#honestly i think he would treat her like a mix of how he treats tyrion and cersei but mostly tyrion

[falllpoutboy]

brienne meeting tywin in jb fics are my favorite genre

[targsdaenerys]

Jon’s wolf is white, like the Targaryen’s hair. Was it a sign? Were they hinting that since season 1? 🤔

there’s no way they wouldn’t be.

their stories are both parallel to each other, along with Jon’s parentage, and yall know how I’m a slut for it. I’m going to use this ask as an excuse to assess the Pilot. This mainly turned into a Jonerys Parallel Meta, sorry about that - but what comes with Jonerys parallels IS his parentage. Let’s start off with some basics:

A Song of Ice and Fire.

If you don’t follow, read the title again. Here, I’ll give you a hint: A Song of Ice and Fire.

If you still don’t understand, i translated it for you: The Story of a Stark and Targaryen. OR: The Story Of How The North’s Bastard Journeyed And United Those Beyond the Wall and The Girl with Blood Of Fire And Dragon Conquered Essos Managing To Find Each Other. The whole series is just how two halves that find themselves as physical and locational polar opposites join together.

To answer your question: in no way a coincidence. The Targaryen’s honestly identify as what we would say, Albino. White hair, pale skin, and the real characteristic of red/pink/violet eyes. This Albino model is a beautiful example of Targaryen characteristics:

As we all know, Ghost is Albino. As well as the runt of the litter, or the outcast. Something both Jon and Dany are to their families. GRRM could have easily just given Jon another wolf that was a runt, but he also made it Albino. Not to mention Dany getting a white horse:

He basically gave Jon a hint of his parentage in the pilot. I forget where I saw it, but there is a wonderful Theory Video on Youtube that expresses the idea that Three-eyed Raven!Bran pointed Jon into the direction of finding Ghost since there was honestly no way Jon heard the rustling that told him Ghost was there. Much like when Bran called out to Young Ned and he turned around, although could not see him.

      3.  Their scenes

Believe it or not, their scenes even parallel to each other down to the order.

Jon’s first scene:

Introducing his personality + relationship with his family. The toxic relationship between him and Catelyn.

Dany’s first scene:

Introducing her personality + creepy relationship between her brother.

Both are the victims of the abuse.

The last pics i chose are VERY similar

Jon’s second scene:

Establishing his level of power/family’s level of power. A secondary character in the scene hence its Ned doing the execution and it highlights his honor. But still has (two) lines to his brother that could have very well be given to Robb. (almost word for word in the books, as well.)

Dany’s second scene:

She has her meeting with Khal Drogo and Viserys’s conversation about when the will be married. The meeting ceremony parallels the Stark’s execution ceremony. We then go on to the conversion, which establishes Dany’s place, her brother’s place, and family’s place. She is a secondary character in the scene that exchanges her only two lines with her brother.

Jon’s third scene:

Hunting with his family. They happen upon a gross dead Stag first. Then find the Direwolves. Most importantly, Ghost, the one white wolf out of all of them and his iconic sidekick. As I said before, albino. The Direwolves are considered extinct/north of the all, and yet they find them. He only finds Ghost after identifying his place in the family.

Dany’s third scene:

The Dothraki wedding. Surrounded by gross dead animal meat (I’m not vegan, it just looks gross lol). Accepts her place in the family, and is gifted her dragon eggs, aka iconic sidekicks. Considered extinct. Is then also gifted a white horse.

          4.  As we know, those are not all of Jon’s scenes. We also have the shaving scene, Royal arrival, and being outside during the feast and invited to join Nights Watch. Although not parallel to the order of the scenes, these all connect to what happens to Dany as well.

Shaving scene = Bathroom scene

Getting prettied up for royal arrival

Nudity

Personality: Dany being timid, Jon being teased for not liking girls more than his hair. Later translates to their traumas of being a bastard and the abuse of her brother.

Royal arrival = meeting ceremony

Kinda self-explanatory. Both Lannisters/Baratheon and Dothraki are to play a significant role in their families’ fates.

Outside the feast = Dothraki Wedding

Isolation; although a big family deal, Jon is not allowed inside, highlighting his place in the family of always being excluded. And although it is her wedding, Dany is the most alone shes ever been.

Tyrion’s conversation = Dany’s gifts

These feelings are both alleviated a bit when Tyrion finds Jon and empathizes with him and Dany is given her gifts. Both events establish their roles as characters; the Bastard of the North and Girl with/ Mother of Dragons.

Night Watch Invite = Marriage Consummation

These are both key scenes. It sets off the story we will see them in for the next 5-6 seasons before meeting each other. Jon is told the way to be treated like anything but a bastard in to join the Night’s Watch; Dany is told the only way to go ‘home’ is to marry Khal to get his armies. The invite starts Jon off on his journey in the Watch and North of the Wall while the Consummation officializes Dany’s marriage with Khal, hence her own journey across Essos. AKA embarking to the coldest and hottest places in the GOT/ASOIAF world.

I hope this was a satisfying answer! Again, GRRM had said the whole story is Jon and Dany. Jon’s parentage being half Targaryen mixes in with the parallel of their love story and how they are two people with similar abusive pasts, embark on a 6 season journey on the opposite ends of the world, only to grow as one and finally, against all odds including death, come together as one. Its why their parallels are so beautiful, and honestly, unbelievable to me. they told the same story while polar opposites. the cinematography used to show it really brings it out.

There are so many other scenes that definitely build to his parentage; the context of it all honestly blows my mind and the way they play it out is one of the main reasons i think GoT is so epic. i hope i  can find the patience to do it all one day.

[coffereadsasoiaf]

GoT ask game 1, 10& 11 pls and thank you 😚

Hi!! :D

I’m already regretting this cause it took me forever to answer lmao… These questions are harder than they look!

Q 1: Which GoT character do you personally relate to?

I don’t really relate to anyone in particular… I might relate to some specific aspects of them, like Brienne’s insecurities resulting in always assuming people don’t like you/believe in you (and snapping because of it), Tyrion and Jaime’s way of handling things that hurt me with (far less clever) humor, Cersei’s frustration with the way women in power are treated differently, the Starks’ attachment to family and also general nostalgia mood, Maester Luwin’s skepticism of everything which is not science-proved, Sansa’s passion for romance and epic tales but without the naivety of thinking they can be true:(, Sam’s aversion to physical activities and love for books… It’s a mixed bag honestly! 

Q 10: If you were Queen and had to choose one character to be your Hand, one to be your Lord Commander, and one to be your consort, who would you choose?

Hand - I actually think Margaery or even better Olenna (who was the true mastermind behind Margaery), because they were the only ones who understood the importance of the smallfolk - of course they used the smallfolk politically rather then actually care for them, BUT it’s ultimately an important element of ruling and I’m surprised at how little the actual hands in the story took in consideration the perception the people had of the rulers. Also, I would like to have a Hand with conniving qualities (since I have none lmao) and the ability of being ruthless if (and only when!) necessary but who was also generally quite measured (which Olenna is) and ultimately not straight up evil. Plus she’s funny and I would love to spend time being roasted by her.

LC - My heart says Brienne, but she has dedicated herself to other people enough so I’ll leave her free to go wherever she wants, marry or not marry whomever she wants, have from 0 to 10 kids and just live her life cause she deserves happiness thank you! So maybe Jon cause he does have a good grip on duty (and he’s an expert in putting it in front of personal feelings, see Ygritte and Dany) and he has proven to be intuitive in what danger should be tackled first + he has experience in having men follow his lead. And I would like to see him and Olenna discuss on things to be done cause they would probably make for a really entertaining small council session. Yara can be second in command.

Consort - Pod, cause he’s sweet, kind, has respect for and is comfortable with women in a position of authority and overall cause he’s the only valid man of Westeros :) (plus… other reasons)  

Q 11: What’s an unpopular GoT opinion you have?

