House of the Dragon 3x05 "Unbowed and Unbent"

    The Dance of the Dragons has been a war we've not seen much of due to the focus on both the dragons as well as the politics thereof. The actual Dance was a series of battles that included armies, ships, and a vareity of parties that had their own stories. These have been finally coming to the forefront with the Battle of the Gullet and the movement of the various armies across Westeros. However, the show has still run into the uncomfortable reality of prestige TV: big battles are expensive and Warner Brothers has been slashing costs everywhere.

    I bring this up because this episode changes the scope of the war as a (presumably) cost cutting measure. Instead of the great conflicts of the book, we are having the forces of the Greens transformed into a guerilla army. This was a somewhat unpopular plotline in A Song of Ice and Fire and the show where Daenerys seemed powerless against the Sons of the Harpy when she was the ruler of Meereen. Guerilla warfare has always existed in history but was never quite the organized thing that states engaged in and would have been classified as banditry.

    This is particularly noteworthy as the decision to engage in it is undertaken by Ser Criston Cole who is tormented by the inability to live up to his vows. If anyone should be wanting to engage in "honorable" warfare, it is he. Mind you, he has been somewhat adrift plotline wise ever since he left King's Landing and the show seems to have settled onto the idea he's wanted to die in battle since parting from Alicent Hightower or at least when his forces were decimated by Rhaenys' dragon during the Battle of Rook's Rest.

    Honestly, I find this something of a disappointment as I felt the relationship of Ser Criston Cole to the Greens and Black was one of the most compelling ones of House of the Dragon. Part of this is due to Fire and Blood not giving them much to do after certain events. It is something the show attempted to rectify with generating new plots for Alicent (to mixed results). I feel they could have done the same for Criston and that he's now just killing time until his next part in the story.

    Sadly, Alicent's own plots are ill-conceived with an intention to spirit away herself and Helaena but not the Crown Princess. This is such an appallingly evil act that she lies to her daughter regarding repeatedly that any sympathy for trying to do something other than wait around as Rhaenyra's prisoner. Most would side with a woman protecting their child but not at the expense of their grandchild.

    Ormund Hightower is also financing guerilla warfare within the walls of King's Landing, which I would love to understand how he's doing. Are they Hightower loyalists, sellswords, or the common folk? The show is not interested in this question, though. Instead, they just have him continue to do atrocity after atrocity in hoping they can make him the next Joffrey or Ramsey Bolton. I do like he recites some Dornish history regarding Aegon the Conqueror's reign.

    In conclusion, this was an episode that feels like it doesn't know quite what to do with its characters. The show is still better than season two but this is a low bar to clear. I feel like I'm understanding what George R.R. Martin had as a problem with this season.

7/10 

House of the Dragon 3x04 "Rhaenyra Triumphant" review

    The first three episodes of the third season did a lot to finish up the plots of season two before setting up a new status quo for the series. Queen Rhaenyra has managed to finally set herself on the Iron Throne but the consequences of doing so are ones she was not prepared to deal with. Rhaenyra hates charming nobles, loathes bribing individuals, and prefers to exalt in the worship of the common folk but is the primary instigator of their woes due to the siege she placed around King's Landing. Even her so-called alliance with Alicent has fallen apart because she executed Otto Hightower herself.

    Rhaenyra continues to cause no end of alienation to her followers by insisting on doing things that seem specifically designed to annoy them. In one case, she has Ulf the Dragonrider forbidden from taverns and associating with his former friends. This despite the fact she has only elevated him to knighthood rather than true nobility. She is also more focused on finding out who "killed" Jace and the dragon rider of Sheepstealer despite that person only distracting him rather than being the one who did him in. Rhaenyra, you know who killed Jace, they were the archers who were sunk at the bottom of the bay.

    This plot gets a surprising bit of attention as the only time Daemon is probably going to be punished for his failures is when he tries to do the right thing. Daemon discovers Rhaena is responsible for the disaster at the Gullet and deeply traumatized. Daemon being a disaster of a person at the best of times, proceeds to fake another dragon rider that he's killed. This is something that Rhaenyra believes, reluctantly, but Mysaria doubts.

