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a-baleful-howl · 7 years

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This is Not a Love Story: part 2

Check out or refresh with Part 1 here.

To tell a good love story on screen, scenes, dialogue, camera angles and shots are important. Usually you have lots of quiet "get to know you" moments. Or single shots showing one of the love interests reactions. You need to give obvious and believable reasons for them to be falling in love. Television caters to the lowest common denominator for exposition. Usually its the big plot twists and mastermind moments that are subtle little easter egg hints.

When you compare the scenes between Jon and Sansa in S6, to the Jon and Dany scenes in S7, there is a big contrast. And the audience picked up on it, and thats why we now have a lot of Jonsa shippers after S6. People speak in body language, and movie language helps audiences to pick up on that. If you surprise your audience with a romance that wasn't well built up, you're audience will be colder to the idea and it will not feel believable. Or, the love story will not be the main focus, instead perhaps the conflict and the repercussions of it will be. It would not be a love story.

I am not sold on really anything right now. Ive said it before and I'll say it again. Im not sold on undercover!Jon. I'm not sold on horny!Jon. I'm not sold on Jon being in or out of love right now, either. It could go so many ways. But, after months of doing research on how to write romance for my own books and stories, I know when I see a well written romance vs a bad one. And I sure hope this badly written romance isnt the victim of a rushed season or cocky writers.

I definitely got the feeling from S6 that Kit was given direction that he was slowly falling in love with his "sister" and super conflicted about it. I know Kit can do it. I know he can - so why are we not seeing it here? He could be fighting against the idea of a relationship because he has bigger things to worry about (See: Night King) but what would he be falling in love with?? Right now, the only conceivable answer would be "her looks" - which is just....infuriating. Enraging. Just... jaw droppingly maddening.

Looks can be a starting point - yes. But once Jon sees more and more of who Dany really is, theres just no way he would fall in love. They have totally separate goals. Old, pre-crow Jon would have looked at Dany and just laughed.

So have the scenes theyve shared so far shown us how they would possibly fall in love? Let's see.

Directly after the power-struggle cave scene, we have Jon and Dany exit the cave onto the beach where Dany gets some bad news.

She flips out. Jon and Davos stand awkwardly by while mommy Dany and daddy Tyrion fight at the dinner table. When Dany turns around to bite Tyrions head off, Jon steps several steps back. She is frightening everyone else on that beach. This is a display of Dany's temperamental behavior. She is angry and turning against someone who was supposed to be her most trusted advisor. Her loyalty and diplomacy is hanging by a thread. She is not as calm and level headed as everyone would want you to believe. She will turn against anyone, at anytime.

She accuses Tyrion of being too attached to his family. Who else thinks family is super important? Jon, of course. He sees Dany basically say "fuck family" and threaten Tyrion, her hand, for putting family over her. Apparently, the only one allowed to be sentimental towards family is her?

She is worked up in such a rage over starting to lose her war that she immediately goes into the "dark place". Fire and blood. Tyrion tries to calm her down but she bites his head off more.

Emilia says in the BTS, "Every time that things go wrong, more Targaryen comes out. More fire comes out."

She's being rude to Tyrion, embarrassing him in front of others, disrespecting his advice. We have seen this in the past - Dany DOES NOT like being told what to do. More often than not she completely disregards her advisors advice, does what she wants to anyway, and it comes back to bite her in the end. Every season highlights a direct piece of advice she ignores and how it fails horribly. Why hasnt she learned her lesson by now? Because she never admits when she fucks up and learn from her mistakes.

Then she turns her attention to Jon when Tyrion doesn't tell her what she wants to hear.

Dany has shown Jon little, if any, respect since he arrived. Being cold, distant, imprisoning him, not calling him by his appointed title, only offering to help if she gets something in return, etc. So why does she ask him for his advice? Its surprising and makes little sense. And Jon does not want to get in the middle of this. This isn't his war, thats not why he came, and he just saw how she treats her advisors. But she's insistent. She wants advice from someone different.

