Podcasts about dragonpit

Spoiler note: This House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 review discusses “The Red Dragon And The Gold” in full, including Rook's Rest, Rhaenys, Meleys, Aegon, Aemond, Vhagar, Sunfyre, Daemon's Harrenhal visions, and the ending. Mary & Blake are TV-first viewers and avoid future Fire & Blood spoilers. In our House Of The Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 review, we break down “The Red Dragon And The Gold,” the episode where the Dance of the Dragons stops being theory and becomes full family tragedy. This is the hour where Rook's Rest changes the season. Rhaenys and Meleys enter the fight, Aegon and Sunfyre crash into the war, Aemond and Vhagar reveal the terrifying difference between power and control, and Criston Cole realizes far too late that dragon warfare is not the clean military solution he imagined. Mary gave the episode 4.9 flames, while Blake gave it 4.95 flames. The big reason: this episode makes the previous episode better, gives almost every major character a clear motivation, and turns the dragon battle into an emotional consequence instead of empty spectacle. Below, you can listen to our full podcast breakdown, watch the video version, read the recap, and follow our related House of the Dragon Season 2 coverage. Listen To Our House Of The Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 Recap And Reaction Mary & Blake discuss House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4, “The Red Dragon And The Gold,” including Rook's Rest, Rhaenys and Meleys, Aegon and Sunfyre, Aemond and Vhagar, Criston Cole's terrible plan, Alicent's fallout from the truth about Viserys, Daemon's Harrenhal visions, and why this episode makes the whole season feel sharper. Subscribe To Get New House Of The Dragon Episodes APPLE PODCASTS YOUTUBE SPOTIFY The Red Dragon And The Gold Recap: What Happens At Rook's Rest? “The Red Dragon And The Gold” builds toward the Battle at Rook's Rest, where Criston Cole and the Greens make a calculated military move designed to draw out one of Rhaenyra's dragons. Rook's Rest itself may not be the most important castle in Westeros, but that is exactly the point. The castle is bait. On Dragonstone, Rhaenyra returns from her failed attempt at peace with Alicent and admits where she has been. She knows now that there is no clean path away from war. Her council needs action, her allies are being attacked, and Rook's Rest becomes the next pressure point. Rhaenys volunteers to go on Meleys. That decision defines the episode. She understands the cost of using dragons better than almost anyone on the board, but she also knows that if Team Black keeps refusing to act, its allies will keep paying the price. At Rook's Rest, Aegon arrives on Sunfyre after being humiliated by Aemond and dismissed by Alicent. Rhaenys and Meleys engage him, but the battle changes when Aemond and Vhagar enter the field. Aemond holds back, watches the situation unfold, and then uses dragonfire in a way that endangers both Rhaenys and his own brother. The battle ends with Rhaenys and Meleys falling after Vhagar attacks from below. Aegon and Sunfyre also fall, leaving Criston Cole walking through ash and ruin, unsure whether the king is dead, alive, or something worse. House Of The Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 Review “The Red Dragon And The Gold” is the best kind of dragon episode because the spectacle only works because the character math works first. Aegon flies into battle because he feels small, humiliated, and useless. Aemond waits because he is strategic, resentful, and fully aware of his brother's weakness. Criston Cole pushes the plan because he thinks in military terms but does not fully understand what happens once dragons enter the field. Rhaenys returns because she knows she may be the only person who can stop the disaster from becoming worse. That is why the episode lands. The dragon battle is not just “cool.” It is the result of grief, ego, resentment, strategy, guilt, and bad leadership all colliding at once. The previous episode helps this one because “The Burning Mill” made clear that war was already spreading beyond the main players. This episode helps the previous one because it proves that the emotional and political buildup was not just stalling. It was loading the cannon. The weak spot is still the Alyn material, mostly because the show is making the audience care about him right as Rhaenys is nearing the end of her story. The Corlys/Rhaenys conversation has weight, but it also feels like the show is obviously closing a door. Still, this is a major Season 2 turning point. The motivations are clean, the visuals are huge, and the emotional loss is real. Why