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ghazvla · 3 years

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ADITI RAO HYDARI, 29, SHAHBANU GHAZALA. ❝ ⤚⟶ EUROPE, 1458. thanks is given by the SHAHBANU GHAZALA, from the DELHI SULTANATE. they are at their best AFFECTIONATE, and at their worst VITRIOLIC. whilst abroad, their ambition is to FORM NEW ALLEGIANCES IN THE NAME OF PERSIA TO ESTABLISH HER PLACE IN THE PERSIAN COURT AS A WOMAN OF TRUE INFLUENCE AND POWER & GATHER SUPPORTERS TO POSSIBLY RETAKE HER RIGHTFUL PLACE AS SULTANA OF THE DELHI SULTANATE. SHE seems to remind everyone of ADITI RAO HYDARI & THE WARMTH OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT AGAINST YOUR SKIN, THE RUSTLING OF A SNAKE IN THE SAND AT NIGHT, A GOLDEN TEAR DRIPPING DOWN YOUR CHEEK. ❞

♕ { c l i c k h e r e f o r m o r e } ♕

❝ ⤚⟶ INTRODUCTION

What current conflicts does your character face?

It’s only been a couple years since Ghazala found herself betrayed out of Delhi Sultanate and into Persian territory. She’s still a relatively new addition to court, and her status as an outsider is still evident from the distrust most people feel towards her; especially since her engagement and consequent marriage to the Shah proved to be a swift one, and her natural charm has secured herself as his (new) favourite.

Accepting his marriage proposal was not something she had to think about twice — not only would it be considered rude to deny such an honor, it would also be foolish, from a political point of view. No matter how much royal blood flows in her veins, she was still exiled, stripped of any actual power; and power, oh, that’s something Ghazala quite enjoys.

So, while that honor restored her to a similar paragon of power, prestige and respect, it also proved to be a double-edged sword: Consort Firouzeh and all her allies have proved to be formidable foes, harder to persuade than the Shah ever was.

To put it plainly, Ghazala feels lost and out of place; not something you’d figure given the way she portrays herself, but behind closed doors, it’s getting harder and harder to deal with. She’s not used to doting on other people, instead being doted on, so she’s still trying to find her place at court.

She is also struggling with the desire for revenge and the feeling of inaction; her enemies may think they’ve won the war, but, to her, she has merely lost a battle, and she will, one day, sooner or later, reclaim what is rightfully hers.

What are some potential plotlines you are interested in pursuing?

To play off her short-term goals, I am eager to explore Ghazala’s relationship with the rest of the Persian entourage. She’s used to being disliked (see: the many battles she’s had to fight throughout her entire life to secure her rule and ensure her survival in her own home country), but she is also, to put it plainly, tired. She’s in a vulnerable place now more than ever and while she’s very good at guarding that and not showing it, unless you’re someone she trusts deeply (at this moment, Abuzar), I would love for her to have more trusted advisors.

She’s not particularly interested in the animosity coming from Firozeh and her supporters, even if she understands why it exists. I think they’ve all seen a face of her that is conciliatory, as she tries to play her game and come off as more humble than she feels, hoping that will warm their hearts, but that can easily change in both/whatever directions!

I am also extremely interested in exploring a bit of subterfuge as she tries to gather allies to her own cause. She’s playing her own long game trying to find the best way to regain her rightful place at the Delhi throne and avenge all who have wronged her.

I don’t think she has any true loyalties towards the Persian Empire as of yet; I say ‘true’ because the ones she does have right now are all based on political strategy, even if she does care for the Shah, and, as a consequence, for Persia. She would never do anything to undermine his rule or Persia, so no ‘double-agent’ kind of plots, but I am eager to explore her relationship to her newfound home and more eager to get her in over her head trying to burker some deals with other nations to try and prove herself, once and for all, as more than a ‘pretty face’, a ‘foreigner’ or ‘the shah’s second wife’.

❝ ⤚⟶ BULLET-POINTS.

Ghazala was born during the golden age of the Delhi Sultanate. The third-born and first and only legitimate daughter of the Sultan, History dictated that she would go down in obscurity, nothing but a footnote (married off to further her father’s interests elsewhere, eclipsed into nothingness); but Fate had other plans. Her father was known for his kindness and progressive ideals, and so, despite being born a woman, she enjoyed the same privileges as her brothers: an education in leading armies and ruling a kingdom. There was no real intention in Ghazala ever being heir, but Father believed in equality above all else and, as it stands, she became the best choice. After the death of her oldest brother, the one truly groomed to succeed as Sultan, there were only spineless, lazy princes to choose from… or Ghazala.

