Pat Stay, a Canadian battle rapper (often hailed as one of the best) from Nova Scotia, died at 36 years old this weekend. TMZ reports he was the victim of a stabbing in downtown Halifax early Sunday (September 4) morning, and later died in a hospital from his injuries.
Stay was widely respected in the hip-hop community, so some of the biggest figures in it have taken a moment to pay tribute to the late rapper.
After hearing the news, Eminem took to Twitter to write, “hiphop lost one of the best battlers of all time … RIP @patstay .. KINGS NEVER DIE!!”
hiphop lost one of the best battlers of all time … RIP @patstay .. KINGS NEVER DIE
Drake also praised Stay on his Instagram Story, writing, “RIP to the Sucka Free Boss @patstay902 one of my fav rappers ever.”
@champagnepapi/Instagram
The Alchemist also shared his thoughts, writing, ‘“I can moonwalk with steel toe boots on’ Rest in peace Pat Stay. Battle Rap icon and king. If u know me u know i always thought he was the best. I’m hurt.”
Immortal Technique also tweeted, “Rest in Power Pat Stay. I may not have known him as well as many other of my friends who are broken and in a lot of pain. But I met him in passing and he was a cool down to earth dude.”
Check out reactions above and below.
“I can moonwalk with steel toe boots on” Rest in peace Pat Stay. Battle Rap icon and king. If u know me u know i always thought he was the best. I’m hurt.
Rest in Power Pat Stay. I may not have known him as well as many other of my friends who are broken and in a lot of pain. But I met him in passing and he was a cool down to earth dude. pic.twitter.com/ZinH0PluBG
I just heard the shocking news about Pat Stay, Rest In Peace to a hilarious smart confident really great battle MC/monster also a very cool person and a family man. My condolences to his loved ones.
There was a highly anticipated event this past weekend: the London Taylor Hawkins tribute concert. It was a massive, six-hour, 50-song show, which all started with Dave Grohl giving a touching speech about his late Foo Fighters bandmate.
“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, we’ve gathered here to celebrate the life, the music, and the love of our dear friend, our bandmate, our brother: Taylor Hawkins. For those of you who knew hm personally, you know that no one else could make you smile or laugh or dance or sing like he could. And for those of you that admired him from afar, I’m sure you’ve all felt the same thing. So tonight, we’ve gathered with family and his closest friends, his musical heroes, and greatest inspirations to bring you a gigantic f*cking night for a gigantic f*cking person. So sing and dance and laugh and cry and f*cking scream and make some f*cking noise so he can hear us right now. ‘Cause you know what? It’s going to be a long f*cking night, right? Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you f*cking ready?”
“For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else could make you smile or laugh or dance or sing like he could,” #FooFighters frontman Dave Grohl said of Taylor Hawkins in his opening speech. pic.twitter.com/nccXkMvfS5
Spoilers for House of the Dragon will be found below.
Whew. House of the Dragon‘s third episode did not mess around when it came to unfurling war in Westeros. Prince Daemon and Ceraxes (who is now a beloved dragon so far amongst fans) sure looked badass while swooping into battle against the Crabfeeder, even though underneath it all, Daemon and Corlys’ alliance actually isn’t faring so well against the enemy. The former remains an audience favorite although he could have lost his life this week, given his impulsiveness, but more to our point right now, it’s time to discuss what happened in King’s Landing and Kingswood.
Rhaenyra spent this episode raining metaphorical “dracarys” while expressing her (understandable) frustration at not being listened to by her father, and King Viserys I spent this episode getting drunk and trying to marry her off. She’s not having it, and a key moment in this show indicated that Rhaenyra really could be the true heir, even if her dad seems to be leaning toward handing it off to his 2-year-old son, Aegon. And a royal hunt that meant to honor Aegon actually ended up going Rhaenyra’s way.
