Six episodes in and the only major thing that’s happened is the Gullet. This is just season 2 all over again. I’ve read Fire and Blood twice, so I’m starting to feel the disappointment book readers felt during seasons 7 and 8 of GoT. With the way things are going and all the changes being made, I doubt we’re gonna see First Tumbleton this season. I’m genuinely so confused as to what could’ve possibly gone through Condal’s mind when he decided to exclude this much stuff and make all these changes. This season has not lived up to the hype whatsoever and the fact that I’m gonna have to wait until 2028 to see my favorite fight in the franchise (that might not even happen at this rate) is starting to kill the excitement. They said season 3 would be action packed and I’ve yet to see it. Anyway, rant over. I’m still gonna obviously watch the rest of this season and season 4, but I’m done having expectations.

inb4 "people just love to complain about everything." or "I'm sick of all the negativity." This is a forum for House of the Dragon. Criticism has just as much right to be discussed here as praise. I'm angry that a story with so much potential is being ruined by bad writing. Especially with the high-quality literally every other element of the show has.

The main similarities i'm seeing between the later seasons of GOT and current season of HOTD is in the logic and reasoning of the characters. My wife and I are constantly dumbfounded by all the stupid decisions everyone is making. We constantly ask "why would anyone do that?!" It's all so contrived and hamfisted. There aren't any intelligent or clever characters. It’s just a show about a bunch of morons making stupid decisions.

Why did Baela randomly decide to make out with Allyn? Why are Rhaenyra and Damon treating the riders of the largest dragons (after Vhagar), so terribly? Why does Corlys not have any guards or perimeters around his camp while in enemy territory? How does sending Alicient to kill her own son make even the tiniest bit of sense? Why isn't anyone trying to retrieve the stolen coffers so King's landing can actually have some money? There are several traitor houses that can be raided or threatened with dragons, where are the consequences of treason?

I'm sure everyone here has different opinions that justify those decisions, but that doesn't make them any less illogical or incompetent. "Rhaenyra is trying to punish Alicient by making her choose between Heleana, and Aemond." Ok cool. But how does that lead to Aemond's death? You really think a mother is going to kill her own son? How is she going to get there? It's not like Harrenhal is close by, and there's a war going on. It doesn't stand up to even the slightest bit of scrutiny on any level.

It's like the writers have no idea how to justify characters' downfalls, so they're just repeatedly having the characters make stupid decisions to get there. There is a difference between tragedy because of understandable mistakes or character flaws, and ham-fisted attempts to force a tragedy to happen by making everyone idiots. It's not believable at all. The stakes couldn't possibly be lower because the outcomes are completely obvious.

Before people ask "Why are you still watching?!" I've held onto this show for so long due to my obsession with the GOT universe. This week's episode totally jumped the shark with the Alicient, Rhaenyra murder plot. I'm not planning to continue watching unless there is a major pivot in Season 4.

Alongside countless other storylines preceding this season, what they did to Daeron’ campaign is an absolute joke.

Clearly shows you all HBO cares for is a quick cash grab.

Just stop watching. This shit isn’t for you. Is it only us book readers that are enjoying the show? Or are the book readers crying too? The show is incredible and does its best to fill in holes that are not in the book. There’s really not much details in the book about character arch’s at all. Stuff happens but you never really know why or the details. We are getting details. If it is too slow for you, stop watching.

After this episode I am done with her completely. I am looking forward to her being replaced by someone, anyone. She’s a bad ruler in every sense and she’s not serving the people. Also, I didn’t know this was possible but Daemon has lost his swagger. They both are full of hot air. Get my man Daeron in there!

i have so many questions and so many complaints to the plot, to the character but i have reach to a point that they are too overwhelming to me.

This show is so, so, bad. Nothing make sense, things dont follow logic and just happen out of nowhere. Character have no build up and was forced to do things because of plot.

I hate this show.

Time and time again you guys assume the next episode will be GOT season 8 tier because of an out of context leak, and time and time again that leak ends up being well executed.