I mean what does actually qualify as an unpopular opinion in this show, I feel like the fandom is always pretty split on basically all the major issues, at least story and character wise. Don’t know if the following is that unpopular of an opinion since I know there is a strong Cat defense squad out there, but I feel like this particular aspect is usually universally hated by GoT viewers:

Cat’s resentment and treatment of Jon, while ultimately wrong and misplaced, should be discussed with a little more understanding of Cat’s position and the significance that Ned’s adoption of him would have in their world. Cat is a highborn lady in a society in which the only way of being valued as a woman is to be a good wife/mother and respected lady of a household. This is Cat’s life purpose according to the rules of the world she lives in, which she strictly follows: she marries a man she doesn’t care for while she is still mourning the man she was infatuated with, she carries his child alone while he is off at war and she is perfectly willing to forgive him cheating on her because she has been taught that that’s how things work and a good wife should tolerate it (although this is only clear in the book so maybe I’m cheating here). She has done her part, now she (rightfully) expects to get what she thinks is the just reward for it, which is being treated with the respect and regard her position as Lady of Winterfell demands. And then her husband comes back with a child from another woman (the identity of which he refuses to discuss with Cat) and officially adopts him in their household demanding that he be treated with (almost) the same regard as Robb (yes Jon is not recognized as a Stark but he lives in WF, he is educated and trained as the Stark kids, he grows up with them, he generally lives the privileged life of a true born Stark). This is very admirable in our view because illegitimacy is a dumb concept, but in that society it is extremely significant and Ned’s actions are a very public and major insult to Catelyn (who at the time was also like 16 ya’ll she was a full on teenager) so I think it is understandable that she would be resentful and hurt because the only role she could aspire to play in her life is being diminished by her husband (even though she followed all the rules to get there). Now I don’t think that this in any way justifies Cat’s behavior towards Jon, given that if anything she should be mad at Ned (even though I’d argue she had to forgive him if she had any hope to live a normal married life onward), and I agree this is probably her biggest flaw, but I think a lot of people use it as a way of dismissing her character entirely and I would argue that in a series where we all love to talk about “grey” and “flawed” characters there should be a space to make a case for her.

As usual, I made it 50x longer than it could have been, I’m sorry! But thanks for the questions ♥️♥️♥️

[sanrionharbor-blog]

For Everybody Still Worried About the Leaks

Clues from the Cast Interviews, GRRM Hints, and My Own Gut Feelings

Disclaimer: Hey, nobody knows nothing, but life’s too short to stress about things we can’t control, and stories are supposed to be maps to help us learn more about ourselves and about life in general–not hair-pulling inducements.  So I’m going to enjoy all the speculating that I can regarding the GOT season finale, and want to share some thoughts on why I think certain “leaks” are most likely bunk.

I’m mostly focusing on the pervasive “Does Tyrion die by trial?” leak, and everything that links to that, including any betrayals or major deaths.

Tyrion’s Ending and The Ending, In General

First, let’s quote Peter Dinklage himself:

I had all these ideas in my head and a version of one of them is how it ends up [for Tyrion]. David and Dan have a brilliant version of what I had. If I use any adjectives it will give it away. But I love how it ended up. And how it ends up for everybody. They had a beautiful gentle touch with some, and a hard touch with others.

But that’s just on Tyrion’s ending. Before I get into what that quote tells us, let me quote what other people have said about the Overall Ending of Game of Thrones:

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau:

I’ve never read anyone who got the whole thing. And when I read it the first time, I was blown away.

George R.R. Martin:

So many readers were reading the books with so much attention that they were throwing up some theories, and while some of those theories were amusing bulls*** and creative, some of the theories are right…At least one or two readers had put together the extremely subtle and obscure clues that I’d planted in the books and came to the right solution.

What the above quotes tell me is:

No one has guessed the ending completely–but parts of the ending? Yeah, they’ve been guessed. Which just goes to show how much this show and its themes have resonated not only with GRRM, but with his audience. Because,as a writer, I can tell you that no storyteller tells a story alone. There’s something guiding us and we can’t put a finger on it but it’s often the source of our best ideas. And it’s the same ineffable something that stirs all of us when we’re creating, sharing, and participating in stories. It’s the reason you see the same patterns in stories over and over. In short, the fact that part of the ending CAN be guessed is NOT a bad thing. It’s natural. Some postmodern storytelling theories have taught us that tricks and surprises are where it’s at–but a story isn’t true unless it can surprise us and, in retrospect, give us the only answer that makes any sense. You can see a pithier version of this kind of storytelling in Ye Olde Riddle–for example, the Sphinx in Oedipus Rex could tell us the answer to her riddle is orange, and that would throw us for a loop, but it would tell us nothing and mean nothing and add nothing to the story and thus would be forgotten. Surprise doesn’t count unless it has a ripple effect. So, about-face turns and OOC arcs may shock and subvert, but they’ll ultimately end up as dross and not as gold. (But hey, more on my thoughts on what can and can be accepted as canon in the last blurb below!).

Now, has anybody assumed that Tyrion would betray Daenerys and end up dead simply for 1) loyalty to the Lannisters, 2) suddenly losing faith in humanity?, or 3) suddenly wanting to usurp power himself? No. This is not a popular theory by a longshot. Tyrion dying? Sure. Somebody betraying Daenerys? Sure. Tyrion as a ruler? Sure. But this very specific, shoehorned version of the story is simply too contrived to have been picked up by fans organically.

The leaks so far have painted nothing but harsh endings for ALL the characters. Don’t tell me those leaks are pro-Stark. Those leaks point out backstabbing, loneliness, and emotional stagnation–forget what characters live, think about what these leaks have said about these characters. Not only does this not jive with the “bittersweet” aspect of the ending, it doesn’t jive with Dinklage’s assertion that, while some characters will go down harshly (R.I.P. Missandei especially–at least Edd and Jorah and Beric got heroic deaths and funerals), others will be treated gently. A heartbroken Brienne? A cold, lonely, manipulative Sansa? A suddenly hopeless, headless Tyrion? I don’t think so. (I also don’t think that means that Brienne and Jaime will necessarily ride into the sunset–but I do think we’ll have Jaime’s feelings for her confirmed, along with the completion of his redemption arc. I also don’t think that means Tyrion definitely won’t die–but I don’t think he’ll be character assassination, either. And I also don’t think that Sansa WILL end up in a canon relationship–but, logically, they can’t leave all the Stark’s COMPLETELY UNABLE TO LOVE, and um, somebody has to be willing to have legitimate heirs to the Stark House. Ok, just to continue this aside, but it seems theoretically impossible to me that the Stark House, which is all about the continuation of the Starks and the independence of the North, would not be given any canon marriages/alliances at the end of their arc. Arya’s already rejected marriage, Bran drove Meera away, and Sansa’s always wanted a happy marriage, even if she’s got very understandable trust issues right now. Anyhow–).

Peter Dinklage was able to guess how his character arc ended. What are the odds that Betraying Somebody He Cares About Without Good Reason (Daenerys–I could see him betraying her reluctantly, but not easily)/Being Betrayed By Somebody He Cares About (Sansa)/Dying Guilty After All The False Trials His Character Has Been THrough were in the mix? I don’t think so. Dinklage has gone on record multiple times to say how much he admires Tyrion and thinks he’s a good person. He’s also gone on record stating that Sansa and Tyrion’s relationship is full of true affection. Even if Tyrion dies and/or he and Sansa don’t end up as a couple, betrayal just seems so far out of the scope of what these characters’ storylines have been building to. And again, I can’t see that being even one version of one of Dinklage’s headcanons. What I think is most likely? A) Hand to the Ruler, B) Part of a new council that replaces or supplements the King/Queen, C) the King himself, or D) a heroic death.

How Long They’ve Planned the Ending:

They had talks with GRRM in 2014

They’ve been planning the ending for five years

They’ve known it was Arya who would take out the NK for three years

So some decisions weren’t set in stone, even by GRRM (such as who would take out the NK…an interesting thing not to know, actually, but that just points out how inflated the importance of the Others/White Walkers was–do I still think it will be handled better by GRRM, yes, but that’s another story), and even if D&D’s execution feels more like “here’s an outline of what’s happening” rather than “here’s the organic progression of that storyline,” I can only imagine that if core pieces were given by GRRM AND they’re not completely winging it, then there will be a certain amount of narrative cohesion once this comes full-circle.