Back to the dragons. He uses them to take a stab in the dark about how/why she has so many followers. He makes that great speech that boils down to "don't be more of the same. Be different." He's also taking a little bit of his own story here. He came back from the dead, did something impossible, and is trying to be a different ruler for his Kingdom than what they've seen before.

What's odd is that Jon visually calms her. She doesnt bite his head off for saying pretty much the same thing as Tyrion. She's a little more receptive to his advice. She already likes him more than Tyrion. Her eyes soften, she doesnt yell.

But as we see later, she didn't really take the advice to heart. Yes, she didnt storm Kings Landing with her dragons and kill thousands of innocent people - but she does go off immediately to kills soldiers, burns loot and frightens people into bowing to her. Thats not what Jon said to do, either.

So we see Dany softening to Jon. He made it about her dragons - and *whew boy* is that a way to get to her heart. He praised her to be this savior she wants to be. So, this is another hint that Dany is coming to like him and respect him. But where are the signs for Jon feeling the same?

He is frightened of her when she has her tantrum. He only answers when she insists. He wants no part of this. He sees her basically say "fuck family", turn on her most trusted advisor, flirt with a dark place and do what she wants anyway. Not attractive qualities for Jon. They are still opposites. She is still preoccupied with her quest for power.

She flies off, and then we see Jon and Davos walking around on Dragonstone, probably relaxed because Her Grace is gone for the moment.

Davos makes a comment about how Jon has been staring at her "good heart."

1. What have we seen yet, that would make Jon think she has a "good heart"? Shes been cold, uncooperative, prone to anger and entitled.

2. When have we ever seen Jon look at her boobs? In the cave, he keeps his eye line at her face/eyes. On the beach they were too busy backing away from her yelling to even look at her chest. In the throne room, any attraction he might have felt when first seeing her was eclipsed by her personality and attitude.

3. This is weird exposition to try and force the audience into thinking Jon is attracted to her. You should not have to spell out a romantic attraction. Looks and camera angles and dialogue should do it for you. We're watching film, not listening to a radio show.

Maybe this was a way of the writers spelling out why Jon is avoiding an attraction? "Theres no time for that". He is single-minded with the fight against the Night King. He's not open to the idea of romance.

Then, Jon reenforces this idea that he doesn't trust Dany at all. He is hesitant to believe she respects her subordinates because that is the opposite of everything he's seen so far. He's a King and she has imprisoned him against his will.

But Missandei's response gives him a little bit of insight into why people love and follow Dany. He had not seen it himself before Missandei spelled it out for him. He's been imprisoned, he's seen her be cold when he asked if she believed him, and he's seen her turn against Tyrion. He doesnt necessarily believe it, but he listens to Missandei.

This is why his speech on the beach made no sense to me. Why have him give that speech before he talks to Missandei or another one of her followers? Where did he get that speech from? Its almost an identical speech to Missandeis. And if he believed that, and came to that conclusion before talking to Missandei, then why is he doubtful of Dany's "good heart" in letting Missandei leave or Dany giving hope to her followers?

It would have made more sense to have him talk to a follower first, before his speech on the beach about Dany making "impossible things happen." Unless he came to that conclusion on his own - but then why ask Missandei? Why look so reluctant to open up to her? It makes no sense.

Immediately following is the Theon scene. Honestly, the more I rewatch this scene, the more I realized I love it more than the LF crypt scene. Oh god, the nuances. Jon's quivering rage voice. His dead eyes, which are more expressive than we get to see lately. Holy crap I love this scene.

But this, I guess, is also important to show Jon what kind of rag-tag gang Dany has as her allies now. Theon was such a little shit - growing up and when he betrayed Robb. It speaks to the type of person Dany is that she has this guy on her side.

Kit says in BTS "I think he's willing to forgive anyone if they are willing to help fight against the Night King."

