I think Bran would be a terrible king. He would rule a surveillance state with little to no emotional connection to his people. If I lived in Westeros, I’d be moving north right now.
Georgianna and Charlotte’s friendship was my favorite part of season 1, along with Clara and Ester’s back-and-forth.
I will gladly watch more of both shows just for these four characters.
Some parallels.
I’m so proud of everyone involved in this show for having the guts to do EVERYTHING we just saw. Most other shows wouldn’t dare.
Give everyone all the Emmys! Especially Maisie, Emilia, and Lena!
I continue to love this season. I continue to believe that everything has been beautifully, wonderfully in character. No we may not like some of the things that are happening, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t in character.
In this episode:
Jaime – I always expected it to end here because honestly, from a narrative point of view, it’s the only thing that would have made sense. Jaime has been helplessly, hopelessly, insanely, madly, senselessly in love with Cersei his literal entire life. Literally. He only turned his back on her (in show time) a week, maybe two past. And that was only because by turning on her word, she was putting their unborn child at risk.
Yes, he loved Brienne, but that love couldn’t compare to what he felt for Cersei and when he found out that her life was in danger, of course, he had to go back to her. It was narratively, and in character, the only thing that made sense. To do otherwise, would have been out of character. Jaime said it himself to Brienne, he has done terrible, hateful awful things. He doesn’t really deserve a happy ending. It’s because of Brienne that he found any honor at all. So good on her.
Daenerys – I love Dany, and I think that everything that happened in this episode, again, narratively made perfect sense.
Everything made sense. I was so happy when those bells rang, and I do think that Dany tried to do the right thing, I believe that she really, really tried, but she was so fucking enraged and, more than that, hurt.
She lost Viserion, twice over.
Then she found out that Jon was her nephew (OK, admittedly not that big a deal to her), but she also found out that she wasn’t first in line to the throne.
Then she realized that no one loved her here like they did across the Narrow Sea even after her help was a huge reason they beat the Undead, Sansa was a still not very nice to her.
Then Jon refused to NOT tell his sisters, thus proving that he didn’t put HER needs, HER desires, HER first.
Then she lost Rhaegal.
Then she lost Missandei
Then she found out that Varys was plotting against her.
Then sometime in the midst of that she found out that Tyrion fucked up again TWICE. He trusted Sansa, who used his trust of her to turn her people against her. He also was wrong about trusting his brother.
And THEN Jon made it clear he loves her as his queen but just is not down to fuck his aunt so basically she lost Jon as her love too.
And this basically ALL happened in like less than a week.
Oh yeah, and Missandei, her best friend, her last words before she was decapitated before her eyes were: BURN THIS MOTHERFUCKING PLACE TO THE GROUND!
So that’s what Dany wanted to do. That’s what everything in her SCREAMED TO DO. When she told Tyrion that she wouldn’t Dracarys the hell out of King’s Landing, she did not believe for one second that the bells would ring. But then the soldiers surrendered… and the bells rang. And, well, see all those “Then…” above,“ and Dany was like, "Nope, I need my motherfucking revenge.”
It all made perfect sense. It wasn’t character assassination. It was character narrative that had been lain all along. These relationship built so that when they were taking from her, she was devastated and would react as such. Character beats that had been established throughout the seasons. This had all been lain throughout the series’ run.
Arya Stark – Every moment with Arya was just awesome. From her “I’m Arya Stark. I’m going to kill Queen Cersei.” And the guard just kinda paused and was like, uhm, yeah, I’m gonna go check with my superior but basically let you through cuz yeah, you’re you. To the scene with the Hound where he told her LIVE YOUR YOUR LIFE FOR LIVING! DON’T BE LIKE ME! And she called him “Sandor,” and she thanked him! Aaaah! And she was all caught up in the horror, and trying to help people and she kept escaping death so closely as if the God of Death himself were telling her: Live, girl, damnit, LIVE!
Oh, and that final scene was so beautiful. It was not only my favorite scene of the episode, but one of my favorites of the series. No dialogue, just Maisie Williams’ brilliant acting. It was beautifully shot and directed, but damn, her expressiveness slayed me dead. I thought it was exquisite.
