Andromeda

Excellent post. We can't assume UK rules apply here. Those were even changed very recently, to place women into the direct line of succession. (You'd think they would have realized women should be automatically included after Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II and their successful reigns!). As someone else pointed out, Saudi's successions are quite different. And YES on the annulment. I, too, have never heard of such as thing as a secret annulment, especially when it comes to rulers. It's kind of nonsense. The point of marriage is to make a public pronouncement (which is why marriage licenses require a witness) to society that you are bonded. Very, very critical when uniting big ruling houses like in Westeros. It's one thing to try to get a divorce, like Henry VIII did, for which he ultimately had to break with the church and create his own, but everybody and their brother knew about it. And even then, it caused all kinds of questions and problems for the line of succession (Mary v. Elizabeth), and how other countries viewed them (Mary was Spanish and Catholic.) None of this is at all straightforward. It's really all about who succeeds in their claim. Renly knew this -- it was clear Stannis was before him in the line of succession, but he and his buds felt Renly would be a much better king, so they were intent on claiming the throne. Heck, the whole war started based on whether the three supposed heir children were legitimate (Joffrey, etc.), so basically, it's all in the eye of the beholder. So if Dany's squad feels she's the rightful ruler because she birthed dragons and is resistant to fire, and therefore magical and really cool, and she has already proven herself a conquerer, and she wants it and Jon doesn't, why would they even considering stepping aside?

I has to be only a diplomatic escort. In the war room, the losses were half the Unsullied, which would be 4,000 of the 8,000 original troops. Then the new Dothraki commander sweeps all but two of the black triangles off the field -- I'm not sure how many there were originally, but quite a few. Certainly it wasn't a cavalry force of 100,000, which was a number tossed out at some point in the past.

Jon would be quickly betrayed, just like Ned was. Heck, just like HE was as Lord Commander. He is still too naive to rule in this world. It am really sad about Tyrion even considering switching sides. The scene where Dany makes him her hand is so amazing, and now their relationship is being ruined, unless he comes back around.

Exactly where and how did she go crazy? I have yet to understand where this is coming from. We are being told she's on the edge, or something like that, by Varys and Tyrion. But I have not been shown it. Or did I miss a scene of her ranting and raving and throwing dishes? Even that wouldn't be "crazy," just angry. Was she shown hearing voices? Seeing things that aren't there? Wanting to commit suicide or being bipolar? No, No, No and no, for starters.

Yeah, I almost added that, about Asia and Arabia, but getting a little off topic... Or elephants. Wouldn't that frost Cersei's cake!

Does his anger and desire for revenge means he's insane, like they're trying to paint Dany? Or is the fact he's a man mean his rage is to be expected? Just not sure of the rules here in this universe...

Exactly. The men wouldn't need to hit on her, but we're to believe men or women aren't even interested in talking to her?! There are these unique things she knows all about, called dragons...which everyone previously thought were mythical. And they want us to think people have no interest in where they came from, how she handles them, and whether she's offering free rides?

We lost a lot of knowledge because of the fall of the Roman Empire by barbarians, and the subsequent Dark Ages. I wonder how advanced we'd be today if that 500- to 1,000-year backward period hadn't occurred.

To be fair, though, it was after she flew her dragons all the way up north to rescue Jon and his team, showing her commitment to helping him with his "northern problem." So she made the decision several days in advance, just letting him know once he woke up.

I know, right? This is a medieval fantasy! People are killing each other in all sorts of horrible ways. But death by Dragon makes her crazy? Why, because no one else has them? Well, tough noogies, Dany does! I really do feel bad for all the awesome female cosplayers who have taken such pains to enact Dany, their heroine, if somehow her story flips to a ridiculous and unexpected "evil"/"mad" place. It will ruin her entire story arc and all previous seasons of it.

LOVE IT. I think this is amazing. I watched the Sarah Connor Chronicles (me and five other people) and saw the Terminator: Genysis in the theaters. What a funny thing for them to have in common.

