Daenerys - Books vs Show - Sexism and Bad Writing in the show
I wanted to write an in-depth analysis of Dany in the books vs Dany in the show. People usually talk about how the show removed much of Dany’s softness and humor, but I think it goes beyond that. The show has blackwashed Dany and made her more violent and impulsive. The show has also taken away Dany’s agency and cunning, and given it to the male characters around her. In my opinion, the writing of the show has been very bad and sexist, and I believe that these problems started very early in the show, not just in the later seasons.
In this essay, I won’t talk about every change in Dany’s storyline, like the problems with the depiction of the Dothraki culture, the racism in the show or certain changes like how Ser Barristan was supposed to be alive and rule Meereen when Dany is gone. I think all of these changes are worth discussing, but here, I want to focus on the problems with Dany’s characterization.
This season is the best season in terms of the adaptation of Dany’s character. They show Dany overcoming her brother’s abuse, make it very clear that Drogo raped her and show Dany overcoming that as well, show her getting stronger, adapting to Dothraki culture and becoming a leader in her own right. But there are already some problems.
1) In the books, we have a moment in which Dany orders the khalasar to stay behind, and Viserys becomes outraged that she dared to give orders to him. This also happens in the show, but the outcome is different. In the books, Dany pushes Viserys and orders his horse to be taken away. This is an important moment for a couple of reasons. One, because this is the first time Dany defies Viserys. Two, because it shows Dany growing as a leader. She knows that a man that doesn’t ride is looked down on by the Dothraki, so she takes his horse to humiliate him, and at the same time, the Dothraki grow to respect her more. So this is an important moment that shows Dany using her understanding of Dothraki culture and her wits for political purposes. But in the show, it’s Rakharo that takes Viserys horse.
2) Another change in the first season are Dany’s final scenes. In the books, Dany gives Aggo, Jhogo and Rakharo a bow, a whip and an arakh, and asks them to be her bloodriders. This is important because it shows Dany’s defiance of the patriarchy, because only a khal can lead the Dothraki and name bloodriders, but the show cuts this scene. They also changed Dany’s last speech to the Dothraki. In the show, this is what she says:
You will be my khalasar. I see the faces of slaves. I free you. Take off your collars. Go if you wish, no one will stop you. But if you stay it will be as brothers and sisters, as husbands and wives. […] I am Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen of the Blood of Old Valyria. I am the Dragon’s daughter. And I swear to you that those who would harm you will die screaming. – Daenerys, 1x10
Meanwhile, in the books, Dany never says that their enemies would die screaming in her speech. She says this is an earlier scene, in which, she swears revenge for a girl that Mago had raped and murdered:
She lifted her head. “And I am Daenerys Stormborn, Daenerys of House Targaryen, of the blood of Aegon the Conqueror and Maegor the Cruel and old Valyria before them. I am the dragon’s daughter, and I swear to you, these men will die screaming. Now bring me to Khal Drogo.” – Daenerys IX AGOT
But in her speech, Dany never says that:
“You will be my khalasar,” she told them. “I see the faces of slaves. I free you. Take off your collars. Go if you wish, no one shall harm you. If you stay, it will be as brothers and sisters, husbands and wives.” The black eyes watched her, wary, expressionless. “I see the children, women, the wrinkled faces of the aged. I was a child yesterday. Today I am a woman. Tomorrow I will be old. To each of you I say, give me your hands and your hearts, and there will always be a place for you.” – Daenerys X AGOT
If I’m going to be honest, I don’t truly mind these changes in season 1. I still think they made a very good job with Dany’s adaptation this season. But I think these changes already give us hints of what will happen to Dany’s character in the following seasons. Not showing Dany taking Viserys horse and not showing her asking Aggo, Jhogo and Rakharo to be her bloodriders are changes that I wouldn’t mind in isolation. In the case of Rakharo taking Viserys’ horse, it’s actually a good change to give Dothraki characters more characterization than they have in the book (but it’s all for nothing, because the show kills them off for no reason in season 2). But they are the beginning of the tendency that the show has of stripping Dany of her agency and giving her actions to the male characters around her. And I understand the motivation of merging Dany’s two speeches into one, to cut screentime. This is another change that I wouldn’t mind, but this change already hinted that they would transform Dany’s character into a more violent character than she is in the books.
This season, the problems really begin, and the blackwashing and sexism begin in full force.
1) The first scene is one when they are crossing the desert. In the books, Dany thinks:
They are not strong, she told herself, so I must be their strength. I must show no fear, no weakness, no doubt. However frightened my heart, when they look upon my face they must see only Drogo’s queen. She felt older than her fourteen years. If ever she had truly been a girl, that time was done. – Daenerys I ACOK
But in the show, what do we get? Dany is slouching and looking frightened, and Jorah is the one that needs to remind her that she needs to be her people’s strength To make it even worse, Dany tells Jorah that he is her strength:
Jorah: They are too weak to fight, as are your people. You must be their strength.
Dany: As you are mine. (2x01)
They completely erase Dany’s strength and leadership in this moment, and give it to a male character.
2) When she gets to Qarth, once again, we see them starting to handle Dany’s character as someone whose only ability is to scream at people. In the books, Dany is received in Qarth because people are curious about her dragons. But in the show, in order to create unnecessary drama, they have the Qartheen refuse Dany’s entrance, and she shouts:
Thirteen! When my dragons are grown, we will take back what was stolen from me and destroy those who have wronged me. We will lay waste to armies and burn cities to the ground. Turn us away and we will burn you first. - Daenerys, 2x04
This is a far cry from what book Daenerys is actually thinking when she’s in Qarth:
Dany had no wish to reduce King’s Landing to a blackened ruin full of unquiet ghosts. She had supped enough on tears. I want to make my kingdom beautiful, to fill it with fat men and pretty maids and laughing children. I want my people to smile when they see me ride by, the way Viserys said they smiled for my father.
But before she could do that she must conquer. – Daenerys II ACOK
She’s definitely not thinking about burning cities to the ground. I understand that show Dany needs to enter the city or else she and her people will die. So I don’t think there’s anything wrong with show Dany resorting to threats in this scene. But this scene is just another step in distancing show Dany and book Dany, and making show Dany more violent.
