Just A Few Hard Pills To Swallow About The Westerosi Succession For Team Black Stans.

All right there has been some Discourse TM about George RR Martin because of that post he made going rogue on HOTD's writers (deleted a few hours later but archived) and I'm seeing some misinformed reactions by people who aren't in the publishing or entertainment industries so lemme clarify some things:

- Creators are not the ones with the power. Execs are. Even an author as big as George gets their opinions dismissed if the higher-ups don't want to listen.

- HBO has not listened to George's feedback and concerns for years. They do not have to, because once adaptation rights are signed away it is OUT of the author's hands. How do you think GOT Season 8 happened?

- George cannot just shut down production or refuse to let them make future seasons of any show inspired by his works because he doesn't like what they're doing. He can't break the contract willy-nilly either when HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS are at stake. I hope people keep that in mind before saying "oh why is he complaining while continuing to collect his royalty checks?" Well, if they're fucking up his stories he might as well get some money out of it.

- He's not complaining for complaining's sake. I hung out with him a few weeks ago and heard his full scope of opinions on HOTD and what he said in the post was VERY mild. Probably the least spicy storytelling critique he could've brought up. And I do believe this was on purpose and strategic. He's not going full scorched earth on HBO, but he's showing them that he COULD. He did this as a warning shot to get them to listen to him because clearly he saw some very upsetting plans for upcoming HOTD seasons. If he just wanted to complain there's way spicier shit he could've said.

- For those who think he's disrespecting the show's writers...How do you think he felt when they have dismissed his feedback in private and driven him to the point of risking legal action to make his point to them?

- Just because he didn't mention something in the post doesn't mean he approves of it or doesn't care, and the post should not be used to extrapolate his opinions on anything that's not related to what he specifically addressed. Again, what he said was VERY mild. Ultimately, what matters to him is logical storytelling and complex, morally gray characters.

- Lastly, I do not consider myself part of the HOTD or GOT fandoms. I'm a casual and defending him as a fellow author. Please do not involve me in any fandom drama. I do not know what's going on in there and I don't want to.

"Your beauty never ever scared me"

You tell me it's not about Aemond Targaryen? The scared insecure child that he is inside? The one who deems himself unworthy because he didn't get a dragon as fast as others? The one that a second something worked for him (claiming Vhagar) he lost an eye? Making him "ugly" and "scary looking"? Aemond whi covers his eye so they don't look at him with disgust? Insecurities turning into rage/hatred

And there is the Reader who loves him despite the anger and hurt he carries inside of him. Reader finds it beautiful.

“BUT ITS CANON!!!1!1”

A key word here. I'm sure you guys saw how they want to tell us that Rhaenyra is a queen. Like referring to her as Rhaenyra I Targaryen or the last episode name, the queen who ever was. And we have GRRM himself, the author of the book don't even referring to her as queen. He only refers to Helaena and Alicent as queen and Aegon as king. And he himself point out that Helaena is gentle and loved while Rhaenyra is not.

Aegon II literally issued an edict that Rhaenyra was a usurper and only a princess, only Helaena and Alicent are queens. Aegon III took over as Aegon II's heir, not Rhaenyra's heir. Neither he nor Viserys II purged that edict of their uncle. Nor did any other King. In fact, they adopted strictly agnatic succession laws. What more do they need to accept that even Rhaenyra's own sons, grandsons, great grandsons do not see her as the Queen.

In the excellent words of Stannis the Mannis,

“traitors have always paid with their lives . . . even Rhaenyra Targaryen. She was daughter to one king and mother to two more, yet she died a traitor’s death for trying to usurp her brother’s crown. It is law. Law, Davos. Not cruelty.”

Rhaenyra was never remembered as queen. Also not a single Targ kid was named after her because she was a traitor, pretender and usurper.

I'm not surprise the post is not there anymore. Because it's literally change the plot of this stupid show.

“All the men in the show don’t have to worry about where they put their hands because they’re constantly holding the pommel of their sword. That obviously sounds like innuendo and you can do with that what you will but that is true. And all the rest of us are going, “Where do we put our f—king hands?”

Anyway, next year one hand is going to be taken care of. That’s what I want. I want a sword and I’ve been really clear about that with Ryan and I think that’s happening.”

(posted by the westerosies account on twitter)

Apparently that's was Emma's request which tells me exactly how much bullshit the entire cast has been fed by these writers lol. And it's not even a valid reason?!? Like, you're changing the character even more than you already have just because an actor doesn't know where to...put their...hands??? I can hear the circus music playing🤡

God forbid you lean on a chair or twist your rings! I mean it's not that bad but a sword isn't something to just give a character out of no where. Like I could think of several things she could carry or play with instead, rings, necklaces, dagger, but not a sword when she isn't trained!

watching the leaks like:

"And...someone cut down the fucking ratcatchers."

It kind of make senses now why B&C was so tame. B&C reflects extremely poorly on Daemon & Rhaenyra by extension so they tried to diminish the atrocity of it all and make it as ambiguous as possible so they could move past it in the finale. Daemon realizes “he messed up” and Rhaenyra is allowed to “bring him back into the fold” without it being such a “big deal” add in Alicent’s humiliation where she begs forgiveness without mentioning her dead grandson and betraying even her brother and “kind” youngest unseen child and it all makes sense.

For contrast Aemond’s atrocious action against Lucerys isn’t explored beyond “Aemond regretting it” but then is very much built on by the narrative as he goes on to attempt to kill his brother, physically assault his sister, diminish his mother, and burn a village of innocents. Helaena Targaryen who previously had very little understanding of her dragon dreams blatantly tells her brother without remorse how he will die and then appears to the man who had her son and daughter brutalized (Daemon)in a vision to assist him.

She blames me for starting this war after she plotted with my father's council to usurp his throne.

Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen in HOUSE OF THE DRAGON S02E01 | "A Son for a Son"