#thephantomcasebook

[wulfhalls]

Being a fellow PaulJessica shipper - (I've been there since I was 13 and read the book "Dune" and it was made clear that Jessica is Paul's property.) - ...

I thought you'd appreciate this.

I was talking with someone 'in the know' about "Dune" and the post-production of the movies. And apparently the chief reason that a lot of Paul and Jessica scenes were cut, particularly their sparing scene, was that a lot of WB executives and test audiences both strongly thought that there was way too much sexual tension between Paul and Jessica.

There was, in fact, so much sexual tension in those scenes between Ferguson and Timothee that there was confusion by the test audiences that thought the movie was hinting that Paul and Jessica were fucking and that Jessica was pregnant with Paul's child.

Apparently, Rebecca Ferguson and Timothee were directed to be very physical with one another, touching and stuff, but Ferguson chose to play Jessica very closed off and reserve in dealing with Paul. Thus, in those cut scenes, the lack of warmth and outward maternal communication made all their interactions have a sexual and romantically intimate subtext. So they cut a lot out so that people wouldn't be confused by Paul and Jessica's relationship.

The scene where they're changing into their stillsuits is just the tip of the iceberg compared to what they cut out and, sadly, we'll probably never see.

But, either way, it's wild that, because Rebecca Ferguson can't play maternal at all, test audiences and executives really thought that Dune - Part I was a secret love story between Paul and Jessica.

reading this is like actual real cocain to me. im like twitching. shaking. I feel high. sexual tension so bomb they had to cut half the movie because people thought paul fathered his sister. I need to sit down. this is so much. information. I'm outside of myself

#thephantomcasebook #and i was forlorn and dependent about not getting the cut scenes before this. #dune #pauljessica #dunetwo #asks #DO U HAVE ANY MORE OF THESE DELICIOUS CRUMBS. IS THERE ANY MORE. ILL DO ANYTHING FOR MORE CRUMBS #*despondent

[mejcinta]

THROWBACK TO THIS DISASTER INTERVIEW ABOUT EPISODE 9 (THE GREEN COUNCIL) 🤡

1. About Alicent's 'annoyed' feelings about Aegon becoming King!!!! (Because apparently there was NO valid reason to fear that her family would be wiped out if Rhaenyra, with Daemon's help, took the Iron Throne) Sure, Daemon would be as merciful as Rhaenyra (her ideal heir to the Iron Throne and besty) and spare Aegon, Aemond, Daeron and Helaena 😭🙆

2. About Fire and Blood accounts of Rhaenyra's weight. *Note that Helaena was also recorded as being plump from childbirth, not just Rhaenyra.*

3. About what Alicent would have done, had Rhaenys not escaped King's Landing and remained her prisoner. *While claiming that Alicent lets men 'steamroll' her, Hess also claims that Alicent would have the agency of letting Rhaenys live as a prisoner of war* 🙃 Kilner also throws some shade , dismissing Alicent's attempts at a unviolent resolution as 'still working within the patriarchy'.

4. About the choice of making adult Aegon a rapist right off the bat. Remember, kids. He's still a grey character. At least he's not sadistic like Joffery Baratheon. 🥴🥴🥴 Also, let's just ignore the actor's protest against that questionable writing choice before filming. They let him improvise in the end anyway, as a consolation prize. 🙃🙃🙃🥴

#this writers' room man #hotd #house of the dragon #house of the dragon season 2 #hotd critical #love this show but damn #alicent hightower #daemon targaryen #rhaenyra targaryen #aegon ii targaryen #aemond targaryen #helaena targaryen #daeron targaryen #fire and blood #helaaegonceo #thephantomcasebook #throwback #sara hess #claire kilner

[duxbelisarius]

Gentlemen ...

A Theory.

What if Daenaera is not real, and is, in fact, Jaehaera in Disguise?

What we know about Daenaera makes absolutely no sense. She appears out nowhere, born to parents we've never heard of, and suddenly becomes the front runner for queen. Her father is Daeron Velaryon, of whom appears a grand total of zero times in the entire text till the end.

Hypothesis.

What if the girl that is brought back from hiding at the end of the War is not actually Jaehaera, but a decoy.

Think on it, if you will.

1.) We know that before "Blood and Cheese" there was nothing different or remarkably slow about Jaehaera. In fact Jaehaera was very active and beloved by both Alicent and Viserys - some might say their favorite grandchild.

