#and they (writers) barely like Rhaenyra - they just know they have a vehicle to use

[dulcewrites]

I mean, I don't think they shied away from portraying Rhaenyra in a bad light, they're just doing it slowly, she literally put a bunch of blood relatives from the smallfolk to be burned to death and is coming to see herself as tptwp, they'll certainly go deeper after Jace dies and Aegon disappears. As for Alicent, it was pretty obvious she was gonna betray team green and choose Rhaenyra/Helaena. She never wanted to forsake Rhaenyra and we see in the season is her being over her head in the war—she tries to turn back time, she sleeps with her teenage crush, she seeks absolution from her father (that's why I disagree with you she sees Otto as someone who pimped her out, she merely points out she followed him blindly, not that he abused her, he's still someone she loves and respects), she feels bitter towards her children and prays for Lucerys (not to make Rhaenyra look good, if that's the ga interpretation whatever, it's to show she's a kind person who despises violence) and, by the end, after seeing her daughter physically attacked by Aemond, the person who cut her power, she turns for Rhaenyra in an effort, perhaps naïve, to turn back time, "speaking from a distant dream", wanting to run away, and trusting Rhae because she risked her life going to the Sept and because she feels punished by the gods. It's fine if you didn't want it but it is good writing and people were already clocking this since she chose to put her kids at risk rather than kill Rhaenyra. As for being under subjugation, she was under Targ subjugation in KL under her misogynistics sons... Rhaenyra came before, was the first choice, first friend, first love. There's never complete freedom for any woman in Westeros, but she chose Rhaenyra out of her own desire and volition. I think some people just wanted to keep her life meaning and actions tied to her children and...

I did say that my problem with it wasn’t the choices made but how we got there… and I still believe that. It’s lazy writing at best, poor at worst imo

“I’m sorry but even as someone who has gone on record to say that I think the change they made to Rhaenicent was the best, I can’t just let poor execution slide. I don’t even think Alicent having little legion to Aemond or Aegon comes out of nowhere. She has constantly, to a fault, reaffirmed her trust in Rhaenyra.” - directly from my previous anon about how felt about s2

I’ve noticed this since the final ep was released, I hope this doesn’t come off mean bc I appreciate your opinion, but when people push back on the writing. You have a faction of being like “oh, you just don’t understand Alicent.” Nope, I get what they are going for. I just think it’s incorherent writing, and the quotes given by the writers themselves sort of only further prove that to me. People seem to act as if this plot is some sort of revelation or favor to Alicent as a character… when it is not. Not a fan of her arc, or lack thereof in s2 🤷🏽‍♀️.

[mejcinta]

I don't think the writers can escape this criticism.

From a writing standpoint, introducing an original character to dictate and affect the path of Aegon's story (his adult version who we had just barely met) instead of just using familiar characters like HIS family (specifically Helaena and his kids) to do so was very unnecessary.

Aegon had his flights of fancy for sure in Fire and Blood, but none of that was so important as to dictate his being 'worthy' of the Iron Throne or not (if that even matters in a civil war started by a bs indecisive king). In fact, Aegon's infidelity and scandaluosness was better off being used as a central force for Helaena's character build up, not a character outside of his family. Her sassy book respons(es) to whether she knows his whereabouts or not as well as her justified frustrations with him would've been best displayed here, giving Helaena more to do, not just with Aegon but with her other family members.

The writers taking Mushroom's account, of all people, to heart and then inflating it to levels even the court jester would be envious of was...certainly a choice. And that is why Dyana as a character is unfortunately nothing more than a vehicle for the writers to promote Rhaenyra, whose flaws have been made 'palatable' for audiences if you factor in the way her taking advantage of a helpless Criston has been framed as 'romantic' and full of whatever a 'female gaze' means.

Truthfully, there's really no essential purpose that Aegon's story arc with the original character created by Sara and her band of fellow writers serves the plot of the Dance, unlike Criston's CANONICAL arc with Rhaenyra which was a major contributor to the birth of a political schism in the Red Keep!!!

I guess we'll have to wait and see, but my fear is that Dyana will be made a pawn yet again or worse a martyr for the evils and conspiracies of two warring parties.