Secrets within

Aegon did not want to be king. He begged, pleaded, literally kicked and screamed to be let go. He told them he wasn’t suited for the role. No one cared what he thought or felt. Aegon is in this position right now because he was forced to be. And now everyone is crying and shouting and berating and putting on their best surprised Pikachu faces 24/7 because the man who said he wasn’t suited for such a role is *gasp* not good at it. Considering the show seems to have forgone the very real fear Alicent had about her children being put to the sword should Rhaenyra come into power, I’d wager that if Aegon was given an out, he’d defer to Rhaenyra or even Aemond being ruler in an instant.

I cannot help but feel pity for Aegon, not just because of the awful position he’s been forced into in the narrative but also because of the extreme lack of empathy from the writers themselves and the way they make other characters speak to him. “You have no idea the sacrifices that were made to put you on that throne.” Excuse me, Alicent, but what? The throne he didn’t want? The throne he told you to give to literally anyone else but him? Your son’s child, your grandchild, has just been butchered, and you’re talking as if he should be grateful? “You might be half the king your father was.” Wuh - does this character have amnesia? You mean the piece of shit who ordered his first wife be gutted during childbirth in pursuit of a son, then subjected you to bearing child after child for him for years, and then when he got more than one son proceeded to neglect them? To the point that even one of those sons losing a literal eye failed to stir up any sort of paternal feelings or concern? That king?

Also, the missed opportunities with Aegon are quite frankly insane. For example, his relationship with some aspects of his Targaryenness could’ve been really compelling to watch if they had been properly fleshed out with the gravitas they deserve. Tom Glynn-Carney has stated that Aegon feels at odds with the expectations placed upon him by his family, which is symbolised by the way his Valyrian silver hair appears to have been hacked off at some point. He’s also not attracted to Helaena and doesn’t want to marry her, which suggests a distaste for the incestuous practices the Targaryens are known for. In other words, a totally normal reaction to being forced to wed one’s sibling. But I guess when a relationship like Rhaenyra and Daemon’s keeps being pushed as an epic love story, the guy who doesn’t want to bang his relatives is going to be perceived as the weird one.

Alas, all we get is the suggestion that Aegon’s a bad ruler because he’s a dumb drunk or because he’s a Hightower or because he’s the Villain to Rhaenyra’s Hero (remember: every morally corrupt act Rhaenyra was said to have committed is maester propoganda) because actually criticising what Targaryens as a whole stand for isn’t permitted because how else would they sell all those Funko Pops? Aegon’s not a 2 Cool 4 School Targaryen Chad so therefore he gets no grace from anyone or anywhere. It’s also a fact that the point of the Dance is that absolute monarchy and Targaryen supremacy is deeply messed up and the way the show is trying to push Rhaenyra as the rightful heir is such a fundamental misunderstanding of the source material that there is simply no way I can take this adaptation seriously anymore, sorry.

also, do not use the book as a defense; each and every character in f&b is a cardboard cut out— we do not know what went on in any of the character's heads. we know that aegon at least appreciated his brother enough to want to build a statue in his honor. we also know that aemond gladly took the crown after rook's rest and said "It looks better on me than it ever did on him." does not scream fully devoted brother to me, does it?

again, i'm not insinuating that they fully hate each other— some love and devotion is certainly there. but, as with so many characters, they do not know how to be good to each other; it's the quintessential tragedy of this family.