Andromeda

This is the best article about what's happening with the show re: Dany. It uses the same phrase I thought of — bait and switch. Game of Thrones is spending its last hours ruining Daenerys Targaryen The article doesn't deal with the inherent sexism of turning a strong woman into a mentally unstable maniac overnight, but you can bet that will be a discussion if they actually go that route. Women once had their own mental disease, called hysteria. It was super sexist, with such a broad definition any man could use it to have their wife put in a nut house. "Female hysteria was once a common medical diagnosis for women. ... The American Psychiatric Association dropped the term hysteria in 1952. Even though it was categorized as a disease, hysteria's symptoms were synonymous with normal functioning female sexuality." (hysteria is from a Greek word for uterus). So yeah, it's a sore spot for women generally.

I realized it's not even character death that annoys me, though there seems to be a lot of it. My issue is unearned story death. The characters should be on a cohesive journey. I don't want to feel that watching them struggle and surmount obstacles over 7 years was as waste of time. Why did we follow this character all these years if they never learned anything or weren't able to apply what they learned? Which is how I feel about Dany going crazy. If that was her fate, begin her narrative when she arrives at Dragonstone. Fill in backstory with dialogue. We've already heard through the years that she's coming. That's all I would need to know about her, and I would have been eyeing her suspiciously instead of rooting for her. Same with Jamie, if he's acting toward his sister just as he did when we first met him. And Bran... What is with that guy? What does he want now? Who knows? Oh, right, a comfortable chair.

I love the ancient Greeks. Agamemnon deserved what he got. Odysseus less so.

A short video capturing the r/freefolk spoilers with show scenes.

If I didn't laugh, I would cry. Thanks for this!!

It would explain why Sam had to tell Jon NOW about Jon's parentage... But it would be so stupid, too. Like a pull-it-out-of-your-ass,, unearned trick. As for Dany, I would love it if she turned into a dragon herself. No wonder she alone is impervious to fire, like real dragons. Plus, she likes fire, like a dragon. Then she and Drogon could fly away to somewhere safe and have lots of dragon babies. (I know, I know, the non-magic people would freak!)

Ouch. "The Last of the Starks' is second lowest rated episode of #GameofThrones ever. No matter the scores of the final two episodes, this season will be the lowest-rated in series history."

My inner id feels the same way. I'm trying to stuff it down, just so don't feel as bad. On the bolded part, I just watched the Troy show on Netflix, and at the end, the Greeks (Spartans) got inside the gates of Troy and murdered virtually every man, woman and child. Everyone knew this would happen if the city fell. And ancient Greece was more advanced than Westeros in many ways.

I still find it hard to believe there are only two episodes left. This article lists all of the unanswered questions before Season 8 started. I think by the end we'll get answers to 1 or 2. OK, 3. There are more than 40. https://www.theringer.com/game-of-thrones/2019/2/19/18232415/game-of-thrones-loose-ends Plus a good take on the rushed feel of the season. https://www.theringer.com/game-of-thrones/2019/5/9/18537794/game-of-thrones-ending-too-quickly-pacing

I love love love this photo! They are both so happy, and Emilia is adorable. I was so excited about her meeting Jon, and when they fell in love I was stoked, but not too stoked, since he had this stupid birth history thing. I couldn't believe one interview where either Emilia or Harington said he had to wipe his mouth and make gagging sounds so Rose Leslie wouldn't feel threatened. No wonder his love scenes with Dany fall flat.

Because of his betrayal for Cersei. Scroll down to the Tyrion section. https://bgr.com/2019/05/08/game-of-thrones-season-8-spoilers-deaths-from-episodes-5-and-6-leaked/ It sounds like fanfic to me.

