The Princess and the Queen

Surly I'm not the only one who seemed a little lost at the fact they just ditched a bunch of actors ( due to them getting older) and not others.

Not only does the princes and queen look like a completely different person (because they are) but they don't even act, move, or talk the same. It's so incredibly jarring as a viewer.

Furthermore, Milly Alcock had totally nailed her role to a level of master class talent, I almost feel sorry for the actor that had to fill those shoes. Was there not an Adult in the room when they made this decision? Why not just age her like they did other characters... or others where they didn't even bother. Just kept them looking the same age... it's inept level bewildering.

It totally threw me off the bandwagon.

That and the fact it's mostly just in your face drama, a soap opera at best. No magic, no witches, nothing majestic about it. No legendary knights & sword fighters. No lurking evil. No sorcery. Just soap & sauce.

What an episode! Filled with Dracarys and the longest episode till now yet it doesn't contain the events I wished to see, and its not a bad thing as it's clearly a preface for the second half of the season!

We can see the changes in our characters, not only by the actors and actresses playing them but in their personalities, and other characters stays the same.

Like any episode of any show for George R. R. Martin we say goodbye to some characters some we have a bond with some we dont.

The queen is green inside out, i dont wish what's Rhaenyra's going through to my worst enemies, and there's definitely something with that mouse!

I'm so torn, I wish they'd done it differently, maybe 12 episodes split into 2 6's with a break and fill out the gap between episode 5-6 with a bit more and then left it for us to want it back. I feel they've expected a lot from the audience, to expect them to just ignore a 10 year odd gap, mixed with the many issues that continuity exposed. To then bring in new actors and just expect to keep flowing to me is too much.

Rhaenyra the young was phenomenally good, our group of 10 all thought her performances were the highlight of most episodes. The new actor whilst not bad just could've benefitted from a kid series hiatus over just a week, not even acknowledging how much time passed I found annoying but they've skipped ahead a few times already.

The queen was arguably an improvement but she's quite different now and missing her development is a Shame. The husband to Rhaenyra is awful, he feels like a Shakespeare actor who can't fit in with normal roles, didn't enjoy him at all.

This episode felt alot weaker story wise, less depth, gravity or importance and more teen drama and silliness. My other annoyance was the fire scene which I felt was poorly executed far too short. It just feels a really disjointed show trying to rush through so much!

I'll carry on but if it doesn't pick up by the end I won't be back for 2. I really enjoyed the first few, then the forced rushed insest angle and this just has killed my buzz for the show.

After last weeks episode this is a very different type of story telling. We had speed and violence in previous showing and this time out this was one of the most politically centered episode of the series so far. So many fans of the books are welcoming having to hag on every word that is said because so many of the characters have ulterior motives.

We have to applaud the casting of the 2 young queens but now the women have to take charge and they certainly have. D'arcey taking on the changed Targaryen where the weight of the crowd is slowly weighing her down for her duty over love. Cooke also stepping up with her fears for her family at the forefront of her thoughts. So much of the original show was centered around mothers looking out for their children with poise and calmness but there's a rare glimpse of fracture in her armor whilst speaking to Aegon. One constant but probably not for much longer Paddy Considine as Viserys is a casting for the ages. As we know he will not be returning for the second series but his presence has truly been felt throughout the 7 kingdoms. Daemon enough said about him! Prefection yet again!

So much of the story is setting up the next 4 episodes which will only start the true Dance of Dragons as i cannot see all of this story being completed by that time. We are still only 1 chapter in as apart of the story which is 5 long. Could we end up with 3 seasons just for this story and then returning to earlier times for season 4?

This has not stood still enough through so much of this episode is talking and building the divide of the Crown.

As I'm seeing a lot of criticism online about this sixth episode it seems a portion of the audience doesn't care for the large time jump between the fifth and sixth episodes, the longest one yet at ten years. The recasting of two major characters, namely the two for which the episode is titled sees Olivia Cooke and Emma D'Arcy step in for the two younger actresses we got to know in the first five episodes of the season. As good as they were, it leaves large shoes to fill but I think both new actresses prove more than capable here. It's best to think of this second half of the first season as a new beginning, or even as a second season that you didn't have to wait long for. This whole season is more of a prologue to the meat of the story which is what this is building to, The Dance of Dragons that was detailed in the Fire and Blood book and alluded to in Game of Thrones. This is all crucial backstory for the fallout of these two former friends now turned bitter enemies and the allies they make and break along the way. The important characters to play in the upcoming war have been fleshed out so we know why they are going to do the things they do. This episode was a great reintroduction to characters that we are still getting to know and it was a nice juxtaposition of Cooke as Queen Alicent chewing through her dialogue calculating out in the open while D'Arcy brought quiet and calculated movements as they both begin to put their pieces in place to play the ultimate game. Even though the younger versions will be missed, I'm excited to see what the older versions will bring.