Ty Watches 'House of the Dragon" Season 2 Finale

"House of the Dragon" closed out the second season last night. Let’s discuss.

I have been on board all season with this show. If you go back and read a past blog of mine, I wrote how I was waiting with such anticipation for the big battle they've been building towards all season long. I hoped it was coming. It felt like it was coming. They had a scene in an earlier episode that was akin to foreplay, in which we saw the bad side of battle and saw what the dragons are capable of doing. All of this had me so pumped to what I assumed was going to be one of the most epic battle scenes in television history. As my wife and I sat down to watch, we were both on the edge of our seats. With each passing minute we both felt that we were getting closer and closer to this tremendous battle. The armies were finished forming. People on both sides pledged their allegiance. We had big dinners the night before. We saw some dragons flying. We even got a glimpse into the future, with White Walkers and Danerys mind you, and it felt like it was time.

Sorry for the spoilers by the way.

After the meetup between Rhaeynera and Allicient, I figured it was going to be just a matter of time. I looked down at my watch and realized that we had less than ten minutes left in the finale. I figured, well, this is going to be a quick war scene. Maybe they would come in with a bang, have some epic stuff happen, close with a big kill, and then it would be on to the next two years before season 3.

That, unfortunately, didn't happen. After the meeting between the two queens, we see all the people that have some kind of importance traveling. The armies are on the move with their flags. The dragons are circling around waiting to get shit done. The king is being quietly moved to his new home. Some people are showing the prince regent that they don't trust his move. Allicient's dad is still in jail. One of Rhaeynera's step kids has found her dragon. The new riders are being fit with armor. It is a bunch of slow shots of people traveling to fight a war. And it went black while watching all of this.

I sat there confused. I, along with almost every other viewer, had been waiting for a war. This is what the whole season has been building to. This is what it is supposed to all come down to to close out the second season. We were supposed to see war. But we saw, as we have all season, people prepping for battle, people getting themselves lathered up for a fight. I am of the belief that tv shows owe us nothing, and I'm still at the point today. But come on dude. The fans have waited all season long for a war. At least on "Game of Thrones" we would get a bunch of battles during the season. That show was always building towards the biggest battle, but we got something like an appetizer from time to time. We saw fights, we saw bloodshed, we saw people dealing with their own reckoning. "House of the Dragon" season 2 was a tease. We got none of that. We saw people prepping for eight straight episodes. I still think this show is amazing, and it kept my attention. But, throw us a bone. Give us a taste. Let us see one of the main things we come to see when we watch this show.

I'll still definitely watch season 3, but this finale left an unappetizing taste in my mouth. There was a ton of pomp, but no circumstance. I was bummed, and now we have to wait for 2 more years to hopefully see this battle. That is a drag. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Give "House of the Dragon" Some Time

"House of the Dragon" is two episodes into season 2 now. The first season was incredible, and my wife and I were both ready for this second season. So far, it has not disappointed us. The two episodes are a slow burn, but it is a wonderful slow burn. They are building towards a heavy duty war. You get that sense very early on. After the events that closed out season 1, a war was inevitable. This was coming.

The leadup to the fighting so far has been the most wonderful kind of tease. They are slowly building to what seems to be an epic battle. The things that have happened so far in season 2, including two primary-ish season 1 characters, spoiler alert, dying off in the last episode. That fight scene was awesome and tragic at the same time. It had a lot going for it at the time. I have grown to hate one of the guards now too. I didn't like him much in season 1, but after his exploits in the first two episodes, that dude can kick rocks for all I care. He is a coward and only looking out for himself. Most people on this show are out for themselves, so when I can grow to point out his exploits, that means this dude is a real piece of work. Matt Smith is even slimier than in season 1. He has some real issues and he cannot handle the fact that he may never be king. The two queens are clearly trying to keep their houses in order, but they have so many other things going on that it is nearly impossible for them to focus on one thing at a time. They have so much on their tables. The kids are getting much more involved in season 2. The king is a little prick. He is also so stupid. But, I found myself feeling bad for him at moments in the last episode. Rhaynera's kids are clearly working through the death of one of their brothers, and they are finding it very hard to move on. Daemon Targereyan was almost assassinated, but found refuge in a brothel. That dude is a bad, bad person, but he is also clearly gearing up to go to war, and he may be the best fighter on his side. The hand is out of a job and looking to move on, but he is going to need his daughter's help. She is too focused on hooking up with the punkass guard, so I really have no idea where they are going to go with his story. And, for a very bad guy, I felt awful for him at the conclusion of the last episode. I actually found myself rooting for him to beat up the king. And the dragons are creeping up here and there in the first two episodes. We've seen them flying a bit. They are coming out of their dungeons and looking to breathe some fire. They are mean and ready for war as well. I also saw some dragon eggs in a trailer for an upcoming episode, and if we get even more dragons, that would be a thing of beauty.