HBO
This rare stag, the White Hart, toyed with the mind of Viserys after reports that the beast was nearby in the woods, which should signify good things for Aegon’s future as heir. Or maybe not? (The line of succession ain’t so clear, even though Viserys expressed that he remains committed to keeping Rhaenyra on her path for the Iron Throne.) It’s complicated, obviously, and later, a different (less legendary) stag is captured and (very ungracefully) killed by Viserys. Elsewhere in the woods, the actual White Hart approaches Rhaenyra, as though nature had declared that she is the chosen Targaryen monarch. She peacefully observes the stag, a non-move that’s quite unlike her violent display upon the boar that Ser Criston already ensured was dead.
It’s easy to see why Rhaenyra’s not thrilled with her position despite outwardly being named heir. Also in this episode, plenty of powerful dudes tried to figure out who Rhaenyra should marry, as if she has no choice in the matter. Otto Hightower even suggested that she marry her 2-year-old half brother, which sure reinforces this prequel’s committment to being icky. Oh yes, the Targaryens are gonna Targaryen.
HBO’s House of the Dragon airs on Sundays at 9:00pm EST.
The first of two planned Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts went down this weekend — on Saturday, September 3 at London’s Wembley Stadium — and it was a massive event. So many Foo Fighters associates and friends/admirers of Hawkins took the stage, combining to put on a tremendous 50-song performance that spanned six hours.
Liam Gallagher joined Foo Fighters to open the show, and from there, performing in various capacities were Nile Rodgers, Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme (including a Them Crooked Vultures reunion), AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, Paul McCartney, Hawkins’ 16-year-old son Shane Hawkins, and many others. Dave Grohl closed the concert with a solo rendition of “Everlong,” the last song Hawkins ever performed live.
The second Hawkins tribute concert is set for September 27 at Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
1. Liam Gallagher and Foo Fighters — “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” (Oasis cover)
2. Liam Gallagher and Foo Fighters — “Live Forever” (Oasis cover)
3. Nile Rodgers, Chris Chaney Omar Hakim, and Josh Homme — “Let’s Dance” (David Bowie cover)
4. Nile Rodgers, Chris Chaney, Omar Hakim, and Gaz Coombes — “Modern Love” (David Bowie cover)
5. Chevy Metal — “Psycho Killer” (Talking Heads cover)
6. Chevy Metal and Kesha — “Children Of The Revolution” (T. Rex cover)
7. Justin Hawkins, John Lousteau, and The Coattail Riders — “Louise” (Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders cover)
8. Justin Hawkins, John Lousteau, and The Coattail Riders — “Range Rover B*tch” (Taylor Hawkins song)
9. Justin Hawkins, John Lousteau, and The Coattail Riders — “It’s Over” (Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders cover)
10. Wolfgang Van Halen, Dave Grohl, Justin Hawkins, and Josh Freese — “On Fire” (Van Halen cover)
11. Wolfgang Van Halen, Dave Grohl, Justin Hawkins, and Josh Freese — “Hot for Teacher” (Van Halen cover)
12. Violet Grohl, Dave Grohl, Alain Johannes, Chris Chaney, Greg Kurstin, and Jason Falkner — “Last Goodbye” (Jeff Buckley cover)
13. Violet Grohl, Dave Grohl, Alain Johannes, Chris Chaney, Greg Kurstin, and Jason Falkner — “Grace” (Jeff Buckley cover)
14. Supergrass — “Richard III”
15. Supergrass — “Alright”
16. Supergrass — “Caught By The Fuzz”
17. Them Crooked Vultures — “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (Elton John cover)
18. Them Crooked Vultures — “Gunman”
19. Them Crooked Vultures — “Long Slow Goodbye” (Queens Of The Stone Age cover)
20. Pretenders and Dave Grohl — “Precious”
21. Pretenders and Dave Grohl — “Tattooed Love Boys”
22. Pretenders and Dave Grohl — “Brass In Pocket”
23. James Gang — “Walk Away”
24. James Gang — “The Bomber: Closet Queen / Bolero / Cast Your Fate To The Wind”
25. James Gang and Dave Grohl — “Funk #49″
26. Violet Grohl, Mark Ronson, Chris Chaney, and Jason Falkner — “Valerie” (The Zutons cover)