Quick-witted, keen of mind and ideals, hardworking and knowledgeable of the inner workings of court politics, it was with great displeasure by the nobility that the Sultan named her as his heir. A woman Sultan was something hard to get past of, no matter how skilled she proved herself to be; when her father died, her ascension to the throne split the sultanate into a civil war that would last for three years, before she finally managed to squash it; that still didn’t prove final when, all her brothers gone, the nobility found a new way to depose her and establish a new dynasty. With no real support to lay claim and continue to fight, she managed to escape the treacherous homeland that saw her be born and grow. Heartbroken and with a fiery desire for revenge, she found refuge in the neighbouring Persian Empire, where life continues to be an uphill battle.

Ghazala was a brash and bold child growing up, always grasping at the littlest bit of freedom she could find; defying the purdah tradition and her nurses patience, there was a glint of defiance in her eyes that persists to this day. It’s a kind of fire that, no matter what happens, doesn’t seem to be put down — in fact, given the history she’s had to endure in recent years, it has grown only wilder; but, with age comes maturity and she’s no longer the obstinate child she once was.

In her home country, she quickly gathered a reputation for her “difficult temperament”, something that displeased the ladies at court, who considered her attitude to be less than lady-like. She was painfully aware of her standing as daughter of the Sultan, and used to be presumptuous (and naive) about that position, thinking herself untouchable. That has changed with age; she now understands the power that lies in being a woman, despite all the many cons. She adapted, preferring instead to act from the shadows than to be seen as a particularly loud presence (especially in her newfound home in the persian empire).

At her best, she is a truly affectionate person: with a special liking towards children, she’s always dreamed of being a mother, but the dream hasn’t proven possible (thus far). She has, however, that special quality — tactful, gentle and meek around those she deems ‘weaker’ (not in a derogatory way; perhaps, in a naive way, as a weakness). There’s a special kind of freedom in being shahbanu that she hadn’t experienced before, and she’s learning to take advantage of it by dedicating her attention to things she didn’t in the past, like the cultures and the arts (something that may be a point of further strain between her and Consort Firouzeh). However, it’s impossible to deny her keen interest in all matters of the state, and her growing influence with her husband can’t be underestimated.

Personality: [+] articulate, captivating, caring, charismatic, clever, courageous, generous, loyal, persuasive, playful, protective, shrewd, sociable, ambitious; [-] competitive, dominating, stubborn, argumentative, careless, disobedient, domineering, impatient, impulsive, naive, presumptuous, vengeful, resentful, secretive.

#{ silence becomes a woman. }#crhs.intro #app under read more while i work on the about page !!!#this is a mess.jpeg

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damoviemaestro · 5 years

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The Movie Maestro’s TV Reviews: Game of Thrones, Season 3

Created and Run by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

Based on A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

Starring Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Iain Glen, Aiden Gillen, Kit Harrington, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Richard Madden, Allie Alfen, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Jack Gleeson, Natalie Dormer, Rory McCann, John Bradley, Charles Dance, Stephen Dillane, Carice van Houten, Rose Leslie, Jerome Flynn

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, it couldn’t possibly shock or surprise me more...you know the deal. Game of Thrones blows gray matter all over the room, yada yada.

Continuing the War of the Five Kings storyline, GoT Season 3 took on an unenviable task of tackling a near-1000 page book with a significant number more twists and turns through its length, even compared to the previous installments. In another master stroke of Benioff and Weiss, A Storm of Swords was spit in two, with the first half covered here. This bisection of the book allowed for S3 to turn many genre conventions on their head with chilling logic, turning GoT into water-cooler fodder for years to come and resulting in my first encounter with it in pop culture. (Stupid me for taking this long to actually watch it.)

In the North, Robb continues to win every battle but further lose the war, proving that battle prowess and personal honor don’t translate well to the realm of ruling--as Robert and Ned found out. While Madden continues to charm the hell out of me as Robb, Michelle Fairley retakes the focus as the head of the House as Catelyn, now becoming overcome with melancholy in a powerful performance that deserved all of the Emmys. And elsewhere, beyond the ruins of Winterfell, Bran and his brother Rickon survive in hiding, meeting other children with the same powers as Bran. GoT pumps up the fantasy factor again, with Bran embarking on a strange, Paul Atreides-esque journey into the depths of the human psyche.

