Dani’s Decision to Burn Makes Sense

Published May 13, 2019 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hey Guys,

Forgive me, I can’t articulate like so many others who write in but I wanted to address the beef people have with Danis decision to burn the city. The feedback I’m hearing is that most people are fine with the mad queen plot line but they are unhappy with her motivation in the moment perched atop the wall. They felt the scene needed one more nudge for Dani’s mental snap to be understandable. I also wish they could’ve had more time time to flesh that out better but that doesn’t mean it’s not completely realistic show wise. The show and arguably the books as well has been veering toward mad queen for some time now. We all know all the references by now. Show and book. However is it ever explicitly said that the mad Targaryens are born mad or do they turn mad? My understanding is they turn. (Please don’t bring up Geoffrey being born mad because I would argue that little shit wasn’t so much mad as just cruel). So Dani’s decent into madness is steadily increasing. Pair that with the fact that growing up she had people telling her she would be welcomed into kings landing and the people would rally for her along with her own hubris from the fact she returned dragons and magic to the world and you see her whole life has been setting her up for the big switch. The people didn’t welcome her. She was openly disliked by many. I can only assume she thought they would take one look at her dragons and submit and cheer. Didn’t happen. She fell in love with someone who keeps spurning her. (Let us never forget about the woman scorned bible passage) She has lost everyone close and is continuously being betrayed by her advisors. Now to the important part. She’s slipping into madness she’s burning the armies and scorpions. The battle is won. All she has to do is stand down and march to the throne. Dani did start off kind and gentle hearted but sadly her Tagaryan genes are kicking in probably due to her extremely tenuous emotional state (this is undoubtedly the most strain she has ever been under) and her bloodlust is running high. She just can’t forget or forgive the fact that she’s lost so much personally because of this place and it’s people who stubbornly refuse to see their true queen for who she is and fight for her. She sets Drogon down atop the wall, sees the people giving up, takes one long look at the red keep (her throne) and it’s not enough. The people have to not only submit but they must pay. They’ve cost her too much. And now she’s full on mad. Not just scribbling on the walls humming to herself mad but Targaryen burn everything mad. That’s how they roll. So that’s what she does. Her madness wins and she lights up the city. Completely believable. Have you ever played a game or sport so competively that if your win comes too fast or too easy it feels hollow or unsatisfying? I’ve never personally liked when a show has to hand hold you through an idea either. I don’t need a grand aha moment of why Dani snaps but I can see why others would. Especially if you’re not familiar with the books or mental illness. I mostly loved the episode considering I’ve given up on the grand spectacular that we would have gotten if George was still behind the wheel. One more separate thing. People bicker over how the show handles sexism and misogyny. Sometimes they get it really right and sometimes really wrong but the fans are always there to point it out. However the one thing people are completely on board with is Aryas decision to not marry Gendry. She’s no lady of a great house she’s a great warrior they say. While I respect Arya’s preference if she did fall in love and decide to be the lady of Storms End I would be ok with it. If it were a great male warrior marrying the woman he loves and becoming lord of the manor no one would bat an eye. In fact most all great warriors are lords. So why can’t she be both too? A great warrior and a great Lady. She has to sleep somewhere. Why not by Gendry and ruling the people? We all know who the power would be in that relationship. I just don’t know why people wouldn’t be ok with her having or wanting it all like men do.

Thanks for listening to me ramble
Frank Ridgeway

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