Over the course of Game of Thrones, Daenerys has always veered too close to tyranny—and her arrival in the North isn’t making the situation any better.
When it comes to rulers, Game of Thrones has always explored the concept of tyranny in Westeros, questioning what balance one must strike in order to be a strong ruler who is still good for his or her people. The series has had plenty of monarchs who fall on opposite sides of that spectrum over its seven seasons, but it’s rarely introduced a leader who exhibits both qualities.
And, of course, fans can’t forget about the Mad King, whose tyrannical leadership is what began Robert’s rebellion—and many of the Game of Thrones characters’ stories—in the first place.
Given how ruthless her father was during his time as king, the show has also repeatedly addressed the possibility that Daenerys could follow in his footsteps. Particularly last season, Daenerys struggled to determine where to draw the line between evoking enough fear to be a strong leader and still doing what’s right for the people of Westeros. Tyrion has frequently worried that her actions against the Lannister forces, and in particular, House Tarly, might have taken things too far.
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen and Kit Harington as Jon Snow – Photo: Courtesy of HBO
Now, with Daenerys’ arrival at Winterfell, fans are beginning to see this side of her once more. The Targaryen queen isn’t exactly patient when it comes to convincing people to bend the knee, and the Northerners are outwardly unhappy to find themselves under her leadership. It makes plenty of sense that they wouldn’t trust a southern leader, and especially one whose father burned Stark family members alive prior to Robert’s rebellion.
Daenerys knows the history between the Targaryens and the Northerners, and she was also warned repeatedly by both Jon and Davos that the North wouldn’t take well to discovering that Jon bent the knee. It would have made sense for her to have attempted to get to know the people she wants to lead better, but during “Winterfell,” she mostly seems ready to begin making examples of Northerners.
This is most evident in Daenerys’ conversation with Jon, when she begins to complain that Sansa isn’t her biggest fan. And while Sansa could certainly have given Daenerys a warmer welcome, she’s doing what she feels is right for her people—and she’s right to question both Daenerys’ motives and Jon’s decision to bend the knee to her.
It seems that Daenerys could try to answer these questions for Sansa, winning the other Starks over to her cause in the process, but instead Daenerys tells Jon that she doesn’t need Sansa to be her friend because she is still her queen. Her tone suggests that she wants to threaten the older Stark sister into accepting her role, though their discussion is cut off before she can actually do so.
Let’s not forget that she almost used a similar tactic with Jon during the show’s seventh season—until she realized that the Dornish and the Tyrells wouldn’t be providing armies to her cause any longer.
There’s also Sam’s question from the end of “Winterfell” to consider. When Sam breaks the big news about Jon’s parentage to his friend, he’s greeted with denial on Jon’s end. Jon insists that he’s already bent the knee to Daenerys, to which Sam poses a question: “You gave up your crown to save your people,” he says. “Would she do the same?”
If we’re being honest here, Daenerys probably wouldn’t do the same. While Daenerys has undoubtedly improved the lives of thousands of people across the Narrow sea—and she has good intentions for those living in Westeros—she’s shown little interest in helping those unwilling to give her a crown. Her refusal to hear her subjects’ perspectives is worrisome, and the fact that she’d only lend her army to the North after Jon bent the knee is problematic as well… especially since she’s seen the Night King’s forces with her own eyes.
Most fans would like to see Daenerys and the Starks supporting one another by the end of the series, but she’ll have to work harder to convince Jon’s family that she’s trustworthy. Right now, that’s something she doesn’t seem eager to do, but hopefully one of her advisors will talk her into it.
We’ll see how tensions in the North fare during the next episode of Game of Thrones on April 21.
Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
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