In King’s Landing, Sansa (Sophie Turner) begins to adapt to her situation, but the road to survival is a perilous one, made all the more treacherous by the scheming of the Court, personified in Lord Tywin Lannister. After an oddly-paternalistic portrayal in Season 2, Tywin shows his true colors in this great year of television, played by Charles Dance to spine-tingling perfection. Joffrey may be a Mad King in the making, but it’s certain who’s really in charge right now. And his hard influence is making things even worse for poor Tyrion, who bled for his family only to receive a dank closet of a room and new enemies on all sides.

Kit Harrington begins to stretch his legs as Jon Snow this season, getting to see the plight of the Free Folk beyond the Wall, and the scope of their existence in some of the more fun fantastic elements of the series. (Gimme more giants!) He also gets to play a romance alongside the lovely Rose Leslie, an experience you can tell both enjoyed without even having to know they are now married.

But hands down, the biggest twist in character development has to go to Jaime Lannister. After being shafted on screentime in S2, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau knocks one after another out of the park, deliving three amazing performances that stand out in 7 episodes worth of great work.

After the shock factor of Season 1′s ending and the explosive finale of Season 2, Season 3 was going to have to try harder from the get-go. Instead of upping the ante as far as action was concerned, Benioff and Weiss wisely remind the audience of why the show got made in the first place with another shocker, the Red Wedding. The depravity, the tragedy, and the utter horror of seeing so many main characters, good people, mowed down by their enemies slams home the realism of GoT’s universe: mistakes are often fatal, and the world of feudalism is oddly Darwinian. It cares not if a character’s heart was honorable; it only cares if they can survive the game, and sadly, in Robb’s and Catelyn’s case, they could not.

But as much as it taketh, S3 giveth: Daenerys still struggles across the sea, preparing for the day she can take her birthright. In Slaver’s Bay she begins a ruthless and righteous conquest, destroying cities of servitude and freeing their slave populations, proving that while not yet capable of taking the throne, she would certainly wield it effectively. This glimmer of hope in a hopeless world is certainly going to get interesting as I continue my watch, because if Martin has proven anything with his stories, it is that even hope can turn bad fast.

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hurricanefrankie · 7 years

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The King in the North

Daenerys waited with baited breath, as the iron doors swung open to reveal one of her Dothraki warriors leading their small group of guests and her advisers inside. She watches with a keen interest as Tyrion ushers the two strange men forward.

Neither looked very kingly, both slightly disheveled in appearance and dressed in black and faded brown. The older one had a scruffy beard with a receding hairline and a weathered yet kind face. Whilst the younger man had dark curly hair that he’d tried to tame by pulling back into a knot and his face was tragically beautiful, with scars sliced into his otherwise flawless pale skin.

Daenerys does her best to remain stoic and unaffected by their arrival, trying to train her lilac eyes on the older man rather than his much younger, handsome companion.

Tyrion bows when he reaches his queen, a triumphant smile on his face, pleased to finally have two such powerful entities in one room without any bloodshed between them.

Missandei walks with the self-proclaimed king in the north and his comrade until they reach the bottom of the steps beneath Dany and her throne. She then tentatively ascends them to take her place at the side of the room.

“Your grace,” Tryion turns to signal to their two guests, “allow me to introduce you to my dear old friend, King in the north, Jon Snow.”

To her amazement, Tyrion pats the younger man on the arm rather than his much older comrade. Dany’s cold expression falters momentarily at her mistake before quickly recovering.

“And this is his Hand, Ser Davos Seaworth.”

In the corner of Jon’s eye, he sees Ser Davos’ chest puff out slightly at being introduced so formally.

“It’s an honor to meet you, your grace,” Ser Davos nods politely, his northern accent strong and gruff yet oddly charming and sincere. Dany noted he had the same gentle and honorable air about him as the former lord commander of her Queen’s guard, Ser Barristan Selmy.

Missandei addresses Jon Snow and Ser Davos. “Nobel lords, you are in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, the Unburnt, Queen of Dragon’s Bay, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons.”

While her handmaiden introduces her, Daenerys can’t help but survey the much younger than anticipated, King of the North, Jon Snow. He couldn’t be much older than she and from what Tyrion and Melisandra had told her, he had achieved just as much within a short space of time as her.

The natural light streaming in through the cracks in the stone reflects off his breastplate armor, revealing the two stark wolf sigils marked on the front.

“Thank you for the invitation, your grace.” He tautly nods his head; he too had a strong accent, yet his wasn’t as gruff as Ser Davos and much easier to understand. His dark grey, almost black eyes lock with her piercing violet ones, they stare down the other, neither prepared to look away first until Tyrion purposefully coughs to break the mounting tension between the two monarchs.

