The Daenerys twist in the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones Season 8 titled "The Bells" generated a strong reaction from fans, which a psychologist recently tried to get to the bottom of.
Clinical psychologist Janina Scarlet who also happens to be a fan of the show explained that the intense reaction is likely the result of the emotional connection that fans developed with Daenerys as they followed her adventures.
The technical term for this is "parasocial relationships." Basically, fans who devote time to watch these characters grow to feel as if they are part of our lives and start to share a bond with them.
"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. 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 explained via CNET.
"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," she went on to say.
The problem that a lot of Game of Thrones viewers had with what happened to Dany in the second to the last episode of the HBO juggernaut is that it was unearned and went against everything that the show has established for her character.
This is not the only issue fans have with the Season 8 though. Many feel like a lot of characters are being shortchanged this season and most of what they do in these episodes just don't make sense.
The show is bound to get a huge response considering its worldwide success and popularity, but those who invested their time and reveled in the storytelling just can't seem to wrap their head around the creative decisions for its final run. With what has been said and leaked about the finale, the reaction is about to be so much more intense.
Game of Thrones will wrap up this Sunday.