2.) It is stated in the book that Alicent and Jaehaera where close, very close. Jaehaera would go to kiss Alicent goodnight every night. In fact, Alicent becomes Jaehaera's defacto mother after Helaena goes mad in the aftermath of "Blood & Cheese".

However, when Jaehaera is brought back to be betrothed to Aegon III, we find a slow, dim, and quiet girl that did not say much. But most telling is that Alicent wants nothing to do with her. Thus, judging by the fact that Alicent pined for her children and grandchildren, remains rather strange that she would ice out her remaining grandchild, while, at the same time, longing for her family.

Thesis.

What if the Jaehaera brought back from hiding is not the real Jaehaera but a fake - a dragon seed. A simple girl that had the look but not the mental faculties to 'give the game away'. And the real Jaehaera was hold up being taken care of by her uncle Daeron till they knew that it was safe for her to return to King's Landing. And once Lord Peake had the fake Jaehaera murdered and they forced him out, the real Jaehaera arrived as a distant cousin of Baela and Rhaeyna named Daenaera Velaryon of whom "her father" was Daeron Velaryon. And everyone who remained of House Targaryen was in on it. And that after her wedding Daeron takes Alicent and they both disappear from history ... and the only people who know the truth are Baela and Rhaeyna

It would and can explain the atrocity of lazy and incoherent writing by GRRM at the end of "Fire and Blood" and also explain why Aegon and Daenaerya's children resemble the Greens. It also would give context, when combined with "Daeron is the Hedge Knight" theory, why everyone down to the the common people of Westeros, believed for generations that Daeron "The Daring" was still alive and remained a shadow that haunted Aegon III, Jaehaerys II, and Aegon IV, for much of their reigns till the Blackfyre Rebellions.

Something to consider.

Eh, no offense @thephantomcasebook, but it's a little too tinfoil-y for my taste. For one, Fire and Blood makes it clear that Jaehaera's condition existed before Blood and Cheese:

Alicent is also forbidden from seeing her as she tried to convince Jaehaera to slit Aegon III's throat, terrifying the poor girl. So it wasn't a matter of Alicent abandoning her, it was Alicent's own trauma and anger driving her only surviving grandchild away from her.

I've also come around to Daenaera being married to Aegon III, namely because it means Daeron I is the namesake of both Daeron the Daring (a Green champion) AND Daeron Velaryon aka a son of Vaemond Velaryon who would straight up have died if Rhaenyra and Vizzy had their way. It's just another in the long list of L's that Rhaenyra racks up; the fact that fate is still dunking on her after she was turned into Sunfyre shit is just icing on the cake tbh. It also means that Vaemond wins in the end, which is yet another well-deserved middle finger to Viserys I.

#ask #me #thephantomcasebook #house of the dragon #hotd #anti rhaenyra targaryen #anti viserys i targaryen

[wardrobeoftime]

Downton Abbey + Costumes

Lucy Branson's creme & white dress in Downton Abbey: A New Era.

// requested by @thephantomcasebook

#Downton Abbey #Downton Abbey A New Era #Lucy Branson #Lucy Smith #period drama #perioddramaedit #costume drama #costumes #costumesource #1920s #1900s #20th century #white #creme #French Riviera #France #Europe #requests

[helaemondist]

@thephantomcasebook pointed out that aemond is scolding aegon for humiliating helaena in the beginning of the feast scene and i never realized that but oof, that is so good and it does change the whole dynamic. we know now that he shows his disproval verbally, that he cares how this reflects on his sister and it mirrors his mother’s “think of the shame on your wife, on me”. 

and with the leaks i’ve read so far i’m just gonna choose to believe that there is something there. whether it’s happening behind close doors and we won’t see anything official onscreen except hints of it, or it hasn’t started yet, i don’t believe that this relationship doesn’t have romantic connotations. 

there is a reason the writers made aemond say that line in episode 7. sure, we needed to establish that compared to aegon, aemond sees himself ready to take on these duties and is more responsabile, but the way he phrased that, it seems to me lile foreshadowing. 