What blows me away is none of the (drunk) young men there were even attempting to chat her up or hit on her. Hello!! Do you SEE the hot, young awesomely dressed and coiffed female that is in front of you? The men of Essos had no trouble seeing it. What's with these Northmen anyway? Did their balls freeze off? It felt...ewwwy. Like they're all part of a schoolyard clique and hating on the new girl because she's "different."

The producers have admitted the mistake. I don't think it's a Starbucks cup. It came from craft services, as all food on set usually does. But it is an amazing error for a show this expensive. Brewed from the finest hand-picked and sorted java beans, grown on the slopes of Mount Valyria, from volcanic soils rich with nutrients and the perfect temperate semi-tropical climes... Apparently that was enough for Varys, though he's known Dany since she was a baby!

Very good point. Those scorpion ballistas should have already been atop the King's Landing walls, and the walls of every other keep. And every large ship. They should be on the shoreline to protect it against the reaving Iron Islanders. In our reality, it was a Roman weapon. They were such good engineers.

That would make my day, but not if it's because she's getting the Mean Girl treatment from Sansa and the other bitchy Westerosi. The show made a big effort to recast her "rapist" BROTHER, who is just as much sprung from her mad father as she is, as a kindly artistic soul who only wanted love... *snort* The amount of air time her journey has received, the sprawling set pieces, the amazing sets, and the dramatic MUSIC have all combined to get me on board the Dany train. We've seen her struggle and succeed, and struggle again. So If it derails now, because Varys likes a cock on his ruler, I'll walk away wondering what the writers were smoking...and feel like this.

You're right. And much as I'm a Dany fan, the best queen of Westeros was Renly's queen, Margery. God, I miss her. If only she hadn't had a monster for a MIL and an idiot for a king. She manipulated Joffrey to the best of her ability, which is something Sansa never even attempted. She was savvy, understood the game, understood the importance of the people's goodwill and wasn't at all evil. And she had a rockin' badass gramma.

I KNOW!!! I Just. Don't. Get. It. Unless it turns out that Varys has been planting this seed of doubt for his own ends, I'm really unclear why the sudden change toward Dany. Varys has seen and lived through the worst in rulers. Dany doesn't even come close. Oh, but female.... Is it any wonder we're thinking it's all a bit sexist? Even Cersei, who blew up the sept, isn't tainted with the "Mad Queen" moniker. But, unlike Daenerys, she's more than proven herself worthy of that title.

You think they intended the coffee cup? Why would they do that?

It's really tough for me to even think about that family. It's a miracle the kid is even alive. I have flashbacks to the "Home" episode of X-Files. I'm inclined to think that DNA works differently for GOT humans than it does for us. Dany has a miracle ability anyway, so I can't say her DNA is corrupted (even if it would be.) Same for Jon, who was resurrected.

I thought it was obvious. It was inspired by this. Speaking of RL, using civilians as human shields as Cersei is doing is a Saddam Hussein move.

WOW WOW WOWOWOWOW... Your post is excellent (everyone click on it to see it with the show quotes, if you missed it.) Now Varys is making no sense. Along with half the cast of characters. I'm getting bummed out about what was my favorite show. Why do my favorites almost always end so poorly? (Breaking Bad being a huge exception.)

You send in Seal Team Six. Or in this case, an undercover squad of Jamie, Tyrion, Arya, Greyworm and the Hound (though he'll be distracted by the Mountain squeaky toy).

When Dany saw what was happening to her Dothraki, she jumped on her dragon to defend everyone, even though it went against the battle plan. That's hardly someone who doesn't seem to care about the casualties along the way.

If she was going to raise it as a concern, why didn't she do her homework and ask them before the meeting? It comes off just like the food issue, as Sansa thinking up something to spar with Dany over. Food and soldier health are both important issues, but Sansa is just using them to be contrary, which is a shame.

I will never understand this. Cersie blew up the sept! It wasn't just a building, it was one of the biggest landmarks in King's Landing. It would be like blowing up Notre Dame ( sadz). And the people of KL just go about their business, as the scene last season showed, when Davos got Gendry to come along. I saw no sign that the populace were fearful, but she's crazy! Where are the people who should be fomenting rebellion? Where are the underground forces who would normally be aiming to unseat her? Which is why I really have no sympathy for them at this point, since they can't even stand up for themselves...