“Thank you for traveling so far, my lord.” Dany says, deliberately putting emphasis on his lesser title to make sure he knew his place. “I hope the seas weren’t too rough.”

“The winds were kind, Your Grace.” Jon coolly retorts.

There’s a long, drawn out silence, so thick with tension, even Ser Barristan would have had a tough time slicing through it with his blade. “So I assume, my lord, you’re here to bend the knee.”

Jon shakes his head. “I am not.” He had heard stories about Daenerys Targaryen, that she was beautiful and stunning but the stories did not do the woman who sat before him justice.

She sighs, hardly surprised by his decision. “Well, that is unfortunate. You’ve traveled all this way to break faith with House Targaryen?”

He scoffs, “Break faith? Your father burned my grandfather alive. He burned my uncle alive. He would have burned the Seven Kingdoms-”

“My father was an evil man.” Her honesty takes both Jon and Davos by surprise. “On behalf of House Targaryen, I ask your forgiveness for the crimes he committed against your family. And I ask you not to judge a daughter for the sins of her father.”

Jon hangs his head momentarily, the words he spoke to Sansa back at Winterfell replaying in his mind. I will not punish a son for his father’s sins.

“I am the last Targaryen, Jon Snow. Honor the pledge your ancestor made to mine. Bend the knee and I will name you Warden of the North.” It was a compromise she and Tyrion had agreed on, it meant Jon remained in charge of the north but was stripped of his royal title meaning he was no threat to Dany and her claim.

He contemplates her proposal for a few minutes. He looks to Davos, whom merely shrugs, as if to say, it’s your choice. “You’re right.” If he agreed, he’d gain the support of her and her army for the war to come, but he’d also lose the support of the north. He may not wish to punish the son or daughter for the sins of their father, but the noble lords loyal to house Stark had made their opinions on the matter very clear and none of them could forgive the Targareyn’s for what they did to Rickard and Brandon Stark.

He stares back up at the striking queen, her beauty was unmatched by any person he’d ever seen before, to the point where it was almost hard to avert his gaze. “You’re not guilty of your father’s crimes. And I’m not beholden to my ancestor’s vows.” Though he may appear calm and collected on the outside, on the inside his heart beating twice its normal rate and his palms sweating. She was their last resort, without her dragonglass, they were doomed.

Daenerys has to purse her lips tightly together to stop them from curling up into an impressed smirk, she admired his boldness and that he wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he believed in. “If you never planned on bending the knee, what exactly was the point in your visit?”

“My grace,” Davos steps forwards, his head bowed out of respect for a little longer than necessary, “pardon me for speaking out of turn,” he slowly stands up straight. “I understand your wish to retake the iron throne, but I’m afraid all the battles you’ll face to oppose the current queen will all be for nothing if what’s north of the wall breaches its defenses and comes south.”

“What’s north of the wall? Wildlings?” Tyrion frowns; remembering the cryptic explanation the red priestess had given which basically meant that Jon would explain.

The younger man shook his head causing a few loose strands of unruly curly hair to spring free from his tie. “The free folk, or what’s left of them are now south of the wall. I brokered a peace treaty with them when they saw the real enemy at Hardhome.”

Dany scowls, she knew very little about the citizens who once lived north of the wall excluding the small pieces of information Tyrion had told her, he begrudgingly knew very little himself. “The real enemy?”

“The white walkers.” He coldly responds.

“Weren’t the white walkers merely a ploy used by mothers to scare their children into behaving?”

“Believe me, my lord, the Night King and his army are very real.”

“The Night King?” Daenerys sniggers, “The north does like to bestow inappropriate titles to just about anybody, doesn’t it?” she kinks her eyebrow, daring him to challenge her. “What makes these white walkers so…” she pauses, trying to find the right word, “terrifying that the King in the North seeks my help?”

Jon does his best to hold his tongue and not berate the privileged and naïve queen who sat before him. “The army is made up of the undead, my grace. They intend to march south, destroying anyone and everything that crosses their path. They will not stop until the whole of the seven kingdoms is left in ashes. It won’t matter who sits on the iron throne when dead men come hunting for us in the night.”

Dany wanted to laugh in response to his insane ramblings but the look in his eye, one of horror and experience, refrained her from doing so. Though she didn’t believe what he was saying, she did trust that he believed it himself. “And why should I believe you?”

“Why would I lie?” Jon snaps back, allowing his slowly growing resentment and anger towards her get the better of him.

“My Queen,” Tyrion interjects, defusing the situation, “I know Jon Snow and I honestly think he is telling the truth. I do not think we should dismiss his claim because we do not know any better.”

