#since alys talks about daemon being 'at odds' with his queen or something

[navree]

"Who was really behind blood and cheese?"

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLuRCbUQ/

In this video on TikTok, the creator claims that Daemon couldn't possibly be behind blood and cheese because he's not a "schemer." 🙄

Oh yeah I saw people talking about that on Twitter and it's dumb as Hell. Like, for one, no Otto's not going to do it because killing one of only two heirs to the throne and driving his granddaughter to madness to the point where she can't create any more is much more of a problem than any good PR would be a solution. Just because Otto decided to capitalize on a grotesque situation as best he could doesn't mean he orchestrated it. Not to mention, Otto's canon characterization, as expressed not only in the show but also behind the scenes by the writers and Rhys himself, is as someone who loves his family. His problem is that he's not good at verbalizing it (Rhys said something to the effect of Otto not having the language available to tell Alicent "I love you and I'm scared for you" even if that's how he feels) which doesn't allow it to be verbally expressed, and he also values power and advancement too much. So he places it over the love he has for his family, chiefly Alicent, who he clearly adores as his child, and it causes him to grievously hurt his family in spite of his love for them, like setting up Alicent to be groomed and sold off into marriage to Viserys despite the damage it will cause.

And yeah, Daemon isn't a schemer, but you know what he is? Violent. Violent and cruel and uncaring towards the suffering of others. Show Daemon isn't a schemer, but he is someone who bashed his wife's head in because he wanted to murder her for the crime of him not liking her. Show Daemon isn't a schemer, but he did fabricate an entire plot that could have resulted in Mysaria being killed without even taking her wants and needs into consideration. Show Daemon isn't a schemer, but he is the kind of man who takes teenage girls to brothels to ruin them and then leaves them there with their clothes off at the mercy of rapists and murderers and no way to get back home. Show Daemon isn't a schemer, but he is a father who neglects his older children and shows no care or concern for their wellbeing or emotional needs. Show Daemon isn't a schemer, but he is someone who giggles at his wife's funeral in front of her family and responds to his brother's attempt at conciliation with personal insults. Show Daemon isn't a schemer, but he is a husband who put hands on his wife and throttled her when she hit on a sore nerve and he wanted to lash out. Daemon's involvement in Blood and Cheese doesn't require scheming. It requires him having contacts in King's Landing, which is likely given his time living there, and it involves his propensity for significant violence against anyone he wants it done to and his disregard towards early anyone who isn't himself. So him hiring people to kill a child and telling them to be as merciless as possible about it? Yeah, that tracks with Daemon as he's portrayed on this show. That tracks really well.

Anyway funny how Team Black stans were all about 'and we'll support them in their war crimes era!' about Daemyra but now that the war crimes are approaching and we're about to watch baby murder and threatening to rape a child and mentally torturing Helaena and Alicent on an HD screen, now there's theories that make no sense. Blood and Cheese is, at minimum, Daemon's fault, not anyone on Team Black, and it's high time his fans at least follow his own lead and own it.

[orbital-obvious]

Some Thought on the Second season (the parts I watched, anyway)

In no order in particular, really.

=> The scene in the first episode of Jace trying to report Rhaenyra about the forces he aquired but breaking down in tears due to Luke's death was amazing. It's the conflict between being royals/rulers and being people/family. It also gave us more info about the state of the upcoming war, and showed us the relationship between Rhaenyra and her son.

=> Could have done without the "Rhaenyra looking at the distance" scenes, though. There must be a better way to explore her grief.

=> We got to see Lord Stark!!! And get some Winterfell lore!!! and go see the Watch!!!! The North is my fav I'm so glad to get that little glimpse. Also Cregan Stark is the most Stark dude I've seen on this show(s). Hopefully we'll see some fun wild blood of the wolf moments from him.

=> "I want Aemond's head" *leaves* ok girlboss but maybe come up with a plan

=> Jace hair is just.... So much better. I love character development.

=> We were robbed for not getting the Green's reaction to Aemond's kinslaying, especially since they'll have to manage the fallout from this act.

=> I don't like sexual turn in Allicent/Cole relationship. Not because I blame Allicent or whatever, I just really liked how their relationship was not grounded in romance/sex (in a way, they were respite to one another from sexual pressures) but I guess "she was a woman, he was a man" writing logic wins.

Edit: you know what? I thing that the criston -allicent thing could have been really good if we saw them get to that point. They were boinking out of nowhere . Was there something I missed in season 1?

=> I can go off all the ways this show strips women of agency and the ability to want anything, and perhaps I will (once I finish the season), but for now I don't like how Mysaria was "poor unfortunate soul forced to introduce Daemon to B&C for her freedom" and not, you know, an active perpetrator in this.

=> LOL not Daemon confronting Rheanys about the dumb scene in the dragon pit from season 1. Yes. Rheanys could've ended this war with minimum casualties. It's not her fault she didn't, the writers just decided to blow up a meaningful scene in the dumbest way ever.

=> Also there is a lot of talk during this season about the smallfolk and how their opinion can sway who wins the war, which is good, but it's odd that Rheanys' dragon stomping, killing and maiming all those smallfolk doesn't ever come up.

=> Daeron's existence being confirmed in an offhand remark after not even being MENTIONED in the last season is the FUNNIEST moment in this show for me.

=> It feels really odd to me that Aemond is still visiting the women who essentially was forced on him as a child. Like. It's the same kind of logic of "Larys has foot fetish becasue his disability is based around his foot" and I don't like it.

=> A lot of people say "They killed the boy" was Heleana not caring about her son dying, but for me it was a perfect encapsulation of her unable to handle the immense pain she's in and trying to distance herself from reality. This and the funeral scene later show Heleana trying to process her grief through her neurodivergence.

=> Real talk: why did B&C have a dog?

=> Daemon in Harrenhall is my favorite storyline, sitting there having indie horror game esque visions and phasing in and out an unfortunate reality of having to do diplomacy. Chef's kiss.

=> Daemon saying "have you considered kinslaying" to a Tully boy whos motto is "Family, Honor, Duty" is so fucking funny. He is so freaking bad at this.

=> ALYS RIVERSSSSSS MY FAVVVVVVVVV "you will die here", refuses to elaborates, leaves. Yes brew blood cocktails to give Daemon nightmares. Yessss gaslight him into thinking its the bed.

=> Ok the plan of Rhaenyra to sneak and meet with Alicent was so... Cartoonish. Also highly irresponsible for the ruling queen to dissapear without a trace during a WAR. Worse of all, it was kind of boring, and cost us valuable time we could use to expand upon other characters.

=> Like I know Cole sent the twin with a similar plan but at least that was acknowledged as stupid by the narrative, and also had an explosive and emotionally satisfying conclusion.

=> LMAO at Otto complaining about Aegon as he was fired, alll the way up to and including when he was packing to go back to the Reach.

=> What team am I if I think Aegon is a legit Usurper but Rhaenyra is kinda boring?