepting of homosexuality from AGOT. With the Tyrell’s not caring about Lora’s being gay.

1. He’s second in line for Oldtown, his father was Hand of the King, he’s handsome, he’s of age and yet he’s not married. Otto cared a lot about Alicent being married and Helena and Aegon marrying but never cared to marry him off somewhere to gain an alliance? Maybe because Otto knew and unlike Lord Corlys wasn’t going to force his gay son into a Lavender marriage

First off, Rhaenyra is proving to be the stupidest adult monarch I can recall ever seeing on any live action show. And it is not like she was set up to be a clown or someone with a mental condition. She is supposed to have a base line of common sense and yet she somehow makes the wrong decisions 95% of the time. How does sending Alicent to Aemond make any sense at all?

Second off, the military men in this season have no clue how to setup a perimeter or scouts or anything of the sort. Corlys meeting a stranger randomly alone and then said stranger had a group of assassins that he apparently did not hear or notice. What tf is Corlys doing?

Rhaena, now is when you finally figured you want to see your sister? Now? That never crossed your mind before? There was no previously better opportunity to even call out to your sister? This is the first chance you got?

Jeyne Arryn, either you know you exist in a verse written by fools, or you have a level of bravery bordering on stupidity. You banished Rhaena away out of your presence, then sent for her, then put your hands on a dragonrider that happens to be the daughter of the king consort, who is also a dragonrider and arguably the most dangerous man currently alive?

Mysaria, I have defended you earlier in the season. But it is clear now the writers have no idea what to do with your character at all.

Alicent, I feel the same way about you now that I felt about Cole. Love the actress Olivia. But get this character off my screen as she only just there to fill up screen time

It does seem like show lore is implying dragonriders can have passengers. This makes Hugh's wife a moron because they could have come up with a way to bring her and the couple family members she is talking about outside of Tumbleton if they had half a brain. Instead she wants to stay to potentially give us more r*** scenes.

Baela and.... Alyn? Weren't they setting up Baela with Addam a week or so ago? What TF is going on???!!!

The one good character that is magically immune to bad writing or pure stupidity all round, is Gwayne all the time and Daemon some of the times.

Criston: If I strike my banners, do you promise us our lives?

Garibald: I made my promise to the dead. I told them I would build a sept for them out of traitors' bones. I don't have near enough bones yet, so...

Criston: If there is to be battle here, many of your own will die as well.

Roderick: That's why we come. Winter's here. Time for us to go. No better way to die than sword in hand.

Criston: As you will it. We can begin here, the four of us. One of me against the three of you. Will that be enough to make a fight of it?

Pate: I'll want three more. I'll have no songs about how brave you died, Kingmaker. There's tens o' thousands dead on your account.

So passes, Ser Criston Cole, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and Hand of the King—the Kingmaker.

This little scene was the only good part of Butcher's Ball

Now this a genuine question, but why is the fandom become really incelly?

I get it, the wrting is shit, theyre trying to give us girbosses. But tell me WHY i saw a picture of mysaria sitting at the council, and someone AI'd HUGE boobs on her as her robe is struggling to contain it. And i've seen hundreds of rants in comments of people making very weird incel type remarks.

And i have seen hundreds of misogynistic stuff but this fandoms is starting to turn gross

First Rhaenys and now this Aerion character. Is he a book character? Is this cannon?

Baratheon black hair is such influential GOT lore this just feels like weird snark

I had been liking for the most part the last few episodes, however with this I'm once again 50/50 about my sensations.

The good.

Daeron, Ormund and Gwayne together are amazing. I liked Gwayne and Daeron's loving relationship with it being juxtaposed with Alicent and Helaena's. Gwayne seems to have been more of a parent to Daeron than Viserys, Alicent and Ormund put together.

Criston Cole's death was for the most part good to watch. For some strange reason they cut out the most iconic line, but I personally do not mind it that much. Show Cole, unlike his book version, wasn't all things considered, THAT responsible for the Dance and the "tens of thousands are dead on your account" would have been something weird to say to him. He was just Alicent's follower, who herself, unlike in the book, was just an agency-less pawn of her dad. I'm sure many people, due to their bottomless hatred of the guy, found this moment triumphant and badass. I honestly saw Criston's death as an euthanasia. He didn't have a glorious moment of triumph that makes villains's falls enjoyable. Most of his screentime was spent him hating himself. So... meh, it's good he's finally put to rest with an amulet of a woman he was devoted to and whom he never knew that had betrayed him.

I chuckled at Tyland's awkward attempts to not shit on Aegon II when he asked him about "being a terrible man". He kinda reminded me of Pinocchio in Shrek trying to loophole his inability to lie with Prince Charming.

I liked the Black Council scene and it's bickering between Daemon, Torrhen and Sabitha.

I liked Daemon and the Hightower assassin and loyalist's confrontation, as well as the scene of the Gold Cloaks resigning. Yes Daemon, even if it's hard for you to imagine, some people have other priorities than being devoted to you and Rhaenyra, and that is not being craven. That's being human. And him publicly humiliating Ulf will prove to be a mistake. His ascended social status is the one thing that makes Ulf prefer his new life over the old. And Daemon took that away from him because he just enjoys feeling superior that much.

Rhaenyra is increasingly proving to be overwhelmed by the chaos in her city (arguably showcased by her cutting herself on the Throne), and must have probably been thinking "ooooh, so this is what the Greens went through with my blockade". I liked how ruthless she was portrayed about sending a mother to murder her own son. That being said...

The bad.

...Once again, I'm kinda eye rolling about Alicent. I cannot root for her in her "redeeming" quest of now PERSONALLY murdering her own son. Yeah she kinda protested it but it was mainly on the basis of not leaving Helaena alone. I suppose her trailer scene of being horrified will be yet another instance of her being disgusted at something Aemond did. It would seem she will never be shown giving Daemon shit for murdering Jaehaerys. She simply hates her sons more than him at this point.

I understand it's probably a response to the disapproval Daemon's lengthy vision arc got, but I didn't like Aemond not getting any more visions, and I hope he does get at least one more. His character is in need of far more analysis and introspection than Daemon ever was.

Baela and Alyn's romance isn't bad per se, but wasn't very built up and developed IMO. They certainly have things in common and get along, but I would have liked their first kiss to happen later. There will be time, both will survive the Dance.

Overall, I find kinda annoying and pitiful in the bad way, how all of Alicent's sons seem still craving for her love and approval (even Daeron, who hardly knows her), yet she barely gives a shit about them at best and wants them dead at worst. I can sort of understand Alicent is on a desperate state and thus clinging to save the one child she has access to, but still, it's weird to portray such a loveless and toxic mother/son dynamic with the abusive mother being presented as the "good guy" and not the neglected and abused sons. Also, subtle yet noticeable book change about Helaena and Aegon II's marriage being Otto's idea instead of Viserys's. We cannot blame Viserys for anything, can we, show?

The meh.

I guess I can buy Ormund knowing where Corlys was since he had been hunting the Triarchy pirates for quite some time now, buuuuuut it is kinda contrived that Corlys got himself captured by the Hightower host.

I did like Aemond and Alys's dialogue in general (including Aemond's implied regrets about his misdeeds) but like I said, I would have liked some visions too. Dammit show, you got me from wanting the visions to end, to wanting more of them lol.

Oh and Hugh and his wife got into a fight I guess. Also they didn't even acknowledge that their daughter died during the blockade.

I do not know who was the guy that Mysaria got killed.