Girls Gone Canon Cast - ASOIAF Episode 261 — ASOS Daenerys V

Episode Date: August 22, 2025

In which Strong Belwas is the shit while Barristan and Jorah are in deep shit (but not as much as in next chapter) ---- Eliana's reddit account: https://www.reddit.com/user/glass_table_girl Eliana's blog: https://themanyfacedblog.wordpress.com/ Chloe's twitter: https://twitter.com/liesandarbor Chloe's blog: liesandarborgold.com Intro by Anton Langhage

Hello, and welcome to Girls Gone Canon reads A Song of Ice and Fire, Episode 261, Dineries 5 in a storm of swords. I am one of your hosts, Chloe. And I am another one of your hosts, Eliana. And today I remembered. Today, we remember how to open episodes. Just like, we remember. You did a great job.

Thank you. I was like, I know who I am today. I remembered my name today. It's a great day in paradise for Eliana. Welcome back, everyone, to your number one exclusive the Daneris Targaryen source. It's us right now. TMZ, where the T stands for Targaryen.

I actually don't know what TMZ stands for. Targaryen media. Targaryen. Stuff. Celebrity news. TMZ. This is our total, we don't have time for this. We need to get back to what matters, starting with housekeeping,

before we jump into DeNaris today. Next week, we'll be DeNaris six in a storm of swords. That's huge. That is the end of storm. And we will then be dancing our way through life to a dance with dragons. I don't know what I'm up to. I don't know what I'm up to Eliana these days.

But we will be in a dance of dragons. However, we will be taking at least one week off from Denieres just so we can get our shit together, our poop in a group, our ducks, row however you want to call them for a dance with dragons we also will be coming back for patrons in the stranger tier and above with a catching fire episode the quell we will be getting into part two part two a part two b no one knows it's a surprise that's for five dollar and up patrons at patreon.com slash girls gone canon where you get bonus episodes every single month yeah heart to be or not to be. That is the question.

That is the question. Every time. Yeah, actually, for real. Here's something that we know is happening at the end of this month. Close out your August with us at our Patreon, Discord brunch slash happy hour, brappy hour available for patrons in the Thunder tier and above $10 and up where you get access to all the time, our Discord, which has fun channels and discussions, and also, So, yeah, the video chat that's going to happen on August 31st from 2 to 4 p.m. E.T.

I like a little brunch. I like a little brappy hour. Yeah. I like our folks. I do like our folks. They're fun. They're fun folks. Come be one of those fun folks. More people have been coming. It's been exciting. I'm like, wow, new fresh blood. New blood. Oh, my God. Yeah, pretty much. But the most are like, yeah, fresh blood, new blood. Join us. Join us. Join us. Join us. Join us

With your blood Is that from Pippin We got magic to do It's for you I'm glad you're starting it off early today Starting off the songs Early

We got some emails and tweets of note I went real deep for this one today You might like the Spotify episode comments. But you know what I'm really into is the Patreon community chat. If you go to Girls Gone Canon on Patreon, anyone can really participate. And there is a comment here. Eliana, please take it away. We have a comment here from Choner who says, I'm pretty late, but Chloe ate, seriously, eight. Oh my God. It's like the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. Thank you, Shoner. Whatever your name is. Wow. Like,

I feel so pretty right now. Thank you. Thank you so much. Oh, my God. It was very good. And then keeping up with this beautiful theme of emails mostly for me. Our friend Sarah wrote us a message and said, I legitimately yelled out loud at my phone while listening to y'all this morning while I work.

Luckily, I work from home now. My only disturbed coworkers were the incredible Nimbus LaForge, the toasted marshmallow blind cat. and Orfei, the Pitbull. I have a few touchstone series that I have re-read and re-listened to constantly. A Song of Ice and Fire is obviously one of them, but another is the Farseer trilogy. Bip-Boo!

It could happen. And let me tell you, I have almost suggested it to y'all so many times. Where were you, Sarah? Where were you? But always assumed you already read. them. I won't give anything away, but I will tell you recently I was in a favorite secondhand bookstore here in Tucson, Arizona, Bookmans forever recommend to anyone living or visiting here and found out there are two more trilogies with fits. Yes, I learned this recently as well,

very excited for my entire future that I am planning out, by the way. Sarah was excited because every time they finished the original trilogy, they wanted more and was sad to be done again. and I am at 70% of the way of the third book in the original trilogy. I am like, only 100 pages to go. Like, I don't even want to talk about DeNaris, but I'm here to do it anyways. I want you to know that's the true.

That is what it means to be the true sacrifice for your people. I would say, Sarah, to farce your reference. Sarah has finished one of the trilogies already. One book in the other. Most definitely they are holding up. They're biased and hold a special connection to the first one. because they are autistic and fits is so autistic coded.

It isn't even funny, they say. But when you finish, rest assured, it's not over. And if you have not continued reading past the original Far Sear trilogy, the order to read in, thank you, Sarah, is, Fool's Erand, Golden Fool, Fool's Fate, fools assassin, fools, quest assassin's fate. There's a lot for you all to get caught up with, and I'm on my journey too.

So I will say Sarah sent some amazing fun. photos of both the cat and the dog. As mentioned, you should all enjoy them from my heart to yours. Thank you, Sarah. This email made my day. I'm so excited to finish this book. I don't even like Eliana that much, and I'm ready to go read. But I suppose I'll stay.

Interesting. I'm excited about it. You've just been so jazz about this trilogy, and I'm excited to get to a point where I started. As Chloe knows, like, I've got a couple of things on my list. first and she's also excited about the things that are on my list so she's like not begrudging me of them yeah and they are they are relevant for what we are doing now um yeah another george book so yes and but and you're gonna really love that too like what you have on your list i'm i think you're really gonna like it i really liked it okay so i mean i i i'll tell you all now i'm like

reading i'm reading gone with the win which very much clearly influences george because he says like every other two seconds, like how many children does Scarlett O'Hara have? He says this every other two seconds? Didn't he say it one time? He probably said it, I think he said it like twice, and I'm being like apocalyptic. He said it like twice, I think once like basically, as you all know in the context of comparing the differences between like the movie and the books and then in regards to the changes from Game of Thrones to a Song of Voice and Fire and how he's adapting the television show. my gosh. Jesus fucking Christ. I knew you were going to do it and I was already raising my eyebrows at you because I'm like, interesting, Eliana, misinformation on the podcast.

It's actually interesting because I actually didn't know I was going to make that joke until I misspoke just now in terms of the adaptation. I was like, that's true though. Like what I said was true. I was wondering, but you really played it off fabulously. Yeah. You thought I meant to. it. And it is a big piece of literature, many have read. And you're going to read fever dream after. I know one other thing. Feverdream. What else, though? What else is on your list? That's a great question. What's your dreams? Oh, wait. No, I have other things on my list as well that I think you know, because they're more pertinent to you in my relationship with Chloe than to all of you, my relationship, the listeners. There are a few more just pinching books, especially because Chloe's favorite director.

is releasing even more pension-inspired stuff. So I was thinking like, I feel like I should do inherent vice first that I can get a sense. It's so good, you should, because it'll get you into it. It'll get you into it.

Right. That's what I did. And look at me. Exactly. That's what I did. Well, yeah, I am looking at you. That's why I'm fucking doing this. And that's why I feel like I should do that one first

before so I can get a sense for like how that all plays out and like the language with which Paul Thomas Anderson adapts Pinge in for this so that I can understand a little bit of the flavor of even though it's a much smaller portion of

what is it against the day what is it called Yeah against the day Vineland and against the day Yeah before I go into those then I will go into those because maybe romance is about reading books

and inspire your wife's favorite director I think it is I think it is this is so good This is like a gateway drug. This is how we get Eliana into both more pension and more PTA. This is...

She's like, Eliana's about to watch... At least one movie. She's going to watch a movie. She's never seen any before. I've never seen any movies. This is some true growth and character development. And it almost makes me sad that we're going to have to gloss over Aliana's character development to talk about the character development you might have missed between

Deney's four and Deney's four. and Daeneres 5 in a storm of swords in our lightning round. I thought you were going to say for Tyrion, because we're going to focus on men from now on. That's men gone, canon. No, no. Up first in our lightning round, Aria 8, blood child, dark heart.

