I'm not annoyed by the prospect of a baby because it fails the test of being "bittersweet." I'm annoyed by the prospect of a baby because it's the "bittersweet" ending of every single dumb heroic star-crossed romance story ever. "Two people die to save the world but they leave behind a legacy in the form of a baby! Wow!" Some might find it lovely, but I find it boring and cliche. I'd far, far rather follow the mature ruling trajectory of these two characters that I've come to know and care about than be left with an infant of unknown qualities and character in charge of a very troubled realm. That doesn't leave me feeling bittersweet. It leaves me anxious as I flip the final page of the book closed or watch the credits roll.Violator wrote: ↑Wed Aug 23, 2017 3:04 am
Your 5 sounds far worse than the prospect of a baby.
If you think about it, we already know the ending will be bittersweet. There's no better way to do that than have a child become the new ruler after both of their parents die in the war. That's a lovely, bittersweet ending
I really wonder though if this child will end up on the throne in the event that both Jon and Daenerys die. GRRM has made a point of illustrating the instability of having child lords, and the very tenuous hold on power that even a legitimate inheritor of the throne holds. If Westeros is so thoroughly weakened by war after the WW invasion (which is entirely possible), then maybe everyone will agree to hold off on playing the game of thrones until this infant reaches its majority. Maybe they'll agree to suddenly accept its claim because it happens to descend from two people who were not universally supported by the entire realm. I don't know. But it seems really out of keeping with what we know about how power and governance work in this world. My #5 was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but I really do hope that the feudal system of war and misery and unstable transitions of power is broken at the end of the story. That, too, would be bittersweet for those of us who have immersed ourselves in this world and come to enjoy it.
I guess on some level I just find biological/reproductive resolutions to major character arcs and political problems to be a cop out.
Anyway, not trying to pick a fight, but just trying to elucidate why some people might feel that the production of a baby fails the expectations that GRRM has set for us in terms of the sophistication of the storytelling.