tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post4056536252584470827..comments2024-03-24T03:19:39.745-04:00Comments on Just About Write: Game of Thrones 7x04 Recap: "The Spoils of War" (Field of Fire 2.0) [Contributor: Melanie]Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post-46433240524240793762017-08-15T11:38:01.215-04:002017-08-15T11:38:01.215-04:00Your point about Varys is a fair one, thanks for b...Your point about Varys is a fair one, thanks for bringing that up. In society, he is in a position of minority and, thus, disadvantages. So thanks for bringing that to my attention. As for the other points, it would take too long for me to post a response but I agree with the majority of what you say.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18137590139976645731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post-85773519292359308262017-08-12T05:03:00.833-04:002017-08-12T05:03:00.833-04:00There is also the fact that Dany herself is, at le...There is also the fact that Dany herself is, at least in Westeros terms, an unproven quantity. Yes she’s done remarkable things in Essos, but I’m not sure how much news of that would have reached Westeros (especially someone like Jon, who has spent most of the last few years at the far end of nowhere). At the time she’s demanding Jon bend the knee she has something of a credibility problem - she’s the ruler of a single island who has lost the first major battle her forces fought since coming back and allowed her most important ally (Dorne) to be conquered without lifting a finger to stop it who is demanding submission from someone who rules an entire kingdom with armies and loyal subjects backing him up. She does come across as a bit entitled to be blunt, <a href="https://tudorblogger.wordpress.com/2015/08/27/analysis-of-elizabeth-is-speech-at-tilbury-before-the-spanish-armada-1588/" rel="nofollow">in the words of a truly great warrior Queen</a> who played the Game of Thrones for real, she has yet to show she has the heart and stomach of a king. (Incidentally, as it’s come up in the show, note the unapologetic way that Elizabeth claims the title of prince for herself in that speech.)<br /><br />That said, this episode goes a long way to addressing these concerns about Dany - she has now proven herself in battle (something which, like it or not, is a big deal in this sort of society) by personally leading her forces to a crushing victory over arguably her enemy’s best (and certainly most respected) general, people should start taking her more seriously now. And I remain optimistic that a modus vivendi will be reached with Jon - something happened in that cave (a literal plot hole according to one review I saw…) after the cameras left that resulting in them walking out apparently comfortable with each other and Dany not only asking for Jon’s advice but taking it. I’ve seen speculation ranging from him bending the knee in secret to proposing marriage, hopefully we’ll find out soon.<br /><br />One nitpick - “however, he and Varys — two men”, Varys is actually a eunuch. In cultures where that is a thing eunuchs tend to either be regarded as a third gender or genderless, not as full men (note Grand Maester Pycelle’s dismissal way back in S1 of poison as “a weapon of women and eunuchs”). Varys would be regarded as being fundamentally outside the sexual politics of the situation.<br /><br />“On one last, icky note... please don’t have Dany sleep with her own nephew.”<br /><br />Indeed, but do either of them know that? And it’s not as if historically it was a big issue for Targaryens anyway...<br />Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05423394808469206711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post-66860813960261511062017-08-12T04:55:35.203-04:002017-08-12T04:55:35.203-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05423394808469206711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post-56526499254498447612017-08-12T04:55:07.729-04:002017-08-12T04:55:07.729-04:00Thanks for the review of what is probably the best...Thanks for the review of what is probably the best episode this season so far, speaking personally I’d single out the battle scene at the end - most battles in GoT have tended to resolve themselves by at least one side making a completely idiotic and unbelievable mistake (don’t get me started on the Battle of the Bastards…) but we finally had one where both sides behaved realistically, both Jaime and Dany did the best they could in the circumstances and the ending was realistic - though I will be sad if Jaime’s dead, the fact that the episode faded to black with silence instead of the closing theme tune isn’t a good omen.<br /><br />I do think you’re being a little bit unfair on Jon Snow though with “The difference here, of course, is that it is a woman asking a man to bow to her.” This is after all the guy who unhesitatingly appointed a woman to act as his regent (and one furthermore who had been driving him nuts by publicly challenging his leadership and who has a better legal claim to the throne than he does), thereby effectively requiring the northern lords to bow to her, I think he can be absolved of the charge of having a major problem with the idea of allowing a woman to be in charge. I’m not sure the Mance parallel works either, that was a case of Jon begging Mance to submit to Stannis knowing full well that Stannis was such a stiff-necked old brute that he would allow the wildlings to die if they didn’t, not demanding he submit to Jon himself.<br /><br />I think Jon’s motives are a tad more complicated. Firstly, as you rightly point out, the North has had enough of Stark’s being killed by whoever sits on the Iron Throne (as well as the examples you give we shouldn’t forget Ned being betrayed and killed by the son of the current occupant of that throne) and is in no mood to risk a repeat performance. This ties in to the fundamental weakness of Jon’s possession - being a bastard, he has no legal or dynastic claim to the northern throne, he holds it solely on the basis of acclamation by the northern lords. He has got to be worried that if he sacrifices the North’s hard-won independence for Dany’s support those same lords will depose him and acclaim someone (presumably Sansa) who will preserve the North’s freedom, which Jon know’s would be disastrous in the face of the White Walkers. Jon really is walking a terribly wobbly tightrope between the North’s desire to be free and Dany’s desire to be the undisputed ruler of the whole of Westeros.<br /><br />(continued in next post - character limit!)Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05423394808469206711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post-72100784094816305532017-08-10T07:26:49.851-04:002017-08-10T07:26:49.851-04:00I believe that's the direction the show is hea...I believe that's the direction the show is heading in, yes. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18137590139976645731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678481478994191244.post-81955743131781057972017-08-08T22:00:27.671-04:002017-08-08T22:00:27.671-04:00Do you think Dany would marry Jon in order to secu...Do you think Dany would marry Jon in order to secure an alliance with the North?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com