KHALEESI IN H-TOWN
5 things we learned about Game of Thrones stars Emilia Clarke and Nathalie Emmanuel at Comicpalooza
May 13, 2019, 10:16 am
Nathalie Emmanuel, Houston Life host Courtney Zavala, and Emilia Clarke. DPWPR/Instagram
This article originally appeared on CultureMap and was written by Craig D. Lindsey.
As people were packing the George R. Brown Convention Center for Comicpalooza on a rainy Saturday, May 11, making sure their cosplay gear wasn't getting completely soaked, a huge but respectful crowd convened to the third floor General Assembly Hall to see Emilia Clarke and Nathalie Emmanuel, two of the revered, British stars from HBO's monster hit Game of Thrones.
Moderator Courtney Zavala, host of KPRC's daytime show Houston Life, didn't ask about the coffee cup from last week's ep); she instead focused on Emmanuel and Clarke and their revered characters — slave-turned-personal adviser Missandei (R.I.P.) and Daenerys Targaryen, the big, bad momma herself. At one point, they talked about Clarke's trademark eyebrows. Here's what we learned.
Ride or die girls
Clarke and Emmanuel are straight-up, ride-or-die, day-one chicks, discussing how they bonded when they shot in Morocco. When Emmanuel recalled a time when a revealing outfit she wore got unwarranted attention from some disrespectful gents, Clarke showed why she's the Mother of Dragons and told them to knock it off.
Humble starts
They also discussed how getting their now-iconic parts took them out of their mundane, day-to-day jobs and changed their lives immensely. Emmanuel was working in retail ("I had a mortgage," she divulged) while Clarke had a museum job that was apparently so strict, when she got the role of Targaryen, she had to stand on a toilet in a bathroom stall (or "the loo," as she adorably called it) so superiors wouldn't she see was in there changing her damn life.
Continue reading on CultureMap to learn about Emilia Clarke's thoughts on Beyonce.
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What were the takeaways from the Texans-Panthers preseason game?
We’re getting close to cuts, so the stakes are high with one last chance to make a lasting impression in the final preseason game. In the Texans’ win over Carolina, the biggest takeaway was the offensive line and running game — they looked good. Pass protection held up, and C.J. Stroud put together a nice touchdown drive capped off with a fourth-down throw to Nico Collins. Both rookies Jayden Higgins and Jalen Noel caught passes, and Nick Chubb looked sharp running with the starters.
How did the O-line look?
The line already looks much improved from last season. Pass protection was solid, run blocking was effective, and they were able to grind out yards while giving Stroud a clean pocket. Rookie Aireontae Ersery continues to impress, and there’s a real chance he ends up as the starting left tackle over big ticket free agent Cam Robinson. Robinson is back at practice, but Ersery has looked good with the first unit — and he was drafted to take Laremy Tunsil’s spot anyway, so why not speed up the process?
In practice the starters have been LT Ersery, LG Laken Tomlinson, C Jake Andrews, RG Ed Ingram, and RT Tytus Howard. If Robinson slides back to left tackle, Ersery could move to right tackle with Howard shifting inside to guard. It’ll be interesting to see what combo the Texans roll out against the Rams in Week 1.
Did the running backs impress?
Chubb looked good behind the line, finishing with 5 carries for 25 yards and a reception. He seemed comfortable in the scheme and showed some burst — it’s obvious he knows what he’s doing. If Joe Mixon isn’t ready for the start of the season, Houston should be in good hands with Chubb.
Damien Pierce is still out, which has given rookie Woody Marks more opportunity. He made the most of it with 40 yards on 7 carries against Carolina. He’s also shown he can help on third down with his ability in the passing game, which could earn him a real role.
How did the receivers look?
Rookie receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel both caught passes. Nico Collins, Christian Kirk, and Justin Watson each added a couple of grabs too. Based on last year, Stroud tends to funnel targets to his top two options. A season ago it was Collins and Stefon Diggs before injuries hit. This year, Kirk looks capable of filling that Diggs role out of the slot. He just fits.
Reaction to the John Metchie–Harrison Bryant trade
The Texans needed more tight end depth with Brevin Jordan hurt, and Metchie wasn’t going to make the team. Bryant gives them another option, and it looks like tight ends may play a bigger role in the offense after Irv Smith Jr. led the team in catches and yards against Carolina.
Special teams also factored in. Metchie doesn’t play there, while Braxton Berrios and Justin Watson do, which gives the Texans more flexibility. Collins, Kirk, Higgins, Noel, and Hutchinson all look like locks at receiver, so moving Metchie made sense. It will be interesting to see who the final pieces will be in the Texans receiver room. Will they keep Watson and/or Berrios? We'll find out on Tuesday when the final cuts are made. Stay tuned!
What to watch for against the Lions
It’s all about the offense at this point. The defense is expected to be elite, so the spotlight shifts to Stroud and the rest of the unit. If the offensive line holds up against Detroit and the operation looks sharp, the Texans should be well-positioned to open the regular season on the right foot.
There's so much more to break down! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The NFL season is almost upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Texans on Tap podcast, which drops each Thursday during the preseason! More episodes will ramp up when the regular season begins! We'll go live on YouTube after every regular-season game.
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