House of the Dragon (GoT Prequel)

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

I think this series was actually originally initiated be GRR, as in he selected and hired the writers and director and was working on it with them under his own initiative before he took it to HBO, which bodes well for the writing and characters.

He’s said it will have a different feel from GOT, more of a historical fiction approach. Which is unsurprising, as the source material is a book of faux history. Halfway through the first season, there’s even

Spoiler!

a five year jump ahead in time - something GRRM had intended for A Song of Ice and Fire.

So for better or worse, HotD will be more GRRM’s vision. For anyone who preferred the early seasons of GOT, that’s probably a good thing.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Looks like they have a solid budget for this show as the effects were top notch for the most part.

The costumes and art design are great. But CGI King’s Landing looks cheesy as ####. I guess they couldn’t film on location in Dubrovnik anymore.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The costumes and art design are great. But CGI King’s Landing looks cheesy as ####. I guess they couldn’t film on location in Dubrovnik anymore.

That's why I said for the most part as that shot of King's Landing looked terrible and stuck out like a sore thumb.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Anyone who thinks season 3-8 sucked, just doesn’t like game of thrones. I’m not even sure why you’d bother watching HotD.

1-7 was okay, 8 was terrible. Just a brutal take on the entire story.

[CaptainCrunch]

The first episode was very good, at times I had trouble following dialogue because at times the sounds seemed really muted.

The civil war is coming. I liked the character, could have done without the graphic C-Section scene.

Carrying on the tradition of season 1 of GOT with lots of sex and violence.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

The first episode was very good, at times I had trouble following dialogue because at times the sounds seemed really muted.

The civil war is coming. I liked the character, could have done without the graphic C-Section scene.

Carrying on the tradition of season 1 of GOT with lots of sex and violence.

Agreed about the dialogue. I had to rewind a couple times and ended up just leaving subtitles on.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by #-3

You should watch The Boys, that's nothing

We've watched all of The Boys, and they really haven't dealt with

Spoiler!

birth elements like that. It's not about the gore per-se, more about the specific gore type and childbirth ####

Idk it didn't phase me, but I don't have a uterus.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

Agreed about the dialogue. I had to rewind a couple times and ended up just leaving subtitles on.

I turn subtitles on for half the shows I watch now. And I’m not alone.

Survey: Why America is obsessed with subtitles

https://preply.com/en/blog/americas-subtitles-use/

Here's Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult To Understand (And Three Ways To Fix It)

https://www.slashfilm.com/673162/her...ays-to-fix-it/

[PsYcNeT]

I've been watching with subtitles for 10+ years because my wife has trouble understanding non-North American accents (less than she used to, but it's an old habit at this point).

I'm used to em now.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Looks like they have a solid budget for this show as the effects were top notch for the most part.

They forgot to shade the dragon at the beginning as it was wandering into the tunnel. The head/neck didn't darken even as it was moving out of the daylight. Little bit jarring lol.. Just an artist nitpicking here. That and the buildings of kings landing on the fly over shots. Otherwise it was decent.

[CaptainCrunch]

Yeah, I agree it totally looked shopped man

[Locke]

I did like the little comment about the current warriors being a group of 'soldiers who have never known war.'

Thats going to make for an interesting scenario.

[Inglewood Jack]

Originally Posted by Locke

I did like the little comment about the current warriors being a group of 'soldiers who have never known war.'

Thats going to make for an interesting scenario.

For a bunch of knights with no real battle experience, they sure seemed comfortable chopping each other’s faces to bits. The crowd seemed to be similarly nonchalant towards it too, and I presume a lot of them were friends and family.

We all have the GoT trivia memorized, but I wonder what that premiere would be like going in completely green. There were still a lot of references that probably wouldn’t make sense, or at least wouldn’t mean anything, e.g. the Vale, Old Valyria, Harrenhall, Dorn, fire/candle immunity, Baratheon, Hightower, incestuous gazes, etc.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Inglewood Jack

For a bunch of knights with no real battle experience, they sure seemed comfortable chopping each other’s faces to bits. The crowd seemed to be similarly nonchalant towards it too, and I presume a lot of them were friends and family.

This part bugged me as well. Obviously not real life, but it was referenced that many of these knights are tied to lords or the elite. also, some sort of honor code still exists among these chaps. It seemed rather ridiculous that this "tourney" like this would devolve into that type of scenario - regardless of their experience (and the absence of the King)

Maybe there is some historical precedent to this type of scenario?

On the whole, the episode had some good and some bad. I think if I had not seen GOT, I don't think I would keep up with it based on the first episode

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Inglewood Jack

For a bunch of knights with no real battle experience, they sure seemed comfortable chopping each other’s faces to bits. The crowd seemed to be similarly nonchalant towards it too, and I presume a lot of them were friends and family.