But Jon explicitly says he is only sparing Theons life because of what he did for Sansa. Theon helped her escape. He sacrificed himself to save her - to take her away from that awful place. I'm sure Sansa and Jon have had many conversations since her escape about what Theon did. And not only did Theon tell Sansa that he didnt kill Bran and Rickon - that he murdered two innocent farmer boys, instead - but they got the proof in Rickon on the battlefield and Sam seeing Bran beyond the wall.

But Theon still did horrible things. He's still a slimey person in Jon's eyes. And here he is, on Dragonstone, fighting for Dany. What does that say to the company she keeps? That shes allied with morally questionable people? Or that she's a forgiving person, with a weakness for "cripples, bastards and broken things"? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Theon asks where she is, and Jon does not look happy or okay with the answer.

So far, we're in episode 4 of 7 and there is no reason for Jon to be attracted to Dany. He has seen bad sides of her. He has given her a few chances to show any good side, and she doesn't.

Dany is intrigued by him. He's kind and different. She asks for his opinion. His advice seems to calm her. He's played to her good side. So we can see her starting to soften.

But Jon is not really intrigued by her. He wanted to go home. He's been held against his will. She is stuck on this quest for power. She is hot-headed, selfish, and short sighted. He has seen very little redeeming qualities to warm up to her. He just wants his dragonglass and to GTFO. So far, she has only agreed to help IF he bends the knee. She wont help simply to save people. She wont help because of her "good heart". She wants his power and his kingdom in return. Not what he was hoping.

So then we have Dany coming back to Dragonstone after scaring people into bending the knee. The Tarlys dont, so she burns them to a crisp. She aint playing around.

Jon is just standing out on a cliff, in his cloak, probably brooding some more? Waiting for her? Welcoming party? Why is he out there?

And then we have a moment between him and her dragon. This is a moment ONLY between him and her dragon. Dany is just a spectator here.

He is frightened of the dragon, but YOLOs and faces his fear. He is literally facing his fear. Testing his own courage. Proving his own strength to himself. This moment has nothing to do with Dany, but everything to do with him.

He is awestruck. Dragons were a thing of legend. And now he is connecting with one. His adrenaline must be off the charts. Its a magical moment.

Now Dany is very attached to her dragons. She believes she is the only one with a connection to them. Most people would scream or run away. Her dragons have reacted violently to those who have ever threatened her or wished her harm in the past. They are one with her. And here is Drogon, a dragon which is aggressive and unpredictable, acting so gentle and different towards Jon. And shes just an outsider to this moment.

Another check mark that would make Jon attractive to her. Her dragons didn't scare him. Her dragon liked him. And Jon seems to like the dragon. Thats different. Thats new. Thats on the same level as her. He's surprised her yet again.

Now, Jon looks up at her as if "this is yours? This magnificent beast is yours?" But as soon as she comes down, he's all business again.

His moment with her dragon warmed her up to him a little. She wants to talk about her babies with someone else who probably has the same unhealthy admiration for them like she does. But he's not quite on the same page. Now, what word was Jon thinking instead of "beautiful"? Frightening? Terrifying? This sets off another one of Dany's "fire and blood" looks which scares Jon back into submission. She's a firecracker just waiting for a match. Dont want to get on her bad side. She's mama dragon - and hes seen that quite a lot.

Now, here is The Look(TM). Arguably the only time Jon seems to really look at her without thinking. In the scripts, the stage direction is "He watches her watching her dragons and wishes that he could keep looking at her and forget about the world events weighing on his shoulders." And dear god, was the impact lost.

In contrast, look at how Jon gets lost staring at Sansa in S6.

honestly, this scene is just ripe with Jon looks.

Focus shifts, single shots, close ups, and lingering on him lost in thought with no context. If you want to point out a look or reaction - THIS is how you do it. There are focus shifts, to highlight Jon's face. To bring attention to it. You can't miss it.

