#danyposts

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🤦

"The ending of the fantasy show was met with severe controversies due to Daenerys Targaryen’s sudden turn in character." - Sudden? Did they miss the eight seasons of heavy foreshadowing that would lead her to that ending? To the decision she would need to make?

"The character goes on a rampage and massacres King’s Landing, which many consider anticlimactic." - They consider it anticlimactic because they didn't watch the same show as the people who understood that this was the climax/turning point of Daenerys' arc in the show. Had they watched it with that understanding, they wouldn't be saying that.

"Daenerys channels her inner ‘Mad King’" - how many times do I have to say it??? Daenerys was NOT mad! She was made a decision hence this whole (brilliantly acted) scene:

"However, if Tyrion Lannister, who joins her in her campaign to Westeros, had a character arc as in the books, it would have seen both of these characters feeding off of each other and Daenerys’ turn would have made more sense." - once again, I always say, I don't know anything about the books past book 2, but that doesn't matter. Game of Thrones is an adaptation. It's its own universe borrowing characters and elements from the book series with contributions from the author of said book series. A Song Of Ice and Fire is its own universe (and obviously the original starting point for this world and characters). Same thing for House of the Dragon (adaptation/its own universe) and Fire and Blood (original/its own universe/starting point). While Dark!Tyrion may have contributed to Daenerys' ending like this article points it, regardless it would not have changed her ending or made it make more sense. If anything, it would have just given a convenient scapegoat for Dany stans to point to and say "See? Dany was never meant to go bad! It's all Tyrion's fault! Poor Dany!" And what cracks me up about this article is that while they say this part, they don't say the quiet part out loud: Tyrion wasn't an influencing factor and Dany's ending still played out the same. Why? Because it was always going to go there.

I get that this is all coming back up in the "news" cycle due to season 2 of HotD premiering next month but damn. How much more can you bend over backwards to defend, deny, and imply that Daenerys' show ending was never supposed to go that way until you seriously hurt your back or fall flat on your ass? Look at the story line of the show again. From season 1 to season 8. GRRM was very involved in seasons 1-4. They drew the most from the books during that time. The foreshadowing for her ending/the decision she's going to make/who she really is was there, too. What does that tell you?

[ilynpilled]

Dany 💜

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Dany was always "Fire and Blood" - ever since Season 1

We kind of all know this at this point but I found something very interesting.

In 1x10, when Dany has Mirri Maz Dur executed, the latter is tied to her Drogo's pyre and set on fire. Mirri dies screaming (blood). The dragons were not yet born so there was no Dracarys. (justification/framing: Mirri murdered Drogo and Dany's unborn child)

In 2x10, when Dany is taken hostage alongside her dragons, the latter kill Pyat Pree (blood). Though the dragons are very young and small, Dany says "Dracarys" and Drogon sets Pyat on fire, with Rhaegal and Viserion following suit. (justification/framing: Dany and the dragons were being held hostage by Pyat Pree)

In 3x04, Dany commands "Dracarys" and Drogon sets Kraznys on fire (blood) which leads to the conquering of Astapor. Rhaegal and Viserion are not present. (justification/framing: Kraznys and Co were slavers)

In 5x05, Dany delivers one of the Nobles to Viserion and Rhaegal in response to Barristan Selmy's murder. Viserion (mind you, Viserion was the one the NK rode later on) sets the man on fire (blood) and then the dragons eat him. Drogon is not present and Dany does not say "Dracarys". (justification/framing: the Sons of the Harpy just murdered Barristan Selmy)

In 6x04, Dany has been taken by the Dothraki and she is being threatened by the Khals. The dragons are not present so she has no need to say "Dracarys" but she sets the Khals on fire and they die (blood). (justification/framing: the Khals were going to do worse to her had they lived)

In 6x09, Dany rides Drogon over Slavers' Bay towards the Masters' Fleet. On her way, Viserion and Rhaegal break out of their holding place and join them. When all three dragons are flying above a ship, Dany commands "Dracarys" and Drogon sets it aflame, killing all aboard (blood). The other two dragons join in. (justfication/framing: the Masters are attacking all of Mereen & trying to force her out)

In 7x05, Dany executes the Tarlys after the Battle of the Gold Road. She commands "Dracarys" and Drogon sets both of the men aflame (blood). The other dragons are not present. (justification/framing: neither Tarly would bend the knee to her after she defeated them in battle)

In 8x05, when Varys is executed for treason, Drogon is commanded by "Dracarys" from Dany and he sets Varys aflame (blood). The other dragons are gone at this point. (justification/framing: Varys turned on her and committed treason, after pleading with Dany not to massacre KL)

Later on in the same episode, we see Dany and Drogon take on the Greyjoy Fleet in Blackwater Bay, and then the Lannister army as well as the Gold Company. We never see or hear Dany commanding Drogon "Dracarys." (justification/framing: Euron killed Rhaegal, Cersei killed Missandei, this is the Last War who will determine who sits on the IT)

So it absolutely should have been no surprise that things would eventually lead to this (we don't see or hear Dany commanding "Dracarys", we don't see or hear her at all once the massacre begins & there is no justification/framing for this one):

They literally showed us Dany with all dragons, with Drogon solely (the dragon she was most bonded to & who represented her), without Drogon but with the other dragons, and by herself. They even showed us examples of her using the command verbally and not using the command verbally. To show us that this was always Dany. It wasn't the dragons. It wasn't the grief of losing those she loved. It wasn't bad writing (meaning this massacre not the timeline/execution of her dark turn) or an "incorrect" ending for her character. This part of her has always been there.

