Om A Cast of Kings - A House of the Dragon Podcast
Decoding TV Presents A Cast of Kings: A quasi-weekly discussion of the plots, themes and highlights of the HBO series "House of the Dragon." Your hosts Dave Chen (The Filmcast and The Tobolowsky Files) and Kim Renfro (entertainment reporter at Insider, author of The Unofficial Guide to Game of Thrones) will dish up both praise and criticism and will try not to sound too pompous if the book was better. Questions, comments, oaths of fealty? Email acastofkings@gmail.com
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Bonus Ep: Reacting to the First Trailer for 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' (00:18:07)
In this bonus episode of A Cast of Kings, David and Jessie Earl discuss the first official trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. What was our reaction to the trailer? What are we most looking forward to? And what do we think of the casting? Listen to hear us discuss these questions and more.
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House of the Dragon Season 2 Post-Mortem (Feat. Your Questions/Comments) (01:38:38)
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In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen and Kim Renfro dive into the reaction of House of the Dragon season 2.
What were the ratings like for this season of House of the Dragon? Did HBO really cut two episodes from the second season in a way that negatively impacted the story? Did Ulf actually have one of the best arcs of season 2? sAren’t Targaryens supposed to be fireproof? Does House of the Dragon have a prophecy problem? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
Links:
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House of the Dragon S2E08 - The Queen Who Ever Was (01:57:57)
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Tune in next week for a season 2 post-mortem, with reactions to your feedback and thoughts! Email us at acastofkings@gmail.com for a chance to be included.
In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen, Jessie Earl, and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s eighth episode, “The Queen Who Ever Was.”
Why did this episode make us say “Huh” at the end of it? What did we think of Daemon’s storyline this season? Is it too easy for Rhaenyra and Alicent to see each other? Did we think this was a satisfying conclusion to Criston Cole’s storyline this season? And what did we think of this season as a whole? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
Links:
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House of the Dragon S2E07 - The Red Sowing (01:28:36)
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In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s seventh episode, “The Red Sowing.”
What kind of occupational safety standards exist in the world of Westeros? What do we make of Rhaenyra’s seeming nod towards religious fanaticism? Is Oscar Tully the most badass character on House of the Dragon? Is the Daemon storyline actually good this week? And do we have any idea how the season finale is going to wrap things up? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
Links:
Email us at acastofkings(AT)gmail(DOT)com
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House of the Dragon S2E06 - Smallfolk (01:47:21)
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In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen, Jessie Earl, and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s sixth episode, “Smallfolk.”
This week, Team Black and Team Green experience some difficulties with their respective plans. What did we think of Rhaenyra’s big gambit at King’s Landing? What was up with the weird vibes between Aegon and Aemond this episode? And how did we react to that big surprise at the end of the episode? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
Links:
Email us at acastofkings(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Subscribe to Decoding TV on YouTube
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Buy Kim Renfro's book about Game of Thrones
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House of the Dragon S2E05 - Regent (01:35:37)
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In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen, Jessie Earl, and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s fifth episode, “Regent.”
This week deals with the sprawling aftermath of the events of last week’s battle. What were the storylines and moments that resonated the most? How do Alicent and Rhaenyra’s plotlines mirror each other? Is Daemon’s storyline working for us at all? And why is George R. R. Martin so mad about the way dragons are depicted in this show? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
Links:
Email us at acastofkings(AT)gmail(DOT)com
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Bonus Ep: They've Made a Huge Tiny Mistake (00:27:32)
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In this bonus episode for A Cast of Kings, David Chen, Jessie Earl, and Kim Renfro discuss which elements from House of the Dragon episode 3 were changed from the book.
Why does the show keep increasing the stakes of characters’ actions beyond what they intend? How propaganda-driven is Fire and Blood anyway? And what is the net effect of this on the story being told in the show? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
Links:
Email us at acastofkings(AT)gmail(DOT)com
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House of the Dragon S2E04 - The Red Dragon and the Gold (01:30:00)
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In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen, Jessie Earl, and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s fourth episode, “The Red Dragon and the Gold.”
This week was an action packed episode that showed what type of damage dragon-on-dragon violence can wreak on the battlefield. What did we think of how the big battle sequence played out? What were some of our favorite highlights? And what did we think of that enigmatic ending? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
Links:
Email us at acastofkings(AT)gmail(DOT)com
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Buy Kim Renfro's book about Game of Thrones
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Learn more about Jessie Earl's movie, Identiteaze
House of the Dragon S2E03 - The Burning Mill (01:27:36)
In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen, Jessie Earl, and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s third episode, “The Burning Mill.”
In this episode, the war begins to spiral out of control. What did we think of how the show depicts this? Also: Rhaenyra makes some big moves. What did we make of her daring gambit at the end of the episode? And what’s Daemon up to these days, anyway? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
Links:
Email us at acastofkings(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Subscribe to Decoding TV on YouTube
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Buy Kim Renfro's book about Game of Thrones
Subscribe to Jessie Gender on YouTube
Learn more about Jessie Earl's movie, Identiteaze
House of the Dragon S2E02 - Rhaenyra the Cruel (01:22:05)
In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen, Jessie Earl, and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s second episode, "Rhaenyra the Cruel."