Aria meets the ghost of high heart and is later kidnapped by Sandor. Jamie 6. In a chapter that is regarded as a technical romantic, take masterpiece, Jamie Springs Brien from Heron Hall. I mean, true. Gotta give it, what you gotta give it. Okay, guys, I give it, give it, give it up.

I mean, what? I mean, what? Catalan 5, at the twins, Catalan please with Rob to listen to her counsel, but he tells her he is the king. Samuel 3, an unkindness of ravens appear, and cold hands help Sam send small Paul to his afterlife. I don't know why, like, with this Ravens capitalized, I'm like,

the football team. We're a football. Get out of there. Podcast, according to the aggregators that pulled data about us. Remember they said, yeah, we found this recently.

Wait, does that mean that Tolkien is like, go birds? Maybe. Oh, yeah, but the Eagles? Much to consider. Much to consider.

It's something to think. It's something to think about. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. J.R. Tolkien once said, Go birds. That's what fly you fools is about.

Fly equals fly. I need that I'm like a shirt, yeah. Arya 9. Arya tries to kill Sandor in his sleep, but she cannot. Sandor plans to ransom, Arya. John 6. John warns Moles Town to evacuate. At Castle Black, he learns many of his brothers,

blood and not, are dead. well, allegedly. Allegedly, yeah, sorry, allegedly. Catalan 6. Rob Stark arrives at the twins for a wedding alliance, but tensions and ominous signs and portents scream betrayal, while Bruce Fulton reveals some rather disturbing news about theon. Only more disturbing news will be revealed.

Aria 10. Sander hopes to ransom aria at the twins, but something doesn't quite feel right. D-da-da-da-d-d-d-d-d-cats. Vibs are off. That's what he said. Vibe check, not passing it. Catalin 7. No, dad. Dad loves moms here. Rip. No. Truly.

Yeah. Aria 9. Get out of here. I mean. No, it's Aria 11. Shut the fuck off. No, that is 11. Holy fuck. Arile 11. Arria tries to run to her family, but

Sandra saves her with the blunt of an axe. I like how it says blunt of an axe, and I don't know, instead of saying blunt and makes me think of a blunt. That's it. Ooh, yeah. Dream blunt rotation. Anyways, this is not a...

Tyrion six. Tyrion learns the aftermath of what Happened at the Twins. Davos 5. Soledor tells Davos of the terrors in the neck. Davos reads something important. Aw. John 7.

Eagrit dies in John's arms at someone else's arrow. Aw. Anywhere I went about you. That's right. You sing that song so many times during those chapters. I stay very consistent. Throw back. Very consistent time.

I will not change. But we've also changed a lot. None of four. Brandon Coldhands helps Sam and Gilly find passage through the night fort. And that brings us to Denaries five at the gates of Marine. Denaries is determined to find a way in and a path to the liberation of the city. Marine is as large as Astapur and Yonkai combined with colorful brick walls that are taller

and a little better maintained than Yonkai taught by the Great Pyramid and a bronze harpy statue which Dario Maks the harpy he calls it Craven he actually says it has a woman's heart and chicken legs I love that because like women are terrible like we know that everyone hates women clearly like ha ha ha ha that's funny Dari Selena Meyer.

Women are gross and awful. No, I'm just kidding. They're, like, beautiful and really soft, and I, like, anyways. But the chicken legs makes me think of Baba Yaga, Slavic folklore, right? Like, she has a hut that moves around using chicken legs, and she feasts on children, too. But, you know, that's just tangential. I'm not saying Danny does that. Other people might, they might, like, call her a witch and shit, as we've heard.

But, Baba Yaga herself, like, she has one stone leg and one real leg. And it's supposed to kind of imply, you know, she's in one world and out of that world. Like, she's in and out of different worlds, which is kind of Danny-esque. But the harpy is kind of almost reminiscent of Danny, right? Bronze with a woman's heart and chicken legs. A witch. Like, the world is all afraid of what happens when that statue comes to life to topple the city. Yeah.

I didn't know that she had one stone leg. one meat leg um what like meat legs they're both technically real legs all right just you know the feasting on children

made me actually think of what the marinies do to the children this chapter right in the way it feasts upon those children by nailing them to those posts but yeah what you said about like the interpretation of hers of which there's something like there's a lot of like that chimeric sort of ethnography like even with the sphick

is, right? The Valerian Sphinx. Yeah. I like that you brought up Baba Yaga. First of all, there's a video game I haven't played. I'm sure I sent you the link. It looked cute where you get to play like a Baba Yaga-esque little witch, like cozy coarshit. I love it. But I was also thinking along the lines of these sorts of children's fairy tales and folk tales as well.

But I actually thought of, they were describing the bricks of Ossephor and the brinks of Yonkai and then the bera-colored bricks of Marine and it made me think kind of like of the three little pigs and the different houses and um Hoff and Puff. Yeah. Yeah. I mean that's essentially what she's doing. She hops and she puffs and she puffs at each of these different places, you know, and comes to them and

yeah, the different material. Still she may not enter. Yeah. I mean, she makes it. She makes it. Yeah, I got to blow up the poop shoot, girl. Oh my God. You've got to boof it as one would say regarding poop shoots. I'm going to poop it. You are not. boofing this poop shoot.

Holy shit. I'm not, but Barriston and Jora are gonna. They, Barriston would. Jora wouldn't because he'd be like, a queen shouldn't Kalee, it's reserved for my cock. I'm trying to think of which of them is Kaelin, which ones? The man from Broad City.

So, a hero named Oznag-Zopal rides out, challenging the besieging forces to single combat. And, you know, I think you can all probably piece this together, but I'm going to say it. The description of the hero, he has the lance and flowing cape, which is not really, I think, an image that we associate with Marine, so that we associate with Westrose, but it kind of is great in terms of tying those symbols together with the rest of the story, right? Like, we're already

primed from earlier chapters to think of someone who looks like that as being associated with the idea of life is not a song, but here he is, far away, reminding us again of those symbols of chivalry and how they fall short. Oh, I love that, too, because the entire chapter comes to that head at the end, right, of two knights that have betrayed her in different ways. So we started with this knight parading around and showing us what a knight is supposed to be, what a hero is supposed to be. Oh.

But by the end, we've quite literally blasted our knights to the ground, right? We have pummeled them, we've deconstructed them, their pieces of shit, and now we start over. I thought we were talking about, like, the blasting of, because Strong Bellwast, like, blasts all over in front of everyone, which, um... He was a true knight, your grace. He what? No, he was the only true night, actually. Oh, my God.

You know, Danny's blood riders are pretty eager to fight, and Danny holds them back because she's like, this guy, he's a buzzing fly. He's not worth our time. this is seriously not worth it don't pay him any mind and Jora and Arston debate the importance of the challenge allegedly and Jora's like it's harmless he dismisses it and Arston's like

well it's a morale tactic like over time it's maybe not harmless and that's very true as we're about to see right like this is a big catch 22 because if you don't fight the hero and if you don't win against the hero, then who are you, right?

If you're kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't. Fighting him proves your worth and could be a key to help you get into the city, even more. But also it shows you're willing to play their games, which is kind of the opposite of what Danny wants to do. She wants to shatter their games. She wants their games to burn to ashes and to rise up with new ground. And also very gladiator shit, right? like this is our gladiator, this is who we are sending out to you.

It's a very difficult position, then you can see that she's like, oh, I'm, she's trying to figure out what her next move is. And you can really see George's chess sort of like mindset come into play in terms of like Denari's trying to figure out like the strategy here. And I will say, before we get like to her rationale about it, because she walks through it, the issue of also even like have figuring out which champion you're going to send out, what you're going to do in regards to Marine, like, and the duels. I think it actually plays really well with some of the other things going on in this book.

This chapter actually really ties to Neri's storyline well with the other POV characters, because it, like, especially when we read goes well with, like, Tyrion's storyline, right? And how he has a champion at his trial and, like, how the odds seem kind of stacked against him, but also, like, the optics of it. Because, I mean, his trial is basically just optics. Interesting. There's, I mean, like, obviously people die, but, like, the symbols are. around everything matter very much, especially for Oberyn.

And there's obviously a need for them to be here in Marine now beyond just, like, De Neri's mission. Like, they need to have supplies to feed the rest of the Colossar. Jora apparently has been calling them mouths with feet. And I think the issue is this is the risk when it comes to using the Dothraki system of, like, their way of life, you know? they don't have the supplies for everything, especially because they're also like, well, we haven't been able to carry enough or as much, especially as we left Yonkai. And that's the issue when you choose to plant no trees. And interestingly, like, I know people I've said in the past, I don't really know how well, like she'll think of the iron-borne. It actually feels very much kind of like the way that the iron islands are funded, you know, in terms of how you get things. It is the iron price, and you're taking it from the places that you conquer. and then move along from.