(as a sidenote it is both cute and very sad that helaena is happy with the small gift she got as an apology for what i imagine is a long line of offenses)  

#aemond x helaena #aemond targaryen #helaena x aemond #house of the dragon spoilers

[horizon-verizon]

https://www.tumblr.com/thephantomcasebook/716821484228706304/dyana-returning-for-s2-and-possibly-being-involved?source=share I would like to read your thoughts on this post. Is it true that viserys ii put a taboo on the name of her parents? Besides Luke was sending as a messenger, Aemond was not to kill him, and Luke's dragon had no chance against Aemond's dragon. And in what part does Martin establish that blacks are the villains?

*EDITED POST* 10/23/23

I'm just going to be rude (not targeting you, though). Everything this user says, ignore it, it's bullshit. Not just in this post, I mean, everything.

For how Aegon III and Viserys II, why didn't declare Rhaenyra to be a legitimate monarch to be historically called "Rhaenyra I" (despite the multiple times she's called "Queen" or "the queen" in Fire and Blood-vol 1, esp after she takes KL), look to this POST. There was no damn "taboo", this is a gross exaggeration, no, a LIE about the situation. Possibly a self-delusion born from an inability to use deductive reasoning.

Being a villain or antagonist is a position that doesn't change, and I'm not referring to plot twists...twists does not shake off the reality of a smart villain or antagonists working against the protagonist or MCs in the shadows. All villains are antagonists, not all antagonists are morally bankrupt or "too far gone" like a villain.

First, protagonist =/= "good person". It just means "who's fighting for something against them/who is this story about". The antagonist(s) is the force/figures set against the protagonist, and thus they do not have to be "good" nor "bad". However, the Dance's protagonist is Rhaenyra. It is written about her rise, endurance, and fall.

Second, while a character can be dark, turn dark, or be an anti-hero, for a writer to try to actually make THE protagonist THE villain or the antagonist, the actual antagonist would have to also become the protagonist and the entire story will have become entirely different in themes, etc. Thus, you cannot establish the greens as protagonists or the "good guys" bc they are neither the winner, the person in the morally superior position, NOR who the Dance of the Dragons is about or whose struggle the Dance narrates.

The villains AND antagonists of the Dance are the greens. While the blacks have members who are not good people (classist, misogynist, etc.), they are leagues better than the greens and are meant to be their foils where one highlights the other's qualities to reveal the differing qualities between them. An example is how Daemon, while having beaten an adult messenger, AEMOND is the one to kill a young boy acting as an envoy who never reached Westerosi majority (16) because he felt like it. The same boy also happened to be Aemond's nephew, which includes kin slaying, something Daemon didn't do until Lucerys was murdered.

Even though I am sure Daemon would have no trouble killing Aemond and the rest of his green Targ family if he could get away with it before any green tried for him and Rhaenyra or their own, the point I am making is that the greens are misogynist, classist, etc x100. And they (aside from Jaehaerys I, he's long term and Viserys I, he made many stupid decisions for his daughter) short term caused the Dance.

Finally, yes, Lucerys had absolutely no chance of surviving Vhagar nor Aemond, since:

Aemond has a deep grudge not just about the eye, but bc he sincerely believed that the Velaryon boys had no right over him to the throne and thinks them inherently lesser, so their being heirs and ahead of him in the succession line troubles his identity/aristocratic masculinity -> this fueled him to pursue Luke when he absolutely didn't have to, and to the detriment and horror of Alicent/Otto/the green cause

Vhagar is the biggest living dragon at this point in time and is battle-hardened/experienced

Luke went out expecting to be safe bc his envoy/status, so he was totally unprepared

Luke was 14 when he did and didn;t seem trained in fighting w/a dragon -- unprepared

This wasn't a fight, it was an execution.

#asoiaf asks to me #viserys ii #viserys ii targaryen #rhaenyra targaryen #a song of ice and fire #asoiaf #aemond's characterization #aemond targaryen #lucerys velaryon #lucerys' death #fire and blood comment #fire and blood

[thephantomcasebook]

https://www.tumblr.com/thephantomcasebook/709821298634817536/rip-helaemond-i-guess

No it will not, since grrm wanted Alys to be in the show and there are rumours that he is now working in the writing's room . S2 will be more book-accurate and in the book there was no secret affair between Aemond and Helaena and there wasn't the dynamic of Aegon iv/Naerys/Aemon with Aegon ii / Helaena / Aemond. Not even grrm himself hints at the possibility of it. However I'm glad that there is a high possiblity of Aegon ii being portrayed as the grey character he was in the book next season, and hopefully the whitewashing of Rhaenyra and daemon will stop or at least it will not be as bad as it was in S1.

