House of the Dragon finale

[iemanja]

Anyone watch it? Did you love it? I sure did.

[wcmagumba]

1. I liked it a lot but was left wanting more (as was planned)...so it was good...nt

[iemanja]

4. We'll have to wait until 2024 for the next season

That will be a hard wait.

[EarlG]

2. Very much so

I came into House of the Dragon as a GoT viewer (but non-book reader) who, like many, was left pretty underwhelmed after that series ended. I wasn't particularly excited for this spin-off, and had relatively low expectations.

That said, I enjoyed the hell out of this season and am now very much looking forward to the next one!

[iemanja]

10. I wasn't as disappointed with the GOT finale as many

I certainly wasn't surprised that Daenerys torched Kings Landing. She did destroy nearly every city she conquered in Essos, after all. There is lots of foreshadowing in the books for Bran ending up as King, so while I didn't expect it, it did make sense to me. I was, however, very disappointed with the lack of resolution of the plot with the Night King (not a book character). We got no motive for his actions. I think overall they suffered from the lack of source material from GRRM. House of the Dragons won't have that problem.

[EarlG]

17. I think I was underwhelmed partly because the show didn't line up with my head canon

After the show progressed past the events of the books (which I never read btw), I immersed myself in Internet speculation every week, and I built up a picture of what was going to happen which the show ultimately didn't deliver on. That's not to say that the showrunners didn't commit a bunch of boners though. I think it was a combination of the two factors -- my ridiculously high expectations plus the actually pretty mediocre execution of the show's endgame.

What I'm loving about House of the Dragon with regards to the source material -- I haven't read it, but I understand it's written like a history book -- is that the show has deviated from "history," yet in ways that makes total sense. For example:

****SPOILERS UP TO THE END OF SEASON ONE****

When Laenor secretly escaped instead of being killed, commenters complained that it didn't match up with the source material. But the point of Laenor's escape was to fool everyone into thinking he was dead, so of course the history books would report that he had been killed and burned to death.

And when Lucerys is killed by Vhagar, the history books assume that Aemond did it with malice, but in the show they both clearly lose control of their dragons -- something historians would never know. (Also a problem hinted at throughout the series: that the riders don't actually control the dragons and once they start fighting each other, bad shit is going to happen.)

****END SPOILERS****

So when people say it doesn't match the source material, I think it actually compliments it, by adding little details about the "truth" of what happened which didn't make it into the "history books."

[iemanja]

19. As some of the GRRM experts point out

the histories were written by maester/s, so aren't supposed to be unbiased. I agree with your assessment about the plausibility of the seeming departures from the histories, which I never read.

Do you ever watch the In Deep Geek Youtube channel? He's very good.

[EarlG]

21. I have not

But now I'll check it out!

[MuseRider]

3. Loved it!

I read all the books then listened before the first series, GOT, started. Loved it and being underwhelmed with the ending I did not hate or doubt the success of the series. The very moment I heard that Matt Smith was taking a role I was sold. I knew he would not be my beloved Dr. Who Matt Smith but he always looked good for a part like this.

I think they have done an incredible job with a book that is not fun to read. All the "begats" etc. Last I heard there was likely a 2 year wait for the next season. I did not see the end explanations, if there was that this time. Maybe something was said there? I guess, give the quality of this, it will be worth it but very very hard to wait.

This cast has been perfection. Too hard to even pick a favorite. So happy they have done this so well. Lets see how the next creative group does. BIG SMILES!

[iemanja]

5. Matt Smith is great as Daemon

I also love Paddy Considine, Emma D'Arcy and Ewan Mitchell. Rhys Ifans is great too. Overall, it's a fantastic cast.

[MuseRider]

7. Agreed.

I am really curious to see where Larys goes in this. Ooooh I hated Otto Hightower from the beginning. I have read the book but it was difficult and I cannot always recall things but the character was played flawlessly. Even the time jumps were handled so well they just seemed to flow. The women are fantastic. I love Eve Best and she does so much with her face, she almost does not need to talk but oh when she does. Mmm, it is more fun than I ever thought it would be.

[hlthe2b]

12. I agree that he and the others mentioned are the stand outs.

[hlthe2b]

6. I've been waiting to see a HOD thread. Maybe I missed it. I did like the finale.

and yes a 10-episode "season" is too short, especially given the first several episodes seemed like mostly set-up.

This appears to be quite the "HOME RUN" for HBO which is not surprising to me given the continued popularity of GOT-- despite disappointment with the final season/ending. After all, there hasn't been much on tv or streaming services to get excited about for some time. And for those of us not addicted to sports, it does feel like quite the drought we've experienced the past several years.

That said, I never really connected to any of the characters in HOD. The finale was touching and that might be the start of something for s2, but compared to GOT, I never really connected that strongly to them. The change of actors and rapid aging was part of the problem, no doubt, but...

And the music... The immensely talented composer, Ramin Djawadi came back for this outing such that the original GOT intro was also the one for HOD. GREAT. That said, we didn't really get any truly special scores for this series, unlike the immensely packed music of GOT. So, on both accounts, I hold out hope for season 2. DJawadi is immensely talented and frankly, I wonder if his underwhelming compositions for HOD don't merely echo the lack of emotion and connection the viewer has for the characters in s1.

Will I watch season 2? yes, absolutely. But I'm following the discussion (and rumors) behind the Jon Snow sequel (Kit Harington is on board and is involved). Now that will be a "MUST WATCH" imo.

[iemanja]

8. Well, the characters in HOD are more fraught

There are no clear good guys like the Starks. These people are Targaryens after all. That said, I really like some of the characters, largely because the acting is so good. Despite his brutality, I love Matt Smith's Daemon, and Ewan Mitchell, Paddy Considine, and Emma D'Arcy are great at Aemond, Viserys, and Rhaenyra respectively. The entire cast is good, which makes me like their characters. Some like Criston Cole and Otto Hightower are odious, but it's their acting that makes them so good at being bad.

[EarlG]

18. Yes, Criston Cole for sure

The character is such a tremendous dick, the actor is incredibly talented at making you want to hate his guts.



The whole cast is fantastic, but Paddy Considine is probably the standout.



I don't know where they got the actor from, but the guy playing Aemond is terrifying every time he's on screen!



And after all those years as The Doctor, I still can't quite buy Matt Smith in that wig lol.

[iemanja]

20. Matt Smith can't get used to his wig either

He complains about it a lot.

[MuseRider]

9. Jon Snow? Agreed!

There are a few others being tossed around but I don't pay much attention until they get someone signed on...even then! I am also hoping for the Dunk and Egg shows, talked about but nothing lately. Hmmm, so much.

Jon Snow..YES!

[iemanja]

11. Apparently there are four live action series being considered.

One is on old Valryia.

[MuseRider]

13. I guess, as a long time member of the old fogies

I must say live action I am not even sure what it is...it sounds OK when I look it up. Just as long as we do not go the "super hero cartoon" route because then I am out in my old fogie grumpy way. Baaaaahhhh!

[iemanja]

14. Live action as opposed to animation

Normal tv and films are live action. Animation is illustrated. They are animated series being considered as well.

[MuseRider]

15. That simple!

Thanks. Just not into the other but.... most are so they should go for it.

[Solly Mack]

16. I watched. I've read book one.

[jcgoldie]

22. My problem with it

I like the show love the drama and the dragons... but I don't LIKE any of the characters. In GOT there were always folks to root for despite the perpetual violence... Jon Snow, Aria, even the dragon queen throughout most of the show. I don't get that in HOD... I find myself just hoping the whole miserable lot just kill each other.