Aemond's Lost Eye Was The Start Of The Dance Of The Dragons

House of the Dragon has been building up towards the Dance of the Dragons for almost an entire season now. And, while war hasn't yet been declared, the mutilation and loss of Aemond's eye may have been the moment that the war really started.

Content Of This Video:
00:00 Squabbling Children, An Apt Metaphor For The Dance
02:24 Rhaenyra's Double Meaning
04:10 Viserys' Least Favorite Kids
07:50 Alicent's Inescapable Reality
09:59 Conclusion
11:03 Outro

[hali_]

Otto told Alicent that when push comes to shove, her and her kids would be the ones getting shoved. She caught a glimpse of that when Viserys chose to throw her father under the bus for Rhaenyra. She saw it in 70 inch, full screen 4K after Aemond’s eye was taken out.

[sashabazine]

So refreshing to hear someone that sees Alicents side instead of just blindly siding with the protagonist

[scorpioj]

Emma D'arcy even understood the situation. They said that Rhaenyra is clearly gaslighting everyone and Alicent when Aemond is disabled.

[TheNellyChannel]

When Viserys barked at Aemond to look at him while Aemond was sitting there with one eye, I laughed out loud. He really did not care at all about Aemond's maimed face.

[rustyflowers]

Fans going "sentence Alicent to death" "kill her" "touching Princess is treason”. So we just gonna forget that child who got his eye popped out like a champagne cork is Viserys' own son too?! He’s a Prince?! Viserys is gonna execute his wife for wanting justice for his own son?! Huh?? What kinda weak King does nothing while his own seed gets his eye poked out by a couple of bus-terds? He cared more about protecting Rhaenyra’s illegitimacy than his son. Ppl really acting like if some kids did that to your 10yr old in the sandbox ya'll just gonna be like "oh word? Kenny's the middle child. So no biggie.” A mother’s rage, while unhinged, is totally understandable. The king shoulda handed out a more reasonable punishment before it even got to eye for an eye. But he was gonna do nothing due to his gross favoritism for his daughter, which justifiably infuriated Alicent. The king is spineless. Daemon lovers have no right to criticize Alicent.

[riparoo]

"And now you take my son's eye, and to even that you feel entitled".
I think that line cut deepest for me: my empathy and perspective completely flipped.
Aemond says what everyone knows is blatantly true, and for that he loses an eye. And Rhaenyra seems to think that is completely fine. She chooses to maintain the lie, threaten those who don't comply, and then mock with low blows.
Covering your own faults through threats and suspending justice. A tyrant in the making.

[magpie_monster]

Its wild to me that people seem to think Rhaenyra is this progressive girlboss who'd never ever hurt her half-brothers and that the dance is all Alicent's fault when this episode perfectly illustrates how wrong that was. All it took was a mild threat against her person and suddenly Rhaenyra is demanding a child be tortured.

[sheenydonut]

Your channel is a breath of fresh air. It's so boring to see everyone else fawn over Rhaenyra and refuse to give Alicent and the greens a fair analysis. At the end of the day, this all starts with Viserys's weakness. Alicent and Rhaenyra are both monsters of Viserys's creation, and the fact that you consider that before taking a side one way or the other shows you really understand the story.

[luciddream]

a quote from early in the season that sticks out to me regarding alicents character is when she says “i just wanted someone to say that they were sorry about what happened to me”.

[ChristopherCoxFilm]

I appreciate this channel for offering nuanced takes that don’t swing one way or the other on team green vs black. Everywhere else people flock to team black because they represent more modern views (different sexualities, poly relationships, women in power, essentially freedom to make your own choices) that they disregard the bad side of team black and the selfish decisions they make. Team Green are no saints either which is what makes this story so compelling. But this video helped me realize how messed up it is that no one except Alicent really cared that the prince, the SON of the king, a BOY got his eye slashed out. That is insane and yet no one receives any repercussions. And we as the audience excused it because he said mean things to the other kids and said horrible things after getting attacked and winning. His entire arc in these 2 episodes has been a rollercoaster and yet we try to label him as villain so it’s easier to pick a side to root for.

