All Forms of Art

  After the disappointment with House of the Dragon , it took me a while to decide to check this one.  But I've got to tell you: there is something wonderfully refreshing about  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms . Forget the political intrigues and fights for the throne; this show brings Westeros down to the ground. There are no armies marching across continents. No enormous castles dominating every scene. No great political chessboard where every move potentially changes the fate of the world. Instead, we follow a hedge knight and his young squire. They travel, eat, argue, get into trouble, and try to survive. And somehow, through these two relatively insignificant people, the series makes Westeros feel more human than it has in a long time. Seeing the Other Side of Westeros One of the things I enjoyed most about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is seeing a Westeros that is poor, messy, and occasionally quite funny. This isn't the Westeros of the royal family. It is...

House of the Dragon never really worked for me. I know. It has everything a Game of Thrones fan could supposedly ask for: dragons, political schemes, betrayals, beautiful costumes, impressive visuals and, of course, Westeros. And yet, despite all of that, I never developed the same emotional connection to it that I had with Game of Thrones . And it made me wonder: why? Perhaps part of the problem is that Game of Thrones asked us to invest so much in its world before we even understood how much that investment would matter. From the beginning, Westeros felt enormous. There were countless characters, families, alliances, rivalries and histories to remember. It demanded an investment from the audience, not only in understanding the world but in becoming emotionally attached to the people living in it. By the time we reached the end, these characters weren't simply characters anymore. We knew them. We had watched them grow, fail, betray each other, suffer, and change. So when Ho...

  There is something strangely frustrating about the ending of House of the Dragon Season 3. The entire season has been building tension. Armies have been gathering, alliances have been shifting, dragons have been appearing, characters have been having visions, and everyone seems to be moving inexorably towards a much bigger conflict. And then, when we finally reach the point where everything should explode, the story seems to stop. This feels disappointing, but if you think about it, this season was never really to show us who wins the war. It was to show us what the war is already doing to the people fighting it. Rhaenyra Is Becoming What Alicent Feared Throughout the season, Rhaenyra ( Emma D'Arcy ) has grown increasingly desperate. Alicent ( Olivia Cooke ) understood that power changes people and tried to warn her, but she ignored it. Now, Rhaenyra is becoming harsher, more impatient, and, at times, surprisingly cruel. This is one of the things that frustrated me most abou...

  For most of House of the Dragon , the question has been simple: who deserves the Iron Throne? Episode 7 quietly shifts that question into something far more interesting. It no longer matters who has the stronger claim. What matters is who still inspires loyalty. This episode is about leaders who are slowly losing the faith of the people around them—and, perhaps more importantly, losing faith in themselves. Rhaenyra Has Already Started Doubting Herself Rhaenyra ( Emma D'Arcy ) spends much of the episode acting from a place of desperation rather than confidence. The difference is subtle but important. Earlier in the season, her difficult decisions felt calculated. Here, they feel reactive. Every setback seems to push her further into panic, and she begins turning against people who have remained loyal to her. Her confrontation with Mysaria ( Sonoya Mizuno ) is particularly revealing. On the surface, the adviser appears to be offering practical counsel, questioning Daemon's ...

  Episode 6 of  House of the Dragon  reminds us that wars are fought as much in the mind as they are on the battlefield. Forget the dragons burning castles; it's time to focus on what prolonged conflict does to those forced to lead it.  Fatigue, fear and uncertainty spread through both factions, making victory feel increasingly hollow. It is an episode about isolation, doubt and the realization that power often demands sacrifices no one truly wants to make. Ser Criston Cole: An Unexpectedly Tragic Farewell I never expected to feel sad about Ser Criston Cole's ( Fabien Frankel ) death. For most of the series, Criston has been one of the easiest characters to dislike. His bitterness, impulsiveness, and unwavering loyalty often pushed him into questionable decisions. Yet this episode somehow reframes him—not as a hero, but as a man who has spent years carrying the consequences of choices that slowly consumed him. The small detail of the cloth embroidered with the le...

