Examining grasshoppers

Em, 30+, I like pretty gifs, minors DNI. Current AKOTSK lover, asoiaf

[war-crime-wizard]

my blog is a safe space for me. the rest of you are in danger i think

[contemptible-scoundrel]

"impenetrably armored" knights when you pull out the pot of boiling oil

[vandrawsing]

uneasy post-trial brunch.

[quiddling]

they'll never make me hate you modern uni au

[rosieofcorona]

hammer time (in honor of the finale)

wip

[bewbin]

dude honestly shout out to my guards i told them to seize this guy and before i could even finish my sentence they soze him. My goats

[airotabee]

[sharkiegorath]

Babylon: Finn Kirkwood = problematic fave

“I don’t think he’s evil at all, I think he’s a really good guy and misunderstood! He’s also a bit of an arsehole with all kinds of unattractive traits.” - Bertie Carvel, on Finn

[jays-asoiaf-reblogs-and-archive]

Art by Ackerbangbang

[coretta-chlorine]

the entire character list of aktosk is just tall men (and tanselle). then there's some bald nine yr old whose seen The Horrors™ 

[cestpasfaux24601]

Bertie Carvel as Baelor Targaryen A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms 1.04

[hammersanvil]

Egg is really Maekar's biggest glazer😭

[pygmyharmoset]

Watching Bridgerton for the vibes and giggling to myself cuz Bertie Carvel and Sam Spruell ended up being the diamonds of the AKOTSK season.

Like good job and well played to all our other debutantes, you made it so memorable too (Peter, Finn, Shaun, Daniel, Tanzyn my Shayla you get a special mention), but lol. The grip these two old men have on the public is insane. Cackling like Queen Charlotte as I’m QUITE pleased.

[zombie-bait]

Deeply captivated and haunted by the fact that every bad thing that happens in AKOTSK is a result of chance and unfortunate circumstance. Baelor would still be alive if Daeron hadn't run off with Egg, if Dunk hadn't eaten in that tavern, if Egg hadn't followed him, if Aerion hadn't chosen to invoke the trial of seven. None of these were calculated choices, they were whims that coincided in a good man's untimely death. And yet, like Dunk says in the last episode, what is a prince's life worth, exactly? Who's to say that a Dunk who'd never met Egg deserved to die or be maimed in a random tourney match just so a prince might live?

I love that the show spends time asking these questions and almost settles on the conclusion that it doesn't actually matter. Deciding whether Maekar or Dunk are truly to blame will not bring Baelor back. And though Dunk feels great regret, he cannot be expected to waste the life he was given wishing he were dead instead. When Maekar reacts to Dunk's words by saying that the kingdom has hundreds of knights (as opposed to a handful of princes and only one Baelor), the show does a wonderful job of demonstrating the primary difference in their worldviews. Maekar believes that knights (and people) exist to protect the nobility. They are bodies to be thrown onto the pyre so that the Targaryens can remain in power. Dunk believes that knights exist to help people. And though the nobles are included in that, they cannot come before everyone else. So he must live. Because if he doesn't protect the people, then who will?

[rise-my-angel]

I like the subtle role education plays in akotsk, and what a real disadvantage the smallfolk are at for not having access to it.

Dunk is so uneducated that he can't actually pick up on just how educated Egg is. Which leads to Daeron being able to claim Dunk kidnapped Egg, because Dunk doesn't have the education to pick up that Egg might be someone of importance who isn't allowed to be running around with a stranger.

Aerion has combat education, which gives him a massive advantage over Dunk in their fight. To the point where the only reason Dunk could win, is because he was so abnormally large and strong in comparison. He nearly loses because Aerions skill in fighting is a clear indicator hes been educated to fight his entire life and is a genuine force to be reckoned with.

Dunk has other strengths, but its clear the nobility are highly educated in multiple matters which put Dunk at a severe disadvantage in near every situation when he has to interact with high borns and nobility.

It isn't eithers fault for being educated or uneducated, but its just interesting to see from Dunks uneducated perspective, just how hard it is to come out on top when you lack it.

[pygmyharmoset]

To add to it, there’s also Dunk’s unawareness of trial by combat - Baelor has to tell him to ask for one, so that he has some sort of chance against Aerion, otherwise Dunk would have just had to get a hand and leg chopped off. And Baelor knows this because he’s educated, and is familiar with Westerosi law.

[youleavethetardisbrakeson]

I can't get over the 👨‍🍳😘🤌 chef's kiss of Oscar Morgan as Valarr. Truly his father's Mini Me. The hair. The shared heterochromia. He even SPEAKS like Baelor.

[incorrect-gotverse]

Keeping Up With The Targaryens: Episode 1 (The Family Arrives At Ashford)

House Targaryen makes its way to an otherwise unremarkable region, and the boys have some thoughts on the matter.