I planned to remain unspoiled. But I was so distressed with Ep. 4, I took a peek. Now I'm completely spoiled, both from here, and the huge Reddit thread. What disturbs me the most are the ends for the characters. I've read all the books. Yes, it's a tough world; yes, bad things happen. But bad things happening to so many of the characters I love? It's worse than the worst. It's like the high, "Yeah!" moments are no longer part of the equation. For instance, the Red Wedding was shocking, but we got revenge with Arya. Same with the cavalry riding in to save the day in the Battle of the Bastards. And Dany using her dragon to free the Unsullied. And Tyrion killing his father. Those moments are important, too. So, just because I'm frustrated and can't stop thinking about it, here are my feelings on where each of my faves appear to be headed: Tyrion: I was so excited when he joined Dany's team. It felt destined. He was finally with someone who valued his input and saw how clever he was. Then his IQ took a huge nosedive, and he kept underestimating his sister, who wanted him dead, and steering Dany wrong. Now I'm to believe he goes out of his way to save the bitch? The one who despises him? He was ready and able to kill his own father — why does he care that much for his sister? It's so puzzling. I surprise myself, but I won't cry if he ends up dead. Dany: OMG, this one is the worst. I see no signs of instability. Ruthlessness, yes, but no more than Robert, Stannis, even Jon, and dozens of others. Her actions for me have been a reflection of the world she lives in. She was alone, powerless, and she managed to tap into a deep well of power and (surprise!) magic to make something of herself and gather a devoted following. But none of that matters, apparently, because she was born nuts. So the message is you can't get away from your parentage. Or that women can't handle power. It's so disappointing because she got a hero's edit (that music, it stirs me every time). So I feel bait-and-switched, if that makes sense. As in, "Oh, you thought you were getting a genuine heroine who cared about the smallfolk, but instead she's a monster! hahahaha." I also don't see why nothing is explored about her ability to withstand fire, a trait which — along with her ability to birth dragons — has made her seem "destined" for something great. So much for that. Jamie: So he's just as stuck on Cersei as he's ever been. When he finally left her behind and went to Winterfell, I actually thought he'd grown. When he knighted Brienne, I thought it showed growth in his understanding of what makes people special (the sex less so.) I was thrilled that everyone accepted him into the fold, onto Team Dany. But he's the same guy he always was. He might as well have never met Brienne. Jon: Why, exactly, was he brought back from the dead again? Why did Melissandre act like bringing fire and ice together was such a big deal? What was that all about anyway? He's so wooden — they're telling me he loves Dany, but I'm not really seeing it. I don't really know what he feels about anything. It's like he's just going through the motions. And why the big reveal about his sperm donor? Why does he think he's no longer a Stark, when his Aunt is one? Who cares who his father was if nothing comes of it/ What a giant MacGuffin. Arya: Just leaves Winterfell, says she's not coming back. Why? No goodbyes? No emotion? WTF? What are her plans, what does she want for her life? Does anyone know? I love her, so please show, tell me what's going on with her. The Hound: Headed for Clegane Bowl, where he dies. So he doesn't even have a moment to celebrate that he put down his evil brother. Sansa: I thought she genuinely like Tyrion, but now she wants him dead. I'm just confused. I expected/hoped she'd learn from Littlefinger, but I didn't think she'd lose her soul and become Littlefinger. Varys: I always admired and rooted for Varys. Where Littlefinger was so self-centered, Varys seemed to care for the unwashed masses. But his sudden, inexplicable turn against Dany has turned me against him. I won't cry when he fries. Grayworm: Out of the blue, he turns into a monster. No nice beach for him. Well, that sucks. Davos: Seems he might escape unscathed. I adore Davos. Bran: All I have to say about him and his journey is:

Urine is a ridiculous character. No nuance, no clear motivations or back story. He's a cardboard cut-out Super Villain. I want to burn him into ashes myself. And I cannot — cannot — find it in me to believe he's just that good at targeting moving objects with a weapon that has just been invented. And a dragon, who would see it coming, and is really high? The idea they were caught unawares is also difficult to swallow. It's all so silly! And this show used to be a cut above.

And it's something the Lannisters do, isn't it? Cersei reminds Jamie of that on the regular. Hmmmm.... What does that tell us about the changes in the Stark family since the beginning? I don't think they're necessarily good.

And breastfeeding!!

And taught him how to pet hers.... (Oh, come on, you were all thinking it!)

While many think GGRM has lost interest in his saga, I think D&D have, too. That's why they're rushing to wrap it up, ticking off plot points and bypassing "filler" scenes that would serve to explain character actions. They could easily have filled a 10-episode season, but they were anxious to run off and do Star Wars. That said, I also wonder about GRRM's ability to close a giant multi-book saga. It's tough to do, and he hasn't yet done it.

Is it OK to post an article here, and not in the media thread? It's all about Dany. BTW, it's from TIME Magazine. There’s One Major Problem With the Daenerys ‘Going Mad’ Plotline on Game of Thrones I want to quote more, like the great point on how parentage used to be something the main characters pushed away and refused to be defined by, but the link is above.

