On her way to govern the seven kingdoms in Game of Thrones, the woman who seeks to be the queen took a dramatic turn that has made many fans from the series uneasy, uncomfortable and downright sad. A clinical psychologist, author, and dedicated fan says that letdown is genuinely real.
After watching the episode, you saw Daenerys and her dragon Drogon easily force Cersei’s troops to surrender and lay down their weapons. Well, she set them on fire anyway. Why did she do that?
The former Chain Breaker and a main runner up for the iron throne quickly lowered her standards to become the Mad Queen, or at least the “Queen of Ashes,” who had once sworn it would never be.
Clinical psychologist Janina Scarlet says that Game of Thrones has functioned as a refuge for trauma survivors who were able to feel and establish a kind of connection with characters who have overcome suffering from things like physical disfigurement or even loss of multiple loved ones.
So the transformation of the Khaleesi is particularly disturbing for fans who might have felt a true sense of connection to their character after their epic narrative arc, which has seen Dany escape some terrible circumstances to literally get through the fire, free slaves, take the dragons to the north and help the troops to defeat the Night King. Basically, it has been Abraham Lincoln, Superman and Winston Churchill combined into one person riding a dragon.
Scarlet uses the term “parasocial relationship” to describe the link a fan can generate with a fictional character or celebrity.
“Parasocial relationships can help fans to feel less alone in their mental health struggles, can inspire hope, and create a dialogue about trauma and recovery,” explained the psychologist. “Seeing a person who came from an abusive childhood, experienced violence, assault and tragedy can inspire many other trauma survivors, especially women, to better understand and process their traumatic experiences as well.”
Scarlet is a self-proclaimed ñoña, writer and creator of the book “Superhero Therapy,” which integrates beloved characters from comics, science fiction and videogames to certain types of therapy. Scarlet, who resides in San Diego, works with her clients to identify their own talents and strengths using characters like Veronica Mars – who has a talent for detective work – as role models.
Scarlet agreed with an endless number of fans on social networks that the annihilation of thousands of people in King’s Landing by the Mother of Dragons does not exactly match the image we have of Daenerys Targaryen, as the good liberator in Meereen and other places.
“For many fans, especially women, who might identify with Daenerys in terms of being a survivor, this sudden change can be both confusing and emotionally distressing. Such story arc can appear to take away from agency that many trauma survivors may develop through parasocial relationships.”
The psychologist is also concerned that the depiction of extreme violence against a multitude of unnamed characters in the “The Bells” chapter may trigger something among the fans.
“It is my hope that in the future, writers of television and films will consider having cultural and/or mental health consultants on staff, especially when writing storylines dealing with trauma, shock, and horror in order to be conscientious about the potential effects the particular episode or scene may have on the viewers.”
The final chapter of Game of Thrones will probably be more violent and even more traumatic, but in the future, perhaps, we will see more heroes who make mistakes and who still serve as role models when they do so.