Just as "A dragon is not a slave" has always been about Dany herself (shown to us through some of these scenes above where Dany and/or the dragons were either locked up or she herself was being held prisoner - what frees/unleashes her/them? fire + blood), so was "fire and blood". It wasn't just the words of her house or the Targaryen legacy; it was foreshadowing for the choice she would make later on in the series. The choice that she has been itching to make for many years running but was always prevented (or talked down) from making in the name of the image of the benevolent queen and special savior she wanted to be seen as by all people.

So is it any wonder that her polar opposite as the other threat in the show represented ice & the undead (meaning the NK)? Who brought the storm with him? Not to mention that the NK (King in the very name) destroyed The Wall on a dragon; Dany (the Dragon Queen) destroyed KL on a dragon. Both wanted destruction and death but used different means of bringing that about.

It gives a whole new meaning to Dany's phrase of "Fire cannot kill a dragon", doesn't it?

It was always going to be Fire and Blood when it came to her.

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This whole sequence fascinates me:

Jon melts from the darkness and is making his walk to go confront Dany.

He happens upon a mound of ashes and debris which Drogon happens to be under. We know Drogon is an extension of Dany so the fact that he's just chilling underneath all of this should alert people to how blase Dany actually is about what she's just done, and no one should be surprised at her reaction when Jon confronts her on how many people (including innocent children) she just burned alive.

This is the world she wanted. She wanted to destroy the wheel so she could be on top forevermore. She didn't even want Targaryen as a spoke left.

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The Iron Islands Was Never Getting Independence - 6x09 & 8x02 Parallels

So I was rewatching GoT for reasons and I came across this 6x09 scene (love that episode!!!) and I already kind of knew that they were setting up Jon's, Dany's, and Sansa's endgame in this episode, setting them up for their final chapter, but now rewatching it, it blows me away just how obvious it was how things were going to pan out in the end. That Dany would be the final boss. That it was going to revolve around her, Jon, and Sansa. All that.

This scene is one of those obvious instances.

Theon and Yara have always been mirrors for Jon and Sansa since Theon and Yara reunited after Ramsay. For their sibling relationship as well as the power pair they present and represent for their home/family/kingom. In this 6x09 scene, it's no different.

A lot of people have made the point that Dany granted the Iron Islands their independence because Yara/Theon asked while she didn't grant the North to Sansa/Jon because Sansa demanded. They couldn't be more wrong. It's all right here in the dialogue:

Dany: "You've brought us a hundred ships from the Iron Fleet with men to sail them. In return I expect you'll want me to support your claim to the throne of the Iron Islands?" - here nothing about independence is brought up yet but here it makes the dynamic clear: they would need Dany's support for the claim to the Salt Throne, meaning 1) that "kingship" is less than the king/queen of the 7K and it's only allowed to continue for a certain individual if the ruler of the 7K allows it, and 2) she is not coming from a mindset of granting them independence or acquiescing to their request

Theon: "Not my claim. Hers."

Dany: "Oh, what's wrong with you?" - for a woman who wants to rule the 7K in a place she has been told that no other Queen has ruled in (this is right before Cersei takes the IT), it's odd that instead of asking "why is that?" or "oh? interesting" or even being happy about another woman in a ruling position that's granted less than hers, it's an odd question to ask what's wrong with Theon -- I think the writers did this purposely to show a subtle difference between Dany's rhetoric that she consistently sells and how she actually is while also implying she intends to be the only Queen in the 7K, right down to the sub-monarchies (if that's a word)

Theon: "I'm not fit to rule."

Tyrion: "We can agree upon that at least."

Dany: "Has the Iron Islands ever had a queen before?" - oh, suddenly she's interested to hear this fact, why? because it now helps turn up the flames of hope for her destiny so to speak

Yara: "No more than Westeros."

Theon: "Our uncle Euron returned home after a long absence. He murdered our father and took the Salt Throne from Yara. He would've murdered us if we stayed." - what's interesting here is not only are Euron and Dany paralleled this season but also Theon/Yara are the antithesis of Viserys/Dany considering that's what happened to them, the latter two's father was killed in the rebellion/the IT being taken and they would have been killed had they not fled; but it also proves again that Theon/Yara are Jon/Sansa mirrors because Ned was murdered, the North was taken from Bran (aka the future rightful king after the vote in 8x06) by Theon and then it was taken by Ramsay, Bran & Rickon had to flee and then Sansa and Theon had to flee Ramsay

Dany: "Lord Tyrion tells me your father was a terrible king."

Yara: "You and I have that in common." - it's true, they do, but I'm also highlighting this line because it comes back around in 8x02

Dany: "We do. And both murdered by a usurper as well. Will their ships be enough?" - Dany immediately switches gears here - she sees the commonality they have, something she always uses when spreading her rhetoric to gain allies and subjects followers, but switches to "hey, do we have enough or no?" Meaning depending on the answer is what depends on her agreeing to ally with Theon and Yara

Tyrion: "With the former Masters' fleet, possibly. Barely. There are more than a hundred ships in the Iron Fleet." - if this line doesn't have Davos' line from 7x02 "If they break through the wall, do we have enough men to fight them?" & Jon bringing Dany and her dragons North to fight the Night King vibes all over it...

Theon: "There are. And Euron is building more. He's going to offer them to you."