I know it's unlikely, since Arya didn't have access to her children's faces, but it would be awesome if Cersei thought she saw Tommen...and followed him. And then her daughter Mercella, and followed her... Heck, throw Joffrey in there, too. And then stabby stab stab stab.

But did he say "Don't be a Mad Queen" or any other Mad Queen statement? That's what I'm getting at. Where'd the phrase debut? Does anyone know? Because it's sure taken hold, when Dany is still not cray-cray. Her dad went truly cray, burning his advisors alive in metal armor, trying to bring dragons back with magic, all kinds of nutty stuff. I haven't seen Dany do anything a man who wants power in this world hasn't done. This is a good description of her father: "Out of all the kings to sit on the Iron Throne, none induced a level of tyranny, madness, and especially cruelty as Aerys Targaryen did during his rule. Dubbed the Mad King, Aerys seemingly began as a benevolent ruler until he was overwhelmed by the so-called "Targaryen madness" brought on by an incestuous bloodline. As a result, he began displaying traits of intense psychopathy, insanity, and sadistic intentions, exacerbated by hallucinations, schizophrenia, and paranoia regarding his own claim to the Throne, to the point where he burnt anyone he believed was against him, until half of the people whom he ruled were already against him. "Like many Targaryens, such as his son Viserys, Aerys was obsessed with the self-conception that he was a dragon in human skin. In regards to this, he killed his victims in a similar manner to that which a dragon would; burning them alive. Jaime Lannister once observed that he loved watching them char until their skin blackened, indicating he may have suffered from pyromania, and this, combined with sadism and hopeless delusions, spurred his already oppressive reign into complete tyranny. In a final bid where it appeared Robert Baratheon would take King's Landing, Aerys planted wildfire throughout the city, even the Red Keep where Aerys himself was staying. Not for one second, however, did he believe that it would result in his death, like his uncle Prince Aerion Targaryen, who killed himself by drinking wildfire. Instead, he thought he would be reborn as a dragon through a baptism by fire and burn his enemies in retribution." Whacky, no? He was a deeply disturbed, rubber-room kind of crazy. It sounds like he thought he was fireproof. Dany actually is fireproof. I'd hoped that feature would have a point in the end game, but with the writing being not so great, maybe it's just a weird one-off. Also, I would love it if Dany flips expectations and doesn't succumb to the expected Targaryean Madness. Because reversing expectations, and all that. Come to think of it, it would nothing short of awesome if Dany actually DID turn into a dragon at the end. It would explain so much. Oh, well, I'll just make up that story in my head.... lol. As for wildfire, I wouldn't be surprised to see Cersei taking cues from him -- if she can't have the throne, no one can! (Boom!)

I never thought the reveal of her pregnancy to Tyrion had anything to do with wine. I saw her placing her hand over her tummy in a protective fashion, which signaled her pregnancy. I highly doubt they know of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in Westeros, so I wouldn't use her wine drinking as a gauge. (Besides, with her habitual incest, would she really be concerned about a few glasses of wine affecting the health of her offspring?)

What I'm still trying to figure out is where this is coming from — both within the show for the characters, and without, from the fans. I get the feeling that spoilers are leaking into this thread (I'm unspoiled), because I'm not seeing that much evidence within the show itself. But there's also the poor writing that is SHOWING us instead of TELLING us, when all I see is a heartbroken woman, not a crazy one. For instance, has anyone in the show used the phrase "Mad Queen" to apply to Dany? I remember a few references to her father here and there, warnings not to be like him, but that's all I recall. So is it from things the showrunners have said, or something? Also, if mad means mad like Mad Max, I'm totally down with it.

I thought of that, too. Dany & Team could warn the citizens that they're coming. Instead of heading into the Red Keep, the people should go out into the countryside.

Then again, Ned and the king were best buds. If it came down to it, Ned could refuse to be Robert's hand if he didn't release Sansa from the betrothal. Most houses would jump at such a betrothal -- Ned benefited more from it than Robert, it was a favor to the Starks. Robert's only thought was to join their houses, so instead he could have offered Arya to Tommen (or Sansa to Tommen for that matter). He didn't have to see his daughter be queen. But of course that would have required two unlikely things: Sansa to be honest, and Ned to be savvy.