#rhaenys you deserved better

[evebestthinker]

And as can be seen from this interview of Steve, they will use Rhaenys to clean up Corlys:

Corlys names Addam and Alyn as heirs because he is misogynistic; he doesn’t think twice about eliminating the female bloodline descending from Laena as soon as he gets the chance. But now the act is being passed off as 'what Rhaenys wanted,' when we know that Rhaenys wanted Rhaena as heir.

The fact that Corlys has a relationship with a young girl shows that he is, in fact, driven by instinct and that by exploiting his position of power, he can get what he wants (this aspect is evidently eliminated, and probably in the future, if the matter is analyzed, we will have a sort of romantic story between him and Marilda).

Corlys becomes Hand of the Queen because he essentially blackmails Rhaenyra, showing her that she needs to 'kneel' and 'beg' for his benevolence. But now this story is just another instance where Corlys’s ambition takes over, yet as usual, it is hidden and falsely justified by 'I'm doing it for my wife.' Once again, Rhaenys is used as an alibi.

I have come to the conclusion that they have irreparably ruined the character of Corlys. Despite the flaws in the book, Corlys is at least depicted as a man with a backbone who is devoted to his family, a trait that has been completely erased in the series.

In the book, after Rhaenys is passed over, Corlys leaves the small council.

When Laena is snubbed by Viserys, Corlys not only skips the king's wedding but also starts a war in the Stepstones, which he concludes by crowning another king.

When Laenor dies, Corlys does not abandon his family in their moment of greatest fragility. Instead, he stays at Driftmark and even offers a large reward for anyone who brings him his son's killer, not wanting such an act to go unpunished.

When Rhaenys dies, Corlys takes all his ships and abandons Rhaenyra, shouting in her face that she should have died instead (an act of treason). Jace is then forced to give him everything he wants to get him back into the fight.

In the show, Corlys only seems to feel offended when he loses the crown. He does nothing against those indirectly or directly responsible for the death or suffering of Laena, Laenor, Vaemond, and Rhaenys. In the first season, he washes his hands of the situation and prefers to engage in war with the pirates, despite his family being in shambles and House Velaryon in crisis. In the second season, apart from making a few snide remarks behind Rhaenyra's back, he does nothing. Instead, with a foolish smile, he puts on the Hand of the King pin and sits next to the person he holds responsible for his house's suffering. He doesn't even express the slightest dissent.

And this will only get worse because when Rhaenyra wants the heads of the dragonseeds, Corlys will do anything, even being beaten, to save Addam and he will be imprisoned for saving him, making it seem like he values this "second family" more than the one he lost; almost as if Rhaenys, Laena, and Laenor weren't as important to him as Addam and Alyn are now.

R.I.P. CORLYS, YOU WERE A GREAT CHARACTER AND NOW THERE'S ONLY A SHADOW

[thequeenwechoose]

Rhaenys Targaryen in Hotd 2x04

[guiltyofbitchcraft]

Still thinking about how in the first episode of this season how we learn Corlys commissioned a dagger for Lucerys like man I will never recover. He LOVED that boy. Him and Rhaenys love all their grandchildren even the boys who they know aren't their grandchildren by blood. We see this in the kindness that Corlys approaches Luke at Laena's funeral. We see it in how they protect and comfort the boys when Alicent grabs the dagger later on that episode. We see it near the end of season one, where Corlys wakes up still hating Rhaenyra but suggests that he and Rhaenys take ALL their grandchildren to Driftmark to wait out the impending war (and we know he meant Rhaenyras kids too because Rhaenys immediately says that non of Rhaneyra's children will be safe for as long as they live). Can you imagine being still willing to protect children of a woman you think cockolded and murdered your son?

Any time Rhaenys suggested that the line for Driftmark pass down through Laena she made it clear it was not out of disrespect or not loving those boys.

Also we can assume due to the timing of Corlys' injuries and recovery from him that he commissioned the dagger for Luke before he was attacked.

[daenysthedreamer101]

HOTD S1 Rewatch

Ep1 - Heirs of the Dragon

I looove the opening scene of Nyra on Syrax, and the following sequence. It's majestic and I adore the score in the back. (It's called 'Rhaenyra's welcome' and it sounds so happy, pure and innocent I can't 😭)

Corlys was done with everyone's bs in that Small Council meeting lol

The first time we see Alicent I thought to myself omg she's so cute. Look at her in her pretty blue dress. And then it struck me - her and Nyra will be the bitterest of enemies by ep6 💀💀

Aemma did not deserve any of what happened to her. We only saw her for a little while, but I know she was a good Queen, a kind Queen and she deserved a better husband than Viserys.

Otto you are such a snake, I can't wait for you to die omg...