Is The Episode Called “The Red Dragon And The Gold”? The title “The Red Dragon And The Gold” points most directly to Meleys and Sunfyre. Meleys is the red dragon ridden by Rhaenys. Sunfyre is Aegon's golden dragon. Their fight at Rook's Rest gives the episode its title and its tragedy. But the title also works beyond the literal dragon colors. Red and gold are not just visual markers. They are symbols of two sides of the Targaryen family destroying itself with the very power that once made it untouchable. That is what makes the title so painful. This is not dragon versus dragon in a vacuum. This is family versus family, legacy versus legacy, and inheritance eating itself alive. Rook's Rest Explained: Why The Battle Matters Rook's Rest matters because it is the first major dragon battle of the season and the point where the war becomes impossible to pretend away. Criston Cole's plan is built around pressure. He attacks castles aligned with Rhaenyra, forces Team Black to respond, and creates a situation where a dragon is likely to appear. From a purely strategic perspective, the trap makes sense. From a human perspective, it is horrifying. The problem is that dragons are not normal weapons. Once they enter the field, the entire scale of war changes. Soldiers become ash. Horses become useless. Castles become temporary. Rulers become vulnerable. The battle at Rook's Rest makes clear that the Dance of the Dragons is not just a political crisis. It is mutually assured destruction with wings. That is why Criston's face after the battle matters. He thought he understood the move. Then he sees what the move actually costs. Rhaenys And Meleys: Raise A Glass Rhaenys is the emotional center of “The Red Dragon And The Gold.” She has been one of the only adults in the room for most of the series: clear-eyed, politically aware, emotionally steady, and honest enough to see the cost of power without pretending she is above it. Her final ride works because she understands the choice. She could leave. She could turn away. She could survive to fight another day. But she also knows she once had a chance to end this conflict before it grew, and she chose not to burn the Greens in the Dragonpit. At Rook's Rest, Rhaenys chooses to whole-ass one thing. She turns back because someone has to meet Vhagar. Someone has to show that Team Black will not abandon its allies. Someone has to take the full measure of what this war has become. Meleys' final look makes the loss even worse. The dragon is not just a mount or a weapon. She is a partner in the choice. When Meleys and Rhaenys fall, the episode gives Team Black its first truly devastating adult loss of the season. Aegon, Aemond, Sunfyre, And Vhagar Explained The Rook's Rest battle works because Aegon and Aemond both arrive with very different emotional needs. Aegon comes because he has been diminished all episode. He is embarrassed by Aemond at the council table, dismissed by Alicent, and treated like a problem to manage instead of a king to follow. Flying Sunfyre into battle is a reckless attempt to prove that he matters. Aemond comes because he understands the trap better than Aegon does. He waits. He watches. And when he acts, the episode leaves no doubt that his resentment toward Aegon is part of the fire he unleashes. That is what makes the moment so dangerous. Aemond is not simply fighting Rhaenys. He is also making a choice about his brother. Whether he intends to kill Aegon outright or simply accepts the risk, the result is the same: the Green family's internal rot becomes part of the battlefield. Vhagar, meanwhile, remains the terrifying advantage. She is old, massive, and patient in a way that makes her feel less like a creature and more like a natural disaster. When she emerges at Rook's Rest, the whole visual language of the episode changes. Everyone understands what has arrived. Criston Cole's Plan Was A Terrible Success Criston Cole's plan technically works. He draws out a dragon. He helps take Rook's Rest. He creates a battlefield where Team Green's hidden advantage can strike. But it is also a terrible success because Criston does not control what follows. He does not control Aegon showing up. He does not control Aemond's resentment. He does not control what Vhagar does to the battlefield. He does not control the human cost of introducing dragons into open war. That is why Mary's read is so sharp: Criston has a “milk was a bad choice” realization. The idea sounded great until he had to walk through the ash and see what dragon warfare actually means. Criston is still operating like a soldier who thinks the right move is the move that wins the field. The episode shows him that winning the field may still break everything