It Was So Close to Being Great!!

Published May 14, 2019 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hey guys,

I, along with what seems to be 60-80% of the reacting public (I’m actively avoiding forums or message boards to not get spoilers) have come to the conclusion that the mad queen hints throughout previous seasons were there but this was too much of a heel turn for a single episode. We are fine with Dany becoming the mad queen, but the means by which we got here are unfounded.

The script was fine for the most part: it just needed one or two tweaks. Nevermind the scorpions being completely inept this episode or Euron miraculously showing up in time to fight Jamie. However dumb those are, they warrant an eye roll or two. The most egregious error was Dany’s turn, which could have been explained with one simple plot device: Cersei’s last-ditch effort.

We saw the random explosions of wildfire throughout the city, and some if not most people expected Cersei to have some trick up her sleeve. Imagine that after the Lannister guards to surrender, Cersei gives Qyburn a nod and the front part of the city (where the unsullied/dothraki/north army is) goes up in wildfire. Jon Snow’s plot armor would demand he is placed somewhere else, but if Cersei ignited Dany’s army (including Grey Worm), it would make her decision to go bat-shit crazy at least debatable: which is what this show’s foundation was built on.

The moral ambiguity and character depth are what made this show so unique. Extinguishing her army would send Dany into a semi-justifiable rage, and whether or not she should have burned civilians could be a point of debate. Whether or not Jon or Arya should kill her in the finale would be a debate. Instead, they turned her from the potential of a Thanos type villain into King Koopa from Super Mario Bros. She is simply evil now with no depth. And that’s a shame.

Keep up the great work, Ryan from Dallas

P.S. this is way too rushed. Imagine this episode as a season finale cliffhanger with 1 season left. The final season to find a way to bring down the mad queen. Instead, someone will have to shiv her real quick to wrap this entire story up in 80 mins, and that’s also a shame!

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