#alicole save me

[peachysunrize]

Can they kiss already? I feel like I’m the Steve in their relationship watching them drowning in tension—

[falllpoutboy]

back on my alicole bullshit but i interpreted the breakup scene with them as criston taking his status as alicent’s sworn protector to a metaphorical level bc he’s only been hand of the king for less than a week and unintentionally lead a host of men to their fiery deaths bc his battle plan didnt go as planned and i think he wants to keep alicent from making the same mistakes as he did and have the deaths of hundreds be on her conscience like they’re on his. he’s trying to spare her but she sees it as a betrayal. she always had the upper hand in their relationship naturally by status but also figuratively as evidenced by the positions of their sex scenes too lol so alicent is probably both heartbroken and betrayed

[laenordeservedbetter]

Love Me in Spite

Words: 2k

Pairing: Alicent Hightower x Fem!Knight!Reader

Synopsis: Daemon brings you to King's Landing to assassinate your former lover.

Warnings: Reader is team black but loves Alicent, sexism, one-sided opinion on Daemon's character, foul & degrading language, reader has the catspaw dagger (the one used to cut Rhaenyra; it's not with Aegon), NO ALICOLE, Criston is not around in this one but it does follow the events of S2E01, attempted murder, thoughts of one's own death, Reader is slightly a hypocrite when it comes to her faith (her and Alicent are a match made in heaven). [Let me know if I missed any.]

not my gif. || masterlist || previous work

—

Alicent Hightower was going to die by your hands.

If the order had been given to you no more than a hundred and eighty moon turns ago, you would have repudiated it without vacillation. As a child, you favored death over the mere prospect of harming a hair on Alicent’s head. The thought of inflicting pain upon a good, kindhearted, and forbearing lady was not incorporated in the vows you swore to the late King Viserys, nor did it align with your moral compass, but alas, many years had passed since then. You are not the same girl as before, nor was Alicent.

She is overcome by spite, leaving no trace of the woman she once was. Her companionship with the Princess, now Queen Rhaenyra, has long since ended. A bitter rivalry stretched between them, dividing the realm along with it.

War was coming, and it would begin with the retribution for Lucerys Velaryon’s death.

“Having second thoughts, are you?” Daemon looked back on his shoulder to gaze upon you. He appeared like a poacher in his present clothing. Not a day went by where Daemon wasn’t scheming. Over the years you spent by his side, you learned that violence was his only language. The rogue prince possessed a secure remedy for every predicament he found himself in, which is referred to as murder. He was an erudite warrior, if not temperamental.

“No, my prince. I am only counting the seconds until I get off this beast.” Caraxes lets out a low whine at your joke. You laugh softly, petting his scales. “Forgive me, Caraxes. I was merely jesting.”

Daemon smiles at your bond with the dragon, but it fades swiftly. “I know how you feel about that whore of a queen, but I advise you to remember that she is the enemy. If you want to let the nostalgia of an immemorial companionship influence your actions, I might as well throw you off this beast now to save myself the trouble of bringing you to King’s Landing.”

His words brought you a feeling of displeasure. Although your relationship with Alicent has waned over the years, you wish not to refer to her in a demeaning light, whether by your mouth or another’s. “Love begets catastrophe.” You voice out instead, “I will not be so weak. Duty takes precedence over any kind of affection.”

Your rejoinder influenced Daemon to pry further. “How did that woman manage to capture your affections, anyway? Did she visit your chambers while you were mourning a loved one?”

“And how did you capture Queen Rhaenyra’s heart? By looking after her in her cradle?” You shouldn’t have replied to his provocation with one of your own, but you could not pass up the opportunity for gratifying outcomes.

Daemon seethes. “You forget yourself, knight. I could throw you off this dragon in an instant.”

“And have Queen Rhaenyra lose one of her best assets?” You raise a brow. “Didn’t think so.”

The prince grunts, not willing to concede.

The rest of the flight was done in silence. Daemon continued to feel aggrieved by your quip earlier and went out of his way to show it through his actions. Even Caraxes shied away from your touch whenever you tried to pet him, the act hurting more than you thought it would.

You arrive in the harbor during the hour of the wolf. Caraxes lands on the sandy shores of King’s Landing, the stench of the sea rapidly hitting your nostrils. You get off of the winged beast first, evaluating your surroundings.

It had been quite some time since you visited King’s Landing. A pang of melancholy washes over you as you watch your once lively city now filled with weapons against the rightful heir and her dragons. You think of the smallfolk, the ones Alicent loves so much, and you imagine their faces. In your mind, you see pyres being lit and bodies being thrown onto it. You imagine the city you love so much engulfed in flames by the dragons looming overhead.

The thought sends shivers down your spine.

War is not the outcome you desire, but it is an inevitability. You know it as well as you know Alicent’s breathing. When swords start clashing and dragons turn against one another, the city will fall apart. The greens may have spilt the first blood, but your hands would begin the war.

Daemon throws you a dark cloak, which you grasp with a soft grunt.

“What’s this for?” You question as you put on the clothing. The material felt pleasant on your skin, the cloak fitting you wonderfully, as if it was tailored exactly for you. Looking back and forth between the cloak and the rogue prince, you comprehend that that was his doing. A soft smile graced your features.

Daemon’s eyes flit from you to Caraxes once he realizes that you had been observing him. He pretends to fasten the straps on the dragon, answering, “For you to blend in.” while trying to remain impassive. Daemon grabs another cloak, trying it out on himself.

“Thank you, my prince.” You needn’t say anything more. Daemon wasn’t one for sentiments and truth be told, neither are you when it comes to him.

“There’s one more thing.”

Your interest piques at his statement. The rogue prince walks towards you, dagger in hand. Briefly, you consider the prospect of him ending your life with it. Though, why come all this way for one murder?

Perhaps it would be to threaten the greens, as if to say “No one is safe. Not even the dowager queen’s former paramour.” It would be an atrocious act, one that would send Alicent reeling. Cole would call you a traitor to the realm, advising Aegon to display your body on the streets to show what happens to traitors, despite the murder being orchestrated by someone else. Alicent would refuse, of course. She would not be able to look at your body. Otto would turn your death into an opportunity. Mayhaps he would call you an honorable warrior who was unrightfully executed, painting Rhaenyra a villain. You do not know which one of those scenarios is worse.

Daemon surprises you when he offers you the dagger. “You should use this to kill her.” That was not part of the list of all the outcomes you expected.

