the-half-year-queen

[the-half-year-queen]

peepaw's turn now

[the-half-year-queen]

#rhaenyra targeryen #rhaenyra #hotd #house of the dragon #emma d'arcy

[the-half-year-queen]

I’ve seen a lot of people talking about how the half of Viserys’s face that’s rotting facing the greens and the half that’s fine facing the blacks is symbolizing their badness and goodness but I’d argue differently. The rotting side faces the greens because they are the ones that deal with Viserys at his worst. Alicent is raped by him. Aemond is mutilated and denied justices. They are the ones caring for him as he rots away and they see the worst of him. The blacks get his best side. Rhaenyra gets a loving permissive father. Luceros and Jacaerys don’t get punished for what they do. He protects them against rumors of bastardry. They visit him when they want his help but have not been there for his sickness.

The two sides of Viserys’s face are about the two sides of himself and which each cohort sees.

[the-half-year-queen]

Matt with the kids🥺❤

THANK YOU LEO ASHTON FOR POSTING THIS. We love youu

[the-half-year-queen]

Rhaenyra Targaryen’s necklaces

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 1 (2022)

[the-half-year-queen]

You have ruined her.

#daemyra #hotd #house of the dragon #daemon targaryen #rhaenyra targaryen #ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME #JSNSKAKAIDBNDSOAJS

[the-half-year-queen]

Imagine Aemond telling Alicent that it was an accident, begging her to believe him, but she doesn’t, and nothing he say can convince her

And suddenly she can’t even meet his gaze, and when she look at him there’s only disappointment

And suddenly he understands Aegon a little better

[the-half-year-queen]

Can we talk about how:

Mysaria never got pregnant by Daemon and miscarried?

We never saw Alicent in labour despite of the fact that she's a child bride in a marriage she had no say in?

Laena DIDN'T bear a deformed son that would shortly afterwards die and drive her to despair? Or that we didn't see her want to ride Vhagar one last time and dying on her way there and Daemon carrying her dead body back to bed?

Rhaena and Baela barely got consoled while we get endless scenes of Jace and Luke being attended to?

We didn't get to see Alicent crown Helaena at the coronation before Rhaenys unceremoniously interrupts them? The making of the Queen that captured the hearts of the smallfolk so much that her suffering caused the largest uprising in King's Landing?

Are we going to talk about how all that TOOK from all these female characters to give to a select few (e.g Rhaenyra) so as to market these grey female characters as being more 'sympthetic' than other female characters whose stories were so badly represented or in some cases utterly disregarded and not followed upon (like Rhaena and Baela)?

Peace out.

#hotd #house of the dragon #shit makes me so mad

[the-half-year-queen]

Why??

[the-half-year-queen]

I literally don't get what they wanted to do in this scene with their whole shit about Daemon being angry about Viserys not trusting him about the prophesy because honestly, not only it makes no sense... It makes Viserys look worse. Like yes, Viserys had his very much dick moments in the book like what happened with Daemon and Mysaria's baby (to which Daemon had all rights to be cross about) but in the show they cut that make their relationship very one-sided. Viserys talks about always being defending Daemon, how he has no allies in court but him... But what has Daemon done exactly to be so hated? In the books we have the Oldtown Conspiracy to figure out that the Hightowers didn't want him Daemon in court because he smelled their shit and in the show that is partly. But Viserys' behaviour in the show makes him look like a total arsehole that basically pushed away his younger brother for... Reasons? Daemon's marriage to Rhea is not consummated in the show, so he could have had an annulment but I guess Viserys didn't grant it? Even when his babies kept dying and he had only one living child? He didn't trust Daemon then? When he was a young man living in the Vale, that was sold in marriage so he could have support for his crown? A lot of Viserys's supposed love for his brother seems to be tell-don't-show, while in contrast we actually see Daemon defending Viserys when he doesn't notice (against Corlys' insults, telling Rhaenyra to support him, being suspicious that the Hightowers are poisoning him, telling Viserys in his face that the members of his council are praying on him), the only time we see Viserys defending Daemon in is in the councils in the first episode and even then I wonder what was actually offence for them slandering his brother or just stress over Aemma and the baby's death.

And then we have that scene of Daemon after the time skip when he finally stands up for himself and basically tells Viserys to shove his offer of being in court where the sun doesn't shine. That was a good scene, it showed character development and went well with Daemon later marrying Rhaenyra because he doesn't care about what his brother thinks anymore. He doesn't care if he wants to go to bed with the Hightowers, he made it himself.

Viserys never showed trust on Daemon in the whole show. Even his few gestures of affection seemed kind of superficial, so why would Daemon, years after moving on and accepting the fact his brother trusted the Hightowers more than him, fucking care about a stupid prophesy? And was that supposed to make Daemon look bad? Why? Because of random shock value of choking his wife? The whole reasoning behind his anger only makes sense if they were painting Viserys as bad, if the narrative recognised that Viserys was dismissive with Daemon. But because these writers hate Daemon, then the whole scene falls apart because there is no precedence on Viserys ever trusting Daemon.

[the-half-year-queen]

[the-half-year-queen]

Emma and Matt are co-captains of Team Daemyra

Emma’s read on Rhaenyra is interesting. 

Re: Stillbirth

“The advice Rhaenyra is receiving is to have patience, in the hope of preventing the child being stillborn or preventing harm to the child. And she ignores the advice, seeking instead to get this body out of her. And I think it’s really fundamental, and it will be possibly divisive, but ultimately I think she chooses her own bodily autonomy. She prioritises her own bodily autonomy. She literally says in the scene, like ‘get it out’.”

The succession challenge is entirely due to her being female. Her father has passed, this is her ascension moment but her body reminds her of her uterus so whilst Daemon, her male counterpart and former heir unburdened by his lack of womb, is able to take action, she is relegated to the birthing suite aka her battlefield. I know a lot of people have been upset that Daemon didn’t go to Rhaenyra when she cried out his name but I now think she was yelling out his name because she just wanted him to pause and wait for her delivery before anything were to go ahead. Rhaenyra delivered Joffrey alone and didn’t appear to begrudge Laenor/Harwin and Viserys wasn’t with Aemma during delivery until he had to decide whether or not to murder her. 

Everything is happening without her, this moment she’s been anticipating for 15 years is finally here and she’s been sidelined by a baby that DAEMON put into her while HE takes on the leadership rule in her absence. When she sends Jace, she doesn’t tell him to bring Daemon to her but she wants him to remind Daemon (and everyone else) that SHE is the fucking heir and Queen. So then she just decides, fuck it, I need this OUT because it’s impeding her birthright. 

“I think Rhaenyra really seeks to claim surrogate fathers, and I think she is drawn to [Corlys] somewhat. It even happens in this episode with Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) on the bridge.”

This was interesting because I hadn’t considered this in her interaction with Otto because I had thought her consideration for peace only related to Alicent and an avoidance of war. Emma talked about possibly wanting to appease Otto as a surrogate father figure. I mean, there is already the massive daddy issue that is her relationship with Daemon. But I hadn’t really seen that play out with Otto, particularly given that in childhood, she is the one who convinces Viserys to send him away. I don’t feel like many other Otto/Rhaenyra scenes give off this vibe to me so it was interesting to hear Emma’s take.

“I don’t actually think he’s been violent to her before, although I think there’s been a lot of conflict. But fundamentally, when Rhaenyra realises Daemon was never taught the prophecy, she suddenly gains legitimacy. Because she understands that it was her, she was chosen for this…She begged [Viserys] to show her what to do because she can’t do it alone, and I think in this scene, she gets a message from beyond the grave the moment that she understands that Damon wasn’t chosen. ‘Wow, it was never you.’”

So no, Daemon has never been violent towards Rhaenyra. Emma mentioned that they were both grieving in the instance and Daemon was managing it far worse than Rhaenyra. And this is the moment Rhaenyra mentally acknowledges all that Viserys trusted her with aka the well-being and safety of the entire Realm. SHE is the one who needs to lead.

Emma also mentioned that Matt Smith was the one who came up with the idea that Daemon should tell her about Lucerys and for them to walk away from camera towards the fireplace etc. Matt is single-handedly trying to inject as much humanity and nuance into Daemon while the writers keep trying to maintain a villain status. Because it was Matt’s idea for the moment Daemon helps Viserys to his Throne and crowns him. That was such an important moment for these two estranged brothers who still loved each other and it was improvised by the actor. Sigh.

“There’s that idea that you would die for your lover, but kill for your children. She understands that now.”

Ugh can I just skip ahead to 2024??

[the-half-year-queen]

I wanna talk about that final scene because I’m obsessed.

So as far as we know the last time they spoke Daemon & Rheanyra we’re not on the same page. Daemon went off to deal with the Dragons. So he had seemingly been gone for but the minute he walks into that room Rheanyra notices. This is a call back to episodes 4 & 7 and how when Daemon walks into a room everything falls away for her. Now obviously this is a sadder circumstance but it’s still true.

As he approaches her eyes follow him. And once he gets closer her body language is completely open to him. It’s really signifies that despite their violent disagreement their relationship really isn’t fractured. Yes they have been on different pages but they are still ultimately on the same side.

As he tells her about Luke he takes her hand but he also moves closer to her. There is a moment where their is no space between them. I think this is important because the entire episode their is so much space between them. They are disagreeing. They aren’t listening or understanding each other but in this moment they are back on the same page. They they physical contact is to give her support but it’s also symbolic in that they are now a unit, one entity that the Greens should be scared of.

Then even when he pulls away to give her space he clutches her hand a little while longer before giving her space to grieve but he doesn’t leave. He stays there silently supporting her

[the-half-year-queen]

best girl rhaena coming through

[the-half-year-queen]

I support Daemon's rights AND Daemon's wrongs

I support Rhaenyra's rights but not her wrongs because she can do no wrong so there is nothing to support

[the-half-year-queen]

the reason i like daemon and rhaenyra’s vibe so much aside from the gothic romance of it all is because it’s very florida man and his beloved pet alligator who lives in a pool in the yard and cuddles with him and goes on little walks with him to the store. and it’s sooo cute but also deeply uncomfortable because you’re like. what are you doing that is a wild animal and it’s going to eat your face????? only daemon and rhaenyra are both the florida man and the pet alligator at the same time. that’s their thing.

[the-half-year-queen]

howling over this reddit comment from the HoTD thread