Let's talk about Danny for a second.
I'm going to be outnumbered on this thought, but I believe Danny's walk through fire is dumb and I'm over it.
I had to think about it for a second to realize why I was so annoyed by her plot thread. What it comes down to for me is that Danny would not be where she is without the ability to survive fire. That only skill does not make her a true leader.
Yes, I get it, that's her thing. Her brother dies in the first season by hot molten gold being poured over his head because in her words, he is not a true dragon. She is.
Cool, but ultimately, whatever.
I say this because in the complex world of GoT, where people have to scrape, claw, and dig their way to survival, Danny survives solely on magic. She would have been killed by the Dothraki if she hadn't survived fire in the village. Without that, she wouldn't have dragons. The dragons allow her to take Qarth. Nothing she does, no diplomacy, no battle, no nothing except the dragons allow her to do this. There is some diplomacy in Astapor by ransoming Drogon to buy the Unsullied, but what does this come down to? Drogon burning someone alive in the end. She does take Meereen through the Unsullied, but it is then pointed out that she has lost her hold on Astapor and Qarth because she can not rule.
Danny only survives the uprising in Meereen because Drogon flies her out of there. She is then recaptured by the Dothraki and takes over the Dothraki army by burning the leaders alive. She lives and becomes ruler of the vast Dothraki army because she survived yet again fire.
So, by her own estimation, she is an inefficient ruler.
I'm going to be outnumbered on this thought, but I believe Danny's walk through fire is dumb and I'm over it.
I had to think about it for a second to realize why I was so annoyed by her plot thread. What it comes down to for me is that Danny would not be where she is without the ability to survive fire. That only skill does not make her a true leader.
Yes, I get it, that's her thing. Her brother dies in the first season by hot molten gold being poured over his head because in her words, he is not a true dragon. She is.
Cool, but ultimately, whatever.
I say this because in the complex world of GoT, where people have to scrape, claw, and dig their way to survival, Danny survives solely on magic. She would have been killed by the Dothraki if she hadn't survived fire in the village. Without that, she wouldn't have dragons. The dragons allow her to take Qarth. Nothing she does, no diplomacy, no battle, no nothing except the dragons allow her to do this. There is some diplomacy in Astapor by ransoming Drogon to buy the Unsullied, but what does this come down to? Drogon burning someone alive in the end. She does take Meereen through the Unsullied, but it is then pointed out that she has lost her hold on Astapor and Qarth because she can not rule.
Danny only survives the uprising in Meereen because Drogon flies her out of there. She is then recaptured by the Dothraki and takes over the Dothraki army by burning the leaders alive. She lives and becomes ruler of the vast Dothraki army because she survived yet again fire.
So, by her own estimation, she is an inefficient ruler.
This is why I can't get behind her character. If it weren't for magic, she would have been dead long, long ago. She is unable to capitalize on this on her own. She always needs rescuing from her dragons or by her ability to survive fire.
On the other hand, it's why I can get behind Sad Sansa.
Even though we all made fun of the Sad Sansa storyline for so long, her story arc has now paid off. When she reads the letter to her brother from Ramsey, we get it. The girl has seen stuff, she knows she can't back down. She now gets alliances. She's had to make bad decisions, she's been thrust around, she's made mistakes.
Danny? When push came to shove? She chained her dragons. Her one asset.
She gets a no for my vote.
Everything was handed to Danny. Sad Sansa? Sad Sansa had to earn my respect. She has it now. All my blog posts about her were correct, she was pathetic. But Sad Sansa is the real woman to come through the fire.
On the other hand, it's why I can get behind Sad Sansa.
Even though we all made fun of the Sad Sansa storyline for so long, her story arc has now paid off. When she reads the letter to her brother from Ramsey, we get it. The girl has seen stuff, she knows she can't back down. She now gets alliances. She's had to make bad decisions, she's been thrust around, she's made mistakes.
Danny? When push came to shove? She chained her dragons. Her one asset.
She gets a no for my vote.
Everything was handed to Danny. Sad Sansa? Sad Sansa had to earn my respect. She has it now. All my blog posts about her were correct, she was pathetic. But Sad Sansa is the real woman to come through the fire.
Other thoughts:
On a side note, despite having magic applied to him, Jon Snow gets a pass. He was benefited by magic. It's not his sole skill.
Until next time!
** If you would like to read my other blogs, please find them at:
http://www.madelinefresco.com
http://www.ihatemyback.com.
**** Madeline Fresco is a novelist who lives in San Diego. She is the author of CROSSED THE LINE, available for Kindle at Amazon.com, for Nook at Barnes & Noble, and as an ePub at other eBook retailers. You can also listen to her novel as a free, serialized audiobook at http://www.madelinefresco.com. Her second book THE CHOICE, is available on Kindle at Amazon. Her third book ANGUISH, is available for Kindle at Amazon.com
- Yay! Littlefinger is back!
- Robin Arryn is the new Joffrey
- Brienne is by far my favorite character. How unbelievably amazing was it when she rode her horse through the gate! Kuddos to the shot selection on that one by the director and cinematographer. I had chills. How cool was it when she put The Red Woman in her place! Amazing!
- Sad Sansa has got some gumption now and I love it. I thought it was brilliant when she read the letter from Ramsey. She's not a little girl anymore -- she doesn't need to be sheltered from those disturbing words. She also knows exactly what kind of man Ramsey is and there is power in reading his words. People need to know what they are dealing with in Ramsey. Saying it out loud gives it weight. A powerful move by Sansa.
- Sad Sansa's family bonding was superb. Another fine example of how Sansa has changed. Her experiences have made her understand the rules of the game of thrones. She wants to take back Winterfell. It's not out of spite, or out of power. It'sout of necessity, out of love, and out of respect. She understands now how strong family ties are and how strong alliances can be. This is a lesson not understood by her brother Robb Stark. Robb thought he could break house alliances and it cost the lives of his mother and himself. Sansa gets this now. It's a far cry from when we saw her stopping her feet because she wants to marry Joffrey and get away from her family. I'm super interested in where this plot line goes. Excellent writing.
- I just proofread (probably badly) my blog post and saw the picture of Brienne again. Seriously you guys! I love her!
On a side note, despite having magic applied to him, Jon Snow gets a pass. He was benefited by magic. It's not his sole skill.
Until next time!
** If you would like to read my other blogs, please find them at:
http://www.madelinefresco.com
http://www.ihatemyback.com.
**** Madeline Fresco is a novelist who lives in San Diego. She is the author of CROSSED THE LINE, available for Kindle at Amazon.com, for Nook at Barnes & Noble, and as an ePub at other eBook retailers. You can also listen to her novel as a free, serialized audiobook at http://www.madelinefresco.com. Her second book THE CHOICE, is available on Kindle at Amazon. Her third book ANGUISH, is available for Kindle at Amazon.com