#leonas hotd analysis dump

[vii-is-free]

My Love/Hate Relationship with Rhaenyra Targaryen

AKA I really wanted her to be the Daenerys of the show

TW for SA talk

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Alright, I admit it. I haven’t read the books. I’m a TV asoiaf fan.

The reason for that is honestly, especially after the rampant s*xual violence shown on GOT, I didn’t have much interest in reading a book about the systematic oppression of women and non-nobles (aka white people) that was written by a white guy.

YEAH I ADMIT IT. It gets tiring as a DV survivor having someone born with privilege tell those stories.

But there was one person (okay three people) kept me hooked on the story.

Watching Daenerys’s struggles, growth and eventual victory was incredibly cathartic for me. By the start of season 8 I was about in awe of her as I was of Jon Snow.

We’re not going to talk about season 8 today. That’s for another wall of text lol.

I wanna talk about Rhaenyra. Specifically, Milly Alcock’s Rhaenyra vs Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra. I’m not sure if this was done purposely. It may just be the consequence of two different people playing the same role. But to me there really is a tragedy in the character when you examine the two actresses.

After the first episode I immediately knew Rhaenyra was my favorite character. This had nothing about her actual story, and everything to do with Milly’s portrayal of her.

She’s a free spirit trapped in a stifling, patriarchal world. She was given the title of heir despite of tradition, and she wore it proudly on her chest. She wasn’t going to let anyone, even the Queen Who Never Was, tell her anything different.

She offered advice during the council as cupbearer on the Stepstones conflict. And while her father was annoyed, she received a nod of respect from Corlys. When Otto faces off with Daemon and Dragonstone, they are literally at each others throats ready to strike when she randomly shows up ON A FUCKING DRAGON AND STOPS A CIVIL WAR.

And let me remind you that she was the only one who held NO FEAR of Daemon. NONE. Milly made a strong female lead out of Rhaenyra. I really believed that she was going to be the wheel-breaker of the show. She would do what she wanted, not allow herself a political pawn, marry who she wanted to marry (cristoncolecristoncolectistoncoleakdhfkas) and be the strong queen of the seven kingdoms that Daenerys wanted to be.

Now let’s talk about Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra

That’s it. That’s the whole argument.

I kid I kid, but I’m also not kidding.

This is not a slight on the actress herself. In fact, I think Emma is doing a fantastic job of portraying the reality of Rhaenyra’s story - fantastic potential that ultimately became tragedy.

She decides to take her uncle’s advice and play the game. She does what her father wants. Agrees to a political marraige while finding comfort in someone else. In her misery, she becomes part of the wheel. She also makes reckless decisions - aka having sons with Harwin. If Laenor truly was sterile, she could have petitioned for an annulment and marry someone else. But I think at that point, she was so miserable that she didn’t even care about sabatoging herself. She was no longer living true to the Rhaenyra that Milly had showed us.

I honestly look forward to Emma’s acting when the Dance actually begins. We’re going to see a dark ruthlessness in Rhaenyra that we haven’t seen yet.

By the time she finally does return to herself, it’s far too late. The Dance of Dragons had already been set in motion.

Not only that, but Rhaenyra is not that young girl full of promise. She’s bitter, she’s paranoid, and she’s angry. Angry that the road she took did not lead her to the crown.

She betrayed herself for absolutely nothing.

The promise of that strong, just queen we see in the first episode was just that. A broken promise. It’s SUCH A FUCKING TRAGEDY.

And unfortunately, for dreamers like me, the tragedy is the story.

[vii-is-free]

In Defense Of Ser Crispin

First of all

I mean, my siblings in christ, just look at him

I reblogged a post with this dissertation already lol, but I have a dying need to be heard so I’m making a post on it

If you haven’t yet definitely look up Fabien’s interview where he talks about Cole’s state of mind and how he interprets his feelings about Rhaenyra, etc. I think he’s spot on and it shows in his acting.

I think the word incel is being overused nowadays - I worry that in our attempts to call out real-life toxic men (which is important dont get me wrong), it’s morphed an umbrella term used to attack any man who is pissed off or emotional. Men are allowed to cry. They’re allowed to be upset and share their feelings. You can argue that actual “incels” cope with these emotions by reasserting their superiority through dominance, violence and control.

So was Cole doing that on the boat scene? Let’s unpack.

We have to remember the setting of the story. If this was set in todays standards, then absolutely and fuck that guy.

