#i had a lot of free time
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la-pheacienne · 2 years ago
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On Alicent: I totally agree that the show should’ve leaned into her spite. They could’ve crafted such a strong character who felt victimized and just tried to be a good person and do what she thought was her duty only to realize it didn’t mean anything and getting ANGRY about it. I totally agree with what you’re saying, but I think it makes her interesting because people like her do exist. People who just accept victimhood and could help themselves but for one reason or another, they don’t, which frustrates the people who love them. I don’t feel bad for her because I think she’s a poor helpless baby, I feel bad for her because she has the means to grasp power but feels more comfortable playing the victim. She wants the power, hates the idea of being powerless, but she’s scared to grasp it. She’s in a bind.
I think her crying when Viserys died could mean a lot of things. People have complex relationships to those who have mistreated them. Dany named one of her dragons after her abusive older brother. There could be a Stockholm syndrome factor. I imagine she loved and resented him in equal parts because if she didn’t love him, she would’ve gone mad. I personally like to think she was crying not because of sorrow because he died, but because she knew what his death meant. She would be forced to truly grapple with power and take action, which she hates. I can’t speak to what the writers or the actress wanted (the actress said that she was told to portray Alicent as a woman for Trump but that she chose deliberately NOT to do that) but that was my takeaway.
Oooooh you're making some great points here and I hope you read this despite the late reply. You are actually "forcing" me to dig much deeper into the character of Alicent, in the beginning I was more indifferent.
"people like her do exist [...] People who just accept victimhood and could help themselves but for one reason or another they don't, which frustrates the people who love them". That's actually extremely accurate. Yes there are people like that, passive and terrified, without backbone, and it's frustrating fo everybody else to see how much they are willing to put up without fighting back.
"she has the means to grasp power but feels more comfortable playing the victim" yes, totally. She doesn't want to challenge her father so she just stays there watching everything around her like she's in a play.
You also say that Viserys' death "forced her to truly grapple with power and take action, which she hates" and I agree with that take. That's probably why she was crying.
So, since I agree with you on all of that, why don't I have more sympathy for her?
Well, the first reason is already hidden in the question, it's simply because all this arc is inspiring me to do is to have sympathy for her. That's why. All this character represents is an archetype of someone we should sympathise with. Literally, nothing more. They present this character and they tell me "feel bad about her, she's so miserable, she's so passive, she doesn't want to challenge her dad, she wants to break free but she's too comfortable in her current status so she never does anything to challenge it, look at her suffer through everything that comes along, again and again and again, feel bad about her and then feel bad some more because her life was horrible and her end was equally horrible". And that's literally it. What does she do in the story? Nothing. Does she have an impact in some way? No. So, she's there just to make me feel bad. Okay I feel bad. How many times can I feel bad before it becomes repetitive and frankly boring?
The second reason is also simple : the reasons why I'm supposed to feel bad for her are not that important. Ok she was a child bride. She actually wasn't according to the show timeline but the fans and writers of the show seem to have forgotten that, collectively, so let's just agree to ignore show canon and book canon and say that she was a child bride and her husband was old and ugly and disgusting. Ok. I feel bad for her for that. But in a medieval setting, almost all women go through the exact same thing. So she suffers a fate that almost all women suffer in her era, there is nothing narratively exceptional here, the only difference is, she is actually the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She is actually extremely, EXTREMELY privileged with enormous power, despite her inferior position to her husband. Also, as I said before, there are a lot of legendary female rulers who were child brides and didn't choose their husbands. So is it really going to make me paralysed with pity? No, sorry.
Third reason is that the reasons why I'm supposed to feel bad for her don't make sense in the narrative. Sexually abused? By her disabled servant? No? This is entirely ridiculous. It contradicts basic logic. Believing Viserys changed his mind after watching him drag his dying body to the Iron throne to defend the only heir he chose, after spending years with no contact with reality? Feeling forced by fate and destiny? Lol no? Suddenly panicking for Rhaenyra's fate after preparing a coup for like 20 years? Which is it? You want to prepare a coup and usurp the heir or you don't want to prepare a coup and usurp the heir? I mean you have to choose. Either she actively usurps the heir or she has an interior conflict but ultimately takes Rhaenyra’s side and betrayes her daddy. But she has to DO SOMETHING. She has to stand for something. She doesn’t. She doesn't even believe her son is fit to rule. Her arc is all over the place, so I don't know how to feel.
