In Game of Thrones, Jon Snow has to decide if Daenerys is a worthy queen - The Verge

Spoilers ahead for “Winterfell,” episode 1 of Game of Thrones, season 8.

In the premiere of Game of Thrones’ season 8, the audience finally got the payoff from a secret fans have wondered about for years, which was confirmed in season 7: Jon Snow isn’t illegitimate, he’s the descendant of a Targaryen king, and the true heir to the Iron Throne of Westeros. (That’s if you discount the Baratheons’ takeover of the throne, and the Lannisters’ subsequent rule.) Although last season, Sam and Bran pieced together the truth about Jon’s parents, Jon himself has had no clue, and has been inadvertently engaging in incest by sleeping with Daenerys Targaryen, his aunt.

While it was extremely satisfying to hear Sam tell Jon the truth about his heritage, Jon’s immediate response to that truth raises some questions. His first reaction is to reject his right to rule, saying he gave up being a king when he bent the knee. As the good, law-abiding citizen he has always been, Jon considers it treason to think anything different.

Sam’s response to that is fairly epic: “It’s the truth. You gave up your crown to save your people. Would she do the same?” This revelation comes just after Sam tells Jon that Daenerys executed Sam’s father Randyll Tarly and brother Dickon Tarly for not bending the knee. She lacked the mercy Jon has displayed several times in the past, when he was put in the position of deciding whether to execute people, or spare them. And Jon apparently had no idea Daenerys was capable of such ruthlessness.

Jon must now decide whether he should continue to obey Daenerys, or announce his heritage and have his people follow him as king and potential heir to the Iron Throne. A lot of his decision may boil down to whether he thinks Daenerys would be a worthy ruler, and whether she would be selfless enough to sacrifice for her people, or whether she values power above all. In an eight-season show, Jon has spent less than a full season with Daenerys, and he’s missed a lot of her most dramatic and serious choices — murdering the Khals of the Dothraki, crucifying slavers, and burning a witch to death for betraying her, just to name a few.

So what does Jon even know about Daenerys? Before he sailed to meet her in Dragonstone in season 7, he held court in Winterfell to discuss his plans. During this discussion, it’s made clear that Jon, like most of Westeros, is well aware of the poor reputation the Targaryens share — particularly Daenerys’ father Aerys II Targaryen, aka The Mad King, who nearly burned down the Seven Kingdoms before he was stopped. Still, when Jon meets Daenerys, he mainly sees the good in her, saying, “You could’ve stormed King’s Landing… But you didn’t, which means at the very least, you’re better than Cersei.” That’s a low bar Jon is setting for Daenerys, considering Cersei’s many cruel acts throughout the show, including blowing up the Sept of Baelor in season 6, killing hundreds.

The showrunners did foreshadow in season 7 that Jon might ultimately need to call Daenerys’ character into question — and that she might be more bloodthirsty than he thought. She kills the Tarlys in season 7, by having Drogon burn them to a crisp, in an emotional scene that has Tyrion pleading with her every step of the way to show mercy. When she returns to Dragonstone, Jon remarks, “You weren’t gone long.” Daenerys says, with an air of satisfaction, “I have fewer enemies today than I did yesterday.” Her words vaguely trouble Jon, but he doesn’t really know what she means until Sam tells him in this episode.

Season 7 marked a test of wills where Daenerys and Jon initially approached each other without much trust. They slowly grew to admire each other’s courage and honor. But at this point in the story, while sequences like their waterfall interlude are pushing the romance of their connection, there’s still plenty they don’t know and haven’t confronted about each other. Sam’s latest revelations are bound to have a significant impact on Jon’s decisions going forward. In some ways, it would be convenient for Jon to reject Daenerys’ rule, given the pressure he’s under from the lords of the North. They don’t want her around either, and their various complicated histories with House Stark have left his alliances shaky enough without the question of an interloper demanding his subservience. On the other hand, as he pointed out, he never wanted to be King in the North, let alone King of Westeros.