She grits her teeth, being undermined in front of her council members was bad enough but to be so blatantly challenged in front of someone who could challenge her claim to the iron throne made her blood boil.

If what Jon Snow and Ser Davos said was true and there was an army of the undead marching south, if she didn’t help try and stop them, she would have no kingdom left to rule over.

“What would you suppose we do?” Dany asks, her grip on her throne tightening in frustration.

“Westeros is divided and a divided realm won’t survive long against the Night King.” Ser Davos answers instead of a glowering Jon. “If we band together, we may have a shot at defeating them. Every northern house sworn to the Stark family is readying for war, the men, the women and the children.”

Dany’s eyes widen at the prospect of children being subjected to such traumatic sights that occur during wars and their many battles.

“There are very few things that can kill a white walker,” Davos continues, “Valyrian steel, fire and… dragonglass.”

Dany eyes Tyrion, half-expecting him to jump in and make a witty comment but he remains quiet, his brow furrowed indicating he was in deep thought. “So, not only do you want my armies, you also want my dragons and my dragonglass?” Since arriving at Dragonstone, she had made sure to find out as much about her ancestry home from the maesters’ and the books she requested, as she could. She knew Dragonstone was built upon a mountain of dragonglass.

Ser Davos opens his mouth to spew what she could only assume to be some elaborate apology and admission but before he has a chance, Jon speaks first.

“Yes.” He answers bluntly, his expression mirroring her equally stony one.

“And what will I receive in return for helping you?” she stares down at Jon, their eyes boring into one and others.

“My support in your quest for the Iron Throne, once the long night is over and the white walkers are defeated.” He didn’t sound too thrilled about giving her his backing.

“And how will it look if I allow the King in the North to refuse my command for him to bend the knee? Every lord and lady in Westeros will try and do the same.”

Jon scowls, the scar above his eye darkening somewhat, “I made a promise to my men.”

“Your grace,” Ser Davos pipes up again, “Jon has given his life for the North, he took a dagger to the heart for his people-”

“The north crowned me their king.” Jon quickly cuts across his companion; he was not in the mood to relive the night he died.

Dany glances over at Tyrion who looked equally confused by the older man’s comments.

“I never wanted it. I never asked for it.” Jon shakes his head, “But I accepted it because the north is my home. It’s a part of me and I will never stop fighting for it. No matter the odds.”

Daenerys slowly rises from her throne, surprising both men with her short yet commanding stature. “I was born at Dragonstone. Not that I can remember it. We fled before Robert’s assassins could find us.” She gradually begins to descend the steps, her sights set solely on the king in the north. “Robert was your father’s best friend, no? I wonder if your father knew his best friend sent assassins to murder a baby girl in her crib.” She walks around him, surveying every aspect of the man Tyrion respected so highly, like a wolf circling its prey.

She sighs, “Not that it matters now, of course. I spent my life in foreign lands. So many men have tried to kill me; I don’t remember all their names.” She muses as if she were discussing something as trivial as the weather. She moves back around to stand before him, her chin tilted up to face him, he was at least a whole head taller than her.

“I have been sold like a broodmare. I’ve been chained and betrayed, raped and defiled. Do you know what kept me standing, through all those years in exile?” she pauses for dramatic effect, “Faith. Not in any god, not in myths and legends. In myself. In Daenerys Targaryen. The world hadn’t seen a dragon in centuries, until my children were born. The Dothraki hadn’t crossed the sea, any sea. They did for me. I was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms. And I will.”

Jon holds her intense gaze for a few moments more, her beauty and intelligence almost bewitching him.

“The north is an integral part of the Seven Kingdoms, is it not?” she tilts her head slightly to one side, feigning innocence. “The north is loyal to house Stark, as are the Vale and the Riverlands. I have the combined forces the Reach and Dorne, and the iron fleet, legions of Unsullied, a Dothraki hoard and three dragons, and,” she glances over her shoulder to look at her Hand.

“By the end of the week, we should have Casterly Rock.” Tyrion finishes for her, their conquests and future ones were all marked up on the map in the chamber with the painted table.

“Cersei Lannister,” She practically spits the woman’s name, “will not care for your war in the north. She only cares for herself and the throne she illegitimately sits upon. If I don’t reclaim the crown, she’ll burn King’s Landing, and any other realm that defies her without a second thought.” Dany adds, imploring Jon Snow to understand.

He clenches his jaw, “So you’d rather fight for the throne rather than the people?”

“I’d like to do both.” She retorts back with an icy edge.

