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House of the Dragon is not Game of Thrones, but neither is it the same show that it was in Season One. This uneasy evolution has continued to haunt our discussions, and more than anything, this episode — “Rhaenyra the Cruel” — is a collection of growing pains. In addition to our beloved audience polls (conducted every week on Instagram), discussion topics include: abandoning the Team Black / Team Green framing, reevaluating Blood and Cheese, seasonal / episodic pacing, the Rhaenyra / Daemon duality, and the intricate work of dramatization.

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Time Codes:

00:00 Reevaluating Blood & Cheese

06:09 Propaganda Redemption

15:56 Adding Rhaenyra to the Cargyll Duel

29:24 The Purpose of the Duel

36:05 Rhaenyra Out of Character

41:43 Rhaenyra vs. Daemon: Dialogue Dilemmas

44:58 Rhaenyra vs. Daemon: Victimhood & Duality

53:38 The Problem with Team Black / Team Green

59:57 The Shadow of Game of Thrones

01:04:18 Pacing Problems & Procedural Structure

01:13:16 Make This Into Two Episodes

01:16:44 Expectations & Optimism