Taking the dagger in your hand, you analyze the carvings on the blade. You should have felt formidable upon touching the weapon. It belonged to Aegon the Conqueror, after all. However, at present, the only thing you understand is that the dagger would be utilized for assassinating Alicent. Strange how a small object could have the capability to end a human’s life.

You could not respond, hiding the dagger in your sleeve. The weight of the act you were about to commit began to settle on your shoulders. Hundreds of enemies you have slain, but were you truly prepared to have Alicent be part of that list?

“Do this for your queen.” Daemon’s order was whispered, but vehement.

“For the queen.” You repeat with a shake of your head. Although you were less than solicitous to harm Alicent, you were eager to prove yourself to Rhaenyra. She deserved to be on the iron throne. ‘Twas her birthright, proclaimed by the late King Viserys. You swore an oath to protect and serve the rightful ruler of the realm, and you vowed to uphold that until the end of your days.

This is for the greater good, you tell yourself. One step closer to Rhaenyra being put on the throne.

But why doesn’t it feel right?

—

You get into the castle with no challenge. For a fortress occupied by Targaryen royalty, the security was subpar. And where was the commander of the Kingsguard? Surely, he needed to safeguard the castle now more than ever. Criston’s ineptitude made you scoff. See, if you had been the commander of the night’s watch…

Never mind the thought. You would have despised working under Aegon. The “king”, he calls himself, acts like a boy. He takes and takes and takes, not caring to mull over the consequences. Aegon has a penchant for acting first, and excogitating second, much like Aemond. The two Targaryen princes are more similar than they would care to admit.

At last, you reach Alicent’s — previously Rhaenyra’s — chambers. There was no guard on duty to protect her. Criston, the almighty Lord Commander, was nowhere to be found. Your blood boiled. Where the fuck was he? You at least expected a fight when you came here. You clench your fists in vexation. No confrontation would ensue since the lord commander is off doing anything but his job.

In spite of your ire, you open the chamber doors delicately, refusing to make a sound. You silently close the entrance behind you before making your way to the cot.

You send a prayer of gratitude when you see Alicent sound asleep in her bed, thankful that the gods had granted you this mercy. You hadn’t seen Alicent with her guard down in sixteen years. The ardent flames casted a warm glow upon her face, making her appear pacific. She was clutching her furs as she slept, a habit of hers that remained constant. Stray strands of hair covered her left eye. You almost reach out to brush them away when you recall the real reason why you were here, retracting your hand as if you had been burned.

Daemon’s voice rang in your ears, urging you to take action.

Kill Alicent Hightower.

You retrieve the dagger from your sleeve, holding it against Alicent’s throat. The light from the fireplace shone on the weapon, highlighting the Valyrian text inscribed on it.

This was the right thing to do.

For Rhaenyra.

For the realm.

You push through with shaking hands, torn between your duty and your morality. Alicent had no one to shield her. You are a craven for attempting to assassinate a defenseless woman in her sleep. You try to tell yourself that this way would be better. Alicent would not have to suffer long. But as you gaze upon her features, you could only see the girl you once loved.

In lieu of reminding yourself of Daemon’s orders, reminiscences of days making promises to one another crossed your mind. From rehearsing future marriage vows to Rhaenyra’s proclamation as the heir to the throne — the three of you promising not to hurt one another, an oath predating your ascension to the Kingsguard.

“Fool.” You call yourself out on your asinine choice, moving the dagger away from Alicent’s neck. This was wrong. You couldn’t do it. You couldn’t hurt Alicent. You had failed Rhaenyra. Pacing back and forth while running your hands through your hair, you struggle to determine your next course of action.

“That you are.” You face Alicent, your throat constricted by the sheer expression on her face. Alicent was not alarmed by the dagger you currently possess. She smiled at you the way she used to whenever you saved her from Rhaenyra in your games of pretend. “I was hoping to see you.”

The revelation caused you to drop your weapon entirely, moving it to your side, “Alicent.” Her name tumbled from your lips like a prayer.

Alicent stood so she was now face to face with you. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, “Did Rhaenyra send you?”

You look her in the eye and say, “No. Daemon did.”

Alicent nods, knowing that it was in Daemon’s nature to take matters into his own hands. The rogue prince served only himself.

The dowager queen takes a step closer while you remain standing against the wall. Your body shudders as she cups your cheek. And, as if on instinct, you lean into her touch, letting the tears fall. She doesn’t know how often you look for fragments of her in the people you encounter and feel your spirit recurrently shatter once you realize that you would never find it. You wish to lay your heart out in front of her as an offering, or to confess the contents of your prayers that have her as the keynote.

“I’m sorry.”, is all you say.

“What?” Alicent whispers.

You plunge the dagger into your abdomen just in time for Helaena to come barging into Alicent’s chambers, Jaehaera in her arms.

“They killed the boy.”

[mioxeno]

I understand why everyone is panicking about the Alicole scenes on a surface level. However Alicent only makes sense through a queer pov for me and everything we've seen so far is accurate to that portrayal. Rhaenyra is her first (and only friend) and they were much closer than two female friends typically are. It's clear she over-attaches herself to Rhaenyra for reasons she can't exactly accept or explain. Because of this the idea of Rhaenyra falling in love with a man, becoming queen having children etc. always scared her as she didn't want to lose her. However she loses her freedom to really discover herself the moment she gets forced into becoming Viserys' wife.

Most of how Alicent's life ended up, her children, her husband, even her position as queen came at the cost of her freedom and sense of self and from her perspective Rhaenyra abandoned her because she 'didn't save her from her fate'. She struggles being a loving, caring mother because her children are physical representations of the rape and abuse she suffered upon and never asked for. She wants to love them but she can't really express it nor get rid of her conflicting feelings.

When Viserys' died she started sleeping with Criston because it gave her a sense of control over someone because everyone else in her life doesn't respect or listen to her. Otto refuses to ever discuss her issues and feelings. Aegon and Aemond both go against her wishes and hurt others in the same way she was hurt. Then with Helaena she can't bring herself to comfort and help her because while she sees her younger self in her she doesn't know what to say and thinks she'll make it worse.

Throughout everything, she still loves Rhaenyra and has a faint hope they'll be able to be how they used to be when they were children. However she feels it's wrong to love Rhaenyra and that she'll be punished for it because of her faith and society. Anyway my point is Alicent's arc reads to me like she's a lesbian who suffers from comphet due to the patriarchal society she's in and she has no sense of self or freedom to really begin to accept herself.

[cinematic-phosphenes]

HoTD S2x01: A Son for a Son (I have thoughts and I'm keeping them here)

The Stark theme and Cregan doing his best Sean Bean accent have me nostalgic.

