A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

[blankall]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I get it, that was the point though...and shock value I guess

"The tale grows with the telling."

I thought it was a good way to establish that Dunc is not a reliable narrator. He was raised by a drunk, but Dunc believes all his stories anyways. Dunc also likely romanticizes a lot of his past. In reality he's been cleaning up after a drunk for his whole life, and he copes with it by pretending he's some honorable knight's squire.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by blankall

"The tale grows with the telling."

I thought it was a good way to establish that Dunc is not a reliable narrator. He was raised by a drunk, but Dunc believes all his stories anyways. Dunc also likely romanticizes a lot of his past. In reality he's been cleaning up after a drunk for his whole life, and he copes with it by pretending he's some honorable knight's squire.

Yup.

Unreliable Narrators are the best Narrators.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Locke

I gotta say, I never got into 'The House of the Dragon' and I did enjoy Game of Thrones, but this show? Its finding it's feet.

That scene with the of Tug-of-War was one of the first ones to really put a smile on my face. They're likable characters!

So its going to really suck when this whole thing goes sideways.

Lyonel Baratheon grabbing Dunc for the tug of war, and then to leave during it to casually grab a drink before coming back. Classic fun #sshole behaviour that we've all seen in our time.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

This series is a delight.

I'm used to ASOIAF shows being more stressful. This is a nice change of pace.

I had to look up the Targaryen family tree to figure out where the hell we are during this time period. This is between Blackfyre rebellions. Maester Aemon is alive during this time but very young. He is the second son (I believe) of the snippy brother Maekar. Sounds like him and his siblings are the ones missing?

This is roughly halfway between the other series. The current king at the start of this series (whose sons were the older princes on this week's episode) is the great great grandson of King Viserys from House of the Dragon and the great great grandfather of the mad king from GoT (if I'm reading the family tree correctly).

I believe Aemon is already at the Citadel studying to become a Maester at this time. So, I don't know if he'll show up in this series. It's his brothers who are missing.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by getbak

This is roughly halfway between the other series. The current king at the start of this series (whose sons were the older princes on this week's episode) is the great great grandson of King Viserys from House of the Dragon and the great great grandfather of the mad king from GoT (if I'm reading the family tree correctly).

I believe Aemon is already at the Citadel studying to become a Maester at this time. So, I don't know if he'll show up in this series. It's his brothers who are missing.

Okay, I am far from a GoT scholar, I'm more a LOTR kind of guy, but was Aemon's relationship with Egg? I distinctly remember him calling out for Egg on his deathbed, I kind of thought that was important...but I dont know why.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Locke

Okay, I am far from a GoT scholar, I'm more a LOTR kind of guy, but was Aemon's relationship with Egg? I distinctly remember him calling out for Egg on his deathbed, I kind of thought that was important...but I dont know why.

Although they've already made it fairly obvious where Egg comes from, Spoilered just in case.

Spoiler!

Egg is his Aemon's younger brother.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by getbak

This is roughly halfway between the other series. The current king at the start of this series (whose sons were the older princes on this week's episode) is the great great grandson of King Viserys from House of the Dragon and the great great grandfather of the mad king from GoT (if I'm reading the family tree correctly).

I believe Aemon is already at the Citadel studying to become a Maester at this time. So, I don't know if he'll show up in this series. It's his brothers who are missing.

Aemon would be 11 years old at this point in time. Not sure if they're studying that early to become maesters.

(Born 198 AC, this takes place in 209 AC, if not mistaken)

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by blankall

"The tale grows with the telling."

I thought it was a good way to establish that Dunc is not a reliable narrator. He was raised by a drunk, but Dunc believes all his stories anyways. Dunc also likely romanticizes a lot of his past. In reality he's been cleaning up after a drunk for his whole life, and he copes with it by pretending he's some honorable knight's squire.

It was but most people don't get it

[getbak]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Aemon would be 11 years old at this point in time. Not sure if they're studying that early to become maesters.

(Born 198 AC, this takes place in 209 AC, if not mistaken)

In the original novels, Jon and Mormont discuss Aemon and it's mentioned that he was sent to the Citadel when he was 9 or 10.

[cam_calderon]

Apart from the King and his brother, very little to get excited about in this episode. I haven't read the books so I don't know when or if Dunk dies but there's no tension of him dying in episode 2, so even that scene was very low stakes.

I'm close to giving up tbh. Doesn't feel like a spinoff of GoT as much as a very low budget rip off.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Does there need to be the added tension of the protagonist being killed to make a show watchable to you? Particularly as early as the second episode of meeting him? Lol.

That must narrow the list of shows that pass the litmus test significantly.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Does there need to be the added tension of the protagonist being killed to make a show watchable to you? Particularly as early as the second episode of meeting him? Lol.