So, I mean, like, I don't think she's going to like Victorian, but there's actually a lot of similarities. I think we discussed actually during his chapters between, like, the Dothraki and the Iron Islands cultures. Yeah, I like what you've pulled out here on that, because it is very similar, right? Like, the parallels for how those cultures operate. I mean, Victorian might garner some respect from her blood riders. Oh, that would be crazy.

That would be actually interesting. I just... Why not marry man like this? calisi he plunders much there's just like so much comedic potential like in a vicarian meeting denaries in general right like

all the best and worst forces like some tyrian victorian barrister and Danny like oh yeah can you imagine you're right there's just like a lot of a Tyrion POV surveying victorian could you imagine

the fucking yeah I would like I should like I deserve it. Please. Please, George. Yeah, we always talk about, like, you know, and for obvious reasons in the area's, like, perspective on it. But you're right. The Tyrion analysis of Victoria is inspired.

How droll he is and how, like, fucking stupid as shit. This is, like, how people feel around Dunk, you know, but Dunk's hot. I mean, we don't know that Victorians not hot. I mean, it's just Mac from Always Sunny. Kind of. Oh, my God. Speaking of, the season so far, like, I don't know how they do it. Every season, like, still...

Still got it. It's so good. Still got it. Yeah. They really do. Danny reflects on her dwindling supplies and the grim side of the nailed-up children, counting 163 by the time they reach Marine. Osnack taunts the besiegers for an hour before Brown Bend Plum

informs Danny of Osnick's violent history, and they watch as Oznack urinates in the direction of Danny's pavilion. It stood out to me that what the... way that Osnack is like mocking them is he's mocking like their manhood mothers wives and gods right that's what we're told and then Brown Ben Plum tells us a story like he's got a lot of tea about the time that Oznik cut out his like friend scarbs liver for having quote unquote raped with his eyes he was defending some lady's honor and you know not to continue gender as a prison shit but like a it

It's, again, about women as objects and how they are used to edify men, and the only reason that, like, you know, this Osnac guy is using women as, like, an excuse to, of things that have to be protected in terms of honor because of what it means to men, right? Like, if you disrespect a woman, you're disrespecting the man associated with her. And, like, whether or not Scarb even did do such a thing, like, I mean, yeah, you can give someone an electric look, but it's not really possible to, like, rape someone with your eyes. and I'm glad Belmonton Holmes, like, I don't even know what the fuck they're talking about. Like, it speaks to, it reminds us again about those power systems and who gets access to desire when it comes to power and also manhood in regards to it and therefore humanity because like literally this guy dies because of it. And this is not at all the same situation, but because it is in the context of a slaving city, there's something about it that makes me wonder if like, George is pulling a little bit of inspiration from the story of Emmett Till, who was a young black boy who was lynched for allegedly like whistling or disrespecting a white

woman. So not at all the same, but. Yeah. So please don't anyone say I'm equating these. No, but there are stories that highlight that very prevalent in justice, right, of what a life is worth, which is pretty. strongly present in this book, right? The value of a life.

What is a life? What does that mean? What does living a life mean, right? As we get into dance. What does losing a life actually mean? And what is the value? And who gets to decide that value? Who puts that value on, like a price tag on your skin?

The price tag, but also like the weaponization of women's purity. Yeah. And the ownership of that purity, you know, to... And why the real crime was the desire, right? Like the desire was like you didn't own the right to have that desire because also that's commodified in their society too. That's also owned. Yeah, that's true with the bed slaves. Yeah.

Assuming Scarb even did this, for all we know, Scarb just happened to like look up and squit and it was like the sun's in my eye at someone's direction like fuck, dude. Yeah. But it goes right back to like last chapter right or chapter before that, sorry, with Pim, them arriving and like them seeing people that. that you don't know if they were slaves, you don't know if they were freedmen, you don't know who they were, just that they were in love, right? That's what it should be. Yeah. Yeah.

Everybody should have that right. Yeah, to just. To love, to be. In love. To be. Yeah. Or not. Get out of here.

No, you got to go. You got to literally leave. Catching fire. I'm so sick of you. Dario offers to cut off Oznak's manhood in response to this offense. that he's offering, but Danny wants his city. She doesn't want to just insult him for her own dignity. Marines defenders jeer and throw their own urine down at Danny's forces.

And Danny's like, all right, I guess we got to fight these motherfuckers after all. She takes counsel and sends for strong Belwoss who is sent out to face Osnack, much to the confusion of her blood riders who view him as too fat and foolish for the task. I love that like she doesn't care about being pissed at. in her direction necessarily but when it's at her people it's on like on site she's like you can pee at me but you don't fucking pee at my armies

that's fucked up there's this line here that I love where Barriston says this hero builds courage in the hearts of his own men and plants the seeds of doubt in ours and we get this kind of back and forth of him and Jora arguing about like

what should we do? No don't waste our resources and time on this guy no we're gonna have to put him down and Barriston says it's important we slay this hero even if he's a fake and it means nothing even if it's a sidebar in the trip

you know we got to put him down because of morale because of the optics there's something about this that really screams Egan there's a couple mentions in this chapter that make me think of

the floor being kind of laid for Egan Blackfire question mark to walk forward into the story in general on top of Into Danny's story. We have kind of this bit of the hero is dressed very finely, right?

His jousting lance, if you will, is wrapped very finely. It's all, like, for show, it's all trappings of power. And he's fainting, and he's playing, and he's not even, like, properly charging, as Jora will point out. Jora's like, this is just a distraction.

Embarrassin's like, yeah. But if we don't kill him, the seed of doubt will spread that you couldn't do it. Egan, dude, same as the Mummer's Dragon, right? It's something for the hero to fight. True. Okay, yeah, I love equating those. This is something for the hero to fight.

And there's a lot, actually, in this chapter that feels like it's setting things up. Constantly getting these kind of, you know, I mean, there's something really interesting that Danny is a great, somehow leader, right? At 14, 15, she's cruising around, she's burning. slavers she's like no we're going to be doing this and we're going to be taking this and they don't need that anymore and she's very decisive for the most part she's putting aside the fact that her heart's desire is that she needs to go fulfill her family's legacy to get on their stupid fucking iron chair right for everything that's been stolen from her from her brothers from her father

in her mind like but in fact she stops from that desire and she says no not in these folks are free, right? Like she, even if it doesn't seem possible, she decides to do the impossible. So how do you take somebody with flying lizards that can light you on fire that wants to keep burning all the slavers and has all of these ways to do trickery to get armies and get into cities and take it down? How do you take that down? You constantly put hurdles in front of her.

And George does that, right? He's done that throughout storm. He did it throughout clash. And he does a lot of these hurdles in dance to keep her busy. How do you take somebody that the path is so clear what they want to bring justice? You know, from the very first chapter, we're talked about, we talk about justice, right? And the entire story, what does that look like? What does that mean?

Danny is the first one to take it into her own hands, into her own wings. Yeah. And she's also the one being stopped. She's the one being halted at every corner. You've got to complicate it. From a storytelling angle, like, otherwise we wouldn't have 19 books. Oh, my God. Thank you.

I'll be here all day. I mean, we discussed this, like, I think when Pam was here, but, yeah, like, book five is supposed to open or not technically would have been book four. Because in this world, book five did not exist. Book four was against the dragons. But it was going to open with the series actually already at Daznax Pit. And as you said, like, you know, he has a. spin the wheels to keep giving her challenges just to line up the rest of the story. But also, as you said, it helps to build the mythology around her. But I think what George does really well is it's

not even just like these things that the hero overcomes every time. Because we're in Denarius's POV, we see how each of these things, like each hurdle, it does deeply affect her. It does hurt her. And it's really heartbreaking. We're going to see it like towards the end of this chapter. like what is it what does that mean yeah why like why what am i doing it for yeah she's like why why me yeah what she she does feel that way i mean stairs out of window like stennis oh my god i mean it keeps happening yeah keeps happening well they they do have her do that they just like give her that like balcony and stuff though because like they're like now we're at dragonstone i hope she burns jora then oh you know like

Stannis Shireen style from the show that the books are adapted from. But Jora is not an innocent, so maybe he should be burned. Burn him anyway, lol. I'm just kidding, just kidding. For funzies. Just kidding. It doesn't even matter if we're sacrificing him and getting anything out of it. Let's just do it.

