We can only hope. I don't think we will, but I will hope, just for your sake.

Dany is a queen because everyone else died. With Griff cut, it removes the obstacle of a male relative standing in her way yet again. She wasn't born into it, like Arianne.

I think we'd have to understand that her actions are a reaction to what's been done to her. There's that sliding transformation to Robert, there's associating Jaime and her children as extensions of herself and her own vanity - a lot of scheming got dropped last year - her relationships with Qyburn, the Merryweather,…

Sigh. It did give us a woman in a legit position of power like or was no big deal.

I do wonder if this is a show invention re: her age, rather than book.

Here's how you fix Dorne in the show, and keep Myrcella dead and the status quo maintained, AND have Doran and Hotah alive:

I don't think she was ever less central to things in the books.

Also, the hunting scene.

I do think that they dropped the ball with Cersei wrt a Lannister villain. They've made her increasingly sympathetic to, as you say, render the remaining Lannister no longer villians. Kind of how they've ramped up the fanaticism of the Sparrows to downplay Cersei bungling EVERYTHING.

Economy of storytelling. We've got two sex scenes, one complete with a threat that essentially makes Myranda as much victim as Sansa, and her own special "mourning" scene this episode. That's pretty significant consider how the show jumps around.

You're also forgetting Arianne.

Part of me wonders about the economy of storytelling going on here: Why? One scene, sure. Two scenes, maybe, but he's popped up again and again increasingly separated from the other characters.

"Oberyn wanted vengeance for Elia. Now the three of you want vengeance for him. I have four daughters, I remind you. Your sisters. My Elia is fourteen, almost a woman. Obella is twelve, on the brink of maidenhood. They worship you, as Dorea and Loreza worship them. If you should die, must El and Obella seek vengeance…

Moved it on over! Thanks!

They could, yknow, adapt the storyline, rather than create a new one outright.

There were more NW at Hardhome than Jon.

That's the thing - I get the issues in adaptation, but they seem to make a point to change things for the sake of changing them rather than adaptug, when its a matter of mere dialogue, without any need to add more cast or more filming.

I heart you.

Also, it's good to see you all again!

That's the problem: the show simplifies. It dumbs down. I don't know if it's the show runners, or the perception of the audience they have.