Why I think this episode didn’t work
Do I particularly like Daenerys? No
Did I think she would burn kings landing? Yes.
Do I think it would be in character to do so? Yes.
Did I like how the episode did it? HELL NO.
Daenerys has been shouting about burning cities for seasons; she has routinely had to talked out of solving her problems with violence by desperate advisors. She has frequently ignored that advice.
Daenerys is a violent person, she is a conqueror, she is not a politician and we have seen this demonstrated over the course of her characters journey. We have seen it in her refusal to compromise when it mattered, her inability to play the long game, and her tendency to be blindsided by rage.
However, Daenerys is also has the capacity to be compassionate and fair. Her intentions can be good, and she has the ability to act accordingly. We have witnessed these traits in her choices to free the unsullied rather than own them, her quest to abolish slavery, her desire that every person have free agency and her sacrifices to try to achieve this.
I don’t believe that her actions always align with her positive traits, but if they did, she would not be as compelling of a character. Daenerys is an engaging character because we can see her good intentions, but we can also see how her actions are tainted with pride and entitlement. It gives weight to the choices she makes.
This is why her actions in this episode are a detriment to her character. Yes, the Daenerys we have seen can be impulsive, and she can be downright vengeful. But going out of her way to mass murder hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians when the Lannister forces have already surrendered and the battle is won? That crosses the line from vengeful to psychotic. We havent seen enough character development towards this for her actions for feel natural. I would buy her channeling this rage by making a beeline to Cersei but not taking it out on innocents in this manner.
In conclusion this episode had a lot of trouble with adhering to established characters in favour of a visually stunning spectacle, and it shows.
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