Yeah. Well, Belwas's past as a slave in Marines' fighting pits is on his resume, right? So that's a big reason why he's chosen for this. Also, he's not a commander. We needed somebody that wasn't a commander. So, Danny hopes that Oznak's defeat will bring shame to the city's noble slaver defenders. The battle begins with Oznak charging, and Belwoss dodging the very lengthy lance, making a show of it. Jora notes it's not a very proper charge.

Shut up, Jora. After a few more exchanges, Osnack's lance proves ineffective, and Belwoss swiftly defeats the hero, severing his head, in brutal fashion. Danny's forces cheer while the defenders fall silent in shock. Bellwoss then mocks Osnack's body taking a giant shit upon it before returning to camp. Hell yeah. I just realized it's also kind of like bullfighter-esque, right? The way that this whole thing is described.

A bit. We're not going to go over it because De Neri's also like does it literally in the text, the rationale for why she chose Belwos, but I do think it's a great strategic move on her part, even though, you know, her, they're all like, it wasn't a strategic victory. I'm shut the fuck up. It was. Like, great symbolism. And choosing, again, the pieces to place on the board.

Bellwoss gives them a show at first, right, in that Bullfighter-esque way. He taunts Oznack. And I think, again, that reminds me a little bit of later on with Oberyn and the mountain. Oberyn seems like he's playing and doing the show, dancing around. But there really is an art to it. And I mean, it even goes well together with, like, considering that he used to be a pit fighter in the lightning round, right? Like where Brienne is thrown in there with the bear and they're like, I don't know,

go fight this animal. And that is supposed to be a show for them. Also, I love that. I mean, like, I think this is the chapter that makes strong Belaw such like an icon, a cultural icon. He really is one. Like, he takes a shit. Like, I think, I can't believe HBO didn't like necessarily put him in there.

I think there are reasons I guess I can kind of see why because I don't. know that I trust David and Dan to do well because... They literally love shit. Like, they had a whole entire shit montage for Sam. They love... That's true. It's, like, surprising what they didn't include, like, you know, bellwoss and Arian.

And I'm like, were they not made for HBO? Anyways, so, yeah, I love that he takes a dump because it's objectively more impressive than pissing. Like, that takes so much more effort. It's stinkier, which in and of itself makes it more high value. but I think it's just harder to poop on command especially in front of people like I think I would get a lot of performance anxiety and it's something that I've actually like been able to do over the years in public bathrooms I used to not be able to poop in public bathrooms this is like way too much information that have you wanted this and like there was this Reddit thread I saw a long time ago about what small thing do you do to make the world a little bit worse and this person says that what they do is they honk their car when they see

dogs getting ready to take a dump so that it will distract the dogs and then the owners like have to wait a little the dogs aren't able to poop so that's what I have for you that's how I would feel so you've spent a lot of time on the internet I have

I boss avoids the point of the lances and I think that tells us something about like it's called out it's called out a little right different way to approach a strategy when facing the Westerosi. I don't know how much of them are going to be using lances on the battlefield. They might not be. But that Oznack fails

to give up on the lands because he thinks that's what he's supposed to do. Might speak to the way that the Dineries' forces will face the Westerosi troops later on. And I think thematically, again, it puts DeNeres in the same line of the discussions about the farce of chivalry versus the reality of war.

That is really prevalent among the other set, you know, those counterpart POV characters and their disillusionment so yeah I think I think that's kind of fun

yeah I love the idea of like playing with the night stuff you know the here's a knight in front of you here's Westeros personified here's chivalry and here's war here's war

exactly great call out it's not a game it's not like a show it's war yeah life is not a fucking song the victory Although it's satisfying, is not seen as strategic. Jora warns her they cannot win the city by killing individual defenders one by one.

Danny agrees, but she expresses satisfaction in the defeat and opens up the floor for her captains. I just like this little moment. Like, Yuri and Zikui are like congratulating strong bellwoss, and sheikki particularly goes, like, we would braid your hair and hang a bell in it, strong bellwoss, but you have no hair to braids. It's so cute. It's cute. And then, like, also, Bellas is like, it's okay. I just want liver and onions, not bells.

He doesn't say, he says something practically along those lines. Yeah. Grab that line. Sorry, y'all. No, he just wants liver and onions, though, like, real. Sounds good. But he appreciates the, it's a thought that counts, you know? Yes, exactly.

So sweet. I love that. Danny recognizes Marines' wealth, but she also is recognizing the logistical challenges behind accessing all of that wealth, which is behind all these walls. They actually don't have. enough resources for a prolonged siege. So in a rock, hard place, pickle, whatever you want to call it. Jora advises the best course might be leave Marine, march toward Pentos, save your forces for

Westeros, but Danny's not willing to accept that. She's unable to forget the suffering that she's witnessed here. There's this line here about like, you know, there are old cell swords and bold cell swords, but there are no old bold cell swords. and speaking of Agen, you know, Fagan, whatever. No. Blackfire. More like Bratfire.

Oh, my God. Oh, because Team Green, yeah. Yeah. Oh, I see the album. Do you see it in your head right now? I see it. Everyone close your eyes. No, I'm just kidding.

Keep them open. I'm trying to think of like Agan songs and Brat. Anyways. This feels... Brat life. Oh, my gosh. The No Old Bold Salswords feels a little bit like it's, setting us up for John Connington's storyline.

Honestly, like, he's not that old, especially compared to, like, Barriston, and he's probably only, like, a little bit older than me. But we are going to see that he's getting more bold. He initially wasn't. He's been playing a lot of things very safe, but he's about to get really bold with that ticking time bomb of grayscale. There's, like, as you said, a lot of things. Damn.

Yeah, that's true. It's not going great for him for Uncle John. And that's a great point because this is all. also setting up like brown ben plums eventual betrayal right in that he chooses yeah the second sons and john connington and brown ben will find themselves aligned old bold sell swords indeed making old bold choices i didn't think about the second sons in the context of agon that's true yeah whoops interesting hmm hmm well De Nerees' blood riders agree with her desire to stay.

Jora warns that the lack of water and food will soon lead to sickness and that she can't feed her freedmen if they leave the city behind. And I'm sorry, everyone. Like, if Jora has, like, one hater in the world, it is me. If he has no haters in the world, I am dead. I'm never going to give up my brigade because he's still calling them slaves, right? And, like, Danny corrects him and is like, no, these are a freedman. And I think there's an argument to be made, like, is he calling them, though?

Because, like, are they truly free? And what level of agency do they have? Which is something that we touched on in our discussion with Pim. But also, I think that his use of the language here shows that he, he kind of has this mentality of, I don't know, like, once a slave, always a slave. I don't know that for sure. But it kind of feels like that's how he thinks about it. And... Like a use.

Like, he sees them as a youth. for them. Yeah, he doesn't really see them as people. He's like, I don't care about like all these like red shirts, Danny. And I'm like, shut the fuck up, Jora. Like, shut up. And he clearly doesn't care about any of them or like what De Neri's wants. What's important to her heart because he's all like, deniers, you can't free every slave in the world. You have to go to Westrose, which like, sure, on a literal level, maybe she cannot feasibly do so. In this specific, manner. But I think, you know, what she does here shows that it is a fallible system, right? And it's not necessarily a successful or lucrative one. She's questioning the whole machine of it in the way

that, like, Ursula K. Le Guin has that whole thing about, like, you know, we used to think that the divine right of kings was inevitable. And I mean, she's talking about capitalism in that speech. But anyway, um, what De Neres does here, it contributes to showing like that there is a path to freedom for like the slave. We do not have to rely on this slavery, the system of slavery. And also I think that Dora should shut the fuck up because you better fucking hope that she can free every slave

and doesn't abandon this quest for Westrose when in book five and you are a slave. So maybe you fucking should hope she continues it. Yeah. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. I don't want to be insensitive, but yeah, maybe. Or we just burn him.

See, it's looking better every time you think about it, isn't it? I know. I will never stop hating Jora Morpon. Yeah, it's great because it calls out that bit of like, why not? Why shouldn't I keep going and doing it? Why can't I keep freeing them? What's the answer, Jora? Why?