But he’s also always shown that duty comes before his own desires. Which is why he has to decide how to balance his duty to the Seven Kingdoms with the duty he owes her, both as a loyal bannerman and a lover. It’s a question worth posing to the audience as well: after all we’ve seen of Dany, would she be a fair, just, and wise queen? Jon’s initial answer seems as good as any: at least she’s better than Cersei. But now that Jon might be up for potential ruler, maybe Westeros finally has an even better candidate to consider.

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https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/15/18311004/game-of-thrones-got-season-8-hbo-final-jon-snow-is-daenerys-targaryen-a-worthy-queen

2019-04-15 06:13:57Z
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Tame Impala Leave Fans Starving for New LP at Coachella 2019 - Consequence of Sound

“TAAAAAAAME!”

As Tame Impala took the stage for their Coachella performance on Saturday night, a sense of giddy anticipation filled the air. The Australian psych-pop outfit have become universally lauded for their expansive live visual setup, and their set would be the fourth time they’ve played Coachella in a decade, moving up from the festivals tiny fonts to sub-headlining for ACDC in 2015 to their imminent graduation to headliner last night.

Seeing how Parker is something of a perfectionist (okay, he is a perfectionist), it wasn’t the least bit surprising that everything about the performance was flawlessly executed. The visuals! The donut-shaped rig that pulsated with energy! Parker’s lush vocals! The entire supporting cast! It was all laser sharp, no pun intended. However, what was surprising was how little new music they actually brought to the table.

Just two new singles: “Patience” and “Borderline”.

Tame Impala at Coachella 2019, photo by Debi Del Grande

Otherwise, the set itself was filled with all of the same material that’s flooded their sets in the years since 2015’s Currents. So, it was a tad disappointing that there wasn’t much of an edge in that regard. Though, to their credit, they more or less became the de facto Saturday night headliner when two of Coachella’s initial big guns dropped out last minute back in December, leaving the festival with their hands tied.

In that respect, Tame Impala did more than enough to fill that void by drenching the crowd with their LSD-drenched visuals and even a little more crowd work than usual. (During one of their final songs, Parker crept onto the festival’s projectors with five eyeballs.) Even so, one can’t help but feel that the festival jumped the gun on this band’s graduation, leaving us more starved than satiated.

That’s good news for Tame, though.

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Kid Cudi

Kid Cudi at Coachella 2019, photo by Goldenvoice

The bar was set high for Kid Cudi’s showing in the Sahara tent on Saturday night. After Solange pulled out of the festival a mere week before gates opened, Tame Impala shifted up to an earlier slot, meaning Kid Cudi and Bassnectar were afforded the unique opportunity to split a late-night festival audience after the headliner.

What could have been a dynamic showing was stifled by Cudi’s lack of momentum from the jump. Although a rendition of “Father Stretch My Hands” and a triumphant performance of “Reborn” proved to be high points of the set, Cudi felt scattered throughout most his set, never fully able to keep the crowd’s attention for more than a passing moment.

Kid Cudi at Coachella 2019, photo by Goldenvoice

The noticeable omission of “Soundtrack 2 My Life” felt like a missed opportunity to carry his fans into the proper headspace for his performance and “In My Dreams”, the iconic intro anthem from Man on the Moon, would have served him well as an intro-de-grandeur. Neither were utilized. Instead, Cudi opted to focus his lens on Kids See Ghosts tracks and EDM remixes of his most popular songs.

The whole thing felt cheap, careless even. Granted, there were redeeming aspects, like the saccharine visuals projected onto the Sahara tent’s massive projectors, and the sheer universal appeal of Cudi’s singalong tracks, but, ultimately, the set fell short. Cudi felt the need to pander to his audience, giving them what he thought they were expecting, rather than the unapologetic showing they so desperately needed.