We all have the GoT trivia memorized, but I wonder what that premiere would be like going in completely green. There were still a lot of references that probably wouldn’t make sense, or at least wouldn’t mean anything, e.g. the Vale, Old Valyria, Harrenhall, Dorn, fire/candle immunity, Baratheon, Hightower, incestuous gazes, etc.

Lol @ incestuous gazes.

I'd imagine some American audiences won't need the references to recognize what's going on there.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Inglewood Jack

For a bunch of knights with no real battle experience, they sure seemed comfortable chopping each other’s faces to bits. The crowd seemed to be similarly nonchalant towards it too, and I presume a lot of them were friends and family.

I found this really bizarre. Most of the knights were prominent members of very powerful families. Presumably if you hack up some very important prince it's going to create all sorts of grudges and problems.

My understanding was that the tournaments were always about sport, but due to their nature, lots of "accidents" occurred and people were maimed or killed. These scenes were just bizarre.

[Winsor_Pilates]

I thought the first episode set up some good plotlines and some of the actors look really well cast.
But I'm struggling to get really excited about this. The gore and sex scene felt forced to make it feel like GOT and I really wonder how the show can balance being in that world and doing something new and interesting.

The kings councils, the knight tournament, the maester, hand of the king, adding in a Stark & Baratheon, bigger dragons. All been there, done that; I felt like we were watching a rerun.

I hope they move away from what we've already seen before and give us something new otherwise I'll phase out pretty quick.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by blankall

I found this really bizarre. Most of the knights were prominent members of very powerful families. Presumably if you hack up some very important prince it's going to create all sorts of grudges and problems.

My understanding was that the tournaments were always about sport, but due to their nature, lots of "accidents" occurred and people were maimed or killed. These scenes were just bizarre.

Wouldn't we class these guys as more of a brutal police force, goon squad then knights.

I know a lot of people refer to knights and a code of Chivalry.

Just for fun here's the code of Chivalry

https://www.cbsd.org/cms/lib/PA01916...y%20Source.pdf

Chopping up a mutilating "criminals" would be covered by 3 5 7 and 10.

I would expect that because this is clearly a pre christian society there is more of a brutal feudal code where criminals and enemies are considered to be below the state and knights and there wouldn't be a one shalt not kill rider.

I mean lets be honest, when the knights went on the crusades, the code of Chivalry didn't stop them from a sporting day of dipping your sword into woman and children of your enemies.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Wouldn't we class these guys as more of a brutal police force, goon squad then knights.

I know a lot of people refer to knights and a code of Chivalry.

Just for fun here's the code of Chivalry

https://www.cbsd.org/cms/lib/PA01916...y%20Source.pdf

Chopping up a mutilating "criminals" would be covered by 3 5 7 and 10.

I would expect that because this is clearly a pre christian society there is more of a brutal feudal code where criminals and enemies are considered to be below the state and knights and there wouldn't be a one shalt not kill rider.

I mean lets be honest, when the knights went on the crusades, the code of Chivalry didn't stop them from a sporting day of dipping your sword into woman and children of your enemies.

The part where they went through the village and dismembered the criminals was believable, although I was still unsure of how they knew who was a criminal.

I was referring to the fights in the knighting/jousting tournament. Regardless of how brutal they all are, you can't go around maiming and killing other important people without consequences.

[Inglewood Jack]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Wouldn't we class these guys as more of a brutal police force, goon squad then knights.

I know a lot of people refer to knights and a code of Chivalry.

Just for fun here's the code of Chivalry

https://www.cbsd.org/cms/lib/PA01916...y%20Source.pdf

Chopping up a mutilating "criminals" would be covered by 3 5 7 and 10.

I would expect that because this is clearly a pre christian society there is more of a brutal feudal code where criminals and enemies are considered to be below the state and knights and there wouldn't be a one shalt not kill rider.

I mean lets be honest, when the knights went on the crusades, the code of Chivalry didn't stop them from a sporting day of dipping your sword into woman and children of your enemies.

the City Watch stuff isn't a problem, they've already been established as morally bankrupt goons that will do anything for a paycheque including daggering babies.

the Tourney participant list seems to be mostly sons and firstborns of Westerosi lords. they probably accept the risk that something will go wrong and they could accidentally take a lance splinter to the throat, but it's almost as if they took the Mountain's exceptional bloodlust from his tourney and just applied it to everyone. I don't think Great Houses would be that ok with their heirs entering a death battle royale, particularly to celebrate the birth of a future king in a time of relative peace.