I don't feel the need to weigh in too significantly, so I'll just say that I enjoyed the episode, it frustrated me in a (mostly) good way, and I've liked this season a lot so far, especially compared to season 7 (which I enjoyed, but it had very clear issues). Excited for next week and not ready for it to be over.
I think it's much easier to live on without "needing" it on Sundays anymore after waiting so long for this season. Truthfully, there was a brief period of time when I forgot it was even coming and I felt nothing lol
Eh you don't have to watch something as if it's the best story in it's medium ever to be frustrated with its choices. Whether it's an MCU movie or Citizen Kane, Star Wars or Claire Denis, Harry Potter or Terrence Malick, you can engage with the onscreen text on the terms it establishes for you and it can work or not work or be some combination. I don't buy just accepting that it's not a capital G Great show and altering your expectations.
She'd just helped save the north and her main takeaway from it was that they were ungrateful and less than willing to bend the knee to some foreign rando who showed up out of nowhere. She expected to be loved and revered, but most of her experience there was just people seeking to undermine her claim to the throne. The only respect she's able to generate is through fear(which means it's tied to the health of drogon and therefore ultimately pretty fragile). When Tyrion is attempting to convince her not to nuke the city, she's viewing it through that prism; that liberation itself is not going to compel these people to her rule, that only fear will accomplish that. She'd lamented mercy as her biggest weakness beforehand and vowed to make it a strength. She didn't 'snap' and start behaving out of character, it was all well reasoned in her mind.
This was a great episode for me. Once The Night King and the White Walkers were defeated (IMO) rather more quickly and easily than I thought they would be, the show was always going a different way than I would have personally taken the story. The fantasy and supernatural elements were always my favorite part of the story. Inside the logic of the episode itself, I didn't really understand why Dany started just lighting up all the civilians with dragon fire and levelling the city itself. A suicide run on The Red Keep itself kinda woulda made more sense to me...
he isn’t. y’all remember seasons 1-5 right? locke? karl? rast? fucking janos slynt? it’s like all of you started watching the show this season lol.
While I agree with you on this about 99% or so, I think there's something to be said on both sides as blindly accepting/praising every decision as well as people seemingly hate-watching it to complain about every. single. thing. ad nauseam.
Someone help me find the leak for next week - I figure if I know ahead of time I can simply focus on execution and not be sad about the story choices/developments as they unravel in front of my disappointed eyes
Didn't she once lock up her dragons because they were accused of killing a kid or something? The difference between the Dany who clearly had empathy but was struggling with ruling and control and a total psychopathic killer isn't justified by a rule by fear prism, in my opinion. Especially when she had clearly just won by fear and domination and watched the city lay down their arms.
It’s not about just winning the battle, it’s about winning the hearts and minds of all the people of Westeros in one fell swoop. Everything that’s happened to her since she arrived in Westeros has convinced her that she’ll never be able to win them with love, so she chooses a different way.
I’m certainly not hate watching. The show is entertaining spectacle and texture and generally looks great. But I have watched every episode but one and have issues with some of it, and I’d rather explain why I have issues with it because I don’t think it’s as simple as “this sucks”, because I don’t think it does. I’m only speaking for myself though.
Oh I absolutely agree, but I do think that is how a lot of people are framing their own watches and why there does seem to be such a schism among viewers. On a personal level I’m a big believer that no matter the genre or intended age bracket or whatever qualifier you choose, a work should absolutely stick to its own internal logic and be judged for how well it succeeds in its specific goals for the story.