[thomascromwelll-deactivated2025]

Happy Birthday, Queen!!!

18 february of 1516 — The Birthday of Queen Mary I of England

[marytudorqueenofengland]

Photoshopped face models of Henry VIII of England, Catherine of Aragon and the future, Mary I of England . Credits to Instagram user @ Royalty__Now_

[nogoodsheepstealing-greatgrandma]

F&B: Here is the story of a mother who loses her children one by one. She loses her only daughter before she can hold her, her sweet Lucerys is eaten by his uncle's dragon, her baby Viserys is lost while being sent away to safety, her heir Jacaerys dies trying to save him, her brave Joffrey falls to his death.

At first she collapses, she almost gives up, too grief-sick and terrified of losing anymore children to take action. Her heir steps up to be her strength, to be diplomatic and meritocratic and conciliatory and hopeful.

With his loss she hardens, her fears burning away, leaving her rage and hatred, her heart where her sons used to be turning to stone. Then she slips into paranoia, determined to eliminate any threat to her remaining children, alienating allies in a time of crisis, destroying Jace's legacy in the process... only to lose another child anyway.

Then she breaks. She clutches her last son tightly. She sells her crown to keep him safe. She despairs and weeps. Finally she clings to one last hope, one last chance of strength - a dragon. The last thing she hears is her child screaming for her to flee.

Condal, taking notes from Benioff and Weiss: What if this crazy selfish bitch drank her own Kool-Aid, became a religious fanatic, and starting herding people en masse to be burnt and eaten alive?

Condalstans: "ooh A+ character development! After all, when a Targaryen is born the Gods flip a coin-"

[meredith511]

It's nothing new that some of the shows(especially of period dramas) became all about representation, and HotD is the worst kind of all, so I'm not surprised how far they have gone. But it's crazy that anyone would allow that, ignoring the context of the story and charaterizations.

Do you want me to believe that any sensible person would have ~moments~ with her husband's ex-mistress who you just met, a stranger, in the middle of the war for your throne and survival? your own children's survival? when your unborn daughter and teenage son were murdered ONLY WEEKS AGO??? when your another teenage son is trying so fucking hard to win the war?

What's more insulting is that Book!Rhaenyra was in deep grief at that time after losing two children in a week.

I get it. You like representation. I get it. But you are writers and actors. Understanding your character and story should always come first, don't you think?

[eschercaine]

Show!Rhaenyra, when Visenya died: *does nothing, says nothing*

Book!Rhaenyra, when Visenya died: “She was my only daughter, and they (the greens) killed her. They stole my crown and murdered my daughter, and they shall answer for it.”

Show!Rhaenyra, when the greens offered terms: *cries over a single page*

Book!Rhaenyra, when the greens offered terms: “With your own tongue you admit I am your lawful queen. Why then do you serve my half-brother, the pretender? Tell my half-brother that I will have my throne, or I will have his head.”

Show!Rhaenyra, when Luke died: *searches for Luke’s remains, scolds Daemon for the Blood and Cheese plot, then goes on a suicide mission posing as a septa to enter King’s Landing just to talk to the woman who repeatedly betrays her and makes her life hell*

Book!Rhaenyra, when Luke died: *collapsed when told of the news, probably has no qualms when her husband sent Blood and Cheese, the Dance of the Dragons entered a new stage*

I dunno... Am I the only one who thinks that show!Rhaenyra is so weak AF compared to book!Rhaenyra? Ok.

If book!Rhaenyra was to see her show version, she would be utterly disappointed in her. Book!Rhaenyra wouldn’t do what show!Rhaenyra had done.

[lovedreamer11]

Let's clear things up once and for all. The real canon is the books written by GRRM. George may have sold his soul to HBO, but HOTD is still nothing more than poorly written by Ryan and Sara fanfiction. The events that take place in the show are not truly canon. This is more like a filmed AU fanfic.

The real canon is:

Viserys loved Alicent.

Alicent and Rhaenyra were not friends.

Alicent was eighteen years old when she married Viserys. Viserys was not yet thirty at the time.

Helaena is not a dreamer.

Aegon the Usurper is not a depressed boy who was disliked by his parents.

Mysaria and Daemon had a child together who died before he was born.

Criston did not have sex with Rhaenyra or Alicent.

Laena was twenty-two years old when she married Daemon.

In order to become a dragon rider you need to have Valyrian blood in your veins.