    We also get a new villain to replace Otto Hightower and Aemond when the former is killed while the latter is injured thanks to his stupid attempt to takeover Harrenhal. Ormund Hightower is shown to be a vain, effete, tyrannical, and psychotic individual who seems to take a lot from Waukeen Phoenix's Commodus. He is attempting to teach his nephew Daeron how to wield power and it is as twisted as it sounds with him first punishing a soldier for attempting to rape a peasant then punishes her brother with execution for striking said soldier.

    I like the character of Daeron as while it's pretty late to be introducing another child of Alicent Hightower (who looks fantastic for a mother of four), he is definitely the white sheep of the family. He doesn't want to hurt anyone but Ormund only holds violence as a way to display oneself. It's very similar to Samwell Tarly and his father but, unlike Samwell, Daeron is willing to do what his evil father-figure wants. Even if it's reluctantly. 

    In conclusion, this is a solid episode but not quite as impressive as the previous three. Rhaenyra's degeneration as a ruler makes her harder to root for, though. Daemon is getting some decent character development as a father, though. Ormund is a guy that can theoretically fill the role of providing some antagonist motivation to get everyone to work together.

House of the Dragon 3x03 "Rhaenyra Triumphant" review

    House of the Dragon season three should have begun on this episode because it is essentially a restarting of the series. I think this would have been a strong opening for the series entering its third year but now we have to deal with the fact we're almost halfway through the third season. This is the last time I will comment on the fact that HBO's decision to cut the seasons into episode episode was a mistake, though. At least until we reach episode eight and I'm certain we're going to feel cheated of a full season. I'm sorry, I'm sorry (not sorry).

    The premise for this episode is that Rhaenyra has managed to establish herself as Queen of Westeros in name but not in actuality. Aegon has managed to escape to Harrenhal, Aegon is missing (but she declares him dead anyway), and there is now a third candidate with Daeron Targayren supported by Ormund Hightower. Ser Criston Cole's army is also out there with the renegade Lord Commander preferring death to surrender despite no indication that they have a chance of winning.

    Unfortunately, Rhaenyra's problems do not end with just the uniquely large number of kingly rivals she has. No, Rhaenyra also is lacking the royal treasury that was absconded with by the Lannister family. Worse, the city still has no bread and it is now no longer planting season. The number of issues facing the city that she doesn't have the resources to address are tremendous as is the fact the show is taking a surprising take: Rhaenyra is actually a terrible ruler.

    With so much prophecy and meaning hinging on the show being about how Rhaenyra was unfairly denied her throne based purely on sex, it's an interesting choice to have it clear that Rhaenyra doesn't know what the hell she's doing. Rhaenyra manages to alienate the Goldcloaks, the lesser nobility, her strongest allies (Daemon and Corlys), plus the dragon riders she's created all in the span of a single episode.

    Rhaenyra seems to adopt the attitude that she is a ruler by divine right and because of that there is no need to reward her followers, only punish her betrayers. This complete lack of acumen in the realm of politics is something that we know is going to bite the Queen who ever Was in the ass badly. However, it actually makes Cersei look like a more capable politician as she was someone who constantly cultivated alliances while punishing her enemies. The fact poor Corlys only wants new heirs after giving so much to her cause is especially galling.

    In conclusion, the seeds are already being sewn for the fall of Rhaenyra from power or at least losing all of her present gains. I think there's some really good moments in this episode like the false surrender of the Hightowers (reminding us they're honorless trash even when Rhaenyra is drowning), Corlys' explosion when Rhaenyra refuses to legitimize his bastards, and Daemon's insane plan to conquer all of the world. If nothing else, this season is moving at a far faster pace then season two.

9/10 

House of the Dragon 3x02 "Queen's Landing" review

    This should have been the finale for the second season of House of the Dragon. It was meant to be the finale for the second season but HBO's cuts to the budget meant what was going to be a ten episode season became an eight-episode season. This almost caused me to drop the show. However, I turned around my opinion and gave the first episode a shot to my considerable delight.

    The episode opens with the body of Jace being brought back to Queen Rhaenyra by her followers, only for this to trigger a mental breakdown from the Queen that Ever Was. Daemon Targaryen can persuade her to leave her fugue before it removes the opportunity they have to invade King's Landing, however. With the Triarchy defeated, at horrific cost, Daemon and Rhaenyra have a chance to seize the capital from their enemies.