Him watching Dany in 7.05 is actually so subtle you might miss it. Its not the focus. We arent supposed to be honed in on his reaction. If it was oh-so-important, there would have been a single close-up, or a camera shift for us to see that he was distracted watching Dany.

Also, this is related to her dragons. Her relationship with those dragons is important to Jon. Jon only seems to show thought and softness when her dragons are involved. And it is over before you know it.

Back to business. He brings up what she left to do. And it's not good.

He's conflicted. She did the opposite of what he hoped she would do. He can understand why, but it's disappointing. Not a turn on. Not an attractive quality. Not something that is winning him over. Another chance she had to show him she was good, and she chose not to.

She has dragons. And shes not afraid to use them.

Then we move on to the talk and walk. He is still acting reserved. Shes in charge of the "get to know you" talk again. Shes standing closer. She's warmed up. She's talking much more like an equal and not like a cold ice-queen.

And she grabs his arm. But there’s no close up. ;)

Then she tries to get more acquainted by asking a more intimate question, in a more intimate way. Why is she so stuck on this knife in the heart line? And why is he still so insistent on not telling the truth? He still doesn't trust her. He is still on the fence about her. He lies to her face. And she just wont let it go.

This is not level playing ground. This is not "getting to know each other". Dany is trying but Jon is resisting her getting to know him any better. Why?

It looks like its about to get uncomfortable - that he is upset by lying and she might press the issue. But thankfully Jon is saved by Jorah. Dany looks so happy she might cry. Jon is confused by her sudden change in attitude. Who is this guy shes much more agreeable towards? Thats not the Dany hes seen in his time there.

Then she introduces him. Jon knows who he is.

Now, some say Jon looks "jealous". Um - why? Why would he be jealous? He trying to avoid a connection between them, as evidenced by his lie right before. He's simply clicking the pieces in his head - figuring out her relationships.

He sees her embrace and welcome this man who he was raised to think as a traitor, a bad man. Someone who his father had sentenced to death for doing unspeakable things. A coward who ran from his sentence. And here Jorah is, acting noble and completely loyal to this girl who has been cold to him and her other advisors the entire time he's been there. He sees more of her misfit rag-team, first Theon and now Jorah, and how she treats those who are loyal to her.

He's only clicking the pieces and starting to figure her out. His "good heart" line would have fit better after this scene, too. It made no sense where it was before.

This is the first time we see any hint that Jon might be able to warm up to her. The way she cares for her dragons. The company she keeps. How warm she really was to Jorah. But thats overshadowed by her action towards her enemies. Her look when he almost dare speak ill of her children. The fact that he still wants to keep his own secrets from her, whatever his reasons may be.

Its now episode 5 of 7 - and just now his side starts to come into play in this "supposed epic love story", and it's shaky at best. He is still wary of her.

Jon is staying very mysterious. Honestly, ever since he showed up in Dragonstone we are not shown much of his POV. We see a lot of Dany's POV - her talking with her people a lot. Her talking in her war room with Tyrion. We don't see a lot of Jon talking with his people, or talking about his wants and plans. He is staying a big mystery. Davos and him talk a little about how "theres no time for that." Jon and Theon have a Sansa moment. Gendry and Jon have a bonding moment. But do we ever see him talk about his plan for bringing Dany to his side? We really only see his actions through Dany's eyes or someone else's.

These non-focused looks are very mysterious. Why does he get lost staring at Dany? Why does he keep lying about dying? Theres no exposition. Which is really odd, because Dany has quite a bit of it.

This romance is shaky, forced, rushed and confusing at best. I mean, it helps explain the backlash and the disappointed fans. How viewers are confused by this outcome. Why everyone is desperate to think there is something else going on besides "true love".

I think everyone can agree that this relationship is doomed in one way or another. But the big question right now is - does Jon actually love/have feelings for her? What evidence is there for that? What has been shown on screen to support a mutual romance? Not much, so far.