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Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish at Coachella 2019, photo by Debi Del Grande

At 17 years of age, Billie Eilish is one of the youngest artists to occupy such a prime stage and slot at Coachella, but it was earned. The late-night Outdoor Theatre crowd sprawled as far as the eye could see as Eilish busted down frantically to the live debut of “Bad Guy”. Moving into another debut with “Strange Addiction”, her energy was quickly matched by the gyrations of thousands of frenzied onlookers.

As she flailed onstage, Eilish cast a wicked spell over California’s youth, lulling them into her spooky sonic universe. Tarantulas and roaches appeared on big screens, Eilish laid in a floating bed Exorcist style, and a flock of dancers writhed around in beds as if they were trapped in a schizophrenic episode. It was Rob Zombie horror dynamics with bubblegum pop affectations … and everyone was chewing it.

At such a young age, it’s daunting to think about where Billie Eilish might go from here.

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Four Tet & Aphex Twin

Four Tet at Coachella 2019, photo by Debi Del Grande

Four Tet used not a single ounce of lighting for his hour-long dance music expose in the Mojave tent. The IDM pioneer crafted a steady and specific energy, never faltering from his commitment to specificity. Turntablism gave way to jacking dance moves, heart throbbing synths washed over a vulnerable crowd, and altered renditions of his stellar originals culminated in cathartic release.

Shortly after, Aphex Twin swooped right in with a set defined by its binary division of chaos and fluidity. Richard D. James ebbed and flowed between jarring, almost epileptic, image patterns that juxtaposed against periods of focused, luminescent zeal. It was unnerving as often as it was awe inspiring, while also proving to be a crash course in dance music as Berlin techno relented to infectious jungle grooves, which gave way to breaks of acid house, and on to industrial, and synth, and the genres kept churning.

TL; DR? Until the Chemical Brothers are booked back-to-back with Boards of Canada, Coachella likely won’t see a duo as unique as this in quite some time.

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J Balvin

J Balvin at Coachella 2019, photo by Debi Del Grande

The most noticeable aspect of Coachella’s lineup this year was its sudden embrace of various world genres. Some of Latin music’s biggest names sat next to mainstays in K-Pop and American pop. That notion wasn’t lost on J Balvin. “It took us 15 years to get here,” proclaimed the Medellín hailing Reggaeton superstar, matter of factly, after being joined by Rosalia for an incendiary rendition of their collaboration, “Con Altura”.

As such, the set was a triumphant introduction of Latin music into Coachella’s wide-reaching festival platform, and Balvin’s stage banter was almost exclusively versed in Spanish. Very little was lost in translation, thanks to the help of art collective FriendsWithYou, whose stage setup was an anime-like overflow of jovial sensory triggers: ballooning cartoon characters, a horse-sized duck that Balvin rode across the stage, and a slew of background dancers all decked the set out with pop culture ambition.

It was a total joy.

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Bob Moses

Bob Moses at Coachella 2019, photo by Goldenvoice

Canadian electronic duo Bob Moses performed their slow, prodding grooves during the coveted golden hour slot. The set, mainly filled with the methodical builds of their originals, took a rather chaotic turn, however, when the group busted into The Prodigy’s seminal track “Breathe”. The rendition was an unexpected, albeit totally welcome, homage to the iconic electronic outfit’s late frontman Keith Flint, who passed away in his Essex home this past March.

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Ty Segall and White Fence

Ty Segall at Coachella 2019, photo by Debi Del Grande

As hungover festival goers roamed on the scalding hot grass of the Outdoor Theatre, Ty Segall and White Fence thrashed through a set of aggressive punk ballads with a sense of humor and wit about them. “Alright, we should be warmed up now”, joked Tim Presley nearly 20 minutes into their set. Despite the punishing midday heat beating down from above, jocks and punks alike coalesced to form a mosh pit at the front of the band’s sparse crowd. It was a rare sight to see at Coachella this year, but it was proof that there’s always still room for a bit thrash.

