*Spoilers for Game Of Thrones season 8, episode 5 ahead.
Wtf?!
I was honestly numb after watching this episode because of the complete injustice that Daenerys and Jaime had to face in this godforsaken show. I just want to erase this entire episode from my mind and pretend it never happened. Surely this is just an elaborate ploy for us to buy the eventual books, because there is no way the show ends like this.
Daenerys Targaryen: Breaker of Chains, Cremator of Civilians
I know we predicted the Mad Queen arc as previously discussed, but in no way could I have guessed it would be done this badly. This episode completely betrayed Daenerys. It trashed her entire character arc and showed the writers’ disregard for sustained development.
Yes, we know she was probably going to go mad. But it’s how they did it. Daenerys has been living her whole life with people doubting her because her father was the Mad King. She has dealt with everyone’s scepticism because of her heritage and for the entire show until now, she has proven them wrong. Time and time again, she chose to do the right thing. Until now, the people she has burned or executed have been slavers and rapists who wanted her dead, or soldiers fighting for the wrong side of the war.
On top of that, Daenerys has been through hell. She survived the loss of her love Khal Drogo, the loss of her son; she rose from the ashes and conquered half the world. Are they seriously going to tell me that now she loses her mind, when she’s come so far and survived so much worse? Over two episodes? Do we really believe that despite surviving countless horrors, Daenerys lost her mind over some man not loving her back?! Yeah, no.
And Then She Loses Her Shit
So, she snaps and just burns the absolute shit out of Kings Landing. If they wanted to make Daenerys evil, they should have just sent her to kill Cersei, which is what I was expecting. It would have been bad enough to make Daenerys look mad because they surrendered, without obliterating her entire character and disappointing anyone who’s even watched a single episode of this show.
There are ways the writers could have allowed Daenerys’ morals to be tainted without her being genocidal. Who remembers when Daenerys said, “You fear I will burn down your cities – but that is not me, that is Cersei Lannister.” Or how about when she said “I am not here to be Queen of Ashes.” What about when she literally cried because one of her dragons accidentally killed a kid a couple of seasons ago?
THIS IS NOT DAENERYS. THIS IS NOT DAENERYS. THIS IS NOT DAENERYS. THIS IS NOT DAENERYS. THIS IS NOT DAENERYS. THIS IS NOT DAENERYS. THIS IS NOT DAENERYS. THIS IS NOT DAENERYS. THIS IS NOT DAENERYS. THIS IS NOT DAENERYS. THIS IS NOT DAENERYS. THIS IS NOT DAENERYS.
— bailey | got spoilers (@emilia_cIarkes) May 13, 2019
The treatment of Dany – one the most well written characters in the series – in the past two episodes was the laziest, most forced character subversion I’ve ever watched, with zero nuance or understanding for what she has been built on for years.
Old mate GRRM said he was traumatised by where the TV show was going, and honestly? Same.
Jaime Lannister: King Slayer, And Also Just The Worst
Dear Jaime: what did they they do to you?!
Jaime had one of the best character arcs of this show – he went from pushing kids out of windows so he could bang his sister, to ditching her and his safety in Kings Landing to go North and “fight for the living.” He went through some crazy shit in the show – losing his hand and his dignity, and eventually fighting on the right side of the war.
Seven seasons of development later, he finally gets it on with a woman that is everything Cersei isn’t, and it’s absolutely wonderful. And then, literally overnight, he changes into a baddie that needs to be with his hottie evil sister? Miss me with this bullshit.
Jamie didn’t have a character arc he had a character circle.
— Jesse McLaren (@McJesse) May 13, 2019
Jaime spouted some stuff about always being evil and never really caring about being good to Brienne, and then ran off last week. It was so absolutely ludicrous that we straight up thought he was lying to her and was actually going to kill Cersei.
When he snuck off, found her and hugged her this episode, I was waiting for him to reveal his true intentions. Like, the whole time I was thinking “okay, when are you gonna stab her though”. And then he didn’t. And then they died together. WTF?! He talks about it being always just the two of them, meanwhile we are all screaming our heads off at the completely nonsensical injustice of this scene.
“I never really cared about the innocent.” – Jaime Lannister
THIS MAN WHO LITERALLY BROKE AN OATH AND DISHONORED HIMSELF IN THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE JUST TO SAVE THE INNOCENT.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? WHAT AN ACTUAL FUCK D&D#GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/YFA9PWkHC9— David (@TheGaroStudios) May 13, 2019
The writers did Jaime dirty and it’s probably the actual worst thing to come out of Game Of Thrones. He begged to fight with Daenerys, he fights tooth and nail to finally be trusted, and for what? For what?
Gah.
Image Sources: HBO, Twitter @TheGaroStudios, @McJesse, @emilia_cIarkes.