Let’s not forget, we still have a third WTFudge moment that was came straight from GRRM himself, with the other two shockers being Hodor’s origin and Shireen Baratheon’s death. Could this third twist be Dany going completely mad? Maybe, though it doesn’t fall into the same category of completely-unexpected-but-honestly-possible, like Shireen and Hodor. Only because the foreshadowing for Dany’s madness was heavy-handed in the last few seasons (taking away the ‘unexpected’ bit), and is now quite uneven here in Season 8.

I think the third twist will likely be a specific action (a la Shireen’s death) or another origin story-type twist (a la Hodor). Some people have speculated that “Tyrion’s Trial” would make for that final twist, but here’s why I don’t think so:

The Nature of the Leaks

It’s very interesting to me that this leak, supposedly this Huge Most Important Leak, was one of the very first ones released. Like, months ago. While the rest of the leaks, the ones that have actually been accurate, are usually only released at the max a few days before each episode airs.

It’s also interesting to me that HBO has not done more to shut down this particular leak.

And, I would not put it past HBO to have actually filmed one entire fake-out scene. Most of the Dragon Pit/South scenes were filmed after the first three episodes, so they probably knew that they had the time and money to just throw fans for another loop. Sound tinfoily? Perhaps, but the idea that this big twist–and a twist that so far doesn’t make much sense given what we’ve seen in what is now ⅔’s of the season–was such an easy leak just makes me suspect.

Another possibility? Tyrion IS on trial, but is pardoned. Or Tyrion thinks he’s on trial, but it turns out to be somebody else’s funeral (a la that Littlefinger Fake Out 2.0.). I’m not saying any of this makes for the best handling of his character or for a particularly compelling scenario, but considering we haven’t seen it, I can’t say for certain.

GOT’s Recent “Plot Twist” Pattern

D&D have switched to information-withholding tactics in the last few seasons. Just look at Sansa and Arya’s arc and the Littlefinger Fake Out. Were these well-written? Not entirely–but they don’t make for the worst entertainment either. Yeah, we had better quality storytelling in the first four seasons, but soap opera can still be fun.

And how long have they been teasing Dark!Sansa without actually delivering? And let’s not forget–show-Sansa’s arc is still, broadly, based on book-Sansa’s arc. Book-Sansa remains far more in tune to the archetype of the Lady/Maiden, while show-Sansa is slightly blended with Jeyne Poole’s arc (and, unfortunately, a dash of Pop Feminism). But the fact remains that whatever meeting D&D had with GRRM back in 2014 contained information based on the broad trajectory of Sansa’s arc as GRRM has been writing it. (I’m writing a character arc meta on Sansa that’ll be out…soonish).

And let’s just say I don’t see Dark!Sansa hinted very well in the books at all. Sansa learning to pull strings like Littlefinger and Cersei and Margaery? Heck yes. But Sansa will do it Sansa’s way.

So, given that D&D usually try to shock us by hinting at a character’s worst possible tendency AND by withholding information AND by trying to get us to see one scenario while giving us another (another example being Jon Snow vs. Night King actually being Arya vs Night King), I can very well see them turning Sansa into a reluctant last-minute ally of Daenerys, Tyrion being pulled out of hot water at the last minute, Jaime’s running to Cersei being about taking out Cersei not making out with Cersei (yeah sorry/not sorry about that one), and heck, maybe Dany won’t go mad–she’ll just realize she doesn’t want the Iron Throne anymore, or the Iron Throne shouldn’t exist, or she dies tragically but not as a monster. Time will tell.

Who We Haven’t Seen So Far That Can Introduce New Complications

1. Edmure Tully

Tobis Mennzies (Edmure Tully) has been confirmed to return this season. Could it just be a cameo? Maybe. But I wouldn’t put it past Sansa, Arya, and Bran to be planning a back-up plan to help out Jon (and thus Dany). Arya is probably planning on killing Cersei, Sansa can rally what’s left of the Tully’s, and Bran will hopefully do something Three-Eyed Ravenish (or regain some of Bran’s humanity–which would be a twist worth waiting for).

2. Khal Drogo

Motherhood is an important theme in Dany’s life. I think ultimately, book and show wise, it’s what’s truly important to her. She just doesn’t realize it. In this way, Dany is a very interesting parallel with Cersei. Both of these women are tempted to replace their intimate losses with power. They believe power will protect them and their own. And that mentality can slowly shift into the classic Mother Bear conundrum: Us vs. Them.

Now, Khal Drogo not only represents a happy time in Dany’s life where she was both powerful and protected, but where she was a mother. After her losses, she gained her dragons. She truly loves her dragons as children, but they are also a liability to everyone but Dany. Interestingly, Dany’s human child with Khal Drogo was a liability to everyone but the Khalasar. The priestess from season 1 knew this, and so she prevented it. It doesn’t make the loss any less of a tragedy, however.

Will we see the same thing play out here in the final act of Game of Thrones? I’m not sure, but Khal Drogo’s presence will be heavily symbolic. Either Dany will meet him in the afterlife or reject death another time–but perhaps she’ll realize that her true desires were always for belonging and motherhood (just not at the expense of her own free will).

And, as an aside–I’ve really come to see Dany in a different light this season. I’ve always been anti-Daenerys as Ruler, but Daenerys as a character is truly fascinating. So what I see implied in her final arc is truly heartbreaking (and I hope it’s handled better overall than it was, in snapshot, here in 8x04). [Dany’s also my dad’s favorite character, haha, and I respect my dad’s opinion almost more than anyone else’s, so she gets props for that too lol].

3. Robin Arryn

I have a feeling this will be a cameo, but honestly the worst-case scenario for me would be Sansa being engaged to him lol. It would certainly be a Margaery Tyrell move on her part (knowing she won’t have to marry him for some time and he’ll be easy to influence), but the Knights of the Vale are already dedicated to her and I’m a Sanrion shipper so you know where I stand on any other Sansa ship. ;-)

Regardless, the Vale could become an important wrinkle in the plot, and I’m all for us not having a complete Doomsday scenario.

And In The Worst Case Scenario

The worst case scenario is that the leaks are legit. Bran as an emotionless king? The Starks are forever alone? Tyrion’s character assassination? Bleh.

But I’ve already hinted at my philosophy on canon storytelling.

Look, most fanon is crap–but so is most fiction. There are millions of stories out there, but it’s hard to find (and tell) one that resonates across all borders of sex, ethnicity, age, and epoch. You know what CAN exist in both fanon and canon–and what actually matters as canon in the end? The stories that are true.

If characters don’t act true to themselves, if deep-in-the-bones themes suddenly drop off, if crucial scenes that are present in every single successful outline are missing (don’t go postmodern on me–just read The Story Grid), then that story is incomplete. And it’s a lie.

Madeleine L’Engle once said “All truth is God’s truth.” She was trying to make the point that fantasy, and fiction in general, is important because it tells the truth. It’s not about the facts (dragons aren’t real! This is just a TV show! Etc.). It’s about the truth (dragons can be beaten! There is wonder in the world! We are united by our mythologies!).

So no, fanon can be a lot more than making heterosexual characters gay or inserting fluff without dealing with the consequences of character actions or erasing parts of canon. Fanon can be more true than canon when the author is on the tail of the actual Story.

Steven Pressfield does a much better job of explaining this in The War of Art. Madeleine L’Engle does a much better of explaining this in Walking on Water. Shawn Coyne does a much better job of explaining this in The Story Grid.

So don’t just take my word for it.

For me, then, I’m excited to see how the show plays out. And I’m fine if certain things that I only WANT don’t happen–but if the story doesn’t have what NEEDS to happen, then I’ll sadly and reluctantly reject it, and wait for GRRM’s books to come out, or simply contribute to the ASOIAF lore as best as I can. Hopefully not as wish fulfillment, but simply to respect the core of the story itself.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

[lady-griffin]

Jon Stark, by Marrying Sansa Stark

By the end of A Song of Ice and Fire (and GOT), I suspect that the Starks will be ruling Winterfell once more, not just in blood, but in NAME. 