around it. Alicent, Larys, And The Truth That No Longer Matters Alicent spends the episode living with the fallout of what she learned in the sept. She now knows that Viserys was not naming her son heir in his final moments. He was speaking about Aegon the Conqueror and the prophecy. That realization does not free her. It traps her. When she looks for histories and notes, she is trying to understand whether the story she built her life around has any foundation left. But the war is already moving faster than her doubt. Her conversation with Larys is one of the episode's best quiet scenes. He sees more than he says. He notices the cup. He understands vulnerability when it is sitting in front of him. Alicent may want to retreat into truth, history, and explanation, but Larys lives in the world of leverage. By the time Alicent says that Viserys' intentions no longer matter, she is not wrong. She is just late. The machine has already started. Daemon At Harrenhal Gets Even Weirder Daemon's Harrenhal material continues the season's haunted-house lane. Alys Rivers gives him something to drink, the castle keeps working on him, and his visions force him into places he would rather not go. The most striking image is Daemon beheading young Rhaenyra in the dream. It is a brutal way to externalize what the show has been saying about him all season: Daemon loves Rhaenyra, resents her, wants to serve her, wants to replace her, and may not fully understand where one feeling ends and another begins. The Harrenhal story works because it does not need to explain everything yet. The bed, the weirwood, Alys Rivers, the castle, and Daemon's own conscience may all be part of the same pressure system. What matters is that Daemon is no longer just fighting for control of the Riverlands. He is fighting the worst parts of himself. House Of The Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 Ending Explained The ending of “The Red Dragon And The Gold” leaves the war transformed. Rhaenys and Meleys are gone. Aegon and Sunfyre have fallen. Aemond stands over the wreckage with Vhagar still alive. Criston Cole wakes to a battlefield that looks more like an apocalypse than a victory. If Aegon survives, he is no longer the same political figure. If he dies, the Greens face an immediate succession crisis. Either way, Aemond's role changes. He is no longer just the dangerous brother with the largest dragon. He is the person who may have helped bring down his own king. For Team Black, losing Rhaenys is catastrophic. She was a dragonrider, a counselor, a stabilizing force, and one of the few people who could speak to Rhaenyra with honesty and wisdom. Without her, Rhaenyra's side may become more aggressive and less balanced. That is why the ending matters. Rook's Rest is not just a battle. It is the moment the war starts consuming the people who thought they could direct it. What “The Red Dragon And The Gold” Sets Up Next Episode 4 sets up a more dangerous second half of Season 2 because every side has lost control in a different way. Rhaenyra loses Rhaenys, one of her clearest voices of restraint and wisdom. Corlys must live with his final conversation with Rhaenys and the truth she already understood about Alyn. Aegon is either dead, badly wounded, or politically changed forever after falling with Sunfyre. Aemond becomes even more dangerous because Rook's Rest exposes what he is willing to do. Criston Cole has to face the cost of the dragon war he helped unleash. Alicent knows the truth about Viserys, but the truth can no longer stop the war. Daemon remains trapped in Harrenhal's visions, guilt, and strange magic. The smallfolk and soldiers are now living under the reality of dragon warfare. Related House Of The Dragon Coverage Continue through Mary & Blake's House of the Dragon Season 2 coverage: House Of The Dragon Season 2 Recap And Episode Guide House Of The Dragon With Mary & Blake Podcast Hub Previous Episode: House Of The Dragon Season 2 Episode 3 — “The Burning Mill” Next Episode: House Of The Dragon Season 2 Episode 5 — “Regent” Season 3: House Of The Dragon Season 3 Teaser Reaction More From Mary & Blake Subscribe to House of the Dragon With Mary & Blake for every recap, reaction, listener feedback episode, and deeper discussion as we continue through the Dance of the Dragons. Want bonus podcasts, extended reactions, and community conversation about House of the Dragon, Outlander, The Rings of Power, and everything else Mary & Blake are covering? Join the Nerd Clan community at JoinTheNerdClan.com and support everything Mary & Blake are building. Mary & Blake Media is not affiliated with HBO, Max, Warner Bros. Discovery, George R. R. Martin, or the House of the Dragon production.

