Happy Harpy

He said: "my sister loved him. and beautiful, noble Rhaegar Targaryen left her for another woman". (There are some lines that just stick, and in my head this one plays with Pedro Pascal's delivery).

Riiight, they aren't racists. They just don't like people of color. Fear of strangers is called xenophobia, it isn't any better. The Northerners spat at Jaime and Tyrion because they're Lannisters, they give the stinkeye to Daenerys because she's the Mad King's daughter. I didn't notice a particular disdain for Jorah. Missandei and Grey Worm have done nothing to them. Ignorance is not an excuse. A history of how the North has suffered? Thanks to the King Who Kneeled, it suffered less than any other kingdom, bar the Vale, during Aegon's conquest. The Northerners weren't victims of particular discrimination under the Targaryen rule. Even during Robert's rebellion, they suffered less than many southern kingdoms because AFAIR the North wasn't invaded by a foreign army or a theater of operations. If one kingdom gets the gold medal in the Suffering Olympics, it's the Riverlands, not the North. It's in the eye of the beholder only, indeed. For me, it's there. I feel that their offscreen friendship allows the actors to convey a real and deep connection between their characters. In hindsight, imo, they struggled when they tried to play distant strangers in 7x03.

The leaker is legit (this season, he spoiled 8x01 almost entirely). However his source for the trial isn't his usual one. It was speculated that he mostly saw pictures taken on set, during the filming in Seville. I've always been 50/50 about this possibility. but if it's true & providing it makes sense in the end, D&D did a superior work at blindsiding the audience. Tyrion has become a background character, and for all that talk about his great mind he's been pretty inept so far but also pretty innocuous. Imo, Tyrion betraying Daenerys is extremely unlikely: Her anger at him didn't last, he admitted he screwed up so he knows it was deserved, and she reaffirmed him publicly as her Hand while complimenting him and showing she valued him and his life afterwards. Nevertheless, if he betrays "The Starks", it could be a consequence of the Aegon/Jon reveal. Many things can change with the battle to come, too. I hope so, too. But if he and Arya have a child, the Baratheon line won't be lost and that's what worries me. We might get an indication soon, re: new costume. If it's on the stills for 8x03, not a good sign. 8x03 is going to be a gazillion more brutal than the Red Wedding. I wasn't half invested in the characters who died there, unlike the potential victims this time around. 8x02 was like a rollercoaster slowly climbing and stopping at the tipping point, just before the free fall.

How was Daenerys moving away from Missandei and Grey Worm in this episode? The writers chose not to have Daenerys/Grey Worm/Missandei scenes in this episode, but there was strictly no indication of such a behavior. Daenerys dealt with yet another failure of her Hand, and her Hand is not new. She didn't actively look for Jorah over Grey Worm or Missandei to discuss her current situation; Jorah, who as an ally predates them btw, came to talk to her. Sansa had a personal problem with her, Daenerys dealt with her directly and personally. Same with Jon, who was avoiding her. If anything, it was the opposite. Grey Worm and Missandei don't feel comfortable in her home country, Westeros -or at least in the racist North, maybe it would be different in Dorne- and they're thinking of moving away from their queen in order to find happiness in a better place for them. Daenerys wouldn't have a problem with them seeking happiness elsewhere, as Missandei explained last season, yes, but it's not the same as dropping them for "another life" (do you mean "better"? Because her life is pretty crappy right now) and other allies.

Well, at least she wasn't a beyotch to Daenerys. Imo, Arya will interact more with the "fighters" on the battlefield, and if there's an exodus after the battle of WF, some leaders can still emerge. I'm less optimistic about Gendry, in spite of Joe's long filming and wrapping in Seville, because I feel that his kinda plot armor might have been destroyed in 8x02 -I wouldn't have worried if Gendry and Arya didn't sleep together before 8x03. If Arya is pregnant with him, it isn't impossible that she gets the Stormlands for her future child. The costume Maisie was wearing in Seville could have been indeed Baratheon colors, and that's why it was hidden.

