Was ‘Game of Thrones’ Penultimate Episode About the Insanity of a “Tactical” Nuclear War?

In episode 5, Season 8 of Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen’s deployed her scaly weapon of mass destruction believing that burning one city will end the continent’s war and make possible her peaceful reign.

National Interest magazine suggests that the dragons are in fact stand-ins for tactical air power and nuclear weapons interchangeably.

The article entitled: “Daenerys Targaryen’s Dragons Prove the Insanity of ‘Usable’ Nuclear Weapons” says:

In a shocking 90 minutes of dragon-inflicted carnage, “The Bells” — the penultimate episode of HBO’s fantasy epic Game of Thrones — finally settled a question journalists and foreign-policy experts for years have been trying to answer.

In the world that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and source-material author George R.R. Martin have created, are dragons metaphors for tactical air power? Or are they nuclear weapons?

{Targaryen}, one of several claimants to the throne of Martin’s fictional continent of Westeros and the only one with dragons, first deploys the beasts in combat in the 2017 episode “The Spoils of War.” A dragon flies overhead as Dany’s Dothraki cavalry attack a rival Lannister supply convoy.

The dragon’s fiery breath is terrifying … and decisive. The Lannister forces wither.

[A] T.V. show can explore broader themes in ways are that useful for people in the real world. Broader themes such as the power of weapons of mass destruction and the consequences of using them.
For that’s what dragons are. Fantasy WMDs.

Regardless if you accept this premise, Everyone should have seen this coming. As we have learned, no one on this show are immune to swift and sometimes brutal deaths.

The episode opens with Varys writing a memo about Jon Snow’s (Kit Harington) true parentage, as a kitchen girl named Martha arrives with news. As Martha explains to Varys, Daenerys “won’t eat”, which Varys responds to with “We’ll try again at supper.”

Martha then reveals that she worried Dany’s soldiers were watching her, which prompted the following exchange:

“Of course they are,” Varys explained. “That’s their job. What have I told you, Martha?”

Varys is trying to poison Dany believing Jon Snow is the Targaryen meant to to rule.

The episode proceeds to show Dany execute Varys and subsequently have Drogon raze King’s Landing with his dragon fire.

Many have complained about the pacing of this last season with fans even starting a petition to fire show runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and rewrite the season all together.

Aristotle talked about this in his theory on poetics and fine arts and even said of the most masterful writer: “Many are the poets who tie the knot well but unravel it ill,” Or, “who knew the pretty, lovable blonde would turn out to be bat shit crazy?” Apparently Tiffany Haddish, who banters with Jonathan Van Ness on Gay of Thrones.

Watch below.