It’s been a weird day. I am caught between emotions of anger, sadness, and just weary resignation at this point. You might consider me a ‘blind’ Dany Stan, that’s your prerogative.
However, I am also a woman who is so very sick and tired of watching a character die tragically at the hands of writers unable to take the time to truly understand them. Lazy writing and the need to fuel the ‘shock value’ drives such negative and misunderstood narratives within the audience.
It stinks even more because DnD did not create Daenerys Targaryen, so why should they feel any real connection to her? And I find it hard to believe that GRRM is looking over his outlines (for a book he might never get to finish) and wondering if this was truly the ending he had foreseen for a family he’s madly in love with.
Even if Dany was never going to be on the throne, it would have been a fitting end for a Targaryen to sever the chain of monarchy her ancestors began. If by her going ‘mad’ ends up dividing Westeros into independent realms all over again, then so be it. They deserve to continue raging wars amongst themselves when she’s long gone (and burn to the ground like the dumpster fire its’ become).
There’s two episodes left. I shouldn’t be this dramatic. I should be hoping for some kind of ‘bittersweet’ resolution, right?
But honestly…what happy ending do we see in this? At least for Dany? Do we honestly see her being delighted at the end of all of this? She’s lost everyone she truly loved. Let that sink in for a moment. Except for Greyworm and Drogon, everyone who knew her from Essos – in the beginning – is gone. Viserys. Jorah. Missandei. Ser Barristan Selmy. Viserion. Rhaegal. Gone.
And then the one man she thought she loved and was likely to show her some kind of happiness – Jon – is too busy wrapped up in trying to protect his other family (and his character assassination is a whole other topic altogether). Bottom line -
Daenerys Targaryen is alone.
How despairing is that? After all you’ve worked and struggled for…you’re back to square one… being alone.
Even though Jon is there. Even though the writers could have turned this into something positive with the revelation; that these two could co-rule, raise babies, and begin a new chapter for Westeros…nah, we can’t dare end this on a high note, can we?
Alas, their decision to take Dany down this path of darkness is nothing short of a great disservice to a character who has been shown to be a beacon in a world filled with ugliness.
The antis are ready to fling their arguments willingly:
“She’s been on this path from Day One. She’s too power hungry ™”
There are better writers out there who have written extensive metas about Dany’s ascension to power, and my job is not to sit here and write a dissertation as well. If you have watched the show or read the books, and still do not grasp the concept of how being a conqueror and ruler is not easy – especially for a girl of barely 23 (let’s go with the show, let alone the books where Dany is still in her fucking teens) – you need to do your homework. You wish to take over the most powerful position in the land…and you’re expected to be consistently ‘sweet’ and ‘nice’ and ‘perfect’? Even Margaery Tyrell – for all her wonderfulness – had a bit of Olenna’s cutthroat streak in her.
Newsflash! Being a leader means being cruel sometimes, my dears. Even your precious Jon Snow has that streak of cruelty in him (more pronounced in the books) and yet no one bats an eyelash at his decisions.
Which brings me to the utter misogynistic theme that runs through this show especially with Dany. Episode Four brought that to the forefront in such a painful way, I was literally in tears watching the Varys and Tyrion scene.
For two advisors who believed so much in Dany in earlier seasons – believing that she was the true ruler and would bring peace to Westeros – how does suddenly knowing about Jon’s heritage make her no longer a viable candidate? How in God’s name does it justify your decision to kill her? Because she’s not listening to advice…which brings me to another Anti argument –
“She never listens to advice. She just does things irrationally. She goes ballistic when things don’t go her way.”
Since Tyrion and Varys became her counsel, please tell me how many ‘victories’ she’s scored under their wonderful decisions? Since she arrived at Westeros:
- she listened to Tyrion tell her the great idea of taking over Casterly Rock. Hmm…how did that turn out?
- She listened to Tyrion (and Jon) tell her it wasn’t a good idea to go storming into KL. Ah yes, and then she went storming in there then, didn’t she?
