There needs to be more empathy and understanding when it comes to Rhaenyra, especially in Season 3.
My girl has been suffering since the very beginning of her Queenship:
She couldn’t bury her father
Her throne was usurped
The daughter she’d been longing for 16 years died in a horrific miscarriage caused by the stress of losing her father and throne
Her beloved Luke was killed
Then the icing on the cake: she loses Jace
So please tell me, how would your mental health be after such immense trauma?
I’m sorry Rhaenyra is not an emotionless “girl boss”.
I’m sorry she won’t be showing mercy to the faction that murdered her heir and rock.
I’m sorry she wasn’t the perfect ruler after losing THREE children and not knowing what happened to her youngest.
I’m sorry George RR Martin wrote a realistic and human woman who was suffering from severe depression whilst trying to rule a destabilised nation.
Perhaps if Rhaenyra was able to ascend peacefully with Jace, Luke and Visenya by her side she would’ve been a better ruler. But we will never get to see this Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen and that is the tragedy of her character.