I believe in the end, Jon will have the name of Stark, because he took Sansa’s name when they married.

Starks will be being ruling Winterfell not just in blood, but in name. Not Targaryen or some new branch that has an entirely differently name. Their children will take the Stark name as will Jon. 

The Starks will rule Winterfell once more.

There are several factors to why I think this will be the case.

Jon has always wanted to be a Stark. While he could be legitimatized (which is still a possibility), he has refused in the past, so I doubt it and I also doubt Jon will “legitimatize” himself. So, it would be nice, if marrying Sansa gives him the Stark name (reversing the marital roles).

Sansa in addition wants to remain a Stark and remain in the North, thus completing her own character arc, as in the beginning she wanted nothing more than to leave her home and family.

One aspect of why I really like the idea of Jon and Sansa ending up together and becoming the new Lord & Lady of Winterfell (King & Queen) is that it not only fulfills thematic elements of the series but shows Jon’s character development in how he regards women and the female lineage.

“The Lannisters are proud,” Jon observed. “You’d think the royal sigil would be sufficient, but no. [Joffrey] makes his mother’s House equal in honor to the king’s.” Arya I, GOT

Now this might not seem all that important, because Jon does not like Joffrey or the Lannisters, but it’s super interesting that he critiques Joffrey for making his “mother’s house equal” - that’s a very specific (and out of nowhere) critique.

But one that isn’t all that surprising when you consider Jon’s identity as a ‘Stark’ and a Snow, which are tied to his presumed father, Ned Stark. Jon has no mother, aside from a biological one.

So, it is interesting that in reality the family Jon identifies with the most and wants to be part of, is because of his mother. He’s a Stark, through Lyanna. His identity comes from his mother’s family, not the father, which is not common at all.

But back to the point, Joffrey raised his mother’s house to be equal to his father’s. Something Jon doesn’t quite approve of and while it could just be because he dislikes Joffrey, it might simply be a defense mechanism from a 14-year-old boy who has no mother.  

He has no mother to make equal to his father, so he “lashes” out against the idea.

“The woman is important too!” Arya protested. Arya I, GOT (In response to Jon’s comment)

Arya is absolutely right here. And while many take this quote to mean women are equal to men (which they are) and thus should be treated as equals (which they should). You can take what Arya is saying in a different direction.

She is saying the Wife is equal to the Husband. The Mother of the child is just as important as the Father -which is definitely true in Westeros in regards to legitimacy.

Even though Ned is not actually Jon’s father, no one knows that. To everyone, Jon is just as much of Ned’s son as Robb is.

Except he’s not.

Robb is the legitimate heir to Winterfell, because his mother is Catelyn Tully and all the other Stark children, despite being younger and or female have more legitimate claims to Winterfell than Jon. Simply because their mother is Catelyn Tully – a woman who has no claim to Winterfell herself.

It’s interesting to think about that - The wife who isn’t of the family is the one who “gives” legitimacy to a child’s claim over that families’ land and titles (with the father, obviously).

And Robb (because of Catelyn) reminds Jon of this once, when they were young and playing Lord of Winterfell. Robb says his mother says Jon can’t be Lord of Winterfell, because he’s a bastard.

Catelyn through her marriage and ostracization of Jon, will always keep him away from being a true and legitimate heir to Winterfell.

The Stark children being both Stark and Tully is what gives them legitimacy.

So, the wife/mother is just as important as the husband/father, so perhaps Joffrey (or Cersei through Joffrey) is not wrong to make the Lannister House equal to the Baratheon house in Joffrey’s personal sigil.

Now onto Sansa.

Sansa’s husband (Jon) taking her name also fulfills an aspect for her arc. Within the plot of the books, show and the general fandom itself, there is importance put upon who Sansa will marry (legitimately/permanently).

Will she be Sansa Lannister? Sansa Tyrell? Sansa Bolton? Sansa Targaryen? Sansa Baelish? Sansa Clegane? Sansa Snow?

And on and on.

And Sansa’s marriage is definitely important to her arc, not because of romance but because it’s the woman’s traditional role in Westeros - being the wife and mother. Having your husband cloak you in his house’s colors. Taking on a new family and a new identity.

And Sansa’s arc and role as a character takes on the traditional role of women in Westeros, both fulfilling it and exposing the awful truths of it.

And Sansa was supposed to be a traditional lady, who would take her husband’s name and help grow his family- give her husband legitimate children to inherit his title and lands. And Sansa in the beginning only wanted that.

She didn’t want to be a Stark and remain in Winterfell and in the North, she wanted to be a Baratheon/Lannister or a Tyrell in the south. But because of the war, how people now (and forever will) identify Sansa is her being a Stark.

Sansa has only been referred to as Sansa Lannister (and Bolton) when someone is try to delegitimatize her claim to Winterfell (and the North). Other than that, she is Sansa Stark.

She is the key to the north. If Robb Stark falls, Sansa is the only true heir of Winterfell remaining (due to the belief all her siblings were dead).

Now one can certainly take over Winterfell with an army or be given it by the Crown, but they’ll never be legitimate. To have a legitimate claim to Winterfell you need Sansa or the Stark name in general – but there is a reason there is so much emphasis on Sansa being the key, because she will be that legitimacy.

Sansa will remain a Stark and pass the name onto her children. 

The Starks have ruled Winterfell for thousands of years and it is hard to imagine that not being the case in the end. 

And while there are the other Stark children, none of their stories quite fit with the ending of ruling Winterfell and making the next generation -- and being more than content with that life.

Bran is the winged-wolf/three eye-raven now. Essentially going down a dark and magical journey, so his journey ending with him being the Lord of Winterfell, while far from bad, just doesn’t quite fit.

Arya fully embraces her wolf heritage and loves being a Stark but can anyone honestly see Arya being content to stay in Winterfell and being a lady (even a non-traditional one) and having/producing children.

Rickon is dead in the show and is absolutely going to die in the books -- literary device of Shaggydog.

And Jon, sweet Jon. Jon is the only other “Stark sibling” whose arc would be satisfied with him being the Lord of Winterfell, having his own children and a wife.

Jon never belonged in Winterfell, but desired to belong and even desired to have Winterfell. Not in the sense he was going to hurt his siblings to attain it, but it was a source of jealousy and soreness for him. Despite Eddard being his father, Catelyn was not his mother, which denies him Winterfell.

Jon doesn’t want to nor can he ‘properly’ have children of his own. As a bastard, with plenty of legitimate siblings, there is no reason for a proper lady to seek being his wife. He has no name, no titles or lands.

He can’t give a wife what is usually expected of a husband. But that’s okay, because Sansa has the name, land and titles or at least the best claim to the last two.

Sansa and Jon have (once had) parallel desires that complete one another.

A non-specific husband for Sansa, a safe and warm place where she is loved and protected. With children, who would essentially be the fallen Starks “reborn,” at least in name

A non-specific wife for Jon. Him ruling Winterfell with essentially a proper lady as his wife, raising their children and others’ children as he was raised with Robb and Theon. Happy and safe, and with the legitimacy that Jon was always denied.

Sansa has legitimacy that isn’t exactly common for women to have. Marrying Sansa gives one a true legitimate claim to Winterfell. And, she is the proper lady, that I think Jon has always wanted. But Sansa won’t be submissive, she’ll be a mix of what Jon desires and likes in a woman, as well as what he needs.

Jon gives Sansa genuine love and protection. True safety and security. And Jon being Sansa’s “sibling/cousin” is another added protection, Jon wouldn’t love Sansa for her claim alone, not even close. They are family and from the same pack of wolves.

Additionally, Jon is the only one I see taking the name Stark through marriage from Sansa. I highly doubt, Tyrion, Sandor or Willas will give up their names. And I just can’t see a Lannister, Tyrell or Clegane ruling Winterfell. 

