Westeros (Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms)

[Aragorn]

Surprised there isn't a thread for this already. Game of Thrones facilitated a solid 85% of all forum arguments back on old MGSF - shoutout to Henry for trying to psyop us all into thinking Jon Snow was a good character and not just temu Aragorn.

I've had a severe hyperfixation on ASOIAF and it's associated media for the past month or two, in no part due to the debut of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Excellently made and it feels like a true return to form to GoT Season 1 - Season 4 quality - and it is very faithful to the Egg & Dunk novellas.

I watched House of the Dragon's first season when it debuted, but i'm just not feeling it. They stripped the source material of its teeth with this one, and are trying to over simplify and make a very complicated story more appealing to a general audience. They've also created one of the most annoying sub-fandoms i'v ever seen.

Aegon the Conqueror is getting a movie. That should be interesting, i'm very curious how well this IP performs in the box office vs the silver screen.

[Wayno]

There's a difference between Jon Snow and Jon SHOW so I'm not going to tolerate all the slander. Book Jon is the best character in the series, he's a competent leader, a good politician sprinkled with flaws that make him compelling. Show Jon died knowing nothing and knew even less when he was resurrected. basically becomes an action hero (then take the greatest heroic moment away from him, LOL!) when there's no indication in the books he's this great warrior. Better trained than his sworn brothers, sure, but not Barristan reborn. There's a great scene in S4 where he's explaining to Slynt, Thorne and Maester Aemon what he did to infiltrate the Free Folk, what their plans are etc. He's politicking. When he comes back he just wants to be honourable like Ned (who lied, a fair bit, like Jon's identity and his "confession") and has a death wish the plot won't grant.

HOTD is still better than GoT S5 onwards even if I resent what Sarah Hess is doing and I'm kind of worried about what they're doing with S3. Changing Blood and Cheese and ESPECIALLY omitting Nettles is a fucking crime.

AKOTSK is amazing. I couldn't give a shit about Aegon's conquest. I'll only care if they allude that he's infertile like my favourite tinfoil theory. Oh and they better leave out that "Aegon's dream" nonsense from HotD no one asked for.

[Aragorn]

There's a difference between Jon Snow and Jon SHOW so I'm not going to tolerate all the slander. Book Jon is the best character in the series, he's a competent leader, a good politician sprinkled with flaws that make him compelling. Show Jon died knowing nothing and knew even less when he was resurrected. basically becomes an action hero (then take the greatest heroic moment away from him, LOL!) when there's no indication in the books he's this great warrior. Better trained than his sworn brothers, sure, but not Barristan reborn. There's a great scene in S4 where he's explaining to Slynt, Thorne and Maester Aemon what he did to infiltrate the Free Folk, what their plans are etc. He's politicking. When he comes back he just wants to be honourable like Ned (who lied, a fair bit, like Jon's identity and his "confession") and has a death wish the plot won't grant.

HOTD is still better than GoT S5 onwards even if I resent what Sarah Hess is doing and I'm kind of worried about what they're doing with S3. Changing Blood and Cheese and ESPECIALLY omitting Nettles is a fucking crime.

AKOTSK is amazing. I couldn't give a shit about Aegon's conquest. I'll only care if they allude that he's infertile like my favourite tinfoil theory. Oh and they better leave out that "Aegon's dream" nonsense from HotD no one asked for.

Book Jon is better. He's resentful, he has ambition, the shanking at Castle Black is more justified and more of a tragic event than a straight case of unreasonable assholes wanting him gone - but he is still far from the most interesting character in the story, but Jon Show is a travesty of the highest degree even during the good seasons.

I'd take S5 over HotD. S6-8 is up in the air but that's like the difference between being stabbed or shot - a lot of Rhaenyra's agency has been removed, and the story is dragging at its heel for no real reason. A civil war built on ambition and a lust for power has been reduced to an incognizable series of accident after accident. If the goal is to make Alicent more relatable and sympathetic, fine. But having Aegon's crowning be an accident based on Viserys dying words, and then having Aemond's murder of Luke be an accident devalues the whole story. Either Alicent is ambitious, or Aemond is hateful. Both of these key points of no return being accidental is a problem.