Yeah, but the thing is that Condal put the Aegon/Helaena/Aemond stuff in the scripts. And GRRM wrote that both Aemond and Helaena died on the same day, nearly at the same time. For an author famous for forgetting his own continuity and timelines - so much so he hires people to keep track of that stuff for him - it seems pretty deliberate to me.

In "FIre & Blood" Aemond doesn't really have interactions with anyone but Criston Cole and Aegon. In fact, you get the impression in the book that Aemond doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself. Show!Aemond is just Daeron in Aemond cosplay. In the book Aemond is loud, boisterous, and swaggering. There is nothing quiet or reserved about him - he is nearly psychotic and unhinged at times.

Because, Sapochnik actively did not want Daeron Targaryen in the show - a point of contention between him and GRRM - so Condal basically took Daeron's personality - quiet, courteous, brooding, and honorable to a fault and loves Alicent more than anything in the world - and gave it to Aemond. While taking Aemond personality - including his flashes of murderous rage - and gave them over to Criston Cole, who - in the books - is a strategic genius and badass warrior whose always - ALWAYS - in control of himself, his only weakness was his love for and blind loyalty to Alicent ... which gets him killed in the end.

My point being is that everything is so jumbled up at this point, I don't think you can with definitive proof that anything is off the table. Aemond can love Helaena and be with Alys - one is not mutually exclusive. They both can represent two halves of his personality. The good and the bad, light and dark.

#House of the Dragon #Aemond Targaryen #Helaena Targaryen #Alys Rivers #Daeron The Daring #Criston Cole #Daeron Targaryen #Helaemond

[fandom-mix-16]

I'll do you one better ... what's gonna happen to Larys when Cole finds out what he's been forcing Alicent to do for information in season 2?

@thephantomcasebook Here's an answer to the question you posed in my earlier post. It's kinda long.

Before I get to it, I think it’s worth mentioning that for the past episodes, Alicent’s relationship with Criston and Larys is always juxtaposed with one another. While both men are ready to shed blood, Criston has shown that when he kills or harms men, he does so when it is in his perceived best interest of the Queen, but Larys does what’s good for Larys. His deeds were never simply done out of loyalty to Alicent. 

Alicent is not blind to his true nature. She’s aware of his maniacal tendencies but keeps him by her side to take advantage of his skills while she gingerly staves off the (possibly) increasing magnitude of the sexual favors he asks of her in return. It’s a dangerous situation to be in and one that is definitely not sustainable. 

I believe that in Season 2 we will see the bond between Criston and Alicent strengthen even more. Slowly and never given a concrete shape in words, they will keep the audience guessing as to the kind of relationship that they have. At the same time, the noose that Larys has on Alicent’s neck will only tighten each day. She will feel the impending doom and will take every opportunity to prepare for it and maintain some power over him. Criston will sense the overwhelming emotions she's hiding and investigate the matter.

This will all culminate in the event where Criston finds out the truth: Now, what do I think will happen to Larys when Criston finds out about this Lord blackmailing his Queen? Nothing.

Ok, let me explain and paint you a picture. And note that when I imagine this scene in my head, I see the three of them in a very heavy, suspenseful, eye-contact-is-enough-to-convey-messages moment and it unfolds in such a way that everybody learns something new about everybody.

Alicent takes off her socks. Larys gets ready. But this time, Criston surprisingly enters the room. There’s a sudden horror in his face as he sees Alicent in this vulnerable situation. He suspected that Larys had something to do with her worries but not in that way. He will later be filled with aching sadness upon looking at the eyes of his Queen, and then pure rage at Larys. Alicent will still step in to prevent any bloodshed. In their coded language, she will impress upon Criston the delicacy of the situation and how, for now, it’s best that no harm befalls Larys. 

There’s so much pain beneath the eyes of the Queen and her Sworn Protector. Pain that will make clear to each other the depths of their feelings. Pain that will illuminate the answer to the audience’s question. And pain that will baffle the calculating Larys who, until that time, had not taken into account that there is more to Criston’s devotion than prolonged bitterness and blind loyalty.  Everybody learns something new about everybody.

The question then becomes: what’s gonna happen to Cole when Larys finds out that he has already captured Alicent’s heart? 

I suspect Larys will have a hand in the events leading to the Butcher’s Ball. But that’s a discussion for another time.