If getting conscripted to the Wall is an honour, then why does budget Jon Snow look unhappy about it?

No Sara Snow, okay. I’ll live with it. No Jace/Cregan (b)romance, not okay. Tumblr made me want it, only to be so denied by the showrunners.

Not more Targ colonialism erasure. "We colonised an entire continent to save the world, no really. And look, even the noble Starks agree with it!" is such a shit take, even if it's canon. I like the Targ characters, but let's not erase the original Aegon's colonial crimes.

Jace looks so pretty! Major glow up.

Dragonstone has a dragon hangar! Yay for worldbuilding!

Daemon calling Vhagar a hoary old bitch reminds me of this absolutely amazing Vhagar POV fanfic I read. (Soon the god's hoar by eldritcher on AO3) (The fic is spoiler-y for the rest of the Dance, jsyk.)

Yes, Rhaenys! Put Daemon in his place! Also, her dragon riding outfit!!!

Alyn, I see you doing an Egg by shaving your head.

Why in the hell does no one take Helaena’s visions seriously?! She’s right every time. (Can I blame ‘I had a dragon dream once’ Viserys for this? Because I want to blame Viserys for this. Look at the mess you left your kids in, Viserys! I hope Balerion bites your ass in the afterlife.)

And here we see the 'Our lives are in danger, so let's fuck about it' trope in action. I’ve heard a lot of Alicole hot takes. “Criston Cole is ‘unmanly’ for going down on a woman” is the absolute hottest of hot takes I’ve had the misfortune of encountering.

Otto giving Alicent and Criston Cole that look as they walk in. He knows what they’ve been doing.

Aegon grinning at his son like a fool. Aegon giving Jaehaerys attention and wanting him to learn how to rule even though he’s only six. Aegon trying to do better than deadbeat Viserys did. Aegon talking about pony rides in a way that suggests Jaehaerys often gets pony rides, possibly from Aegon himself. If you told me last season Aegon would somehow turn out to be the best father on this series ….. (Yes, I know that when it comes to being a dad the bar is in hell’s basement here. Yes, I know the way Aegon treats his illegitimate kids is horrific. I think there’s definitely been some retconning here and S2 Aegon is not the same character as S1 Aegon. They should have portrayed him this way from the start.)

Alicent wrote Rhaenyra letters to apologize for Luke's death and she's expecting a response?! Girl ....

My kingdom for a scene of the Greens finding out that Aemond killed Luke. My kingdom for a scene of Aemond deciding to just fully commit to the villain persona and lie to say he killed Luke intentionally. Such a missed opportunity.

Larys being an intimidating creep to Alicent again. He should go fall down some stairs.

Alicent scrubbing her skin raw. She is not okay. (I want to see Alicent cracking. Let Olivia Cooke act!)

Rhaenyra’s grief over Luke is heartbreaking. Emma D’Arcy is acting their heart out. And Syrax crying too, nooo.

Aegon walking in sync with his fratboy squad. You know they practised that entrance during one of their nightly seshes in the throne room.

Are they going to show the throne cutting Aegon?

“On further thought, I have decided ….” Aegon is hilarious.

It’s Hammer time!

Larys already angling for the Hand’s position. I know this guy is ambitious, but damn.

Just Alicent looking ethereal reading letters.

Mysaria’s accent has been toned down! (Why was Mysaria fleeing King’s Landing though? Maybe I’m missing something but I don’t get it?)

“We swore an oath to protect the whole of the royal family. So what were we to do when they turned against one another?” Jaime Lannister echoes.

"I want Aemond Targaryen." Chills. Rhaenyra only says four words all episode and it's these four words.

Jace trying to keep it together and be professional to give his report. Jace looking so much younger and more vulnerable when he’s back with his mother. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Scenes with Rhaenyra at Luke’s funeral interspersed with scenes of Alicent paying tribute to the dead, including Luke. My heart. That empty space next to Alicent in the sept where Rhaenyra used to pray. They are an absence in each other’s lives.

Rhaena crying for her betrothed, nooo.

Why didn’t they have a dragon light Luke’s funeral pyre?

The return of the Daemon crime hoodie, now upgraded to a war crime hoodie.

Making it unclear if Daemon told B & C to go after another son if they can’t find Aemond or if B & C just went rogue – that’s a cop out by the writers. Unless it comes up again. EDIT: Daemon said 'a son for a son.' He was giving them carte blanche to go after another son if Aemond is MIA.

Daemon reluctantly admitting Aemond is a good fighter. I love to see it.

Why do I get the sense that Aemond also knows about Alicole?

“Rhaenyra is a cunning spider. Long ago she pulled Alicent into her web. Intoxicated her. It is not your mother’s fault.” “Her Grace speaks with two tongues. Alicent holds love for our enemy.” So they’re both obsessed and very much not over Rhaenyra. Do Alicent and Cole both think of Rhaenyra while being unholy together because it kinda seems like it?

Ewan Mitchell as Aemond is so mesmerizing. That man has presence.

Why the fuck has no one tried to map the secret tunnels into the Red Keep and close off the ones that allow randoms to sneak in/royal minors to sneak out?

The entire Kingsguard is in the throne room guarding Aegon? And they don’t stop the ‘rat catchers’ working at night? Even if the rat catchers were supposed to be there, I feel like it would still be protocol to stop and question them. Have none of these writers been pulled over by the cops for no reason/even slightly suspicious behaviour?

I think the build up to B & C should’ve focused on Helaena and her kids instead of B & C creeping around, arguing for no reason and committing gratuitous animal abuse. (That dog kicking scene looked so real, I watched the end credits for a disclaimer that no animals were harmed in the making of.) They could’ve shown Helaena getting the kids ready for bed, reading them a story, etc. They established a connection between Aegon and Jaehaerys pre B & C but none between Helaena and the kids before it happened. Lost opportunity.

B & C was very different than I expected before I was spoiled. I guess I see what the writers were going for with Helaena’s response to B & C. She’s dissociated rather than hysterical. She’s been painted as a character who’s distanced from the world around her in general, so perhaps this is an in-character trauma response for her. Plus you could see the absolute terror in Phia’s eyes. Helaena was terrified and traumatized. She was just quiet about it.

