Posts Tagged ‘books’
“House of the Dragon” thoughts, Season One, Episode Eight: “Lord of the Tides”
October 9, 2022Yet the show’s decision to utilize the Ice and Fire prophecy to once again weaponize Alicent against Rhaenyra, mere hours after they reconcile, is a much tougher sell. It’s possible Alicent is just hearing what she wants to, deliberately ignoring her dying husband’s obvious confusion and dementia because his garbled words match what she still desires. But if it turns out that she sincerely believes she and her son are the chosen ones, it replaces so much of the show’s careful character work with the blunt force of fantasy, a shaky foundation for the divided House. We’ll steer clear of issuing our own prophecies on the matter, though, preferring instead to just stay tuned.
I reviewed tonight’s episode of House of the Dragon for Rolling Stone.
House of the Dragon’s John Macmillan Filmed Laenor’s Escape From Westeros on His First Day
October 6, 2022I love Laenor. He’s a wonderful guy in a terrible situation. I was thrilled watching him get away. I’ve had so many lovely messages from people; someone told me they whooped when he escaped. Like, they cheered.
I did, too!
I’m so pleased! I remember Miguel saying, “No one gets to be happy in Westeros for very long.” It’s amazing that there’s this moment of relief.The escape was one of the first things I did. It was a really stormy day, and we were out in the ocean in this massive hundred-year-old boat, which was both exciting and terrifying. To see it in the context of the episode was really gratifying.But, of course, this is Westeros, and there’s no such thing as a completely happy ending. In order for Laenor to get away, that poor Velaryon servant had to get murdered by Daemon so they’d have a decoy.
[Laughs] Oh, God. You’re a very moral, empathetic person. And now I feel deeply ashamed that I did not grieve for that poor member of the working classes who was collateral damage so that Laenor might have a shot at a decent life.
I interviewed House of the Dragon‘s John Macmillan for Vulture.
House of the Dragon Character Guide Post-Episode 7 Update!
October 3, 2022My HotD Character Guide for Vulture has received its biggest update yet! Come check out who the hell all these people are and what the hell all these people are doing!
“House of the Dragon” thoughts, Season One, Episode Six: “Driftmark”
October 2, 2022A CHILD RUNS across the moonlit sands. As the stars shine down into the ocean nearby, the boy approaches a dragon asleep on the beach — Vhagar, massive and ancient, the largest and oldest animal in Westeros. Determined to seize what he feels is his birthright, he braves the beast’s searching eyes and fiery gullet, climbing up the rope ladder to its back dozens of feet off the ground. Commanding the creature in an ancient tongue, he drives it into the sky, taking flight at long last. The boy shakes, tumbles, hangs on for dear life…but in the end, he stays in control. A child, commanding the most dangerous thing in the world.
That’s the mythic imagery and power around which this episode of House of the Dragon (“Driftmark”) centers: young Aemond Targaryen, the second male offspring of King Viserys — the son and heir of nothing in particular, as the old song goes — seizing control of his late aunt Laena Velaryon’s legendary reptilian steed. If only it were all this poetic and magical. Unfortunately for Houses Targaryen and Velaryon, Laena’s funeral and the events that follow mostly play out like a slow-rolling disaster. Alliances are formed, old friendships are severed forever, and the realm will likely never be the same.
In other words, it’s a royal family gathering in Westeros. What else did you expect?
I reviewed tonight’s episode of House of the Dragon for Rolling Stone.
The Casting Challenge Behind House of the Dragon’s 10-Year Time Jump
September 30, 2022Offered the job on House of the Dragon before she knew how many life stages and child actors the casting would require, James began with the older performers. “We cast the elder generation, Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, first,” Condal notes. “The challenge was in finding two young actors who not only had an ability that measured up to Olivia and Emma’s considerable talents, but who also looked like them.”
“You cast Emma, who is in my mind one of the most extraordinary actors of their generation; that was a slow process, as you can imagine,” James elaborates. “Once you get them cast, you say, ‘Can you send me pictures of Emma when they were younger?’ That informs and steers you.” Fortunately, James had a young actor in mind.“I’d already seen Milly in Upright, and I met her when she was in London when she was about 18,” James continues. “The luck is that when you cast Emma, I suddenly went, ‘Oh my God, Milly is a doppelgänger.’”