“The game of thrones is bollocks!” he barks, regrettably making Missandei jump with fright, Daenareys on the other hand barely acknowledges his fit of rage, as though she had seen much worse, which she probably had. “We are all in grave danger, the army of the undead is coming and we’re not ready for them.”

“Jon,” Tyrion slowly descends the steps to stand between the two rivaling monarchs, “if we turn our backs on the capital and head north to fight these… white walkers, Cersei will be ready. She’ll overthrow every last state and capital, and fight us from the south while we try to stronghold the north.”

“If she knew the dangers that lay ahead, maybe she could be reasoned with?” Ser Davos suggests hopefully.

“Cersei blew up the Great Sept with masses of Wildfire buried beneath the city,” Tyrion informs him, “killing everyone in it including her daughter-in-law and the heirs to High Garden, along with anyone within range. The mass slaughter also had a profound effect on her last remaining son, King Tommen.” At the thought of his nephew, Tyrion hangs his head. “The young King threw himself out of his bedroom window. Her children were the only thing that kept Cersei relatively human, and now they’re all dead, so is her humanity.”

The room goes very quiet. Dany and Jon continue their stare down until the doors open once again, she reluctantly glances away to look and see who had entered.

Lord Varys shuffles towards them, almost silently. He skirts around Ser Davos and Jon without so much as a look in their direction to privately address his queen. Daenareys steps back away from the King in the North to make sure he couldn’t overhear whatever Varys was about to tell her.

The bald man leans down, his back to their guests and whispers the news about Euron’s fleet. “He ambushed the Greyjoys’, he killed Obara and Nymeria, and has taken Ellaria, her daughter Tyene and Yara Greyjoy prisoner. It’s rumored he is taking them as a gift for Cersei.”

Dany gulps, her unaffected, stoic expression slowly fading away to be replaced with one of true morning, though her eyes flashed with rage.

Varys backs away with a bow before walking soundlessly towards the chamber containing the map. Tyrion watches him leave, an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“I’m sorry, I must end this meeting now,” The silver haired queen clasps her trembling hands together, “you’ve had a long journey, as a show of good will, I offer you a room to stay for the night. Missandei will show you the way.” Her handmaiden quickly walks down the steps to stand by her queen.

Jon stares at her skeptically, not sure if it were some form of trick or not. “Am I your prisoner?”

“No.” She retorts briskly and then heads in the same direction as her master of whispers, Tyrion offers the two men an apologetic nod before following her, hot on her heels. “Not yet.” Dany calls out over her shoulder before disappearing through a door.

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doublehex · 7 years

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Impressions of 7x02 “Stormborn”

So we got the second episode. Let’s have a chat.

Dragonstone:

We open up with a fierce storm raging outside Dragonstone, and I love this for several reasons. First off, the obvious allusions to the night that Daenerys was born, but most importantly I love the imagery of it. It is nearly black, save for the outlines of thunder strikes and the fire from within the Targaryen keep.

The scene opens with strife amongst Daenerys’ advisors. Elaria Martell has no shame over killing Tyrion’s niece Myrcella back in the final episode of Season 5, and I have to say I was disappointed by how it was played out. Tyrion seems to just casually accept what Elaria has done, a shrug off his shoulder. He should be pissed, and demanding from Daenerys some kind of retribution. I really do hope that something comes out from this, because otherwise it would just seem the showrunners are just waving off a critical relationship between characters.

Daenerys questions Varys about his loyalty, and I really do need to ask…why now? This is a conversation that needed to happen, but not after months of sailing together across the Narrow Sea. Why did Dany not speak with Varys in the final episode of season 6? It just seems awkwardly placed, although it is decently written.

Varys’ character suffers from cutting out the Golden Company plot from the books. Without Varys’ “perfect prince”, it doesn’t make much sense for him to have backed Viserys in the first season. He should have known that Viserys was the same kind of man that Aerys was, so why would he go for that? It feels like the writers are trying to salvage a ship that is made out of seaweed and is on fire.

I do however like Daenerys’ response – that if Varys felt she is doing a poor job as queen, he will say so to his face. And her threat of killing him if he should conspire against her shows she is not going to just accept his loyalty. Varys has jumped from monarch to monarch several times over now. He was essential for bringing Dorne and the Reach into the fold, and Daenerys is in need of a spymaster. But she does not trust him one bit, nor should see.

Then we get a Melisandre scene, where she reveals that perhaps Daenerys is the Prince(ss) That Was Promised. In the books, the revelation that the prophecy may have suffered a grammatical mistranslation came about as a sort of bitter moment…Aegon had been mistaken all along, and perhaps his error resulted in Rhaegar’s rash decision. Here it’s played as a mediocre female power moment.

