Daeron isn't just being raised by Ormund Hightower — he's being molded into one. On this episode of Scene N Nerd, Sarah and Will break down HOTD 3x06 ("Faceless Men") from the shocking cold open all the way through the Harrenhal seduction, and there's a lot to get through.

We open with Ser Criston Cole's genuinely unceremonious death — ambushed by the "dead" river lords in a moment that plays almost like a Robb Stark callback — before digging into the episode's real gut-punch: Daeron's cousin Ormund grooming him into a puppet king while teaching him to see his own Targaryen blood as the "tainted" half of who he is. We also get his actual uncle, Gwayne, showing up as a completely different kind of family — and a much-needed reality check for both of them.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:49 – Cold open: Ser Criston Cole's unceremonious death
07:43 – Ormund & Daeron: the abuse subtext nobody's talking about
10:14 – Molding Daeron into the "puppet king"
11:02 – Hightower cousins: the friction behind the throne
12:31 – Does Daeron actually know he's being played?
13:24 – "Closest and farthest thing from a Targaryen"
14:39 – The assassins, the "stink" payoff, and Gwayne's hero moment
18:07 – Corlys, Alyn, and the fight over the Velaryon name
21:45 – Baela, Addam, and the "very dutiful" line
25:12 – Aegon & Larys: a villain with humor, finally hearing the truth
27:48 – Team Alicent: caught, punished, and the pregnancy reveal
29:48 – Helena's visions pay off — Aemond found at Harrenhal
34:33 – Team "Cursed": Alys Rivers, dragon eggs, and Harrenhal's history
37:25 – Hugh's disguised visit to his wife in Tumbleton
39:45 – Alyn, Hugh, and Team Black's shaky dragonriders
41:48 – Rhaenyra, the throne, and the self-inflicted theme
43:53 – Daemon's indigestion joke and his impulsive streak in King's Landing
45:37 – Closing out: the Valyrian bloodline and the family tree jokes

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