27. Brian Johnson, Lars Ulrich, Foo Fighters, and Justin Hawkins — “Back In Black” (AC/DC cover)
28. Brian Johnson, Lars Ulrich, and Foo Fighters — “Let There Be Rock” (AC/DC cover)
29. Stewart Copeland and Foo Fighters — “Next To You” (The Police cover)
30. Stewart Copeland, Foo Fighters, and Gaz Coombes — “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (The Police cover)
31. Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Dave Grohl — “2112 Part I: Overture” (Rush cover)
32. Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Dave Grohl — “Working Man” (Rush cover)
33. Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Omar Hakim — “YYZ” (Rush cover)
34. Brian May, Roger Taylor, Rufus Taylor, Foo Fighters, and Luke Spiller — “We Will Rock You” (Queen cover)
35. Brian May, Roger Taylor, Rufus Taylor, and Foo Fighters — “I’m In Love With My Car” (Queen cover)
36. Brian May, Roger Taylor, Rufus Taylor, Foo Fighters, and Justin Hawkins — “Under Pressure” (Queen cover)
37. Brian May, Roger Taylor, Rufus Taylor, Foo Fighters, and Sam Ryder — “Somebody To Love” (Queen cover)
38. Brian May — “Love Of My Life” (Queen cover)
39. Foo Fighters and Josh Freese — “Times Like These”
40. Foo Fighters and Josh Freese — “All My Life”
41. Foo Fighters and Travis Barker — “The Pretender”
42. Foo Fighters and Travis Barker — “Monkey Wrench”
43. Foo Fighters and Nandi Bushell — “Learn To Fly”
44. Foo Fighters and Rufus Taylor — “These Days”
45. Foo Fighters and Rufus Taylor — “Best Of You”
46. Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, Dave Grohl, Omar Hakim, and Pat Smear — “Oh! Darling” (The Beatles cover)
47. Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, Dave Grohl, Omar Hakim, and Pat Smear — “Helter Skelter” (The Beatles cover)
48. Foo Fighters and Omar Hakim — “Aurora”
49. Foo Fighters and Oliver Shane Hawkins — “My Hero”
50. Dave Grohl — “Everlong”
Multiple times per week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.
The former Disney star is holding her own, not only after a successful music career and bouncing off comedy legends in Only Murders In The Building. For HBO Max, Selena took advantage of pandemic downtime to pump out multiple seasons of this show where she’s not the chef in each episode, but she’s learning a lot from them. The kitchen disasters are a good time, of course, but more than that, Selena and her friends show us the importance of surrounding yourself with those who truly care. Now, this show’s in the thick of Season 4 with other HBO Max projects falling by the wayside. Selena World Dominance is upon us.
Not only does this show arrive courtesy of The Americans producers, but it’s also got Domhnall Gleason in a very different type of role (a serial killer named Sam) than we generally see him playing. His character terrorizes his therapist, Alan (portrayed by Steve Carell), who ends up being taken prisoner and then suffering from his own repressed memories. The mind can be a terrible place, as he finds, and because these producers are highly talented with topsy-turvy ways, don’t expect a straight-and-narrow route to a resolution.
If you’re missing Ted Lasso, this show’s the next best (optimistic) thing. This show charts the inevitable chaos that ensues when two prominent (and lovable and funny) actors, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, decided to randomly buy a soccer team during the pandemic. From there, the Wrexham A.F.C. football club will never be the same, and the two new owners decided to make their journey into a TV show because why not? There’s a little Two Guys, A Girl And A Pizza Place shoutout in there, too.
If you missed this week’s episode, then you missed some literal twerking between Tatiana Maslany’s lead character and Megan Thee Stallion. That’s nothing that anyone would ever expect to see from Disney, but since there’s no more of Steve Rogers and all of those butt jokes prolifering throughout the MCU, one might as well up the tush quotient in a spectacular way. It may not always be easy being green, as Kermit the Frog has warned us, but Jennifer Walters is definitely the lawyer that the MCU needs and deserves.