He was really out here pimping his 15 year old daughter to the grieving King the night of his wife's funeral...

Alicent you deserve a better dad, you really do.

At the end of the tourney scene, when it's revealed that Aemma died, Corlys whispers to Rhaenys and I noticed she was looking at Nyra, I just thought it was interesting

Daemon is such a menace i love him. I love the scene of him and Otto bantering during the Small Council meeting,it's soo fun!

[tweedfrog]

Just spitballing here but i think it'd be interesting if in an AU where Rhaenys lived instead of going in the opposite direction as Tywin she was like yk what atrocities are fine actually when you commit them against Lannisters. If anything i feel it'd be more realistic. How many people do you know who are subject to incredible violence who become pacifists.

Like im SICK of female characters being forced to have the mildest most kumbaya reactions to being mistreated. I still remember the arguments people made around Dany's "the Usurper's Dogs" comment you'd think she was hand writing and mailing death threats to each of the stark kids individually instead of pointing out that yeah theres some shared culpability between the rebels for what happened to Elia and her children (even if Dany arrived at the right conclusion with incorrect reasoning)

[music-movies-mayhem]

No but why is it harder to watch these computer animated dragons die than the actual human characters?

[blackvoidspace]

They are making Rhaenys and Baela the leftover characters when both had a great part on the dance!

And how convenient that the two that practically kick Aegons pathetic ass are the ones getting left down. I'm SO DISAPPOINTED AND MAD

[lanastromborn]

RHAELLA TARGARYEN

[myalchod]

Bouncing between fandoms in my little notebook around meetings and new year trainings at work. Current writing brain: sad/angry Rhaenys, apparently. (Possibly standalone, possibly another five things fic. We’ll see. Totally different tonally from the exceedingly cracky crossover-AU snippet I scribbled down last night.)

And now — ah, gods, now the sea has taken all of them from her, and she shrieks her fury and her grief like the she-dragon she is, and does not care in the moment if any bear witness.

[crimsoncold]

Excellent criticism of hotd's ridiculous writing choices...

Like how did the showrunner's take a story focused on the conflict between two factions of (at the very least) morally grey nobles that also serves to condemn how the elite cause immense suffering to innocent people with their violent quest for more power/vengeance/etc.... which is shown as awful regardless of what the legitimacy of their cause is or what their justifications for going to war is...

And then turn around and make an adaptation where Team Green are the only villains and the canon source material that condemns the cruel and destructive actions of TB is all just biased propaganda against Rheanyra/Team Black.

How do they go on to make a show where Team green harming or killing people will always be acknowledged as awful or tyrannical (no nuance here on their actions/motives) yet Team Black's slaughtering of innocent smallfolk is "justified" based on some supposed "righteous* cause or prophecy nonsense? How can they choose to frame Rhaenys' mass killing of smallfolk as some goddamn power move/"girlboss" moment?

With this framing its almost nauseating how the show loves to shine a spot light on and devote time for TB to express their grief and rage and for them to try to find solace and comfort one another ... while TG's suffering/grief has to be transformed to minimize the culpability/horrific nature of TB's actions, used as just a way to prove TB are the healthier/better family and TG are the dysfunctional ones, and their very normal actions of say holding a public funeral for a member of royalty has to also be motivated by the desire to manipulate the masses and smear Rhaenyra's name ... and the sorrow, grief, fear, or rage felt by the innocent lower class people that suffer or are killed because of this conflict (or specifically by the actions of TB) is barely touched on at all.

How did the showrunner's look at the source material and decide to unironically write a story that embraces the idea of targ supremacy exceptionalism, but only when it comes to Rhaenyra/Team Black!!!... they were the righteous ones and the main tragedy in the dance of dragons is just that misogynists kept Rhaenyra from her rightful rule and that Rhaenyra and her immediate family end up suffering/dying... but look they still mattered the most because from their line the prophesied saviour is born (shhh ignore the violent genocidal and outright mass murderers that descend from her - prince that was promised is the only thing that matters)... somehow the tragedy is not that many others (nobles and commoners alike) were killed/suffered during a targ civil war...just the suffering of one specific very privileged woman and family...like how did they manage to miss the point so bad... how are they getting paid to write this?

oh thank god for The Prophecy! without it I would've thought Rhaenys (and later on other tb dragonriders) burning countless people was bad. but it's not just for the crown, it's actually for the good of the realm! why?? because hundred years ago the colonizer who had also burned and killed people had that dream, so now Rhaenyra has the divine right to do the same (but hmm why her and not any other Targ? oh right bc her daddy said so without any further explanation. makes sense.)

so, the moral of the story is: war is bad, except when its fought by a Targaryen motivated by some bs prophecy, got it. the other is - team green propaganda bad, team black propaganda good

[givemeasword-callmequeen]

Rip Rhaenys & Meleys

Rip the queen who never was & the red queen

[unserenedreaming]

I knew that show Rhaenys never had a chance once they showed her with Targaryen white/silver hair instead of her canon black Baratheon hair. It only got worse from there.