When I heard that Theon would protect Bran in the Goodswood, I began mourning for Theon re: Stannis takes him to one goodswood to execute him. Same place to die, different way to get there? During the song, they showed Sam and family, Arya and Gendry, Sansa and Theon, Grey Worm and Missandei. It looks ominously like each former is going to lose each latter. (Again I hate, hate, hate, being unspoiled.) Varys was seen in the crypts, and Conleth Hill didn't film much. Not boding well either for the people there. Weirdly, I feel less worried about Jorah because he just got Heartsbane. Would he die after barely using it? Unless Heartsbane also goes bye-bye in a kind of Worf effect. There were persisting rumors about some Valyrian sword (usually Longclaw) getting broken. I saw a speculation on FF, wondering whether the scarred little girl was Melisandre. I found the idea pretty cool. No sign of her Volantis Escadron or anything hinting that Cersei has/will send forces. Hmm.

To absolutely no one regular off-season poster's surprise, I love that Arya/Gendry happened and I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts (probably a week, sigh). Of course I'd have liked it better if it happened in 8x06 since, well, obvious flag for death. Nah, I just liked that it happened. It was in the making in the books, it was in the making on the show, I kept on repeating for years that they were a potential couple, so there's a tiny bit of vindication. I LOLed when I saw that HBO tweet on Freefolk, stressing that Arya is 18 on the show without naming her (or good job if it was a fake). The chemistry/attraction was there (aaalll the eye-fucking). Gendry is turned on by Arya's strength, that's my boy. I'm also satisfied that it wasn't a traditional romantic scene with undying declarations of love. It would have been unrealistic and it wouldn't be Arya, less as she is now, reconnecting with her feelings. She never manifested any interest in sex -or in love stories when she was younger- so the suddenly not wanting to die a virgin would have come out of left field, but for Gendry. I don't think that he was the convenient guy to satisfy her curiosity or scratch her itch. I think her curiosity arose from meeting Gendry again, stirring the old budding attraction she felt for him and prompted her to make that particular move. Imo, her pensive expression in the end means that she realizes she has feelings for him, but it means another loss to suffer re: Jenny's song.

I'm glad that Daenerys showed that she was listening to people including those she was on frosty terms with, during Jaime's "trial". I'm glad that she listened to Jorah, showed she was mature and went to talk to Sansa. I'm glad that Royce was polite to Daenerys. I wasn't certain he would. I'm glad that Jon didn't mention the Crispy Tarlys. It does seem that the mountain made out of a molehill was just that. Daenerys' reaction to the big news was in line with Emilia's interview re: not being the last Targaryen. Her disbelief didn't last long it seems, and she seemed more sad and upset about what it meant for her than anything. Both her discussion with Sansa and her discussion with Jon were interrupted, so imo it will either be a Jaime situation, or the battle is going to change everything, or both.

Good writing for Sansa! Finally, after more than two seasons, she publicly acknowledged that Brienne was worthy in her eyes and declared it loud and clear. Even better she didn't only say she trusted Brienne, she actually did and supported her. Reciprocity! Then, "I should have thanked you right away": YES. That's all I wanted, really. Theon and Sansa's love for each other was so well expressed. I don't know if it's meant to be romantic, I don't know if any of them is able to have romantic feelings after what they went through. It's just "love" in absolute. Sansa seems closer to Theon than to any of her blood siblings, and I found their meeting much better than hers with Jon, Bran (well, couldn't get worse LOL) and Arya. Their moments were beautiful.

-Brienne defending Jaime -Jaime will be honored to serve under Brienne's command... -...Jaime "if you'll have me" -Davos and the little girl with a scar on her face -Jaime knighting Brienne Cold-hearted me = a blubbering mess.

That was a fucking brilliant episode. Not sorry not sorry.

I like that it's all kind of women and all kind of men, some traditionally feminine, some not, some alpha males, some not. There isn't one "model" of feminity that is deemed worthy of romance, unlike in toxic parts of internet fandoms. Most aren't too far from tropes, Sweet Polly Oliver Arya with the nice hunk who kept her secret, Beauty and the Beast Jaime & Brienne, prince and princess Jon & Dany...But it only depends on which perspective you look, and that's where it's clever. For all "Disney" that it was touted, the prince and the princess as endgame would mean nephew x aunt as endgame, LOL. Of course, they're the same age, they didn't grow up together, and it's not worse than many dynasties over the ages (Egypt) or the inbreeding among the aristocracy in the Middle Ages (when I look at some branches of my family tree, ouch!). But still, pretty subversive :)) The only pairing my shipdar pinged and they aren't doing, it seems, is Sansa and Tyrion. It's a pity, I really liked their interactions back in S2/S4 and I liked the perspective of them as a power couple in name, then friendship turning to deeper feelings with time.