I'll do the rest later. Tumblrs mobile update might ruin my current work (it only lets me tag one hashtag at a time because I have to use the mobile browser- blah) - but I'll get onto it! These take a lot more work than I'd expected, and coding from a smart phone is a bitch. Part 3 and (maybe?) Part 4 coming soon.

xoxo

edit: and it keeps fucking up on me. T.T I hate formatting on Tumblr so much...

#meta #jonsa #anti-jonerys #episode analysis #spec #jon x sansa #hints in the middle #original #me

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shewritesforgod · 4 years

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Six "Must-Read" Short Stories

1. A Rose for Emily

It was written by the American author William Faullkner and was first published in 1930. It starts with the tale of a rich single woman, Emily, who is a mysterious recluse, frequently thought about but little-seen, living alone in a big home, rarely socializing. An old black woman is her only friend. Emily fails to have a street address when the position is first established in the community and refuses to pay taxes; a former mayor has formally released her of her tax obligations, but younger officials want to impose them. Occasionally, those who walk by her house see her on the ground floor, and she seems to have sealed up the top deck, but for certain, nothing else can be told. The protagonist is a part of the citys council, one of many suspicious people who come to snoop as Emily passes away. In the funeral-goers, the old black worker, now very dead, lets softly and then leaves. The stuffy, moldy, grand old house is visited by the writer and other officials and a single upstairs door is closed. Forcing the entrance, they discover inside a bedroom that looks like a gentlemans occupants, with discarded suits, a hairbrush, cufflinks spread out to be put on, but all corroded by time and coated in a dust film. The story kind of reflects how people perceive happiness. Some wanted to relieve every moment that made them happy to somehow feel that kind of emotion again. Sometimes we felt like the things that made us happy are also the things that make our lives worth living. Emily cannot be blame for she just wants to be loved and feel contentment. At the end of the day, letting go and accepting what is present would still be based on our decisions. It is only ourselves that could decide what will really give us genuine happiness.

2. The Cask of Amontillado

It is about a man make revenge on a friend who, he believes, has insulted him. The storys narrator, Montresor, tells an unspecified person, who knows him very well, of the day he took his revenge on his friend, Fortunato. Because of numerous insults and injuries. Montresor plots to murder his friend during Carnival, while the man is drunk and unconscious. Montresor tells Fortunato he has obtained some rare vintage Amontillado wine and lures him into a private wine-tasting excursion. Montresor brings the drunk Fortunato into his family catacombs. He chains Fortunato to a wall deep in the catacombs, then bricks up the opening. Fortunato screams for release, but Montresor only mocks him. Fortunatos body remains undiscovered for fifty years. The story is told by Montressors lips, the murderer who seeks revenge in the near future. From this angle, I appreciated how Poe and many of his others approached this research. To achieve his goals, the reader gets to see how the killer is thought, preparing, and organizing. Nevertheless, the more credible source is not Montressor. Although I believe hes frank with his actions and thoughts, he never addresses how he doesnt really seem to want to keep up with his challenge once hes trapped his buddy fully. We can see some of Montressors reluctance in paying back Fortunato, but it never emerges from the conscious thoughts of Montressor. The in-depth look at the reflections of Montressor helps connect the reader with the uncertainty about the future of Fortunato