Also, why is Melissandre in the throne room? Dany should be there on the stone throne, and Melissandre should be escorted in. Dany sees herself as queen – she should be showcasing that as much as possible.

When they plan for how Daenerys will retake the Seven Kingdoms, it is only her and Tyrion that vouches for the least amount of blood shed as possible. They realize that the Dothraki and Unsullied will only fan the xenophobic flames of the Westerosi. In order to establish Daenerys as a rightful ruler, it can’t be the Essosi that take King’s Landing. The Reachmen and Dornish will lay siege to King’s Landing.

This scene does a good job of showcasing what everyone wants out of Daenerys. Yara just wants the Iron Islands to be independent, she wants a quick end to the war. Ellaria and Olenna want Cersei to suffer, damn the consequences. Daenerys’ alliance is a fragile on at best. Besides the racial tensions between Dorne and the Reach, which have always been high, the alliance is split on how to proceed. It seems only the fact that Daenerys has dragons and a formidable army is what keeps the others from abandoning the cause.

At the end, Olenna tries to remind Dany that she is a dragon, so she must “be a dragon”. Olenna is trying to push Daenerys towards fire and blood, highest amount of casualties, giving the Lannisters as much misery as possible, and one can’t help but worry that this will be the show’s version of the “dragons plant no trees” from the books.

The Missandei and Grey Worm romance has finally come to it’s…blunt conclusion. Although it was good to hear Grey Worm speak of what the training of the Unsullied was like, the romance between these two characters have felt very contrived and forced. The sex scene is rather mild by the standards of the show, which comes as a relief, because the dialogue leading up to it was as awkward as one could get. One really has to ask just what this side plot added to the series, that couldn’t be better spent somewhere else.

Kings Landing:

Cersei seems to have taken Jaime’s advice to heart. She is doing her best to rallying the support of the Southern lords…and that seems to means just the Reach, if Randyll Tarly’s presence is anything to go by. The language she uses in her speech reminds me a great deal of Trump, where she is relying on an appeal of the Other and objectively false claims to secure a base.

It may have been unintentional or not, but I got several ISIS vibes when we had Qyburn defame Balerion’s skull with the ballista. They start off that scene with a bit of a history lesson, showcasing that Balerion is a big part of how the Seven Kingdoms were forged. It’s a priceless relic for all intents and purposes. Then we have Cersei deface it, and look pleased about it.

It seems to me that D&D are trying to create parallels between modern day and with Cersei. She has overturn the political system, going against the will of the people, to secure power. Now Trump did not perform a coup d’état like Cersei has. As far as we know, his election was legal. Influenced by outside forces, beyond a doubt, but legal. Most people did not want Trump as president, and almost nobody in Westeros wants Cersei to be their queen.

Another comparison between Team Lannister and the Alt-Right is the racist language Jaime has employed in recruiting Randyll Tarly to their side. Othering the Unsullied and the Dothraki in an appeal for Westerosi Nationalism (and luring the prospect of a new Paramount Lord of the Reach) seems to have worked on Lord Tarly.

One very keen thing to take away is that Jaime states that he no longer likes his sister. A rift is growing between the Lannister twins, and it will surely culminate in Jaime having to make a choice.

Winterfell:

Jon is finally starting to listen to Sansa. He speaks to her about the summon to Dragonstone, and she is wary. Despite her insistence that Tyrion is a good man, it is too risky. Sansa is still very much in bunker mode – after years of witnessing her family come under siege, she views anyone else but a Northman as a threat. She is not entirely wrong, but Sansa is also focused on the Southern threat, while Jon is focused on the Northern one.

In the end, Jon goes against the pleas of all his lords (including Lyanna Mormong) and accepts the invitation. Jon is getting flashbacks to his time as Lord Commander, when he is the sole voice for an unpopular action that must be taken. Even if it weren’t for Daenerys’ dragons, the North has been under siege for years. Food supplies are low, men are short. There’s a reason that boys and girls are being taught to fight. They need more manpower against the White Walkers, and Daenerys’ army is precisely what they need.

But once again, Sansa openly objects to Jon’s proposal in front of their lords. D&D continue to strike the same source of conflict between these two characters, in a way that seems artificial and forced. Especially when Jon rewards her with ruling the North in his absence. We just saw Jon seeking her counsel a scene earlier – why doesn’t he tell her his plans in private? The Starks look divided, and that won’t look good in front of the Northern nobility.