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Click Here for Friday’s Coverage

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https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/04/coachella-2019-day-two/

2019-04-14 21:08:00Z
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The Mandalorian: Exclusive footage revealed at Star Wars Celebration Chicago - CNET

Star Wars Celebration fans got an exclusive look at footage from The Mandalorian.

Lucasfilm

No disintegrations. Fans at Star Wars Celebration Chicago got an exclusive look at The Mandalorian, the first live action Star Wars show, at a Sunday panel. While much of it was broadcast on the internet, two features were screened only for the audience that made it to Chicago.

The Mandalorian will be released on the Disney Plus streaming service when the Netflix-rival launches on Nov. 12, and Sunday's panel provided more information about the show since it was announced. Pedro Pascal (best known for playing Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones) will play the titular role and wear armor similar to that of classic character Boba Fett.

The panel is still available to watch on the Star Wars YouTube channel, with exclusive footage blacked out, but we've got a full recap from the ground at Celebration Chicago.

Executive Producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni first took the stage to reveal the origins of the show, which is set five years after Return of the Jedi. The two met at Skywalker Ranch around 2007; Filoni was the first person to see Iron Man and he showed Favreau CGI animated series The Clone Wars (which is making a comeback on Disney Plus: check out that panel later Sunday.

The Star Wars underworld was a very rich storytelling environment, according to Favreau, and he wanted to get back to the tone of the old western and samurai films that inspired George Lucas. The Legends canon, Star Wars novels and media created before Disney took them out of continuity to pave the way for 2015's The Force Awakens, was also mined to get ideas for the show.

Then cast members Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano and Carl Weathers hit the stage to talk about their characters.

Pascal will be playing titular role as previously announced, but he was pretty coy about the character at the panel.

"The Mandalorian is a mysterious lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy," said Pascal. "Some might say he has questionable moral character."

Carano's character is named Cara Dune, an ex-Rebel Alliance shock trooper, while Weathers plays Greef Carga, and it sounds like his character will work closely with Pascal's. 

Gina Carano is playing Cara Dune.

Lucasfilm

"He's kinda the head of this guild of bounty hunters," Weathers revealed. "The Mando is a guy who he figures can get the job done."

The panel exclusively showed attendees a sizzle reel that opened with the Mandalorian walking on a bridge on an icy world, following a transponder to a shelter. Presumably he was hunting a mark.

It flashed through moments from the show's production, showing directors like Deborah Chow, Bryce Dallas-Howard and Taika Waititi. We got a look at the Mandalorian's ship, called the Razorcrest, and it's apparently a homage to Jango Fett's original ship (Kuat Drive Yards Amphibious Interstellar Assault Transport/infantry) seen in the Legends canon 2002 video game Bounty Hunter.

Pascal is seen being suited up, with Favreau noting that new planets, races, species and starships will be introduced.

"It's beautiful hearing the fans react to it," said Weathers.

Stormtroopers from the 501st cosplay group were recruited for The Mandalorian.

Sean Keane/CNET

Favreau revealed that they found they didn't have enough Stormtroopers for a scene at one point during production, but Filoni knew some superfans who could help out -- members of the 501st cosplay group got to play a role.

Favreau and Filon answered a few questions from Twitter  -- they revealed that they discussed where the Mandalorians were during the prequels and Original Trilogy. We know about the former from The Clone Wars and Rebels CGI animated series, and hinted that this show would fill in the gaps for the latter.

They also highlighted that Favreau finished one of his scripts on Christmas Day and how Filoni has written one episode.

In describing more of his character, Pascal further pushes the western and samurai edge. "He's got a lot of Clint Eastwood in him," said Pascal, noting that he watched a lot of Sergio Leone and Kurosawa movies to prepare.

Fans attending got another exclusive look at a scene in that most classic of Star Wars locations: a cantina. There we find Mandalorian and Weathers' Greef discussing a big time job, which Mando agrees to.

He steps out into a Mos Eisley-style marketplace, where we see a Kowakian monkey-lizard (like Salacious Crumb in Return of the Jedi) and another cowering in a cage behind him. No doubt they'll be delicious.