After King Viserys' death, the Small Council plots to install Prince Aegon on the Iron Throne. Ser Criston Cole kills Lord Beesbury when he objects to Princess Rhaenyra being supplanted, while Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Harrold Westerling resigns in protest. Ser Otto delays announcing the king's death to fortify their position and demands nobles give fealty oaths. Queen Alicent, who learns that Otto always intended to install Aegon as king, fails to gain support from Princess Rhaenys, who is held captive in the castle. When Aegon disappears from the Red Keep, Otto has Kingsguards Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk search the city, while Alicent sends Criston and Prince Aemond. Mysaria, the White Worm, informs Otto that Aegon is hiding in the city's sept, but Criston and Aemond apprehend him after a brief fight. After Lord Larys Strong warns Alicent she is being spied upon, including by Tayla, she has Mysaria's house burned. Aegon insists he is unfit to rule, but Alicent convinces him otherwise, quoting his father's dying words. Meanwhile, Erryk smuggles Rhaenys from the castle while Otto has hundreds of common folk herded into the Dragonpit's main hall, announcing Viserys' death and crowning Aegon as king. Amid the commotion, Rhaenys reaches her dragon Meleys, then enters and demolishes the hall; she defiantly confronts the royal usurpers before fleeing on dragonback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tradepaperbacks/message --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rangerryan/message

After King Viserys' death, the Small Council plots to install Prince Aegon on the Iron Throne. Ser Criston Cole kills Lord Beesbury when he objects to Princess Rhaenyra being supplanted, while Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Harrold Westerling resigns in protest. Ser Otto delays announcing the king's death to fortify their position and demands nobles give fealty oaths. Queen Alicent, who learns that Otto always intended to install Aegon as king, fails to gain support from Princess Rhaenys, who is held captive in the castle. When Aegon disappears from the Red Keep, Otto has Kingsguards Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk search the city, while Alicent sends Criston and Prince Aemond. Mysaria, the White Worm, informs Otto that Aegon is hiding in the city's sept, but Criston and Aemond apprehend him after a brief fight. After Lord Larys Strong warns Alicent she is being spied upon, including by Tayla, she has Mysaria's house burned. Aegon insists he is unfit to rule, but Alicent convinces him otherwise, quoting his father's dying words. Meanwhile, Erryk smuggles Rhaenys from the castle while Otto has hundreds of common folk herded into the Dragonpit's main hall, announcing Viserys' death and crowning Aegon as king. Amid the commotion, Rhaenys reaches her dragon Meleys, then enters and demolishes the hall; she defiantly confronts the royal usurpers before fleeing on dragonback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Joseph and Michael as they give their overview for episode 9 of House of the Dragon "The Green Council." This was the penultimate episode of the first season. It was not their favorite one of the season but there were plenty of crazy moments and lots to talk about. Beware spoilers beyond this point. In this episode we discuss how we wished the Green Council could have been longer, question how much of a villain Alicent really is and whether or not that takes away her agency as a character, the hypocrisies of Alicent and the Greens, and Rhaenys' major showdown in the Dragonpit.