For possibly the first time ever, Tom Hanks is not the best part of the project with which he’s involved onscreen. Rather, this is a collaboration between director Baz Luhrmann and Austin Butler as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. There’s awards buzz around this movie, and it’s very discernibly done in the Luhrmann style. Still, the Oscars love a good transformation, and Butler goes though the paces of Elvis Presley’s short career and life and all of the less glamorous aspects of the King’s final days.
A third season of Hulu’s Ramy will soon be upon us, but before that happens, Ramy Youssef has co-created this series with funnyman Mo Amer, who stars and writes here as well. The show tackles a lot of the same sort of cultural themes as Ramy but while down in Texas, where Mo’s lead character is tackling life in America with his Palestinian family, who is bouncing between three languages and several cultural clashes.
If you’ve seen one Netflix action flick, you haven’t seen them all, and this movie proves as much. Jamie Foxx stars as a vampire Hunter named Budd, who’s in trouble with his vamp-hunter union, which is a remarkably funny concept to consider. This is an action comedy also starring Snoop Dogg, Dave Franco, and Meagan Good, and it’s also J.J. Perry’s directorial debut, which will make you look forward to whatever he’s doing next.
This dark fantasy masterpiece still hasn’t been renewed for a second season despite sitting on top of streaming charts for weeks. Neil Gaiman announced the release of a bonus episode featuring one of the series’ most hard-hitting arcs (including the “Calliope” story), and the entire season is stunning. Tom Sturridge does Morpheus justice, Boyd Holbrook captivates as The Corinthian, Gwendoline Christie’s a regal Lucifer, and Patton Oswalt’s perfect as the voice of Matthew the Raven. Oh, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste pulls off miracles as Death. You’ll love her and the show.
Our own Brian Grubb has been raving about this season, which maintains the entire series’ freewheeling spirit but with plenty of Harlivy, given that Harley and Ivy are now a full-on couple, and they’re really into plant life. This DC show barely even resembles the gritty Gotham that we generally see from Warner Bros., so here’s to hoping that we’ll see literally dozens more seasons. Hey, it’s an animated series, so that’s totally possible.
No matter what one thinks about Jeff Bezos, he’s finally pulled off a long-standing dream bringing a Game of Thrones-scale show to Amazon. This is one enormously expensive production, and all indications are that this was money well spent while bringing J.R.R. Tolkien’s fabled Second Age to the screen. A young Galadriel and exquisite visuals will bounce between majestic forests and Misty Mountains. If you’re into epic fantasy shows that qualify as event TV, then you’re no doubt swimming in joy between this and the number one selection of the week.
This Game of Thrones prequel is in it for the semi-long run, at least. Already, a second season is in the card, and the show’s already lining up Contenders vs. Defenders for the Iron Throne. A time jump will be in the cards soon, but before that happens, refresh yourself with a heaping helping of icky happenings that somehow eclipse the House of Targaryen’s tendency to find romance within their own ranks. Paddy Considine and Matt Smith shall continue as semi-warring brothers, and Millie Alcock is currently crushing it as Rhaenyra, but she’ll soon be portrayed by Emma D’Arcy while this show pushes forth to fill us in on what happened around 170 years before the O.G. timeline.
(SPOILERS for this week’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan will be found below.)
Raq is pressing onward with her plans of expanding the drug business outside of Queens. In Power Book III: Raising Kanan, she’s made her desire to do so clear over the last few episodes, and despite objections from the likes of Marvin and Lou-Lou, Raq has pushed full steam ahead. While she deals with that, Kanan is left to wrap his mind around how Detective Howard could possibly be his father. Raq calls Howard’s claim nothing more than crazy talk, but deep down, Kanan sees it to be more than that, and following episode four Pay The Tolls, that couldn’t be more true.