- She trusted Tyrion enough when he was sure Cersei would offer troops to help them in the North…and that turned out great, didn’t it?
- Her one ‘flaw’ – which wasn’t even one – was roasting the Tarlys – a bunch of men who insulted her and did not want to take the options given to them. If Cersei had been in that position, what do you think she would have done? If Cersei had dragons, do you think she would have even given any of those soldiers a choice? But yeah, let’s call Dany a ‘mad woman’ because she made an example of those who wished to defy her. Something any other monarch would have done.
- And now the latest, where folks rag on her for not listening to Sansa suggesting the army rest. In case we weren’t watching the same episode, did Dany march straight into KL? Wasn’t she heading back to Dragonstone to rest and make plans?
- And then Tyrion and Varys advise her to parlay with Cersei, knowing damn well it will produce no results, and Dany did as they suggested!
So please, pray do tell me where she’s always been irrational and stubborn? Where has she gone so ballistic and insane that she was beyond approach? It’s like it’s a sin for Dany to show even the slightest bit of anger for anything unjustly done to her; that the very concept of a woman showing any sort of emotion other than sweetness and kindness is a stain on her character. I can guarantee that if any of you were in her shoes – taking off your anti-hateful-stance for a moment – would you still retain a sweet disposition? I thought so.
“She’ll never make a good ruler.”
Why? What are your legitimate reasons for that? Because of a stigma based on her father’s actions? The word ‘madness’ seems to be tossed around ever so often in this fandom and in turn completely loses its true meaning. ‘Madness’ in Aerys’s case was born from fear and paranoia – a mental condition that could even be closely attributed to Cersei at the moment. Dany’s ‘madness’ – which shouldn’t even have been a topic – comes from all the destruction, devastation, and loss she’s suffered. She’s in a state of mental shock and emotional lockdown at this point, and the one person she was sure she could rely on – Jon – is not exactly helping the cause.
Dany is not perfect. She is human. Something most of you tend to forget. And being human means making mistakes and learning from them. It’s what she spent all that time in Meereen doing, and though her hope of making change in Westeros now seems naïve, she was still willing to do the unthinkable; to brave the odds and fight for what was stripped from her family - something her male counterpart would have been praised endlessly for.
(P.S: With everyone jumping on Jon’s jockstrap praising his leadership skills over Dany, now that you know he’s a Targaryen, and his father was Rhaeger, who was Aerys (the Mad King’s) son as well…eh…does the ‘madness’ gene skip him and only go to Dany? Just asking for a friend)
“She was never welcome to Westeros.”
And that is something I will not argue with. She’s considered a foreigner, and will always be considered a foreigner no matter her good intentions (and false narrative since she was born in Dragonstone). However, when she’s lost half of her army, two dragons, going all the way to the North to show her allegiance to you…what more do you want from her? Honestly, what more do they need from her? For her to strip down naked and walk around with the words of ‘shame! Shame! Shame!’ bellowed behind her? What more does she have to prove to Westeros to show that she belongs to them? That she is actually one of them even if she was forced to exile as a baby? She’s seen the shithole Westeros had become and wanted to return to make a change. In the books, she might have ruled, but her simple thoughts would always return to living a peaceful life with a family. I wish the T.V. show had gone that route or at least shown those moments of quiet contemplation on what Dany truly wishes for her future.
So yes, I am hurt and deeply saddened by what I have seen so far. And if the leaks (I honestly hoped to avoid) are true…I mean…why??? GRRM created a wonderful character with Daenerys Targaryen, and to see her exquisite story (how she rose from the ashes…literally) desecrated to nothing more than a tragic figure dying all alone (possibly) is the absolute worst ending for such an icon in literature (and on screen).
I sincerely pray this spurs GRRM to finish his story, because even if Dany ends up the same way in the books, one can only hope her death is fitting and given a much better meaning.