"House of the Dragon" took a long time off, but the work is showing in the series so far. I am so amped to see where it goes from here. And the battle that is incoming is going to be brutal, bloody and amazing to watch. Sunday's cannot come fast enough. I am itching to see more and more of this show. It is one of the best on tv right now. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

2022 Top Five - Television

Day three of my best of 2022 countdown features tv. TV has been pretty incredible this year. There are a ton of good shows with great writing, excellent casting, wonderful storylines and networks are giving the creators time to figure it all out. TV is in a very good place right now. Let's hope it continues.

Before I get into my top five I have some honorable mentions. "Abbot Elementary" is wonderful. It might be the funniest show on TV right now. All the accolades are more than deserved. Quinta Brunson is a genius. "Righteous Gemstones" had an amazing season with a great story arc from Eric Roberts. John Goodman also took on a bigger role this season and totally nailed it. I cannot wait to see where they go with the next season. "House of the Dragon" was worth the hype as well. I do not care that it had a dark hue, I don't care that the dragons were not fully featured yet and I don't care about internet nerds complaining about nonsensical plot points in a fantasy world with dragons. "House of the Dragon" created a new, unique world in the "GOT" universe. I'm ready for season two. And finally "Bluey". This is the best kids show on TV. It has surpassed "Yo Gabba Gabba" for me. I love the length of episodes, 10 minutes, the storylines, the character arc and the fact that the dad is usually the one home with the kids. It is easy for me to relate. "Bluey" is an achievement. I do, really quickly, want to shout out "Joe Pera Talks With You". I was told by many people to watch this show and I finally started last week. I have already finished the series. It is a perfect Adult Swim show but it also has heart and soul. Joe Pera did something different and it worked. I love this show. Okay, to the countdown.

At number 5 I have season four of "What We Do in the Shadows". This show continues to get better and better. Each episode is funnier than the last. The vampires are even more hilarious than ever. The Laszlo and Colin Robinson storyline all season was beautiful and heartfelt. Also, the way Berry pronounces words, it is a thing of beauty. Nandor had a nice arc with his genie this season. And Nadja had a great arc with her nightclub. Guillermo also got to stretch his legs a bit more and it was a homerun. "WWDITS" is on a hot streak and I do not see it stopping anytime soon. It may be the best comedy on TV.

At number 4 I have "The Bear". I mean, this show is amazing. The way they show food and the world of food was incredible. "The Bear" made me hungrier than any show on any cooking network. But it was the performances and choices this show made all season that put it on my list. Every actor does their job with aplomb. They all have juicy moments and they all succeed, and then some. As for the choices, there is one episode in particular that stands out. They did a 17 minute long ep that is all one shot and it is of the restaurant going down due to not being ready. It is a masterpiece. I have watched it multiple times and I love it even more with each view. "The Bear" is incredible and season two cannot come soon enough.

At number 3, closing out my run of shows on FX, I have the last two seasons of "Atlanta". Now, I think this is the best show on TV, but it isn't number 1 because I liked a few other shows a bit more. But "Atlanta" gave us two seasons and closed out the series to perfection. In season three the show took us overseas and it was a trippy joy ride. We got to see our four main characters go through some crazy situations. Darius saw Tupac get murdered. Paper Boi was in jail and had a crazy drug trip. Van went through all kinds of emotions and bludgeoned a dude with a baguette. And Earn had to deal with all kinds of nonsense being a manager overseas. He also had a crazy cold in the premiere. The final season had them back in Atlanta, but it was still as wild as ever. From the season four premiere, which saw Van and Earn get into some kind of alternate universe where they saw a bunch of exes, to Darius trying to figure out if his whole life was real or in a deprivation tank, it was great. Paper Boi also got a farm and had a conversation with Soulja Boy. Van and Earn reunited. The sushi restaurant was a great ep. And the scavenger hunt that Paper Boi went on was nuts. "Atlanta" had as fulfilling a series finale as a TV show can have. I will always adore this show.