3. Hills Like White Elephant

It is about a man and woman drinking beer while they are waiting for a train in a train station in Spain. The man is attempting to convince the woman to get an abortion. The man tries to to reassure the woman that the procedure is safe and promise that hell be right beside her the whole time, and it is the only solution to their problems. The girl tries using the things around her and the landscape on the other side of the tracks as a metaphor for the life they could have as a family. The man still pretends to be supportive, and tells that he really wants abortion, until the girl commands him to stop talking. Momentarily silenced, the two drink their last beer before the American carries their bags to the platform in preparation for the train soon on its way. Ernest Hemingways short story Hills Like White Elephants explores the polemical issue of abortion through a wandering young couples character development. Even though the word abortion is not mentioned anywhere in the novel, Hemingways strong use of atmosphere and meaning is irrefutably known. Originally, the narrator known only as the American exploits the meeker and soft-spoken Jig before she utilizes her feminine guiles to outwit him. The use of sarcastic sarcasm, subtle conversational style and verbal intelligence by Jig demonstrates her dominance over her male partner. Going further into the White Hills meaning, one can picture the hills reflecting the womb of a pregnant woman in a metaphorical way. On the other side of the valley, the hills are situated that can only be seen from a distance. The reflection of the remote hills may suggest that the girl finds it a distressing choice between the dry country and the hills. The dry land with the guy is also an abortion, and the hills imply conception, leaving the man. Its also clear that the guy never sees the slopes. He ignores the idea that it is impossible to choose abortion. Finally, the white color in this tale symbolizes the purity of the unborn child.

4. God Sees the Truth, But Waits

The story revolves around a man who was sent to prison for a murder he didnt commit. It implies a general theme in lined with faith and biblical message about what you need to do when the world is up against you. Ivan Aksionov is falsely accused and got imprisoned for 26 years for a crime he did not commit but he still puts his trust in God and still surrender everything and what will happen in His hands. The main character, Aksionov, was innocent in his prison life. What I like most about is that in every circumstance he has faced, he chooses to pray. Putting him in jail renders him godly. He didnt try to run, either. I might tell that Semyonich, deep inside him, lived his free life with remorse. In the first place, I believe Semyonich wants to kill Aksionov because hes jealous of being wealthy. I love the story like that. The occurrences are obvious from the very beginning of the story as well. The title means that, from the very beginning of every case, God knows everything that happens, but he is waiting for the right time to reveal the truth of what actually happened. We just have to wait for the right time to realize what God is actually doing for us. The intentions are not to harm us, but to educate us about lifes ideals. I was born as a Catholic not to keep hate in my bones, but only love and forgiveness. While it is valid that a person cannot step forward unless he / she forgives, in this tale I cant help but feel the injustice of life. It seems that only God can know the truth, it is to him alone we must appeal, and from him alone expect mercy. The only thing we can do in the midst of suffering caused by evil is to appeal to the mercy of God and believe that God knows and is in our suffering with us. The suffering of God with his people in Jesus Christ on the cross is one of the great truths and great mysteries of Christianity.

5. A Father

It is about a father, Musatov, who is blessed to have a kind hearted and dedicated children. Musatov is a drunkard and always asking money from his sons, and these sons always lend him with what he asked. His children indulge their father, Musatov, continually, even though he doesnt deserve it. Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian novelist and playwright, regarded by many as one of the best short story writers in literature history. Chekhov was also a successful doctor, but his true passion was to write. He was quoted as saying Medicine is my wife and my life is literature. A tragic parent, Old Musatov, is fortunate to have children that are very committed. Musatov is a drunkard who continually asks for money from his family, which they offer him over and over again. Musatov expresses drunkly to one of his daughters, Boris, the gratitude and admiration he experiences for all his children, while at the same time admitting his own shortcomings. The children tend to indulge their dad. This short story simply shows how a father loves his children unconditionally despite of him being an alcoholic and imperfect as a father. This could give the readers a realization that it is not only our mothers that we appreciate more but we must also show appreciation to our fathers as well because at the end of the day they are still the ones thatll protect us at all costs, we will still run back to them if we get and hurt and they are also our number one fan.

6. The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World

It is about the changes brought by a dead man on an entire village. It implies the lesson of how a great person used his power to change others, to inspire them to be better, to make them want be the person theyve always dreamed of. The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World frequently examines one dead mans transformative effect on a community as a whole. This claim that a really nice person can change people, motivate them to be different, make them want to be exceptional. It is important that the change of the villager originates completely from within in this novel. After all, the dying man is dead, which ensures that the people are themselves accountable for the changes they make.

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