    Meanwhile, Queen Alicent is doing her best to cripple the defenses of King's Landing in hopes of saving the lives of her family. Unfortunately, for her, Alicent's treason doesn't go smoothly. Her son Aemond mistakes her concern for sexual attraction (eww, even by Game of Thrones standards) before departing. Aegon Targaryen has already fled the city as well, meaning the war will go on despite her efforts. There is also a gross scene where Master of Laws, Jasper Wylde, attempts to sexually assault her. Really, House of the Dragon? You had to go there?

    Rhaenyra proceeds to get written as an idiot. Basically, Rhaenyra leads her and Daemon's dragons to King's Landing and proceeds to invade the palace...by themselves. It's a thing that almost results in the war being won by Aegon's forces by the sheer stupidity. They're not the protagonist of Skyrim and can't slaughter armies by themselves.

    The ending is good, though, and I have to say I appreciated the episode despite its flaws. It is an excellent finale to season two and an okay episode of season three. Rhaenyra manages to achieve her supposed goal of becoming Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and acquiring the Iron Throne but at horrific cost. Two of her children are dead and the difficulty of executing Otto Hightower shows she might not have the temperament for the violence necessary. Certainly, executing Otto Hightower destroys whatever rapprochement that Alicent and he gets.

    Aemond is a character that I feel was done dirty by this episode as while he had mommy issues, I don't think they should have gone full Oedipus here. We also see him single handedly take Harrenhal in a way that is significantly more believable, both in the fact he burns down most of the garrison and then is stabbed to near-death by the Strong suns. Because, you know, it's stupid to invade a castle by yourself.

    In conclusion, "Queen's Landing" isn't nearly as good an episode as its predecessor, but it was an improvement on the majority of season two's episode. A lot of things happen, and we've started to see some serious analysis of while Rhaenyra may become queen, she's not necessarily qualified to become monarch of the Seven Kingdoms. Neither was Aegon, mind you, but that just makes the war even more fascinating.

8/10 

House of the Dragon 3x01 "Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood" review

 
    This review comes a little late due to the fact I wasn't actually sure I was going to review House of the Dragon season three. Season two was deeply disappointing due to the changes at HBO that resulted in the season being cut short. This when I felt a major flaw of the series was that it was already too truncated to fit in all of the events of George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood.

    There was also the dust-up between Martin and Ryan Condal. For those unfamiliar, George said he didn't appreciate all of the changes that Ryan was making to the series. For me, a guy who just wants a faithful adaptation of Martin's work, it is a big kick in the gullet.

    Nevertheless, I feel like with so much prestige television out there, there isa decided lack of high fantasy shows. Certainly nothing that equals the loss of Game of Thrones itself. So House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are really the only places you can turn for the kind of political and magic based content I love. Rings of Power proved to be an enormous disappointment and the cancellation of Wheel of Time was a crime against humanity.

    Anyway, what did I think of the first episode of season three? I really liked it. I think that it may be the best episode of House of the Dragon period. That is less of a compliment than it might sound because it absolutely should have been one of the two final episodes of season two. That would have paid off on a lot of the plot hooks that had been established in the season as well as provided a satisfying climax that, nevertheless, would have left open the door for all of the possibilities of season three.

    The premise for the episode is the Battle of the Gullet, one of the seminal events of the Dance of the Dragons. The Triarchy comes to 'rescue' the forces of Aegon as Corlys Velaryon leads his armada to King's Landing in hopes of decapitating the enemy forces in a single strike. Unfortunately, the chief advantage of Rhaenyra is almost immediately negated by Jace turning against his mother due to his fear that this is a trap to eliminate her. He exercises his status as the oldest male of House Targaryen's Blacks faction (after Daemon) to lock her up and thus take her dragon out of the battle.

    I was not happy with the replacement of Nettles by Rhaena in the larger narrative. I thought she was a great character that didn't necessarily have to possess Targaryen blood to be a dragon rider. Rhaena is a decent character in her own right, though, as she finds her claiming of Sheepstealer is not the immediate victory she thought it would be. Sheepstealer is a wild dragon and with none of the training provided by previous generations or the Dragon Keepers, it means they are more of a liability than a success.