Similar synchronicity took place with the casting of Alicent, though other factors were at play. “We were blessed that Emily has an almost identical profile and demeanor” to Cooke, James says. “There was a bit of worry at one point because Emily had to have a scene where she’s in bed with Paddy, who’s 47, and she’s 18. She had just turned 16, I think, when we cast her; I thought, Oh God, should we be casting so young? And we said, ‘Yes, because that’s the point. That is the cruelty of the story: These two really charming best friends are royally fucked over by their fathers and everyone around them.’”
I spoke to House of the Dragon co-creator/co-showrunner Ryan Condal and casting director Kate Rhodes James about the challenge of double (and triple) casting the show’s characters for Vulture. This was a really fun and informative piece to put together, and I hope you enjoy it!
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 160!
September 29, 2022We’re back, baby! Stefan Sasse and I return for the latest (still can’t believe I’m saying this) weekly episode of the Boiled Leather Audio Hour, this time focusing on House of the Dragon episode six. Available here or wherever you get your podcasts!
House of the Dragon’s Matthew Needham Is Playing Larys As a Hero
September 26, 2022In terms of Larys’s position in society, he’s got two strikes against him from birth. First, he’s the second son, so he’s at a loss there. Then there’s his disability, from which his nickname “the Clubfoot” is derived. Obviously you don’t want to raise the implication that because he has a physical disability, there’s something morally wrong with him — but at the same time, that’s how some of the characters in this world see it. How do you approach that?
It’s his superpower. It’s worked really well in his favor. The fact that he has a clubfoot and people don’t deem him as a threat, or don’t think he can fend for himself … I mean, Harwin is very protective of him. He’s able to use it to his advantage. He’s not an evil disabled person or anything like that. He’s used the prejudice of the world against itself.It’s reminiscent of how Tyrion knew his dwarfism would lead people to underestimate him in the original Game of Thrones.
That’s George R.R. Martin’s obsession, right? “Cripples, bastards, and broken things.” That’s who he loves: People who have a disadvantage in this very macho world. It’s the people who use their mind — and the more feminine aspects of their personality, I think — to decimate the world. It’s extraordinary.
I interviewed House of the Dragon‘s Matthew Needham about his character, Larys Strong, for Vulture.
House of the Dragon Character Guide post-Episode 6 Update!
September 26, 2022I’ve once again updated my House of the Dragon character guide for Vulture, this time divided into three helpful sections: people in this episode, people in previous episodes, and people who died (valar morghulis). Enjoy!
“House of the Dragon” thoughts, Season One, Episode Six: “The Princess and the Queen”
September 26, 2022FEAR NOT, PEOPLE of Westeros: The line of succession is strong.
True, we’ve said goodbye to Milly Alcock as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Emily Carey as Queen Alicent Hightower, two key peformances that helped make House of the Dragon a massive hit. But even after a 10-year time jump, the introduction of a whole new generation of Targaryen heirs, and the replacement of Alcock and Carey with older actors Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke respectively, this prequel series has somehow not missed a beat. Indeed, this is the show’s best episode yet. Even a maester would tell you this is a minor miracle.
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 159!
September 22, 2022That’s right, it’s the latest episode of the WEEKLY Boiled Leather Audio Hour podcast, in which Stefan Sasse and I discuss episode five of House of the Dragon—available here or wherever you get your podcast!
House of the Dragon’s Theo Nate Could Ride a Dragon All Day
September 20, 2022You got to do some real serious fantasy stuff during your time on the show. I mean, you rode a dragon into battle.
Oh, mate, I loved it. It was one of the best things I’ve done. I’m not sure if you’ve ever been to Ibiza or Magaluf or somewhere like that, but you have these bulls in the bars you can jump on and ride them, like a rodeo-type thing. It’s a bit like one of them: You jump on and it’s been programmed for a minute long, and it’s got all the dips and twists and turns, and you strap in. And they have a giant leaf blower and a guy just blows wind in your face. I can’t lie: I thought it was amazing. I’d do that all day.What’s it like to walk into a production on this scale?