Because he wants to go home, and that's more important to him in the way that it always was more important to him and why he sold people into slavery in the first place. Yeah. Danny refuses to abandon Marine. She's determined to find a way inside, even if it means more hardship for her people. She thinks they are strong and that they can make it through. Yeah, so first of all, I think Danny's persistence, despite the lack of resources,

exactly the kind of attitude that we're going to need to see during the long night redux. And side note, again, this chapter is in great dialogue with the other chapters of Assum of Swords, it's like trying to figure out how to get past these walls. Not only does it feel Joshua at the Battle of Jericho, as we've discussed with, I don't know, John chapters, but it is an interesting contrast to John's story with the wall, right? Like earlier in the book, we see him trying to get over, being like, how do we get past this wall when he's with the free folk and the scaling of it? Whereas here, Dineris is going to figure out a different way.

She's like, we're going to go under it, you know? But also, John is on the other side of this whole thing in this book where he's like, I'm going to defend this big-ass wall against all these free folk now. Man, you know, it makes you really wonder what's down there in those sewers, some giant, a giant rat and some turtles? Of the wall? No, the sewer's here. Or of Marine.

Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I think that is the case, especially, like, I'm going to talk about, I mean, like, you know, Brown Ben Plum talks about that, and when he escaped. Like, chimeras? And, uh, yeah, probably. I mean, I bet there are fucking monsters, you know, like... Yeah, I mean, there are monsters on land, too. You said turtles, and yeah, I think there are big turtles, mutant turtles, and as you said, rats.

Like, I am just thinking about teenage mutant ninja turtles. Yeah. I also'm thinking about, like, alligators, you know? Like, they used to say there were, like, mutant alligators in the New York sewers. I believe it. I wonder if George is playing that. You can't tell me that's not true. I'm serious that, like, I wonder if George is thinking of all these things, too.

I think so. I'll never know. And I think that's why he and he did talk about Miyazaki from software were like very complimentary and good fits. Like there's a whole, you can fight in the sewers in Eldon Ring and you go up against a guy called the dung eater.

Dung eater. Or you free him and like fight him maybe. Yeah, dung eater. It's like crazy down there. It's a little, they're giant rats. They're literally giant rats. The turtles are not there. The turtles are above ground.

But there are giant turtles. Well, that's very George. I'm not surprised by this. Exactly. That's why I'm saying, like, they were complimentary. Yeah, that's fair. No, that's fair. And I mean, before I mentioned the betrayal, yes, Brown Ben Plum's here. He's the one who suggests, hey, I escaped once through the city sewers. The scent haunts me to this day.

But, you know, what if we did it? So, interesting. What if we use the sewers? And he's like, the grates are rusted. The filth is waist high or worse. I couldn't do it. I'm not strong. I couldn't do it.

I'm God's weakest soldier. De Neri's knows I couldn't do it and Deneeris would not send me because I'm pure, not like. No, yeah. De Neri's would be like, you're far too pretty for this role. Far too pretty. Yeah. She wouldn't send you either for the same reason. Thank you.

Danny realizes her captains also shouldn't maybe go in here and she's like, they can't do this. And she's like, let me think about it. She dismisses everyone to her duties. Duties? Was that an intentional joke? I'm going to kill myself. I don't know. I don't know.

Maybe. Fuck. Like, your subconscious was making this joke. Go ahead. Fire me. Many people have talked about this before, so I'm not going to talk about it too much. But yeah, it could be foreshadowing regarding Tyrion and taking Catherly Rock. I don't know, maybe Kings Landing and how he worked on the sewer system there.

Yeah. Probably, maybe. But also, there's this line here where De Neres is thinking internally of, can I send men to die in the dark on such a slender hope? And I'm like, I mean, again, long night, foreshadowing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

It was like all coming up to this. Yeah. It does feel significant. Like, there's a lot of guerrilla warfare right happening. Like a lot of the trickery, a lot of guerrilla warfare going on in her chapters over the last few. So it makes sense to add more of that. And it makes sense that that's going to be needed in the long night. Yeah.

And it's interesting because she has like both sides of that, right? Like her calisar is a little bit more unorthodox, right? They can do scouting. They can do different formations. They can do guerrilla. They can just ride them down and tank their asses. But then you have her military regiment, the unsullied, which are very, very organized and good in that manner. So she has kind of two sides of an army right now that are like almost balanced.

Like there's almost an interesting field balance there. Yeah. It would be really interesting to see her collaborate on this sort of strategy. with John because John is also good at thinking about those kinds of things and I presume like I don't know actually what Aria and Denei's interactions are going to be like

but I presume Aria will be there and also she very much has a lot of that stealth experience as well Yeah, good call. Spy Mastership. Not as good as like as you said, Tyrion and Victorian like dang, there's a lot of like things that I didn't know to want.

Anyways, um Brown Ben Plum laughs when Danny questions his claim of dragon blood and he explains that he has an ancestor, a plum who married a dragon princess during Egan's reign and he tells De Neri's a bizarre tale about his grandfather's

long standing claim to fame which amuses her and lightens the mood. It's his cock the longstanding claim to fame is his cock and it stands long and it stands

and of course that is Elena Targaryen that we're talking about and Viceris Plum, right? I think it's a Viceris plum but that is that line from Egg for the bad egg The spoiled egg.

The bad egg. He's our bad egg. I actually love this combo though because again we have a new egg in coming to town soon and this is all like leading up to you know the Oberyn fight. Yeah.

where we have someone shouting about Egan and shouting about Rainies and their deaths, right? And vengeance for Elyan and for the children. So this is great set up. Oh, yes, one of the many Agen's. Oh, don't forget about the Agan's. Egan and Danny, it's getting laid out right here on the table. Pick up the book and read. Pick it out.

Yeah. And especially because that bad egg is kind of what led to maybe that other egg. The Blackfire Egg. Yeah. Which, what came first? The chicken or the egg? I mean, the chicken leg, the Baba Yaga chicken leg, or the egg. Arguably, this is some pretty good foundation outside of Illyrio to argue about Blackfires.

Yeah. I mean, that we're talking about Agin 4 right here in relation to, oh, who knows which Agan? Agan 4. That's a great point because we also even get reminded of like Ailerio and his schemes and stuff in just a few paragraphs. We did a little bit with him being like, let's go back to Penton. And I'm like, shit, ah. I like this line that Ben says as he's leaving. I don't know why.

I feel like feel weird calling him Ben Ben. I feel like I always have to call him by his, like, full name, Brown Ben Plum. I can't explain it. BPP. Yeah. BPP. Got that Brown Ben Plum Energy. He says I best see to my sons, capital S on S because he's talking about the second sons.

but it does go well thematically because obviously he's thinking about what's best for his company but especially you know what's best for himself he is a leader as well though right and the way that De Neri's has been thinking about her camp as her children so I just thought that was funny phrasing to be like I've asked you to my sons

yeah that's fun I like that in a second aka actually the front of dance he will then go think about his son some more far away without her Rip Because he's going to leave you a girl Interesting Fun, cute

I best see to my sons Those are the only children he will ever have I mean yeah probably I do really want to see what happens To Brown Ben Pump storyline And me too I think we're gonna You know

I think we're gonna I think so I think so I think he will What the fuck Hashtag hacks Danny wonders if Dario Could be someone she could love

And after pondering it she thinks, no, he's dangerous and he's cruel. I don't know about that. And I'm like, I don't know, yeah. I mean, he's dangerous and cruel, sure, to others, I suppose. But he's never really dangerous and cruel at her. And I don't know. I just feel like he's actually not as evil or cruel as he's being made out to be,

especially in contrast to like then Jora at the end of this chapter, right? Like, is she so deep up in her own thoughts and her paranoia from the prophecy and just throwing walls up around herself? Like, let him in. Let him love you, girl. Thinking of Dario's, like, seducing her, like, you should let me love you. Love you. Let me be the one to give you everything. And I agree.

