Assorted Rantings

Discussion of a topic up to the end of the Convergence arc (Episode 31)

So, like, a *lot* happened in this arc. But there's one scene in that I keep rolling around in my mind.

It's probably not the scene most people think of as the most fascinating, but for me, it's the one that I keep coming back to.

It's the scene of Primus and Yanessa talking after the big meeting of the Sundered Houses.

This string of episodes was possibly the most we've ever seen of Primus Tachonis - Most of it, he's in the full-on "megalomaniacal evil mage" mode that we'd expect. The ambitious "We are the rightful rulers of the world" flavour during the meeting. The "patience-has-run-out, it's murder time" mode during his little chats with Hannan, Trimus, and Wick, and, assuming everything is as it seems in Kattigan's flashback, an "even-more-unhinged gleefully-grinning murderous maniac" mode.

Add to that, the previous interactions we've seen and heard with him - Murray at the Penteveral, Occtis' recounting of his childhood, etc., where Primus very much feels like he's putting in an effort to come across as a cold, callous hardass, but ultimately a reasonable figure that people can work with. Like, he's a severe, arrogant asshole that nobody likes, even in that persona, but it's more akin to Tywin Lannister or Roose Bolton in Game of Thrones than, say, Sauron or Darth Vader.

So, what absolutely threw me for a loop was his chat with Yanessa, where he comes across almost as an actor finally breaking character for a moment. His little "That could have gone worse" sigh of relief followed by the frustration of having to pay some sort of recompense to Houses Einfasen and Cormoray (None offered to Lady Yanessa and House Halovar, it should be noted. So, they seem to be in mutual agreement that it wasn't something that required compensation, in their views).

And like, he and Yanessa just... talk. Like humans. Like old friends, as true equals. Like, there's all kinds of dynamics at play here - Including that Yanessa is a generation older than Primus and that doesn't seem to factor into their relationship much.

And like, we've seen a few different facets to Yanessa already - Publicly, she's very similar to Deep Space Nine's Kai Winn - Half "wise, serene, radiant pope-like old woman"; Half "shrewd, scheming cutthroat political power-player". In private she's got more of a Ma Beagle (DuckTales)/Mama Fratelli (The Goonies) "Grandma Mob Boss" vibe to her. With a little bit of Olenna Tyrell's (Game of Thrones) wickedly funny snarkiness and ruthless "cut to the chase" mode of operating - Which is interesting to view from a side where we're not meant to view her favourably. Despite still being very villainous in that mode, she's far more of an actual human than an archetypal villain when she drops back to her Cockney-esque accent.

Primus meanwhile? We've never seen any indication that there was an actual human being in there somewhere.

So for him to just drop in to a relaxed register and an attitude that's clearly at-ease. Around Yanessa of all people - Someone who by many metrics, could potentially be his most serious threat to absolute power.

So, this all indicates to me that not only are Yanessa and Primus truly allied and aligned in vision, but the two of them are actually, legitimately friends. Their Houses, presumably are then fully-allied (though individual members probably are all working on their own schemes and have their own personal opinions on the other Houses as a whole and individual members).

Still though, the question I keep coming back to is: What the fuck are Yanessa and especially Primus actually up to? If they're not just stereotypical villains, and there is some depth/nuance to their villainy (and of course there is), then why be so over-the-top in their public personas? They could just be rich, magically-powered assholes and they'd basically be in the same positions. So why all the theatrics?