You could read EVERYTHING that she was feeling, everything that was going through her mind. Taking in all of the horror, all of the death, realizing that THIS has been her life for so long and then seeing the white horse (coincidentally, Gendry rode in on a white horse, I’m just saying) and the sun shining on it and them like a ray of light amidst that horror. She saw it, and it was like a way out of that death and despair. And she was gentle and she took her time, and the horse, the light accepted her. And off into the sun they rode together. While the music played softly and you could hear the strains of the Game of Thrones theme in their.
After half-an-hour the Duke came forth and was accompanied to the Queen’s Chamber, where were also the Princess Mary and many attendants.The Queen (Catherine Parr) danced first with her brother very gracefully; and then the Princess Mary, the Princess of Scotland (Margaret Douglas) danced with other gentlemen and many other ladies also danced. A Venetian of the King’s household danced some gallards with extraordinary agility. After dancing had lasted several hours the Queen returned to her chamber, first causing one of the noblemen who spoke Spanish to offer some presents to the Duke, who kissed her hand. He would have likewise kissed the Princess Mary’s hand, but she offered her lips; and so he saluted her and all the other ladies. The King is said to be a man of great authority and beauty. The Queen has a lively and pleasing appearance and is praised as a virtuous woman. Describes her dress and that of the Princess Mary, who has a pleasing countenance and person and who knows how to conceal her acquirements. She is adored throughout the kingdom.
The Duke of Nagera’s Visit to England, 17th February 1544 (via queenmarytudor)
“Rules are for children. This is war, and in war the only crime is to lose.”
— Joe Abercrombie, Last Argument of Kings
Has the best fucking writing I’ve ever seen if you know anything and I mean anything even if you haven’t read the books but just watched the show then you know how George R.R Martin is when it comes to writing which he helps in part with on the show.. “ they’ve ruined the show” like is anyone even watching? Honestly I feel like everyone’s just been skimming the fucking episodes because it’s a popular show but haven’t paid attention to shit! Whats wrong with Danny’s arch? She was a weak girl who hasn’t been taken seriously for the most part of the show and she proves them wrong but how does that then justify her as a proper ruler?? The more she loses the more mad she becomes and shes begins to get a tunnel vision but if you haven’t been following her or if your a human how would that not fuck someone up???? Every time she finds something borderline normal she becomes powerless and loses it to things beyond her control! She had armies of slaves she saved and watched them die in a battle for a man who could take it all from her if his truth surfaces! Oh and don get me started on the thing about the knight king and people being annoyed that he was killed easily like no he wasn’t?? They lost more than half of their army to him and he wasn’t even the real threat it was always Cersei and has always been cersi. How is that not amazing writing?? The whole time they had you thinking that the thing to end everything was the knight king, death itself, and it worked because you never looked at cerise and what she was truly all about. No matter the consequences she had to be in power or die she said it to ned stark! COME ON! How is that not perfect! And here you are on the fourth episode saying it’s all gone to hell and not watching anymore which is fine. Better off, if you didn’t understand it make no comment on it. If you actually had been watching the show you’d know that whoever wants power dies and those who don’t end up having to carry its weight. This show was beautifully written and anyone who try’s to argue can fucking fight me
‘Who has a better story than bran the broken?’ is blatant meera and jojen reed erasure (osha and hodor as well). Osha busted them out of winterfell, jojen showed up with his green dreams to guide them to the three eyed raven, and meera dragged his ass home after. The only thing bran managed to do is touch the night king and get a bunch of people killed (including the last living members of an entire species). Bran in general has very little agency in his own story. Jaime throws him out the window, robb leaves him in charge, theon takes the castle, the three eyed raven decides to train him. Even when he finally seems like he might actually do something in the battle with the dead, he just doesn’t.
I saw the point made that if the idea had been that the person with the most stories, that knows the most history, should be king, then this might work a little better. A 'those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it’ type thing. But as it stands, it’s such a ridiculously unsupported choice.