It began with Joffrey and the stool at the top of my head, and then the others came rolling LOL. There are two others examples I didn't put in the list, whereas you don't get pettier than those: Walder Frey avenging his hurt ego with the RW, and Locke cutting Jaime's hand to teach a lesson to Golden Boy. It might explain why pettiness between men gets less attention: It often ends in violence, so in the end, it's violence that stands out.

Jaime was in Dorne when Sansa was with the Boltons, including when Cersei learned of it, and only came back after she escaped (6x01). Moreover, Cersei wanted Sansa dead for Joffrey's murder at that time, so I don't think that Jaime could have had any authority to do anything -no way the Boltons would have given her back just because he demanded it- and it wouldn't have been wise to draw Cersei's attention on her survival. Moreover, Daenerys already knows why Jaime killed the Mad King. She accepted it a long time ago and already admitted to it in public, including in front of strangers, since in 6x09 she said to Yara: "All our fathers were evil" (Aerys, Tywin, Balon). She already swallowed that pill, it would be a retcon/hypocrisy vomit festival if she suddenly had to spit it back. The only logical outcome would be that she's more lenient with Jaime than expected, pardoning him for Aerys' murder.

Yes, there was one on a picture, it's the golden shield that I was talking about. It did match the description in the books (I think it was you who made the link, wasn't it?) but we didn't know yet if the GC have the same on the show, right? I paid attention in 8x01 in order to get confirmation, but the rat bastards didn't show the shields. Gah.

There were, but they get less attention. There was Joffrey taking away the stool during Tyrion's wedding to Sansa. Joffrey ironizing about Jaime's accomplishments or lack thereof. Pycelle letting drop the message on the floor instead of giving it to Tyrion during the council after the RW. The Baratheon brothers were the kings of petty between themselves (Catelyn's reaction to Renly/Stannis, LOL). Jaime and Loras trading jabs about Cersei marrying the former at the RW. The lords mocking Tyrion in S3, during his stroll with Sansa. Euron with Jaime -"with a thousand ships and two good hands". Daario with all the "old" jokes against Jorah. Aliser Thorne vs Jon, or telling Sam he's losing all his friends in 5x07 after Aemon's death etc. Probably impopular because for some reason he's a fan favorite, but Barristan Selmy vs Jorah. Barristan never liked Jorah, imo he didn't like to share Daenerys' ear with him, and was low-key gleeful when Jorah was expelled. Varys knew his job, he sent the scroll with the pardon to the right person, LOL. You put the finger on one of the issues, for me. Her attitude was never wise indeed, yet it was Sansa's weapon or rather, her only outlet, when she was a "stupid little girl" per her own words, and when she had no agency. She used it against evil men who had, could and would hurt her on a whim, so it had a "oh no she didn't" sassy quality. In spite of her being compared to Hitler in this very thread, Daenerys isn't evil, she isn't a Joffrey nor a Ramsay. So against her, Sansa's attitude isn't sassy, it isn't a form of brave recklessness; it's just stupid and sounds extra petulant ("I can be rude and get away with it"). It's also extra petty, vs women, because she's pissed off at Jon for bending the knee but it's Daenerys she's rude to in public. BTW had Dany arrived with a haughty atittude and asked Sansa kiss her ass, asked she kneel, for example, instead of the graciousness she actually showed, I would have had no issue with Sansa responding with frostiness ("responding", being the key word here). Yes, it was so great to see Arya gleeful and playful and smiling. And I knew it, LOL. Gendry was the first friend she made after her father's death, he was the longest and closest presence in her life during her trials in the Riverlands (Yoren died in S2, Hot Pie was left earlier in S3) so to me, it's only normal she was extremely attached to him and wouldn't want to leave him, even if it meant going to the end of the world. The scene where she looks at Gendry shirtless was supposed to show that Arya was growing up and waking up to some new feelings, IIRC. For the take they kept of the infamous "I could be your family", the director asked Maisie to say it like "I love you"*. And well, Arya put Melisandre, Beric and Thoros on her list for what they did to him, with her it's a serious proof of affection :)) About the list, I've always wondered why D&D took those three names off it in S5. I wonder if it will resurface in 8x02, it would make Beric's arrival interesting...to say the least. Maybe it'll just be a loose end. *Now, I can't help but link this scene to Arya and Nymeria in 7x02. Gendry wanted to stay with the Brotherhood to be free; she argued at first, but then she let him go. Nymeria wanted to stay free in the wild, and Arya let her go. There's a pattern here, imo, or at least an expression of Arya's love and need for freedom as well as a selfless acceptance of that same need in her loved ones.