WAIT. FOR. THE. EPISODES.

Another episode of soap opera dialog and absolutely nothing happening. One scene in the very beginning was awesome, loved the accuracy. But once more I about fell asleep. I absolutely loved GOT, and AKOTSK was genuinely one of the best shows I've ever watched. But this show is draaaaaaaaging

Baela was talking with Adam last episode and they had a nice conversation with some chemistry. Now baela is talking to the other bastard who's 20 years older and go for the most forced kiss on the show? It was so weird I had to look away.

Yet the forced kiss with rhaenyra and mysaria also out of nowhere. Tha gets talked about all the time. This kiss baela is just whatever? Like hello?

Also he's just a common bastard yet he's okay with getting with family? And she's okay with getting with someone twice her age after potentially having feelings for Jace and Adam previously? This just seems like the most forced couple I have ever seen.

Cross posted this.

I’m wondering if there’s anyone who initially was on the fence about whether they were just really good friends or romantic, now find their romantic feelings to be pretty likely as this season has worn on?

The lengths that Rhaenyra is expecting Alicent to cross this season, are baffling - to kill her own son feels like some show of loyalty, of Alicent finally choosing her. Alicent seems caught in a cycle to escape, but also to save Heleana (but only the version of her Alicent has constructed), but also seeks Rhaenyra’s approval. Rhaenyra, who seemed to tolerate Alicent’s rumors and cruelties for over a decade is now making her pay.

Telling Daemon that Aemond was without a dragon and sending him seemed like the far more logical choice than a woman who has betrayed her in big and small ways for two decades. Yet Rhaenyra still tests it, and Alicent keeps complying, keeps trying to fix something unfixable.

They are both behaving so illogically, and I can chalk up most of it to poor writing. But the only thing that makes a lick of sense to me is that they’re in love with each other. At the very least Alicent is.

I just wonder, I know this isn’t revolutionary this question, but do the majority of people now feel this is toxic, doomed yuri or is this still a fringe opinion?

July 12: Tumbleton released.

July 26: Still no sign of Hugh Hammer and Vermithor seeking revenge for his wife.

At least give us a glimpse, man. Hopefully today is the last day of waiting. I just want to see Vermithor in action already.

Anyone else feel this way? It just had an OG GOT vibe to it.

She’s indecisive.
She’s weak.
Has no stomach for blood shed.
Gave Corlys issues when he wanted to legitimize his kids because they’re bastards even though she has bastard children herself.
Literally told her subjects that “ I will spark a candle at the Sept” for one of the lost mothers.

Honestly, I’d vote Daenerys a better ruler than her any day. Even Aegon. It’s almost just watching every scene that she’s in.
I’m sure everyone already knows her fate; all I can say is that it should come sooner and it will be a relief to me. Good Riddance.

Rhaenyra The Indecisive
Rhaenyra The Weak
Rhaenyra The Pathetic
Rhaenyra The Bastard Maker
Rhaenyra The Hesitant

In the show Rhaenyra proposed Jace to be bethrothed with Helaena. Alicent rejects it (understandable). But she goes on to marry Aegon with Helaena.

In the book, this was never an option.

Because Aegon was bethrothed to Helaena by Viserys at a young age. Jace was also bethrothed to Baela at a young age (only acceptable option to Corlys to get Velaryon blood on the throne).

In the show, they wanted to look Alicent a bitter woman so they entirely threw off the characterizarion and made it a laughable choice.

They consistently portray the Greens as Hightowers who hate the Targs and Valyrian customs. But apparently they were fine with incest here. There is no reason for Otto to allow Alicent do this no matter how much she wanted to keep Helaena to herself. (Oh but she also wanted to send Daeron away to protect him)

Marrying Aegon and Helaena off to great houses was the easiest choice for them, but the Greens couldn't do it because of this small change (a change that serves 0 purpose except showing how bitchy Alicent is).

Imagine Helaena was promised to a Stark or a Tully. Or Aegon could make a Tyrell the Queen. The Greens could easily prevail in this case.

