Vaemond Velaryon's Death Should Have A Huge Impact On House Of The Dragon, So Why Isn't It?

Vaemond Velaryon's death was one of the biggest moments in season 1 of House of the Dragon. In theory, Vaemond's murder should have had a huge impact on House Velaryon and the entire story as a whole. So, why isn't it having the impact that it really should be?

Content Of This Video:
00:00 Intro
00:22 The Difference Between F&B And HotD Vaemond
04:20 The Unexplored Crisis For House Velaryon
08:21 The Internal Conflicting Politics Of House Velaryon
14:02 The Greens Know They're In Danger, So Why Don't The Velaryons?
16:21 Outro

[HillsAliveYT]

This is my first video using my new microphone, so let me know how it sounds, if you can even tell the difference! Also please congratulate me for successfully saying the word "extrajudicially" after literally trying and failing like thirty times.

[MrFredstt]

I know a lot of reactors on YouTube called him stupid and cheered Daemon on during the succession scene but Vaemond has my respect. He stood up for himself and his values in the face of what he saw was a total farce and slap to his face knowing what the consequences would be. What better way to stick it to the powers that be than publicly stating the cold hard truth?

[speirif]

The Velaryons meekly following Rhaenyra will be even more insane after she sends Rhaenys alone into a trap to die AND gets High Tide sacked, the fruits of Corlys’ life’s work gone…

[thegreatpage]

I've argued with so many people over this topic. People just believe Corlys can give the House away to whomever he chooses, when that's not how it works around here. Corlys may have enriched the house and made it greater, but he did not build it. It's not his to give away. Vaemond was probably with Corlys during those 9 voyages, and somehow he's the bad guy and a opportunist for trying to get Driftmark. Most people in the Seven Kingdoms would have done the same thing if the opportunity presented itself. After all it is his families inheritance being supplanted by the children of House Strong. It's ironic that a few days later, the same thing would happen to Rhaenyra's inheritance.

[bytemarx]

Vaemond's death was totally used as a sigma male moment for Daemon instead of what it should have been, a potential rift in the team black alliance.

[michalgenesove]

Coryls' reaction to his BROTHER being executed without a trial is one of the most out of character and bizarre choices the HoTD show made

[Alex-bzlj]

I can’t believe Corlys didn’t give a shit about Daemon killing his little brother

[Mic-Mak]

*_If the unjust execution of Ned Stark is enough to start a civil war, then the notion that House Velaryon would simply let go of Vaemond's death and work tirelessly and truthfully toward Rhaenyra's ascension to the throne is legitimately unbelievable._* Oof! You really hit hard with that one. To the extent that most of #HotD's audience doesn't seem to appreciate the meaning and ramifications of Vaemond's execution, yes, it is absolutely misunderstood. I also fear the showrunners also don't have an appreciation for what it means, and as a result will fail to fully explore the negative consequences it should engender.

[thesahel]

Corlys, the guy who felt disrespected when Viserys turned down his marriage proposal that people were scared he was going to tear the realm apart. Corlys is probably the proudest man in the entire story I don't think he would be okay with a guy who bears the velaryon name being executed without a trial. Even Tywin wouldn't stand for that. House velaryon is sad because at least Jace is obviously Rhaenyra’s son, so he's a Targaryen for sure. Luke has no velaryon blood at all, the only Velaryon blood he has comes from his great great great grand mother.

[bloodravenn]

Vaemond's death is not only a major red flag for the Velaryons but also for the Greens, Daemon taking It upon himself with no authority to kill Vaemond with Rhaenyra's blessing because he was deemed as a threat is something that could also happen to the Greens and especially to Alicent's children and is supposed to solidify all of Alicent's concerns about the Blacks, but instead after witnessing that she reconciled with Rhaenyra and apparently had no issue with handing over the power to her and Daemon which really doesn't make sense, I feel like the show is purposely ignoring all of these issues to make It like the Blacks and Rhaenyra are totally unproblematic and the Greens having no justifications for what they did.

[trueblueedits]

People glorifying Daemon for killing Vaemond is the dumbest shit I've ever heard. On so many levels it shows a lack of understanding why Vaemond is absolutely right in what he said but also just a kind of callousness that shows their bias.

[magpie_monster]

the fact that corlys didnt even speak against the maiming of his own cousins in the so insane, thats literally his family and hes letting them be maimed and killed and humiliated for the sake of his own ego

[detrik]

In both the show and books canon, I don't understand why the Velaryons are allied with the blacks. Rhaenys in particular has taken L after L through siding with the Viserys and Rhaenyra and it just seems so bizarre that they'd continually risk the lives of their daughters in a war they have very little to gain from. At the beginning of episode 10, I thought Rhaenys' plan was to provoke a war between the Greens and the Blacks, and then pick off whoever's left. But no, she just allies with the Blacks.