Kanan’s doubts about Raq and her honesty towards him continue to grow and it leaves him to investigate the truth himself. However, his attempts only bring him back to the doorstep of Detective Howard. Speaking of doorsteps, Jukebox lands on that of her mother Kenya (played by Letoya Luckett) who she has not seen since she was an infant. As she sits with her mother to learn about her and why she left, Jukebox is still giving Marvin the cold shoulder after he attacked her in season one. Elsewhere in episode four, Kanan finds new love, Lou-Lou looks to grow his label, Raq deals with new issues in her expansion efforts, and Famous finally finds a place to live.
Here are some of the biggest questions we had after the third episode of season two:
Cartier Or Symphony?
A new flame or a familiar love. That’s what Raq is left to seemingly choose between by the end of Pay The Tolls. The episode begins with Cartier, a businessman who is tied to a singer that he and Lou-Lou have entered a one-song deal with. The episode comes to an end after Raq looks at a new house with Symphony, whom she’s been romantically tied to one-and-off since season one. Raq seems to enjoy different aspects of both Cartier and Symphony equally. Cartier’s business mind and knowledge of the drug game and Symphony’s “purity” and feeling of escapism that he gives Raq are both beneficial for her in different ways. The thing is, dealing with two men in addition to running a drug operation that is a bit shaky at the moment probably isn’t the best for Raq. She’ll have to pick a side or stay out of the love game at least.
Who’s Side Is Worrell On? Raq Or Unique’s?
This moment in Pay The Tolls was extremely brief, but very key to things going forward. Shortly after Unique stops by Juliana’s cornerstone to scare her a bit with his presence, he’s seen walking to Worrell’s in a surprising twist for the show. Remember, Worrell chose to work with Raq when Unique was wrongfully behind bars for Detective Howard’s shooting. Worrell even told Unique to leave Queens as there was no room for him in the drug game. Worrell was also present when Raq, Marvin, and Lou-Lou had the standoff with Unique for Juliana. With it’s seemingly clear that Worrell is on Raq’s side, the moment between him and Unique puts all of that into question, which leaves the business more vulnerable than ever to be attacked.
When Will Marvin Actually Say ‘Sorry’?
Marvin is still getting the silent treatment from Jukebox after he attacked her at the end of season one. Truthfully, the silent treatment comes at a rarity for Marvin because he barely sees Jukebox. He’s done everything he can to win her back, like softening his tone towards her and remodeling her room to hopefully make her happier. However, all of that has come without a true apology to Jukebox for his actions. Hopefully, Marvin’s anger management class will help him realize this, but an apology is absolutely needed for his relationship with Jukebox to be repaired.
Kanan Knows That Will Catch Up To Him Right?
Stealing a large amount of money from anywhere is risky business, but stealing it from Raq, Marvin, and Lou-Lou’s stash? Kanan’s got to know that will come back to get him one way or another. Sure, he’s still upset with Raq because he feels like she’s hiding something from him in regards to who his real father is, but taking out his frustration this way won’t end well for him. With Marvin taking out his anger on Worrell for the missing cash, the damage from Kanan stealing the money could be a lot more than he imagined. Raq tends to be light on Kanan when he messes up, but with a lot at stake with expansion plans in motion, Kanan’s punishment may be heavier.
Is Raq Fit For Battle With The Italians?
Raq’s expansion plans have hit a big obstacle already. Her hope was to expand the business into New Jersey, but an Italian gang there is making that extremely as they’ve intercepted not one but two of her shipments into the state. The Italians offer her a price to safely move product in New Jersey, but Raq pays it no mind as she’s determined to do things her way. The thing is, the Italians don’t seem like they’re up for any games as they may go to great lengths to keep Raq out of their territory. Raq is set on expanding and she’s set on expanding into New Jersey as she won’t let anyone tell her where she can and cannot sell product. A claim like that is one Raq will have to fight for and hopefully, she and her team are up for the task.
Is There Bad Blood Between Raq And Kenya?