Petyr Balish also seems to be out of place this season. There is no clear understanding of just why, precisely, he is in the North, or what he is trying to accomplish. He may view chaos as a ladder, but the ladder doesn’t seem to be leading him anywhere. And the creep vibes he gives off does not seem to serve a purpose. In the earlier seasons, Petyr was very good at being everyone’s friend. That skill seemed to have evaporated by season 7 has rolled around.

Just what is Balish’s endgame plan? We are not getting much of a sense that he has one. Just like Varys, the changes to the narrative post season four has left Balish hanging.

Oldtown:

Sam’s arc is quickly becoming one of the best parts of the season. With an emphasis on being “hard rock Hogwarts”, the pacing of these scenes is stellar. They are glorified info dumps, but they are info dumps with style, and I am along for the ride. Maester Slughorn…err, Marwyn…no, Ebrose, sorry, is a darkly charming mentor for Sam.

The Grandmaesters actually had a good reason for hiding the greyscale cure – it tends to get the treater killed. But Samwell doesn’t have a say no attitude, and by golly he is going to save Ser Jorah. No matter what.

The cure for greyscale being entirely mundane instead of magical was a sigh of relief. And with the cure being to actually carve out the corrupted skin, one could not think of a better face for a character with morals are corrupted and dubious as Jorah Mormont. Next time, Ser Jorah, do not enslave people just to fulfill the debts of your wife. Also, don’t abuse the trust of a young woman and violate her privacy by kissing her without permission. No matter how sexily Ian Glen can growl “Khaleesi”, that is unforgivable.

And he does nothing for the narrative anyways, except slows it to a crawl.

Arya:

And the best scene transition goes to…pus soaked flesh into chicken pot pie! Mark Mylod had to be crackling as he directed that, and I wouldn’t blame him one bit. Grossing people out is a wonderful hobby to have.

Say one thing for season seven, and say that Arya’s arc has been on point, and her time in the inn is no exception. Watching her eat the pie surely made the entire audience hungering for something to stuff down their gut. You could hear every crunch, see the crumbs get stuck on Maisie Williams’ cheeks, and just get the sense that the pie was really damn good.

We also got a sense that the Hound had a profound impact on Arya. Her statement to having baked some pies is the kind of casual appeal to murder that sounds like it would come from Sandor Clegane’s mouth.

Arya also seems to have not realized that any of the Starks were alive, up until Hot Pie drops the fact that Jon took back Winterfell and was the King in the North. That changes her trajectory completely, from killing Cersei to reuniting with her family. Although that warms the heart, one has to wonder just what her last line to Jaqen H’ghar was supposed to mean. If she was “going home”, why was she not in Winterfell already?

The scene with Nymeria was, of course, wonderful, and D&D avoided the expected trap of having Nymeria rejoin with Arya. They haven’t been with each other for years, and Nymeria has long since found her own path in life. Nymeria has a pack, and Arya is on her way to reunite with hers.

Oh, of course this happens the moment Jon heads south for Dragonstone, but that’s plot convenience for you.

The Battle in the Narrow Sea:

So, we got one good scene and one bad one. The interaction between the Sand Snakes is almost…endearing. I actually found it a bit heart warming to see these three half-sisters are toying with each other. It almost makes one forget that they went and killed their nephew and joked about it.

But then we get the most awkward flirting with Yara and Elaria. “A foreign invasion is in progress”. Good god. They improvised most of those lines, and it really shows.

Once that nastiness is out of the way, we get a real sense of just what type of villain Euron Greyjoy is meant to be. The book version was an sorcerous pirate captain with delusions of eldritch power. Show Euron is the Mountain on the Sea. An absurd murderer with no desires to hold back his bloodlust. From the moment the Silence rams into the flagship of the Greyjoy fleet, Euron is an absurd villain.

And he rocks that role. Euron is utterly bloodthirsty that reflects the raised stakes of the series. Daenerys has brought dragons to Westeros, but Euron is showing us the true meaning “fire and blood”. Between the flaming ballista bolts and the Iron Islanders carving through each other, we get plenty of both.

The show does allude to how Euron from the novels would cut the tongue out of his crewmates. They are all silent, not speaking a single word, and one of the final shots is them cutting out the tongue out of the survivors.

The scene ends with Theon facing a new Ramsay. Seeing the way the Greyjoy loyalists are butchered by the crew of the Silence reminds Theon all too much of his abuser, and he can’t take it. Alfie Williams deserve an award for this scene alone. He utterly sells just the shame and fear in Theon.

When the episode draws to a close, Theon is left behind, just another bit of wreckage in Euron’s wake.

The episode opened with a storm of water, and it ended with one of blood.

#game of thrones #stormborn

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