News July 22, 2024
The new ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 intro shows the history of House Targaryen
The opening credits of House of the Dragon have undergone several changes throughout its first two seasons, reflecting the show’s complex web of characters and plot developments. Here’s a breakdown of each new addition:
Season 1:
- The initial tapestry features Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and her family, including Daemon (Matt Smith), Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), Aemond, Aegon II, and Helaena. Notice how Helaena wears gold instead of green, distancing herself from the rest of her family.
- The two rulers enter: Aegon II and Rhaenyra take their places as dueling rulers of the Seven Kingdoms, surrounded by a frame of red and gold to represent House Targaryen’s colors and house words, “fire and blood.”
- Hands emerge from beneath both thrones to send messages to prospective allies. Ravens flock from the green hand under Aegon II, representing Otto’s diplomatic tactics at the start of the war.
- The smaller dragons resemble Jacaerys’ Vermax and Lucerys’ Arrax, corresponding to the young princes’ missions to secure allies in the Season 1 finale.
Season 2:
- The new credits close with the tragedy that closed out Season 1: the death of Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys.
- In episode 3, the tapestry replaces the image of Lucerys’ death with new additions based on the events of Season 2’s first two episodes:
- Jaehaerys Targaryen’s funeral procession is shown, with a bloody gold thread weaving across his neck to represent both the nature of his murder and the way in which his head was sewn back on for display.
- The fallout from Jaehaerys’ loss is depicted, showing the Red Keep ratcatchers Aegon had hanged in order to kill the one who had a hand in murdering his son. Blood seeps from their feet towards the Iron Throne.
Season 2 (episode 6):
- The tapestry updates again to show the aftermath of the Battle at Rook’s Rest:
- Fallen dragons Sunfyre and Meleys lie curled up beside each other.
- An armored figure between them raises a sword, while a green dragon circles overhead. Based on the long Targaryen hair, this is likely Aemond Targaryen, with Vhagar being the only other dragon at Rook’s Rest.
- The tapestry highlights Aemond’s triumph at Rook’s Rest, as he gained the most from the battle.
Closing shot:
- In each season, the credits close with a foreboding detail:
- Season 1: Lucerys’ death
- Season 2 (episode 3): The red blood of the ratcatchers seeping towards the Iron Throne
- Season 2 (episode 6): Dragon’s blood mixing in with human blood, emphasizing that even Targaryen gods may fall.
The Right Reacts to Biden’s Withdrawal: ‘It’s A Coup’
As the news of President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election spread like wildfire, a chorus of right-wing voices immediately cried foul, claiming that Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats had orchestrated a coup against the president. House Speaker Mike Johnson and at least a dozen Republican lawmakers echoed this narrative, with some even going so far as to claim that Biden’s withdrawal was illegal and undemocratic. Meanwhile, right-wing influencers and supporters of former President Donald Trump took to social media platforms like X to spread their baseless accusations, with Elon Musk himself playing a key role in amplifying the conspiracy theories. As legal experts pointed out, however, there is no evidence to support these claims, and the Democratic Party’s nominee has yet to be decided at the upcoming national convention. Despite this, the misinformation continued to spread like wildfire online, with many prominent figures on X jumping on the bandwagon to proclaim that a “coup” had taken place.
Asus ROG Ally X Review: More Battery and Storage, Same Windows Problems
As I revisited the Asus ROG Ally X, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of redemption for my initial harsh review. The new model’s subtle design tweaks and substantial hardware upgrades have won me over, but some fundamental issues with Windows remain insurmountable. Despite its sleek appearance, the Ally X still struggles to navigate the OS with a controller, making it a frustrating experience. The Xbox app is a prime example of this, as even Asus’ Armoury Crate SE app can’t fully bridge the gap between game libraries.
CrowdStrike outage 3 days later: Where does everything stand now?
As we continue to monitor the situation, it’s clear that the global Windows outage caused by CrowdStrike is still causing ripples across industries and organizations. With an estimated 8.5 million devices impacted, the economic and societal effects are being felt far and wide. Despite unrelated political events stealing the spotlight, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz warns that recovery may take weeks, with many businesses still dealing with the fallout. In the meantime, airlines are struggling to get back on track, with hundreds of flights cancelled or delayed, while bad actors are attempting to exploit the situation by disguising malware as a fix. The financial losses are expected to be in the billions, and CrowdStrike’s stock has already taken a hit, plummeting almost 22 percent since Friday’s outage.
Daemon Targaryen’s episode 6 vision revisits ‘House of the Dragon’s very first episode
For several episodes now, Daemon Targaryen has been tormented by a parade of ghostly visions that serve as cameos from past actors on the show. The latest addition to this spectral procession is none other than King Viserys Targaryen, played once again by Paddy Considine. This return feels monumental because every vision Daemon has had so far has reminded him of his complicated relationship with his late brother. So what happens when Viserys and Daemon finally face off? Instead of revisiting past conflicts, they relive a pivotal moment from the first episode of House of the Dragon, where Viserys confronts Daemon for joking about Aemma’s death and cutting him out of the line of succession. This rehashed memory must cut deeper than any fantasy Daemon has witnessed in Harrenhal, rehashing one of the worst moments of his life that still haunts him to this day.