This show is like talking to a 35-year old in season 1, to talking to a 22-year old in season 2 and season 3 feels like talking to a 14-year old like seriously the show is mentally regressing

It is such a shame a show with such good actors and such cool CGI dragons got such weak, and incoherent plots and character development. It could have been so good.

I think the show's biggest problem is that most characters don't act like people, just how the plot wants them too. Like Alicent and Helaena are able to have a civil conversations with Rhaenyra after Jace, Luke, Jaehaerys have all been killed and decapitated Otto is laying the floor.

Then later we're supposed to believe that Helaena is emotional to the point that she'll end her life along with the child she wanted.. even tho she knows Aegon will be King again.. and Rhaenyra is just insane now I guess? It also wasn't her eldest son being killed, partially because of her stepdaughter that pushed her over the edge. That wasn't that big of deal when she found out lol and no consequences for Rhaena and Daemon lying to her. And I guess Alicent will keep trying to kin slay because of the prophecy now that Helaena jumped.. or failed trying to  climb down? I don't know either way it's dumb because the writers kinda forgot Helaena saw the future.

Daemon doesn't remember that his brother's youngest son is a brunette? Total Tyrion treatment from these writers.

So, as promised, my full-on rant regarding Alicent.

This character is beyond assassination now. Even calling her a character feels kinda wrong, as she turned into a plot device.
Let's take look at what she did this season:
1) She returns to King's Landing, convinces Aemond to leave, but not before they kiss.
2) She asks Luthor Largent and the guards to not attack Rhaenyra once she arrives. Later she is nearly assaulted, just for shock value.
Also she and Helaena make their first escape attempt, are however caught (worst disguise ever as it is no disguise at all) and get brought back.
3) First of many pointless Alicent & Rhaenyra discussions. She then reveals the Fake Daeron plot, like she isn't even trying anymore.
4) Another conversation between Alicent & Rhaenyra where she reveals Ormunds weakness.
5) Alicents talk with Mysaria happens, though it's never brought up again. Alicent and Helaena make two escape attempts in the same episode with both failing again. Also ignoring Jaehaera, while she wants Helaena to abort her child.
6) Alicent and Helaena are simply caught, with her revealing Helaenas pregnancy. She also reveals Helaena to be a dreamer and where Aemond is. And as if that isn't enough, she agrees to kill Aemond.
7) Following an unnecessary incest scene, she plays nice for some time, until she poisons Aemond. After that, she escapes without any challenge.
8) Thank god she only has a kind of cameo in this episode.

Conclusion:
Alicent is Team Black's strongest asset by far and actually the most loyal person to Rhaenyra, except the few times where she attempts to run away.
She also apparently hates her familiy and actively tries to end her family multiple times, but she never faces consequences. Greatest Anti-Mate to possibly ever exist.
Reminder: This Alicent was quite protective of her children and tried to take an eye from Lucerys.

As I mentioned before: I adore Olivia Cooke, she is simply amazing and clearly deserves more roles. So imagine my depression to see her getting repeatedly humiliated this season, while asked to work with this baffling material.

Now that my rant is finished, I just wanna adress some other aspects.

– You can essentially skip many of the scenes between episodes 3 to 7.
Like Alicent, Helaena, and Rhaenyra, or Lady Jeyne Arryn, Daemon & Rhaena. They're all running in circles.
The dragon bitch fight was also completely unnecessary. Obviously VFX heavy and certainly quite a lot of money went in there.
Just imagine what could've done instead of all that. The Honeywine, some proper scenes with Lord Oscar, Lord Roderick & Black Aly, scenes between Rhaenyra and Joffrey.

– As you already pointed, several plot points went nowhere and characters don't make sense. Why are Hugh, Addam and Daeron here? Why in Seven Hells are we constantly tortured with Mysaria, who is completely useless, and her awful accent? Why is Black Aly fighting alongside Oscar, despite him asking Daemon to execute her brother in the last season? Why doesn't Aemond react to the fact, his own mother tried to kill him? Why don't Rhaenyra and Daemon ever mention the two children, they have together?

In the end, it's just sad how it all went downhill. It makes me also sad, how style over substance and "Aurafarming" (such a stupid word, I really hate it by now) are apparently enough for people today to say, it's strong television.

But to end on a positive note: Very much thanks for your weekly coverage, be it livestreams or videos.
It was always a blast to join the conversation, comment sections and stream chats.
Excited for what you're gonna do next. Despite having joined quite late, I'm here to stay.

Someone explain how they have the money to pay off Mysaria for a Manse in Pentos with Servants,when they couldn't even pay the Goldcloaks.

I’m really sad this wonderful cast was given such garbage scripts. Terrible waste of potential.

The success of AKOTSK is proof that the initial success of GOT and this universe was never about boobs and CGI dragons, it was never about kinky relationships. It was about telling a good story, giving the audience someone to root for. In GOT we started out having Ned, Robb, Jon, Tyrion and Dany to cheer on, but as those characters were killed off or undermined by bad writing, it got to the point where there was nobody left to root for. HOTD has taken that to a new level. There is not one character I can actually like, and the ones I sort of liked are either dead now or hollowed out and betrayed. I never particularly liked this part of the story, in the books they are all horrible people that have no care for the small folk and destroy their own dynasty out of greed, entitlement and insanity. I hope AKOTSK stays true to the source material and keeps giving us one of George's best stories.

Highest quality production for the lowest quality script.

90% of the run time was people sitting around talking about their feelings.  lame.  And no one was likeable except Roddy and Oscar Tully

Daeron doesn't even have white hair so what was the point in dying fake Daeron's hair? 😂😂

The show biggest problem is Ryan Condal, first of his name

Each season of this show gets less faithful to the book as well as lack of logic with their battles and inconsistent with the character arks for the show adaption...the only true way to watch this show is to not to think about it with ur brain.

The season has been so inconsistent both in action & character choices that I don’t know how this season could be rewritten 🤷🏻, some good moments throughout but terrible moments as a whole.

I think the major problem for this show is focusing more on only Rhaenyra, Alicent and stupid Mysaria. Instead they should have explored Daeron and his reach plot, Riverlands plot, Dragonseeds and other secondary characters. Fixing a protagonist is the biggest mistake for this show. Rhaenyra shouldnt be a protagonist, even if she is, she is only important in the start and the end. She is not Danny, she didnt fight the wars in the books, so why make her the main character. And this whole WOMEN GOOD SH*T IS RUINING THE WHOLE FEMALE CAST. We have some of the most complex female characters in the books, why dont they develop them. AND CUTTING OFF NETTLES AND MAELOR ALSO RUINED SEVERAL PLOTLINES TO AN EXTENT.

A writer cannot write a character that is any smarter than the writer themselves. That’s the issue here. They underestimated the depth of lore that is required to be up to par with early GoT.

One thing I hate about the show all together is how they don’t let rhaenyra and alicent make decisions (especially rhaenyra) it’s always someone making a choice for them.

Its obvious that the writers wrote themselves into a corner with Helena's bullshit

Can't agree more about Aemond. He was an interesting villian. Now his strength and confidence are gone.

They're going to make Mysaria into the Shepherd because... Rhaenyra doesn't want to scissor anymore. Awesome writing.