That must narrow the list of shows that pass the litmus test significantly.

I gave up on Friends once I realized that Ross, the largest friend, was not going to simply eat the other friends.

[cam_calderon]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Does there need to be the added tension of the protagonist being killed to make a show watchable to you? Particularly as early as the second episode of meeting him? Lol.

That must narrow the list of shows that pass the litmus test significantly.

Not sure if you watched Game of Thrones, there's a pretty big shock in season 1.

It's quite absurd that some peasant can be caught spying on the king and not beheaded, let alone allowed to join the tournament.

Also when you don't have a proper ensemble like GoT, you need a really strong lead actor. This guy ain't it.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by cam_calderon

Apart from the King and his brother, very little to get excited about in this episode. I haven't read the books so I don't know when or if Dunk dies but there's no tension of him dying in episode 2, so even that scene was very low stakes.

I'm close to giving up tbh. Doesn't feel like a spinoff of GoT as much as a very low budget rip off.

WTF? Why would they kill Dunk off in the first few episodes? There is no ensemble cast here. If they killed him off, there'd be nothing left to watch. Just egg standing there by himself, but having no mentorship, so he's back cleaning stables? That'd be great!

It'd be like if Arya got her own show, but died in the first episode.

[bdubbs]

I disagree with everything Cam has said, which tracks.

I've enjoyed the show immensely and enjoy that it isn't just GoT-lite. Or HoTD-lite.

You probably hated Andor too, right? Since there's no people getting sliced up by Sith or Jedi.

[SutterBrother]

Originally Posted by Locke

I gotta say, I never got into 'The House of the Dragon' and I did enjoy Game of Thrones, but this show? Its finding it's feet.

That scene with the of Tug-of-War was one of the first ones to really put a smile on my face. They're likable characters!

So its going to really suck when this whole thing goes sideways.

I am hopeful that by sticking with the source material it remains strong.

Game of Thrones was amazing until it ran out of books. House of the Dragon is only "ok" because there are only a couple of chapters to work from - and the rest is showrunner dreck.

It's a good example of how much more important source material and story is than CG and writing to drive "engagement".

[SutterBrother]

Originally Posted by blankall

"The tale grows with the telling."

I thought it was a good way to establish that Dunc is not a reliable narrator. He was raised by a drunk, but Dunc believes all his stories anyways. Dunc also likely romanticizes a lot of his past. In reality he's been cleaning up after a drunk for his whole life, and he copes with it by pretending he's some honorable knight's squire.

Spoiler!

Pretending he was knighted.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by SutterBrother

I am hopeful that by sticking with the source material it remains strong.

Game of Thrones was amazing until it ran out of books. House of the Dragon is only "ok" because there are only a couple of chapters to work from - and the rest is showrunner dreck.

It's a good example of how much more important source material and story is than CG and writing to drive "engagement".

This is sort of the thing though, Fantasy writers often write themselves into corners and then never finish their stories so they often go off the rails eventually.

People can complain that the showrunners 'ruined' GoT but...they have an obligation at some point to 'wrap it up.' Whereas GRRM can cash cheques and screw around forever.

He often writes and writes and writes but I know there is a cult of personality around him but, its folly to believe that the man actually had a plan and a way to get there. He might say he does...but I dont believe him.

Where for a TV show...its gotta end at some point. And I'm getting the impression that Ol' George wasn't a lot of help.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

What's silly to me is how a contingent of people can't enjoy something for what it is

Like drawing a comparison to A Knight's Tale immediately despite the source material predating it or using Game of Thrones season 1 as a barometer when the make up the shows is entirely different.

Can you just watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and be an open minded blank slate that doesn't rush to form conclusion 1-2 episodes into it?

Somehow I feel like this neuroticism around media has to be a trickle down effect of how TikTok/reels are frying people's brains.

Like there needs to a graphic deaths per episode quota met now in order to be satisfactory? Sounds like crackbrain behavior to me.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Locke

This is sort of the thing though, Fantasy writers often write themselves into corners and then never finish their stories so they often go off the rails eventually.

People can complain that the showrunners 'ruined' GoT but...they have an obligation at some point to 'wrap it up.' Whereas GRRM can cash cheques and screw around forever.

He often writes and writes and writes but I know there is a cult of personality around him but, its folly to believe that the man actually had a plan and a way to get there. He might say he does...but I dont believe him.

Where for a TV show...its gotta end at some point. And I'm getting the impression that Ol' George wasn't a lot of help.

GRRM clearly has no intention of finishing the books. I'd agree, he's written himself into a corner. Instead of finishing the story and being open to criticism, he likes the attention of having the ending being up in the air and everyone waiting for him to get on with it.

The guy is 77 years old now and does not take care of himself. Maybe his plan is to release the ending post-humously?