Dany: "So why shouldn't I wait for him?" - this is exactly the same type of attitude we see displayed in 7x03-7x06; after everything she's just heard about Euron so far, no hesitation, "if he's got more ships why shouldn't I wait for him?"; a lot of people defend Dany's reluctance to help the North because of Jon's outrageous claims of the dead walking, she doesn't know who he is right away, and he should bow to her because the North is rightfully hers - but this line right here, it shows she only has one goal in mind and it's not to come to save people from a tyrant or to instill the rightful ruler back on the IT so she can leave the world better than she found it for her people - this is before the reception she gets in Westeros and then the North - it's RIGHT HERE

Theon: "The Iron Fleet isn't all he's bringing. He also wants to give you--"

Yara: "His big cock I think he said. Euron's offer is also an offer of marriage, you see. You won't get one without the other." - we see in 6x10 that Dany is more than well aware that she most likely will have to marry to secure an alliance over in Westeros, the when being the only question besides who - she knew this from what happened in Mereen and how she was going to have to marry to keep the peace before all hell broke loose, she knows this

Dany: "And I imagine your offer is free of any marriage demands?" - so now she's considering their offer, while she says this almost teasingly to Yara, we know that she knows she has to marry at some point and if she can secure the whole Iron Fleet, why wouldn't she? Especially since her single-minded focus is the IT? Because she doesn't want to marry aka she doesn't want to share power (something we see in season 8 after Jon tells her who he really is and how hard she works to keep him in that subservient dynamic by forbidding him from telling anyone) which is also how you can tell that throne room scene dialogue in 8x06 was rewritten in the 11th hour at Emilia's request (something she has gone on record admitting to), it was meant to be Dance of the Dragons 2.0 and it was coming down to one of them prevailing over the other

Yara: "I never demand but I'm up for anything really."

Theon: "He murdered our father and would have murdered us. He'll murder you as soon as he has what he wants." - not only are we getting another Aerys/Viserys/Dany reminder here but now Dany has her justification for not entertaining Euron's would-be proposal and allying herself to Yara and Theon despite their lower number of ships (I don't blame her here, I'm just calling a spade a spade)

Tyrion: "The Seven Kingdoms."

Theon: "All of them."

Dany: "And you don't want the Seven Kingdoms?" - exactly what she has been worried about - she's never wanted to share them so she's making doubly sure

Theon: "Your ancestors defeated ours. They took the Iron Islands, we ask you to give them back." - as Dany will remind us and Jon in 7x03, Torrhen Stark bent the knee to Aegon Targaryen, the original conqueror she's been trying to be the second coming of - this not only has the North vibes due to that parallel but because it also links to 8x02

Dany: "And that's all?" - sounds like here it's simple for Dany, right? Wrong...

Yara: "We'd like you to help us murder an uncle or two who don't think a woman's fit to rule." - another line echoed in 8x02

Dany: "Reasonable." - about killing the uncle

Tyrion: "What if everyone starts demanding their independence?" - not only should Tyrion not be asking Dany this in the presence of Yara/Theon who have not been made allies officially yet, it's obvious they're having him point this out because it's going to lead to what happens in 8x02

Dany: "She's not demanding. She's asking. The others are free to ask as well." - 'which doesn't mean they'll get it' is the end of that sentence

Dany: "Our fathers were evil men. All of us here. They left the world worse than they found it. We're not going to do that. We're going to leave the world better than we found it." - more Dany rhetoric

Dany: "You will support my claim as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and respect the integrity of the Seven Kingdoms." THIS IS HER ANSWER RIGHT HERE - no independence for you Iron Islands, you're still a sub-monarchy but part of my 7K so no you don't get them back

Dany: "No more reaving, roving, raiding, or raping." - she reaffirms that with these conditions (which I agree with her here but the point is she's making it clear what she expects aka no independence)

Yara: "That's our way of life." - you mean like Dany is about to uproot Westerosi life as we know it in 8x05 and want to continue to do?

Dany: "No more." - "We can't build the new world with men loyal to the one we have." - 8x06

Yara: "No more." - having no choice, Yara agrees because at this point the other Lannisters don't care who sits on the Salt Throne (since they still have Tommen at this point) as long as they get any ships they need so it won't matter if Theon and Yara get murdered while Euron takes over/rules the Iron Islands - Yara knows they're not getting independence which is exactly why this little nugget isn't mentioned in her speech in 8x06 before Arya tells her to shut up about killing Jon

*Yara lifts her arm to Dany, after some confusion, Dany embraces her arm and they shake on it* (aka Yara and Theon get to live another day and hopefully have some dragon power backing them and they have a new 7K Queen)

And then, 8x02:

Dany: "I thought you and I were on the verge of agreement before. About Ser Jaime."

Sansa: "Brienne has been loyal to me. Always. I trust her more than anyone."

Dany: "I wish I could have that kind of faith in my advisors."

Sansa: "Tyrion is a good man. He was never anything but decent towards me."

Dany: "I didn't ask him to be my Hand simply because he was good. I asked him to be my Hand because he was good and intelligent and ruthless when he had to be. He never should've trusted Cersei."

Sansa: "You never should've either."

Dany: "I thought he knew his sister."

Sansa: "Families are complicated." (and here come the parallels to the 6x09 conversation)

Dany: "Ours certainly have been."

Sansa: "A sad thing to have in common."

Dany: "We have other things in common. We've both known what it is to lead people who aren't inclined to accept a woman's rule. And we've both done a damn good job of it from what I can tell."

(I skipped the whole Jon part of the convo)

Sansa: "I should have thanked you, the moment you arrived. That was a mistake." *she leans forward*

Dany *leans forward and covers Sansa's hand with hers*: "I'm here because I love your brother. And I trust him. And I know he's true to his word."