It's time to do a coup and dive deep into the latest episode of ‘House of the Dragon.' They head to the Dragonpit for some plot analysis (07:22). Later, they give out the episode's awards (02:51:24), as well as look into book spoilers and see what they can predict for the future (02:59:19). If you would like to email Mal and Joanna about the show, you can reach them at hobbitsanddragons@gmail.com. Hosts: Joanna Robinson and Mallory Rubin Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Social: Jomi Adeniran Addition Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time to do a coup and dive deep into the latest episode of ‘House of the Dragon.' They head to the Dragonpit for some plot analysis (07:22). Later, they give out the episode's awards (02:51:24), as well as look into book spoilers and see what they can predict for the future (02:59:19). If you would like to email Mal and Joanna about the show, you can reach them at hobbitsanddragons@gmail.com. Hosts: Joanna Robinson and Mallory Rubin Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Social: Jomi Adeniran Addition Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After King Viserys' death, the Small Council plots to install Prince Aegon on the Iron Throne. Ser Criston Cole kills Lord Beesbury when he objects to Princess Rhaenyra being usurped, while Lord Commander Harrold Westerling resigns in protest. Ser Otto delays announcing the king's death to fortify their position, and demands fealty from nobles. Queen Alicent tries to gain support from a captive Princess Rhaenys, but to no avail. When Aegon disappears from the Red Keep, Otto has Kingsguards Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk search the city, while Alicent sends Criston and Prince Aemond. Mysaria, the White Worm, informs Otto that Aegon is hiding in the city's sept, but Criston and Aemond apprehend him after a brief fight. Larys Strong warns Alicent of Mysaria's spies, so she has her house burnt down. Aegon insists he is unfit to rule, but Alicent convinces him otherwise. Meanwhile, Ser Erryk smuggles Rhaenys out of the castle. Otto has hundreds of smallfolk herded into the Dragonpit's main hall, where he announces Viserys' death and crowns Aegon as king. Amid the commotion, Rhaenys reaches her dragon Meleys. She then demolishes the hall and confronts the royal usurpers before fleeing on dragonback.New project: findeversail.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this ninth edition of Hands on HotD, Merry and Clint and Special Guest Hand Kristine Kippins cover Season 1 Episode 9 of HBO's niche arthouse property HOUSE OF THE DRAGON - The Green CouncilIn this episode we:Evaluate the good, the bad, and the suboptimal strategies and events of the Green Coup.Track Alicent Hightower's emotional journey from mourning to stressing to plotting and back to stressing SO HARD again.Celebrate Mysaria, the White Worm, for quoting not-necessarily marxist theory and listening to the Learned Hands Podcast.Pay respects to Lord Lymon Beesbury, He Tried :( .Critique Aemond Targaryen's historically and philosophically inaccurate interpretation of the line of succession.Check in with our EXCLUSIVE WBA Dragon correspondent Sanrixian on the extent of the damage to the Dragonpit. Enjoy Aegon's Wost/Best Hangover ever, where he gains absolute power, gets yelled at by a dragon, and his mom refuses to say she loves him.Appreciate Rhaenys' various girlboss power plays, from her dressing down of Alicent, to her casual war crimes, to her decision not to burninate the greens to embers.Seriously and solemnly evaluate Larys Strong's pornhub search history, and also what it says about Society. Supplemental reading:Learned Hands Officially Legally Correct (kind of) Line of SuccessionOur Dance Party Episode on the Greens CoupSanrixian on PatreonOutro music courtesy Sid Luscious & The Pants. None of this should be construed as legal advice OBVIOUSLY. Support the show

House of the Dragon Episode 9 Reaction! In this episode, a new king is crowned in Westeros as plans are made to keep Rhaenyra and her family away from the throne. Go to http://fahertybrand.com/bigquestion and use code BIGQUESTION to get 20% off your order. House of the Dragon episode 9, The Green Council, finds Alicent and Otto aligning their supporters for Aegone to ascend to the throne the morning after Viserys' death. Anyone who isn't on Team Green is going to be dealt with, either with prison or death. Meanwhile, the hunt is on in Flea Bottom to find Aegon so he can be cleaned up and crowned king. Both Alicent and Otto want to be the first ones to talk to him, mainly about the fate of Rhaenyra and her family. Ser Criston Cole and Aemond find him first and bring him back to Alicent. Also in this episode, Rhaenys is asked to choose which side she supports, and while she doesn't give an answer verbally, she makes her loyalties known when she bursts through the floor of the Dragonpit during the coronation of Aegon riding her dragon Meleys. Jessica Clemons and Brandon Barrick react to this devastating episode for the Smallfolk, and whether or not Rhaenys made the correct decision in letting Alicent and her family live. Check out our sweet, sweet merch! http://www.newrockstarsmerch.com