Which honestly would not go over well, even if they are married to Sansa, I don’t see The North fully embracing anyone but a Stark (name and everything). 

And we’ve seen that in the Books and (not as much) in the show, with the Boltons.

I can easily see Jon giving up the name Snow. As the name Snow is of no importance – that’s literally the point. Jon giving up his name and taking his wife’s name of Stark is very fulfilling for him.

Sidenote: Jon’s name of Snow being of no importance though is one reason why I see Jon not taking the name Stark. (X) 

I don’t see Jon exactly being comfortable with taking the Stark name, not because it’s through Sansa, but because he would feel he hasn’t “earned” it.

Jon has shown that for him to be a Stark, he has to earn it. Prove himself worthy of the name. Saving his father’s life or dying heroically (for his father, family) for instance.

“He was no true Stark, had never been one … but he could die like one. Let them say that Eddard Stark had fathered four sons, not three.” (Jon IX, GOT)

That all being said, Jon not being comfortable with having the Stark name, might be why he will have it in the end. And honestly, it’s very Jon, to have ‘earned’ the name Stark and be welcomed as a Stark by his cousins, only for him to brood and still think, he’s not worthy.

Back to Jon having the name of Stark to rule Winterfell.

Someone taking on the established family’s name to rule the respected lands, is not as uncommon as one would think.

Look at Harry the Heir — "He is the heir presumptive of Lord Robert Arryn and would ascend to rule the Vale as "Harrold Arryn�� should Lord Robert die without issue.” (X) (Alayne, A Feast For Crows?)

The Vale won’t be ruled by the Hardyng House as Harry will take the Arryn name, because the Arryn’s have ruled the Vale for centuries, changing his name to Arryn gives him more legitimacy.

And the same would be true for Jon -- taking the Stark name, would give his rule of Winterfell far more legitimacy. Because even though he is a Stark on his mother’s side, there might be some doubt about that, leading to questions about his right to Winterfell.

But if he marries Sansa Stark, trueborn daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully. Well their child would have all the rights to Winterfell.

Because even though people don’t like it, there’s no denying that by marrying Sansa, Tyrion and any potential children the two have, have a legitmate claim to Winterfell. That’s why Stannis urged Jon to take Winterfell.  

Now just because the Starks will rule again, doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes. For one thing, I imagine a new sigil being created.

New Sigil—

Black Field

With a white dire wolf with red eyes on top

Keeping with the Stark Direwolf sigil (instead of just the Targaryen banner taking over)

Includes Targaryen colors of red and black.

Represents Ghost and Jon as well as Jon’s mixed heritage. He’s a Stark and a Targaryen.

Because while I don’t think Jon being a TARGARYEN is as important as everyone has assumed and I think it might be a ‘red herring’ in a way, I don’t think it’s nothing.

So, the Stark sigil changing, maybe even taking on more of Targaryen aspect to it – is not out of the question.

Back to names, though.

Names are a huge thing in ASOIAF. In both the literal story and the reader’s experience. In the world of Westeros, a name is everything. 

A name gives the characters the rights and privileges they’ve known. It also causes them great pain and suffering.

Tyrion is hated for being a Lannister, but being a Lannister is what has kept alive.

Being a Stark is why Sansa can never be truly safe in the south and why she suffers, but it also keeps her ‘safe and protected’.

The best example of that, is that despite Sansa’s family being literal traitors to the crown and that Cersei does not like her in the least, Cersei still wouldn’t let Littlefinger marry Sansa, because Littlefinger is far too low in status to be wed to a STARK (and potentially have rights to Winterfell).

Names are important, because they are the legitimate and legal aspect within the world of Westeros.

Despite being Ned’s “Son”, Jon has no claim to the Stark name. And the same goes for Rhaegar -- -- I mean even if it’s proven, there will always be those who will question that legitimacy.

And I doubt that even after facing the Night King and all that good stuff, Westeros will change its ways. 

Westeros will always have those reaching for power and claiming their own legitimacy over others.

Despite the Tyrells being named Wardens of the Reach by Aegon the Conqueror that is still a contested dispute, because many other families within the Reach feel like that have a far more legitimate claim. 

Even though that  claim is tied to House Gardener, who lost the Reach to House Targaryen, so even though House Gardener shouldn’t matter, it still does. 

Because names and inheritance are integral to the nobles of Westeros.

Despite the Boltons taking Winterfell and being named Lords of the North by the Crown, it’s not accepted by the North.

Even though Robert Baratheon took the throne (one which he had no right too), but therefore took it and therefore has the right, his Targaryen relation is brought up to prove some legitimacy to his reign.

And again, we see this struggle based on legitimacy time and time again.

It’s why the Bolton’s are having trouble with the north. It’s why the Freys are having trouble in the Riverlands.

And its why Robert wanted all the Targaryen’s dead (hatred aside). 

Despite Aerys being a hugely hated king and the fact that 5 of the main noble houses rebelled against him and won the war. Any Targaryen can have more of a claim then Robert and his family, simply because they are Targaryen.

To clarify, having the right name doesn’t guarantee you power or a throne -particularly if you have lost your armies and wealth. We see this with Viserys.

So while, ASOIAF has shown names aren’t everything they are important.  

The nobles of Westeros like the legitimacy that comes with the right name. 

And more importantly, your name being legitimate is what will allow you to keep your power and quell plenty of rebellions before they even start.

Finally, for the characters, their names are a huge part of their identities. Far more then what a surname is for people in reality. In fact, Westerosi House Loyalty/Identification is closer to real-world nationalism.

Being a Stark has so much weight and meaning to the Starks and to everyone else (and so on with the rest of the names). It’s a literal form of their identity and who they are or at least should be.

But outside the world of Westeros, for the readers, the names have importance. There is a reason why there are debates of whether Joffrey should be Joffrey Lannister or Waters or Hills. There is a reason no one refers to Cersei as Cersei Baratheon. And so on.

And anyone aside from a Stark and restoring Winterfell back to it’s proper, won’t feel right to the readers. There’s a reason why fans were so excited to see the banners of Stark replace the Bolton’s flayed man. 

It’s a victory. But a victory, Sansa STARK and Jon Snow accomplished.

Jon, being a Snow or Targaryen, ruling Winterfell is literally just as good and no different then Jon Stark ruling Winterfell – except of course in name.

And names are important.

So, it should be a literal Stark in name who takes back Winterfell and rules it in the future.

And maybe, even if Jon keeps the name Snow, his children will be Starks through Sansa (blood and name).

But to me, Jon taking the name Stark by marrying Sansa his truly satisfying for his arc and fulfills elements to both of their character arcs, especially from when we were first introduced to them.

So, I truly believe, The Starks will rule the North once again. And I believe it will be Sansa and Jon Stark and their future children who will do so.

Check out another of my meta-analysis posts on the relationship of Jonsa, The Cloaking Ceremonies of Jonsa

[driftingglass]

Top Ten Characters Meme Thingy-Ma-Jig.

I was tagged by @godspeedcomplex! Thanks bro! :)

Rules: Name ten of your favorite characters from ten different fandoms then tag other victims to do the same!

And I actually will only pick ten this time... unless they’re tied equally. That tends to happen a lot. 

I’m so excited for this one. :D

And because this is about characters... I have to talk about each one, with at least one bullet point response for each (or paragraphs... who knows). Sorry that this may turn into one long-ass post, but... characterization is my jam. 

Woo.

‘Kay. Here we go!

1. Killua Zoldyck (very closely followed by Gon Freecss...) from Hunter X Hunter.

Ah, goodness. 

Killua Zoldyck belongs at the top of this list for numerous reasons, even though I struggle to place a number in order for these characters. Truthfully, the top... three or four or so on this list will be pretty much in order. As much as I adore Gon Freecss and his role in the anime, Killua is, by far, the most unexpected turnout of a character I have seen in this medium. 

Killua’s storyline stems from a tragic yet morally ambiguous background, taking into account the many times we’re meant to feel sympathetic for a murderous little assassin child. 

