We’ve seen you too, Daemon.
¡spoiler from episode 8 of ‘The House of the Dragon’ below!
Episode 8 of ‘The House of the Dragon’ has given viewers another time jump. The young brood of Targaryen-Velaryons have finally matured into a group of teenagers who hate each other, as Viserys (Paddy Considine) moves ever closer to the other world.
The actors playing Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena have been swapped, as have Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, much to the disappointment of many fans.
One twitter user was expressing his frustration, saying:
“I’m having a hard time connecting with the characters in ‘The House of the Dragon’. This time jump hasn’t done you any favors.“
Alicent and Rhaenyra’s children aren’t the only ones to have received an “aging treatment.” Daemon’s daughters Baela and Rhaena have also seen their actresses replaced from episode 7 to 8. Although this may have caused some confusion, the creators have really good reason to jump through the years.
“It is very complex,” Ryan Condal told The Hollywood Reporter. “HBO gave him [al showrunner Miguel Sapochnik] the creative power to tell this (incredibly complex) story in a patient and character-focused way, during the first season, to lead to one of the most famous and bloody conflicts in the history of Westeros – perhaps the most.“
He added, “We’ve laid it all out, so that when the first push is made, you can know everyone involved — where they are and why they’re there. Everything is there, instead of being exposed as simple information. This way you can see everything happen.”
To be fair, Condal and Sapochnik have done everything they promised and executed it with almost the same smoothness and dexterity with which Daemon (Matt Smith) lops off Vaemond’s head.
Subjecting the series to this “time machine”, Condal and Sapochnik free us from the unnecessary, from the tedious details, and go directly to the heart of the matter. This allows most viewers to understand the complexity of these highly relevant relationships. How and why they have changed over time and the external and internal forces that manipulate their decisions. (As long as they can differentiate each character with their constant face changes).
Creators could pat themselves on the back for a job well done, if it weren’t for a pretty face bug that gets rid of all time jumps.
Cristo Cole. While Viserys has even decomposed over time, with his body withered as a symbol of what wearing the crown has meant to him, Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) insists on defying the laws of physics.
Despite the two time jumps (for a total of 16 years), Frankel remains the only actor to have played Criston Cole.
Alicent’s protector still bears the fresh facial features of the young would-be knight who fought Daemon in his debut in King’s Landing.
At this point, his ability to not age borders on the unheard of and considering that we are talking about a world in which dragons fly, that is a lot.
We are not the only ones who have noticed.
“With each time jump, they take a single strand of Criston Cole’s hair and dye it gray,said a twitter user.
Another commented:
“Does Ser Criston Cole have a great skincare routine or does he have a puncture? Because he has zero signs of aging in the entire damn series.“
We can confirm that it is the facial routine. He mixes two drops of bitter disdain and one drop of envy, with a pint of ‘can’t-forget-the-past’, and applies it three times a day.
Maybe this is the solution to eternal youth, but it doesn’t explain the fact that he’s not the only character who refuses to show signs of aging.
Daemon (Matt Smith) is another one who rubs his vitality in the face of the decrepit Viserys (figuratively). Have you seen him? Daemon will have matured in attitude but only in that. Except for a few wrinkles on his face, the man remains largely intact.
The change of actresses for Milly Alcock and Emily Carey (Rhaenyra and Alicent respectively) makes sense due to the big time jumps and the growth of their children.
And while many were sad to say goodbye to their “ex-best friend” portraits, no one can deny that Olivia Cooke and Emily D’Arcy have effortlessly taken over, delivering stellar performances.
A complete cast change was perhaps not necessary, to the fate of Criston Cole, Daemon and Vaemond during this process (the latter also seemed quite youthful, to be honest), but a slight effort to tan his features in a more marked way would not have hurt either.
The special effects team has dug a hole (literally) in Viserys’s face, emaciated his body and amputated his fingers… so a few blemishes and bags under his eyes wouldn’t have been too much of an effort either.
The fact that this is so obvious takes a certain charm away from what is, at its core, a truly impressive series.
His ability to immerse himself in this fictional fantasy world in a natural way is crucial in selling viewers even the most unrealistic concepts. However, the longer Criston Cole and Daemon’s eternal youth persist, the more difficult it will be to maintain this.
Supposedly this will be the last time jump of the season. However, this does not mean that we have completely got rid of them. If ‘The House of the Dragon’ gives the green light to a second season, we may see more. And if we do, for God’s sake, can someone age these men?
‘The House of the Dragon’ is broadcast weekly on HBO Max. All seasons of ‘Game of Thrones’ are available on streaming on HBO Max.
Source: Fotogramas
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