(skipping more Jon stuff)

Sansa: "What happens afterwards? We defeat the dead, we destroy Cersei...what happens then?" - Sansa is mentioning the agreement being honored on both sides, both of their enemies defeated, meaning they've given her her terms at that point

Dany: "I take the Iron Throne." - there's that single-minded goal again and what she really plans (she does not intend for any kingdom to secede from her 7K)

Sansa: "What about the North? It was taken from us and we took it back and we said we'd never bow to anyone else again. What about the North?" - here Sansa asks but she also lays down the line on what hers and Jon's mindset is when it comes to the North (and it's made clear by Arya in 8x04 why Jon really bent the knee to Dany in 7x06) and while it's in reference to the Boltons, it was also Theon who took the North first, and of course Aegon back in the day forcing them to bend the knee - so more parallels and just the thing Dany doesn't want to hear

And sure enough:

*Dany doesn't answer but removes her hand* - answer enough which is cemented by Sansa's expression and her sitting back away from Dany when the Maester interrupts them

And the very next scene, they literally have Theon showing up to ask Sansa if he can fight for Winterfell in the Great War. But first:

Theon turns to face Dany as expected, sees Sansa, and then looks at Dany, bending the knee (aka no independence for you Iron Islands)

Theon: "My queen." (aka no independence for you Iron Islands)

Dany: "Your sister?" - basically her saying 'oh crap, did your sister die? I know she was taken captive but did your murderous big cock uncle kill her? Crap, where are my ships? Why am I dealing with you?'

Theon: "She only has a few ships and she couldn't sail them here. So she's sailing them to the Iron Islands instead to take them back in your name." (aka NO INDEPENDENCE FOR YOU, IRON ISLANDS)

Dany: "But why aren't you with her?" (aka my dude, why are you bothering me? Go get me my land back like your faithful sister)

And then Theon gives us the answer we're expecting when he turns to look at Sansa and then asks if he can fight for her home/family. And we know Sansa is grateful, happy, and speechless. We know Dany is shocked, dismayed, sad, and angry that she's not getting that same type of loyalty/love on this side of the Narrow Sea (8x04 convo with Jon).

So basically, anytime someone says "but Dany was going to give the Iron Islands independence, she agreed to it, Sansa was rude", etc, just point them to these two scenes. Back in 6x09 "Battle of the Bastards" (aptly named and not just for the battle or Jon vs Ramsay) where Jon's, Dany's, and Sansa's endgame are all being set up. 6x10 sets up Cersei's, Tyrion's, and even Jaime's (but that's another post).

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I don't think we talk enough about how the dragons' names worked out:

Viserion

for Viserys

Rhaegal

for Rhaegar

Drogon

for Drogo

But did anyone make the connection to the D name of the Tagaryen sibling group that most of the names were pulled from?

She was the dragon.

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To me, it makes complete sense that Dany died the way she did because:

Viserion gets stabbed

Rhaegal gets stabbed

Drogon gets stabbed twice:

The NK (the other threat) is stabbed:

So it only makes sense that this is how Dany's end (one of the threats) came to be as well:

And since Drogon was injured twice by a something sharp & he and Dany were the closest bonded, it makes sense that the third injury would be to Dany herself (she was the dragon) and this would be the fatal one.

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Just in case anyone was wondering what was going to happen to Sansa had Dany lived:

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Daenerys vs Coin / GoT vs Hunger Games - The Hidden Villains = The Final Boss

I happened to catch The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 on TV and seeing the ending again slapped so much harder than I expected it to. I just couldn't stop seeing the similarities between the two women and how some still don't see Dany as the villain but had no issue seeing Coin as just that. I mean:

First we have the Rebels attacking the Capitol, to fight back against Snow and the way he has been running Panem.

While Katniss and Co are hiding out, a television address from President Snow goes out, warning citizens of the Capitol that the Rebels are there to kill them all, to "bury us", and their intention is not to save anyone. He offers up the Mansion as a place of sanctuary for the citizens and their children, not really giving a crap about them but using them as leverage/to maintain the image for the Capitol citizens so they won't turn on him.

Katniss and Gale go on foot to attempt to get her close enough to kill Snow. That's been her plan all along. If Snow is killed, then the Hunger Games and Snow's tyranny will stop.

As they're making their way, right before being caught, the Rebels attack. Innocent citizens are caught in the crossfire, even children.

And then this scene happens:

Not only does the sister she started out protecting die, but the children also die that were at the Mansion's gate.

Later on, Katniss finds out from Snow that Coin (who was aiming to replace Snow & was the Rebel leader so to speak) was the one who killed the Capitol children and set the trap that killed more people alongside her sister.

Tyrion: "My father was an evil man, my sister was an evil woman, pile up all of the bodies of all the people they killed, and it still won't mount up to the amount of people our beautiful queen killed in a single day."

As bad as Snow is, like he says he's not "wasteful". He admits how brilliant Coin is and makes Katniss aware of what she's really aiming to do: replace him.

Sure enough, Coin holds a meeting with Katniss and the surviving Victors. She informs them that Snow is going to be executed that afternoon and this will start off a slew of executions because the Rebels want blood for all of the children they lost over the years to the Hunger Games and Snow's whims. She proposes that they restart the Hunger Games but this time with the Capitol children instead.

Some are for it, like Johanna:

Who mentions Snow has a granddaughter.

Dany: "From Winterfell to Dorne, from Lannisport to Qarth, from the Summer Isles to the Jade Sea!"

Others don't agree like Peeta, but when Katniss uncharacteristically agrees (and we see that she realizes Snow was right in this scene) as long as she gets to kill Snow herself, Haymitch hesitantly agrees with her, swinging the vote (knowing she's got something up her sleeve after the look she gives him).