As for her just pointing out Jaehaerys instead of trying to bargain or plead more for his life … I guess it’s because they’re characterizing her as very literalist, straightforward and honest to a fault as part of her ‘strangeness’? So she just took B & C at their word and didn’t try to change their minds because after the necklace offer failed, she assumed they couldn’t be swayed and would definitely kill her and both kids like they threatened to if she didn’t point out Jaehaerys to them. As for not pointing to Jaehaera – that wouldn’t accomplish anything. If they didn’t check that they really had the boy, one of her kids would still be dead. If they checked and discovered she’d lied, they might kill both kids. She was a mother who didn’t want either of her kids to die but perceived she couldn’t do anything to save both of them, so she felt she had no choice but to point out Jaehaerys. And then she grabbed Jaehaera and got her to safety when she saw the chance. At least she could save one of them.

As for Helaena saying they killed ‘the boy’ instead of saying his name Jaehaerys – I don’t see that as her being insensitive and uncaring about her kid. I think she was just repeating B & C’s exact word use in her dissociated state. She was on auto pilot at that point.

I do get what the writers were going for … but it’s not going to translate well to most of the audience I don’t think. I see many people interpreting it as Helaena not caring about Jaehaerys and not trying hard enough to save him. “Why didn’t she offer up her own life like any mother would?” If a large part of the audience misinterprets or misunderstands a scene or a character’s intentions or motivations, then that’s a failure on the part of the writers IMO. I’m not upset they didn’t make B & C more graphic or violent in the physical or psychological sense. (In the book, their twisted mind games were just as horrific and brutal and every bit as violent as the physical violence). But I do think that scene could have been better executed in a different way. And including Maelor probably would have worked better to illustrate the horrific, inescapable situation Helaena found herself in between a rock and a hard place.

Where the fuck are the guards? In the throne room with Aegon? Sent away by Cole to hide the fact that he’s in the queen dowager’s bed? The Greens never considered infiltration or a stealth attack? They really got complacent because they have Vhagar guarding the city.

Alicent and Cole doing it in Rhaenyra’s old room, in Rhaenyra’s bed!! Are they both imagining they’re with Rhaenyra too?! Because this is giving … high levels of dysfunction. They’re both haunted by Rhaenyra

The only thing I’ll say about Alicole is that they really should have shown them getting together for the first time. When, how and why did that happen? Who instigated it? How did they both feel about it? Again the writers don’t show the motivations they had in mind for the characters, resulting in the viewers drawing different conclusions than they’re ‘supposed to’ and it works against the story. The interviews I’ve watched seem to say it’s consensual on both their parts. (I know there’s a power imbalance that makes it problematic, but I don’t think the writers see it that way.) Again, showing the start of their first sexual encounter would have been better writing (IMO) because it could have been used to illustrate consent.

The last thing I’ll say about Alicole (okay, so I wanted to say two things) is that showing it after B & C that way by having Helaena walk in on them cheapens B & C. The true shock and horror here is that a child was murdered in front of his mother. Why add the cheap shock value of someone walking in on their parent in flagarante?

All in all, okay episode, kind of weird. Looking forward to see what they do with the rest of the material.

[queenvhagar]

so, now that the season is over, can i just vent about how useless and borderline tasteless those aemond/sylvi scenes were? maybe not tasteless, as ewan wasn't filmed naked against his will or coerced like the og GOT actresses were, but i certainly didn't feel whatever it was they were trying to get me to feel by watching those brothel scenes. while i can empathize with the plight of the smallfolk and will always stand up for sex workers, it just didn't work for me in this context. yes, as a big fan of aemond, there was a part of me that wanted to see him express some degree of vulnerability this season, but with his own fucking family and not at the expense of seeing the brothel madame from s1 again! anyone who is in or even on the fringes of the HOTD fandom knows what an issue the conversation surrounding sylvi was back in 1x09, and i feel like this was a move to capitalize on aemond's popularity, set the stage for his preference of older women once he meets alys, or maybe even just filling the nudity quota as per hbo's standards. i mean, damn, if they're going to put aemond in a position of romantic or sexual intimacy, can they just save that shit for his semi-canonical love interest? hell, i would rather he be demanded to bring floris baratheon to court, which would do that job of opening up conversation about whatever is going on in the stormlands and how borros is choosing the handle the war effort on his end! sylvi is not a character we know or care about on the same level of the main cast and i doubt she's going to leave a significant impact on who aemond is going forward, so why shove this glorified extra in our faces and attach them to a character who was/is kinda the dark horse breakout fave of s1? she adds nothing to him or the story beyond another smallfolk pov - which we already have with mysaria and the dragonseeds! what a waste of time. 😒

I agree. The purpose of these scenes was to humiliate the character or make him laughable for having "mommy issues" and literally drinking milk and laying in an older woman's arms. And all that so they could also include Aegon bullying him for it because otherwise he had no motivation to want to kill him all of a sudden. It is extra icky with the implication that this is the first woman Aemond was ever with as a literal child when he was brought to her to "get it wet." I don't think the show handles discussion and portrayal of sex in this show at all. Despite its "sex positive" attitude toward Rhaenyra it seems it shames every other character when it comes to sex: Aegon having his penis exploded, Aemond having mommy issues cuddling his abuser and drinking milk, the voyeuristic sex of Alicole included only for shock value and shaming the characters for being hypocrites, the lack of recognition of Alicent's inability to refuse Viserys and that marital rape scene seemingly just used to contrast with Rhaenyra's sexual liberation... To say this show is weird about sex and mixed with its messaging is saying the least.

[snowblack-charcoalwhite]

Thoughts on HotD Ep1 Season 2

What I liked:

Scenes with Aegon. It's so great to finally see him as a father who tries his best to be there for his children and as someone who is starting to assume responsibilities he evaded before. Big kudos to Tom for his performance.

Aemond and his vibes. I was fully aware we would not get that much of him in the first few episodes (the focus is supposed to be on Aegon at the moment) so I did not expect a lot of character development for him. But the vibes were immaculate, as usual. So glad to see Ewan hasn't lost (if anything, only perfected) the ability to portray an emotion without moving a single muscle:)

Plus I really loved the subtle power play between the Targtowers - and the way it was portrayed without them actually communicating on screen. The reluctant "Gods, I hate it, but you really are my King now so I have to and I will" pledge of loyalty from Aemond vs some mix of deprecation and appreciation as in "you are a twat but you are my twat" from Aegon. A weird love, indeed. I am quite afraid to see where their relationship goes next with these writers in charge of it - but let's take one step at a time.

Phia's acting. For me her performance was the most powerful of the whole episode. Shame it wasn't enough to fix the mess the writers made.

Honorable mentions: Otto and Larys (huge respect for Rhys and Matthew), Ser Erryk (the only Black character who didn't make me either yawn or roll my eyes even once) and the way Emma portrayed Rhaenyra's grief when she found Arrax's wing with a bit of Luke's cape and during the funeral.