It’s a weird one. I was — still am — a massive Game of Thrones fan. I say that all the time but then I realize I weren’t as big a fan as I thought, because the fans of the books are just so, so, so much more clued up. [Laughs.]When you’re on the outside, it’s massive. But on the inside, I didn’t realize the scale of it. When you’re shooting scenes, it just felt like the job. My agent still says to me, “You don’t realize how big this show is, do you?” And I’m like, “No.”
I interviewed House of the Dragon‘s Theo Nate, aka Laenor Velaryon, for Vulture.
PAIN DON’T HURT ALMOST GONE
September 19, 2022As I write this, my book Pain Don’t Hurt: Meditations on Road House is down to its last two copies. After this, signed copies will be harder to come by, and it’ll be a while before any copies are available at all. You’re gonna wanna act now, mijo.
House of the Dragon Character Guide Post-Episode 5 Update!
September 19, 2022My House of the Dragon character guide for Vulture has been updated once again in the wake of last night’s episode. Say hello to the Strong Brothers!
‘House of the Dragon’ Stars Say Goodbye to HBO’s Biggest Hit
September 19, 2022Do you feel there was a sublimated romantic or sexual tension between Rhaenyra and Alicent?
CAREY As a queer person myself, I read an undertone in the script that I knew could be played. That being said, I don’t think Ryan Condal [a creator and showrunner] sat there writing a Sapphic drama. If you want to see it, you can. If you want to pretend it’s not there, you can also do that.
The thing is, these girls don’t know what “platonic” or “romantic” means, whether that be the words or the feelings themselves. There’s just a closeness between two young women that cannot be verbalized, especially in the world they live in. I don’t think they fully understand the feelings; it’s just all-consuming love.
There’s an underlying jealousy that I read into it, especially coming off the back of Episode 4. It was this scene where we were on a bench, and it’s the first time we’ve seen these two women reconnect after losing this closeness they had. I remember in rehearsal at the end of the scene, we were like, “Did you feel like we were about to kiss?”
ALCOCK And I was like, “Yeah!”
“House of the Dragon” thoughts, Season One, Episode Five: “We Light the Way”
September 18, 2022WHEN IT COMES to weddings in Westeros, the vibes are always off. Think of King Joffrey’s marriage to Margaery Tyrell, which ended with him turning purple as he choked to death. Or of Sansa Stark’s two depressing betrothals, first to Tyrion Lannister — who was no happier about it than she was — and then to Ramsay Bolton, the less said about whom the better. Remember Daenerys Targaryen’s grim, nonconsenual union with Khal Drogo over in Essos? And, of course, there’s the still-legendary Red Wedding, a bloody landmark moment in pulling-the-rug-out-from-under-the-audience TV history.
Did you think that just because House of the Dragon is a new show, weddings would be any different? Ha!
I reviewed tonight’s episode of House of the Dragon for Rolling Stone.
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 158!
September 15, 2022That’s right, we’re still weekly, baby! Our new episode, on House of the Dragon episode 4, is up right here or wherever you get your podcasts! And remember, you can get early access, plus a whole other weekly full-length podcast series on The Rings of Power, by subscribing to our Patreon!
House of the Dragon Character Guide Post-Episode 4 Update
September 12, 2022“House of the Dragon” thoughts, Season One, Episode Four: “King of the Narrow Sea”
September 11, 2022It is admittedly a darkly erotic thrill to watch the unconventionally beautiful actors Milly Alcock and Matt Smith play their roles as Rhaenyra and Daemon, as these characters slowly warm to the idea of getting it on in a semi-public environment. It speaks to the complexities of Daemon’s character that he backs off before the deed can be done — and to the burgeoning desires of Rhaenyra herself when she seduces her Kingsguard knight Ser Criston Cole as a replacement for her uncle. Both scenes — Rhaenyra and Daemon making out and stripping down in the brothel, Rhaenyra studiously stripping Cole out of his armor so that they can fuck in the Red Keep — have genuine heat.
I reviewed tonight’s fantastic episode of House of the Dragon for Rolling Stone.
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 157!
September 8, 2022In what is somehow our third weekly episode in a row, Stefan and I tackle House of the Dragon episode 3 in the latest Boiled Leather Audio Hour podcast, available here or wherever podcasts are sold!