Aside from his marvelous design and relatively innocent appearance, this character is ultimately self-sacrificing in nature for the few (or two, really) people he truly cares for, most obviously Gon and Alluka. 

Without going into a long tangent about the many reasons why this character has subverted many tropes and has created a well-deserved staple in the world of anime and manga, Killua stands out as a passionate, relatable and emotionally vulnerable character who never strikes me as unrealistic in his ambitions. 

There’s an undeniable rawness to him, this sensational connection that few characters have created for me, coupled alongside my constant desire to learn more and more about his mind works and what his relationship to Gon parallels in the world we live in.

He’s also the character I’ve related to the most -- in personality, fears, flaws, and even family dynamics -- even more so than number two on this list...

2. Izuku Midoriya (very closely followed by Katsuki Bakugou...) from Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia.

Similar to my reaction to Killua Zoldyck as a character, Izuku Midoriya is someone who I never believed I could actually enjoy as far as shōnen protagonists are concerned. This character’s flaws are very rare when considering the genre as a whole, but again, his self-sacrificing nature and total lack of self-preservation serve as fantastic parallels to not only his own story, but the lives of the people around him, especially that of All Might and Katsuki Bakugou. 

Izuku is also an incredibly fine example of a young shōnen character with inspiring dreams and ambitions that never seems out of place on someone his age. 

He feels realistic, and I relate to this character so much that it’s almost concerning. I love his design, his motivations, his personality, and his flaws. He is a very well-drawn character with a wonderful drive and incredible development, and most of all... he demonstrates fine ability to be what he wants to be outside of the realm of superpowers, which are so prevalent in the canon universe of the manga in which he stars.

I have not only an intense fondness and analytical love for this character, but admiration as well. Izuku’s dreams feel palpable, and I feel inspired whenever I watch him pursue his ambitions through hard work, determination, work ethic, and a rare dash of humility that is so rare to find in shōnen main protagonists.

A perfect example of a character who is masculine and strong while not fitting into the clean stereotypes that make others in the genre the way they are.

3. Zuko (very closely followed by Sokka and Iroh...) from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

There’s plenty of nostalgia connected to this one, aside from my immense amount of respect for the cartoon in general. Zuko is a character that changed the dynamic of cartoon antagonists/protagonists for many reasons, and his storyline is fantastically paralleled to Aang’s. 

His storyline is one of my favorites I’ve seen in a cartoon/anime, and most likely because it was one of the first I had seen at the time. Becoming familiar with this character and exploring the complicated corners of his personality is an absolute treat, and over the course of the entire show we are able to become familiar with his story, his character, and the immense flaws and strengths that compose him as a whole. 

And I guarantee that the term “redemption arc” mostly stems from this guy. As it should. (Unfortunately it’s led to far too many renditions and rehashings of this idea... *sigh.*)

It was honestly extremely difficult choosing between Zuko and Sokka, as my reasons for adoring both characters are completely different, but there’s something to be said about how difficult this was from the show itself. 

Avatar’s characters explore incredible depth in most of their cast, with both antagonists and protagonists, and Zuko’s storyline is not one to be missed.

4. Severus Snape from the Harry Potter book series.

Ah, this character. 

My reasons for this one are relatively simple, and are more related to the ingenious strategies J.K. Rowling incorporated into making this character believable, sympathetic (depending on the reader -- this opinion fluctuates quite often) and one of the most intriguing characters in the Harry Potter universe. 

From the very beginning there’s an intensity to Snape that is unrivaled with others, littered with constant questions and wondering what his place in the overall story could be. 

With each revelation I found myself continuously fascinated, and as far as I’m concerned, no one could have brought this character to life better than Alan Rickman in the film adaptations. His gravely voice, greasy black hair, intense emotional resonance matched with the subdued reactions expected of the character... I consider it to be legendary, and the best casting choice in the entire film series. 

My admiration for Snape’s storyline is more based on the fact that these continued revelations are woven like a fucking quilt throughout the books, dancing with questions and nagging points that prompt the readers to furrow their brow and wonder where Rowling was going with this guy.

I will never forget the genuine shock and adoration I felt for this character’s depth and incredible complexity, even far past the sniveling, frigid exterior and morally ambiguous background.

5. Daenerys Targaryen (closely followed by Jamie and Tyrion Lannister, and Sansa Stark) from A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones.

Oh my god it was so fucking difficult picking my favorite Game of Thrones character. Jesus. 

I actually didn’t think good old Mother of Dragons would make it to the top of my choices, considering my immense fondness for the characters closely following behind her. (And there are so many characters I admire and love from this universe, so those don’t even scratch the surface). 

But, when it came down to deciding which one outranked the others, I had to take into consideration what made me fall in love with them to begin with. 

Daenerys Targaryen has some of the greatest character development and growth that I’ve seen in any medium. 

This is a rather bold statement. But, as far as growth and development, I found myself consistently fascinated with Daenerys’ storylines, especially in the first two to three seasons. She evolves from this meek, timid, spineless woman sold as a slave to a barbarian warlord, to an incredibly influential and flawed self-proclaimed queen, with a fascinating historical context that elevates her above others. 

Daenerys has grown rather stagnant as far as development in the last season or so, which is what made me hesitate. However, my admiration for her, as the Breaker of Chains, or even the Khaleesi, stemmed from her bold, brave choices and ultimately well-meaning (yet naive) heart. 

So while my feelings for her in general are mixed, my admiration and fascination with her development from the beginning of the series to now is just... unbelievable. To see it progress this far has been a treat, indeed.

6. Mrs. Brisby from The Secret of NIMH.

A bit more of a nostalgic trip here as well, but The Secret of NIMH is one of my all-time favorite films, and a beautiful encapsulation of dark fantasy, magical wonder, family dynamics, motherhood, and the strength in the small against something larger than life. 

And Mrs. Brisby is a character that deserves a place amongst the best for many reasons, and many of her best qualities have to do with her bravery and determination to save her family from a cause that seems far too great. 

She is admirable in her courage, relatable in her vulnerability and fear, and inspiring in the lengths she will go to save her little family. 

I admired this character as a little girl, and still do this day as a young adult. With the hundreds of films and television shows I’ve seen (and on top of countless books), there are few characters who resemble the importance of motherhood as well as this one.

7. Roy Mustang (closely followed by Edward Elric and Wrath) from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Fuck. I broke my own rule. 

Now, Roy and Riza have one of my favorite dynamics in anything I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch (I have never read the manga). Also, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is my second favorite anime of all time, so that made it even more difficult to pick a favorite. Many of the characters are complex and likable, but after some serious inner debate, I had to go for this.

Roy Mustang is a character who could easily display himself as a bit of a pretentious character, especially with his grounding by the hand of Riza Hawkeye. 

His encounter with Lust is one of my favorites I’ve ever seen, and his backstory with that of Maes Hughes and Riza Hawkeye add so much to all three of their developments that it almost makes it impossible not to sympathize. 

Roy’s anger is palpable in this series. Even more so, dare I say it, than Edward’s. As much as I adore Edward (and as fascinating as I find Wrath), and relate to him and just... love his story, there’s something about Roy that calls me back to those fateful moments where he struggles to grasp his need for revenge and the greater good of the situation surrounding him.

His consistent arc as a character, and his connection Maes Hughes, only adds to his development and his wonderful relationship with Riza Hawkeye. I also heavily appreciate his mentor role to Edward, and how easy it is to relate to him within everything else.

8. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III from How to Train Your Dragon.

So, this film series in general is definitely DreamWorks’ magnum opus, and no one can convince me otherwise. The character development with Hiccup is not only relatable and endearing, but admirable as well. He stands out with his consistent decisions and changes, and his incredible attachment and relationship with Toothless is wonderful to observe.

On top of this, I find myself often comparing the character of Hiccup and Izuku Midoriya (which makes me think of an HTTYD AU and as much as I love that idea... gosh, I don’t have the time haha), due to their lacking roles in the society they’ve been born in and their incredible intelligence and awkward mannerisms. Also, they’re both freckled (hooray for my freckled faves)! 