Carl Weathers plays Greef Carga.

Lucasfilm

Arriving at a door, the Mandalorian must pass a TT-8L/Y7 gatekeeper droid (a security camera on a stalk like the one seen at the entrance to Jabba's Palace in Return of the Jedi) using a clit given to him by Reef. He steps into a room and finds himself surrounded by a bunch of Stormtroopers in dirty armor -- these Outer Rim worlds are pretty grimy!). They note that the bounty hunter is outnumbered. 

"We have you four to one," a Stormtrooper says. 

"I like those odds," Pascal's character shoots back.

After a brief interruption from a doctor (Omid Abtahi), Werner Hergog's unnamed character offers him Beskar in exchange for a mysterious 50-year-old bounty, dead or alive. Beskar, AKA Mandalorian iron, is what their awesome armor is made of -- it was previously seen in Rebels.

Now playing: Watch this: Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker trailer tees...

2:04

The beskar is stamped with the Imperial symbol -- perhaps the oppressive regime seized it after Mandalore rebelled in Rebels? The Mandalorian notes that the beskar belongs with his people, and that they need to restore order after a time of disarray -- seems like their rebellion failed.

Panel attendees were then treated to a montage of scenes from the show.

"Is the world more peaceful since the revolution?" asks Herzgog, referring to the fall of the Empire.

We then catch a glimpse of Giancarlo Esposito, who plays an awesome looking Imperial officer wearing a black cape and armor (like a more battle-ready Krennic from Rogue One) as he leads a squad of Stormtroopers to a residence.

"Burn them out," he says, before a flamethrower-wielding trooper (in cool red-accented armor) lets loose.

The Mandalorian is ready to bring a little chaos.

Lucasfilm

He's later seen flying a TIE fighter, so he's clearly a multi-talented guy.

We also caught glimpses of bounty hunters that like a whole lot like 4-LOM and IG-88, previously seen on Vader's Super Star Destroyer in The Empire Strikes Back, and a gunslinger apparently played by comedian Bill Burr.

"Look outside. I see nothing but death and chaos."

We get a taste of that as the Mandalorian takes down a group of Stormtroopers with his Holiday Special-style rifle -- culminating in his smashing open an unlucky trooper's helmet with the butt.

The chaos will continue when The Mandalorian hits Disney Plus on Nov. 12

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https://www.cnet.com/news/the-mandalorian-exclusive-footage-revealed-at-star-wars-celebration-chicago-panel/

2019-04-14 19:09:00Z
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The Mandalorian: Exclusive footage revealed at Star Wars Celebration - CNET

Star Wars Celebration fans got an exclusive look at footage from The Mandalorian.

Lucasfilm

No disintegrations. Fans at Star Wars Celebration Chicago got to take in an exclusive look at The Mandalorian, the first live action Star Wars show, at a Sunday panel. While most of the panel was broadcast on the internet, two features were screened only for the audience that made it to Chicago.

The Mandalorian will be released on the Disney Plus streaming service when the Netflix-rival launches on Nov. 12, and Sunday's panel provided more information about the show since it was announced. Pedro Pascal (best known for playing Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones) will play the titular role and wear armor similar to that of classic character Boba Fett.

Are you ready to meet The Mandalorian?

StarWars.com

The entire panel, with exclusive footage blacked out, is still available to watch on the Star Wars YouTube channel, but we've also embedded it here and recapped below:

Executive Producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni first took the stage to set up how they created the show. The two met at Skywalker Ranch around 2007. Filoni was the first person to see Iron Man and he showed Favreau Clone Wars. 

The Star Wars underworld was a very rich storytelling environment, according to Favreau. He wanted to get back to the tone of the old western and samurai films that inspired George Lucas. The Legends canon, Star Wars novels and media created before Disney took them out of canon with 2015's The Force Awakens, is also being looked through as well to create ideas for the show.