“His mom is mean and he’s kinda mean so it’s okay he lost his eye.” This video made me realize how ridiculous that is.

[kimberlyplatt]

Remember Rhaenyra went around insulting and being rude to the nobles. People who she will NEED later on in her corner. Remember when Rhaenyra was in the ladies and lady Redwine was trying to tell her about war. How they shouldn't be so quick to jump into one because they cost lives and money. What does Rhaenyra do? She insults her.

[terrorofthetrident]

My heart breaks for Aemond and Alicent during that episode, it was so frustrating to watch how they didn’t get any justice despite permanent loss of an whole eye?? And in return Aemond was questioned while the kids who did that were protected?

Olivia Cooke’s acting in that episode really moved me almost like it felt 100% real and made me finally decide I’m team green

Even tho it’s fictional, I’m still angry at Viserys for that whole thing and was oddly satisfied when Viserys didn’t have one eye in episode 8

[kurobara]

“And instead of telling his absentee father that up until 30 minutes ago he had two entire eyes, and that’s how he figured it out..” I CACKLED out loud.

[jordanliu]

"up until thirty minutes ago he had two entire eyes and that's how he figured it out" lmao

[striker]

Why tf did viserys even bother remarrying if this was how he’d treat his heirs?

[Law-of-EnTropy]

Something I'm noticing about the fandom right now is there seems to be this idea that Rhaenyra is the good queen while Alicent is the bad one when in fact, none of them are neither good nor bad. Both are subject to making decisions that would eventually lead to heavily negative outcomes. I've been debating over and over again how Alicent's decisions was entirely and forcibly influenced by her needs to protect herself and her children. This episodes showed, not only to Alicent but to her children as well that their lives could easily be thrown away. With what level of control she doesn't already have, Alicent is only taking the choice that gives her a sense of control. That is to fight and eventually cause a civil war. It costed an eye for Alicent and her children to see the reality of their position in the House Targaryen

[Tormund_Giantsbrain]

Last episode was fantastic. That “where is duty, where is sacrifice” scene…Olivia Cooke doing some Dinklage level lifting there. That's some emmy nomination shit. So much agony and passion! “We Know Father. Everyone Knows”. That’s Aegon’s “the Prince will remember that little Lord” moment. Aemond taming Vhagar & holding his own in a 1v4 makes him the real chad in my eyes. Only wholesome moment, our Prince resting his head on his mom’s shoulder to let her know she can depend on him. Last but not least, GOATTO Hightower with the coldest win or you die reference, "we play an ugly game”...and I’m the meme of Homer Simpson decked out in green onsies, sitting on green cushions, wearing a Hightower snapback, holding a Go Greens flag with a Alicent poster on the wall😂.Meanwhile checking in on Blacks: “What is honor compared to a woman’s uncle”–Maester Aemon 😳

[occamtherazor]

Wow, I was just arguing with someone on another video who didn`t think that Alicent`s fears for her kids were justified. I pointed out that Rhaenyra suggested torturing her 10-year-old brother for saying her kids were bastards. He retorted "No she didn`t, she said he should be 'SHARPLY QUESTIONED.'"

My dude, tell me you haven`t read the books without saying you haven`t read the books.🤣 F&B even puts that word, "Sharply, " in quotation marks so the reader understands exactly what that means.

[killnotic]

I completely missed the questioned sharply part! Everything was happening so fast, Rhaeneyra's words were lost on me. Holy crap, I'm looking back on that scene way differently now!

[oooonoooo]

You are literaly the only one with empathetic takes towards greens and black. All people i see are cheering when child has its eye taken out or everything is Alicent fault and Daemon and Raehanyra can do no wrong and are saints. Everyone is shitty in its own way there. Also you are completly right about viserys, he is good father to only one child xd