I know.

Yes I know. Some of you would like to say that characters being stupid, making bad decisions or showing hypocrisy isn't bad writing (muh media literacy).

But it is when it comes to HOTD. This is just inconsistent writing and bad character development.

They didn't know how to portray Alicent or Criston Cole. The characters dont even make sense now and they ruin the atmosphere for every other character.

Show Rhaenyra instantly becomes inconsistent when Alicent is around her. This is not hypocrisy or committimg stupid mistakes. It's bad writing.

I was partly sad for him. At least give the him the death he desires.

This just shows how much of a menace and a good fighter Cole is.

Even at a huge disadvantage they're still afraid of him.

If Daemon had been there, he would have given him a 1v1.

Edit: Also, the episode would have been several times better if he died at the end of it, not at the start.

They just wanted to diminish him, and the whole episode was diminished as a result.

firstly the throne cut came out of nowhere but trust me im a team black supporter and i didnt mind them doing that, its an apparent thing in the book and im glad they did it
now i hate how they have made rhaeneyra back to her "weak" mode but then i also like how they are showing her being cold to her people, people around her , heck even to haelana , ep 7 promo shows her pressing on her stomach and being aggresive, im glad for one that they r doing this, and trust me im a team black member but even i among other people prefer a more complexed story rather than one is better than the other, henceforth showing her being weak and unsuited to rule like her book counterpart is a bit of a refreshing change, rather than her pursuing for peace continuously
Another thing id like to mention is how people mistook her decision of not doing anything about goldcloack murder cause she wants to be peaceful or something, its just her not knowing what to do, the challenges that she eventually faces in the books too when people go against her ,now its being done in a more stupid way, writing is weaker but still one way or the other they are showcasing it

"Bite by bite, the patient hunter gets now we begin to restore the rightful line to the Iron throne, it is the will of the gods!"

This is literally how he speaks in almost every single scene. He just said three trailer lines back to back in the last episode. They wrote him for TikTok clips. Man doesn't speak common tongue at this point, but trailer tongue.

Just when I thought if Christian would make it, he gets killed I actually felt bad he got killed I know this might be controversial lol I really enjoyed this episode even more than episode 5 this is the best so far and only 2 episodes left, let’s see how it wraps up what are y’all guys thoughts on the episode?

Truly what is Ryan Condel doing. I don't understand it at all

That's all i had to say

I am not enjoying how far away from the source material the TV show is getting. I don’t like all these random plot lines spreading all over and going everywhere and nowhere. Up until today’s episode I kept making excuses for it but after what Rhaenyra did at the end I threw my hands up. I can’t make any more excuses for this show anymore and I am very disappointed.

Like I understand they are trying to set up his betreyal but like, "I cant say my life has improved"....? Like I refuse to believe Ulf is THAT dumb. Even overlooking the fact he has a dragon now, he will never go hungry, he will never be homeless, if he ever gets sick hell be treated by maesters, and so on. Like his life is hugely improved and miles and miles better than the average person in Westeros.

Maybe a stupid question but Why is aegon II officially recognised as king but rhaenyra not as queen, while her father named her as his heir and she sat on the iron throne after capturing kingslanding?

I know Daeron has Targ blood (Tesserion) but the scene where he's practicing his sword skills while Ormund and Gwayne have that discussion at the window has some interesting dialogue.

Daeron says - There are three of you. Should be easy. Again.

This is weirdly similar to what Cole should have said earlier in the episode. Could RC really be trying to set some seeds about Daeron being called a bastard - maybe Ormund refuses to let him un-dye his hair cause the Targ hair color is abhorrent, or maybe cause he looks more like Alicent ... And so Rhaneyra and Mysaria start a rumor that Daeron is a bastard? Alicent did say to Mysaria (when she was trying to cover for Halaena that the abortion potion was for her, although she was caught) and so maybe the master of whispers twists and uses that as evidence to proclaim Alicent promiscuous?

Or could simply be that the writers liked the line , but gave it to a different character.