Yeah, it feels like they are in a rush when they don't need to be. I mean, we only begin to get to know Harwin Strong and then they just kill him and his father (the Hand) in a couple minutes. And the person who does the deed (at least arranges it) is his own brother/son!! Why not build that up over several episodes?!?! Did papa Strong and Harwin treat Larys poorly? Was Larys just so power-hungry that he wanted to kill anyone who stood in his way of claiming his family's leadership? What was the motivation here?
We get to see almost nothing of Daemon and Laena's life together before she is killed in childbirth (this show loves to torture women during birth, doesn't it?). Why not take a little time for us to get to know them as a couple and her as a character before offing her? Daemon seemed like a changed man, one who was no longer interested in Westerosi politics and the quest for the throne. What caused that change?
By jumping ahead 10 years, we see none of the fallout from Rhaenyra's disastrous wedding. What happened to Ser Christen Cole after he beat a nobleman to death in the middle of the wedding? What was said between him and Alicent when she found him ready to commit suicide?
Toward the middle of the episode, I was saying that it looked like Alicent didn't have any allies in court (other than ser Christen Cole) and that everyone was on Rhaenyra's side. Then suddenly Rhaenyra is fleeing court to take up residence at Dragonstone. Huh?!?! When/why did this shift happen?
I get that we are headed for some big battle between Rhaenyra and Aemon for the Iron Thorne (likely also involving some of the other youngsters - one is named Jace but I don't recall the others). I don't need to read a Wiki of Ice and Fire to know that. But it feels like they are in a real hurry to get that war started. It feels like the latest episode was something from the middle of season two, not back half of season one.
-Jason "shocking deaths are only shocking if we get to know the characters and develop an attachment to them... the way the show has been going lately, they introduce a new character and them kill him/her off so quickly, we don't feel anything from the death" Evans