Friendly Stardust

So, for those of you who do not know the final girls are a term I gave to Rhaena, Nettles, and Baela a while ago because they are the three girls who survive the Dance and seemingly live full lives.

There has been discourse and leaks as well as rumours that Nettles won't be involved this season (we knew this because she wasn't casted, the showrunner confirmed it) and her plot would be given to Rhaena.

I, for one, don't think that last part is true. The person who leaked that Rhaena would claim a dragon didn't say Sheepstealer (allegedly because the props used weren't labelled) and although I do think it is Sheepstealer the idea that she'd take Nettles role is unsure because they are just writing the next season.

Now I'm both delusional and reserving my right to freak out about that whole subplot unfolding because I adore them both and wanted Rhaena’s Vale arc to be prominent. I also will say that I understand the need to make sense of something that doesn't seem to. This isn't an attack on fans. So we are going with the former with this post.

I don't think Rhaena is taking Nettles' place, entirely at least.

I think she claims her dragon, but that could be the extent of it.

My counterarguements for certain fan plot point changes:

RHAENA.

1. Rhaenyra will get mad at Rhaena for leaving Viserys and Aegon to travel alone and will be resentful towards her, ordering killing later on.

No. The reason that works with Nettles is that she has no political stakes. She is a common girl on a dragon. Unlike Rhaena, who is a lady of the court and now a ward of Jeyne with her dragon. With all the animosity they are sowing, it's very unlikely and almost impossible for Rhaenyra to do that. That's kinslaying and breaking guestright. She'd lose the Riverlands, not just Maidenpool as Daemon is doing right now. Rhaenyra can't just call Rhaena a witch, you know. It's not that easy. Finally, to this point, I don't see why Rhaena would leave her brothers and the Vale since she just solved Jeyne Arryn's biggest problem right now. We could make the argument that she goes to help, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to leave the Vale without her huge dragon and for her to to go the Dragonstone even if she doesn't know about the Dragonseed plot.

2. She'll get the Romantic plot with Daemon.

I know this is a joke, but I need us collectively to put our thinking caps on.

3. Daemon will save her from Rhaenyra.

I love your enthusiasm and maybe on a show that focused on her at all, I'd believe it, but I don't think so. I don't think she's going to get that arc because there is no reason for it. I think Rhaena could stay in the Vale for the rest of her arc, but more than likely, if she gets Sheepstealer, he'll die in Battle. So I don't think she will. Specifically, I don't think so because they've added two other dragons that weren't flying in the book, Syrax and Moondancer. So I don't think she's very high up on the list of people who will fly with Daemon should the God's Eye play out the same way. It's a lesser point as well, but this ruins his arc in the book. Him saving Nettles was him taking the hard way out, letting her fly, betraying Rhaenyra, and killing Aemond and himself. Him doing the same to Rhaena wouldn't have that impact because she's his daughter and Valyrian. Nettles was a nobody of dubious parentage being ordered to be killed by his queen. Killing her wouldn't have cost him much.

4. Rhaena assumes the Nettles persona.

No. But this time it's because she doesn't need to. Rhaena is a Targaryen. She does not need to hide the fact that she claims a dragon. I can see the argument that she does it to fly with Daemon, but Nettles wasn't the reason Aemond didn't fight Daemon. It was the fact that he'd be up against 2 dragons. Lastly, it could be to sneak out of the Vale, but again, having a dragon negates the need to hide. She can fly away in the dead of night, and no Vale soldier would stop her because she has a huge dragon and could check on him casually. It would just be too ridiculous and reductive.

I think those are the immediate point for her. So moving on:

BAELA.

1. Baela take Nettles plot.

I think this does work in one context alone, which is for the Battle of the Gullet. Baela has both connections to Jace and Driftmark. If someone has to it would be her but I do still think a lot of the issues remain with the dact that Baela doesn't seem to have an attachment to Driftmark, nor does she seem like the type to cry after. For Jace probably, but it makes a lot more sense for her to become like Rhaenyra in the books after. She's hardened by it and puts on a brave face, but I can see it if they have too.

2. Baela flys to kill Aemond.

I don't think so, for one reason, Moondancer is really young. As young as Vermax in this case and because of that, I don't think she will. It's not a fair fight. They sent two large dragons in the book for Vhagar for a reason, so sending Moondancer seems improbable. Now she does have an emotional stake, but I do think her efforts would be better marked at Tumbleton than anywhere else or in King's Landing/ Dragonstone to fulfil her book arc.

Baela has less speculation so I will move on to:

NETTLES

Obviously, she's has the brunt of this. Her character isn't being reduced. They just haven't given her a designated actress and are giving her story points away to others allegedly. There is the argument that they are reserving a dragonrider to introduce with Daeron, that she'd claim another dragon, but it's all a lot of guesswork at this point.

If they include her, they'll have to change many aspects of her character. I can see them playing into the non Valyrian rumours as well as the witch ones to call back to now with Daemon's time with Alys, but again, this is speculation. If they do include her, and her narrative can go anywhere, So to not be entirely doomeristic, they can still include her by changing her dragon, introducing her with Daeron and keeping her plot relatively similar with a lot more magic to mirror Alys and Aemond with Daemon and her. Or even normally. And to the people saying the audiences would be confused by too many black people, just let me know when I lose you with this game of who are these characters (what side are they on)?