    The twists and turns of this episode were immense as was the number of deaths that shook up the narrative. It felt like quality Game of Thrones again and I give extremely high marks to the series for it. Death, betrayal, and consequence are one of the major reasons that the series was so successful. I'll miss some of the characters who died but the climaxes for their stories are satisfying in their own ways.

    In conclusion, this was an action-packed and extremely well done episode. The dragons are shown to be the wild, uncontrollable monsters that Viserys said when he gave his "illusion of control" speech. The politics are things that are finally making sense and don't have the characters acting wildly out of sorts. Jace's refusal to believe Alicent would betray her family is a reasonable reaction that worked perfectly in the story as a justification for his betrayal. The Kingsguard siding with him over his mother was also the first reminder in a while of Westeros' misogyny. Overall, a solid episode.

9/10 

Space Marine 2 review

    SPACE MARINE 2 is a game that I should have gotten into a lot sooner than I did. I was one of the original players of the classic SPACE MARINE game that was a classic hack and slash shooter that put you up against endless amounts of Orks as well as the forces of Chaos. The company that produced it went out of business and aside from a pseudo-sequel in BOLTGUN, no one ever thought the property would be revisited (let alone characters).

    The premise for Space Marines 2 is that Titus (Clive Standen), the protagonist of Space Marine, is  now a member of the Inquisition's Deathwatch after the events of the first game. It is not a punishment but certainly doesn't feel like a reward due to Titus' fanatical loyalty to the Ultramarines. Unfortunately, his final mission with the Deathwatch turns out to be a slaughter for his men as they are all killed attempting to poison a horde of Tyranids invading a jungle world.

     Good things come out of the worst events, though, at least in Warhammer 40K and Titus finds himself being upgraded to a Primaris Marine status. Which means he's bigger, faster, and stronger than he used to be. He is also reinducted into the Ultramarines but as a Lieutenant when he was previously a captain. Titus is also still under suspicion by the mysterious Chaplain, who seems to know Titus and support him only begrudgingly.

    What follows is a campaign about Titus attempting to deal with the massive influx of xenomorph-like aliens as well as a conspiracy to use a Chaos device against the forces of the enemy. This is more or less a repeat of the original game with the twist that "oh, it turns out harnessing the forces of Hell tends to backfire against you." This is not a spoiler as it is such an obvious plot element that it would be an enormous twist if it actually worked.

    The game can be played without having done the original but I think my playthrough was strongly enhanced by having done so. Titus has an enormous chip on his shoulder from being held by the Inquisition, tortured, and then put into a bunch of suicide missions for a century. The fact it was done by his fellow Ultramarines means that he unreasonably treats them with suspicion even when they depend on him to lead them.

    Space Marines 2 isn't a game you play for its incredibly deep story and characterization, though. Instead, it is about the gameplay and Space Marines 2 delivers that in spades. There's literally hundreds of Tyranids that can appear on the screen at any time and I initially assumed a lot of the hordes coming at you in the background were just pre-rendered scenery, but, no, you will find yourself overwhelmed by a million xenos. You and two NPCs fight your way through these armies and the controls are similar but not identical to Space Marine's. 

    The graphics are an amazing triumph and you can see multiple planets of Warhammer 40K. There's dark Gothic architecture with many cathedrals, factories, and crumbling cities. There's also a Death World full of oversized alien jungles and a Tomb World that is where the honored dead of the Imperium are buried. You even get to spend some time in the Warp, working against the surreal but beautiful environments.

    If I have one complaint about the game, it is the fact that the single player campaign is heavily entwined with the multiplayer campaign so if you play just the former, you miss out on a lot of story content. There's still plenty of people playing the Expeditions (multiplayer missions) so I was able to enjoy both but I wish they'd included the story missions of the multiplayer in the main campaign rather than separately.

    In conclusion, Space Marines 2 is a fantastic game that I absolutely loved from beginning to end. Titus is a great character and his story arc is an impressive one. The architecture and world design is amazing as is the gameplay loop. However, a lot of the game seems set up to serve the multiplayer with the campaign taking a secondary importance to it. That's fine, it's an enjoyable mode but not my preference.

9/10