After a couple of episodes of contemplating the move, Jukebox finally makes her way to her mother Kenya’s doorstop. Jukebox hasn’t seen Kenya since she was a young baby, and in reconnecting with her, Jukebox seems to be getting some of the answers she’s waited a lifetime to receive. Additionally, she seems excited to get to know her mother after all of these years. However, when she shares this news with Raq, she reminds Jukebox that family is a title that is earned and that if Kenya really cared about Juke, she would’ve come back for her a long time ago. While there’s certainly some validity to Raq’s statement, there was also a lack of empathy to an extent that you have to wonder what exactly went wrong when Kenya ran away. Could it have to do with Marvin going to jail? Maybe she and Raq didn’t see eye to eye about the drug game. A theory could be that there is much more to the story between Raq and Kenya, but maybe there isn’t. We’ll just have to wait for the next episodes to learn how it plays out.
New episodes of STARZ’s ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ are available to watch on Sundays at 12:00am EST.
After the match, MJF revealed himself as the Joker, who is guaranteed a title shot after winning the Casino Battle Royale ladder match thanks to Stokley Hathaway’s new faction including Lee Moriarty, Ethan Page, Morrisey, and the Gunn Club.
Moxley kicked out at two and the action spilled into the crowd, where Moxley gained the upper hand and eventually busted Punk upon by smashing his head into the steel post.
Back in the ring, Moxley took control of Punk, targeting his open wound and ripping away at the former champ’s surgically repaired foot. Punk got back into the match, reversing Moxley and locking in the Anaconda Vice on the ground, but the champ fought out. Punk eventually made his way to the top rope, looking for the elbow drop, but Moxley reversed into the rear naked choke and later the bulldog choke. Punk fought his way back again, setting up for the GTS, but it got reversed into the Death Rider. Punk kicked out at two before Moxley locked in the bulldog choke again. Punk rose to his feet with Moxley on his back, landed the GTS and then carried a weightless Moxley into another GTS for the win.
Moxley won the undisputed AEW world championship in mere minutes against Punk weeks ago. It was Punk’s first match since winning the AEW world championship over Adam “Hangman” Page at Double or Nothing in June. Days later he was forced to relinquish the belt after suffering a foot injury. Moxley stepped in to his place to run the show as the “interim” champion, winning a tournament that culminated at Forbidden Door.
The championship match came together when Moxley signed an open contract on AEW Dynamite, leading to Ace Steel convincing Punk to take the rematch. And now it appears Punk will move on to a program with MJF.
For a game that featured a 7-3 score at halftime, Florida State-LSU managed to fire off some high-grade fireworks in the fourth quarter.
The Seminoles took full control in the third quarter, jumping out to a 17-3 advantage before LSU started to find a little offensive success of their own by going tempo. Still, Florida State answered LSU’s first TD of the game with one of their own to go back up 24-10 early in the fourth, and LSU couldn’t cut into the lead until there were just over four minutes left in the game.
The Tigers would finally get a second half stop on defense, forcing a punt with just under three minutes to play, but for the second time on the night, they muffed the punt, giving Florida State the ball inside the 10.
The Seminoles seemed caught between wanting to score and wanting to burn clock, so after LSU somewhat bizarrely chose not to call timeout after a first down run, they did after stopping the ‘Noles on the one on second down. From there, Florida State decided to call a toss play that they fumbled, with LSU recovering on their own one yard line, still down just seven.
The Tigers would march 96 yards to the Florida State 3-yard line in the next 1:18, with their final play being delayed by a lengthy review over whether their receiver’s knee hit in bounds before he went out (it did), but because it was a first down they still were able to run a play on the whistle. However, Florida State decided to call a timeout after seeing LSU’s alignment and let them go to whatever they wanted in the playbook, and the result was a Tigers touchdown as time expired. All that was left was an extra point to force overtime, when for the second time in the game, Florida State caved in the LSU line and blocked the kick to preserve the win.
It was truly one of the most absurd endings to a game you will ever see, from the second muffed punt of the game to the fumble to the 99-yard drive to a second blocked kick in a game to end it. Aside from getting blown out, you’d be hard pressed to draw up a worse debut for Brian Kelly at LSU, as special teams execution is typically attributed to coaching first. For Mike Norvell and FSU, it’s a huge win and they’ll feel pretty good about their offense, particularly quarterback Jordan Travis, while acknowledging that their late game defense leaves something to be desired.