Rhaenys was one of Rhaenyra's most ardent supporters who openly championed war with TG because they stole Rhaenyra's throne, which is what a loyal family member was supposed to do. She never spoke against Luke's inheritance of Driftmark, nor did she show distaste for Rhaenyra's sons marrying her granddaughters. The second point is very aggravating, because the show made it seem like it was ultimately Rhaenys' decision on who her grand daugthers married. It wasn't. At that time in the show it would have been Daemon's decision, as their father. In F&B it is Laena and Rhaenyra who together decided to betroth their children because they were actual best friends and had a healthy friendship.

At the battle of Rooks Nest, it is Rhaenys who burnt Sunfyre and Aegon to near oblivion, not Aemond. Had it only been Aemond and Vhagar or Aegon and Sunfyre, Rhaenys and Meleys would have been victorious.

This quote from F&B about Rhaenys is peak Beloved daughter of Lady Jocelyn Baratheon and Prince Aemon Targaryen, faithful wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon, mother and grandmother, the Queen Who Never Was lived fearlessly, and died amidst blood and fire. She was fifty-five years old.

We saw the Rhaenys described above for maybe one minute of screen time. Such a shame, since I know Eve Best could have killed it. It's not her fault the writers neutered her character.

Oh don't mind me. I am once again upset and flabbergasted by the favoritism toward Greens in screen time ratio.

We get two long scenes of Aegon making a fool of himself but not Jace's reaction to the prophesy shown, we don't even hear him listen to all of it.

Overlong scenes of Alicent and her potential pregnancy and Larys but no more reactions shown to Rhaenyra's absence.

Two unnecessary long scenes of Gwayne making fun of Criston but we don't see Rhaenys saying goodbye to Corlys. No scene of Rhaenys interacting with Baela or Jace or Rhaenyra. Saying goodbye to them. Even though this was her last appearance. The showrunners disrespect toward Rhaenys needs to be studied. She had one interaction with each of her granddaughters in the whole show and nothing with her grandsons.

Overlong montage of Criston taking in the destruction but no scene of how Jace is placed at the centre of council in his mother's absence.

None of the Team Black characters are given room to breathe. They barely get any screen time. Their emotions and conflicts are made secondary to disposable filler scenes of Greens. While all Team Black scenes are rushed and given no room to breathe.

This is not only incredibly unfair but also making the show quite a bore to sit through. And HBO wonders why the ratings are falling. People don't want to see the same thing with Greens over and over again when they're not developing. They haven't earned excessive screentime. Believe me, everyone's tired of this mess.

[sunfyrisms]

me personally i will never forget how rhaenys called out alicent for subjecting herself to the will of men. supposedly. and i say supposedly because she did the exact same thing! she was willing to give her twelve year old daughter to her much older cousin because her husband demanded it. she let her son, her only living child, marry into house targaryen, knowing how dangerous it was (it supposedly cost him his life). she supported rhaenyra’s claim in honor of her husband, while under the impression that rhaenyra had a hand in said son’s death (and her anger about it is just never bought up? to rhaenyra nor daemon). her husband constantly overstepped himself and was willing to do anything to get more power (including essentially leaving his children to the wolves), while justifying it as him wanting to avenge rhaenys’ claim. while rhaenys herself made peace with the crown being passed over her!

her, of all people, telling alicent (who was a child bride whose children through marital rape) literally anything about the topic is so hypocritical and weird. but it’s not meant to be hypocritical and weird. it’s meant to be this girlboss, feminist moment that fans, for some reason, gladly ate up without thinking about it for more than a second. it didn’t make sense for rhaenys’ character but the writers didn’t care. in that moment, she was nothing more than a self-insert for the writers to loudly and annoyingly voice their personal opinions into the show.

it’s so fucking weird and i haven’t liked rhaenys since. you deserve better writing girl.

[missglaskin]

Do you think Rhaenyra and Daemon would work together to get the Reader? I can see them forming a shaky truce and marrying after their spouses die, but still pushing for their respective sons to marry the Reader. Jace and Daemon's son constantly compete for the Reader’s love. I can also see Luke and Joff/Baela and Rhaena backing up their respective bros and adding to the chaos. Meanwhile, Aegon and Aemond are fuming at King’s Landing.

A big reason why Leanor and Rhaenyra’s marriage happened in the first place is under an agreement to share the reader, it was also a deal made between Viserys and Corlys. Daemon and Rhaenyra while marrying out of desire, also did under a similar agreement. But while they agreed to share her they are also simultaneously maneuvering behind each other’s backs on whose son she marries. 