#alicole #alicent x criston #alicent hightower #criston cole #larys strong

[playlistashton]

Quick question. Where do you guys hear the convo of aegon and aemond. I can not,for the life of me and my weak ears, hear them talk before the dinner.

Does someone have a transcript?

The convo is right before the dinner.

I think it’s @thephantomcasebook who first pointed it out. I can’t find the link to the post but i have screenshots

When i went to listen it i could only hear aemond and aegon talk about how aegon drinks too much, just before the gift part, but i have several friends who did hear the part about helaena gift, so i guess it depends how your sound quality is

Hope this help!

#aegon ii targaryen #helaena targaryen #aemond targaryen #hotd

[elegantwoes]

I wonder what the House of Dragon would look like if @thephantomcasebook @thesungod @gojuo were the writers for the show.

#anti hotd #the way these three made more compelling dialogue than anything we have seen on the show just sickens me #i hate everything #and I hate everyone

[prophecyqueen]

What do you think of these supposed leaks/theories?

https://at.tumblr.com/thephantomcasebook/did-you-see-the-leaks-for-hotd-season-2/zjtp944lwo6c

i don’t trust these any leaks yet. it’s entirely too early to tell what will happen. 

and i’m very reserved about the idea of aegon and aemond fighting about helaena. 

#asks

[fromtheboundlesssea]

Wildfire & Blood: Will Aemond become the Daeron in your fic? I went on a reading spree of @thephantomcasebook tumblr and I fell in love with Daeron "The Daring" Targaryen. I had no idea he was that cool of a character. Fvck the show for not including him.

To a degree. But we’ll see.

#keep the asks coming #wildfire and blood

[mejcinta]

New Leaks dropped of Eye Witness account of a sequence of from Rook's Rest.

Apparently, the Green Troops will run when Rhaenys shows up to girl boss and Criston orders the Green's Archers to shoot the fleeing Green Soldiers, and then Aemond starts burning alive everyone Greens and Blacks alike.

It's the fucking worst. They're trying to make Criston and Aemond evil and ruthless and the Velaryons good and righteous. Apparently Rhaenys is going die saving everyone - both Greens and Blacks - from evil Aemond and Aegon who will just indiscriminately start killing everyone.

It's the fucking worst.

Apparently, they threw out the new treatments of Season 2 due to the strike and budget restraints and dug out Sapochnik's old treatment from the dumpster and told the new script Supervisor (The Showrunner of "The Crown") to basically use it as an outline and fill in the blanks as he sees fit. No GRRM and No Condal.

Those dumb fucking leaks that got panned in December that Sapochnik was gonna do, are now the new shooting outline for the entire season.

Can you believe that shit!

Months and months of delays, and they go right back to the dumb shit that they threw out in the first place. No Nettles and barely any Daeron.

The Greens are now the full on bad guys and it's about all of Westeros gathering together behind Rhaenyra to bring Peace and Justice back to the Realm, like a ASoIaF Avengers. I shit you not.

That's what HBO has decided to do now they're fully in control of HOTD.

I'm sorry, WHAT????????

Okay. I'm going to need a full recap on those Sapochnik treatments. I don't know all of it, only just a little. But, man, does this suck!!!!!!

#Rook's Rest #hotd speculation #leak wars #thephantomcasebook

[duxbelisarius]

Mutuals?

Mutuals?!

Mutuals, Sir?

We are not mutuals, sir!

We are the same, McCleod!

We are brothers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VDRtx_axsI

Spoken like a true Spaniard with a Scottish accent!

#ask #me #duxbelisarius #thephantomcasebook

[wardrobeoftime]

Downton Abbey + Costumes

Lucy Branson's pink & white dress in Downton Abbey: A New Era.

// requested by @thephantomcasebook

#Downton Abbey #Downton Abbey A New Era #Lucy Branson #Lucy Smith #period drama #perioddramaedit #costume drama #costumes #costumesource #1920s #1900s #20th century #pink #white #Downton #Yorkshire #England #Britain #Europe #requests

[hellsbellschime]

the source of that aegon in a brothel rumor, and apparently Alys is more involved than we thought she will be?

https://www.tumblr.com/thephantomcasebook/718084126309318656/heard-anything-about-tgc-and-ewan-on-set?source=share

Well that's kind of weird, I'm skeptical.

#hotd spoilers for ts