House of the Dragon’sthird episode just landed – arguably more gracefully than Daemon Targaryen’s dragon did – and it’s brought with it a two-year time jump.
We’ll let your brain catch up to that news while we set the scene for episode three’s “Second Of His Name.” We open on the Stepstones, looking very post-apocalyptic chic with raging fires, deafening explosions, and plenty of close-up shots of crabs feeding on human flesh. It’s all very gruesome, very gory, and very Game of Thrones -esque. While Daemon and Corlys Velaryon carry out their unsanctioned war on the Crabfeeder, King Viserys celebrates his son’s second birthday by imbibing in too much wine and worrying over whether crowning his daughter as his successor was the right choice.
Controversial take: Daemon Targaryen is most definitely a Leo. Westeros’ sh*t-stirring drama queen is up to his same old tricks in House of the Dragon’s latest episode. Desperate to prove himself to his brother, Daemon has joined Corlys Velaryon, waging war on the Crabfeeder without the king’s permission. And, despite having a fully grown dragon that likes to crash land on the very subjects he’s trying to save, things, weirdly, aren’t going well. Viserys refuses to help for a couple of years — because he’s petty like that — but when he does decide to send ships as an “I’m sorry,” Daemon loses it on the poor messenger and then martyrs himself for a chance at glory. He gets it in a rousing, slow-mo action sequence that shows rather than tells how lethal he is on the battlefield. But, once again, Daemon is reckless, unpredictable, and prone to violent temper tantrums – not exactly the kingly qualities the rest of the Realm can respect.
Rhaenyra Targaryen
Rhaenyra is firmly in her adolescent emo phase. She’s bailing on family dinners to sit under her favorite tree and read books while listening to the medieval fantasy version of My Chemical Romance. (Side note: How many times do you think she had that poor bard croon that weird ditty?) On the one hand, we feel for her. It’s been two years and clearly, the sting of seeing her best friend marry her father, supplant her dead mother as queen and pop out a male heir that will likely usurp her, just hasn’t dulled. On the other hand … get your sh*t together, girl. Rhaenyra spends much of this episode sulking and whining and lying down so that her former best friend can step over her to get to her throne (metaphorically, of course). She eventually finds a bit of spunk after being attacked by a wild boar in the King’s Wood, using the creature as her own emotional support pin cushion, but she’s going to have to be more cunning and less sensitive about everything if she’s going to inherit the crown. Just because a mythical white stag thinks you’re worthy to rule doesn’t mean it’s going to happen, honey.
King Viserys Targaryen
Viserys continues to prove that genetics and a Y chromosome do not a competent and capable king make. His sins in this episode are many. He’s allowed fighting in the Stepstones to grow increasingly worse over the last two years, refusing calls for aid in favor of hosting birthday parties for his male heir. He’s allowed animosity to fester in his own House, refusing to make amends to his daughter for marrying her best friend. He’s wavered on his choice of successor, sometimes publicly, and he’s so fixated on being a well-liked monarch that he’s incapable of making any decision more controversial than what kind of pig should be roasted for his son’s name-day. This week, he tries and fails to pimp his daughter out to House Lannister, get white girl wasted, whines about how hard it is to be a medieval girl dad in front of a trash fire, and practically rolls out the red carpet for his enemies hoping to steal his crown. Can this guy die already?
HBO
The Contenders
Alicent Hightower
Alicent Hightower is making it very easy to hate her. After cozying up to the king for a couple of episodes, she’s officially wormed her way into his dead wife’s place. Is it all kinds of gross? Yes, especially when she tries to make amends with her former best friend who is now her stepdaughter and, technically, her subject. What’s worse? Alicent seems convinced House Targaryen can once again be one happy family, that Rhaenyra is somehow in the wrong for behaving so childishly and that she’s really the victim in all of this. And in some ways, she is. She’s the by-product of her father and uncle’s political machinations, but she also relishes the power that comes with being Queen and, after Viserys’ drunken bonfire confession, it’s easy to imagine she might one day betray Rhaenyra to ensure her own son sits on the throne. Alicent Hightower is shaping up to be Westeros’ resident Regina George. Put her in the Burn Book, stat.