What I didn't like (very much so):

It's going to be short and not very specific.

The script is a mess. The story jumps from one scene to the other pretty much at random, and the entirety of it felt so very rushed. The way they skipped the Greens actual reactions to Aemond killing Luke? The way they treated B&C as if it was a filler and not one of the most important parts of the beginning of the Dance? The way sexual aspect of Alicole was presented (can't say it was entirely random but it definitely was underdeveloped)? The way Daemon was turned into some kind of pathetic boy who literally no one takes seriously (God knows I am very far from being a Daemon fan but have at least some respect for the character, even if only for the story's sake)?

And 90% of TB scenes were just plain boring.

In conclusion, if it keeps going on like this, the show is doomed. No matter how talented and dedicated the actors are, they can't save the story if it doesn't save itself. After all, acting is a tool of storytelling and not the other way around.

[knightsickness]

drives me insane when people say ‘this is the alicole we could have had 😭😭’ under posts of actual alicole scenes from the show that was extremely literally the alicole we DID have. idk if you know this but the her saving him from suicide the she is the beacon i follow monologue and the wall sex were all in the showw literally just complaining to complain

[florisbaratheons]

A lot of H*laemonds and Rh*enicents don't see Helaena or Alicent as their own characters.

This is not directed at everyone, a lot of folks are very nice and ship their ship and mind their own business, so please do not take it that way. But I have seriously got to get this off my chest.

The amount of complaining and whining I have seen from shippers because their ships are not going to come true has been amazing. And the amount of people who insisted that Aegon abuses Helaena so Aemond has to come in and save her, and the amount of people who were so sure Criston was going to turn around and start beating Alicent (after twenty years of protecting her and admiring her) so it would make their ship more valid is just wild AF to me. And the same with when it was shown Daemon was going to lunge at Rhaenyra - people were happy with this! Because apparently it meant Rh*enicent was real.

WHAT?

Why do you want these things to happen to your supposed favorite characters, hmm?

Why do you want Helaena to be raped, why do you want Alicent to be beaten up, all for your ships to be real? Explain that to me please.

And then the insistence that Alicent is a lesbian and ignoring the fact that Alicole was heavily implied in season 1, even without the deleted scenes. Alicent will only want to fuck Criston because he fucked Rhaenyra...twenty years ago. Please make that make sense, I beg you. You can headcanon Alicent as a lesbian all you want, but keep the biphobia to yourself. This bizarre need to have Alicent still obsessed with this woman who has given her NOTHING is quite interesting. You really don't want Alicent to be happy unless it's with the woman who lied and treated her like garbage. (And to add, Alicent gave as good as she got tho.)

Actors' headcanons do not match what happens with the character. And this disgusting lashing out at fucking Fabien, a MOC, for doing his damn job, my god. What is wrong with ya'll? He didn't write it. This is a basic rant about how all fandom, not just shippers, treats these actors too. Tom Glynn Carney had to delete all of his personal socials and a manager covers his professional one. Fabien doesn't update his at all anymore. Media has seriously rotted people's brains, it's incredible to me.

If ya'll seriously did like Helaena and Alicent, you'd want those characters to be happy. But everything I have seen proves the opposite.

[peachysunrize]

Leaks & spoilers for alicole⬎

OH MY FUCKING GOD DID YOU GUYS SEE HOW CRISTON PUSHES HER TO THE WALL OMG OMG OMG I WILL LOSE MY FUCKING MIND WHEN I SEE IT IN 4K

THE SCENES ARE GOING TO BE SO JUICY I LOVE IT

ALICENT WAS NOT IMMUNE TO THE POWER OF WAR HAIRCUT

I just know this and Aemond’s nude scene will be my most watched scenes of the entire season

[alicentsultana]

Some of my alicole beliefs and rants:

1. I think the want had always been there (especially when you're being fucked by a corpse, but we're not gonna talk about that today)

2. Religion and morality doesn't mean those who have/follow will stick to it.

3. Repression and trauma can change people and it reflect in their actions, including self-harm (as we see Alicent doing) and other things like drugs and alcohol (like Aegon does), fighting (like Aemond), but the cope mechanism here went to sex, as many people do. Like repressed people irl who are one person at home and away from their parents/family/partners are someone completely different. You cannot be pro lgbtqia+ and not know this, baby karen project...

4. Twenty fucking Jesus dancing years together. We see clear as day that Criston have to do the work that supposedly should have been Viserys' - like giving attention to his wife and kids, not forget their name and rather to find them dead. Let her drool on a dilf that practically raised her kids, for fucks sake

5. There's a lot to unpack. They might have done it at Driftmark, marking the death of duty, as we saw someone pointing out early. They give give give. And it's never enough, it's a doomed matter, even for them, after all, what's stopping them? Promises have already been broken, what do they have left?

6. It's easy to love Anne Boleyn an go Henry VIII on others, huh?

7. They are very much devoted to each other and it shows. And it goes beyond the religious undertones, she practically saved his life while he stopped her from falling from grace, despite being justified in her rage, now tell me, what would you feel if it were you?

8. I have the genuine impression that the targtowers kids know. It's monday for them, it send lights to Aegon's affairs, but that's Freudian talk. Criston didn't had to like or do anything for 4 brats, yet, we see how Aemond respects him, how he can freely chastise Aegon in public, how the show made us nothing but a disfavour, old news. And once again, there he was.

9. This is the less problematic relationship on this show, you wish it wasn't consensual, they had years to pull away.

10. From all the men around her, only one apparently hasn't failed her.

11. Emotional attachment. Both sides.

12. Viserys was emotionally unavailable first, unless you all think is normal to call the name of another wife, and look into my eyes and tell me he hadn't done it even in bed. Alicent eventual actions seems more than justified to me.

12. Rhaenyra is a topic between them, but well, is dragon criminal pussy really misleading them?

13. Good for them.

[liaa--qb]

This might sound overly dramatic, but I'm so sad and disappointed right now because of all those horrible leaks. I know they still might be false, but honestly I believe that save for some details, they are mostly true. There are few things that sadden me the most :

1. Helaemond not being canon. I know that this ship has been controversial, especially among TG, but it really had a lot of potential and was one of my favourite (still is). And I don't care what antis say, there were a lot of hints and undertones in s1 about helaemond, more than for Alicole and look, Alicole apparently becomes canon in the worst possible way. Which brings me to the second point -

2) Alicole being canon. Don't get me wrong. I like this pairing, but it would be much better and more in character if they never acted on their feelings. Not to mention that two sex scenes in ep 1 (if the leak is true) will seem too much and out of nowhere. And to include it in B&C scene with helaena walking in on them having sex right after Jaehaerys is brutally murdered is an atrocious writing decision. F*ck you Condal and whoever is responsible for this.