Like, he, I guess arguably is dangerous and cruel. And I guess I can't, like, say it's just people deserve it. I mean, like, he isn't, he isn't, right? Like, those other people. of the storm crows, they were not very nice to do it. Right. And then he comes and he keeps bringing her like all these different plants and he's like, this is this plant. And I'm like, I mean, Dario seems like he could start like a foraging social media account. And I'm like, how can you not like think that that's some cute soft

boy shit? Yeah. I love that you pulled the plants out because like there was like there's like there's a bunch of different fucking names. Something. Devils lace, mint, some shit. I really, I was digging it. It's such fun world building. give me more flowers George I'm impressed by him like I would follow his foraging account I would watch his TikToks I would watch Dario's TikToks and I'd be like yeah don't eat that mushroom yeah that's an important plant if only Tyrion had watched those TikToks he would know I think he knew even without watching the TikToks he was like vibes are off with this mushroom which is why he uses them and he was not wrong I'm also okay

We talked at the top of this episode about how I'm making my way through Gone with the Wind, because I do think it influenced George a lot. I'm not far and Gone with the Wind. Please, no one spoil it for me. Somehow I just don't know what happens. I've never even seen the movie. Don't spoil it for me. I won't. It's just been out for 800 years. I know, but I've somehow managed to avoid it for the 800 years that I've also been alive. And so. As you were. Through some miracle. Through some miracle. Dario feels kind of inspired a little in terms of, like, his aura by, like, Rhett Butler, which, like, you know, kind of, like, dangerous, bad boy kind of thing. I don't know if that's true or not.

I'm only, like, 140 pages out of, like, literally a thousand Haiti, like, or so in. Don't tell me. Also, Scarlett O'Hara is not very much, like, Denaries at all. So nobody, like, put random-ass words into my mouth. As far as I can tell, they don't seem that similar. I could be wrong. I'm not far into the book. I literally just met Red.

Interesting, because there is a little something and like something that I'm not necessarily approaching as a Dario fan because I would never highlight his faults. But he is very doting on Dineries as a Dario podcaster. I forgot we're a Dario podcast now. Like, is he love bombing Danny? Maybe a little. Maybe that's a thing.

Like, maybe Dario is love bombing Danny. So I don't know. something there. Keep reading, Eliana. I mean, I was going to say, like, is it love bombing? Because sometimes as some people pointed out, like, we keep using this term and maybe sometimes someone's just excited about a relationship. But then I thought about

how he brought her, like, two heads. And I'm like, that is kind of love bombing. Yeah, it's giving J.D. from Heather's. It's giving, it's a little love bombing. Like, that's literal love bombing, actually, but killing someone for you is actually kind of literal. Like, that's

that's the line of love bombing for sure. because otherwise if he's just bringing you plants I'm like he's just trying to share his special interests with you and I'm like I understand this that's what you and I do my favorite date and he knows that you know and he knows that cute yeah you would know this if you watched instead season seven oh yeah this is a really important announcement today I watched season four episode one of Love Island US and then I told Eliana about it and I was swiftly rap remanded and told that I did the wrong thing, and that I need to stop what I was doing, get disconnected from the characters, and watch season 7 to catch up like a fucking normal person. Well, okay, which wasn't the very most supportive thing I could have done

when someone starts showing interest in one of your special interests. I could have been much more encouraging. I understand this fault. I'm sorry, Chloe. I should have gently redirected it in like season 7. If I had taken a you from Dario instead.

Should a love bomb the shit out of me. I should have killed someone for you, so true, and brought you heads. I love when you give me heads. Whoa. So Danny contemplates the task ahead, which is breaching Marines' walls and distracts herself with thoughts of her dragons instead of Dario. Drogon, in particular, she thinks of Drogon. And after leaving her pavilion to escape the confines of the camp, she takes a ride along

the shoreline. thinking about the disparity between her disciplined unsullied and her chaotic freedmen. The sight of them feasting, playing, and worshipping kind of reminds her of her responsibility to them and to the world. I love this passage. The grove of burnt olive trees in which she'd raised her pavilion stood beside the sea, between the doth rocky camp and that of the unsullied. When the horses had been saddled, Danny and her companion set out along the shoreline away from the city. Even so she could feel Marine at her back, mocking her.

When she looked over one shoulder, there it stood, the afternoon sun blazing off the bronze harpy atop the Great Pyramid. Inside Marine, the slavers would soon be reclining in their fringe to cars to feast on lamb and olives, unborn puppies, honeydormice, and other such delicacies, whilst outside her children went hungry. A sudden wild anger filled her. I will bring you down, she swore. Good for her.

Yeah. Food really drives her decision in a lot of ways, right? Same. Real same. I can't wait to get off this call so I can eat. But if they leave Marine and turn away, there's more chance that they die, right? They have no supplies left. True.

They bleed if they don't get food. They bleed if they don't regain their food. strength and they bleed if they don't take Marine or if they take them. Like damned if you do, damned if you don't, it's now or never. And there's something really symbolic in the burnt olive trees, right?

In my Turkish culture, comma, pregnant paws. The smoke from a burning olive tree is meant to offer, like protection from evil spirits. But to come... I don't know that. Yeah, I thought that was very interesting. To come back,

Back to the gladiator train of thought from earlier, let's take a look at what is now Athens, right? In a contest for who rules the city, Poseidon smashes his trident on the ground in Attica. It was still called Attica at that moment. And he creates a salt spring. Athena plants an olive branch on top of the Acropolis. And it turns out Poseidon's salt spring is not drinkable. But Athena's olive tree is seen as very useful. In fact, they use it to sprout a whole grove of them, and thus they named Attica, Athens, in her honor.

Athena's olive tree is a symbol of like a new order, right? Enlightened governance. The burnt olive tree in Marine suggests that the promise already failed, right? Peace was already destroyed. Civilization has already become corrupted. Danny is planting a flag on some scorched earth, trying to rebuild some semblance of hope. She wants to plant peace, but she arrives in what was a failed peace. And her tools to win will, we'll see, right?

Will they become fire and blood? Will they plant their own trees? Will she bring wisdom or diplomacy? We hope. We do hope. And love that regarding the olives. You know, I think many of us know that it's like a symbol for peace and like can see that. But I love the way that you've drawn it out into this, like, it shows that their civilization has been corrupted, right?

Like, this is just, their system in and of itself was already inherently violent, regardless of whether DeNaris was here or not. What they have for the people there is a salt spring, right? You can't live off of that. You can't build off of that. You can't. And in an earlier version of your note here, I saw the thing about Gladiator, and I just had like a side note of, like, we watched Gladiator 2 recently, and it was not good. I've heard this, so I haven't watched it because I haven't, you know, had spare time. I don't really watch bad movies.

I only watch good movies, but that's too bad. I, like, don't really think I would watch it again, but maybe, like, you and I could get together and just get blasted and just, like, you know, MST-3K in. But the good old days. So, anyways, like, that's... I thought you were going to talk about Gladiate because we were talking about Bellwast earlier in the first iteration of this note, but I like what you did instead.

Thank you. Um, De Nerees is suddenly pulled off of her horse by Mero, the Titans Bastard, who wants revenge. For his previous defeat, he threatens her, but Arson Whitebeard intervenes, defeating Mero in a swift fight. The freedman then swore Mero killing him, and Deneeris is shaken by this near assault. And this probably doesn't help any of her fears about being betrayed, especially because what happens, like, after this, like, the, you know, that really heated emotional moment that we're going to end the chapter with. Like, it happens right after this very emotionally charged moment in which she almost dies. So. Yeah, that's a great call. Yeah, like, this is like not the time to like bring up all these like things.

It's like barely been a book since the last one. Right. Right. And I mean, like everyone's been threatening to kill her since like, you know, for several chapters now. Yeah. I mean, since her birth, but like, yeah, recently. That's true. But I mean, it happens like every day of her life. That's why it's nice when someone brings you plants. Speaking of other things that happen in a storm of swords, Arston not recognizing Mero because he doesn't have a hair and a beard is reminiscent of Jamie Lannister's grooming changes

that go on in this book. Also kind of funny because he's in disguise too. Yeah, robots in disguise. But he does it by growing facial hair instead. He's like, I know all about disguises. Fitzchivalry does that at one point. Oh. My good friend fits civility from the Farseer Trilogy.

My good friend Gene Parmesan also does this. Barriston is, of course, I mean, he's called Barriston the Bold, right? But now it kind of makes you wonder, like, how bold has he been? Like, and you see that internal questioning during his POVs that one day I would love to redo. What? Because he does make it to being, what? He does make it to being old, right? And we're talking about no old, bold, cell swords.

but he is. He once was, he was called Bairson the Bold, but he's old. So what does that mean for him? Anyways, that's all. Much to ponder, Aliana. Thank you for giving us something so juicy to chew into. I can't tell if this is sarcasm. And you never will.