Time to hear your petitions and join Mal and Joanna for the biggest episode of 'House of the Dragon' yet. First, they give their brief overall impressions of this important episode (07:40). Then, they dive into the Dragonpit and go deep into the plot details and analysis of the episode (14:36). Later, they give out the episode's awards, as well as look into book spoilers and see what they can predict for the future (03:06:10). If you would like to email Mal and Joanna about the show, you can reach them at hobbitsanddragons@gmail.com. Hosts: Joanna Robinson and Mallory Rubin Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Social: Jomi Adeniran Addition Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Time to hear your petitions and join Mal and Joanna for the biggest episode of 'House of the Dragon' yet. First, they give their brief overall impressions of this important episode (07:40). Then, they dive into the Dragonpit and go deep into the plot details and analysis of the episode (14:36). Later, they give out the episode's awards, as well as look into book spoilers and see what they can predict for the future (03:06:10). If you would like to email Mal and Joanna about the show, you can reach them at hobbitsanddragons@gmail.com. Hosts: Joanna Robinson and Mallory Rubin Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Social: Jomi Adeniran Addition Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keep a sharp eye and get ready to dive deep into the seventh episode of 'House of the Dragon' with Mal and Joanna! First, they give their brief overall impressions of this important episode (06:08). Then, they dive into the Dragonpit and go deep into the plot details and analysis of the episode (14:41). Later, they give out the episode's awards, as well as look into book spoilers and see what they can predict for the future (02:47:43). If you would like to email Mal and Joanna about the show, you can reach them at hobbitsanddragons@gmail.com. Hosts: Joanna Robinson and Mallory Rubin Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Social: Jomi Adeniran Addition Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keep a sharp eye and get ready to dive deep into the seventh episode of 'House of the Dragon' with Mal and Joanna! First, they give their brief overall impressions of this important episode (06:08). Then, they dive into the Dragonpit and go deep into the plot details and analysis of the episode (14:41). Later, they give out the episode's awards, as well as look into book spoilers and see what they can predict for the future (02:47:43). If you would like to email Mal and Joanna about the show, you can reach them at hobbitsanddragons@gmail.com. Hosts: Joanna Robinson and Mallory Rubin Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Social: Jomi Adeniran Addition Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time to jump to the future and dive deep into the sixth episode of 'House of the Dragon' with Mal and Joanna! First, they give their brief overall impressions of this important episode (05:59). Then, they dive into the Dragonpit and go deep into the plot details and analysis of the episode (11:11). Later, they give out the episode's awards, as well as look into book spoilers and see what they can predict for the future (02:45:23). If you would like to email Mal and Joanna about the show, you can reach them at hobbitsanddragons@gmail.com. Hosts: Joanna Robinson and Mallory Rubin Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Social: Jomi Adeniran Addition Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time to jump to the future and dive deep into the sixth episode of 'House of the Dragon' with Mal and Joanna! First, they give their brief overall impressions of this important episode (05:59). Then, they dive into the Dragonpit and go deep into the plot details and analysis of the episode (11:11). Later, they give out the episode's awards, as well as look into book spoilers and see what they can predict for the future (02:45:23). If you would like to email Mal and Joanna about the show, you can reach them at hobbitsanddragons@gmail.com. Hosts: Joanna Robinson and Mallory Rubin Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Social: Jomi Adeniran Addition Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to House of the Dragon commentaries from BingeMedia.net! Alyx and Jack take in "Heirs of the Dragon", the series premiere of House of the Dragon.  