Anyway. 

Hiccup’s tenacious attitude and courage is easily combined with his incredibly kind heart and trust in his companions. The development between him and Toothless is rooted in a friendship that we understand through vivid actions and understanding (and relating to) Hiccup’s personality and roles as the outcast/black sheep in his village of Berk.

I adore this character, and the series that has inspired him. Also, there’s something to be said about his ever-changing role in the movies, and I’m so incredibly excited to see where his character is taken with the third impending installment. 

9. Raven from Teen Titans.

Yeah, okay, more nostalgia in this one. Raven is a character that I admired from the very first time I watched Teen Titans, and above all else, I found her backstory, personality, character development and superpowers to easily be the most interesting of the gang. The cartoon is charming and dark and mature when it needs to be (in most cases), and much of the relatable and occasional complex nature to the cartoon involves this character.

Raven’s powers and her empathetic connection to the world around her is an idea that fascinates me each and every day. 

Even with original novels I’ve planned out and magic systems I’ve created, a great deal of my protagonists (usually cycled through on multiple drafts) have been subconsciously inspired by this ability and this general connection to the surrounding world. 

I had no idea how much Raven herself inspired me as a writer and creator until I considered my inspiration for the female characters I normally admire in these mediums. Her flaws are understandable while, at times, both irritating and relatable. Her design is far less stereotypically “pretty” when compared to, say, Starfire. There’s an element to her that screams authenticity when compared to the other Titans that I always found myself drawn to the most.

She deserves the popular following she has, both in the comics (from what I understand) and in this beloved cartoon.

10. Chihiro from Spirited Away.

Ah, this film. Goodness. 

There’s something brilliant about Chihiro and her character in general, but my reasons for liking her so much are mostly derived from the experience that I get to have as the viewer into the world of Spirited Away. This film is... a masterpiece, in every sense of the word, crafted by the ingenious hand of Hayao Miyazaki. And this man truly knows his characters, and is one of the greatest crafters of strong female protagonists I have ever seen.

Chihiro is young, and acts young. She is scared, and acts scared. She sobs, and wails, and trembles, and reacts as any little girl in her dire situation would. 

But, she is believable in her bouts of courage, in her desire to achieve her goal and her willingness to break out of the shell she’s been granted to mature past her years. Her journey in the film rides on her shoulders, exposing her kind, giving heart as well as her unabashed bravery, which makes her easy to relate to and cheer for until long after the film’s credits stop rolling.

She is a character who is so human, so enticing, and so accurate of female representation that I find myself wondering time and time again why I haven’t reviewed the film she’s in yet. 

Chihiro is one of the more complex female protagonists I watched as a little girl, and I admire her journey and personality to this day as a staple in anime. 

Woo. Well, that was a wild ride. Thanks for reading!

I’m going to tag... @decembercamiecherries, @tonerukun, @killushawn, @soulestring, @diggitydamnsebastianstan, and... whoever else wants to! Go for it! And I tagged these people because they were the first ones to pop in mind, so... yeah. You guys don’t have to do it. XD 

Until next time!

[lady-alayne]

Game of Thrones: An Angry Recap

Season 7 Episode 7: The Dragon and the Wolf

Outside of King's Landing:

As Dany's troops are positioning themselves all around King's Landing, Bronn and Jaime have a deep and meaningful discussion about the construct of masculinity between the conflicting priorities of cocks and what-even-is-the-point-of-not-having-a-cock. Oh, the subtle socio-anthropological nuances of Game of Thrones, more refined each episode.

But back to Dany's troops! The Unsullied, motionless as ever, stand still as an army of Dothraki rides through their ranks making... scary noises? Where did they pick those up? I'm pretty sure the Dothraki were not yodeling like that in season 1. But, whatever, who cares about continuity? Most characters have been replaced by a caricature of themselves this season, so why not make the Dothraki more foreign and more different? Apparently it's supposed to make for some good TV instead of, you know, raising a lot of eyebrows and bordering offensiveness.

The real Team Dany, meanwhile, sails into King's Landing, and we find out that Jon is completely healed! Based on the established timelines, it took him about 10 minutes to heal and put his cothes back on, as this is approximately the time it takes to sail from the North to King's Landing. Makes sense, doesn't it?

Aaaaaaaaaand our sexist joke counter immediately goes DING! as Tyrion mentions the far superior King's Landing brothels. I mean... sure. The best brothel in show!universe was undoubtedly Littlefinger's fine establishment, which is not operating any more, so... someone else must have taken over? And how would Tyrion even know? Has he been to all the brothels? (Okay, he probably has.) Based on the show's characterization, I'd say the best brothels are in Dorne, but... who cares. Maybe D&D are contractually obligated to mention sex all the time. Or they probably just think it's worthy of all the Emmys, which, sadly, seems to be the case. Ugh.

The Dragonpit:

On the way to the dragonpit Missandei, who, if I may remind, IS THE QUEENS MOST TRUSTED ADVISOR, DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IT WOULD BE A SMART MOVE TO CONTAIN A BUNCH OF GROWN UP KILLER DRAGONS. Thankfully, Jorah is there to mansplain how dangerous dragons can be. You know, to the woman who witnessed Dany's dragons torching countless flocks of innocent sheep, and eventually a child, which made Dany LOCK THEM UP. But, oh, what could the Dragonpit possibly be there for??? Tyrion then supermansplains how the last dragons died, because as soon as another male character (except for Jon) has more than 10 seconds screentime, Tyrion must be brought into the mix to remind us all how awesome he is.

Thankfully he is interrupted by Bronn, who came with Brienne and Pod for some reason, who seem to have teleported into King's Landing. Because it's Pod and there seems to be a law, Bronn makes a joke about Pod's magic cock. Sigh. Why won't D&D ever let us forget about that?

After a Brienne/Sandor and Tyrion/Bronn reunion scene, the gang finally makes it into the Dragnpit, which is FUCKING TINY. Even for one fully grown dragon it wouldn't be enough space to spread their wings and fly. But for several??? No wonder the dragons got the blues and stopped growing. Dude.

Finally Team Cersei arrives, and then—CLEGANBOWL GET HYPE!!! Or.... not, as Sandor chooses to walk away. Lame!

Dany shows up 15 minutes late without Starbucks, but on her dragon, which impresses Cersei exactly 0.00. Just as Tyrion is about to instigate a peaceful negotiation, Euron heckles him, leaving Theon... unperturbed??? What happened to your PTSD, Theon? I guess it comes and goes as the plot demands it. Realistic!

Cersei tells Euron to shut the hell up, and Team Dany finally have the chance to explain the threat beyond the wall to the Queen and even have their wight show-and-tell. Jon explains and demonstrates how to defeat them while looking like he's shooting a “How To” youtube video, which seems to convince Cersei, who accept the truce, and scare the shit out of Euron, who jumps up and yells, “SCREW YOU GUYS, I'M GOING HOME.”

By the way. Jon explicitly states that wights CANNOT SWIM. THEN HOW DID THEY GET THE DRAGON OUT OF THE WATER????

In other news, Cersei's truce comes with one condition: That the North does not take up arms against the Lannisters, even after the White Walkers have been defeated. Unfortunately Jon's compromised dick honor prevents him from accepting those terms, and Cersei storms out. Brienne then tries to reason with Jaime by yelling “Fuck loyalty!” WHICH MAKES ABSOUTELY NO SENSE AND GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING BRIENNE STANDS FOR ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Saint Tyrion, who knows he is protected by plot armor, volunteers to talk to Cersei again and manages to sway her mind in about 3 seconds, which seems very plausible. Don't forget, the plot demands it.

Meanwhile we are treated to Jon's cringey attempt at flirting with Dany, who tells her, “You're not like the other girls! You're, like, super special!”

By the way, isn't it insanely warm under those furs? Why is Jon still dressed in his Northern collection?