Whether Daemon cheated on Rhaenyra or not, he never tried to usurp her or scheme behind her back.

Killing Luke and killing Jaehaerys were not misunderstandings or accidents.

When the war began, the people of the Riverlands immediately supported Rhaenyra, except for the Tully and Brackens. But the Tully were initially neutral, and then supported Rhaenyra, and the Brackens were looking for a reason to fight the Blackwoods.

Corlys eldest illegitimate son is Addam, not Alyn.

Vaemond is Corlys nephew, not his brother.

Rhaena Targaryen's dragon is the Morning, not the Sheepstealer.

Alys charms had no effect on Daemon.

Rhaenys Targaryen has black hair. Rhaenys was not present at the coronation of the Usurper, and she was the one who proposed to attack the capital with all the dragons that the Blacks have.

Daemon really killed Laenor.

After his wedding to Rhaenyra, Laenor lived almost all time in Driftmark.

Daenerys's dragon eggs were laid by Dreamfire, not Syrax.

The marriage of Laenor and Rhaenyra lasted six years, and Rhaenyra and Daemon ten years.

Daemon didn't kill Rhea.

Rhaenyra was never cheated on Daemon.

And as a special aside, Jaehaera Targaryen died before she was ten years old. She and Aegon III have no children together. And Daenerys Targaryen is not a descendant of Aegon III, but his younger brother Viserys II. I'm writing this because at least forty green fans of the show wrote to me who were smart enough to Google that the war would end with the marriage of Aegon and Jaehaera, but not smart enough to Google what would happen after.

[darklinaforever]

Me waiting for Aemond to be recognized as Kinslayer in HOTD :

[meredith511]

So, still no show/flim about Mary? Okay.

[thediamondarcher]

Mary I being called "bloody Mary" to this day while she's literally the monarch who executed the least amount of people of the whole dynasty will never fail to make me angry

[meredith511]

The writers words in the behind the scene interviews are meaningless, I don't know why they keep talking when it gives the vibe they don't know a shit about THEIR OWN WRITING, let alone the source material.

They said they toned down B&C because the book is propaganda against Rhaenyra. So, apparently, they know the book was written with biased perspectives, huh. But what's the point of this interview when they brushed off the very reason why it happened? The reason, you know, was the revenge for a son. 'A son for a son' got no meaning whatsoever in the show. It became a pitiful excuse why they didn't kill the girl.

If they really wanted to tone it down, there is a simpler way, bringing up Luke's death whenever someone blamed it. But instead, all they could do is "it was supposed to be Aemond." ?????? Was that the best they could??

And tbh what's 'tone down' exactly, when even the blacks held B&C aganist Daemon, which was never happened in the book(propaganda, you say?), erasing AGAIN the fact that it was the retaliation for Luke.

And, and. They have Rhaenyra sneak into KL to meet Alicent. I can't even laugh. I get that she doesn't want to lose her remaining children to the war, so she seeks out a peaceful solution, I get that. But...then they shouldn't have said that she and Daemon are the same or whatever.

Read👏 your👏 own👏scripts, ffs.

[meredith511]

There was one thing that bugged me during S1 about Alicent : Why she didn't prepare her son for future kingship. I'm like, she should've spent her time on Aegon, not wasting her time on side-eyeing towards Rhaenyra when it didn't work. Shouldn't she make Aegon worthy to Viserys's eyes? Or people's eyes? So he could actually have some chance?

Then, now I can see why she or Otto didn't even try or ever think about it. Aegon is always meant to be a puppet for his mother or his grandfather. They didn't want to teach him because he wouldn't be the one who rules in their plans. But things are so out of the control, and they are shocked with the results, which is the top of the moment 😂 but I also kinda still want the book!Alicent to show up, who actually controls her son. I mean, the green's incompetent and stupidity is comical AND frustrating to watch. One of them must be mastermind and charge of the war if the dance would go on. Don't tell me that's Larys or Crispin.

[marytudorqueenofengland]

Mary I of England & Philip II of Spain in a procession, London, 1554. (19th century, Wood engraving)

[meredith511]

It's really funny that the writers is trying so hard to promote the greens, shamelessly stealing the blacks traits, giving the greens more screen time and lines, boldly thinkinkg that they could do what the books couldn't but it's not convincing at all.

Even the greens can't stand each other 😂.