You never will. I never will. You got to keep some mystery in your relationship, you know. Keep it spicy. This is the real spicy book talk. Danny asks Sir Jora why didn't you warn me that Miro had escaped And he's like well I didn't want to alarm you And also I had offered a reward for his head

So I thought that would have happened and we wouldn't be having this discussion And Danny's like Arston should be knighted for his bravery in saving my life And Jora's like that's very surprising because he's already a night Yeah, which arson's like, whoa. Double night. So, obviously, we all know that Berson is hiding things from Denaries here. We're going to get to that, like, in a second. But there's all that, and Jorah being like, oh, he's hiding things.

But also, like, Jora, again, not telling De Neri's about Miro escaping. He's hiding things too. And I think that's an interesting contrast to Dario. Also, choosing to want to hide the suffering. of the children nailed to the posts from De Neri's, right, in the way that I guess Diora doesn't want to alarm Denei's, but Dario also understands, like, he might have wanted to make that call and kind of did, but he tells Denei's about that decision because she is his liege and lets her make the final call as opposed to Jora here, being like, I don't know,

I just wasn't going to tell you about this major thing that happened. Again, contrasts that with the way that Dario was like, hey, this is, you need to be in the loop with these big decisions. And then, of course, you have Jora, like, deflecting when everything comes out in a second. And you're like, I didn't tell you about my mistakes, but it's not as bad as

what Barriston did. He's hiding things, too, and he's like trying to distract and pin everything on the guy who just saved her life. By the way, like, did you really think, like, I don't know, the ploy, like, the ploy wasn't ploying. Yeah.

It's pretty big the gap, right? Like, a very big gap that he did not tell her that he still lived. And also that he thought putting a sign up, telling people for rewards, like, kill this motherfucker. As we get to his betrayals coming out, it starts to line up all of these things that, to your point, he's been doing this by pinning the blame elsewhere and avoiding the blame and avoiding accountability. What he's been doing like the last book and a half, two books. Yeah. All kind of comes to life.

Yeah. And also, it really reminds me of the R over-employed subreddit. It's actually really incredible. I don't know. You heard about this probably during the pandemic, but you would really like this. This is where people are working more than one job, but like the, jobs don't know about each other. Yeah.

So they're over-employed and they're doing it intentionally to make a ton of money. It's fascinating to read. Like, highly recommend you read it. I have a friend who did this. I will tell Chloe more about it. Not all of you. Sorry. But I have a friend.

I think I told, maybe I told you. I think you might have told me about this. But I'll remind you. And something that you said also made me realize, oh, yeah, he didn't tell everyone about Miro in the same way that. they, in West Rose, didn't tell everyone that Jamie escaped. Oh. That's another thing that's the same about Mero and Jamie, I guess, besides the hair changes.

Similar, similar plot. They're like the same, obviously. It is the same. It is the same. Arston gives us the big reveal. He's not just a squire, but Sir Barriston, sell me once a member of the kids. I know. once a member of the Kingsguard who had served Robert Barathean.

He explains he betrayed his oath to serve Danny after realizing Joffrey had cast him aside and attempted to have him killed. Beresden also admits Joros been spying on her for Veris. Oh, there goes that double indemnity. The spymaster in exchange for promises of returning home to Westros. Danny's fury erupts as she realizes Jora's been lying to her from the start. Yeah.

So, I will say, like, regarding all this, I do love that Bereson throws it back. Not that kind of throws it back. But he could. Hey. Oh.

I bet. I mean, like, he's been staying fit, you know? Like, I bet he could. Because he's all like, so, yeah, I fought for Robert, but also I fought for Ares. And you were on Robert's side fighting for him, Jora.

Oh. loyalties, bitch. Love it. Yeah, I love that he calls it out like immediately. He's like, fine. If I'm caught on the carpet, here's all my secrets. What about you, Jora? Yeah. If that is your real name, which it is.

If that is your real name. All right. Tell him, Jora. Tell him how he got it wrong. The others take you, so many. Sir Jora flung his long sword to the carpet. Callisi. It was only at the start before I came

to know you before it came to love. Do not say that word. She backed away from him. How could you? What did the usurper promise you? Gold? Was it gold? The undying had said she would be betrayed twice more,

once for gold and once for love. Tell me what you were promised. Vary said, I might go home. He bowed his head. I was going to take you home. Her dragon sensed her fury. Vissarian roared and smoke rose gray from his snout.

Drogon beat the air with black wings, and Raghall twisted his head back and belched flame. I should say the word and burn the two of them. Was there no one she could trust? No one to keep her safe? Are all the knights of Westeros so false as you two? Get out, before my dragons roast you both! What does roast wires smell like? As foul as brown-bens sewers, go!

Sir Bereson rose, stiff and slow. For the first time, he looked his age. Where shall we go, your grace? To hell! To serve King Robert! Danny felt hot tears on her cheeks. Drogon screamed, lashing his tail back and forth. The others can have you both. Go, go away forever, both of you.

The next time I see your faces I'll have your traitor's heads off. She could not say the words, though. They betrayed me, but they saved me, but they lied. You go, my bear, my fierce, strong bear. What will I do without him? And the old man, my brother's friend, you go, go. Where? And then she knew.

Shitopia, motherfucker. Shetopia. You get in that shit and you like it, motherfucker. You like it. Eat that shit. Go to the poop shoot. Not the poop shoot. Oh, my God.

Eat that shit. Like, Jesus. Like, it actually is going to probably be like that. Like, I don't think you can help that it's going to. You better come out with pink eye or not at all. You know what I'm saying? Oh, my God. I'm serious.

If fecal matter doesn't get in your eyeballs and turn them bright pink, I don't want it. I don't want it. Oh, and also, like, I don't know. How is Barristan's, like, immune system right now? Anyways. Yeah. That line where she's, like, gold. Was it gold?

Echoes Aria. Mm. Gold. How many, how many, how many. Yeah. Someone else who's kind of doing weird underground-ish, like, endeavors and escapes. There was some anger, some interior anger going on there that maybe I don't know that I've read before. as much. Like, I'm like, oh, she's pissed, pissed. Like, if Droghan was bigger and she was just a

tiny bit madder, that could have been a bad sitch. Yeah, I think, like, it's because you were in the moment then. You were in her shoes and you understood, like, these are the emotions going through her. Yeah, you, you, you were there. You inhabited it. Move over Amelia Clark, but, um, it's, it's like, I was using the skill into her mind. Wow. I mean, like, I would be, like, She's in the state of heightened emotion. She literally just almost died and was assassinated. And yeah, I'd be fucking mad too about finding out all these people were lying to me for one for years, the other for months. Yeah, that's pretty shitty.

It's a really great lead in to the next part of that emotional journey for her because the way she feels here is a preamble to Danny Six where she's thinking to all gods. feels so lonely, right? Because this is the difficulty and the weight of what betrayal means when you're a sovereign. Like, yeah, listen, like, as a normal-ass person, I would be big mad too if I found out someone else was, like, lying to me about who they, I mean, like, think about, like, even just getting fucking catfished, which has not happened to me because I've never been on a dating app. This is true.

That was not, like, a bit or sarcasm. It was, um... So pure. Oh, I just have been in the same relationship. for a very long time. It's not worth it to be on the dating apps anyways. I was on them a long time ago when we didn't have as many and they weren't good then either. It seems like interesting in the way that like gambling can sometimes be interesting, you know. You meet a lot of interesting people and you get good stories to tell. Yeah. I mean like I've met interesting people on the internet, right? Like I have this like really good friend that I've met on the internet and like we ended up starting a podcast together. Oh my God. I was over here about to be like any of my friends could have had a foot fetish. Like I didn't need to go on Tinder to find that. You know, What the fuck are we talking? How did we get to a foot fetish?

How did we get to the dating app? This comes up in season seven also of Love Island. But anyways. Oh my God. The foot fetish or the dating app? Or yes. The foot fetish. Oh.

You don't need a dating app if you're, the love, the whole Love Island experience is the dating. Like, it's not an app. You know, like, they're trapped there. I was just thinking sure. Anyway, but betrayal does happen on Love Island. It happens here in a song of ice and fire. But yeah, like I, I,

would be mad about someone lying to me for years and months. If someone was telling all my fucking secrets, like, you know, if someone was gossip grueling me, but like to my enemy, like, to my enemies, and imagine if it's an enemy sovereign who wants you dead. Like, that's, like, even worse. That's what George is talking about. You turn it up to 11. Yeah.