Cast members Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano and Carl Weathers hit the stage and gave more details to each of the characters they are playing.

Pedro Pascal takes stage at The Mandalorian panel.

Screenshot of Star Wars YouTube channel

Pascal will be playing title character as previously announced, with actor playing a little bit coy on the specifics. 

"The Mandalorian is a mysterious lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy," said Pascal. "Some might say he has questionable moral character."

Carano's character is named Cara Dune (we will update when spelling is confirmed on the name). She's an ex-Rebel Shock Trooper.

Weathers plays Reef Carga, and it sounds like his character will work closely with Pascal's. 

Gina Carano is playing Cara Dune.

Lucasfilm

"He's kinda the head of this guild of bounty hunters," Weathers revealed. "The Mando is a guy who he figures can get the job done."

The panel exclusively showed attendees a sizzle reel that opened with the Mandalorian walking on a bridge on an icy world. It quickly flashed through moments, along with behind-the-scenes moments with directors Deborah Chow, Bryce Dallas-Howard and Taika Waititi. The reel showed the Mandalorian's ship, called the Razor Crest, and shows the character following a transponder to a shelter. Presumably he was hunting a mark. Pascal is seen being suited up, with Favreau noting that new planets, races, species and starships will be introduced.

"It's beautiful hearing the fans react to it," said Weathers.

Stormtroopers from the 501st cosplay group were recruited for The Mandalorian.

Sean Keane/CNET

Fans also got to literally be a part of the show, as there weren't enough Stormtroopers for a scene. Members of the 501st cosplay group were recruited to help out.

Favreau and Filoni are taking the lead on Twitter questions, which include asking where the Mandalorians were during the prequel and original trilogy films. Favreau finished one of this scripts on Christmas and Filoni has written one episode.

In describing more of his character, Pascal further pushes the western and samurai edge. "He's got a lot of Clint Eastwood in him," said Pascal, noting that he watched a lot of Sergio Leone and Kurosawa movies to prepare.

Fans attending got another exclusive look at a scene set in a cantina. The Mandalorian and Weathers' Reef are discussing a job, and we see Salacious Crumb on a spit in a marketplace.

Carl Weathers plays Reef Carga.

Lucasfilm

The Mandalorian is seen encountering a bunch of Stormtroopers, who note the bounty hunter is outnumbered. "We have you four to one," a Stormtrooper says. 

"I like those odds," Pascal's character shoots back.

Werner Hergog's character offers him Bescar in exchange for the bounty, dead or alive. It's not bad offer, as Bescar is what the Mandalorian's armor is made from.

"Is the world more peaceful since the revolution," asks Herzgog's character, referring to the fall of the Empire. "Look outside. I see nothing but death and chaos."

Giancarlo Esposito is seen playing an Imperial officer.

We also caught glimpses of bounty hunters 4-LOM and IG-88, previously seen on Vader's Super Star Destroyer in The Empire Strikes Back.

This post will update as we find out more about The Mandalorian.

Now playing: Watch this: Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker trailer tees...

2:04

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2019-04-14 17:35:00Z
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Billie Eilish played Coachella for the first time and the audience went wild - CNN

She has a No. 1 album. She's currently topping the Billboard Artist 100 chart. And on Saturday, she performed at Coachella for the first time -- during one of the festival's prime slots.

The 17-year-old pop star brought her signature moody vocals and goth-tinged sound to the big stage, and the audience could not contain themselves.

She also pulled off some impressive stunts, like perching on a bed suspended in mid-air while she performed her single "bury a friend."

Eilish brought out rapper Vince Staples for their collaboration "&burn," but due to technical difficulties his mic produced no sound.

Staples joked about it later.

"Im actually mute so there's that. Cillie Eilish Coachella !!!" he tweeted.

Eilish's debut album "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" was released last month.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/14/entertainment/billie-eilish-coachella-trnd/index.html

2019-04-14 16:51:00Z
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