We then see Katniss do her walk to the area where Snow is being held for all to witness his execution:

Coin makes her speech to the people:

Katniss lets her arrow fly, striking Coin in the heart:

Katniss, the hero, expected to die (because she didn't intend on being taken prisoner) but ends up being stopped and arrested instead (while the people rip Snow apart):

Haymitch goes to see her where she's imprisoned:

He reads her Plutarch's letter and then informs her that she will be sent back to District 12, alone, and once some time has passed after the election of a new leader that the people have chosen, she will be pardoned:

Katniss goes back home to discover an old pet waiting for her:

And eventually Peeta (also of District 12) joins her, they eventually start a family, and she finds some semblance of peace in what has always been her home:

The reason for this very long post is that even though this is a different books series, different world, different characters, different circumstances, etc. the lead-up to the hero taking out the main villain/the final boss. So yes, Dany's dark turn was rushed and not executed well, no doubt, but it was enough that people should stop questioning if she was ever going to go dark at all or questioning just what her intentions were. (and this doesn't even begin to delve into all of the foreshadowing that was layered into the series the whole way)

There is no difference between this woman:

And this woman:

Not when it came to their pursuits for power. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

People were not going to flourish under Dany's rule. She had already burned innocents alive, including innocent children (just like Coin killed the Capitol children and was going to continue to kill them) to attain her goal: conquering to get the IT, whoever doesn't receive her with open arms and love will pay for it, and she's ripping the old world out root and stem (breaking the wheel so she could always be on top) to make the world she wants. Cersei saw through her (& bet against her and lost), Tyrion knew what she was, and even Jon did.

Like Snow said, Coin waited until the Districts were in disarray before stepping in to help and be the voice for the people to follow:

She even gave them a symbol to put their belief in aka the Mockingjay(Breaker of Chain/Mother of Dragons/The Last Targaryen)/Katniss (who people were already inclined towards):

to help pull those people together even more so she could win:

It's all right there.

(start at 1:12 - Alma Coin's life)

YouTuber MovieFlame: "She came from District 13 which was thought to be nonexistent and extinct":

Need I say more?

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Just had a thought:

1x10 - here is where Dany is free of Viserys and Drogo has just died. She is about to embark on the journey to get the IT back. She has the pyre for Drogo set alight.

And then:

Jorah is gone, she now knows who Jon is (which creates strain between them), and she's intent on getting to KL and taking back the IT. She sets Jorah's pyre alight herself. I wouldn't say she is free of Jon so to speak, but I think she's free of the constraints of her trying to appear to be like Rhaegar was. In a way, this knowledge frees her of that if that makes sense. (for example, I think she knows here that she will never be Jon aka Rhaegar and that's why her and Jon looking at each other, it's not only a farewell to her trust in Jon but also to that ideal so many had of her)

Both times someone she loved (no matter the type of love) had died, they were people she lost due to circumstances that she herself created (urging Drogo to trust Mirri Maz Dhur & landing Drogon where wights could get to him which resulted in her falling off of him), and she is about to embark on a new version of herself so to speak. She always had that darkness inside of her, but she had always been held back (or it had been tempered by others like Jorah). After each death/burning, now she's that much closer to her goal (the IT/new world) and what she ultimately chooses to become.

Fire and blood.

In both scenes.

...Parallels.

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We all know the NK and Dany were paralleled as the two threats in the show but I also really LOVE this parallel:

Both of them died in front of the thing they desired most, that they had finally caught up to/reached. For the NK: Bran (and eradicating him to end the world of man like Sam said in 8x02). For Dany: the IT.

And considering Bran was not only the 3ER and ended up on the IT in the end?

Great parallel.

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7x05 vs 8x05 - Mirroring Scenes

Not only is this the surrender of the Lannister army twice (in 7x05, it has their allies like the Tarlys as well), but it also shows you just why you should have been concerned at the Tarlys' execution no matter how much of a jerk Randyll was to Sam.

First we start out with Dany "addressing" her defeated enemies from a high vantage point (above them all):

(Also it's no coincidence that we are shown in 8x05 the scared KL citizens first when Dany lands instead of the Lannister soldiers - this shows you exactly the intimidation Dany was using not only here but also back in 7x05 - Dany is very well aware of how her dragons scare people & she uses it as an intimidation tactic every time, she has always used fear)

"I offer you a choice. Bend the knee and join me. Together we will leave the world a better place than we found it. Or refuse and die."

Not enough people made the choice and bent the knee were intimidated/conquered & saw her for being a savior in 7x05 so Drogon flexes and sure enough we see:

In 8x05, the Lannister soldiers have not surrendered yet so we see Drogon flexing again (at Dany's command through their bond):

In 7x05, Dany orders Randyll to step forward and after some back and forth between he and Tyrion, she asks him "You will not trade your honor for your life?" (which calls back to what Dany asks Jon in 7x04 "Isn't their survival more important than your pride?" while withholding her help in the NK war until Jon bends the knee) Randyll straight up tells her that she is not his queen and so he seals his fate.

When Dickon refuses to bend the knee, Tyrion tries his best to convince Dany to put him in a cell. "I meant what I said. I'm not here to put men in chains. If that becomes an option, many will take it." (which shows right here that she always intended to rip the old world out "root and stem" & not truly win the hearts and minds of her people or rule with love or even love mixed with some fear) "I gave them a choice. They made it." -> in 8x05, people cry out for the bells to be rung in KL, to surrender, just like the Lannister army was given the choice to lay down their swords & when they made that choice, it sealed all of their fates

"Your Grace, you start beheading entire families--"

"I'm not beheading anyone."

Which is the uninhibited and terrifying (Dany POV-less) version of this scene en masse:

Plus:

And is it any wonder that we see Cersei and Jaime in the 8x05 scene before Dany makes her decision, more specifically Jaime picking up a sword as he makes his way through the city to get to Cersei? Especially when:

(and Jaime is a mirror of Jon in a way which considering Dany's end and how it comes about is important to keep in mind especially since "You can forgive them all and make them see that they made a mistake. Please, Dany" & then Tyrion and Jon are mirrored later on as well, right down to the relieved expressions on their faces when they both see surrenders happening from their different vantage points)

We all already been knew but when you pick apart these scenes and see just how much they mirrored these two events, it becomes even more evident where they were headed with Dany's story in the end. While the execution of her dark turn was rushed (and then the moral & impact of her arc was negated by that Emilia-insisted reminder of season 1 Dany in the 8x06 throne room scene dialogue because she was too close to it), this was always where she was headed. They did everything but put up a big sign in neon lights telling you where this was always going.

