The Burning Mill

Obviously for budget expenses they couldn't put a battle like the one of the burning mill in full. But now the war has begun and you can feel it from all the characters who have started to play their role well.

The brothel scene is a bit avoidable but not bad as a basic episode for the battles that will take place in the fourth. I would have preferred it to end with the fall of Rosby or Stokeworth. Or with the arrival of Cole's troops in Duskendale. But I'm still happy with how, even if very calmly in the series, they want to represent the war in every millimeter with episodes that will slowly become darker! I can't wait.

Third episode into the second season and it's still not as gripping as GOT. The characters are just don't have the same level of chemistry somehow and this isn't without the writers trying I feel.

Alicent lacks the same sheer baseless of Cersei, although some similarities we're still trying to figure her out, apart from her being a nymphomaniac she doesn't seem to have any driving force. Rhaenar is the trying hard to be the heir to the throne but it's a man's world and she's not tough enough. The world is littered by creepy, ne'rer do wells but they're lacking in the side shows of GOTs. I know it's early days but I'm still not feeling it.

Direction and production is great, let's hope it gets better.

There are two positive points in this episode and two negative points that unfortunately illustrate this season well so far.

The positive points are:

Production: King's Landing and Harrenhall have never looked so beautiful, making the world of the books truly transport to TV.

Acting: The casting could not better. Practically all the actors are excellent in their roles, delivering relatable characters.

But these points live far from the soul of a TV production, the script room. And there are the negative points:

Pacing: The series appears to not know how to balance moments of tension and moments of respite, often using 1 hour to end at a point slightly different from where the episode began, both in terms of narrative and character development. This episode is an example of this: which character took a significant leap in transformation over the course of the hour?

Cohesion: Unfortunately, the characters don't seem as intelligent as players in a game of thrones should be. Rhaenyra doesn't seem to think a move forward in her actions. If she could convince Alicent, what real difference would it make? It was a very, very risky plan, it could put his entire family, offspring and legacy at risk in the vain hope of convincing someone who doesn't even seem to have that much power over his children. Rhaenys does not have coherence in her ideas. Sometimes she seems to want war, sometimes peace. Sometimes she seems to believe in Rhanyra, sometimes she doubts her. All without motivation or reason.

There are good adaptations in this series, such as the old friendship of the two female protagonists, but the wit of those who play the game of thrones to survive is often given up in favor of a dramatic scene for the audience. And that makes such a fantastic world seem less believable.

When the show is that good, the script is well-thought-out, and the production is at its best I honestly can't understand people arguing this is impossible to watch the show / the episode without yawning. Is that just a side effect from being too much on a TikTok or maybe obsessing over original materials?

For me, this season has jumped to another level of storytelling. And I'm not talking just about the script, but about how the scenes are built, the locations, the details. Daemon walking in the rain through the remains of Harrenhal... wow. The quick switch to the sea of the dead after the battle in the beginning of the episode... wow. Production team needs a raise. Can't wait to know what the rest of the season brings.

This episode really made me realize and remember why I don't enjoy HOTD as much as GOT.. first of all it's season two there SHOULD and must be a presence of battles there isn't a coronavirus excuse anymore they have the budget they have the resources to do it but they choose not to.

Secondly which in my opinion is the biggest reason, is that there isn't really one or two characters you want to root for them there isn't a charming or an interesting character that makes you love them it's just a whole bunch of characters who are just driven by the script and you feel nothing for them, maybe some people do but I don't. Overall it's a good episode and it did it's job well but they have to start doing big things otherwise the wait will be for nothing.