It's possible. Unless they're also galactically stupid (might be contagious in the North). Or they could Glover cower and retreat when they see the AOTD.

The child (a boy) who was seen keeping the flock of sheep wasn't hurt. Drogon roasted a sheep, not him. He's seen flying past the boy before he spits fire. The father brought the charred bones of his "little girl", in 4x10. All he said is "he came from the sky, the black one" and cried. This is the one child I was talking about. There is no other known incident involving a dragon eating, killing or even attacking humans without order/unless to protect their mother. In 4x10 Drogon, the culprit, was nowhere to be found; Viserion and Rhaegal had done nothing but Daenerys immediately locked them up, preventively. Actually, we don't know if Drogon burned the girl or ate her -if it wasn't a fabrication. I chose the latter because in 5x10 and in 8x01, there were charred bones under the dragon(s) after he (they) ate; whereas there were mostly only ashes left of those Drogon burned for non eating purposes (Kraznyk, Lannister soldiers, Tarlys).

So BSB sticks to the GC attacking WF. It makes two sources, with WoTW, three if the golden shield is indeed theirs. Still not crazy about this one. However, Harry Strickland let Euron walk all over him so I don't expect any logical military objection here. I'm left with a feeling that Cersei bought herself 20.000 red shirts. The speculation that Euron sends the GC is interesting; indeed he wouldn't care. Cersei said she had plans for the Targaryen girl, so if there's a kidnapping it was supposed to be Dany's. Since she's in Dragonstone in what seems to be 8x04, they don't get her.

No, that's not what some people say. Quoting myself: I, personally, just wanted her to act smart. Sansa was able to be polite to Roose Bolton, the man who betrayed her family and killed her brother, when he welcomed her as a stranger in her own home. You'd think she'd be able to muster a mask of gracious politeness and play the game with an ally she desperately needs to survive... ...and even if she doesn't get how close to annihilation the North is, a smart politician or diplomat wouldn't have antagonized Daenerys anyway. Sansa knows how dangerous Cersei is -which she is, no one said either that Cersei isn't a threat. She can't possibily think that Cersei will give the North its independence, or just even leave it and the Starks be. "She found a way to kill" all her enemies, remember? Since anything is better than Cersei, and since Daenerys is Cersei's competition, it would have been wise to foster that alliance with a constructive attitude in answer to Daenerys' initial good will. It isn't about Sansa vs Daenerys. It's about the writing for Sansa, who I'm told is astute and the smartest, yet who acts the exact opposite of it. For me, by the way, the smartest and the wisest character is Davos. I have yet to see anyone else on this show put their feelings aside for the truly urgent/important after an emotional shock, like when he understood how Shireen died just before BoTB. In 7x03 and 7x04. She was informed in 7x03 during her round that they had food for a year, maybe more, and asked every keep contribute in case the Northern armies all came to defend WF; in 7x04 there was a throwaway sentence about some keeps not having contributed.

"A targling in the oven", that's so cute. If she's pregnant, the reveal will imo parallel Cersei's miscarriage re: YMBQ. It isn't sure that 8x03 is all battle. It could, they have enough characters involved, but didn't they talk somewhere about 50 minutes of fighting? There would be 20 of other scenes.

I hope so. She deserves better than being a (wo)manservant. Free Brienne 2019!

I wonder why she isn't trying to take Dragonstone, to cut retreat for her enemies. Maybe Daenerys left a garrison there, but the bulk of her troops are gone.

There was a scene with her miscarriage in the outline for season 7, so her pregnancy was intended to be real. I agree that Tyrion has been dumbed down. Even his speech was a low effort and backfired. Total loss of mojo. They're Tommen-izing him, imo. Maybe Bran will meet Theon in 8x02, too. The Karstarks arrived at WF, the extra who gave info was supposed to be one of them. I'm looking forward to Theon pushing Bran's wheelchair.

He also played Tyrion and the Targaryens in S7 and took Highgarden. That's a castle taken per season, it's enough for the show. (I mean, who else can pretend to such a high fortress impregnating average? 😂). Nikolaj mentioned many callbacks to S1, maybe there will be one to Jaime's conversation with Jon.