Forth reason is the most obvious one : we had more potential in the book version, we know it could have been so much better and we don't get that which is a huge disappointment. If they had followed the source material, none of the first three reasons would exist. We would have had a consistent character, with impact in the story, that is not there just to make us feel bad, that makes sense in the narrative. In that character they could have so easily added the negative backround of a wife who lives a miserable and limited life, while keeping all the other points that make the character engaging. It could have been so easy and organic and much better frankly than the version of “oh look at this character just going through shit without doing anything to help herself again and again”. Sure people like that exist, she is relatable, but this is not Gilmore Girls. This is a fantasy history-based greek tragedy-wanna-be show. Being relatable is not exactly a good enough trait for a character. What you're looking for is exceptionalism (not in the political american sense of the word). There has to be a reason for me to be interested in the characters, they have to have some exceptional traits in them. Exceptionally bad, or exceptionally heroic/ambitious/courageous/cunning/ruthless/cruel. People that prefer relatable comfort characters should watch Gilmore girls. So what if people like show!Alicent exist? People like book!Alicent also exist, and they are more interesting in the narrative. So why not just choose the book version?
Well, because of political agenda. The final reason. It’s the writers’ political agenda  that distorts the source material to make a story of torture porn basically. Sure they have limited the sex scenes, but it’s still torture porn. Evil men torturing poor women again and again and again. This poison transfers to Rhaenyra as well. Well, this is just boring, best case, not to say misogynistic. The other part of the political agenda is (team Black) Targaryen hate. The imperialistic entitled rulers that feel superior all the time. They are clearly the ones who are treated unfairly in this story, so what do we do? We create a doormat character that suffers because of them so that people don’t sympathise with the Blacks too much. Let’s just completely fuck up the narrative and the meaning of the story just for that. Let's erase a canon sapphic couple (Laena and Rhaenyra) and put the queerbait that is Rhaenicent in its place, merely for that. That kind of political agenda doesn't inspire me to root for the character.
Honorable mention : the deranged stans that are on drugs 24/7. Do I need to elaborate on that? This is a whole separate post, the fact that the sole reason they stan her is because she's a traditionally attractive feminine submissive self-insert, like a comfort food that validates their Targaryen hate and hides their obvious internalised misogyny. This is not exactly the character's fault, this is a meta take on the reasons why some people are obsessed with her which ultimately makes me sick of Alicent herself.
Disclaimer : in this post I'm taking into account the best version of Alicent possible. I'm not even raising the point of her internalised misogyny (jealousy for Rhaenyra's sexual life and freedom etc), her arrogance (refusing to marry her daughter to Jace), her obsession with religion (being furious and outraged and disgusted because a woman had kids with a man that is not her husband is not exactly a likeable trait), her self-righteousness ( believing that everything she does is for justice and not for her ass) : I'm not even talking about all of that, I'm actively choosing to ignore that and explain why I don't feel bad about a character who is literally created just to inspire empathy and pity.
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illdothehotvoice · 2 years ago
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Being a college student sucks I miss when I could finish a 20 hour game in like a month lmfao
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lazylittledragon · 2 months ago
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ok someone please correct me if i'm wrong but am i weird for thinking those 'audiobooks don't count as reading' posts are ableist as fuck????
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gunstellations · 6 months ago
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cute little requests!!
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wild0moon · 5 months ago
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i bring you: my casual clothes tankman design (and steve too) i am so normal about found family tankdad
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happy pride month lol
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vaguely-concerned · 5 months ago
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are. are you telling me that if the romanced mage warden dies and alistair is king, he deadass stares greagoir down over her dead body and grants the circle of ferelden its autonomy after ordering it rebuilt somewhere safer. first you have to deliberately leave him behind so he won't die for you and then he does that for you once you're gone, even when you're broken up??? absolute and literal king behaviour of the highest order????? the actions speak louder than words of it all??????? I think I hauve covid
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chalkrub · 4 months ago
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attack for @plaiesancier !
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leafspiritz · 2 months ago
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III; three for the gleam of a jewel or a smile
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wasyago · 1 year ago
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the brainrot won
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xxplastic-cubexx · 13 days ago
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what kind of underwear do you think Erik and Charles wear (i'm not asking this to see them half naked) ((please believe me)) (((PLEASE)))
My Personal Belief is charles is a briefs guy while erik's a trunks guy. trunks/briefs kinda couple because i can
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and idk just a lil bonus or somethin. as i do.
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startistdoodles · 4 months ago
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I played a new game recently ⌛️✨
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journey-to-the-attic · 2 years ago
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one thing about ik is that she will always reach out
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ebonytails · 6 months ago
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Happy famife, happy life
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hellinhawkins · 3 days ago
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i provide every byler moment, saved, in order of seasons
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luna-loveboop · 8 months ago
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I want. Four to get appreciation. Because
Four gave a ton of unnoticed help when Twilight was injured
The fight with Wild was difficult, and I know we're all concerned about his negative view of the shadow crystal
But Four did something that no one else really thought of to help- He took care of Twi's stuff
From the beginning he told Twilight to not worry about them
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So Four took care of pretty much everything but the others (that Sky and Wars handled)
He took care of Epona
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Which is so very important- he took care of Twilight's horse. After her arrival at the stable Four followed up on her
And for Epona, a horse so attached to her human, having some company can help so much for reassurance
He took care of Twilight's stuff
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He got Twi's shield- his bags and equipment, and organized it into one place
And he was worried. He obviously found the shadow crystal while handling Twi's stuff, but his negative reactions to it were out of concern.
