I do not envy the creators of this show. The final season of GOT was such a letdown to so many people that it will be very difficult to overcome those feelings. At least GRRM is more involved with this show and the ending is already known (even if the second book is not done, we know the outcome). Judging by the first episode though
I enjoyed how the episode started with the Great Council from years before and how King Jaehaerys allowed the decision of succession between his grandchildren (Rhaenys and Viserys) to be decided by the lords of Westeros. They set the precedent that a male was preferred even if he was younger. The Great Council is such an important part of the story and I am glad they showed it in such a grand manner. Yeah it was quick, but I think the way we see all of the lords and the ceremony of the scroll. It really set home how important this decision was for the realm.
Here are some stray thoughts on the episode…
-I keep seeing people compare King Viserys to Ned Stark. I think that is an awful comparison. First of all, I think Paddy Considine is a great actor and perfect for the role. Ned was so bound by honor that it blinded him at times, but he was a good man. Viserys is a king who has to follow his grandfather who led the Targaryen kingdom to an almost golden age. I always got the sense that Viserys just wants to keep those things going, but does not really know how or what to do. He is kind and good-hearted, but he does not have grand plans or designs for the kingdom. More like someone who wants to keep the status quo (and we learn why at the end of the episode).
-How many episodes will we spend in this time period? Maybe another episode of Princess Rhaenyra adjusting to her new duty as heir? I do not want to spoil anything, but there needs to be a few romances (things were hinted) and then some allegiances need to shift. They will definitely have to jump forward in time though, right? It will not make much sense if certain characters are not yet born (I mean, that is not a spoiler, we all know this is about a war of succession, right?).
-Matt Smith is fantastic as Prince Daemon. He has that brooding, almost evil look down, but you can tell that he is complicated character. Yes, he yearns for power, but he also resents not being at his brother’s side (I wonder if things had been different had Viserys made him his Hand?–is there an alternative universe, where Daemon is Hand and helps navigate Viserys towards greater risks, the upcoming succession war never happens, but maybe they attack other parts of the world…who knows).
-I thought the tournament scenes cut with the childbirth worked really well, especially since it helped reaffirm Queen Aemma’s words to her daughter that a woman’s battlefield is childbirth. It was gruesome to watch, but I think it worked well.
-Also, the tournament itself was fun to watch. We only had a few tournament scenes in GOT (Loras vs. The Mountain stands out, were there a few others?). I was really hoping we would see the melee battle from this tournament (Ser Criston Cole defeats Daemon twice in this tournament, once in the joust, then in melee….but it seems the show just combined those fights into one).
-The updated look of the Iron Throne. I dug it!
Okay, so I am excited about the rest of the season. I think the cast is great. I love that we have those ties to GOT (the prophecy and Viserys being a steward of that prophecy, to make sure there is a Targaryen on the Iron Throne) and yet the show is not totally trying to remind us of the previous series. Yeah, I am sure some people will say that there are subtle reminders (“Dracarys” being the most obvious, but it is to be expected…it is the High Valyrian word for Dragonfire and it is the command dragonriders used with their dragons). Anyways, what did you think of the first episode???
