House of the Dragon Fandom Has a Serious Double Standards Problem
House of the Dragon fans are pretty vocal and opinionated when it comes to the show. But it does sometimes appear as though there is an element of double standards when it comes to how certain characters are viewed according to their actions.
Take Robb Stark, for example. This is a man who was the King in the North. A man who frequently defeated the Lannisters. Yet he followed his heart and made one mistake by marrying Talisa and lost everything – including the respect of the fans who were quick to let everyone know just how stupid they thought he had been.
Social media went wild, criticising Robb for risking it all for love.
Compare that to the praise lavished upon Rhaenyra every time she ignores her duty and follows her instincts, and it raises the question of why the two are viewed so differently in the eyes of some. Somehow, in fact, Rhaenyra's ill-conceived ideas are often seen as making her more of a queen.
And you could argue that she has made far more rash decisions than Robb – as has Daemon who also remains a fan favourite.
Of course, not everyone agrees that Robb was just one big walking mistake. Some acknowledge that much of what went wrong in his campaign was out of his control and couldn't be foreseen.
But the majority do seem to hold him to some sort of high standards that for some reason don't apply to Rhaenyra.
And it's not just Robb that gets the thin end of the wedge when it comes to popular opinion.
Ser Criston Cole is another character who undergoes a rapid fall from grace. Now, it could be argued that his character deserves the ire of the fans. He does, after all, have sex with the girl he has sworn to protect and kills Joffrey for no real reason other than self-preservation.
But again, the hatred he received for his actions seemed at odds with what both Rhaenyra and Daemon seem to be able to get away with.
Then again, maybe it's not a House of the Dragon fan thing. Maybe it's just a fan thing. Maybe all of us have our judgement clouded by shows and characters that we either like, dislike or simply don't care for. And maybe there's just no way that's ever going to change.