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Also- because of his placement in this scene
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I'm fairly convinced Four was ready to start cooking before Wild showed up (since he's beside the counter with food supplies). At the very least he had the basket of fruit out for everyone -but he was literally standing with food behind him- he thought of everything
And he did housekeeping!
Wars payed for the inn, so Four took care of the inn
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Realistically these boys were probably not too concerned with tidyness. Four got all of Twi's things on one table, and took care of the room they stayed in
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Organizing tables and Twi's things, having food supplies ready, and opening the curtains- overall he was the one tidying up the inn
Four helped in a huge way! He took care of Twi's horse (Epona is so important), his equipment and shield and bag, as well as the other rooms in the inn
Four filled in all the little tasks that others didn't think of. He helped in ways that were needed, but not obvious
There's a lot of problems with the shadow crystal and with Wild, and I don't know what's gonna happen in the future
But don't forget this- don't forget that Four was one who stepped up in an almost unnoticeable way
Don't forget that when everyone was barely holding it together, Four visited Twilight's horse and took care of his things
No matter what develops in the future- this amount of care shown is important ya know?
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Art and comic from Jojo @linkeduniverse au :)))
#epona is so important#Lu four#linkeduniverse#linked universe#I work with horses and#Epona is INCREDIBLE- she's extremely attuned to humans and emotions. she doesn't scare easily and can keep her cool in a fight#but it's still super stressful to suddenly be in a fairly large and populated town- separated from her person#and for such an empathetic horse? Four going and TALKING to her- gently petting her nose and just being near her#means so so much! that literally matters so much to a horses mental state in a foreign situation- just having company#he checked on Epona and gave her company like !!!!!! it's so considerate and means so much for Epona! Four I love you !!!!!#uhhhh yeah!#with the food- I don't think the innkeeper would have free/complimentary food out- but wars wallet def had it covered#then wild showed up with potions in a cooking frenzy- but four was still shown with food behind him- he thought of everything#I don't know what's gonna happen with the shadow crystal and stuff. but no matter what happens in the future- this matters.#he did a ton of small things no one else thought of it matters he cares so much didjdkdksjfjj#I have a lot of posts I'm making/editing and trying to get to. I'm just a little gal trying my best :/#so many ideas and so little time... I love you guys and this fandom so much :))#(if I said anything off or offensive let me know... I'm always nervous about that but I want to hear from you if I'm wrong)#(also you are so so cool and valuable don't forget that ok? I love you and you are important)#:)
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fatedroses · 17 days ago
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More than just the Demon.
#ffxiv#digital art#zenos yae galvus#venat#endwalker spoilers#will forever be fascinated with this man#look guys look- the literal embodiment of wol's wings of hope LOL (and me going hehe about that and footfalls)#the part of me that adores digging into the nuance of character writing (intentional or otherwise) is just latched onto zenos#and venat-- they cant just give us two characters who get really important 1v1 duels#and ask really important questions#and love the MC and are willing to risk themselves so unconditionally#and have them not live rent free in my brain#--and maybe this tiptoes into the realm of crack theory so beware there will be a lot past here--#but I cant help but think zenos is akin to an oracle or warrior of light but was tempered/corrupted by zodiark#or some strange happenstance of varis (who shares visual traits to golbez before 6.0 ever came out and the dark mana burst)#and carosa (who it seems zenos got his looks from- and he already looks like he has ties to venat and argos like minfillia does)#was he a result of the eternal chess match between the two parties' machinations? or just some strange twist of fate?#another day of him being “emet's successful experiment” (again- intentional or no) making me thonk#theres something so strange about the final days dreams and how dark aspected he is- that his void abilities are more tied to him tbh#yet his mannerisms beyond just what he's been through almost reminds me of light corruption and the uncanny calmness#we see in most beings associated with the light in any significant way and like second phase eden shiva#he almost has all the marks of someone who shouldve already had the echo or blessing of light but for one reason or another#was unable to hear hydaelyns call#of course it doesnt help i mentally associate him with connections to zero and how she was corrupted before she was even born#and durante- who states uncanny ability and connection with light and darkness and yet favors dark magic more#i simply live with the idea that zenos' soul was an eternally faithful companion to wol's and#this time the cardinal sin of separating the pair finally happened to rather dire consequences lmao
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