And say what you will about the writing, the last season, the show, the showrunners, etc., but connecting scenes like this through mirroring was absolutely brilliant.

Dark!Dany was always coming.

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

So ever since I received a comment a few days ago on one of my Jonsa posts, a certain portion of it has been sitting in my brain: "You mean besides how Dany’s story amounts to nothing? And says that anyone fighting against an unjust system should never be trusted, so it was better that she never had power or the ability to fight back? Or how about that she shouldn’t have been born to begin with since she was crooked and ugly from the start? That’s reassuring for a lot of people who’ve found a sense of inspiration in her at low points in their life."

And I just need to talk about it. Putting everything under the cut:

Warning: spoilers for endings of Dean Winchester/Supernatural, Villanelle/Killing Eve, Negan Smith/The Walking Dead/Dead City up ahead.

So this comment has been sitting in my brain because I think I'm having a hard time processing that there are still people out there who actually think this about Daenerys' story. And this goes back to what I've been saying the entire time how that throne room scene dialogue change Emilia wanted thrown in absolutely negated the impact of Dany's actual true arc and the tragedy/moral of her story.

As always, I'm only talking about the showverse, the adaptation of the books.

First, Dany's story didn't amount to nothing. It was actually a very well told story (minus the bungling of the execution of the end there). If we take a step back and look at the picture as a whole, she actually was integral to the story and played a very major part in it. Not only as the main villain or the main antagonist or the final boss or however you want to refer to her, but like the butterfly effect, her actions (and decisions) affected the other characters around her and the story as a whole. That's not nothing.

"And says that anyone fighting against an unjust system should never be trusted, so it was better that she never had power or the ability to fight back" - It is because of her that Westeros has now changed on a massive political scale and it's no accident that Tyrion Lannister was the one to nominate Bran Stark as the next King. She set out to break the wheel and whatever her reasons, however she went about it, she did it. She achieved it. She broke the wheel. That's what enables the new political system to be in place, that is taking a very tiny baby step towards democracy, not there just yet but there was change.

Aegon Targaryen conquered Westeros and Targareyens were in power for centuries, the de facto ruling family. Things were done their way during that time. Then Robert's Rebellion happened and the Targaryens were destroyed (to an extent) and their rules were thrust out. But the way the Targaryens ruled did not change overmuch because the Lannisters had come into power and they became the new Targaryens but in the new world so to speak. There are many reasons why Daenerys and Cersei are paralleled so much. The only difference between the Lannisters and the Targaryens was the allowable incestuous wedding and bedding, and the absence of dragons (aka power). Which is why Tywin uses other methods of instilling fear and utilizes gold to the nth degree. "Hear Me Roar" ( and the more ominous saying of "A Lannister Always Pays His Debts") isn't that far off from "Fire and Blood". The same threat is there (as well as the posturing of power and being in charge) but just worded differently.

A dragon is meant to rule over all, especially three dragons.

A lion (with the mane as pictured) is meant to rule over all in the animal kingdom, especially its own pride.

I mean:

My whole long point being that the Targaryens were the old ruling dynasty. Silver-haired and used their dragons to wield power. Fire and Blood.

The Lannisters were the current ruling family (through Robert and then themselves once Robert had died), poised to become the new ruling dynasty. Golden-haired and used their gold and influence to wield power. Hear Me Roar.

Dany didn't just break the wheel, she also deposed/ousted/destroyed the current ruling family as well, making way for a new ruling dynasty to come along, a new world. And that makes sense that she would be the one to do it (and that her actions killed Jaime and Cersei together while Cersei was pregnant with their child/future) because the Lannisters were never meant to be endgame. Just like it also makes sense that Cersei was the first Queen to take the Iron Throne. And it also makes sense why Cersei told Jaime to hell with everyone else and she wanted to set up their own dynasty for 1000 years, not caring if Westeros knew Jaime fathered her children or not. They were becoming the new Targaryens and they wouldn't be good for the realm. Hence the splitting of the "Mad Queen" narrative between Cersei and Daenerys. This doesn't take away from Daenerys or any bad choices she made or who was the worse murderer, but it shows that there was a plan here in the story and Daenerys was very much a part of it and a big player in it.

It's no coincidence she was given three dragons. It's no coincidence that she named two of them after her brothers (like Aegon's two sisters helped him to conquer Westeros), the two sides of her and only in the end would we see that Drogon (named for Drogo) would represent who Daenerys really was the whole time. So it absolutely makes sense that she would be the one to come to Westeros to conquer it again, starting at King's Landing (as Aegon did), taking out the new Targaryens, breaking the wheel, and closing up the Targaryen circle so to speak. She was right, she did have a destiny, it just wasn't what she thought or dreamed for herself. Her decision dictated her end.

And it's also no coincidence that this happened with Aegon (aka Jon), the other side of the coin to Dany in character, and that he is the one who has to make the choice to either stop her from forging the world into her vision or join her. No coincidence that he then becomes The Last Targaryen and is going back to the Night's Watch again, a la Aemon. Aemon had to forswear the name Targaryen in order to serve the Citadel. When his older brother died, despite those who wanted to see him crowned King, he refused and the crown passed to his younger brother.

And this prompted Aemon to join the Night's Watch so his access to the crown (and people trying to use him as a political rival to his brother) would be removed completely.

So it made absolute sense that both Dany and Jon had purposes to fulfill in the story in regards to Westeros and the Iron Throne. Not just because of their claims but also because they were the last remaining parts in the wheel of that house.

And it also makes sense that a new ruling family was set up (though not a dynasty in Bran's case since the next ruler will be chosen by the Council of Lords instead of it staying in the family) but also a new dynasty was set up (though it had been around before the Targaryens came to Westeros so not so new really but it was the dynasty meant to be restored) through their actions. The Targaryens and Lannisters had both been ripped out root and stem (with the exception of Tyrion though had Dany lived, Tyrion would not have) in preparation for a new world to grow.