The boys discuss dragontamers, dragonseeds, The Dragonpit, and miscarriages.    If at first, second, or sixth time you don't succeed, try again. We missed you Westeros.   Head over to Patreon.com/BingeMedia to sign up for The Full Binge!  $5 a month gets you the second half of The BingeCast, film commentaries and more!  CLICK ABOVE TO LISTEN NOW! Subscribe to BingeCast on iTunes

Oh man, people, we've crossed the Rubicon. We're officially at the point where Game of Thrones transitions from being great to just...meh. Season 5 is such an interesting conundrum, because some of the best, most awesome moments of the entire show happen this season. The Dragonpit attack, Shireen's tragic death, Davos' speech to Jon, and of course, the real turning point of the show, Hardhome. It signifies a drastic upshift in the production, and a severe downshift in the storytelling, as this is the last season based on any of the books, in fact not one, but two books, both of which portray several different events happening at the same time, A Feast for Crows & a Dance of Dragons. Benioff & Weiss' decision to merge a lot of the major events from both books into one while leaving certain events out for next season is an odd one that proves more and more baffling as the years go on, as the consensus that Dom & Pat come to being that this season, while having some incredible moments, is ultimately streamlined in favor of rushing the story towards its conclusion, a decision that would haunt the legacy of the show and leave this season feeling very rushed and unfulfilled in hindsight. That being said, this episode does an incredible job of setting up the conflicts of the next two seasons, as we're introduced to two major antagonists that will face Cersei & Daenerys, with the Sparrows in King's Landing & the Sons of the Harpy in Meereen. We also get some major context around Cersei, Jon is given an ultimatum by Stannis, Sansa & Littlefinger leave the Vale and Varys offers Tyrion a new place. Keep tuning for more episodes every Friday only on the #talkintvpodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/talkintvpodcastgmailcom/support

in my last stream for about a month, we're gonna be having halloween a little bit early.  Today we're gonna be talking about maybe the strangest inclusion in all of ASOIAF: The shadow assassins/shadow babies. The affectionately known shadow babies come right out of nowhere in ASOIAF proper, the physical proof of Melisandre's power as a shadow binder. The assassinations of Renly Baratheon and Cortnay Penrose stand out as their only two known use cases. But where else might they be? Where do these shadows linger and kill where no one thinks to look? Maybe in a tent outside of Oldtown. Or in the Dragonpit itself, as The Disputed Lands  is fond of speculating about. We're gonna try and break down the most fantastical part of ASOIAF today.   Link to Stream: https://youtu.be/2qrttyyL_VI Dying of the Light free preview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54241987

Welcome to another episode of Take the Black, Winter is Coming’s Game of Thrones podcast. This week, we continue our look back at season 7 recap, picking up with “Eastwatch” and going through to the end of “The Dragon and the Wolf.” Our panel picks (and nitpicks) through the highs and lows.Our topics include:Jaime and Bronn’s escape from Drogon. Too much?Is Cersei’s pregnancy a fake?We gush over Jon Snow’s bonding moment with Drogon.Jorah returns, but he hasn’t left the friendzone.Fermented Crab must taste awful.We tackle Jon Snow’s quest to catch a wight. We weren’t huge fans. “Beyond the Wall” in general takes a bit of a beating.On the rebound, we loved the Dragonpit sequence from “The Dragon and the Wolf.”We discuss the dimensions and implications of #BoatSex, which was made all the better because of Kit Harington’s amazing bottom.Littlefinger’s death was awesome, but the story that led it…Undead Viserion was scary as f*ck.What happened to Tormund and Beric?As usual, Take the Black leans heavily on the NSFW side (beware of F-bombs). You’ve been warned.UPDATE: Apologies for the technical difficulties. The episode should play just fine now.