How is Aegon’s character shaping up this season? Are Otto’s reaction shots going to be the source of amazing gifs and memes? What do we think about how the show is introducing us to the smallfolk? And what exactly happened in the battle between Erryk and Arryk, anyway? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
Links:
Email us at acastofkings(AT)gmail(DOT)com
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Bonus Ep: The Saga of Blood and Cheese (00:27:17)
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David, Jessie, and Kim discuss some of the ways 'House of the Dragon's' season premiere changed the book.
In this bonus episode for A Cast of Kings, David Chen, Jessie Earl, and Kim Renfro, discuss the saga of Blood and Cheese and how the season premiere of House of the Dragon changed certain elements from the book.
What did we make of the changes? Did they make things more or less effective? And is the show still in dialogue with the book, as it was in season 1? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
Links:
Email us at acastofkings(AT)gmail(DOT)com
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House of the Dragon S2E01 - A Son for a Son (01:17:01)
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/castofkings today to get 10% off your first month.
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A Cast of Kings is back to cover season 2 of House of the Dragon! In this episode, David Chen, Jessie Earl, and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s season 2 premiere, "A Son for a Son." This episode shows us the immediate aftermath of the events from season 1's finale. Will Aegon be a better king than Viserys? Will Alicent be able to stem the bloodletting? Will Daemon's plans bring Rhaenyra to ruin? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
Links:
Email us at acastofkings(AT)gmail(DOT)com
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Learn more about Jessie Earl's movie, Identiteaze
House of the Dragon Season 2 Preview: Reacting to the Black and Green Trailers (00:42:11)
We are less than two months away from the premiere of House of the Dragon season 2, which is scheduled to hit Max on June 16th. In this bonus episode of A Cast of Kings, David and Kim Renfro welcome Jessie Earl to the podcast and discuss the plan for the year. Then, it’s time to run down all the recent Thrones-related.
What do we think about the prospect of The Tales of Dunk and Egg as a new series? Were we disappointed to hear that the Jon Snow spin-off has been shelved? And what was our reaction to the recent release of a Green and Black trailer for House of the Dragon? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more!
We’ll be back in June with recaps and reviews of House of the Dragon season 2.
Links:
Spin-off news
Dunk and Egg has been cast
Jon Snow shelved
Images of Blood Moon
Reacting to the trailers
Green trailer
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Decoding TV: Succession Season 3 Look-Back and Season 4 Preview (01:01:24)
Big news: Kim Renfro and David Chen will be recapping Succession for its 4th and final season!
In this special season 4 preview episode for Decoding TV, we discuss:
Why is it we love Succession so much?
Where we left off with each of the Roy characters at the end of season 3
Jesse Armstrong’s comments on why he wanted to end the show
Where we think season 4 will wrap up
Where we want to see each of the Roys end up
The biggest jettisoned plotlines from earlier on in the show
And much more!
To get the rest of the episodes, head over to podcast.decodingtv.com or find us wherever you get your podcasts!
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Decoding TV Preview: 1899 Season 1 (00:25:00)
Over on the Decoding TV podcast, David Chen, Joy, and Kim Renfro recorded a bonus episode discussing season 1 of Netflix's 1899. In this excerpt we discussed our overall thoughts on the show. Later, we dive into our thoughts on the production design, each character's arc, and the unexpected ending to season 1.
This clip contains the NON-SPOILER parts of our conversation. To listen to our full spoiler chat, go here. Find Decoding TV on Apple Podcasts or wherever your podcasts are found.
Bonus Ep. - Dispatch from the Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention (00:28:38)
David Chen and Kim Renfro are back! In this bonus episode, Kim Renfro describes her experiences attending the Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention (the first officially licensed fan convention!). Which panels did she see and what did she learn about the current and future state of Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon? Listen to find out!
Links:
Subscribe to this podcast on YouTube
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House of the Dragon Season 1 Post-Mortem (01:08:13)
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In this A Cast of Kings bonus episode, David Chen and Kim Renfro reflect on the first season of House of the Dragon. What questions remain unanswered? What themes stick out the most? And what was it like to make a podcast about it all? Listen to find out.
Programming note: Kim and I plan to do other bonus episodes throughout the year as Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon news breaks. Keep it tuned in to A Cast of Kings for more!
Links:
WATCH: David's special send-off for Kim this season
Kim Renfro: What book chapters should you read to brush up on House of the Dragon?
Kim Renfro: 11 questions the House of the Dragon season left unanswered
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Decoding TV Bonus Ep: The White Lotus Season 1 Lookback and Season 2 Preview (with Roxana Hadadi) (00:59:07)
Hey folks, it's David Chen here. The second season of The White Lotus will debut on October 30 on HBO and run for 7 episodes, and I’m thrilled to share that the Decoding TV podcast will be recapping and reviewing each episode. Furthermore, I’m excited to announce that my co-host will be Roxana Hadadi, a TV critic at Vulture.com and one of my favorite writers on the internet today.
