zajaz

I'm actually a bit interested in the Harlan / Harlen spelling, since it's quite curious that the latter form remains consistent through all the appendixes of the main five books, while -if I recall correctly- the Harlan spelling only appears in TWoIaF and F&B. Could this be another case of Myriah / Mariah Martell?

I just remembered that these two were born almost a year apart, and that got me wondering how much things would have changed if they had married and had kids. Obviously, if they had at least one daughter, then Rhaegar would (probably) have married her... but what if they only had sons much like in canon (Steffon had three, while Genna has four)? Would things really be that much different, then?

I know this is an unlikely scenario, but I was just wondering about this. Let us say that shortly after the taking the throne, Jon Arryn (somehow) convinced Robert and Stannis that marrying, say, Mace's sister, Janna (assuming she was the right age and available), or one of Leyton Hightower's daughters, would help keep the Tyrells in check. Now, I know Robert or Stannis considering this, let alone acepting it, is far-fetched, but assuming they did (even if quite grudgingly), how much would Stannis having a wife from House Tyrell (Mina was already married, but I'm not so sure about Janna), or House Hightower (I think Denyse, Leyla, or Alysanne could be right age, considering Malora and Alerie are too old, and Lynesse is just a tiny bit young) change the course of the story?

Don't worry, mate; soon enough (hopefully) everyone will remember the names of "the Shepard", "Hobb the Hewer", "the Burning Knight", among others.

Personally, I'm kinda hoping for the storming of the dragonpit (nonsensical as it was in F&B). I never really understood why people seem to love these huge fire-breathing chickens the way they do. It's like they value the lives of these animals way more then the lives of the many peasants and people they burned alive.

Could be. Maybe part anger for being kept in the dark, and part anger for focusing so much on prophecies when there is a war ready to explode.

That was according to Mushroom, wasn't it? The same source that claim that Rhaenyra had Alicent and Helaena sold to a brothel? If she ends up not doing that in the show, the Green stans would claim that Rhaenyra was whitewashed.

Almost being the key word, of course. I took it as Daemon is just a dangerous asshole that does not like being told something that goes against what he (thinks) knows is true. From his point of view, all the talk about dreams and signs is just bogus. Real power comes from taking action. Suggesting the opposite triggers him... so he had to gently caress his silly wife to remind her of that fact.

It's... it's okay, I guess, mate. We all have our blind spots. I confess I never even thought Rhaenys was mass murderer, but... time proved me wrong.

Really? Only starting?

Alicent is also being softened, I feel. And is it really usurpation if she honestly belives that she is doing what (she thought) Viserys wanted? From her point of view, Alicent is fighting for both her son, and her husband last wishes.

I don't think they even needed to explain it. It seemed quite clear to me that Aemond was just a bully with a gun... but he never actually wanted to pull the trigger. Sadly, said trigger is able to think for herself, it seems. That being said, that still makes Aemond responsable for Luke's death, but on a lesser scale than his book self was (assuming, of course, that Book Aemond didn't also kille Luke by accident).

It's weird, actually. For some writers, if the woman is not a cold, emotionless, rude badass, she is not strong enough. But, at the same time, those same writers are afraid of making women beings that can be as cruel and vicious as the worst of men.

As much of a monster (Book) Aemond was, he was right about one thing, at least: Daemon lived far too long.

Still weird that no one remembers a giant freaking dragon killing or maiming like a hundred people the day Aegon was crowned, tho. Or that Alicent was actually around Rhaenyra's age, instead of a decade older, like most maesters claimed. Or that Viserys actually died because he turned into the cryptkeeper, and not because he got obese.

Couldn't it be budget issues, tho? As much as I dislike what D&D did, I found the Wall and the Lands Beyond the Wall to be quite beautiful, back in GoT.

I also like how people are claiming that Daemon just now has been turned into a more evil character than his book self. Really? Choking Rhaenyra is where you draw the line? Not bashing his first wife's head with a rock just so he could be free to marry Rhaenyra? Or virtually ignoring his daughter just because she did not have a dragon? Or killing an innocent dude in order to let Laenor flee Westeros? Like it or not, (Show) Daemon is a piece of shit.

I've heard many people claim that F&B is somewaht biased in favour of the Greens. If that's the case, though, I'd hate to see a Pro-Black version of F&B, because... yikes.

Then why was he yelling for Vhagar to stop, mate? I think it's safe to assume that, like it or not, (Show) Greens (except maybe Aegon) are less evil that their book selves.

It's sad and pathetic that people get harassed for just doing their work... but, on the other hand, awful as it is for the one actually experiencing it, being the cause of Daemyra (cringe name) stans salty tears is a mark of honor, IMO.

Seeing DxR stans being salty brings me life, not going to lie. Imagine if the show choose to make Nettles Daemon's "true love". That will be a glorious day, I swear.

A few things I will say: Whitewashing is a helluva drug. Some Black stans are salty as hell because (Show) Greens are not puppy-kicking villains. DaemonxRhaenyra stans in shambles during the choking scene. According to some people, you can’t be angry with some of the changes the show has made because F&B was written by unreliable sources.

Trying to change the topic somewhat, I do believe @The Bard of Banefort was onto something mentioning a possible Alicent-Cole-Larys kinda affair? The way Cole said "I will not fail you" to Alicent with that look in his eyes was an interesting choice by the writers (or the director, in this case), I thought. *Shurgs*. I just hope they don't turn this into a soap-opera (then again, HotD already is, so...).

The issue that I have with it is that those (except maybe Bran's case) are all things that happened to a huge amount of men in a span as short as a single month back in the Middle Ages. Stabbing a somewhat unpopular leader? Foreign condottieri maiming an enemy knight? A nobleborn man being injured in battle? Those thing happened in an almost weekly basis during the more violent years of the period. Killing a noblewoman (akin to a Duchess) and then stripping her naked and throwing her corpse into a river? That shit would have been condemned by almost everyone (particularly the Chruch), I feel. Who knows maybe Westerosi are more progressive than we thought? Maybe thay have decided: "If male highborn can be tortured and mutilated, why can't the noblewomen ? It's quite sexist to spare them just because they are the gentle sex".

Also speaking of GRRM''s feminist POV, he sure sometimes is way crueler to the female highborn population that real life was for shock value, I feel. Consider Catelyn's case. What they did to her during the Red Wedding (and to her corpse after it) is something that would have had the real life Chruch excommunating Freys left and right for all eternity. Even Margaret of Anjou (who I'm sure the Yorkist hated with a passion of a thousand suns) was allowed to live under custody (and later ransomed back to France), despite her being (arguably) the real leader of the Lancastrian cause for over ten years. Hurting highborn women (enemies or not) was a big no-no in the Middle Ages.