Right? But the difficulty of that is, like, what it doesn't mean in terms of being measured, you know, what does it mean when you're a leader? Because you have to exude strength. you have to meet out justice. Someone betrays me, you know, like maybe we should just all talk it out. And maybe that would be a solution

for everyone here too, right? Do we talk it out? Especially if someone says sorry in the way that, like, Jora has never learned to do. But if someone says sorry, you know, like you can maybe learn to rebuild, I guess, trust in that relationship.

But Jora didn't. He lied and dug deeper. Yeah. And he doesn't. And so, like, you know, You can't just, like, be, oh, I will cut this person out of my life. She has to think about, like, do I take their heads off next time I see them? And, like, maybe she doesn't have to think that.

But the fact of the matter is, she does have the power to do that. And that's, like, a weird imbalance when it comes to your personal relationships, right? Like... Your only friends are these old dudes, but they're committing treasons all the time against you. That in and of itself is also isolating if your only friends are all old dudes. That in and of itself. And not in the cute, only murderers in the building way. No.

You know what I mean? Yeah, oh my God. Like, this is not like only murderers. It would be cuter if they were like that. And it's not. You're so right. That's coming back next month. Hey, I hear, um, Logan Lerman's in it this season.

Um, hold on. I have to, I don't know anyone. You'll know when you see him. He's like, you know, boy. Oh, okay. Yeah. Oh, my God. Perks.

You and I were just talking about perks of being. Yeah, perks, baby. That's so funny. Well, that's so funny. I actually saw a post in my Facebook memories about perks of being a wallflower from 17 years ago being like, I can't wait for the movie to come out. I'm so excited.

That's so crazy that like, the universe is converging for you and me. Oh, yeah, that too. That too. But yeah, nowhere can she feel safe and her being like, are all the nights of Westro's so false as you two? Most of them, yeah. Probably. That's what Oznack stuff is about.

and that's kind of like what all of Sonsa's P.O.V. chapters, I guess, were about... The red wedding that just happened, right? How many nights were there that committed atrocities? Oh, true. Literally just happened. Yeah. Yeah. It's true, man.

Ugh. Yeah. Anyway. I'm glad she chose an appropriately shitty punishment for them. Ha. Honestly, like, is it bad that part of me was even, like, looking back on it, you're right. That was an appropriately. shitty punishment, but the first time I read it, I was like, I don't know if that was harsh enough.

It could be worse. I just don't think it should be equal for both. Yeah, I'm like, Barristan, sure, you're really going through it. But like, Jora? Yeah. Yeah, no, you're right. Like, for Barristan, it was too much. But at the same time, like, I think that's the other difficulty, right?

Like, she needed someone to do it. She needed someone to do this plan. Time to dig yourself out of the shit, guys. Oh. I couldn't do it I'm sorry, I'm like thinking about it again and like... No, I couldn't do it

I don't have my poop in a group for that I'll go, I'll leave, I'll literally leave I couldn't do it No, absolutely not Absolutely not Oh, do me Yeah, I'd be pretty angry too I think the poop punishment is good

I'm proud of her for that one I don't think she should be letting Drogon eat them So probably better to do this Because it's terrible because like You do need Jora in a way He is important to your cause in that he does a lot of physical, like, labor. Actually, do you need him? I don't know.

I don't know what he does. What does he do? I think it's like you're kind of like, you're talking about that overemployed thing, but I think besides the fact that he was isolating Deniery's from an abusive standpoint, like, I think he realized he's just not, he doesn't really do anything. Like, when she has people who are actually good at their jobs. Yeah, he's like an anti-personality hire. Like, the guy that's around that's always just such a, like, bummer.

Yeah, he doesn't really provide that much more value. Hmm. Much to ponder. You know, maybe someday he'll have purpose. Maybe. I'm not counting on it. I'm, like, trying to think of any purpose he can have, like, with where he is in book five. I'm like, eh.

I'm not even going to comment because it's just, like, flat, baseless, not even analytical. nothing smart behind it besides dying. Here's a purpose for him. Dying. Yeah, he like, nothing. I mean, it's like sad because like he just goes so far into it and like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Tell my son to come back. Take the black.

Get the sword. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And protect Danny and like somehow make up for his fucking sins. I don't know. None of that really is exciting to me. I don't care what happens to him. Yeah, I'm sure, like, George is going to try and bring us on to something of, like, wondering, like, hey, is, like, any sort of redemption possible for him or not in the way that he has with Theon? But, like, I don't know. Or Jamie. Yeah. I don't know. He's just not my favorite of those boys. Okay, is all I'm saying. I have other boys for that. I have Sandor. I have Theon. I don't need another. I mean, yeah. Tyrion's going to have that sort of arc, too, even. But, like, it's different. It's interesting when it's him. Yeah. he is he's my special baby boy yeah what do you want from i love his little treasonous ass i can't wait for

men gone canon podcast of the century he didn't even he didn't even do like that much treason like all he didn't he did was slap his nephew he didn't do that much treason he didn't he didn't commit the regicide everyone thinks he did he's only doing treason after yeah post you misly. And I too would do treason if I were falsely accused of regicide and sentenced to death. Good. Good. Embrace that, Eliana.

Embrace that. On the fucking list. Already. Jesus. You know, we'd like you to put us on your lists on social media. Eliana, where can they add us to their lists on social media? Speaking of treason on Twitter, you can find us at Girl Scorn Care. Now we're really on a list.

I know, right. Or on blue sky. I'd be on there sometimes. You can also send this emails on blue sky. Yeah, I'd be blue sky in these days, once in a while. Oh, really? The vibes are bad, but I'm there anyway. I'm there to talk to Mary about Robin Hobb, honestly.

Aw. I haven't even been on Twitter that much, like, myself until... It's not great. I wouldn't. I came out of the Ashes to talk about Ho-O. The Ash Ketchums? The Pokemon. Yeah, the Ash Ketchums is.

And you can also send us emails at Girls Gone Cannon at gmail.com. Yes, we want to hear from you and your pets. And if you want to hear from us and occasionally my pets, subscribe to us on a platform that you like the most. Hit that subscribe button, the follow button, whatever. Leave the comments, the reviews, all that good stuff. A good old five-star review.

We love a good old five-star. Our friends from Patreon are going to tell you where else you can find us. You can catch Girls Gone Canaan on any of the following streamers. On Podbean, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Acast, Spotify, Overcast, Apple Podcasts, IHeartRadio, Audible, and Amazon Podcasts. You can also join us on Patreon, where if you join the Thunder Tier above, you have access to a Discord and monthly happy hours and things like that. And by joining the Discord, you get access to. to a bunch of great channels, including but not limited to memes and shit posting channel, fashion hour. There are multiple channels for historic materials, a song of ice and fire.

There's a pet channel, which I think is probably the most important channel of all. Respectful thirsting, because there's a channel for that. Come by, join the community. It's a lot of fun, and you won't regret it. You know, Patreon's my favorite place that you can find us. We're all always there. You can always find us posting there at patreon.com slash girls gone canon, C-A-N-O-N. We'd love for you to join us, join us, join us, join us, join us. Join us, come and waste an hour or two. You got magic to do. No more piquin. No more pippin.

We'll be back. Let's see if I can even remember these other songs. Next week with De Neri's 6, and we hope to see you then. We'll be finishing out a storm of swords. We're very excited. I have been one of your hosts, Chloe. She's Pippen. I've been another one of your house. Eliana.

That was like a memory unlocked. Like I, you know, like I haven't really thought about Pippet. I think about Pippet sometimes, right? Because my high school did a production of it and I did like the painting of the sets. Right. That's right. But I haven't thought about the music. Huh.

And so that wasn't, that was a memory-unlocked moment. Let's see what else I can remember later on. I'll have to look up some songs, though. I don't even remember all the lyrics. I'm really bad at lyrics. We'll be back with Eliana's performance of Pippin next week. Thanks. We can do, I think I remember better than that, probably like damn Yankees,

which is not, I think, a musical you would expect me to bust out. We're in our baseball era now. too, our football era. Do they have a football musical? I think so, actually. Oh, you know what's playing around here? Juliet. I've been telling everyone... And Julia, don't do it. Yeah, and Julia. I've been telling everyone, I was like,

my friend, he did this. Don't watch it. I should probably not. Don't do it. I don't know, whatever. It's here at the end. I'm leaving it. Goodbye.