Let's see. Aemond is... I don't know. He's just a side wheel for Vhagar so far to me. He's acting big and mighty, but I can't take him seriously. I have to deal with those kinds of attitudes with my first grade students every day, thinking they are better than others because they have a bigger toy than others.

And Aegon, well, Aegon. The writers put hard work for him, seemingly a good father and decent guy, or...is he? Well, I have so much to say about his lovING FAtheR moments, but that's not the problem here, so let's say he's a good father, whatever. but all doesn't matter because he was not born yesterday, and he was perfectly fine with a child fighting two episodes ago, and a child murder an episode ago. It's double standard. And they want me to feel sorry for him for losing his son? I'm only sorry for Helaena, especially as she spoke her fear outloud and got ignored.

and then the writers know it's not enough to give them their fanfiction charaterization, so they have to trash Daemon because that's easy. I don't think the writers have some hatred to Daemon. I think it's just easy for them. 'Oh! grey character? so convenient to make him fishy and guilty for everything.' But every word he said was right, tho?

Honestly, he at least had a gut to tell the truth and admit it was not okay to kill the child. The greens? Nobody(except Alicent) fucking cared Aemond killed the child or the fact that he got rewards for it(a small council seat)

I just want the writers to make their minds up. Their inconsistance is driving me crazy, and it makes the show boring af.

[natequarter]

the margaret beaufort effect: when an extreme and unusual case is taken as exemplary of The Horrors Of Medieval Society (whatever that is...) by the general populace

[natequarter]

anne boleyn syndrome: when people feel the need to project modern morals and values onto someone who lived centuries ago (or more) to "justify" being interested in them, usually at the detriment of their contemporaries. every film/show claims to show their story as it's never been told before.

[natequarter]

the katherine howard problem: when authors are incapable of writing about women, particularly teenagers and young adults, without either sexualising them, infantilising them, or both at once

[meredith511]

I have been waiting for bridgerton books to be on the screen for 10+ years. And certainly, it had its moments, but I got so disappointed and not so into for further seasons. Because I thought this show would be a fun, friendly and gentle romance peirod drama like good old BBC era. Instead, I got people living in the Regency era addressing 21st-century writers' statements.

Yes, the book has problematic elements, but what's wrong with it. Let it be problematic. It's 1800s. That's how it was. It's two centuries ago.

Most of all, I hate what they did to the characters. Bridgerton female leads in the books are different. They are not popular or desirable on the marriage market but live on with it, trying to find their own happiness and places in the society. They didn't whin constantly about why the world isn't for their liking. They found their ways to get it.

And the male characters. How they ruined almost every male lead is upsetting, brushing off their own traumas and issues like it's nothing. I can't believe what they did to Anthony while his book has a whole chapter for drawing his character, what kind of a man he has become from birth to his 20s.

It's so frustrating. Please, let period dramas BE period dramas.

[meredith511]

I know they want to make the greens as complex and deep something something, but their terrible writing only makes them a bunch of morons just like season 1, no worse than season 1.

I mean, your brother killed 13-14 years old, son of the black queen, grandson/heir of one of the most powerful families in the Kingdoms, and they happen to live nearby. His mother, his stepfather, his brothers, his step sister and his grandmother are all dragon riders, also you fail to get supports from majority of the great houses you need but the king is in high mood, being a funny guy enjoying himself and jokes around like it's so good to be a KiNg!!

Sure, they have Vhagar, but still They need to prepare the attack because it's a war. You'll never know what's happening next. And after hearing a child murdered unexpectedly where and when he shouldn't be harmed, you would want to protect your children with all costs and the largest dragon wouldn't be enough. But they just all...decide to enjoy sexual pleasure...?

And then a big fun loving father Aegon takes his anger on his father's building model, declaring the war. Wait, no. The war was already happening when he sat on the throne, they started the fire first. So, what did you expect? You gave the seat of the council to your brother who murdered the boy. You were totally fine with that murder but expect your enemies to play it by the book?

They can't be that stupid...

[meredith511]

The saddest and craziest thing is that..

Rhaenyra's only line of the first episode, 'I want Aemond Tagaryen', became Daemon's sole purpose of his life.

He literally dedicates himself for that mission during the entire dance.

He tried to get it in an easy way on this episode, hiring assassins (and I don't blame him for that. He has a wife and five kids alive. he wants to live.) but they failed it with horrible results ever, so he himself goes full on killing Aemond/Vhagar with his life.