#hotd rant

Dynastic incest has rules, taboos and political logic. It is about bloodline, succession, power and exceptionalism, not about turning every family relationship into a sexual possibility.

The Targaryens marrying siblings, uncles, nieces, cousins, etc. does not automatically mean parent and child incest is a normal or obvious extension of that system.

Even historically inbred dynasties (for the peace of the Habsburgs) still had rules, religious and legal limits, dispensations and boundaries. Endogamy does not mean "family free-for-all".

So no, "the Targaryens are incestuous" is not a magic argument that makes every possible taboo equally coherent.

And "this character is disturbed" is not a magic argument either.

A character having trauma, unhealthy attachments, poor boundaries or a damaged idea of affection does not mean every extreme sexualized interpretation suddenly becomes inevitable or well-written.

Unhealthy attachment is not automatically sexual attraction. Trauma is not automatically fetish. Parental issues are not automatically sexual desire toward a parent.

You can see the dysfunction without accepting the idea that this was the natural, inevitable or well-written conclusion.

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

Lucerys being gentle with Aemond. He is forgiving. He is empathetic. He blames Aemond for nothing. He sees and appreciates all the sacrifices that Aemond has made for his family. He validates Aemond in a way that no one else has. And for a bit, Aemond feels so much better about literally everything.

And Aemond's heart and mind shatter because, if just anything had been different, THIS is the Lucerys he could have had in his life.

Let's start with one of my favorites. The Strong boys being bastards.

TB screams about how we shouldn't hate on bastards in the show or in real life. That they had no choice in that aspect of their life. Which is fair and true but they then turn around and yell at ANYONE who points out the Strong boys are infact bastards. God forbid you do what you preach?

Tbs hate Otto because he schemes and wanted his blood on the throne. But they love Corlys even though he did the exact same thing...multiple times. Both used their daughters in hopes the King would have a son with her and that son would sit the throne. Corlys failed so he turned to Rhaenyra and in the end had to pray Jace didn't fuck him over. Both are schemers, both put their daughter out there to be Queen. They did the same thing but since Corlys sided with Rhaenyra now this is swept under the rug.

Calling Criston a Pedo for sleeping with Rhaenyra even though he told her NO multiple times, all while going heart eyes for the Daemyra brothel scene...yeah, explain that to me without seeming racist or like you have double standards.

Yet again something to do with Criston vs Daemyra. TBs especially Daemyra fans LOVED the scene of Daemon and her on Driftmark the night of Daemons WIFE'S funeral. Yes funeral! But they hate Alicent and Criston for having a sexual relationship AFTER Viserys was long dead. They also love to say Rhaenyra is showing progressiveness by sleeping with Harwin, all while hating Alicent for even thinking about sex.

Daemon kills a four year old boy? Oh thats fine a son for a son is fair. But Aemond wanting to take Lucs eye after all these years? Now that's psychotic behavior.

Rhaenyra not giving a flying fuck her brother lost his eye and infant asking for him to be sharply questioned, which meant tortured (and yes it did you can literally look up a quote of Maegor stating little Prince Viserys be sharply questioned before the nine year old boy is tortured) is all good. But Alicent watching as her husband doesn't give a fuck their son lost a eye, but carefree over a insult and then demand for Lucs eye in a EMOTIONAL AND DESPERATE STATE, is wrong?

Rhaenyra wanting to kill Aemond after Lucs death is warranted. But Aegon wanting Rhaenyra dead after Baby Jaehaerys died isn't supposedly?

Sunfyre: basically inexistent until it was time to put it down and be left *long in the dying"

Dreamfyre: does this dragon even exist in hotd?

Tessarion: conveniently made too small to be of any use when it's not supposed to be like that, and cherry on top, make his rider look like a Hightower, because that totally makes Alicent an hypocrite for whining about the Velaryon boys (who let's repeat, look like NEITHER of their parents or supposed relatives).

I'm not one of those people who's inherently upset with, say, the rhaenicent storyline (because, let's face it, they've portrayed it as a huge, undeniably canon thing, whether as a couple or simply doomed childhood friends), even as someone who is not fond of the ship. The problem, though, to me, comes with the fact that they decided to make the show about this conflict, rather than the Dance of Dragons itself, and I'd go as far as to say it is not very well written in that regard, especially in season two, for which their inherent bias towards Rhaenyra seems to be the culprit as it has come to affect the story in an irreversible (or at least very stupid) manner.

With the right writing and attention to detail, I think this could've been a genuinely compelling dynamic, instead of the bland, bitter tasting mess we got. That, of course, would require that these two be written alongside the conflict between Rhaenyra and Aegon, the man who is (supposed to be) her actual opposer.

Both the show itself alongside the advertising frame Rhaenyra vs Alicent as the main conflict, and for what? There's a world in which it could be debatable, I guess; for example, if Alicent were shown to despise Rhaenyra and purposefully usurp her throne through Aegon, but the writing fails even at that. It just doesn't make any sense, and only serves to further sideline Aegon and frame him as an incompetent ruler who poses no threat to Rhaenyra (and yet she still manages to lose so frequently?), as they've been doing for these past years.

Do you see how Alicent is so dissatisfied in the scenes during the Green Council meeting in episode 9? How utterly surprised and somewhat disappointed?

It's not because she falls from cloud nine to discover the possibility of Aegon becoming king when she learns about the lords' "long-laid plans" from Tyland Lannister. She knew that it would make sense for Aegon to inherit the throne for both the realm and the survival of her family, and basically gave us hints she realized this as early as the hunt scene in episode 3.

More specifically, she understands that she might have to put Aegon on the throne during the scene when a heavily drunk Viserys laments his fears of making a mistake in naming Rhaenyra his heir since he now has a son, and reveals to Alicent his prophetic vision of seeing his son with the conqueror's crown. Even if at that moment, Alicent reassures Viserys he made the right choice, you can see that the doubt lingers in her mind, and in seeing Rhaenyra return from the hunt covered in blood in absolute and ruthless callousness, Alicent recognizes the danger.

It is a wake-up call: in the end, she might have to choose her son over Rhaenyra.

And of course, we know that as Aegon was growing up, Alicent spent hours musing these doubts and even confronts him with them in episode 6: "You are the challenge, simply by living and breathing. You are the king's firstborn son and what they know, what everyone in the realm knows in their blood and in their bones, is that one day you will be our king."

So what explains her dismay during the Green Council meeting??

As I see it, the cause of Alicent's distress during the Green Council among other things is not that the lords planned a whole operation to crown Aegon as king, but that they did so behind her back, as if she is not fit to be included in these discussions, let alone be consulted for her own son's future and survival.

She rightly says: "Am I to understand that members of the small council have been planning secretly, to install my son without me?" and right after that comes the condescending reply: "My queen, there was no need to sully you with darkling schemes."

No sh!t.

Remember how betrayed and distraught Alicent felt went Aemond lost an eye and everyone dismissed her concerns as that of an overreacting and overbearing mother? The Green Council scene gives flashbacks to this.

Once again, Alicent's wishes, her wills, her thoughts, and her whole person as a mother, queen, advisor, and woman, are sidelined and minimized by members of her own council.

So this is why I think it makes sense that episode 9 is called "The Green Council" which contrasts the name given to a different council meeting in episode 10, namely, "The Black Queen." Because apparently, Rhaenyra owns her council meeting, even if she has to shut down Daemon to do so. But Alicent is not yet perceived as her own council's queen.