Why Stannis Baratheon had no choice.
Well then, now we’re alone, let me explain why Princess Shireen Baratheon had to be burned alive. And yeah, I’m aware that her death was suggested by GRRM and this means Shireen is not going to long for the print canon either, I get that, it makes sense given her situation in the books. I don’t particularly think that it was massively out of character for Stannis to do this either. Admittedly, coming off the father/daughter scenes in previous episodes, it’s a little hard to see that change so quickly. And of course, that sequence was horrifically brutal to watch. Even so this all makes sense when you consider what Stannis’s narrative is about, and why this is actually retelling a much older story. It actually didn’t click with me till this last episode of Game of Thrones. With Shireen’s death, it finally let the penny drop for me about Stannis and why his storyline always feels so disconnected and off compared to everyone else. You know how there’s that idea that Game Of Thrones is the War of the Roses but with dragons? That’s pretty accurate for how things started out, but Stannis isn’t part of that. Stannis is in his own Greek epic, travelling Westeros to build an army and conquer the kingdoms. He’s even got his own personal oracle telling him his future. Melisandre is the Cassandra of this story, offering her version of the future. Stannis is the warrior king with his epithets and his journey. Read More