One conversation in 'Game of Thrones' episode 6 could be Daenerys' downfall
For the past seven seasons, Daenerys Targaryen has had one primary goal in mind: Win the Iron Throne.
But now, as she comes closer to realizing her dream, it's become apparent that she hasn't thought a whole lot about what'll happen after she wins the Iron Throne.
In Sunday night's episode, Tyrion, in his role as Hand of the Queen, broaches the delicate topic of succession. "I believe in you and in the world you want to build," he reassures her.
But the world you want to build doesn’t get built all at once. Probably not in a single lifetime. How do we ensure your vision endures? After you break the wheel, how do we make sure it stays broken?
Dany, however, isn't having it. "We will discuss the succession after I wear the crown," she insists.
Her reluctance is easy enough to understand. She's still a young woman, and she's still got a ways to go before she's on the Iron Throne. Enemies are pressing in on all sides, and that cute Jon Snow is giving her heart-eyes. Succession doesn't exactly seem like the most pressing matter at this point in time.
And yet.
As Tyrion points out, Dany has a habit of charging headfirst into dangerous situations on the backs of her dragons. Every time she does, she's risking death – and if she dies, her revolution dies with her.
Dany's coalition of Dothraki, Unsullied, and disillusioned Westerosi are currently being held together by their righteous belief in their ruler and the ideals she espouses. Without her, they'd just be a bunch of squabbling, unrelated factions. That, in turn, would make them easy targets once the crown got around to punishing them for treason.
Moreover, Dany's disregard for Tyrion's (extremely reasonable!) concerns should give him pause. Dany's whole pitch is that she's not just "politics as usual" – she stands for something greater than herself. Just listen to Missandei gush about how great it is to follow a leader she chose, rather than one she was forced to accept.
By refusing to even entertain the idea of how this movement might carry on without her, Dany is demonstrating the usual selfishness that citizens of Westeros have come to expect from their leaders. She starts to look like just another politician who wants power for its own sake.
To be fair to Dany, there's a reason why this is an extra sensitive subject for her. Per a certain prophecy, she cannot bear children. So the usual method of hereditary succession is out of the question.
Tyrion, who's well aware, presents some other options for her to consider. "The Night’s Watch has one method," he says. "The Ironborn, for all their many flaws, have another."
Interestingly, both the Night's Watch and the Ironborn rely on some form of voting to choose their successors. We're not saying Westeros is headed toward a representative democracy anytime soon ... but the idea's out there now.
At least, that is, if Dany and Tyrion both survive long enough to pick up this conversation again and make a final decision.
Topics Game Of Thrones