3) B&C made into a joke. According to the leaks, Helaena won't be given a choice, there will be some upsetting details about getting naked the children and so on..and to have her walk in on her mom having sex with a member of a kingsguard.. Again, f*ck you Condal.

4) Aemond and the brothel madame. Why would he go to the same woman who SAed him when he was 13? And he obviously felt uncomfortable around her in ep 9. And to make him cry while naked in fetal position...I also read on reddit that they will include a mommy kink with breast sucking and whatnot... but this seems way too much and is probably someone's shitty headcanon. At least I hope it is, because if true I'll vomit.

And this is only the first episode. Idk, if this turns out to be true, I'll probably stop watching and it sucks since I really like this universe and was excited about s2. Two years of waiting and for what.. Not only the shortened season but also all this garbage. We'll see in few days, I guess, but I'm not hopeful. Anyway, thanks for reading my rant. I would love to hear your opinion on this.

Ya the way heard about leaks is sooo😂😂😂😂😂😂😭😭😭☠️ wtf they have done 😬☠️☠️

IT'S MY ANSWER FOR ALL QUES LIKE THIS FILLED IN MY INBOX CZ I GOT SAME QUES FOUR TIMES in different ways😅, so I am answering for them all but it's but long

See it's a kind suggestion from me very sweetly that it's better if you are not expecting something high from makers n watching it without any expectations because if we are hating just because they did some ships wrong then acc to that alot of changes were already done since s1, like Rhaenicent , Larys alot of things but we never had problems.

Listen I am kinda sad also but you know what..... be happy because you know Ewan and Phia are shipping helaemond🥰. They acknowledging it , loving it and adding some own elements to this ship is really amazing of them moreover just for a fan service.

Like "do it for helaemond" 😭 they are so adorable. See I knew very well that it's not gonna happen, I had a very less surity and that's how exactly it turned out.

But you know what not a single ship is going to have any good romantic future 😂 either all of them even Daemyra main centre couple is not being done well by the makers. What can you expect for others ?

because I knew helaemond had lit ceslu potential but it has to be done correctly and Ik hotd makers would ruin it or make it bad even if it was shown canon look at Alicole now. So being non canon yet addressed by makers and actors who specially said they would act on it for fan service is a kind of little serve.

To me it's like I won ( but at what cost 😭😅) but also winning well wasn't there on cards ever. Every ship is going to be destroyed by makers. see what they did with Helaegon(ik it wasn't any good already) but like I am crying on leaks ( I thought atleast this s2 helaegon would be done but better for Aegon's sake but no😭)

All ships barely are going to have small amount of time without any romantic bullshit, just in one or two scene then seperating apart n dying 😂☠️ as I said earlier so to me Ewan phia trying their own things for helaemond in background in genuinely a small cake😂. ( Atleast we have some scenes with them, idk if there would be😑😬 not expecting much)

One thing I really hate that you know they gave Juan and Cesare arcs to Aegon n Aemond making their pair up way intresting to watch. I really wish that Helaena was given the same authority or bit of freedom of exploring herself like Alicent. Sorry if someone as strictly religious like Alicent can do it then it was way easy for Heleana. And whole Borgias recreate would have been so interesting to watch.

I wish I could see Helaena scolding, shouting at Aemond for starting all this shit n hating Aegon for being a useless father after b&c. There should be a sense of of cheating or fraud when she sees her mother who claims to be a religious person but doing everything against it while she had to suffer her whole life with bad marriage.

Not seeing her any active is what which annoys me so much.

they gave her dreamer arc for Nothing just being ignored by her important family members.Phia should be awarded for her acting n carrying heleana despite of their dirty writing.

The thing is Helaemond would have been a shock and surprise more fitting for audience, making Helaena active with this part instead of doing Alicent dirty an don't even ask how I am feeling about Helaena catching Alicent and Cole . It was sooo😭🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😑

And most ironically funny thing is that same thing happened with Borgias, Cesare and lucrezia were not canon initially and never meant for canon, both actors said we will just play into into it but when I rumours started later runners had no choice to make it canon for later season 😂

So never loose hope or stop loving or hyping any of your ship or helaemond I would say because Ryan can pull any stunt any time. The way he is going I don't think he gives much f about book canon, he is doing anything he wants😂😂

So who knows... if he ever liked Helaemond he can pull it anytime 😂(I m not kidding) bcz Alicole fucking specially between b&c since s1 is so ooc I could not even describe. I am not even hardcore FNB fan but they quite messed up Alicole angst and guilt arc which could have been so beautiful. It's so inconsistent with their parts from S1 like what ?🤦🏻‍♀️

And I hate that blood & cheese should have been how Helaena is suffering instead I am afraid whole light will be thrown on Criston/Alicent fucking reveal.

no couple is gonna have any beautiful story so it's kind of better if they are just playing with helaemond behind back.

Atleast there is so much for Helaemond content and on other hand my other ship Rhaemond is literally carried by lil warriors Leo and Eva 😭 on their shoulder with that one scene for all seasons. I never gonna see them interact again😿.

And yes I also hate how Aemond is sent to back his abuser. Like they could have used any other female if they have to show his milf attraction or some kind of guilt kink something but not his groomer. It sucks he is finding comfort in her arms. Like these show runners forgot how all these characters were exactly in season1 bc such changes r so😭

Overall I would say don't leave the show just in terms for ships to be endgame as not a single ship is going to have any happy ending or any romantic drive in HOTD main focus will be on Rhaenyra, Alicent getting depressed and Daemon will be haunted 😭 but still it's your choice in the end😅 I am no one to say anything.

Now I am mainly watching for Aegon & Aemond n how other new entries like Alys, Alyn, Cregan or Addam are gonna introduced ( well who knows if Daeron is also gets his Cameo in the end )

if I am being honest just like the way I started this show after reading book without having any great expectations. It works better that way and may be for Ewanphia Crumbs for few secs if they don't cut their scenes of which I have very much doubt.