One thing House of the Dragon continues to do exceptionally well is portray that power is rarely lost in a single dramatic moment. Instead, it slips away little by little, through hesitation, fear, and the psychological burden of impossible decisions. Episode 5 isn't driven by dragons and battles. It's driven by pressure. Every major character is slowly changing under it, and nowhere is that transformation more evident than in Rhaenyra Targaryen ( Emma D'Arcy ). Rhaenyra's Biggest Enemy Isn't the Greens Throughout this episode, I couldn't stop thinking about Alicent's warning from Episode 3 . She suggested that, eventually, Rhaenyra would have to become "less good" if she wanted to survive. At the time, it sounded almost cruel. Now it feels inevitable. Rhaenyra is trying to remain a compassionate ruler while fighting enemies who have no intention of playing by the same rules. Psychologically, she's experiencing something many leaders face:...

  After a much-needed break from this show, I'm finally back, and I have to admit it gave me a fresh perspective. I was starting to feel a bit tired of it, so stepping away for a while helped me appreciate this episode much more. The story picks up where we left off , with Rhaenyra ( Emma D'Arcy ) trying to hold the realm together while becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the endless problems surrounding her. Fortunately, this episode isn't entirely about her. Instead, it shifts the spotlight to several other characters who desperately needed it. New Risings This episode finally introduces us to the real Prince Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) , and the first thing many viewers noticed was his hair. For a long time, fans have theorized that Daeron could actually be the son of Ser Criston Cole , rather than King Viserys I Targaryen ( Paddy Considine) . Personally, I don't buy that theory. I think his brown hair, rather than indicating his lineage, carries...

  House of the Dragon slows the pace this week, delivering an episode that focuses less on dragons and battles and more on the emotional and political weight of ruling.  It's the perfect "calm before the storm" episode—one that quietly builds tension while reminding us that some of the biggest battles are fought in council chambers, not on the battlefield. Rhaenyra's Burden Finally Feels Real One of my favorite aspects of this episode was seeing Rhaenyra Targaryen ( Emma D'Arcy ) overwhelmed by the reality of being queen. She fought so hard to claim her throne, but now that she has it, what comes next? That's a question she doesn't seem to have the answer to. She's lost, confused, short on resources, unsure of whom she can truly trust, and constantly forced to make impossible decisions. Despite all of that, it's clear she genuinely wants to be a good ruler. She isn't chasing power for power's sake—she wants to do what's right. That...

  After the Battle of the Gullet , the second episode of House of the Dragon Season 3 had everything it needed to be unforgettable. It was emotional, packed with major developments, and finally pushed the story into a new phase of the Dance of the Dragons. And yet... I didn't connect with it as much as I expected. That's what makes this episode so strange. I can recognize that it was objectively a great hour of television, but emotionally it never fully landed for me. Daemon Gets More Screen Time Daemon Targaryen ( Matt Smith) is back to what he is. His return to Rhaenyra's side and his willingness to help place her on the Iron Throne finally moved his storyline forward. After everything that happened between them over the last season, it was satisfying to see him commit to her claim. Whether his motivations are love, destiny, or simply ambition is another discussion, but his presence immediately made the episode more compelling. Is Rhaenyra Really Meant to Be Queen...

  I've never been fully invested in House of the Dragon . As a huge Game of Thrones fan, I desperately wanted this series to capture the same magic. Instead, I've always walked away with the feeling that something is missing. I can't even put my finger on exactly what it is.  The acting is excellent, the production is second to none, and the dragons are spectacular—but emotionally, the show has never managed to hook me the way its predecessor did. An Incredible Battle That Feels Surprisingly Hollow The Battle of the Gullet is everything we've come to expect from HBO: breathtaking visuals, massive dragons, impressive special effects, and cinematic action on a scale few television series can match. The problem is that, once the dust settles, I struggled to feel the weight of what I'd just watched. Yes, there are important moments that will undoubtedly shape the rest of the season, but as a standalone episode, it feels like spectacle takes priority over storytell...

Luna Nera  (Black Moon) is a story about witch-hunting, this time with real witches -  stregas  - in 17th-century Italy. Full of teenage characters, love seems to be one of the main ingredients of the plot. Love secrets, forbidden loves, and an environment of romance clash with the brutal treatment of the women accused of witchcraft. Ade (Antonia Fotaras), the protagonist, is a young woman discovering herself, scared and full of uncertainties. Yet, she bravely accepts her mission, fighting against her anguish and indecision.  The Benandanti The witches' main enemy is a group of masked men that hunts them with no mercy. Their looks are already terrifying, even before they do anything. But, at the end of the day: what's their motivation? What beliefs lead them to that cruelty? Yes, that particular group of women they're hunting were real witches. Yet, if you take a close look at the benandanti criteria… almost any single woman could fit them. In this group, we hav...