I imagine Martin outlined all the plot points and it was their job to write and connect the dots. Just so happens that day that I was watching something on the history channel about the crusades which is filled with sacking and plundering of cities so I didn't see it as a huge leap to decide to destroy a city that you thought would be a threat to your rule in order to keep the rest of your kingdom in line. Martin is big history buff so I could see him seeing it that way.

Again, there could have been easy storytelling fixes to make clear Dany's reasoning but I don't mind not having it (and you got to also allow that next week we will hear from Dany herself her motivation). I just loved that it was a turn I wasn't expecting (while suspecting she would turn out to be the mad queen).

I was just talking to someone about how Hollywood is built very much on giving audiences exactly what they want and one of the best things about early GoT is that it avoided that often...except for the battle of winterfell.

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"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"