Aegon Targaryen
We know this blonde-haired cherubic little angel is likely to grow up and steal his sister’s throne but damn if he’s not cute. Look, children, in general, don’t fare well in Westeros which is why King’s Landing is making such a big effing deal about this boy’s second birthday. (Really, a hunt, a feast, and a couple of days of glamping? He won’t even remember any of this!) And sure, Aegon’s busier cutting teeth than he is plotting to sit on the Iron Throne, but he doesn’t need to do that kind of dirty work – his grandfather is doing it for him. It just goes to show, that if you were born with a power-hungry relative and, of course, a penis, you can be anything – even a King who still wets the bed every night.
Otto Hightower
Rhys Ifans does his best Caucasian Jafar this episode, pulling strings behind the scenes to puppeteer his grandson closer to the Iron Throne. He’s got a black hole where his moral center should be, something that’s made clear when he tries to pawn Rhaenyra off, first to Jason Lannister, then to her own brother – the toddler whose chubby fingers are already grasping for her crown. We shouldn’t be surprised by the lengths Otto Hightower will go to gain more influence – he’s already sold his daughter like prized cattle to his best friend, the king — but his ruthless ambition does make us sympathize a bit more with Alicent’s predicament. It also makes us worried for Rhaenyra’s birthright because, when it comes to one’s capacity to do despicable things for more power, he’s clearly got her beat.
Laenor Velaryon
You’re forgiven for forgetting about Corlys Velaryon’s other offspring. While his poor sister was being auctioned off as a royal child bride, Laenor was obliviously watching name-day tourneys and serving as plot filler. But this week, the kid has a major growth spurt – we assume he’s a teenager now – complete with his own dragon and a desire to prove himself in the war of the Step Stones. He does, swooping in at the last second to save Daemon Targaryen’s ass, but it’s not just his heroics that have him jumping the line of succession. Laenor – being half Targaryen, full Valyrian, and incredibly rich – is the ideal candidate to marry Rhaenyra, an idea that seems to stick in the King’s mind by the end of the episode. Joining their two houses will strengthen the princess’ claim to the throne and mend relations between the Realm’s most powerful families. If Viserys can manipulate his headstrong daughter into thinking the idea to get hitched to Laenor is all her own, we might be looking at the next King consort.
Wound Watch
*Alexa, play Sheryl Crow’s ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’*
Technically, King Viserys didn’t slice himself on any swords this episode — a miraculous feat considering how sloshed he got at his son’s B-day bash — but we did happen to notice something’s going on with his left hand, the same hand he knocked a couple of episodes ago. It looks like he’s now missing two fingers, which might mean the rot is spreading. Not ominous at all.
After FTR and Wardlow earned a trios win over Jay Lethal and Motor City Machine Guns, Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh prepared to enter the ring, but it was Joe who made the save and evened the score at All Out.
The finish saw the teams trade hitting their finishers before Wardlow got his hands on Lethal and landed powerbomb after powerbomb to get the clean finish.
The ROH World Television Champion, Joe hasn’t been on television since losing to Adam Cole in the Owen Hart Men’s Tournament Final. Joe’s last appearance overall came at ROH Death Before Dishonor, when he defeated Lethal to retain the ROH World Television title.
Joe was written off television to reportedly star in Peacock’s video game turned television series, Twisted Metal, as Sweet Tooth, described as an ever-smiling clown mask and uses “Lost Vegas” as his own personal kill-ground, all while he drives his infamous doomsday ice cream truck, per Deadline.
Joe has dealt with a variety of injuries in recent years, spending more than a year away from WWE before winning the NXT title against Karrior Kross in his last appearance. He joined AEW in April as a surprise addition to the roster as part of the Owen Hart Men’s Tournament.
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