( while how I wanna see Ewan phia/Phiwan crumbs on screens in delulu mind😭😭 :

Like this is how I wanted Helaena to jump n beat the shit out of Aemond after b&c n that's how it should be bc that's his brother not any stranger, she had full right to , but there... it's complete opposite :

[sansacherie]

and because alicent believes her greatest hope of saving any of her family lies with helaena and jaehaera... respectfully if alicent did betray cole in order to do that this might be controversial but i dont think that makes her a horrible person! from a shipping pov it adds more to their dynamic. alicole is a tragedy. "the love was there. it didn't change anything. there were too many forces against it."

like I just think its interesting because a lot of y'all blamed alicents affair on blood& cheese and what happened to helaena...and now while alicent tries to find a way to spare helaena after the blacks now make up 7 dragonriders to the greens 1 she's in the wrong because cole might be a casualty?

dont get me wrong if you're an alicole and/or rhaencient and s2 put you off that's valid because the writing left a lot to be desired hahaha.

[presidenthades]

Thoughts on HOtD s2 ep 1 🎤?

Oh boy do I! Thanks for asking, I love having an opportunity to shout into the void on the internet.

I might do a rewatch later this week to try to pick up on additional details, but I’ll start with my initial reactions from last night.

Spoilers for S2E1, obviously.

Love the new intro. The bloodline intro was important in S1 which was setting up the different claims/factions, but there won’t be much more of that in S2. The tapestry is very medieval, and I’m here for it. I suspect they’ll change the intro every episode to reflect events as they occur. Makes me wonder if the E2 intro will have Blood and Cheese. 😬

The scenes at Winterfell/the Wall not only introduce Cregan, but also offer some fan-service for OG Stark fans. It also reminds us of the prophecy aspect that the show is taking. Cregan and Jace had a great dynamic, but I wonder if they’ll have any opportunity to get together again. In F&B, Jace never returns North again, and Cregan doesn’t come south until the fighting is over. But the show might have Cregan participate in battles earlier so they don’t waste his actor.

Speaking of Jace: I’m really impressed with Harry so far! His scene with Rhaenyra made me want to cry, because you can sense how hard Jace was trying to hold it together. 😢 On a more lighthearted note, I like that Harry listened to the feedback about his bad posture in S1. 😅 He was holding himself really tall and regally this episode.

Omigod, Rhaenyra. Emma only had four words of dialogue this episode and they KILLED all their scenes. The scene where Rhaenyra finds the wing and cloak made me want to cry too. And that look she gave Jace when he returned to Dragonstone, like she wanted to comfort him while she’s trying not to break down… 😭

The Daemon and Rhaenys argument foreshadows how Daemon chafes against 100% listening to Rhaenyra as his queen. Spoilers, leaks, and trailers indicate that he and Rhaenyra are going to have a lot of friction, and soon. As a fic writer, I appreciate this scene for validating my headcanon that Rhaenys is the older cousin who does not let Daemon brattily boss her around.

Corlys and Alyn. I’m not entirely sure what the show is doing with the Hull boys. Their interaction was ambiguous: is Corlys their father or not? Or is Alyn just a random sailor who saved Corlys? He’s definitely too old to pass for Laenor’s supposed son.

I was very touched by how deeply Corlys cared for Luke. It contrasts with Rhaenys, who didn’t treat the boys as her grandkids; Corlys seems to have actually adopted them in his heart. I wonder if Corlys will turn his attention toward Joffrey, or if his affection was for Luke specifically. In the book, Corlys passes over Joffrey as heir in favor of the Hull boys, but show!Corlys is very different from book!Corlys.

Speaking of Joffrey, I miss S1 Joffrey’s adorable curls. But S2 Joffrey is also very cute, and he might actually get speaking lines this season. But the moment when he threw the toy (which might have been Luke’s) into the pyre… 😭

Alicole is…interesting. There was setup in S1 implying they had underlying feelings, and I don’t think it’s crazy they eventually acted on those feelings. But I question the writing/directing decision to insert the Alicole scenes for what seems to be comedic effect. The second scene, during B&C, is the more egregious one. The first scene felt very sudden.

I’m also side-eyeing the director’s commentary in the “House that Dragons Built” documentary where he described Alicent’s marriage as “loving but not romantic or physical for a long time.”

LOVING? 🤨 Really not the best word. Sure, there was some kind of affection between Alicent and Viserys, and she took her caretaking duties seriously. But “loving”? Nah.

Aegon got a huge character/writing upgrade from S1. “Good dad Aegon” girlies win (so far). I loved TGC’s BTS commentary about how Aegon enables his kids and competes with them to cause mischief. Again, the fic writer in me feels validated. I just wish we actually got to see Tyland give Jaehaerys a pony ride. 🤭

The brief glimpse of Aegon and Helaena’s marriage is interesting. He cares about her (tries to reassure her about the dragons) but there’s no romantic spark at all. And like everyone else, Aegon doesn’t really know what to do about Helaena’s prophecies, which sound like insane mutterings to people in-universe. We the audience are shouting for him to listen to her, but TBH most of us wouldn’t listen to an IRL Helaena either.

Aegon on the throne was a surprisingly comedic scene with more character development. He’s not very good at politicking (I would’ve told him to give the blacksmiths partial payment upfront, not the whole thing), but he’s trying, and he is willing to stand up to Otto. Again, I feel validated with my depiction of Lavender!Aegon.

Also…HUGH? 👀👀👀 Sympathetic Hugh Hammer will be interesting.

Oh boy, Larys is going to be fun this season. He’s already starting to try digging his claws into Aegon, but based on cast interviews, he might not be as successful as he hopes. And even though people are joking about it, I don’t think he’s going the feet route with Aegon.

Mysaria is getting much less culpability in B&C than in the book, but I’m fine with it. It’s consistent with her S1 character. She’s fed up with the royals (mostly Daemon, now Otto too) and just wants to do her own thing with social justice while making some money.

Alright, now for the B&C analysis.

They don’t have Daemon explicitly say it, but it’s strongly implied he wants B&C to kill “a son” even if they can’t get Aemond. It’s a departure from the book where B&C explicitly target Helaena’s kids and have a more methodical plan where they watch her routine for several days so they can set a trap. In the show, I think B&C repeat the phrase “a son for a son,” so that was probably part of Daemon’s orders. But the only sons that are possible targets are Aemond, Aegon, and Jaehaerys. Aemond is explicitly the primary target. B&C walk past Aegon without even discussing or trying anything, though to be fair he has friends and guards. So by process of elimination, it seems B&C’s backup plan/directive was always to kill Jaehaerys if they can’t kill Aemond.

(Speaking of Aemond, he didn’t leave a huge impression on me this episode. 🙁 He just didn’t get that much screentime, I guess. But I did like that Aegon advocated for Aemond having a seat at Small Council. #Targbros)

B&C have a comedic bit going on while they sneak through the castle, which seems not entirely appropriate. I also think they could’ve cut down a lot of their sneaking sequence in favor of more Helaena & kids screentime, which would’ve made the scene more impactful.