However, Westeros is set in a world much like the midieval age - someone from the 5th century can’t even grasp the ideas that we hold as true today. Imagine if they saw a car. They’d flip the fuck out. This isn’t me defending the shitty racist patriarchy by the way. I’m so thankful to be living in a time where you have an actual choice to not be a shitty human being. In a feudalistic society, you do not have that choice.

In Westeros world (not our reality) Cole gave up everything to join the kingsguard. He basically said he could have married whoever he wanted before the oath, because his house status wasn’t shit. But that’s the problem - House Cole wasn’t shit. And growing up in a feudalistic world tells Criston that he needs to do what he can for the benefit of his house. And in doing so, he 100% bought into the honorable knight role. Maybe in small part to his own ego, but also in big part because doing so raises his house in term provides better for his family because they don’t have to option to live as nobles.

I think Criston did love Rhaenyra, they spent literal years at each others side. And I think part of him truly felt like he was saving her by trying to take her to Essos (Both in a “I’m an honorable knight and need to save my maiden” way and a “I love her and want her to be happy” way). And her rejection of his marraige proposal wasn’t only just about him. It was a confirmation that despite all she said to him about living free and about not wanting to be a broodmare for her family, she is still is willing to play the game by any means necessary.

And it also reinforces the idea that he is beneath her, despite all his accomplishments, simply because of his name. ALSO, assuming he takes marraige vows as seriously as the kingsguard vows, the idea of her just marrying for politics and loving someone in the side is disgusting to him. He didn’t grow up in the world she did.

So she not only damaged his identity as a honorable knight, she also shattered Criston’s image of Rhaenyra. Instead of this free spirited girl who rides dragons and takes zero shit, Rhaenyra is just like the rest of them. She is willing to become (and is) just as cunning and wicked as Daemon. And she is willing to use people to suit her needs.

Side note, but after seeing what happened with Harwin last episode why would anyone think being a royal side peace is a good idea?

ALSO ALSO to everyone who says “Get over it it’s been 10 years” —- how do you expect to get over heartbreak when you still work there? He’s not her sworn shield anymore but for the past 10 years he’s had to stand by and watch her play the game, marry Laenor and birth not one, but THREE kids by another man - who I may add is from a house with higher status than Criston’s.

Add that with becoming Alicents confidante AND having to keep the vow of chastity and not find another woman. It sets you up to everything except move on.

So yeah, I ride for my crispy petty kingsguard. I’m not going to try to excuse the shitty things he’s going to do, but I don’t think I have to because it’s a freaking TV show.

[vii-is-free]

Why is Alicent so salty? An analysis

“WHY DOESN’T LOOK FOR ME THE WAY SHE LOOKS FOR HER UNCLE”

Actually, I’m going to save THAT topic for another day hehehehehe

Someone in Reddit said that the Greens only started this war because of Otto’s ambition and Alicent’s jealousy of Rhaenyra.

I would call it more resentful of Rhaenyra than jealous. I don’t think Alicent simply wishes she could do whatever she wanted, because she’s so influenced by the idea of honor and duty.

She didn’t really start showing animosity towards Rhaenyra until she lied about Daemon. And then she about the truth about that, the tryst with Criston (along with his mental deterioration over it), and proceeded to witness her 10 year affair with Harwin and having his kids - who would be passed over her own for the crown.

I think Alicent is genuinely disgusted by Rhaenyra and is resentful of Viserys’s preference towards her despite everything. The jealousy is in the “heir” argument - Alicent entered into a marraige she didn’t want because it was her duty. And because she had a son, she feels like he is entitled to the crown because…well the sexist traditions that have been around long before she existed.

And you know…maybe if Rhaenyra didnt do all those things Alicent would be kind of okay with her keeping the heir status - but I think the idea of Rhaenyra still being able to set a new precedent while being a “deviant” makes Alicent absolutely furious.

Like when she screamed, “Where is duty, where is sacrifice?” Alicent thinks she earned the crown via her son, because she had to sacrifice her happiness for the sake of duty. And over the past ten years she’s seen Rhaenyra spit in the face of “duty and sacrifice” by having kids with another man and boinking her uncle the day of his wife’s funeral.

Who knows what would have been had Rhaenyra been the perfect heir in Alicents eyes? I think even with a son, she would support Rhaenyra’s claim and be at her side as queen and MAYBE EVEN LOVERS IN SECRET but I’m not going to break our hearts even more.

Side note, I don’t think Rhaenyra is particularly happy in her life. Maybe she finally achieves it the day she marries Daemon, but….well we got a few more seasons to find out. I personally think the books show otherwise.