With the marriage done so soon after their children’s death, Corlys and Rhaenys aren’t all too happy. In fact, they had hoped that they take the reader to themselves and have her reside on Driftmark.

Surprisingly, Rhaenys finds herself taking Daemon’s side, trying to persuade the reader to wed Viserion. Rhaenys even goes as far as to propose letting Jace wed Baela and Luke to Rhaena. However, even if Rhaenyra ever agrees to this proposal, she’ll continue to find ways to bring Jace and the reader close, having him accompany her whenever she goes, and even letting her ride Vermax during travels. 

Daemon, on the other hand, relies on Viserion to do it himself, he is his father’s son after all. Viserion is much more forward, participating in tournaments, and vying for the honor of crowning the reader, challenging any suitors who dare come between him and her.

The siblings also choose sides, with Luke and Joffrey supporting their brother and Baela and Rhaena doing the same to theirs. Baela and Rhaena have a better advantage as they can easily enjoy girl time with the reader, akin to sleepovers where they persuade you into giving in to their brother's advances. However, Luke and Joffrey somehow find a way of tricking you to help them with something only to find yourself conveniently alone with Jace. 

Despite, Viserion appearing to have an apparent advantage, it all changes when Viserys comes in. He of course advocates for Jace, in his eyes the reader deserves nothing more than to be a queen, and what a wonderful queen she’ll make. He’s also had his issues over the reader’s namesake, being Laenor’s daughter she had to have his Velaryon name; marrying Jace would solve all that without causing any problems with the Velaryons. Funny enough, Daemon himself finds weding Viserion to be a solution to that issue as well. 

Otto and Alicent, predictably, oppose both matches, with Alicent seeing all faults in Nyra’s sons and Otto is vehemently against the idea of a marriage between the reader and Daemon’s son. The two are doing all they can do to sabotage any potential matches, Otto is sure that all he needs is some time for when Aegon becomes king, they can just wed them.

Meanwhile, it doesn’t take one to say that the animosity between Aegon and Aemond is growing, but it intensifies with Viserion and Jace. Whenever the family visits, it usually ends with a fight breaking out. To prevent any possible accident mishaps, no more than one can participate in any tourneys.

[cosmic-walkers]

Enough time has passed for me to say I hate what they did to Baela. I absolutely hated how the majority of her character was just centered around uplifting and existing for Rhaenyra and Jace. Yes, she is Rhaenyra’s step-daughter, yes she is Jace’s fiancé, but she is still her own character. They aren’t her only family.

I get the need to reinforce that she is a Targ, especially with the racism that Bethany herself faced because she was one of the first, canonically Black targ characters we see on screen.

But the need to reduce her character to just, being a cheerleader for Jace and Rhaenyra, and hardly giving her any character conflict outside of her tumultuous relationship with Daemon - which went no where and at the end of the day, centered Rhaenyra and Jace - is upsetting.

The way that she never actually got to mourn for Rhaenys, and when she and Corlys could’ve had a moment to mourn for her together, it was re-routed to her defense of Rhaenyra and how Rhaenys wanted Rhaenyra to be queen. The way she interacted with Corlys, who was grieving his dead wife, you wouldn’t have even thought they were related. There was a coldness to the conversation, she didn’t care that her grandpa, also her blood, was mourning the loss of her grandmother - and the thing is that, this was a perfect time for her to exist outside of Jace and Rhaenyra. This was the perfect time for us to show a more vulnerable side of her, that stemmed from her connection to her mother’s family. 

Do you know how beautiful it would’ve been for Corlys and Baela to mourn together, to have a moment of sadness and tears, to perhaps speak of Rhaenys in ways that didn’t circle back to Rhaenyra? Perhaps they could’ve even had their own private ceremony together. 

But this show is so allergic to making baela a character outside of Jace and Rhaenyra, she isn’t allowed to be vulnerable unless it is tied back to them. And her mother’s family is always written as negative, less desirable part of her heritage - by both the show and fandom. Her cruelness toward her grieving grandfather, the father of her mother, was out of nowhere - and the lack of allowing her to mourn outside of Rheanyra and Jace is just���ugh.

And again, Baela being black also comes into play because it’s quite annoying to me to witness a Black dragon rider for the first time ever, yet her narrative and growth is tied to white characters. And the black characters in the show she is either cold to, distant toward or had absolutely no relationship with. 

Baela deserved better writing. And the exact same can be said about Rhaena, the only good thing about Rhaena tho is that she chose to exist outside of the unfair expectations Rhaenyra put upon her at the very end.

[heartsculptor]

HATED how he cheated on her but i will miss this power couple.

“What I do now… I do for her.”