And as we know House Stark's words are "Winter is coming" which is not a threat or a boast of their power/strength but a warning and call for preparation for a worse threat coming. Plus:

While we see the wolf with its teeth bared, it is not in an attack position (like the lion above) or in an aggressive position at all (like we see with the dragons having fire coming out of their mouths above), even the banner with just the wolf's head like we see in the show, and there are no flashy colors like the Lannisters' or ominous coloring like the Targaryens'. There is no red for blood or power, and no yellow for gold. This (House Stark) was always going to be the dynasty that was restored, just not ruling over Westeros but their own land, as they had before the Targaryens threw a monkey wrench into everything. Chosen by their people and trusted/loved by them as well, independent from the other Six Kingdoms and everything involved with that.

But back to Daenerys, she served a much greater purpose in the story than I think most give her credit for. Regardless of what decisions she made in the end, the purpose the narrative had for her had been served. Same with Jon. So to say that the message here is "anyone fighting against an unjust system should never be trusted, so it was better that she never had power or the ability to fight back" is imho incorrect. Daenerys' own family was responsible for that unjust system that you speak of. I'm not saying she was, but her family was, and had Viserys gotten back on the IT it would have continued. Had Cersei and the Lannisters somehow defeated Dany, it would have continued. We saw plenty of times that Dany stood up against an unjust system and won, advancing her narrative. What you are meant to question in the end after seeing all of the decisions she's made is how she went about getting those victories and were they really this honorable selfless quest to free those from the wheel so there would be equality, peace, and prosperity for all? Or was that not the case when it comes to her? You're meant to question her actions and decisions. For example, a lot of people like to refer to her as the "Breaker of Chains" but if you go back and watch that scene again, you will see that when she gives the Unsullied a choice she still has the whip in her hand. And she doesn't get rid of it until they've all agreed to follow her, after seeing how much destruction one small dragon could inflict at her command. There's a reason they revisited the slavery and freedom issue in her Mereen arc and who wants to be free and who doesn't, etc. It's not just about her getting to know her people or their culture. "Mhysa is Master" is meant to make you think and take another look at just how free the Unsullied were, looking past Grey Worm and Missandei.

But before I go off on another tangent, it is absolutely always better that she had power to stand up against people who needed to be stood up to. This is why it absolutely floors me when I see people reducing this character's story to one thing or another, good or bad. One of GRRM's main points is to make his characters complex, to not make them one thing or another. Daemon Targaryen is a perfect example he gave. Daenerys is not just evil and not just good. She's a complex, flawed human being who made some wrong choices along the way and allowed her destiny to go to her head, that she then began using to justify the actions she took that were anything but right.

So making a statement like that is completely negating Daenerys' importance to the story and some of the good things she actually did in the narrative, all because you didn't like how her story ended.

Which leads into the third point I want to address. To each their own, feel how you feel, see what you see, interpret what you interpret. But it always boggles me when I hear someone saying that by Dany's ending, she can no longer be seen as a strong character, for women, for survivors, or any other group. And I guess I have to ask why that is. Dany is still one hell of a strong character and she was up until the end. She was given not only a major part in the story but also one hell of a powerful villain arc/turn. Not a lot of female characters get that. By her being the villain and having her ending, it's not negating anything she suffered and like most people in life, she was given a choice: continue to abuse/hurt/do the same as was done to you or don't continue that behavior and break free of that chain. While it appeared she had chosen the latter, in the end, she chose the former. Burning innocent children alive, going from street to street to set it on fire so none would survive so you can make your new world, that's not breaking the chain of behavior.

But she still got to make the choice. She wasn't pushed into it because of something a man had done, because she lost those she loved, or anything with her love for Jon, or because she lost her head. She made a sound and clear decision. That's strong as hell. She made decisions after decisions that led her to that final decision. How do you not see strength in that? Even when Jon confronted her in the throne room, she didn't back down from the decision she'd made (even though it was the wrong one). That's strength, especially considering the world she was surrounded by and the patriarchy. She wasn't punished for being a woman. She wasn't punished for being a survivor. She wasn't punished because she was a Targaryen or a Queen. She wasn't even being punished. She had fulfilled her purpose in the story and now it was Jon's decision (the other Targaryen) if he would allow her to continue reshaping the world or to stop her.

Another example that I can think of similar happening (though a lot of people won't agree with me on this) was Villanelle in Killing Eve (the showverse). The character had served her purpose, and she got to be the one that took out the big bad while having a redemption arc. She was very much the antihero in that moment. Her killing Bill, her killing people outside of assignments that weren't a threat to her but she just enjoyed killing them or they annoyed her -- all of that was going to come back to her at some point.

Once these characters who are not the heroes or sheroes serve their purpose in the story, that's it. It doesn't mean all of them die obviously but it doesn't mean they get a great big house with a white picket fence, a dog (or cat), and a happy ending. Especially if they performed some anatognistic or villain role in some way. Look at Negan from The Walking Dead for example. He had a redemption arc in the show and got to get married and have a baby on the way in the end, but he wasn't really able to stay with the group despite what Daryl and Maggie said to him. Then we have the new show which keeps Negan's story ongoing and the minute it starts we find out his wife and son are elsewhere because he has to stay away to keep them safe. And here he is, on the run again, still working for redemption and being the antihero, but no happy ending that we can see in the distance (and who knows how it will end, he may die, he may not).

