aucp3

A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) is essentially a condemnation of much of politics AND religion and commentary on the massive gray area that lies between what’s right and wrong what’s a good decision and what’s not. Notes: - Stannis burning daughter (hasn’t happened yet in the books, but GRRM all but told D&D it would). Makes Stannis an asshole. Doesn’t make Stannis ANY different from the tons of real people in history who are willing to commit suicide, murder or sacrifice their own for a religious cause. Yes, Stannis is attempting to attain the throne, but beyond all of that, he believes himself to be Azor Ahai prophesied to save the world from the evil of the White Walkers. In his mind as a believer, what’s one child’s sacrifice when it means it’ll enable to him to save the entire world? To him, it’s just a test of his faith to the Lord of Light… ahem, JUST like Abraham was tested to sacrifice Isaac in the Bible. - Dorne on this show has just never made sense and really continues to be boring. - Ramsey is an asshole, but he’s incredibly smart in how to cause brutality and how to fight. - I like Arya’s storyline and am interested AND afraid to see how she proceeds with Meryn Trant. - Dany “leaving” her crew behind doesn’t really bother me. What other choice was there? Tell Drogon to fly away so she’s left to die? Stand there while Drogon continues to get hit with spears and then he dies? She made the lesser of the evils in my opinion. At least with her gone (who the Harpy were really after) her comrades can probably get out of there.

For all the criticism Dany receives, of all the “leaders” in the show/books she seems the most open to not only listening to opposing views, but implementing them. I haven’t seen that in Stannis, Cersei or even Ned Stark. How many people would not only sit at the table with a member of the family that murdered their father and had a hand in their being exiled, but then place that very person as one of their closest advisors? For all intents and purposes, Dany is just a teenage girl. But it’s BECAUSE she’s a teenage girl in a world where the young and the women are dismissed, overpowered and disposed of so easily and frequently, that she has to put on this massive front like she’s the biggest most fearless mofo in the world. There is absolutely no room as a teenage girl in this world to show one crack of weakness. It’s why she has to make these big speeches and public displays of strength. It’s a massive front and NO ONE knows this more than Dany. It’s why she’s so willing to seek advice from anyone. Anyone desperate enough to seek advice from their handmaiden as to how to run a city, is obviously conceding that they’re unsure. She’s also a teenage girl who’s had one message pumped into her head since birth, and that’s, that she’s the rightful ruler of Westeros. On that, and on ending slavery she’s unwilling to compromise. But I see no signs that she’s unwilling to compromise in a host of other areas. Dany’s transition from idealistic teenage girl to being more political and thoughtful in ruling is going to take some time, but it’s not impossible. Especially now that she has an advisor that’s worth something. And she was wise enough and compromising enough to allow him in, even though he is a Lannister. Even in her “Break the Wheel” speech, the very first family she mentioned as just “another spoke” were the Targaryeans. She included HER OWN family in this. Dany has the greatest of intentions to create a just and equal society, she just doesn’t know exactly how to do that yet. But, WHO in this show/books, besides Tyrion (and that’s questionable) has made the right decision every single time? No one. Which is why I’ve never understood why people criticize her more harshly.

I didn't find the wildling woman's (Karsi?) inability to fight bad, poor writing or stupid at all. To the contrary. I thought it was a pretty accurate reflection of the shock one would feel at seeing these children as zombies who you now must fight and kill, particularly as a mother. Everyone always talks about what they "would do" if this or that were to happen, but most experts in the field of human reaction to danger have wanted to add "freeze" to the fight or flight response because freeze is what a high percentage of humans do when faced with something shocking and fearful. Karsi is probably well accustomed to having to fight and kill grown men and women, but the sight of ten small children, some of whom she may even have known, really through her off her game. She froze. I think if she had a few more moments to compose herself and thoughts, she would've gotten it together, but she didn't have time to do that.