At number 2 I have "The Rehearsal". Nathan Fielder is a genius. He is on a whole other level as a comedian and creator. What he did with "The Rehearsal" would have made Andy Kaufman proud. He showed the best and worst in people. The show started as one thing but ended as a totally different thing. It was a masterclass. I cannot fathom how much work went into making all of these scenarios happen. I am in awe of the work that Fielder has done with this show. I am on pins and needles to see what he does next. But "The Rehearsal" is going to go down in history as an all time great.

And at number 1 I have the final season of "Better Call Saul". As fulfilling and gratifying as the series finale of "Atlanta" was, "BCS" surpassed it. The final season was an achievement. It lets the actors do their thing. They got meaty scenes and everyone brought out their best effort. Rhea Seehorn was phenomenal. It is criminal that she never got an award for her work on this show. And Bob Oednekirk got to do his best oh shucks down on his luck, but totally knows that he is conning people character. Saul Goodman was a big part of "Breaking Bad", but I was skeptical on how they would do a show based on him. Not only did they do it, they made one of the best dramas of all time. As for the series finale, I believe it is the best series finale that has ever been made. It was perfect.

There you have it, my top five shows of 2022. Come back tomorrow for my top five sports moments of the year. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "House of the Dragon"

The other night my wife and I started "House of the Dragon". We watched "Game of Thrones", my dad was talking up this new show and it is a prequel, so we were pretty easily on board. It did not take much convincing for us. But we did put it off for a bit due to life. My son plays football everyday, my daughter plays soccer and my wife works all the time. For those, and so many other reasons, we could not start the show until Monday.

That being said, we have already watched three of the five episodes available on HBO Max. The show is good. There has been some dope dragon action so far. The characters are pretty well written. The actors are doing a great job to this point. I am fully in on the parts of the story that I understand. I like the easter eggs they have placed here and there. It is cool to hear some names from "GOT" taking place in this world almost 200 years before. It is crazy and violent and gory and nuts. I like it a lot.

The show is also very confusing. I do have a hard time following other story plot points. That is my fault too. There is so much going on that it can be hard for me to keep track. I'm also not nuts about all the politicking that is going on. I wasn't a fan of all the meetings in "GOT", and in "HOTD" they do about the same amount. There is a good amount of time spent talking about who is king, who will be the heir to the throne, people going behind other people's backs,just a lot of shadiness. I understand the importance of it all, but it can be a bit much at times. The violence can also go a bit overboard as well. I have seen a ton of heads caved in, half of other people's body's cut up, eyes gouged out and sword cuts. I think as I get older my stomach gets queasy easier. I can't handle some of the stuff I could when I was younger. But all in all this show is very well done.

The story, the one I understand, is interesting. The time jump in episode three didn't affect me as much as I thought it was going to. I read there is another time jump, involving 10 years with new actors taking over, but so what. That is how these shows should work. I have loved all the dragon stuff too. I think that might have been my favorite thing about "GOT", and in this show, that is the story of the main family. I also like seeing some actors I recognize from comedies doing more serious stuff. The main guy, the king, is in most of the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost movies. I've seen him play any number of comedic roles. But seeing him in "HOTD" has been cool. Rhys Ifans, who was in "The Replacements" and a "Spiderman" movie, is the hand to the king. He is his top assistant basically, and he is devious as hell. It is very cool to see him do this kind of role. The girl who plays the young princess is awesome. She is badass and powerful and under control. She is like a less crazy Danerys. I also really enjoy the cast not being filled with white people. It is pretty dope to see a melting pot of characters in this world. I also think it is hilarious that people are mad about this, even though this show is in no way real at all.

I'm excited to see where this show goes from here. I can only imagine it will get more and more crazy, and I like that. I also have to think there is going to be so much more dragon content, and that is what I'm here for. "House of the Dragon" is very good and has potential to be great. Check it out if you haven't yet.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.