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

[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.