Conversely, a lot of people were upset when Dean Winchester died in the end of Supernatural (me among them). He was one of the heroes in the story but his agency was taken from him in the manner they chose to have him die, it didn't make sense character or story wise with what the narrative was leading to, and because of the type of story they were telling (heavily leaning into the emotional trauma of these characters), it had bad messaging. That's a great example of railing at the writers and going "huh? what was the whole goddamn point?" But not Dany. (meaning her dark turn as a whole and her ending with Jon dealing with her)

So to say that Dany shouldn't have done what she did because it didn't end the way you wanted, I'm sorry, that's ludicrous and completely insulting to Dany's character. Feel how you feel, especially if she was someone who you looked up to and who got you through the rough times, but she absolutely was a strong character and I think in the emotion of what happened in the end (because some really still didn't see it coming even after all of the hints and foreshadowing for years on end), that tends to be forgotten. Dany is not a victim; she never was. She's a survivor and she was given full agency up until the very end. She went from not being able to choose to being able to choose. She went from being under men's control to having her own control. That's something to perhaps look at as a win, or a silver lining at the very least. Like I said, you're entitled to your opinions and valid feelings, I just feel like Dany deserves more credit as does her story as a whole, and her very important role doesn't deserve to be diminished because you didn't get the ending you wanted (i.e. a Targaryen restoration, Jon and Dany making tons of babies, Dany on the IT, etc.).

In my personal opinion, she's one of the best characters to ever exist and she's one of my favorites. I don't agree with a lot of the decisions she's made and I am not afraid to call her out on them or state where she went wrong or be critical, but I absolutely do it from a point of love for this character and one I view to be one of the strongest female characters I've ever seen on my screen to this day. How do you not find inspiration in that?

tldr; "You mean besides how Dany’s story amounts to nothing? And says that anyone fighting against an unjust system should never be trusted, so it was better that she never had power or the ability to fight back?" -> Dany's story doesn't amount to nothing and it doesn't say any of that if anything her story says the opposite.

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

I've discussed before the similarities between President Alma Coin in The Hunger Games trilogy and Daenerys Targaryen, but I saw these two films in the past week and these two villains share even more similarities (where they are overt and not hiding the violence they're willing to commit to get what they want):

The Chronicles of Riddick:

The Lord Marshall tells them to convert/bow or die.

"Join him or join me." Him being the guy he's just killed.

*nearly everyone bows*

"He's not a man. He's the holy Half Dead who has seen the Underverse."

Thor: Ragnarok

"It's come to my attention that you don't know who I am. I am Hela, Odin's first born, commander of the Legions of Asgard, the rightful heir to the throne, and a goddess of death."

"My father is dead, as are the princes, you're welcome. We were once the seat of absolute power in the cosmos, our supremacy was unchallenged, yet Odin stopped at nine realms. Our destiny is to rule over all others and I am here to restore that power. Kneel before me and rise into the ranks of my great conquest."

"I thought you'd be happy to see me."

Since they won't kneel and are intent on fighting her, she kills them all.

Now, looking at these two different scenes with two different characters in two different universes, what do they have in common (besides having Karl Urban in both films)?

A villain that has some sort of magical/otherworldly ability that gives them an edge over the common person. They have used that ability and the belief of others around them (as well as belief in their own grandeur) to launch themselves into iconic status, someone/something above all others, and strike down anyone who opposes/questions them. Spreading their rhetoric (forcefully) that encourages a togetherness/joining but that would help each villain attain their actual goal: pure conquest and absolute power.

Sound familiar?

"I offer you a choice. Bend the knee and join me. Together, we will leave the world a better place than we found it. Or refuse and die."

"I am the Last Targaryen, Jon Snow."

*when the people are crying out to the Lannisters to save them from her*

*when the people don't immediately greet her with love, she has her dragons fly overhead to scare the Northerners*

While there are plenty of examples of the foreshadowing present since season 1, how can anyone who is still in denial that Dany was going to go dark no matter when this show ended or how it ended, look at the two examples above and not see the similarities in setting up similar villainous characters within a story?

Showverse!Daenerys was always set up to be the true villain.

This is how that particular shade of tyrants work. (and this is why Emilia studied Hitler's speeches before that scene)

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

"For Sauron will have dominion over all life on this Earth, even onto the ending of the world."

"The eye of Sauron now turns to Gondor, the last free kingdom of Men."

"His war on this country will come swiftly. He senses the Ring is close."

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

Dany Knew About Her Troops Needing Food But Burnt It All Anyway

Tyrion: "You still have the largest army."

Dany: "Who won't be able to eat because Cersei has taken all the food from the Reach."

Which happened right after this:

And then people got mad at Sansa for asking this very valid question?:

Sansa: "May I ask, how are we meant to feed the greatest army the world has ever seen? While I ensured our stores would last through winter, I didn't account for Dothraki, Unsullied, and two full grown dragons. What do dragons eat, anyway?"

And this is exactly why we get this expression:

Jon looking at Sansa as she asks:

Tyrion looking at Davos:

And then the threat:

"Whatever they want."

Not only was this meant to show the difference in how Sansa and Dany would be as rulers and of course the difference in their temperaments/personalities, but it was also to show that Dany knew food was needed for her army and she literally chose to cut off their nose to spite their face, so Cersei and the Lannister army wouldn't get the food either. Which doesn't make sense since she could have taken the food wagons from them and moved it all back to Dragonstone, so that only means one thing: she was impulsive and lost her temper. So she does exactly what she always does, she reminds them she's the dragon and cuts off all valid protests/questioning. "A dragon is not a slave." But Dany knows she screwed up here. And Sansa is unknowingly pointing towards that glaring mistake.

Sansa would not have survived Dany's reign of terror had Dany lived. There's a reason that in Dany's 8x06 speech Winterfell was named first on the liberation tour. And there's a reason why Dany attempted to put a wedge in between Jon and Sansa. It wasn't just jealousy or feeling as if her destiny was at risk due to Jon's parentage reveal. Sansa was a threat of a whole other kind.