[Rhoxmaster]

While the race-swap for representations sake is something i thought added to the show, I think that this is one reason why the decision to make the velaryon's black was uniquely brilliant and wasn't just a race swap for the sake of representation, but also a decision that really elevated the story and the conflict at hand in other ways too. The fact that the strong boys are so OBVIOUSLY not a part of the velaryon bloodline really helps to humanize and modernize our understanding of Vaemond and his reckless fury over the false succession. He is literally watching the legacy of his bloodline being ripped away and stolen from him by schemers and connivers, and for him, this isnt just about the title, its about the death of velaryon blood, the thing that, in his eyes, made them unique and proud amongst the houses of Westeros. As the actor who played Vaemond said in the post show interview. "those kids are f*cking white!"

#vaemonddidnothingwrong

[maylynbayani]

I feel disgusted by Rhaenyra and Viserys after Vaemond's death. People are arguing that TargTowers were usurpers. Well atleast they are legitimate and blood related to the throne. Rhaenyra is trying to steal the driftwood throne and basically stamping out their legacy.

[kaylalovell]

Honestly, I hate how the relationship between the Velaryons and Rhaenyra and Daemon is portrayed on the show. Why is Corlys, the second most powerful man in Westeros, so subservient to them? Why does he keep bending over backwards to accommodate them when they give him almost nothing in return?

Corlys behavior just doesn't make sense to me. Who does he tolerates Rhaenyra parading three boys who are obviously not Velaryons and passing them off as heirs to Driftmark? Not only do they not have his blood, but it was been agreed that Jace will be bearing the name "Targaryen" when he ascends the Iron Throne (making his sentence "history doesn't remember names it remembers blood a bit nonsensical within this context" . Viserys threatens to tear out the tongue of anyone who wants to expose this scam and endorses Corlys's own brother being murdered in front of everyone for trying to do that and Corlys' reaction is just like "fair enough" wtf. Did he hate Vaemond?

They could have made the relationship between Rhaenyra and Corlys more equal super easily: Ep7 we see Corlys mad about the situation, raging to Rhaenys but he can't say anything because Viserys would have him killed/he's too ashamed to admit it in public. There's a confrontation between him and Rhaenyra. She concedes that Jace will bare the name Velaryon-Targaryen when he becomes king, that her sons will marry Baela and Rhaena and Corlys will be her Hand. He is appeased and they continue being allies. They could have made his main motivation the protection of his granddaughters. Have Rhaenyra and Daemon promise him tons of trade benefits idk. But as it stands sorry but he just kind of comes across as a doormat. I mean do the writers know that it's possible for the Velaryons to ally themselves with the Blacks because they think they'll get more out of it/their granddaughter's sake AND make them resent Rhaenyra and Daemon. Loyalties can be complicated. Corlys and Rhaenys can and should be allowed to hate Daemon and Rhaenyra for, as far as they know, having their son murdered, killing Vaemond and publicly humiliated them by trying to make people believe that Jace, Luke and Joffrey are Velaryons.

[Cole_E]

This whole argument about history remembering names instead of blood is wild to me. In-universe history remembers that Rhaenyra's sons weren't Velaryons. It remembers that their illegitimacy was one of the many justifications for the Dance.

I'm not particularly supportive of anyone in the show or the book (except Helaena) but Rhaenyra is particularly frustrating to me for so many reasons. Her trying to make Luke the Lord of Driftmark is just one of those reasons.

[liamdenise]

The fact in Show canon, Corlys was completely fine with a bastard with no velaryon blood getting driftmark and lord of the tides after him without even being betrothed to a velaryon to at least continue the bloodline, is bafffling. Like right up until the hearing when Rhaenyra begged and offered the 2 betrothals to Rhaenys, Corlys's plan was really to let the main male line of velaryon blood die out as rulers, and a bastard posing as a velaryon rule over his lands and wealth, while another gets the iron throne, both free to marry anyone and so ensuring the velaryons lose their own home as rulers while the dream of a velaryon on the iron throne dies out which he is somehow happy with. In books the bethrothal was arranged when Rhaena and Baela were 2, very soon after they moved back to westeros and were presented to the court, not some last minute resort that rhaenyra had to use.

[Alduin_el_Compadre]

Ned Stark dies standing against an usurping bastard claiming a title that by rights is not his, at the cost of his own life.
The fandom: Oh No! Ned! How could this happen. Man fuck the Lannisters

Vaemond dies standing against an usurping bastard claiming a title that by rights is not his, at the cost of his own life
The fandom: QUEEN RHAENYRA, DADDY DAEMON SLAY!!!

[sardonically-inclined]

If there is no attempted coup within house Velaryon in season 2, I will be disappointed. Because the source material is well written, and actions have consequences.

Regarding Lucerys' paternity, in the books you can argue Corlys doesn't believe it, . but in the show he already admitted he knows, which would beg the question, save for number of dragons, why support Rhaenera at all?

One of his granddaughters betrothed to Aemond would have addressed this, though they do both hate him after he claimed his dragon. So, there's that.