Round 1.

Round 2.

Round 3 (double feature)

I need you all to stop excusing racism. General audiences have been doing and will do just fine if they add another black character.

With that in mind, we shall see.

Lastly, Miscellaneous:

This is for other rumours and such that don't apply to these 3 girls but apply to Nettles most likely.

1. Addam/ Mysaria/ Alys are taking Nettles' place in Maidenpool.

This has to do with scars, chemistry and trying to make an unwritten narrative make sense.

For Mysaria's scar, she isn't the only character to have additional scars. Also, they seem to be keeping the book plot as Mistress of Whispers. I feel like they've added scars to everything, not just her. So this alone doesn't seem to be the case.

For Addam, I've not got the slightest clue but I think they are keeping his book plot as well for the most part.

And as for Alys, Aemond has to pay guys, I'm sorry, but he does. His goth girlfriend to reformed kinslayer arc might just be something to look forward to. She also seems to hate Daemon.

2. Dyana is taking Nettles' plot.

No.

3. Too many dragons.

I can see the argument that they are giving team black too many dragons and counter argument. They don't seem to care. Apparently, they can't adapt Rhaena and Baela without dragons, but they don't see how that makes them overpowered. By the end, like I've said, team black will have 2 dragons they didn't before. So, I don't see why we need to hold for realism at this point. Let them claim all the dragons.

4. They are white washing Rhaenyra.

I don't want to get into all of that, but Nettles doesn't exist to just make Rhaenyra look bad. She's her anthesis, her foil in the narrative. In a very similar way to Alicent last season, removing her removes Rhaenyra's character in the second half of the story. Whether they realise it or not, Rhaenyra's plot is dependent on Nettles.

5. Ulf or Daeron are getting her plot.

Ew and ew. That's just nasty and unfortunate. They already dragged Ulf from Dragonstone to King's Landing, I feel like that's enough. As for Daeron, I can see a world where he looks similar to Alicent, but I don't think she stepped out of her marriage once. Not that she couldn't, but she wouldn't.

Gawd, I miss women who weren't afraid to wield power and took their responsibilities seriously. House of the Dragon seems to confuse emotional incontinence and weakness with femininity, and I honestly want nothing to do with that worldview.

They kinda forgot about Laena's funeral scene where the Strong Boys took Aegon's eye.

They kinda forgot the Strong boys were making fun of Aemond.

Feminism occurs in both waves and theories. The writers and reviewers sight nothing but the name itself. Hotd isn't based in Marxist feminism or liberal feminism and I'm not entirely sure anyone who says it's feminist can tell me which wave it belongs to, what theory it is. This is a bigger issue with the trend of political critiques turning into buzz words and then depending on how the culture sees the word, into a marketing strategy to relate to the audience.

I know the hotd writers are guilty of this with the constant reference to American political figures and narratives when describing characters in such a concerning way.

I don't think that this is a problem with only this show but this show is falling short with audiences because what they deem as feminist rather than tying themselves to any definition outside of the cultural one and then applying their own perceptions of feminism into the narrative.

This leads to a lack of clear definition and a gross oversight, which in turn leads to a historically masculine space salivating over the failure of feminism and attempted intersectionalism as though it's the real thing.

House of the Dragon as it is written doesn't subscribe to feminism. What it does is have writers from the Imperialist West who are raised in an individualist society and the cultural influence of the waves of feminism recorded that they lived through and leaned towards based on personal experiences (sidenote I hate acting as though I know the writers personally, and can judge them as people, this is just a framework that can be applied to Americans.)

Yeah, sure, the brats who broke guest right and slashed your brother's eye and joined Aegon in his bullying of Aemond in childhood and you knew it from the start, because guess what, you're a dreamer, you knew everything way before it happened. But yeah Helaena, sure. If it were "Her sons were always kind TO ME" then I would have said nothing because it's all about her, but without it, nope, absolutely not.

But suddenly you didn't know your dimpshit mother's stupid plan would fail? Since the result would be the same, you could have very well stayed at the castle and you'd have been spared because at least you didn't flee. The "oh, apparently the women here are braver than the men" trope, you know? Although we all know that if it were up to Daemon he would respect your courage, but give you to the gold cloaks to be raped right after, and Jaehaera given as apprentice to Mysaria.

Men may not lobotomize women in real life anymore, but they sure do still lobotomize my dragon fictional characters.

But to conclude Rhaenyra's cutting Otto's head off scene - that's a really bad fucking look for her, if I was one of the ladies watching it I would nor trust neither belive in Rhaenyra as a queen to be xd

he beheaded vaemond because he was insulting rhaenyra, not her kids.

i mean he was def not happy about their deaths, but loved? he was mostly pissed that the dragonseeds abandoned their posts. he walked into rhaenyra's room and all he cared about was trying to convince her to fly to KL and claim the throne.

and as for luke? he was pissed about the greens gaining the upper hand.

make alicent be a victim

make alicent have a lot of sex scenes

make alicent have super hyper sexualized moments revolving just her

make alicent be a minor when she has sex with a grown old man king who is now supposedly her best friends dad

make alicent get kissed by aemond her own son who has such bad mommy issues he does weird shit at brothels

make alicent get nearly assaulted by some random man