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I’m looking at trailers for the coming weeks ahead and I just cannot stand another scene of Rhaenhra sniveling and crying. Why is she crying? The acting decisions are truly ludicrous. Why would I root for someone who isn’t strong nor fierce? Why should I root for someone without warmth, passion, or depth?

I will not be watching the episode three Rhaenyra bottle episode. Many others should do the same to send a message.

I know book readers have largely washed their hands of Alicent and Rhaenyra as characters after season two. I understand there is little expectation that Condal and Hess will develop them in interesting ways. “Men bad, women pure.” Yada. Yada. The rumors about their character arcs and lines this season have inspired very little hope.

Emma D’Arcy’s performance in particular has underwhelmed a large part of the fanbase who feel that they play the character too mutely and too meekly compared to the vivid performance by Milly Alcock and the vengeful, passionate queen hinted at in the source material. And after 12 episodes, it’s not something that people will easily change their minds about.

Nevertheless, the reviews have made me intensely curious about Rhaenyra’s arc this season, particularly episode three.

Episode three is confirmed to be a Rhaenyra bottle episode focused on her rule in King’s landing and thus far, it is the most critically praised episode of the series since the focus on on Viserys in season one, episode eight. It will center around Rhaenyra psychologically unraveling as she realizes she’s sacrificed two sons and more for a meaningless job she doesn’t even like. Some reviewers describe Emma’s performance as theatrical, some describe it as dark/tense, and there are a few that describe it as almost comical in a sort of medieval Kendal Roy way. Reviewers who have never liked Emma’s performance have described it as the first time that Emma started to win them over. Other reviewers railed against it as an offensive rehash of season 8 Dany. It’s all very contradictory.

However, all reviewers seem to agree that episode three Rhaenyra displays personality traits, flaws, and quirks that were never shown or even hinted at in the proceeding episodes by either Milly or Emma. Wether praising it as the true Rhaenyra “finally” revealing herself and D’Arcy finally proving they can do something interesting with the character or criticizing it as rushed, random character development, there is a consensus that she is essentially reborn into an entirely new character.

I think book purist will hate the episode and Rhaenyra’s development for various reasons but I am curious how the casual audience will react. I think it will make it break the show for the casual audience. Either this will be a dreadfully boring rehash of “The Bells” that turns a lot of people off or Emma will finally prove that they and the writers are capable of making Adult Rhaenyra a compelling(if not well written) lead for the remainder of the series.

I’m not saying that would have been the best decision but Book Rhaena has been essentially cut anyway. The current version of her is just high born Nettles.

In episode six of season one, the time jump could have introduced Nettles as a bastard born on Driftmark and taken with Daemon & Laena to be a body servant/playmate for Baela in Pentos. They could have kept many of the same scenes that they had with Rhaena.
Lowborn Nettles would have wished she was a dragonrider like her best friend Baela. Fatherless Nettles would have wished Daemon doted on her like Baela. Brave Nettles would have been delusional enough to try to claim a Vaegar before Aemond and because Baela was her best friend, she would have tried to help her. Servant Nettles would have been forced by Rhaenyra to take of the children in the Vale.

Like I said, basically the same plots that Rhaena had anyway. Also, they would have been able to keep the ambiguity of Nettles being either a secret bastard daughter who Daemon made into his servant to keep her close or a non-related girl who became a grooming victim.

The only plot hole is Luke needing an excuse for not being able to accept a betrothal to a Baratheon daughter.

Have they learned how to act?

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