Cersei reappears to promise her armies. Which makes me wonder... WHAT ARMIES??? Weren't they all torched by Dany on their way back from Highgarden, and the ones she spared bent the knee and are fighting for her now, anyway? What was even the point of this meeting? What armies can Cersei contribute???

An hour later we find out.... None. Because Cersei lied, and she has no intention to join the fight. This does not go over too well with Jaime, who gets into a heated argument with his sister and eventually storms out to ride... somewhere, just as the first snow is falling on King's Landing.

Dragonstone:

Back in their free castle, Team Dany are figuring out how to move the troops Norths. In one of the more obvious WHICH ONE WILL SHE CHOOSE??? moments, Jorah and Jon both suggest different ways for Dany to get there, and to no one's surprise she chooses Jon. Jorah, for real. You're better than this. It's just painful. MOVE ON.

Jon and Theon later have a heart-to-heart in the throne room that LITERALLY STARTS WITH THEON SAYING “YOU ARE ALWAYS GOOD AND SMART AND PERFECT.” Oh my god. Do D&D really think we are THAT STUPID? Do they really think we would not UNDERSTAND how PERFECT Jon is if it is not REPEATED OVER AND OVER??? To “help” with Theon's identity crisis, Jon then tells him he can be both a Greyjoy and a Stark, which... doesn't really help Theon at all, but it's the thought that counts I guess? Inspired by Jon's council, Theon then decides to rescue Yara. The Ironborn are TOTALLY against that, but then Theon beats one of them to death, so they are all for that. Hooray!

Now here's the thing. Theon's arc was amazing. He was a smug little asshole who made all the wrong choices and came to pay for them dearly. Ramsay broke him, in all ways a man can be broken. Theon became Reek. But his empathy with Sansa redeemed him, and Theon fought off his Reek state. And he found that last, tiny bit of strength, and let that fuel him. He was still broken and scared, but he ignored it because, finally, he wanted to do the right thing and help Sansa. That was beautiful.

What is NOT beautiful is having Theon repeat this arc over and over and over. He has spent the last two seasons in a perpetual Theon/Reek/Theon/Reek/Theon hamster wheel, always having the personality that would fit best into the rest of the bullshit D&D are trying to sell us as coherent plot. He's triggered by all the violence and jumps overboard when Euron abducts Yara, but when he faces him again in the dragonpit he cracks jokes about Euron and doesn't give a fuck. A little while later he is broken and remorseful again and regrets his life choices, once again deciding to rescue a damsel in distress to redeem himself, and is “empowered” by killing a man. (I will talk about D&D's idea of “empowerment through violence” in a later post). Not only does this once again underline the misogyny of GoT—women are merely used as props in men's character arcs, which a few exceptions—IT ALSO MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE. What are you??? REEK OR THEON??? Stop yoyoing back and forth, for fuck's sake.

And don't even get me started on the Ironborn. Yara's crew is supposed to be the most loyal crew there is. These men are supposed to go through hell for their captain. But, no, as soon as it gets a bit inconvenient they decide to choose raping and pillaging instead, altought YARA WAS TOTALLY AGAINST THAT. And Theon beats one of them up and THEY IMMEDIATELY CHANGE THEIR MINDS AGAIN??? Honestly, if I was Theon, I would not trust these men AT ALL.

Winterfell:

Petyr Baelish is smart and wonderful. When Sansa gets a letter from Jon that must have read “Hi sis, just fyi, we're Targaryen bannermen now!” he notes that IT IS NOT EASY FOR RAVENS TO FLY IN THESE STORMS, thus proving that 1) he is the only character that somehow makes sense (despite his season 5 jetpack!) and 2) he absolutely has to die now because D&D can't have a character that's smarter than him. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord Baelish.

Sansa is understandably not super happy about Jon bending the knee, which makes Littlefinger suggest that she could be Queen in the North instead because IT IS HER BIRTHRIGHT ANYWAY. When Sansa notes that Arya might not be on board with that idea and murder her because of the cult she recently joined, Petyr smartly replies “I never trust godly men.” Which, you have to admit, makes him simply wonderful.

Then Sansa and Petyr discuss how likely it is that Arya wants to murder Sansa. And let's face it, based on everything that went down last episode, it seems pretty likely. Arya did threaten her WITH A DAGGER. And talk about WEARING HER FACE. So........ I REST MY CASE. IT SEEMS PRETTY LIKELY.

But who cares about logic, amirite? In the most foreseeable plot twist in the history of Game of Thrones, it turns out the Stark sister did NOT want to murder each other, but instead teamed up to take down the man whose only function had become to be an evil creeplord, so all the viewers would know that he should definitely be killed.

And once again Game of Thrones chose supposed “shock value” over consistency, logic, and good storytelling. Let me sum this up.

Petyr Baelish STARTED THE WAR OF THE FIVE KINGS because HE IS SUPER SMART. He knows everything about everyone and, more importantly, he knows how to use that knowledge to his advantage. He then used the ensuing chaos to RISE EVEN HIGHER in this world. Along the way he also RESCUED SANSA from King's Landing AND from being pushed through a moon door AND from being slaughtered during the battle of the bastards. Okay, he also sold Sansa to Ramsay, which was... stupid, and I hate D&D for making him do that. But all he did, he did for Sansa. Because he truly and genuinely LOVED HER.

But this poor, poor, unfortunate soul was not “badass” enough for D&D. They did not know what to do with this wonderful, complex character. And, frankly, they didn't care. All they cared about were the fans they were servicing. And the fans wanted to see him dead. So D&D went on tumblr and read the hate posts. And they put him on a mock trial for that. Sansa accused him of many things, things she had no reason to know, and don't tell me that Bran just KNEW THIS. We later see that Bran is not an omniscient superbrain. He merely has the power to see everything he chooses to see. That means Bran must have consciously chosen to watch Petyr Baelish throughout the decades to uncover all his crimes, so his sister could then accuse him of them. Seriously???

But who cares. Not the fans D&D are servicing. The wanted to see Petyr dead, because they, too, did not understand his character. They only see the world as black and white. Petyr was not good, so he had to be evil. And therefor he had to be killed. By three teenagers. Three kids, really. Three kids who are not evil, and therefor they had to be good, their actions reasonable, their violence justified.

This does not explain why Arya was threatening Sansa last week. Was it just a show for Petyr? Then why do it behind closed doors? Or did she actually mean it? Then when did she have a change of heart? It just makes no sense. It makes no fucking sense. 

I mourn the death of one of the last complex, morally ambiguous characters. One of the original players. He set it all in motion. He played the Game like no one else. And he looked smoking hot doing it.

Rest in peace, my Lord Protector. You deserved better than this. And know that you will be avenged. In metas, in fanfictions, in fanart... We will right the wrongs that have been done to you. And you will live on in our hearts, and, for some of us, under our skins. Fly now to your rest, my sweet mockingbird.

***

But the story does not end there for the Winterfell gang. Bran is visited by Sam, and they talk about how Jon is actually... AEGON TARGARYEN????? WHAT?!?!?!?!?! THERE ALREADY IS AN AEGON TARGARYEN??? OR DID D&D DIMISH ELIA'S CHARACTER EVEN FURTHER AND CHOSE TO ONLY GIVE HER ONE CHILD INSTEAD OF TWO??? WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL THIS?!?!?!?! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the way... GILLY FOUND OUT THAT RHAEGAR GOT MARRIED TO LYANNA, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE TOERAG. But Sam takes all the credit. THIS IS NOT OKAY.

And apparently Bran can now see everything from everywhere??? What happened to “You have to warg an animal or look out of a heart tree???” Too inconvenient for D&D?!?!?!?

Somewhere on the Narrow Sea:

Epic Boat Sex(TM) is actually a thing, y'all. I mean, it wasn't epic, more like... sweet. Until we found out Jon's banging his aunt. So... take that as you will.

Beyond the Wall:

JUST BURN THAT MOTHERFUCKING WALL TO THE GROUND AND KILL THEM ALL. I AM SO ROOTING FOR YOU. KILL THEM, BABY. KILL THEM ALL.