5 burning questions for House Of The Dragon episode 8
Is there another succession battle brewing? Is Rhaenyra losing valuable allies? Will any of it matter if the next episode is as dimly lit as the last one?
TV Features Luke
We’re back with more questions about the next episode of House Of The Dragon. After “Driftmark” put the “fun” in “funeral” we’re jumping forward in time once again for the next chapter in the saga of who will win the right to cut themselves to pieces on the Iron Throne. Of course, it’s not going to be anyone as long as Viserys stubbornly refuses to die. We’re getting tired of asking, “Is he done for real this time?” so we’re skipping that question, though it’s safe to assume we’re always wondering.
Based on the previews it looks like we’re getting another time jump this week. After just two episodes with these feisty Targaryen and Velaryon kids, the next generation is going to be replaced with older actors. Bye, kids! We hardly knew you. So what shape will the kingdom be in when we return to it again? Who will fill in the cracks that are starting to form as the power structure crumbles? Who is the real power behind the Iron Throne? Let’s dive in, shall we?
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I’m betting Viserys dies at the end of Episode 8. They might save it for Episode 9’s beginning (since he dies peacefully and suddenly), but Episode 9 is pretty clearly going to be focused on the Greens trying to keep his death a secret while mobilizing to put Aegon on the throne. I also think we’ll get the “Strong Toast” in Episode 8. You’ll know what it means when you see it.
I hope he and Daemon get another scene and make some kinda peace. Daemon was such a dick last time they spoke.
I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they do. Viserys leaves before stuff gets ugly at the “Strong Toast” feast, so they could have him reconcile with Daemon and then retire to his bed, not feeling well (whereupon he dies in his sleep).
They might save it for Episode 9’s beginning (since he dies peacefully and suddenly)Especially because Game of Thrones saved it’s big moments for their penultimate episodes.
“Princess Rhaenyra, who knows the game just as well. She was born into it
and has been preparing to defend her position since she became heir all
those years ago”Does she? And has she?Because she has spent the entire show so far only alienating people and jeopardizing her own claim, while expecting that it will simply not bite her in the ass in the end.
Rhaenyra went from saying she’ll never become one of those women locked in castle producing heirs at the end of one episode to doing and being exactly that at start of the next episode, with no explanation given.
I have no idea what her motivations really are because it’s evident the writers don’t.
“Before you jump in to point out that there are ways to calibrate your television to make these kinds of images more visible, we’re going to stop you right there. Yes, we know. The point is, if you can’t watch a show without having to go in and change your picture settings, that’s not a problem with your TV, it’s a problem with the production. Here’s hoping they’ll listen and do better in season two.”Exactly. I shouldn’t have to go through so much work to see the show when they can easily make it visible. They should know that most viewers aren’t going to be able to adjust their TVs. Nor should they expect that everyone has a great high tech TV with a quality screen that can show the pores on everyone’s face. They should film these episode as if everyone has a shitty, possibly malfunctioning TV.
Just chopped the tail off the histogram of that image in Photoshop:Compare it with the original:
Very quick, very dirty, but still an improvement. See that histogram? A decently balanced image would stretch all the way from 0 (pure black) on the left, to 255 (pure white) at the right, depending on the image. In the original screenshot, it barely makes it just over halfway. And that beach scene, despite it being sunrise and overcast, should still be fairly bright and well lit with diffuse light. So this SHOULD be well-lit, closer to what I’ve got in the top pic. Note the highlights in the clouds, top-right, and the brocade on the women’s outfit. The clouds are bright – because the sun’s right behind them! And you can actually see what she’s wearing!It looks like it was underexposed by a stop or so.(Ignore the compression artifacts that get obvious in my top image – it’s just how JPEG compression works – darker images get compressed more because there’s less detail to save.)Now, I’m sure someone will say “Ah, ah, but- but, you see, it’s Dolby HDR…they’ll have special dynamic range information that a silly JPEG can’t capture that’ll clear up those highlights! If you watch it on a Dolby Vision scre-” at which point I’ll say “Shut the fuck up.” You shouldn’t have to watch it on Dolby Vision™-Certified™ screens. You should be able to get a watchable, good picture on a normal TV screen, and, yes, a better picture on Dolby Vision. Not a dogshit picture on normal TV as punishment for not forking out for a new TV. A decent picture shouldn’t be gatekept behind a fucking proprietary codec.Dolby are, and always have been, deliberately-obscelescantising bastards.
Here’s hoping they’ll listen and do better in season two.They didn’t after the all black episode of the last season of GoT
I would agree; however it wouldn’t surprise me if Daemon offs the King (he thinks nothing of killing if it gets him what he wants and he wants to be King himself) and he might be getting impatient waiting for it to occur naturally or for someone else to beat him to the punch.
My question is why is it so dull. This show makes the last season of Game of Thrones seem like season 4 of The Wire.
I know there are people who like HotD, but my partner and I find it all just so charmless. Especially after GoT, which had characters that weren’t nice people so you couldn’t like them in that way and yet you still liked (even loved) watching them. HotD has no character I like, and I’m a fan of Matt Smith.
The writers of this (and probably Rings of Power, though I’ve only seen the first episode) need to remember people and hence characters have a sense of humor. Without that it’s all so self-serious, which isn’t very entertaining if the drama isn’t compelling.
“What the fuck’s a lommy?”
Here’s my burning question after episode 8. How is it that the kid who diddles himself and the maids all the time hasn’t aged one day, while his younger brother (the kid who lost an eye in the last episode) now looks old enough to be his father?