Game of Thrones fans are ready to go to war with the showrunners following Daenerys Targeryen’s character arc in Season 8, Episode 5, “The Bells.”
Warning! Spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5 lie ahead!
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After the bloodshed of Rhaegal and Missandei in “The Last of the Starks,” Daenerys Targeryn led her forces into the “Last War,” and while Cersei ultimately ordered the bells of surrender to be rung, the Mother of Dragons had succumbed to madness and unleashed rampage upon King’s Landing in “The Bells.”
Daenerys’ ruthlessness and the shift from a leader who wanted peace to a leader who was willing to kill thousands of innocents, however, left many fans up in arms.
“What made the writers think the Mad Queen arc for Daenerys was a smart choice????” one person questioned. “You literally just told your audience that self fulfilling prophecies are inevitable and free will and choice do not exist. That people can never not be like their parents or their parents before them.”
“‘I will Break the Wheel’ ??? She became a spoke in the wheel,” they continued. “You just told us as an audience that if [you’re] parents were bad, bad choices are inevitable, and if that isn’t the most garbage writing decision ever [I don’t know] what is.”
“I’m not pissed about the Mad Queen arc (I’ve been rooting for that since the beginning), I’m pissed that it’s coming about because Dany apparently can’t deal with Turbulent Female Emotions,” another fan added. “‘ She can’t be a good ruler, she’s not as collected and level-headed as Jon Snow!’”
“OMG i can’t stand this s–!!!” another wrote. “THEY RUINED HER CHARACTER SO BADLY. THEY RUINED EVERY DEVELOPMENT, EVERY PROPHECY, EVERYTHING! I’m done with this.”
Many fans even called back to an interview with Vanity Fair actress Emilia Clarke had given before the Season 8 premiere, in which she was not enthused with the route her character arc had taken.
“It f–ed me up,” she said, “knowing that is going to be a lasting flavor in someone’s mouth of what Daenerys is.”
Speaking out about the questionable decision following the episode’s premiere, showrunner David Benoiff told Entertainment Tonight that “if circumstances had been different, I don’t think this side of Dany ever would have come out… if all these things had happened in any different way, then I don’t think we’d be seeing this side of Daenerys Targaryen.”
Game of Thrones is set to conclude with its series finale on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