Add a bunch of other issues on top e.g Blood and Cheese, Daemon's handling, and there just isn't much there to interest me. I love Ewan as Aemond, i'll say that at least. Perfect casting and he's the only thing that might make me tune in for S3.

The prophecy comes straight from George. It was likely a reveal saved for F&B II or WoW/ADOS. There is no escaping it unfortunately, but I think it's a complete misfire by him. It makes no sense for the Targaryens to keep it a secret, it's a literal Mandate of Heavens that gives them legitimacy, and it doesn't line up with the Wall being neglected for the entire duration of their rule.

[Wayno]

Season 5 has The Sand Snakes and the bad pussy and Arya in Braavos. It's a bad season where everything is going off the rails and is saved heavily by Hardhome (a set piece episode) and I got nothing because Hold the Door is season 6. Characters are no longer who they were (Baelish, Jon, etc) and others are elevated beyond their value (Ramsay). You can keep season 5.

Making Rhaneyra the pseudo "protagonist" because the narrative (F&B) is written in a patriarchal world which reflects female erasure from history in our own world I think is actually the correct move. However, making her dull as dishwater and having no agency is incredibly poor.

The prophecy still sucks even if it comes from George. I don't think Rhaneyra even passes it on, does she? It's effectively lost 5 generations in. What's the point? There's no way Aegon IV is passing that nonsense on.

[Aragorn]

Season 5 has The Sand Snakes and the bad pussy and Arya in Braavos. It's a bad season where everything is going off the rails and is saved heavily by Hardhome (a set piece episode) and I got nothing because Hold the Door is season 6. Characters are no longer who they were (Baelish, Jon, etc) and others are elevated beyond their value (Ramsay). You can keep season 5.

Making Rhaneyra the pseudo "protagonist" because the narrative (F&B) is written in a patriarchal world which reflects female erasure from history in our own world I think is actually the correct move. However, making her dull as dishwater and having no agency is incredibly poor.

The prophecy still sucks even if it comes from George. I don't think Rhaneyra even passes it on, does she? It's effectively lost 5 generations in. What's the point? There's no way Aegon IV is passing that nonsense on.

S5 was the beginning of the end but it still had some highlights. Hardhome, Shireen (even if twelve strong men is hilarious), and it still had a structure to work off of from the books. S6 was them going all in on hype moments & aura storytelling.

Rhaenyra has always been the protagonist, even in F&B. This version is just simply piss boring and not that interesting.

I'm not sure??? I think right now in HOTD she knows, Daemon knows, Alicent knows. I think it's likely that Aegon III learns it, but the question comes in the form of does Daeron/Baelor pass it to Viserys II. Assuming they do, I can see them twisting Aegon the Unworthy's passing of Blackfyre unto Daemon Blackfyre as some sick perversion/mockery of the prophecy, as much as i'd hate it.

Alternatively it gets lost somewhere around Aegon IV's rule and is rediscovered by Rhaegar, which is what leads him to abandoning the ''failed art student'' life and embracing swordsmanship & pedophilia (Rhaegar hater till the day I die).

[Jassassino]

Surprised this wasn't a thread already actually. Been thinking lately about reading through ASOIAF. I read books 1 and 2 back in Uni, but lost motivation at book 3 (and an ongoing obsession with jousting at the moment has led me to cultivate a reading list with a strong lean on Dunk and Egg), obviously that was years ago, so I can't quite remember much from the books so looking forward to starting again. From what I recall, Book 1 was a very easy read.

Also think I've kind of forgotten the trauma of the final 3 seasons of GOT now so I'm ready to blindly move back into the fray and become one of those insufferable online weirdos screaming for George to finish it.

Never watched HOTD or Knight of Seven Kingdoms, Idk if I wanna tbh.

[Wayno]

I still think HotD is worth your time although I don't say that with any conviction and massive trepidation with what's to come.

AKOTSK is a joyous, uplifting show, you should watch it. I'd rather have more Dunc and Egg TV shows (and Novellas) than a do over of the final few GoT seasons it's that good.

Book 3 is the best book.

Also think I've kind of forgotten the trauma of the final 3 seasons of GOT now so I'm ready to blindly move back into the fray and become one of those insufferable online weirdos screaming for George to finish it.

Obligatory. 


The fact this is 10 years old huuuurts.