RJ Writing Ink’s Reasons Why He’s Not Taking Sides in House of the Dragon
One month from now, the world of Television will return to Westeros for the second season of House of the Dragon. After the controversial ending to Game of Thrones, many people swore off the world that George R.R. Martin created and that they thought Weiss and Benioff almost ruined. However, HBO debuted House of the Dragon three years later, a prequel series set two hundred years before GoT. Depicting House Targaryen at the height of its power, House of the Dragon won back many disillusioned fans with its writing, acting, and more dragons. Alas, the cutthroat world of Westeros means that anything cool cannot last long in this world. By the end of the first season, House Targaryen was at war with itself over who gets to sit on the Iron Throne.
As the days tick away towards the following season, HBO’s efforts to promote it have focused on the two sides that drive the show’s conflict. On one side, we have the Blacks, led by Rhaenyra Targaryen. On the other hand, we have the Greens, officially led by Rhaenyra’s half-brother, Aegon, but run by his grandfather, Otto Hightower. In an inspired move of advertising, HBO even split the first trailer for Season Two into two, one for each faction. The whole point was encouraging fans to pick a side and support them in the fight.
Too bad I’m not falling for it. I refuse to take a side in this Dance of Dragons. It’s not because I already know how this will end; I’ve never had a problem with spoilers. I have other reasons why I’m refusing to support either side. Here’s why.
Game of Thrones Left Me Disillusioned With Picking Sides
Even though I understood the broad strokes of the plot, I didn’t get into Game of Thrones until the end of Season Six. By the time I finished binging/reading up on the show, my loyalty was firmly behind Houses Stark and Targaryen. I liked the Starks because no matter how much they suffered (and suffered a lot), they kept trying to do the right thing. As for Daenerys Targaryen, I thought that she was special. I wanted her to be the one to redeem her family’s legacy. Most importantly, though, I felt Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen would be the Prince Who Was Promised. That before the series ended, they would unite the fractured Seven Kingdoms, stop the threat of the White Walkers, and save the world of men.
Imagine how disappointed I was with the final season.
As cool as it was seeing Arya establish herself as the deadliest woman in Westeros, the final season was a massive letdown. Not only did Daenerys and Jon not take the throne or even be the ones to save the world, but the latter killed the former when she went mad from grief. And in the end, no one sat on the Iron Throne. The ending left me feeling pretty bitter and jaded. So when I started watching House of The Dragon, I promised myself not to pick a side. I could care about the characters, but I wouldn’t let grief overwhelm me when someone I liked died. Or when a character I liked did something I morally objected to.
Which brings me to my next point.
Neither Side Has The Moral High Ground
The Blacks and Greens can say their side supports the rightful ruler of Westeros all they want. They can say that the other side started the Dance of Dragons, and that their cause is just and moral. However, when you look at both sides, neither has the moral high ground. They’re both at fault.
Firstly, we have the Greens. Otto Hightower and his cohorts can justify backing Aegon as following the precedent of agnatic primogeniture set when the Great Houses chose his father as the next King. However, that doesn’t change the fact that King Viserys declared Rhaenyra his heir and made everyone swear oaths to recognize her. I know lying is par for the course, but don’t they have any shame?
There’s also the fact that the man they want to be King isn’t worthy. Aegon knows it, and the Greens know it. In contrast, Rhaenyra has many of the qualities that would make a good ruler. Gender aside, she’s the ideal candidate. However, she isn’t without her own flaws.
Rhaenyra has a fatal flaw: she takes the freedom she had growing up for granted. This left her unable to empathize with those in lesser stations who wish they could do what she does. Maybe if she did, then she wouldn’t have alienated herself from Criston Cole and Alicent. And let’s not forget how, despite being a badass, Daemon is a troll and borderline sociopath at times. That doesn’t help matters.
Thus far, the Greens are more at fault for starting the Dance of Dragons. Trust me, though. If the show goes anything like the books, this season will see them lose any moral high ground.
The Whole War is Pointless and Causes Most of the Problems in Game of Thrones
It goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. Most of the problems and issues that drive the plot of Game of Thrones originate from the Dance of Dragons and how it cripples House Targaryen.
The Targaryens had it all at the start of House of the Dragon. They were plentiful in numbers, wealth beyond measure, and a stable population of dragons. By the time this series is over, almost none of that will be left. And thanks to the eventual extinction of the dragons, they lose the ability to do whatever they want. Instead of using the dragons as a force for good to unite Westeros for the coming of the White Walkers, they wasted everything. And for what? The Iron Throne isn’t the key to ultimate power. It’s a curse that brings ruin to House Targaryen.
For the record, I support Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne. However, I’ve already been burned by the world of Ice and Fire letting me down once. That’s why I’m not backing either side in the Dance of Dragons. Instead, I’m going to do the smart thing. I’m going to sit down each Sunday, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the carnage as the Targaryens tear themselves to pieces like a bunch of fools.