This week on Game of Microphones Still Smug Book Talk, Ser Duncan and Obsidian Crow cover the Season 7 Finale "The Dragon and the Wolf". Together we'll experience the storied history of the Dragonpit and the brutal attack that left the the structure in the destroyed state in which we find it in the finale, and compare "the Night King" of the tv show's to "Night's King" of the books. We explore the different ways that Jaime eventually left Cersei in the show vs the books but note a significant weather change that occurs similarly in both cases. We talk Cleganebowl and explore The Hound's driving motivation in life: to brutally murder his older brother. We discover similarities between the deaths of Littlefinger and the maegi Mirri Maz Duur, revel in the influence that Ned Stark is still having on our characters, and witness a vision of Rhaegar Targaryen that both explains the similar look of him and his younger brother Viserys, and gives us some insight into the significance that Rhaegar places on Jon's birth name, Aegon Targaryen. All this and more in this week's Still Smug Book Talk.   This podcast is made possible by listeners like you (and you too) who support us through Patreon. To check it out, go to patreon.com/jasonandkaren. Thank you! Tune in next week when we'll begin our rewatch, going back to S1E1. Winter is Coming! dragons@podcastica.com facebook.com/housepodcastica  twitter.com/housepodcastica instagram.com/housepodcastica podcastica.com

This week on Game of Microphones Still Smug Book Talk, Ser Duncan and Obsidian Crow cover the Season 7 Finale "The Dragon and the Wolf". Together we'll experience the storied history of the Dragonpit and the brutal attack that left the the structure in the destroyed state in which we find it in the finale, and compare "the Night King" of the tv show's to "Night's King" of the books. We explore the different ways that Jaime eventually left Cersei in the show vs the books but note a significant weather change that occurs similarly in both cases. We talk Cleganebowl and explore The Hound's driving motivation in life: to brutally murder his older brother. We discover similarities between the deaths of Littlefinger and the maegi Mirri Maz Duur, revel in the influence that Ned Stark is still having on our characters, and witness a vision of Rhaegar Targaryen that both explains the similar look of him and his younger brother Viserys, and gives us some insight into the significance that Rhaegar places on Jon's birth name, Aegon Targaryen. All this and more in this week's Still Smug Book Talk.   Please *support Game of Microphones for free* by trying Audible free for a month and getting a free audiobook at audibletrial.com/GoM  It helps a lot and you don't even have to spend a penny! Tune in next week when we'll begin our rewatch, going back to S1E1. Winter is Coming! Subscribe in iTunes: gameofmicrophones.com/itunes Episode download: http://traffic.libsyn.com/gameofmicrophones/GoM_42.m4a Email: ravens@gameofmicrophones.com  Phone: (813) JOFFREY, that's (813) 563-3739 Facebook: facebook.com/gompodcast Produced by NoCTu Studios

The last episode of season 7 is here! Andrew and Manu go through "The Dragon and the Wolf." There's the case for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as season MVP for his outstanding work as Jaime Lannister (particularly as he left Cersei), Tyrion's brilliant showdown with Cersei, his reaction to Jon & Dany's likely doomed pairing, the converging of sides at the Dragonpit, Sansa & Arya bringing Littlefinger down at Winterfell, Bran & Sam discussing the monumental "Aejon" reveal, Lord of the Rings comps, and more. Thoughts on season 8 possibilities are also sprinkled in throughout as we try to get a sense of where Thrones might go next. The long night is coming. Thanks for following along with us throughout season 7! Manu's "Dragon and the Wolf" review at DRaysBay Manu's season 7 roundtable at Screenfellows iTunes link Google Play link

We break down the season 7 finale: Jon and Dany chart a course toward incest, Sansa and Arya team up on Littlefinger, Theon breaks our hearts, and James reveals what it was like on the set of that Dragonpit summit. Tweet questions to @JamesHibberd and @DarrenFranich, or send us an email at GOTpodcast@ew.com. Please rate us on iTunes and leave us a review! We’d love to hear from you.  Credits:  Hosts: James Hibberd (@jameshibberd) and Darren Franich (@DarrenFranich)  Producer: Cristina Everett (@cristinaeverett)  Editor: DGital Media (@DGitalmedia_)  Contact Us: GOTpodcast@ew.com  For the latest in GOT news, go to: ew.com/gameofthrones Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices