The Nerdist

House of the Dragon‘s season three premiere changed the Dance of the Dragons forever with the highly-anticipated Battle of the Gullet. It was a massive conflict that saw fire and blood meet salt and sea. What was it like to actually be a part of an episode of this scope and scale? We found out from both those who fought in the sky and those who fought on the water when Nerdist took part in a series of virtual roundtables ahead of the series return to HBO.

Here’s what we learned from stars Harry Collett and Bethany Antonia about Jace and Baela’s role in the conflict along with what Abubakar Salim and Steve Toussaint had to say about Alyn and Corlys’ emotional, dangerous journey.

⚡ Quick Take

• House of the Dragon stars Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Steve Toussaint, and Abubakar Salim on what it took to film the Battle of the Gullet.

Henry Collett and Bethany Antonia HBO

Whether Jace is naive about going to fight and doesn’t really think things through before going to the Battle of the Gullet.

Harry Collett: 100%. He’s got a rough plan in his head, but everyone would probably think they have their ideas about battle and not really realize how difficult it is. And he can be quite cocky sometimes in thinking about how good he is at certain things. So he’s not really thought this through massively. He’s like, “Okay, mother’s safe.”

This is probably the first time we see Jace smile throughout the entire series. He’s just been a grumpy teenager before, but it shows what he really loves and what he’s been waiting for. This is the moment where he can prove that he’s not just a bastard. He wants to be hero Targaryen like everybody else.

HBO

What was it like as performers filming a lengthy, difficult sequence that required them to be at such an intense emotional level the whole time.

Bethany Antonia: It was definitely quite a step up this season learning how to sustain that kind of feeling over a few days. Generally, if you’re shooting something like that you’ll do it in a block for two or three days. Then it’s finished. You get to be in that emotional headspace for three days and then it’s done. Whereas the Battle of the Gullet we filmed over weeks. So it was really about learning pacing and learning how to get there and how to get there safely and then how to get out of it safely as well. For me, it felt like a really big turning point as an actor, which was really cool.

Collett: Something new, something fresh, and something that my character’s never done before. And something that me as an actor has never done before. It’s like Bethany was saying, it just felt good to finally do something new and be in the full frontal-ness of this absolute madness and not be not in it and stuck at home.

HBO

On the added layer of having to look out for each other as dragonriders while also trying to avoid getting hurt yourself.

Antonia: I really loved that added layer, especially for me. Because last season I had so many things where I was dragon riding, but I was just scouting. I was out sort of mindlessly looking for nothing in particular. Whereas having the added layer this season of actually having something to do and something to protect and something to follow meant that movement-wise, it really changed everything. We sort of had to imagine that you were looking over the wing as opposed to just being in your saddle.

It really changed the way that we operated on the buck, which was really cool. It meant that you had to think a lot about direction instead of just going with the dragon. You really had to steer a lot more intentionally. And Loni (Peristere), our director, was really brilliant for that. He was really, really clear and he would also move around the buck to be like Jace for me. He would show me where he wanted my eye line and stuff, which was really cool.

HBO

Collett: Same for me. There’s a lot more thinking in place than you think because we’re just sitting on the buck. Like Bethany said, the biggest surprise for me was when he’d tell me to look at something and I’d just look that way, but the dragons are huge, aren’t they? You’ve got to really exaggerate every move to look over.

Antonia: Sometimes [Loni]’d say “Look,” and then he’d be like, “No, you’ve not cleared the wing.” You’re still looking at the wing.

Their expectations for what playing with dragons would look like.

Collett: I was obviously expecting it to be fun. Again, did not expect it to be that challenging, but I was so excited to see how it would look when it was finished. That was all that was in my mind and I was just really trying to use my imagination of what is around me at that time and what could possibly be coming my way. And I just knew they had temporary visual effects in place and even that looked incredible. I’d be happy if they released that on its own, but obviously they hadn’t even started doing the proper visual effects yet. So I went into it with the expectation it was going to be fun, but it exceeded expectations with the way it looked on the final product, I’d say.

HBO

The pressure Baela feels in season three considering she’s one of the few people who seems to trust Rhaenyra.

Antonia: Baela really craves a relationship with Rhaenyra that feels mutual. Because she lost her mom at such a young age and because she witnessed this union when she was a child, really Rhaenyra has been her stepmom now for almost as long as [Baela] would’ve had her mom. And yet I do think there’s a part of her that feels like it is not the relationship she would have hoped for. That’s where that sort of unquestioning belief comes from. I think she’s like, “If I just support you in everything and I am loyal and I’m committed and I show you that I’m here, then you will want me at this table as much as I want to be here.”

In season three, maybe we start to see that changing a little bit and maybe Baela’s suddenly starting to realize, “Actually, do I want to be here? Or am I just wanting to be here because I support you and because I have faith in you or do I want to be here because I believe that you’re doing the right thing?

So I would say yes, at the start of the season, she is one of Rhaenyra’s few true allies and it will be interesting for people to see if that changes as the series goes on.

HBO

On saying goodbye to a show like this versus having to continue working on it after longtime co-stars leave.

Collett: I’m just very grateful I was even on it in the first place. I would be content even if I went in season one. It’s such an amazing show and such a once in a lifetime experience.

Walking into that audition room all those years ago, being smaller than I am now and not looking like a prince at all, thinking I’ve not got this role and then walking out and getting the role. I mean, I pinch myself every day because of it. So yeah, forever grateful. I’ll never look at it and go, “Damn, I’m dead in season three.” I’ll never ever look at it that way.

And what a good way to go. It’s not boring. It’s quite an impactful death, sort of like a Red Wedding vibe death. So I will take it. I’m very, very happy and thank you to (showrunner) Ryan (Condal) and the whole team for even having me in the first place. I’ve had an absolute joy and I’ve met friends for life.

Antonia: I would echo everything Harry said. It just feels like an absolute privilege to get to do this for so many years now and to have watched our characters evolve and to have watched our friends evolve.

I guess going into the next season for me, this is the first time that I’m going to feel the shift. I’ve spent so much time with [Harry] and I do think it’s going to be really strange. It’s going to feel like a different job for me. So much of what we do is together and so much of what we do as a paor is with Emma (D’Arcy). And I think for Baela, both of those connections are going to be very different come season four. So I think it’s going to be really new and fresh for me and maybe a chance to find a different side of Baylor going forward.

HBO Steve Toussaint and Abubakar Salim

How filming the wars in the Stepstones compared to shooting the Battle of the Gullet.

Steve Toussaint: The Stepstones was very interesting. It was on land and it was a lot of running around and bashing people’s heads in. The Battle of the Gullet was that much more technical.

One of the things we did as preparation for both is you spend some time in a large room, like a gym, with the stunt guys and you choreograph the moves. Then, of course, hopefully you get to do it and it looks reasonably good.  On this occasion, the space that we had to learn the choreography was much bigger than the actual space we had to do the fighting in. On the Gullet, we were doing it on a ship that was moving up and down. The area was much more narrow. There was water and blood on the ground. There was the odd corpse that they threw down in front of you as well. So a lot of the choreography went out the window and I just basically swung my sword and hoped that the stunt guys would make me look good.

HBO

What viewers won’t be able to know from just watching the Battle of the Gullet.

Toussaint: In the water beneath us, there were divers who were there all day and they never got out to go to the toilet. So we made sure we didn’t drink any of that water. :both him and Abubakar Salim laugh:

No, I’m not sure what I can say. If it looks good, that’s down to the stunt performers because I was literally just flailing away and helping to survive and somehow they managed to make me look good. And there’s a bloke whose balls I cut off and I worked with them on another job later on, so you wouldn’t know that either.

Salim: It took us many, many months to actually film the whole battle. So it was quite shocking for what was seen on the show.

Toussaint: Yeah, that’s my answer. Forget that you’re in urine stained water.

HBO

What it was like for them to further explore the father-son dynamic between Corlys and Alyn.

Salim: It felt great because season two was very much a buildup to this. We were getting the foundations of who these two are, where they are. Then it came to a real climax in episode eight of season two where Alyn is telling Corlyswhat he thinks and where he’s at. He almost threw down the gauntlet, a challenge for Corlys to step up and be like, “If you really want to face the music of this, this is where we are. “

So to have that then explored in episode one (of season three), where everything is still very tense but then he’s invited into the cabin and we have that moment of hope in a way between these two, for it to then almost be ripped and taken away from them because of the battle it’s quite raw and emotional.

HBO

Toussaint: Any story that you watch, we call them all different genres, thrillers, action, but they’re all dramas, basically, somebody wants something and someone’s trying to stop them from getting it. But ultimately all of them, I think the best of them, they all stand on the human relationship. So yes, we do have dragons and Night Walkers on Game of Thrones, all those things. But ultimately what we cared about was the interpersonal relationships. Those are the things that make you then care about what happens to somebody. It’s always much more rewarding to explore that emotional connection. And I really enjoyed this story of these two individuals.

The fact that we see Corlys showing humility, showing vulnerability with his son, particularly in that cabin scene where he says, “It was my fault and I’m really sorry,” in the best way that he can, that’s a huge step for him. If I was somebody who was just watching it as a fan, I would love that. And those things then hopefully make you care more about them in that battle because you know a bit more about them.

HBO

On what it’s like to watch the finished episodes.

Salim: Oh, it’s so great. You go through the readthrough and you hear the stories and you’re like, “Oh, that’s interesting. Oh, that’s exciting.” And then for a very long time you see no one. The story is just yourself and you’re going through your own little arc. Then to come back together and see the finished product, and see all the other stories, it’s almost like watching it anew. I feel like it makes the whole premiere experience and seeing these episodes, you’re watching it then now for your castmates. You’re watching it for their story and to see what they’ve done. It’s a really wonderful experience.

Toussaint: I was talking to Matt Needham (who plays Larys) just now and he was saying, “Yeah, basically I was just with Tom the whole time, so I didn’t see much.” And so then you get to watch it and you’re like, “Oh, so that’s what you guys were doing while we were doing this thing. It’s crazy. Wow. It’s so crazy. So you and you did that?” And so yeah, it is exactly as Abu said. It is just like watching it anew. It’s wonderful. And also because they’re all just so good to watch, which helps.

On whether they had a safe word during battle scenes the way Kit Harington did on Game of Thrones.

Salim: That’s because Kit is weak. :Steve laughs: Unbelievable. Safe word. I have a word.

Toussaint: I’ve got a safe word.

Salim: What’s your safe word?

Toussaint: It was a safe phrase. “F**king stop!” Which I always find quite effective.

Salim: Definitely, that would stop a lot of things.

Ollie Upton/HBO

Salim: Honestly though, the thing that I really, really respect and love about the whole sequence of the Gullet was that it was so choreographed and rehearsed to death that the safest place was in front of the camera. Genuinely, everything had been really, really meticulously thought of and taken into consideration. The stunt team was totally on it. There was never a moment or a point where we felt like we were in danger. There’s lots of blood and dead bodies everywhere and sometimes the helmet goes over your eyes. But the stunt team were all there to ensure that we were okay.

There was no safe word.

Toussaint: Safe word.

Salim: Safe word. God.

Toussaint: Thanks for that information. We’re going to use that against him.

Salim: Next time I see Kit I’m going to say, “What’s your safe word, mate?’

(Note: Harington’s safe word during Game of Thrones was “banana.”)

HBO

How they kept their performances centered and emotionally consistent while filming the Battle of the Gullet for months.

Toussaint: There are various things. Obviously there are script supervisors on set. As of course is Loni and sometimes Ryan. So sometimes I would find myself asking them, “Where is this sequence in the battle? What has just happened? What have I just seen?” Then with that information, then you start to think

You do the choreography, but also you have to chart your emotional journey through this battle. That is what I think keeps an audience engaged. So that’s what you do.

Toussaint: Abu said when we were doing fight training, it was always-

Salim: The intention to kill.

Toussaint: Yeah. Every blow is the intention to kill.

Salim: Yeah, it’s the final blow. Yeah.

Ollie Upton/HBO

Toussaint: You watch a movie and the fight goes on for six or seven minutes, but in reality, they don’t want the fight to go on for six or seven minutes. They want the next blow to be the [last one]. So you have that in mind when you’re doing it emotionally. And then also, what does that do to you when that blow isn’t the one that kills? What does that do to you? Are you disappointed? Do you suddenly regroup? All those things are questions that I ask myself.

Salim: In the moment. And I think that’s what keeps it alive.

Toussaint: Hopefully those of us who are watching those moments, we are like, “Oh my God, that was a setback and he wasn’t expecting that.”

Salim: Also the brilliance of shooting something so technical is the fact that it is performs like a sprint rather than a marathon. So you have those short bursts of being able to throw everything you can in that moment. Then be cut and you can reset and gather and then you go again. It is tiring, but it’s a lot easier to maintain than to do a shoot for God knows how long to do a whole sequence. So that helps massively. Also the great editing, the music. There are so many other aspects that add to the emotion of a piece that just aids the performance massively.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He is glad no one drank the pee water on set. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Warner Bros. has revealed the first official details on Dyanmic Duo, a film featuring Batman’s first two Robins, blending puppetry and animation.

We’ve known about a unique puppetry/animation combo film coming from DC Studios for some time. It will focus on Batman’s first two Robins, Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, and is aptly titled Dynamic Duo. But, until now, there were few details about what the story would focus on. At the Annecy Festival, Warner Bros. revealed that the film would take a new approach to the origin stories of these two iconic heroes, changing it up from their DC Comics lore.

In this version, Dick and Jason are “street rats” together (like Aladdin?) who call themselves the Dynamic Duo. But eventually, the two go in very different directions. Dick starts working for Batman, while Jason ends up in the Red Hood gang. The two friends then wind up on opposing forces in Gotham City.

First plot details for DC's puppet-animated film ‘DYNAMIC DUO’.

• Follows Jason & Dick as duo of street rats who name themselves the dynamic duo

• The duo split up as Dick ends up joining Batman while Jason joins the Red Hood gang

Revealed at #AnnecyFestival pic.twitter.com/tHpepUW4H8

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 22, 2026

Some of this tracks with DC Comics history. Jason Todd as a street-kid orphan is very much part of Batman lore. However, Dick Grayson was a circus acrobat of some acclaim before his parents were murdered, and Bruce Wayne adopted him. This synopsis does not sound like they are sticking to that. Although we suppose that he could still have been a circus kid who lost his folks, and wound up on the street. The use of the Red Hood Gang also implies that the Joker will be a part of this story. Before he became the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker was part of that criminal gang. The Joker famously killed Jason Todd when he was Robin, only for him to come back years later as the Red Hood.

DC Comics

We imagine at some point in the movie, Jason will turn on the gang and join the side of the good guys as a more heroic Red Hood. At first, there was some speculation that this movie would take place in the DCU. But it seems James Gunn has debunked that, maintaining that this is its own standalone story. So when Dick Grayson does appear in the DCU, probably as Nightwing, it will likely be a more traditional version. Dynamic Duo currently has a release date of June 30, 2028. Although given the complicated productions for animated projects, we suspect that the release date is not firm. We’ll have to wait and see.

The post DC’s DYNAMIC DUO Film Officially Reveals First Story Details appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Keanu Reeves is reportedly in negotiations to star in a live-action/animated hybrid LEGO movie directed by Toy Story 4’s Josh Cooley.

Toy Story 4 introduced a Canadian icon to the franchise. The Duke Caboom toy might have disappointed kids who got him as a gift, but he didn’t disappoint viewers. Now the duo that helped bring the mustachioed daredevil to the screen are looking to team-up once again. But this time, they’re going to blend animation and live-action. A new report says Keanu Reeves is in negotiations to star in a hybrid LEGO film from Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley.

Pixar

Deadline‘s Justin Kroll says Keanu Reeves is currently in negotiations to headline LEGO’s long-planned answer to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? And it sounds like he’s pretty far along in the process after weeks of discussion. Universal was reportedly looking for a big name star to finally get a long-gestating project off the ground. The studio first acquired the rights to the LEGO property in 2020. According to Kroll, after many false starts, Universal started to build the film around Reeves’ unknown character. He then signed off on the idea after Cooley, who also penned Inside Out, was brought on to sell his idea.

It’s a pretty good combo. A longtime Pixar veteran, Cooley most recently directed 2024’s Transformers One. Reeves also just reprised his role as Duke Caboom with a small role in Toy Story 5. The LEGO Group’s Jill Wilfert and Ryan Christians will serve as producers.

Netflix

There are no details about Cooley’s pitch just yet. All that is known is that it will combine animation and live-action. While Reeves could certainly voice a cartoon character, as he more than proved with Duke Caboom, it seems impossible he won’t be the live-action lead. (Hence the whole “Universal wanting an A-lister” thing.)

Keanu Reeves interacting with sentient LEGO characters is pretty much all we need from a movie pitch.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Valve has announced a massive new piece of hardware, with the Steam Machine coming in 2026, a PC/console hybrid 6x faster than Steam Deck.
• The Steam Machine will cost between $1,049.00 and $1,428.00, making it more expensive than other consoles.
• Nerdist Take: The Steam Machine could bridge the gap between console gaming and PC gaming.

With Microsoft effectively ceding the console wars to Sony and Nintendo, giving the competition access to once-proprietary Xbox games like Halo, it seemed like it’s a two-horse race. Will it be PlayStation or Nintendo Switch that reigns supreme? Well, don’t count Valve out of that battle. The company behind Steam has announced a massive new piece of hardware. (Via IGN.) And now, we officially have pricing for this next-gen Steam Machine and Steam Controller, as well as its specs and size. According to Valve, the console/PC hybrid will have six times (that’s 6x!) more powerful than Steam Deck. And it will cost…

Valve How Much Will the Steam Machine Cost?

In all, the Steam Machine will cost between $1,049.00 and $1,428.00, making it more expensive than most other consoles out there. However, the Steam Machine is also a full gaming PC, so it is more than just a console.

The pricing breakdown is more specifically:

• Steam Machine 512GB costs $1,049.00
• Steam Machine 512GB with Controller costs $1,128.00
• Steam Machine 2TB costs $1,349.00
• Steam Machine 2TB with Controller costs $1,428.00

What Are the Features of the Steam Machine?

The memory for the Steam Machine is pretty huge. As mentioned, two models will be available in 2026. One will be 512GB and the other 2TB. It will ship both alone and in a bundle with Steam Controller. The Steam Machine, a follow-up to the previous 2015 version, will feature a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T CPU, a semi-Custom AMD RDNA3 GPU, and supports 4K gaming at 60 frames per second with FSR. Valve described the new Steam Machine as six times more powerful than Steam Deck, with 16GB DDR5 and 8GB GDDR6 VRAM.

In more technical terms, here are the exact specs of the Steam Machine 512GB.

• Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T
• Semi-custom AMD RDNA3 28CUs
• 16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
• 512GB NVMe SSD, microSD card slot
• Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Gigabit ethernet
• Integrated Steam Controller wireless adapter
• Small form factor, ~6 inch cube
• SteamOS 3

And the exact specs of the Steam Machine 2TB:

• Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T
• Semi-custom AMD RDNA3 28CUs
• 16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
• 2TB NVMe SSD, microSD card slot
• Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Gigabit ethernet
• Integrated Steam Controller wireless adapter
• Small form factor, ~6 inch cube
• SteamOS 3
• Extra faceplates – red fabric and solid walnut

When Will the Steam Machine Release? And How Can You Buy It? Valve

To get your hands on a Steam Machine, you’ll have to first sign up for a reservation to be able to buy the Steam Machine. You can sign up for your reservation any time before Thursday, June 25th, at 10 a.m. Pacific. After that:

We will close signups and do a one-time randomization to determine the reservation and waitlist order.

Based on the reservation order, you will receive an email on June 25th indicating one of two things:

• You’ve been added to the reservation queue and a Steam Machine has been reserved in your name. As units become available for shipment, people in the reservation queue will receive an email with the option to purchase.
  • We’ll send the first batch of those starting Monday June 29th, and will continue to go through the reservation queue as units become available. 
• You’ve been added to the waitlist and we’ll let you know when more units become available.

What Games Will the Steam Machine Play?

The Steam Machine will play “your whole Steam library, including your favorite AAA titles. Just sign in with your Steam account and your entire library is there.”

Nerdist Take: The Steam Machine Could Bridge the Gap Between Console and PC Gaming Valve

Console gaming versus PC gaming has long been the dividing line, and if this is legitimately both, that really makes the next-gen Steam Machine an intriguing proposition for all parties. As a pure console player, I’ve missed out on a lot of PC-only titles. I’m sure it’s the same the other way for PC gamers. The versatility of such a powerful device will bring a lot of interest from either side. It will, of course, be dependent on the price. My guess? Quite high.

Gabe Newell, the head honcho of Valve, said the following: “We’ve been super happy with the success of Steam Deck, and PC gamers have continued asking for even more ways to play all the great titles in their Steam libraries. Our work over the years on other hardware and even more importantly on SteamOS has enabled Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame to do just that.”

If you’d like more info on particular specs, you can visit the Steam site.

Originally published November 12, 2025.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

Originally published on June 5, 2026.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Warner Bros. Pictures Animation has an animated movie for The Powerpuff Girls in the works.
• A deal has yet to be secured, so there are no further details about it at this time.
• Will the third time be the charm for reviving this beloved animated series?

An adorable mix of sugar, spice, and everything nice—along with some serious crime-fighting skills—is coming to the big screen. The Powerpuff Girls will rise again thanks to an animated movie that’s currently in development with Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. According to Variety, the news surfaced at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. 

Hanna-Barbera/Warner Bros. Animation

Right now, things are in the very early stages with no official deal in place. Therefore there are no further details about the plot and what we will see in the city of Townsville. All we know is that we better get more Mojo Jojo and HIM on the big screen. Since the animated show’s ending in 2005, attempts to bring the Powerpuff Girls back have not gone well, to say the least. Despite lasting for a couple of years, the 2016 rebooted series was critically panned and widely disliked by fans.

RELATED ARTICLE

The Canceled Live-Action POWERPUFF GIRLS Series Trailer Surfaces and It’s Bizarre

And, well, there was that ill-fated live-action film that thankfully never came to fruition. We all saw the leaked trailer that explained so much about why it ended up never seeing the light of day. So, perhaps the third time is indeed the charm to revive Buttercup, Blossom, and Bubbles. We will keep an eye out and see if we are truly getting a Powerpuff Girls animated movie or if this project will end up falling into the abyss.

The post THE POWERPUFF GIRLS Animated Movie in Development appeared first on Nerdist.

Widow’s Bay crept its way into quickly fueling obsessive fandom discourse, converting viewers with its genre-bending, darkly comedic first season. With a finale that both satisfied its captive audience and rewarded them with a calculatedly chilling turn of events for Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) and his cabinet of close compatriots, there are now more questions than answers left to unearth beneath the ground of the cursed island shores.

⚡ Quick Take

• Widow’s Bay gave us a finale with a lot of intriguing and unsolved mysteries.
• The series will return for season two, and we hope we get answers to the following 8 mysteries.

Considering that the island is hungry for more tourism than Loftis could have imagined, the season ends with a bell tolling and eight lives left to feed the entity that requires human sacrifices. So with that, here are eight intriguing mysteries that are still unsolved that we hope to see play out in the future. Thankfully, Widow’s Bay scored a season two renewal, so there’s a chance. (And we want more sunset cocktails with Patricia!)

1. Which Deaths Count to Satisfy the Island on Widow’s Bay?

At the start of the season, the death knell of the bell tolls nine times. But even after the events in the episodes that followed, we don’t get a hint of what counts until the season finale. The storm and island threat were assuaged only after Evan and his friends left Kenny to be fed to the entity. Which means that as the sacrifice protocol reveals itself to Dale, the island’s hunger requires that its human meals be in a pure state of fear and in its proximity to pounce on them.

RELATED ARTICLE

Apple TV Greenlights WIDOW’S BAY Season 2

Despite sailor Shep’s deadly outburst, the priest’s suicide, and the drug dealer getting sucked into the island’s supernatural tornado, those deaths did not count. Tom and Evan hear the bell sound eight times in the finale, meaning that the island is a little less mad. Now, the mayor must face the reality that it might fall on him to keep the island satiated in future seasons.

2. Was the Boogeyman Collecting Teen Souls for the Island?

Widow’s Bay does a great job at hinting to the audience that the mayor is supposed to be the one inclined to search for sacrifices. Loftis’ strange obsession with getting more tourists on the island could speak to that being an instinct that the environment he’s in encourages. But what happens if the mayor refuses? Mayor Howard the Coward is referenced in the season around the time that punk PJ traps Kevin in the room with the chair. If Loftis refuses, could PJ continue in this tradition?

Take the Boogeyman, whose sudden teen killing spree might have been compelled by the island. He could not be stopped and made sure his victims were in a deep state of fear. If he were somehow a possessed conduit of the island’s evil, that fed it until he was locked away before claiming Patricia. That connection likely made the killer indestructible, like Warren in the coffin for all those years before he was freed by someone. Thankfully, Patricia, in all her glory, made sure the Boogeyman was ashes that could not regenerate, giving her the best final girl ascension.

3. Is Loftis Hiding More About What Really Happened to Evan’s Mom?

It’s strange for a man who weaponizes his incompetence beneath a guise of bumbling nincompoopery to have a chest of secrets and more beneath the house. Thanks to Tom, Evan thought his mom died in childbirth, but she lived as a shell of a person in a hospital. Loftis knew that trying to get her off the island almost killed her, and he clearly is doing everything he can to stop that fate from befalling his son. It all makes Loftis’ identity as well-meaning hit some snags, even if he’s operating to make the island a better cage to keep his son safe and alive in.

But where is she? Once we find out she lived and was committed to an asylum, that leaves room for the possibility that it’s connected to the mystery of the hospital that no one is supposed to stop at. We’re tired of dead moms, so we hope Lauren gets some sort of unexpected role in the show’s future.

Apple TV

Take the Boogeyman, whose sudden teen killing spree might have been compelled by the island. Think about it. He could not be stopped and made sure his victims were in a deep state of fear, and if he were somehow a possessed conduit of the island’s evil, it made it easy to keep it fed until he was locked away before claiming Patricia. That connection likely gave the killer extra lives that could not be extinguished for those years in between before he was freed by someone on the island. Thankfully Patricia in all her glory made sure the Boogeyman was ashes that could not regenerate in the best final girl scene committed to television in a long time. 

4. Does Widow’s Bay Have Cryptids Like Werewolves? (The answer better be yes.)

When Ruth regales Loftis with her pull on the island, starting off with her first love, she begins dropping her deepest of lore. “He got bit by an animal and became that animal” became an instantly iconic line delivery from actress K. Callan.

Earlier in the season, Loftis flips through a calendar that’s just wolves, so we sure as hell hope this means werewolves will show up on Widow’s Bay. Really, any other cryptids, for that matter, like the sea hag that tried to eat Tom before Wyck saved him. It’d also be really cool to see Wyck get a round two with his sea beast, but if he’s inspired by Quint from Jaws, we fear for his fate.

5. Are Warren’s Descendants Purposefully Alluring to Keep the Bloodline Going?

In the flashback episode, we’re introduced to the origins of the suspicions about Richard Warren (Hamish Linklater) making a deal with the devil of sorts when his second wife, Sarah (Betty Gilpin), sees him more interested in getting rid of bodies the island is presumably being fed instead of lying in bed with her. Then, of course, thinking that burying him alive would mean the horrors would end, but alas, not since his youngest daughter made it back ashore. This daughter will be wed off to her very much older savior as soon as she is of age.

The curse clearly wants to keep the Warren bloodline going. Ruth’s long list of people who made a pass at her, hilarious as it was, resulted in her giving in to a married man and getting pregnant with Lauren.

Apple TV

The pull-out method, not working, as a joke set up by Tom, is echoed by Ruth, which makes his concern for Evan valid. It does make us wonder, however, what would happen if Evan got his tourist fling pregnant? Tom’s mom got pregnant by a Widow’s Bay local, but he was born on the mainland. Yet he was made to visit his dad every summer, which led to his meeting Lauren and having Evan. Would the Boston girl be seduced back onto the island somehow?

6. Did Bechir and His Wife Make It Off the Island?

It is never revealed if Bechir’s wife went into labor after all. Once the storm cleared up and it was safe to get out of there, we can imagine that the chief could have just been done and gotten himself and his wife off the island. Tom could have encouraged him to just leave him to worry about the last Warren, eliminating and pushing out an imminent threat to his son’s life.

7. Did Ruth Survive the Gunshot?

From the looks of the moment, she could have gotten her ear grazed. So if she’s alive and holds this secret too, it would make Bechir’s departure more pressing. Evan needs to connect with her as his grandmother since his mom wrote to him about her secret second mother. In retrospect, that letter now seems less like the ravings of a madwoman and makes sense. Also, we want to see Ruth reunite with her were-animal beau.

8. Was Warren’s Deal Actually Good for Widow’s Bay?

It would not be surprising if, as long as a Warren lived on the island, Richard’s deal, which he vehemently defended even after being buried alive, still stood. That only a certain number of sacrifices, enough to sustain the evil, would be required to allow the people of Widow’s Bay to live out their lives on the island. No one let Warren discuss the alternative, which could very well be that if not for the pact he made in desperation to allow his colony to thrive, it might actually be for the greater good. All things considered, the deal with the island is the trolley problem that every mayor has had to face.

Apple TV

And when they don’t, it appears someone gets compelled to be the shepherd leading the lambs to slaughter, whether it’s their leader or a boogeyman. Sure, Evans’ death would break the pact allowing people to leave, but would that really be a good thing? With that occurring, would the curse the show hinges on be revealed as a blessing in disguise that they turn on and, in return, allow the evil to consume Widows Bay unchecked? Evan’s life just might be the only thing standing between Widow’s Bay and a far worse fate if the evil is allowed to go unchecked.

The post 8 Mysteries That WIDOW’S BAY Must Solve Next Season appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Prime Video has announced a season two renewal of Bloodaxe before the premiere of its first episode.

Prime Video has just announced that its upcoming series, Bloodaxe, has been renewed for a second season. This news comes before even the show’s first episode drops in 2027. This is certainly a bold move from the studio, but Prime has been on a renewal kick with Invincible and the Critical Role animated series doing well.

The History Channel

Bloodaxe‘s first season won’t come out until early next year, but nonetheless, Season 2 will start filming in August in Dublin, Ireland.

Bloodaxe chronicles the rise of one of history’s most famous Norse raiders, Erik Bloodaxe, and his formidable wife Gunnhild, Mother of Kings. As they fight for the throne of Norway, the land is torn apart by fierce rivals, shifting loyalties, and bloody betrayals.

Vikings was a 6-series historical drama. Hirst, its creator, was also behind Real Vikings, a one-series documentary, and Netflix’s Vikings: Valhalla, which ran from 2022 to 2024. Unsurprisingly then, Hirst is also the creator of Bloodaxe alongside his son Horatio Hirst.

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Considering the lengthy runs of Hirst’s other popular shows, the early renewal hardly comes as a surprise. It would make sense for Bloodaxe to have 4-6 seasons.

Despite being based on a true story, Hirst says the show is going to introduce elements of magical realism.

“I’ve always loved magical realism. King Arthur, the Bible – that’s magical realism, too. You have to be very careful how you use it, though, and the audience needs to be aware that you’re emphasizing something real.”

This is another theme Hirst has experience working with after Camelot. His 2011 show followed Arthurian legend, from the wizard Merlin to Arthur’s round table. Bloodaxe promises a good mix of all of the storytelling experience Hirst has gained through his years in television. The first season will come out sometime early next year, with season two also on the horizon.

The post BLOODAXE Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of 2027 Premiere appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• A Dungeon Crawler Carl TV series is officially happening at Peacock. Seth MacFarlane, Chris Yoast, and author Matt Dinniman to helm.

Dungeon Crawler Carl has crawled its way into becoming a true phenomenon. And the next place Carl and the ever-beloved Princess Donut (his ex’s cat) are heading is to our screens. Yes, Peacock has officially green-lit a live-action TV series version of Dungeon Crawler Carl, and it’s coming from writer Chris Yost and executive producer Seth MacFarlane. Although fans envisioned an animated series for this fantastical intergalactic adventure, author Matt Dinniman has promised that live-action will be a great way to bring this LitRPG to life.

Dinniman himself celebrated the official greenlight for a straight-to-series order for a Dungeon Crawler Carl TV series. He noted that he will do a panel at this year’s SDCC and likely release more details about what fans can expect next.

Conversations about a live-action Dungeon Crawler Carl TV series have been circulating for some time. But fans will surely feel glad that Peacock has finally made a firm move. Still, it feels like it will still be some time before we see Dungeon Crawler Carl level up into its new form. Variety reports that the TV series is “now officially in development.” But we still live in early days.

Amazon

For those who don’t know too much about this title, here is the logline of the Dungeon Crawler Carl TV series, “An alien invasion has wiped out most of humanity and any survivors are forced to fight for their lives on a sadistic intergalactic game show. Sounds bad, right? Now try doing it with bare feet and a stuck-up, self-centered, tiara-wearing talking cat as your partner. Welcome to Dungeon Crawler World: Earth, where the apocalypse will be televised … and Coast Guard vet Carl finds himself stuck with his ex-girlfriend’s award-winning show cat, Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk, as they try to survive the end of the world, fighting monsters, aliens, an insane A.I. and even other survivors … all for the sake of good TV. Survival is optional. Entertainment is not.”

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The book series is a LitRPG, which means it uses video game mechanics, such as leveling up, experience points, and character stats, to tell its story in text. To be clear, the audience does not make any decisions in LitRPG books, but they do get to experience this interesting style of storytelling. Currently, there are seven Dungeon Crawler Carl books in the world, with plans for 10 in total. The eighth Dungeon Crawler Carl book will release on May 12, making this a great time to announce the TV series.

Amazon

Dinniman had this to say to fans wary of a live-action Dungeon Crawler Carl series, “[We’re] not going to do it if it’s gonna look like absolute shit. And they will do CGI testing on Princess Donut and stuff like that. And that’s all I can say, I think. It’s all gonna hinge on what it looks like. But Fuzzy Door, specifically, if you watch ‘Ted’ or ‘The Orville,’ you’ll see that they know what they’re doing when it comes to this.”

We’ll absolutely be watching to see what Dinniman, Yost, and Seth MacFarlane create using this fun world.

Originally published April 2, 2026.

The post DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL TV Series Officially Happening at Peacock appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The Vampire Lestat episode three properly introduced Nicholas de Lenfent
• Nicki is a vampire who was Lestat’s first real love.
• The AMC show’s depiction is remarkably close to Anne Rice canon.

In episode three of AMC’s The Vampire Lestat, “Toronto,” we finally get an excellent character study of Nicholas de Lenfent, Lestat’s first true love in 18th-century France. He’s once again played by actor Joseph Potter, who briefly played him in a flashback scene in Interview with the Vampire season two. But who is this enigmatic vampire in the Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles canon? Much like Claudia, he’s not a character who lasted past one novel, but his impact haunts Lestat for the rest of his immortal days.

How Do Nicholas de Lenfent and Lestat First Meet? AMC Networks

In the early chapters of The Vampire Lestat, we learned that Lestat was friends with Nicholas de Lenfant as a child. They shared a potent childhood moment together, when both were taken by a local priest to a location where they burned witches in the Middle Ages. They reunited as adults after Lestat saved their French countryside village from a pack of wolves. Nicki’s father was a tailor, and he presented Lestat with a red cloak lined with their fur. The two reconnected, with Nicki explaining how he had gone to Paris to become a pupil of Mozart as a violinist. However, he ultimately wasn’t good enough, and returned home in shame. When Lestat decided to run away to Paris, he took Nicki with him, in part because he’d lived there before.

Was Nicki Lestat’s First Love? AMC Networks

By all accounts, Nicki was Lestat’s first true love, although Lestat had sexual trysts with both men and women before Nicki. He fell in love with his wit and talent as a musician, but his cynicism was often overwhelming. Yet Nicki was equally drawn to Lestat’s outgoing attitude and sense of humor. Lestat found success in Paris as an actor, but Nicki wanted to go to Paris and fail, hoping to spite his disapproving parents. They wanted him to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a tailor, not become a hedonistic musician in Paris. But Nicki was indeed Lestat’s first true love.

Why Does Nicholas Struggle After Becoming a Vampire?

Nicki struggled with depression as a human, had a tendency toward dark thoughts, and was generally cynical. He likely suffered from some form of undiagnosed mental illness. Because of this, Lestat resisted giving Nicolas the Dark Gift after becoming a vampire himself. But after Armand’s coven kidnapped Nicki and drained him of blood, Lestat gave in and turned him. This, despite his own mother Gabrielle warning him of impending disaster.

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THE VAMPIRE LESTAT’S Backstory, Explained in Linear Fashion

When turned into an immortal, Nicki went catatonic for months, with Lestat bringing humans for him to feed on. Eventually, he snapped out of the catatonia and rejected Lestat for ever keeping the blood from him in the first place. He essentially tells Lestat that he “owes him” the Theater of the Vampires, and tells Lestat to leave him and Paris.

Why Does Lestat Leave Nicki? AMC Networks

Lestat leaves Nicki after he angrily rejects him, sometime after he transforms him into a vampire. He tells Lestat that he resents the fact that he succeeded in Paris as an actor, when all he wanted when they went to Paris was to disappoint his disapproving parents, whom he hated. He wanted to “go down and down and down,” while Lestat continued to “go up to the light.” And when he got “the dark magic,” as he called it, he somehow became an even brighter beacon that Nicki resented even more. So he essentially forced Lestat and Gabrielle to leave Paris.

What Happens to Nicholas in The Vampire Lestat?

After Lestat and Gabrielle leave Paris, they leave Armand in charge of the coven in the Theater, along with Nicki. Armand would write Lestat letters, informing him of his progress. Sadly, Nicki’s mental condition did not improve, and he continued to behave recklessly. He made new vampire after new vampire, drawing too much attention, and his kills were sloppy, endangering the coven. At one point, Armand chops off Nicki’s hands as punishment. Eventually, Nicki realizes he has no stamina for vampire life, and throws himself into the fire, something Lestat learns about in a letter from Armand. The ancient coven master also sends Lestat Nicki’s violin.

How Does Nicki’s Fate Affect Lestat? AMC Networks

Lestat falls into a deep depression over the death of Nicki, and he blames himself for everything that went wrong with him. In fact, he buries himself in the Earth after Nicki’s death, until the ancient vampire Marius finds him. When he eventually meets and makes Louis a vampire, he describes him as Nicki’s “spiritual twin” in many ways. He even refers to his relationship with Louis as punishment for his failings with his first love.

How Is Nicholas Different in the Books and The Vampire Lestat TV Series?

Nicolas de Lenfent is remarkably similar to his portrayal in the novels, perhaps more than any other character. One key difference is that Nicki was already in Paris when Lestat reunited with him, and they didn’t run away there together. But everything else about Nicki in AMC’s The Vampire Lestat is in keeping with Rice’s original idea of him. The other big difference is that Nicki dies with Lestat present in the room, after chopping off his own hands.

Will Nicki return in future episodes? It’s certainly possible there are more flashbacks to his and Lestat’s time together. We doubt that Nicki survived the flames in the AMC version’s events, but one never knows. The Vampire Lestat is currently dropping new episodes every Sunday night on AMC and AMC+.

The post Who Is Nicholas de Lenfent in THE VAMPIRE LESTAT? appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Jacob Anderson’s Louis has a storyline in AMC’s The Vampire Lestat that is unique to the series.
• Louis was the main character of Interview with the Vampire seasons one and two.
• His storyline in The Vampire Lestat is not from Anne Rice’s books.

The principal star of Interview with the Vampire seasons one and two was Jacob Anderson as the undead Louis de Pointe du Lac. After all, he is the titular vampire being interviewed. But he takes a back seat for season three, now re-titled The Vampire Lestat. And this is in keeping with Anne Rice’s series of novels, as Louis just makes a minor appearance in the second book in the series. However, the AMC series gives Jacob Anderson as Louis a whole new storyline, one not from the novels. And they tie it to a plotline from IWTV season two, a story point also created just for the AMC series.

The Talamasca Recruits Louis to Take Down the Fang Gang AMC Networks

At the end of episode two, the Talamasca convinces Louis to handle a problem for them, essentially cornering Louis after a hotel meeting with Daniel Molloy. The vampire coven in Detroit that attempted to kill Lestat, the Fang Gang, has been making undue trouble. They’ve been selling fentanyl, keeping humans prisoners as a food supply, and just overall wreaking havoc. The Talamasca does not want to get its hands dirty, so they try to convince Louis to take care of its problem, just as he did in Paris with the Theater of the Vampires decades prior. They flatter him, telling him he’s quite good at dispatching those who trouble him.

AMC Networks

At first, Louis says “no thank you,” until Talamasca agent Raglan James mentions the leader of the Fang Gang, a vampire named Killer. But he used to go by another name, many years before. He once went by Bruce. And Louis instantly realizes who this Bruce is, especially after Raglan James shows him an old photograph. Once he hears that Killer is really Bruce, he agrees to take care of the problem for the Talamasca. Because this Bruce (Damon Daunno) is the same vampire who once tortured Claudia for weeks, then seemingly disappeared. Louis has waited a century for his revenge.

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THE VAMPIRE LESTAT’S Backstory, Explained in Linear Fashion

In season one of IWTV, we learn that Claudia attempted to leave home, where she met the first vampire outside her family, a man named Bruce. He charms her at first, but later brutally sexually assaults her, and keeps her prisoner for weeks. She writes about the entire harrowing experience in her diary, which Louis reads from. He eventually abandons her and takes off for parts unknown, leaving Claudia traumatized for the rest of her life. In the present day, Louis learns Bruce survived until the present day, and now leads the Detroit coven. This is in keeping with Rice’s novel The Queen of the Damned, where Killer leads a motorcycle vampire gang.

Louis Gets Revenge for Claudia AMC Networks

We see in episode three, “Toronto,” Louis goes full vampire slayer mode, and goes to the vampire coven house in Detroit. He dispatches all of the vampires providing security, decapitating more than one of them. Louis then frees their human prisoners. Covered in blood, he waits for Killer to get home. He finally arrives with his new bride, who we recognize as Baby Jenks, the vampire groupie from episode one. Louis pushes Baby Jenks out of the way, and cripples Killer. He then reads the passages of Claudia’s diary to him, detailing her harrowing ordeal with him that nearly destroyed her psyche. When he’s done, he lights the pages of the diary on fire, sets them on Killer’s head…and watches as the vampire once named Bruce burns to death after 100 years of causing so much pain.

Louis Meets Regina, Claudia’s Human Doppelgänger AMC Networks

Afterward, Louis tells his new lover, Loumel, that he feels better after having done the deed. However, his somber facial expression suggests otherwise. Getting rid of Killer and his coven (except for Baby Jenks, who survives) didn’t bring Claudia back. So Louis goes to an all-night diner in New York, where he’s been following a young waitress who works there. Turns out, this waitress is an exact doppelgänger for his lost Claudia, only human. And British. This is how actress Delainey Hayles returns to the series, as a waitress named Regina.

Louis (and Claudia’s?) Future in The Vampire Lestat

Could Regina be Claudia reincarnated in human form? And can Louis ever forgive himself for everything that happened to her? None of these story elements, such as Louis’ revenge on Bruce or Claudia’s human doppelgänger, are from Rice’s novels. AMC’s The Vampire Lestat is truly going into uncharted territory for the character of Louis this season. And we can’t wait to see what his future holds. Judging from the opening moments of episode one, which take place in a future where Louis is crippled, it’s going to be a harrowing journey.

The post How THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Gives Louis All New Storylines appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Fans have been wondering where Magnus got his Lestat fan art painting from.
• Magnus actor Damien Atkins shares that he thinks the vampire drew it himself.
• We guess it’s an artistic bloodline.

The Vampire Magnus is a terrifying figure. On a dime, he can turn from campily pathetic to an aggressive monster. One truly twisted facet of Magnus is revealed to us during The Vampire Lestat‘s “Your Biggest Fan” song sequence. There, we see that Magnus is having a slew of imaginary romantic overtures with Lestat. And that includes setting up a candlelit dinner, complete with wine, candles, and… a fan art portrait of Lestat. Of course, “Your Biggest Fan” is largely a figment of Lestat’s imagination of Marius. But, in some ways, we understand it to have a more omniscient view of what really happened with all the characters it showcases. And so, fans had to wonder, where did Magnus get his fan art portrait of Lestat? As part of a larger conversation with Magnus’ actor Damian Atkins, coming soon, Nerdist inquired about the provenance of the Lestat portrait. And Atkins thinks Magnus drew this Lestat fan art himself.

AMC

Atkins laughed and shared the following about Magnus’ Lestat portrait, “Oh, that’s so great. I think I drew it myself. I love that. Yeah. I think there’s a lot of discarded, terrible versions of it.” And when we suggested that he was after one perfect drawing. Atkins agreed, “Yeah. I took my time.”

So there you go, everyone. Magnus didn’t commission anyone to make Lestat, who could do it as well as he could? There’s also something eerie and shudder-inducing to the vision of all the dead blond men in the tower hanging next to all the crumpled up versions of the Lestat portrait on the floor. It casts an even darker light on the whole scene… and on how Magnus sees the world around him.

It also occurs to us that if Magnus is an artist, that does reveal quite a creative bloodline: Magnus with his (creepy) fan art portraits, Nicki with his violin, and Lestat with his singing. It’s too bad Magnus couldn’t have found more solace in making art and less in tormenting the objects of his twisted affection.

The Vampire Lestat airs on AMC and AMC+, Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT and midnight, respectively. You can snag The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice to read, if you’d like to know a little bit more about what’s going on.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

The post Where Did Magnus Get His Lestat Fan Art Portrait? Damien Atkins Says ‘He Drew It Himself’ appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The third episode of The Vampire Lestat introduced viewers to Magnus, Lestat’s sadistic maker.
• Magnus is an ancient vampire who becomes obsessed with Lestat and is determined to pass on his vampirism to him.
• After turning Lestat, Magnus casts himself into the fire and dies. This means Lestat never actually knows his maker. But in the AMC series, Lestat imagines Magnus through his song, “Your Biggest Fan”

Episode 3 of The Vampire Lestat, “Toronto,” finally shows us the vampiric transformation of Sam Reid’s Lestat back in the 1700s. At last, we see how his maker, Magnus (Damien Atkins), turned the young stage actor into the glamorous immortal we all know today. But who is The Vampire Lestat‘s Magnus, and what is his relation to the other vampires in the series? Here’s everything we know about Lestat’s centuries-old sire.

AMC Networks Who Is Magnus, Lestat’s Maker, in The Vampire Lestat?

Magnus is an ancient vampire with dark hair and unsettling features. A French alchemist in the 15th century, he was denied the supernatural blood by the ancient vampire Rhoshamandes for being too physically unattractive. So he found a vampire named Benedict, made by Rhoshamandes around 800 AD. While Benedict was hibernating, Magnus stole the blood from him and turned himself into a vampire. He was an outcast from the local covens, who considered him a heretic for living outside their rules. Over 300 years, he accumulated vast wealth from his victims, which he hoarded in a tower outside Paris. But as the centuries passed, the immortality began to drive Magnus insane.

How Does Magnus Find Lestat? AMC Networks

Magnus becomes fascinated with the mortal Lestat in the late 18th century, when he’s a young actor playing Lelio in a local Paris theater—a tale which Lestat recounts to readers in Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat. Magnus reads his mind and sees that Lestat killed eight wolves back home and barely survived. Fascinated by his bravery and tenacity, Magnus begins to stalk Lestat, telepathically calling him “Wolfkiller.” Also, Magnus finds Lestat physically beautiful, citing his blonde hair and blue eyes. One night, he pulls Lestat through the window of his home, while his lover Nicki screams, believing Lestat died in the attack.

Why Does Magnus Choose Lestat as His Heir in The Vampire Lestat?

Magnus mainly picks Lestat as his undead heir for his looks; that’s true. But that was not the only reason. After Lestat was transformed, he found the decomposing bodies of dozens of identical blonde men in Magnus’ dungeons. Clearly, Magnus meant to turn them, but ultimately chose to just kill them, for not being up to snuff to receive the Dark Gift. Lestat made the cut because of his innate bravery and his irreverent personality.

How Does Magnus Turn Lestat Into a Vampire? AMC Networks

Unlike what Lestat will eventually do with Louis, Magnus did not give Lestat a choice in becoming his fledgling. Magnus essentially assaulted him and forced him to become a vampire, even though Lestat resisted and said no with his dying breath in The Vampire Lestat. Even though Lestat relishes his vampire nature, it was done to him completely against his will.

What Happens to Magnus After Turning Lestat?

After Magnus turns Lestat, he gives him a quick rundown on what to do (and what not to do) as a vampire. With his heir now fully a vampire, he sets a funeral pyre and ends his undead life. Before Magnus dies, he warns Lestat to scatter the ashes, or he might return, in a nightmarish form that he can’t conceive. He leaves Lestat his tower and his vast wealth. In Anne Rice’s 2014 novel Prince Lestat, Magnus actually does returns as a ghost, who now looks like the blonde beauty he always coveted. But occasionally, his ghostly form flickers back to his old self, which is a shock to those around him. We’ll have to wait and see whether Magnus in The Vampire Lestat series is able to achieve this ghostly status.

AMC Networks How Old Is Magnus in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles?

Magnus was made a vampire about 300 years before the events of The Vampire Lestat, somewhere around the late 15th century. Thus, the ghostly form of Magnus we meet in Prince Lestat is about five centuries old.

Is Magnus One of the Oldest Vampires in the Series?

While Magnus is old, he’s nowhere near the oldest vampire in Anne Rice lore. He’s roughly the same age as Armand. Marius is over 2,000 years old, as are the vampires Pandora and Mael. And of course, Akasha, the Queen of the Damned, is 6,000 years old. So are the twins Maharet and Mekare.

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Major Changes AMC’s THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Makes to Anne Rice’s Books What Powers Does Lestat Inherit From His Maker Magnus?

Because Magnus never sired another vampire in his 300 years, his blood never became diluted. So Lestat inherited a full array of vampire powers from his maker. Lestat gained telepathy, called the Mind Gift, from Magnus, could set fires with his mind with the Fire Gift, and was much harder to kill thanks to his maker’s age when he transformed him.

AMC Magnus in AMC’s The Vampire Lestat Series

In the AMC series, we don’t get much of Magnus’ backstory. We know he’s old, not very attractive, and is an outcast from Armand’s coven. We see him stalk and kidnap Lestat, just as in the book, and we see glimpses of the other blonde men he killed in his tower. However, we don’t see him throw himself into the flames. Instead, Lestat describes the event to Daniel Molloy. A version of Magnus haunts Lestat in the present day, but we assume it’s not a real ghost, but a manifestation of Lestat’s trauma.

Lestat’s Song “Your Biggest Fan” Is About Magnus

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Daniel Hart Talks Crafting Lestat’s Magnus in THE VAMPIRE LESTAT’s ‘Your Biggest Fan’ Song

One of the songs in The Vampire Lestat, “Your Biggest Fan,” written by Daniel Hart, is sung by Lestat. But it’s told through what Lestat believes is his maker’s POV after he gave him the Dark Gift. Since Magnus kidnapped, assaulted, and transformed Lestat against his will, leaving behind no guidebook, the song is his way of reckoning with what Magnus did to him centuries ago. Despite the torture Magnus put him through, he now romanticizes it all (to a degree). He sees Magnus as “his biggest fan,” who gave him a powerful gift in the worst possible way. It’s pretty twisted, but Lestat uses music as a coping mechanism when dealing with what Magnus did to him in The Vampire Lestat.

The Vampire Lestat airs on AMC and AMC+, Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT and midnight, respectively. You can snag The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice to read, if you’d like to know a little bit more about what’s going on.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

The post Who Is Magnus, Lestat’s Maker, in THE VAMPIRE LESTAT? appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• It’s a bloody world out there, so strap in. We’re keeping track of all the major character deaths in The Vampire Lestat.

Even amongst immortal vampires, deaths can occur. And in The Vampire Lestat, it’s shaping up to be a fairly violent season already. Some deaths, we know are coming from Anne Rice’s books, while others might take us by surprise. Join us as we keep track of the bloody business of being a vampire. Here are all the major character deaths we’ve seen so far in The Vampire Lestat. Warning for some discussion of dark themes below.

Lestat’s Maker Magnus Throws Himself Into the Fire AMC

This The Vampire Lestat series death comes right from Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat book. After stalking Lestat, kidnapping him, and turning him against his will, Lestat’s Maker, Magnus, throws himself into the fire and dies. Granted, we don’t actually see this moment in The Vampire Lestat, but Daniel confirms it is so. Thus, Magnus leaves Lestat totally alone to navigate being a vampire and Lestat never even truly meets his Maker. But in The Vampire Lestat, we get to see Lestat reckoning with Magnus after his death in the song, “Your Biggest Fan.”

Daniel Hart told Nerdist about the song, “I thought, well, if he’s going to write a song about his transformation, then he should write it from the point of view of the person who transformed him. And since it was basically abduction and then abuse, and a rape of sorts, then that would be Lestat’s experience of it.”

And continues:

But the person who did those things, as can often be the case in real life, the person who is the tormentor, the predator, the abuser, doesn’t view themselves that way. And for Magnus, I don’t think he viewed himself that way at all, and either because he himself was so dark and twisted or because by that point in his own life, he had just basically lost his mind. So I thought, yeah, he wouldn’t think of himself as doing something terrible at all. He wasn’t torturing people. He was loving them. So I thought, oh, it’s a love song. Obviously, it’s a love song. So then I started writing a love song about abducting someone and then torturing them, and then it became the thing that it is.

But, [of course, the song] is really about Lestat’s version of what he thinks Magnus thought was happening. Since he barely knew him. The guy transformed him and then threw himself into a fire, and that was that.

Lestat’s First Love Nicki May or May Not Have Been Killed By Armand AMC

In The Vampire Lestat, the readers learn in an “off-screen” scenario that Lestat’s first love and fledgling, Nicolas de Lenfent, cast himself into the fire and died. It’s implied that Armand drove this suicide by tormenting the already unstable Nicki, by, among other things, cutting off his musician hands.

In The Vampire Lestat, Nicki’s death remains off-screen, but its narrative changes from Anne Rice’s books. Lestat recounts Nicholas’ final moments to Daniel in The Vampire Lestat, narrating that Armand pushed Nicki into the fire and held him there until he died. Notably, in this version of events, Nicholas cuts his own hands off, and Armand isn’t responsible for, at the very least, that part of things.

But, as Joseph Potter, Nicholas’ actor, cautions us about the current iteration of Nicki’s death, “We don’t see it.” Make of that what you will.

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Major Changes AMC’s THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Makes to Anne Rice’s Books The Vampire Bruce Meets Death at Louis’ Hands in The Vampire Lestat AMC

The Vampire Bruce does exist in the world of Anne Rice and appears in Queen of the Damned, but he’s a very different character in AMC’s Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat. Primarily, we know Bruce to be Claudia’s torturer. When Claudia briefly leaves Lestat and Louis, Bruce kidnaps her and does unspeakable things, which make him worthy of way more than death.

In The Vampire Lestat, the Talamsca want Louis to destroy the Detroit coven that’s plaguing them. Louis refuses until they reveal to him that Bruce is the one running it. Like in Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned, Bruce is now the leader of the Fang Gang coven. And that’s enough to convince Louis to destroy them all.

After demolishing the coven and freeing their human “food,” Louis handily cracks Bruce’s spine and forces him to listen to everything he has to say. In a truly harrowing scene, Louis reads the missing pages from Claudia’s notebook to Bruce (as we also get images of Lestat’s torment at the hands of Magnus). Then, using the fire gift, Louis sets the pages aflame, drops them on Bruce’s head, and that’s it. Bruce, as we said, deserved more than just death in The Vampire Lestat, but we’re glad he got that much.

We Don’t Want Any More Deaths on The Vampire Lestat

Ultimately, we’re scared for our favs, and we don’t want any more death and destruction in The Vampire Lestat. Can’t we just have cheery, sweet vampiric times?

The Vampire Lestat airs at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+. You can also read The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice today as you wait for the next episode of the series to air.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Delainey Hayles returns to The Vampire Lestat as new character Regina. But who is Regina? Is she related to Claudia? And how does Louis fit?

We’ve known for quite some time that Delainey Hayles would be back in The Vampire Lestat. But we didn’t know what character Hayles would play in her return. In Interview with the Vampire, we witnessed the death of Delainey Hayles’ original character, Claudia. Claudia was the vampire daughter of Lestat and Louis, and she was murdered by the Paris Coven for “breaking the Great Laws” of the vampire, while Louis was just barely spared. Uncovering the truth of her death was a core part of Louis’ journey in Interview with the Vampire, and no doubt, reckoning with the grief of losing her will continue to be a major part of his story in The Vampire Lestat. But does Delainey Hayles actually return as Claudia in The Vampire Lestat? In The Vampire Lestat episode three, she comes back to us in the form of someone else, a human. But who is Regina, Delainey Hayles’ new The Vampire Lestat character? Let’s take a closer look at what the series has revealed to us so far about this familiar face with a new name.

AMC Who Does Delainey Hayles Play in The Vampire Lestat?

Delainey Hayles plays Regina in The Vampire Lestat. We meet Hayles’ Regina in The Vampire Lestat episode three, but we hear Louis talking about her as early as episode two.

Who Is Regina in The Vampire Lestat?

So far, all we know about Regina is that she is a human who works as a waitress at a NYC diner called “Brick and Bacon.” Louis describes Hayles’ Regina to Daniel as follows: “I saw Claudia in New York, coming out of the subway… Someone who looked like her, but in her twenties, if she’d made it to her twenties. So I come up, I watched her turn the corner. I saw her walk into a diner. I couldn’t help myself. I go inside, I grab a booth. It’s not her, she’s not there. Chased a ghost, I guess. I ordered a donut and coffee, just to pass. And she comes out the back in uniform. It’s not her. This one’s got a different walk, accent. I’m not in her section. I walked out.”

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THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Is Unlike Anything Else on TV (Review)

But indeed, when we see Regina in The Vampire Lestat episode three, played by Delainey Hayles as she is, the character is an exact copy of Claudia. Her accent is British when she speaks to Louis and she’s aged to Hayles’ age at the present. But we can see how intense this might be for the character.

Is Regina Related to Claudia at All? AMC

For now, we don’t know if Regina and Claudia have any kind of cosmic connection on The Vampire Lestat. Anne Rice’s universe is full of all kinds of magic and powers, though, so we guess we can’t entirely rule it out either.

Nerdist Take: What Role Will Delainey Hayles’ Regina Play in Louis’ Story in The Vampire Lestat?

What we can say is that Regina’s resemblance to Claudia is likely not good for Louis if Regina is, indeed, not at all connected to Claudia in The Vampire Lestat. Louis already went to the diner once to see Regina, as he told Daniel. And now we see that he’s returned again. The idea of seeing someone we love come back to life is, of course, a temptation that no human and vampire could withstand easily. But if Regina is truly just some human person, then she likely cannot actually help Louis with his grief over Claudia. In all likelihood, she would just make it worse if she is not actually Claudia in any way. And, especially for a vampire, intense grief can be a dangerous thing. We want healing for Louis, but we’re not sure this is the path that brings it.

Will We See More of Delainey Hayles’ Regina in The Vampire Lestat? AMC

Given that The Vampire Lestat episode three concludes with Louis meeting Regina at her diner, we feel like the answer is definitely yes—Delainey Hayles will be back as Regina in at least one more episode. What will that bring, though? Only time will tell.

The Vampire Lestat (or season three of Interview with the Vampire) is currently streaming on AMC and AMC+. New episodes arrive Sundays at 9 pm PT/ET on AMC and at midnight on AMC+. You can also read Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat book today.

Rotem Rusak is the Editor-in-Chief of Nerdist. She cannot take any more Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat devastation for Louis or anyone else.

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⚡ Quick Take

• House of the Dragon is back and bloodier than ever for season three, which features a lot of major deaths in a battle for the Iron Throne.

House of the Dragon is back for season three and whoa did it not waste any time diving right into the action. Rhaenyra’s continuous quest to sit upon the Iron Throne and claim her place as her father’s rightful heir and Alicent’s cold, villainous decisions to attempt to clean up her royal messes are at the forefront of this season as battles rage on. As is customary with any story of war and revenge, there will be a lot of bloodshed and big deaths in House of the Dragon season three. So, who ends up losing their life in this conflict between Team Black and Team Green? Here is every major death that happens in House of the Dragon season three. 

Note: We are only counting main and important named characters. Sorry to all the ancillary soldiers and random people who are caught in the line of fire between Rhaenyra’s rage and Alicent’s boneheadedness. 

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What Is HOUSE OF THE DRAGON’s Battle of the Gullet? (Spoiler Free) Prince Jacaerys Velaryon and His Dragon Vermax HBO

Believing in Alicent’s offer to let her come into King’s Landing and take power, Rhaenyra sends her naval forces, led by the Sea Snake Lord Corlys Velaryon, in that direction to control the city. Her wise son Jace strongly advises against this, saying that it is likely a trap. This decision leads to the Battle of the Gullet when the Triarchy shows up and Admiral Sharako Lohar is determined to take the Sea Snake down. Rhaenyra gets word of this and hastily decides that she will ride Syrax into battle; however, Jace comes up with a plan to protect his mother’s life. 

He conspires with Sir Lorent to lock Rhaenyra in her room, and Jace instead rides off with Baela on their respective dragons, Vermax and Moondancer. Unbeknownst to them, Rhaena rides a very untamed Sheepstealer into battle, who begins to burn everything and tries to attack the other dragons. This leads to Vermax being harpooned for a second time. Vermax drowns and Jace manages to unhook himself, but is shot down with several arrows, ending the first episode of House of the Dragon season three with a very major and sad death. Now, Rhaenyra will have to deal with losing two sons in her journey towards the Iron Throne. 

Admiral Sharako Lohar  Ollie Upton/HBO

Sure, she’s not necessarily the most “major” character in this show. But Admiral Sharako Lohar made quite the splash with her appearance at the end of season two, and fans were ready to see more from her. The Battle of Gullet features much bloodshed and fire, much of it fueled by Admiral Sharako Lohar’s hatred of Lord Corlys. She wishes to exact revenge on him, saying that he led the persecution and slaughter of her mates for 20 years. She doesn’t care what the King’s mission is, nor is she Team Green. She is driven by hatred, and after much tense battle and chase, finally gets her one-on-one fight against Lord Corlys.

Interestingly, Lohar’s drowning at the hands of Alyn of Hull was a creation of the show. In George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood, the Lyseni admiral survived the Battle of the Gullet. His ship was one of the 28 out of 90 not to burn or sink. Lohar’s survival, and the fact that 25 in total hailed from Lys, helped lead the three Free Cities of the Triarchy to go to war with one another two years later.

As the ship splits, it throws Corlys into the sea, a sight that makes his illegitimate son Alyn of Hull incredibly angry. Alyn tackles Sharako into the seas and attempts to drown her before finally stabbing her in the neck. It’s kinda sad because she was lit but she also dug her own grave by going rogue against the Sea Snake. Right now, we won’t include Corlys in our death breakout because it is not clear if he’s dead or has washed ashore somehow.  

Let’s see what other demises await us in House of the Dragon season three.

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The post Every Major Character Death in HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 3 appeared first on Nerdist.

This post contains major spoilers from the House of the Dragon season three premiere and its major character death or deaths. If you haven’t seen it yet and want to avoid them, you can instead check out our pre-season coverage, like what you need to know ahead of The Battle of the Gullet.

Ollie Upton/HBO ⚡ Quick Take

• House of the Dragon‘s season three premiere featured the death of Rhaenyra’s eldest son, Jacaerys or Jace.
• Jace flew into battle unprepared and ended up dying in a way similar to what we read in G.R.R. Martin’s books.
• Jace may have won a battle for Rhaenyra, but he did her incredible damage. Jace’s death will be a great wound to her going forward in House of the Dragon.

George R.R. Martin readers have long known why the Battle of the Gullet was a Pyrrhic victory for Queen Rhaenyra. Despite losing many sailors and ships, the Velaryon fleet defeated the Triarchy and maintained its blockade. It won thanks to a big, fiery assist from the Queen’s dragons. But Rhaenyra had no reason to celebrate. She lost something far more precious than an armada. Her son and heir, Prince Jacaerys Targaryen, died after his dragon Vermax fell. Jace’s House of the Dragon season three, episode one demise was a shocking death straight from the books that forever changed the Dance of the Dragons.

HBO Jace’s House of the Dragon Death Comes Straight From G.R.R. Martin’s Books

In the end, Jace didn’t survive the Battle of the Gullet in Martin’s books or HBO’s House of the Dragon series. Martin’s history actually posits a few versions of Jace’s death, but most accept that the end began when a grapnel hook took down Vermax. HBO’s adaptation changed some of the details of how that worked and where Vermax crashed (into a boat versus being dragged by an anchor into the sea), but House of the Dragon‘s version was the same in spirit.

Then, it’s onto Jace’s actual death in House of the Dragon. Prince Jacaerys also died the same way in both the books and series. For a brief moment, he clung to a piece of wood from a wrecked ship. But before his allies could save him, archers from a nearby Triarchy ship riddled his body with arrows.

HBO How Did Jace End Up Dead?

Rhaenyra lost her second son, Luke, at the start of the Dance. Since then, she kept her eldest Jace by her side. She even told him about Aegon the Conqueror’s Song of Ice and Fire, the prophecy about the White Walkers that led him to unite Westeros under his family’s rule. Now, Jace, a good, smart, well-intentioned young man, is dead. He was his mother’s fiercest protector and confidant.

Jace’s desire to protect his mother led to his House of the Dragon death. Rhaenyra wanted to answer Ser Corlys’ call when the Triarchy launched its sneak attack. On House of the Dragon, Jace conspired with Queensguard knight Ser Ser Lorent Marbrand to keep Rhaenyra locked up so she couldn’t fly into battle. It was the most recent example of her allies stopping her from doing so, as they believe her death would instantly end the war, which would likely mean their own heads on spikes. Jace always agreed with keeping his mother safe and far from direct conflict. His protective nature was not the only reason he fell. And we don’t mean because House of the Dragon made a major change when it came to the Battle of the Gullet and the number of dragons who fought there, and why.

HBO Jace Won a Battle, But Lost a War for Rhaenyra

While Rhaena’s wild Sheepstealer contributed to Jace’s demise on House of the Dragon, his own overeagerness to fight was as responsible for his death as anything else. Jace went headfirst into battle after reaching a frenzy talking about what victory would mean with his bethrothed, Baela. “We are ready. We can win this victory for her. Was this not always our purpose?” said Jace. He then flew too low amid ships full of seasoned sailors who had long fought dragons in the Stepstones.

Neither Jace nor Vermax were prepared for the Battle of the Gullet. By keeping his much smarter mother out of the fight, Jace’s naivety, inexperience, and bad luck got him killed. So while he did win a victory for his mother, he also ensured that Rhaenyra lost.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He thinks Jace with age and wisdom Jace would have been a good King. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Here’s what House of the Dragon kept the same, what it changed, and what it omitted entirely from the books with the Battle of the Gullet.

This post contains major spoilers for House of the Dragon‘s season three premiere. If you want to avoid them until you watch the episode, check out our pre-season coverage instead. That includes learning everything you needed to know before The Battle of the Gullet.

In Westeros, the Battle of the Gullet is remembered as one of the deadliest, most consequential sea conflicts in the Realm’s history. Now House of the Dragon viewers know why. The series brought to life a deadly and destructive fight between two massive fleets. While HBO’s adaptation kept the broad strokes of the conflict between the Triarchy and Rhaenyra’s forces the same, it also had a lot of room to fill in many gaps. George R.R. Martin’s recorded history of the infamous fight in Fire & Blood only covers a couple of pages. But even then, House of the Dragon made some major changes to its version. Here’s what House of the Dragon kept the same about the Battle of the Gullet, what it changed, and an important development it omitted entirely.

What Stayed the Same in the Battle of the Gullet From the Book HBO

The Lyseni Admiral Sharako Lohar did split up the Triarchy’s 90 ships during the surprise attack on the Velaryon fleet. Lohar sent some to the northern part of the waterway to hit the island of Driftmark (but not the neighboring Dragonstone). It was the seat of the Triarchy’s old nemesis, House Velaryon.

In the books, the Triarchy entered the harbor of the nearby Driftmark city Spicetown, setting both it and ships located there on fire. The show (in a deft bit of storytelling) focused on the Triarchy’s other main point of attack, as Lohar specifically went after Corlys Velaryon’s personal castle of treasures, High Tide, burning it to the ground. Ultimately, despite claiming many lives and many Velaryon ships, most Triarchy boats burned in a doomed effort to break the blockade.

HBO

In each Battle of the Gullet, Prince Jacaerys arrived on his dragon Vermax to turn the tide of the war, which the Triarchy waged in close proximity. Ships of the Three Sisters rammed and boarded the Velaryon fleet’s boats, making it harder for dragons to burn enemies since they were so close to Rhaenyra’s forces. The Triarchy was also well-prepared for dragons, as it had plenty of experience with the creatures thanks in part to wars in the Stepstones against Prince Daemon and his dragon Caraxes.. The show captured how the ships of the Three Sisters came equipped with plenty of archers, scorpion bolts, and grapnel hooks.

Like in the book (though there are differing, less convincing accounts from history), a grapnel hook took down Vermax. The most oft-repeated story is that a single grapnel tied to a ship’s mast tore through the young dragon’s belly, its own speed adding to the hook’s effectiveness. That caused the creature to crash into a ship where it got tangled up and drowned. House of the Dragon version of Vermax’s death was mostly the same, but instead of a whole ship dragging down the dragon, it was an anchor attached to the grapnel. It brought Vermax to the water where the dragon drowned.

Ollie Upton/HBO

HBO’s series also kept Jace’s death the same (after faking out readers by having him and Vermax escape a grapnel hit earlier). Archers killed Rhaenyra’s son and heir as Prince Jacaerys clung to a piece of wreckage.

The Changes That House of the Dragon Made to the Battle of the Gullet HBO

The biggest change House of the Dragon made to the Battle of the Gullet—besides time, as the TV conflict did not last many hours into the night—was its dragon participants. While Prince Jace first answered the call in both versions, Baela was nowhere close when the fighting began. She never arrived with Moondancer and was never part of the Battle of the Gullet, let alone a reason for victory.

Sheepstealer was part of the fight, but not because Rhaena arrived on the wild dragon. Instead it was a young girl named Nettles who took to the skies that day. The show has cut her from its story. In the book, Nettles claimed the wild, sheep-eating dragon who lived on Dragonstone (and not the Vale, which is a whole thing) as part of the book’s very different Red Sowing. Nettles and Sheepstealer did not attack Jace or any other of Rhaenyra’s dragonriders, either. That was wholly a creation of HBO’s adaptation, which made Sheepstealer’s presence and indiscriminate attacks partly responsible for Jace’s death.

HBO

In George R.R. Martin’s history, Nettles and Sheepstealer came to Jace’s side along with Ulf the White on Silverwing, Hugh Hammer on Vermithor, and Addam of Hull on Seasmoke. On House of the Dragon, those three were instead far away at Dragonstone awaiting the arrival of Prince Regent Aemond, which Alicent told Rhaenyra was the Greens’ plan. (Aemond threatened to ruin Alicent’s doublecross when he decided to stay in King’s Landing before his mother manipulated him to leave.)

The appearance of four more dragons was too much for the Triarchy forces, which did ultimately break into chaos. (On the show, Corlys made that happen by luring Lohar away, leaving the Triarchy without its leader.) Before that the fleet had bravely stood up to the inexperienced Jace and Vermax. Once the five dragons brought fire and blood to the Gullet the battle was lost. The fact the Triarchy held out for as long as it did shows how formidable it really was. The Gullet was not a total victory for Rhaenyra’s side. It lost 1/3rd of its ships, a dragon, and its heir.

There’s also no indication from recorded history from Fire & Blood that anyone stopped Queen Rhaenyra from fighting, either. With five dragons ready to defend the Gullet for her, it seems unlikely she would have needed to put her own life at risk.

HBO

Lohar only died on HBO’s prequel. In the books, the Admiral survived alongside 28 of the 90 Triarchy ships that sailed into the Gullet. Of those, 25 surviving boats were Lyseni boats. Myr and Tyrosh did not respond well to that peculiar fact. The other two Free Cities accused Lohar of protecting his own men at the cost of their forces. That ultimately led to the dissolution of the Triarchy. Two years later, the three cities went to war with each other.

Tyland Lannister was also not with Lohar during the attack. The Greens’ Master of Ships wasn’t even on a boat he could then be tossed off of. He was in King’s Landing while the Battle of the Gullet took place. (To avoid spoilers, we won’t discuss the fate of Corlys from the book. The show clearly left that ambiguous during its battle.)

HBO What the Show Omitted Entirely

In House of the Dragon‘s second season, Princess Rhaena ran away from her protectors in the Vale to pursue Sheepstealer. Rhaena was supposed to accompany her half-brothers—Rhaenyra and Daemon’s sons Aegon and Viserys—to Pentos. Just like in the books, the young princes were traveling their on the Gay Abandon.

In Fire & Blood, that boat and its Velaryon escorts ran right into the Triarchy fleet. Aegon, who’d never ridden his dragon Stormcloud before, barely escaped the sailors who fired heavily on him and Stormcloud. He made his way back to Dragonstone to warn of the fleet, but Stormcloud died. Aegon also never forgave himself for abandoning his brother. The Triarchy (ultimately Lohar) took the boy and his dragon egg captive.

HBO

Rhaenyra’s side thought Viserys died in the Battle of the Gullet since no one knew what ship he’d been on. The loss of two more sons only made Rhaenyra more protective of her two remaining boys, Joffrey and Aegon.

For now, we have no idea what House of the Dragon plans to do with little Aegon and Viserys. We do not know the fate of the Gay Abandon. But no matter what happens to that cog, Jace is gone. As is the Triarchy fleet and many of Corlys Velaryon’s men and ships. Because while House of the Dragon made big changes to the Battle of the Gullet, it was just as deadly as ever.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He would simply never fight a dragon. No chance. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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⚡ Quick Take

• House of the Dragon season three’s Olivia Cooke and Ewan Mitchell talk about Alicent, Aemond, and TV’s most awkward kiss ever.

Listen, there’s something in the television air. And that something is… incest? We didn’t really see that one coming. But we have two major series on the air right now, House of the Dragon and The Vampire Lestat, that are both serving us some strange mother/son interactions... By which we mean kisses. And you’d think we’d be a bit inured to this by now, given the strange propensity for incest we’ve seen in recent times. But NOPE. House of the Dragon season three’s kiss between Aemond Targaryen and his mother, Alicent Hightower, is probably the most awkward kiss we’ve ever seen on television. And, as we mentioned, that’s SAYING something. We’re glad it’s cringe, but we’re a bit less glad to have to watch it.

HBO

It’s a difficult life for a woman in Westeros. It’s triply difficult if you’re just trying to run away from your terrible family and prevent all-out war. Alicent did her best to get the rightful queen on the throne when she went to Rhaenyra at the end of House of the Dragon season two, willing to sacrifice her terrible son Aegon for some peace. But in House of the Dragon season three, nothing is going as planned. Aegon is missing, and Aemond (and his vicious dragon Vhagar) refuse to leave King’s Landing to make way for an easy Rhaenyra takeover. So what is Alicent to do? Well, on House of the Dragon season three, episode, Alicent deftly manipulates Aemond by offering him what he wants most… her love… and a kiss… A really bad one. Eeps.

HBO

In order to get Aemond out of the castle, Alicent finally tells him what he most wants to hear. That she loves him and that while she “strove tirelessly to put Aegon on the throne,” Alicent truly believes, “You should have been King. If you’d only been born first, then perhaps we wouldn’t be here.” And, of course, these are the words that mommy-issue-riddled Aemond has always wanted to hear. And as she continues to speak, Alicent moves closer to Aemond, taking his hand and telling him, “That is why you need to go to Harrenhal. It is a stronghold. One that has withstood dragonfire once before. You are no longer safe here in King’s Landing. You are the crown now. And Rhaenyra will send her new dragons here for you.” But, of course, nothing actually sways Aemond to leave King’s Landing until Alicent offers, “Perhaps I could even meet you there… I cannot lose you.”

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And that, to Aemond, is the opening for the world’s most uncomfortable kiss ever. Alicent’s eyes are fully open, and her whole body conveys disgust as Aemond kisses her on House of the Dragon, but he doesn’t seem to notice. Instead, he very sincerely tells her, “I shall host a feast there in your honor. In Black Harren’s hall. Whilst my uncle’s head looks down from a spike.” Well… that’s charming.

We can see Alicent regret all her life choices after her kiss with Aemond and his bloodthirsty proclamations. Of course, the whole thing is also a bit sad. We know that, on some level, as we see from his interactions with Sylvi, the madam of the aptly named brothel, Mother’s, Aemond just wants to be held, loved, and listened to by a maternal figure. Alicent clearly did not give him much in the way of motherly affection. And, in the world of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, that dearth has gone very wrong.

HBO

Speaking to both Alicent actress Olivia Cooke and Aemond actor Ewan Mitchell, Nerdist learned more about the awkward kiss between them in House of the Dragon.

Cooke shares, “She thinks it’s really hot.” Only joking. In fact, Alicent finds it incredibly disturbing. It’s completely out of left field. I think she is like, ‘Great, another failing as a parent,’ because something has been confused. Something has been tragically confused along the way. And she’s in a really dangerous position now because any seeming rejection will get her killed, and will mean that Aemond is still in the castle when Rhaenyra comes, and so she’s got to play body chess at the same time as trying to survive.” ‘Body Chess’ is a phrase we might have done without, but it does get the point across.

Meanwhile, Mitchell offers an empathetic view of Aemond’s actions in House of the Dragon and his desire to kiss his mother, Alicent, “Aemond, he kind of grew up feeling like he never had that much love as a child, and he really had to learn to love himself. And so that’s where his ego and his vanity stems from. If a child isn’t embraced by the village, they’ll burn it down to feel its warmth. He’s kind of on this war path. He’s finding his power through using Vhagar and really making a name for himself. A notorious kind of name for himself. And I think Aemond, in that moment, he’s kind of risen to a position where he can comfortably call himself the king and the leader of Team Green. And with that, maybe he feels like he can shoot his shot with Alicent in a really weird way because his perception of love is so skewed. He doesn’t necessarily know how to show it since he never received any. What you’ve seen in that moment is kind of a combination of both of those things.”

HBO

Well, as awkward as it was, Alicent’s shared kiss with Aemond on House of the Dragon episode one did, indeed, achieve her aims. What will happen between the pair in the long run remains to be seen. But hopefully… no more kisses.

House of the Dragon season three is now airing on HBO and HBO Max on Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT.

Rotem Rusak is the Editor-in-Chief of Nerdist. She’s seen a lot on TV, but that kiss between Aemond and Alicent on House of the Dragon was one of the worst things ever.

The post HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Cast Talks TV’s MOST Awkward Kiss Ever appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The Vampire Lestat’s Rolin Jones, Assad Zaman, and Eric Bogosian gave us a TON of Devil’s Minion teases about Armand and Daniel.
• When asked about the state of the romance, Rolin Jones confirmed, “We have been writing it from the beginning. We are continuing to write it, and we’re right there now.”
• Assad Zaman and Eric Bogosian also noted that it was “a work in progress.”

It might not come as a surprise to many of you, but here at Nerdist HQ, we’re particularly interested in what The Vampire Lestat has in store for Armand, Daniel, and, of course, the romantic relationship between them, known as Devil’s Minion. Devil’s Minion is a romance that’s canon to the Anne Rice books. And so, after two seasons of meaningful gazes, surprise flashbacks, and one vampiric turning, eager fans have been patiently hoping to see the love between Armand and Daniel bloom in full force on our screens this year. But what does The Vampire Lestat have in store for DM? The showrunner of The Vampire Lestat, Rolin Jones, and stars Assad Zaman and Eric Bogosian, who play Armand and Daniel, respectively, gave us a SLEW of insights. And these teases of what’s to come have us feeling pretty excited for the future of Devil’s Minion. You can check them out below.

Nerdist: We know the love between vampires can be many things. Or it can be one thing. As far as a romantic thing, where are Armand and Daniel (or Devil’s Minion) this season?

Rolin Jones: I think we’re in a very good place. That’s what I think. The old DM, right, has been hurtled at me right from day one at Comic-Con. When we were first coming out, even, and nobody had seen anything yet. People were coming to the microphone, going, “Where is this?” We have been writing it from the beginning. We are continuing to write it, and we’re right there now. And so, just like everything else, have patience; we will try to beat your expectations.

AMC

Eric Bogosian: Romantically? It’s problematic.

Assad Zaman: Problematic is the word. Problematic. It’s just problematic.

Eric Bogosian: We’ve come up with a lot of different metaphors for what it could be. One of the ones I like currently, that I’m sort of meditating on, is when you have a thing for somebody a long time ago, let’s say in high school, and then you run into that same person decades later, and you still feel that way, but they’re not the same person. They’re a different person. This is at the core of this whole show, and all the characters, the question of, “What is a person? A person is their history, or what they think their history is, and doesn’t everybody rewrite their own personal history? There is no objectivity. It’s this constantly changing thing, and definitely, Daniel is going through a changing thing in this season. How does a love manifest itself? Well, we’re working on that.

Assad Zaman: It’s a work in progress.

RELATED ARTICLE

Assad Zaman on What Love Means to Armand From THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Nerdist: In the times between when we see Armand and Daniel overtly come together, do you think there were instances when Armand and Daniel were in one another’s orbits that we haven’t seen on screen yet?

Assad Zaman: It’s always possible. There’s a long 50 years between San Francisco and where we are. There’s always that possibility. Armand, his elaborate lies are often always laced with some truth. If you sort of listen to him, there’s something honest kind of coming out there, shrouded in manipulation and lies. And then in San Francisco, his fascination is real. His fascination with Daniel Molloy is real and way stronger than Louis’ fascination. And so then, why wouldn’t he?

Nerdist: Eric, outwardly, Daniel refuses to acknowledge his “transformational trauma.” But how do you really think he feels about Armand abandoning him to his vampirism?

Eric Bogosian: Well, it does start out with raw anger, but just as we saw when we ended the second season, there’s more to be learned when it comes to Armand; there is a lot more to be learned. As he learns it, he’s really put on his back foot. It’s something that just keeps moving along through the season.

AMC Nerdist: What can you tell us about the Vampiric Bond between Armand and Daniel?

Assad Zaman: Well, from the perspective of Armand, things have shifted quite a lot since season two. He’s no longer part of the status quo of creating this world that he tried to maintain for so long, and he’s very much in a more vulnerable place and self-reflective and on a new mission to redeem himself in some ways and also explore what he did to Daniel and sort of trying to take… I’m struggling because I’m trying to say he’s trying to take blame, but he’s also not, because there’s always something else with Armand. But yeah, that’s where he’s at.

Nerdist: Eric, the show discussed Daniel’s sexuality a little bit in the prior seasons, but I think really confirmed it more as firmly in a queer place in The Vampire Lestat. I know we talked before about sort of the importance of representing queer generations that may have been a bit more lost on our screens. Did you think about that any more while you were all were creating this season?

Eric Bogosian: Well, I mean, Daniel and I have roughly the same timeline. So anything that has to do with queer stuff back in the ’70s has to be also rebellious if it has any sort of public aspect to it. He wasn’t in the closet. He was hanging out in gay bars. He’s not strictly homosexual, he’s kind of like everything. And that is also of the boomer ’70s. If it feels good, do it. That’s pretty much Daniel’s thing. So I think that is a part of Daniel is like he’s against the status quo. The status quo is a straight breeder world, and he’s always been ready to walk into any doorway and taste any flavor. And if it feels good, do it.

To that we say, Amen! The Vampire Lestat airs on AMC and AMC+, Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT and midnight, respectively.

Rotem Rusak is Editor-in-Chief of Nerdist. She is waiting for Armand and Daniel to finally get together so one of her canon ships can finally sail on The Vampire Lestat. Amen.

The post All the Devil’s Minion Teases We Got From THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Cast and Creators appeared first on Nerdist.