In this Decoding TV bonus ep, we discuss season 1 of The White Lotus, with a particular focus on its finale. Where did we leave off with each of these characters? What was this show trying to say about wealth and privilege, and how effectively did it say it? And what about that whole murder mystery plot? Listen to hear our thoughts on all of the above!
To listen to the rest of the show, subscribe at podcast.decodingtv.com.
House of the Dragon S1E10 - The Black Queen (01:43:13)
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In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s season 1 finale, “The Black Queen.” Rhaenyra learns of what went down at King’s Landing next week, prompting her and Daemon to take immediate action. But can Rhaenyra prevent tragedy from befalling the kingdom, as well as her family?
Where is this show going with all the references to the ASOIAF prophecy? What’s up with the depiction of Daemon this episode? What are the major differences between the show and the books when it comes to this episode’s events? How will the Dance of the Dragons play out? Now that season 1 is over, will David stop complaining about the time jumps? Listen to hear our thoughts!
Programming note: Kim and I will record at least one additional bonus episode next week, and we plan to do other bonus episodes throughout the year as Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon news breaks. Keep it tuned in to A Cast of Kings for more!
Links:
Kim Renfro: 8 details you might’ve missed
Kim Renfro: How HOTD made an important change to a tragic death
Listen to our Twitter Space reacting to this episode
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House of the Dragon S1E09 - The Green Council (01:48:21)
In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s ninth episode, “The Green Council.” Major events leave the Small Council divided on how to proceed. But who will have the upper hand?
Should Aegon really be king or is Aemond really better prepared? Why is Ser Criston able to just do WTF he wants with no consequences? Will Alicent ever realize the grave error that she’s made? And what’s Larys’s whole deal anyway? Listen to hear our thoughts!
Thanks to our sponsors this episode:
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Links:
Kim Renfro: 10 Details You Might’ve Missed
David Chen’s tweet about the one guy in the crowd
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House of the Dragon S1E08 - The Lord of the Tides (01:35:17)
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In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s eighth episode, “The Lord of the Tides.” It’s the end of the line for Viserys as his whole family converges on King’s Landing to have one last extremely civil debate about the true line of succession.
What’s going on with the disparate aging of the characters in the show? What is the dynamic between Rhaenyra and Alicent? Are we really going to hinge everything that happens next on a simple prophecy misunderstanding?? Listen to hear our thoughts!
Links:
Kim Renfro: 7 details you might’ve missed
Kim Renfro: A timeline of major events
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Wondery Presents: The Rewatcher: Buffy The Vampire Slayer (00:04:26)
Welcome to the Hellmouth Weirdos! Your favorite Morbid hosts Ash and Alaina are branching out from true crime and heading to Sunnydale for the ultimate Buffy the Vampire Slayer Rewatch podcast! Alaina is a Buffy superfan and Ash has never watched a single episode, so whether you’re Team Angel, Team Spike, or have no clue who those people are…they’ve got you covered! Join them each week as they slay their way through the series, episode by episode, re-watching, and watching for the very first time. They’ll break down Buffy and her friends adventures through weekly recaps, categories, and awards while Ash takes some (wooden stake) stabs at predicting what she thinks will happen next. They'll also welcome the occasional Buffy cast member, guest star, or celebrity superfan to join in the slaying.
Listen to The Rewatcher: http://wondery.fm/ACOK_ReWatcher
House of the Dragon S1E07 - Driftmark (01:33:17)
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In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s seventh episode, “Driftmark.”
In this episode, a sudden death in the family brings disparate folks together from across the kingdom and introduces new tensions. How might the resulting conflicts reverberate through the rest of the show? Listen to hear our speculations and analyses.
Thanks to our sponsor this week:
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Links:
Kim Renfro: 5 Details You Might’ve Missed
Kim Renfro: Why This Episode Surprised Even Bookreaders
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House of the Dragon S1E06 - The Princess and the Queen (01:50:39)
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In this episode of A Cast of Kings, David Chen and Kim Renfro dive into House of the Dragon’s sixth episode, “The Princess and the Queen.”
In this episode we jump forward 10 years in time to find that Daemon is much more mellow, Larys is much more sketchy, Alicent is much more intense about protecting her children, and Rhaenyra just wants to GTFO. But does it all work as a TV show? Listen to find out.
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Links:
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Bonus Ep. Preview - Spartacus, Why Viserys Favors Rhaenyra, The Status of George's Books (00:25:25)
This is a preview of a bonus episode where Kim Renfro and David Chen discuss this show's use of time jumps.
To get the rest of this episode, other bonus episodes, and ad-free episodes of the podcast, consider supporting this show by becoming a paid member at DecodingTV.com!
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