On Jaime and "redemption"
I think I must have a different take on redemption than other people. See, I don’t think that you necessarily have to want redemption to be redeemed. I don’t think you have to set out on some hero’s journey with the whole goal in mind that you’re going to get your ass some redemption. I think redemption is more about the things you do, not the things you say.
Jaime may not ever say “I want to atone for my crimes” … he doesn’t have to. His actions say that. When he’s writing in the White Book, it’s obvious that he’s not the man he always dreamed he’d be, it’s obvious that his life didn’t go the way he wanted it to. It’s obvious that he does want to set things right.
And for what it’s worth, he does admit to feeling shame for what he’s done. He tells Cersei that he’s not ashamed of loving her, only of the things he did because of that love. That includes, more than anything, I would think, pushing Bran out the window. He doesn’t have to spend a million chapters bemoaning this shit. That’s not who he is. But he DOES feel guilt for it. And to say he doesn’t want to suffer to make up for anything — well, again, you don’t have to WANT it for it to happen. Jaime lost his sword hand. It was his entire identity. And losing it fundamentally changed him, whether he wanted it to or not. He doesn’t see the world the same way as he did before that happened.
I don’t think redemption is a dirty word. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I don’t think it automatically means you’re a fucking white hat who never does anything wrong. But he’s clearly not happy with the status quo, or where his life has ended up. I don’t think Jaime is Azor Ahai reborn or anything, god no (though that would be some hilarious trolling on GRRM’s part oh god). To me, redemption simply means being dissatisfied with where you’ve ended up and wanting to do BETTER. I don’t think anyone can argue that Jaime is at that point, whether he realizes it or not (and I don’t think that he actually DOES). But why else would he have given Brienne Oathkeeper and sent her to find Sansa — whom he even SAYS is his last chance for honor?
I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I don’t CARE if you don’t. This is what makes Jaime such a fascinating character, because there are so many ways to read this character, so many different takes on who he is. I see some people say he’s a villain, some people say he’s neither good nor evil, and some people (like me), who think he IS a good man, with about a million shades of grey making up who he is. None of these interpretations are wrong. Jaime is complex. That’s why we love him (or love to hate him).
I mean, he says it himself. There are no men like him. There’s only him.
Hello. What was the name of the one shot where a girl was in a fivesome with Loki and his clones? I read it once and I forgot the name and it is killing me.
I know there are two multiple Lokis one-shots. The first one is There Are No Men Like Me. I cannot seem to find the second. Readers, what is the name of it so that I can link it to our dear anon here?
To read There Are No Men Like Me, click here.
tell me about cersei/jaime i'm actually really interested in hearing what you feel about them!!
This is the greatest and the worst ship ever of all time. Tbh I am a co-dependent aristocratic siblings stan 5ever. And Cersei and Jaime are such a mess. A beautiful golden mess. Because like they’re super similar but super different but they’re too intertwined with each other to realize that, at least Jaime is. And like I’ll fight anyone who thinks that don’t love each other. (because love isn’t always healthy imo) They spend so much time thinking about each other it’s ridiculous. And like I’m not an expert on either character but I do think the relationship is better for Cersei than it is for Jaime. Cuz like Jaime is what Cersei uses to exercise her agency. She choose to be with him and like yeah he’s her brother but that’s a liberating thing for her sorta. She lost her virginity to a man she loved. She had children with a man she loved. And she lives in a world where that’s not permissible but she said fuck that Robert can claim his “marital rights” but he isn’t getting anything else from me.(I would eat your heirssssssssss)
I do think they love each other equality as much even though it’s only Jaime whose faithful. I mean, I’m way too lazy to look it up right now but I’m fairly certain there’s a part in the book where Cersei says she never enjoys sex with anyone who isn’t Jaime and Jaime is always on her mind. But also Cersei is dangerously manipulative and commanding and Jaime is kinda a go with the flow kind of guy and so he’s never had an identity outside of her. So like while I ship them with the burning fire of a thousand suns I’m glad they spend most of the story apart.
Though I still think Jaime burning her letter was a dick move because it made me cry and I’m never going to be over it ever in my life.
But like idk. It’s complicated.
Plus they had sex next to their son’s dead body inside of a church while Cersei was menstruating
I mean
How can you not ship that tbh
you have basically said EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER WANTED TO SAY about loki in the last hour or so. (tbh i kinda blame hiddleston a bit? with his interviews about how the character's ~so misunderstood. which, like, you can play him like that if you want b/c he probably thinks he is, but WE shouldn't think that, didn't you study classics hiddles, shouldn't you know that gods aren't humans but gods no matter what pantheon they come from?)
oh my god YES
i think hiddleston has contributed to this problem massively, BUT IT’S REALLY WEIRD BECAUSE HE DOESN’T PLAY HIM THE WAY HE DESCRIBES HIM? he keeps talking about how that is how he views him, but then he doesn’t seem to play him that way and it’s indescribably odd? (most meta thing ever: discuss.) maybe it’s a benefit to the role to have the actor think that but for it to come out as conflict in the performance? idek.
yeah, man, as a fellow oxbridge classicist i am offended that someone who’ll have had godhead shit drilled into him from day one can make such bizarre conclusions. (you went to eton, hiddleston, i know you read the whole bloody iliad in the original, thus you should know better than this.)