The bit with the dog was totally unnecessary. Someone who kicks a dog is automatically evil, but we would’ve gotten that message anyway when B&C kill Jaehaerys. Again, the dog seems to have been inserted for a sort of comedic effect, which doesn’t really belong here.

I read an article where Ryan Condal said they cut Maelor (for now?) because all the little kids have to be younger in this timeline. TBH they could’ve made it work with an infant Maelor who was offscreen in S1 because, you know, he’s a baby busy napping and stuff. They could’ve adapted B&C much closer to the book with a baby Maelor.

The choice Helaena makes in the show just doesn’t feel high stakes like in the book. I think Phia did a great job acting with what she was given—my quibble is what she was given. I think she was given direction to make Helaena dissociate and suppress her reaction, which contributes to the scene not feeling as impactful as it could have been. Helaena has been characterized as “spacey” and “not there” so far, so I think they were continuing that route. But having her suddenly erupt with emotion in B&C, to contrast with her previous seeming lack of emotion, would have elevated the scene to another level.

The ending Alicole scene really deflates a lot of the emotional heft that did build up during B&C. Again, it feels like it was inserted for comedy. It reminded me of when Jaime’s hand was cut off in GOT, and it immediately cut to the end credits with a heavy metal song that felt inappropriate next to the scene that just happened.

Helaena’s final line, “They killed the boy,” was odd wording. It feels very distant and passive. Even if they insisted on having Helaena dissociate during B&C, this moment when she escaped with Jaehaera and was “safe” could’ve been an opportunity for her to break down and show what she’s really feeling inside.

Overall, 90% of the episode was great. B&C, gruesome as it was, was kind of disappointing. But the teasers and leaks tell us Aegon will at least have a very strong reaction next episode, which should be wondrous to watch.

[la-pheacienne]

Alright my take about the first episode, as unbiased and neutered down as I can possibly make it. There will be a choosing violence spree but I'm saving it for later, we just started.

Good:

Better wigs

Rhaenyra. Specifically when she comes back and the camera only shows her back and Daemon rushes to her and she says nothing and moves forward and asks for Aemond Targaryen, that was gold. God I want those greens obliterated one by one.

That kid who plays Jace is way too young for me but oh boy. I am not normal when I see him on screen.

Starkfest opening scene and Targ x Stark alliance, how they're so different yet have actual respect for one another. The very heart of asoiaf. Yes.

Jace serving Book!Jon Snow.

Daemon desperately wanting to kill someone and not being able to is hilarious. Let the man commit murder with his own bare hands ffs, thanks.

Thank god we didn't see severed baby heads flying around the room that was a correct writing and directing choice.

Aegon. I really like him. He is the one green player I actually respect as an antagonist because he is disgusting but feels real, with a solid characterization. The acting is just so effortless. He's also different than all the villains we've seen in GoT, I enjoy seeing him on screen. If only this story was adapted properly with focus on Rhaenyra from one side and Aegon on the other, instead of Rhaenicent. If only.

A Lannister being the clown of the group and having a beef with a child, I love the continuity.

Blood and Cheese wandering around the corridors. Watching the entire process prior to the crime, even the less important, gritty details that are normally not the focus of a narrative (like the logistics of reaching the destination) elevates the scene.

Bad:

The actual Blood and Cheese scene was not it. I didn't want to see the head flying around with blood everywhere, yes, but this is such a notorious scene and the writers should have treated it as such. Helaena offering a necklace when they asked for her son was heartbreaking to me, but her reaction when they actually killed her son does not cut it, even if we take her neurodivergence into account. Also the juxtaposition between the horror of the murder and alicole boning could have worked in another context but not here, not for this scene, not when a child just got butchered like that. Very tacky.

Alicent continues to be the main problem of the show. I do not get her motivations, I do not get what she wants, what she thinks or how she feels. I did not get her fight with Otto either. What are they actually fighting about? Where is their disagreement? It is truly not clear because Alicent's stance is not clear.

Rhaenicent being a classic case of tell not show, but I talked about this in a separate post.

Cannot fucking stand Aemond god help me that boy is lifeless. Why did they do this to the actor. Why can't he have more than one expression. Jesus.

Rhaenys girl why. Why. "Would that you were the king" baby girl that is not how this entire thing works. Just, no. Also another victim of the lifeless royal syndrome.

Kind of boring overall but I loved some moments.

[benalias]

Ok, I saw s2e1 of house of the dragon last night and I have thoughts.

Spoilers for ep 1 under the cut, obviously.

I loved how they portraited Rhaenyra's grief with her not speaking at all for the entire episode except for the "I want Aemond Targaryen". Emma did such an amazing job with this, and the scene between Rhaenyra and Jace broke my heart.

With the greens things felt rushed for me. I get they wanted to show us Aegon having an actual bond with his son to make blood and cheese hit harder but that just kind of came out of nowhere for me. I have to say though Aegon was definitely the most entertaining person in the entire episode.

Not a fan of Alicole. Don't get me wrong Alicent deserves something nice but again it feels rushed. Like yes it's supposed to show us that both of them are hypocrites for judging Rhaenyra and then basically doing the same thing. But I don't know, it feels a little out of character for Alicent to me personally. Or at least i would have liked some more build up towards this. Like how did it happen the first time (both of these characters have a lot of shame indoctrinated into them when it comes to sex) and how long has this been going on? Is it a recent development because of the stress they're all under since Viserys' death and the looming threat of war? I don't know maybe the future episodes with touch on that.

Finally, blood and cheese. I've seen mixed reactions on here and I kinda feel the same. My initial reaction was "wait that didn't hit as hard as I thought it would". It just all happened very fast and before you know the scene is over. I get why they adapted it like this for the show though, with Helaena having neurodivergent traits and also being a dreamer. She clearly had a vague idea of what would happen and you can actually see the moment she knows what will happen and that she can't do anything about it (Phia's acting was amazing). So her just more or less dissociating and saving her remaining child does make sense. Also the noises while Helaena left the room with her daughter were horrifying.

I wish they would have introduced maelor at one point though, Helaena having to choose between her sons is way more dramatic and impactful than her just having to point out which one of the twins is the son. I think I just expected for blood and cheese to be a scene that chills you to your bones and I was chilled only slightly if that makes sense?

We didn't get to see as much of Aemond in this episode (I wanted to see him return from storm's end and explain what happened to Alicent and Otto. Did he make it seem deliberate? How pissed off exactly were Alicent and Otto?). But in the scenes he was in he served cunt, as expected.

We will see what ep 2 brings next week.