Game of Thrones Season 7 discussion thread. (SPOILERS ABOUND)

[bastardofmelbourne]

Well, this one wasn't quite so bad I guess. No massive plot holes or insanely illogical things going on.

The biggest one for me was how after Theon and Yara steal his fleet, Euron scrounges up the resources to build an even BIGGER fleet, then manages to set a nighttime ambush that he wins easily. Like, I imagine it'd be possible for Euron to sneak up pretty easily because it's Ironborn ships sneaking up on other Ironborn ships, they all look the same, but how'd they know which ships to ram? Why didn't Yara have any warning? It shouldn't be that easy to hide hundreds of medieval warships out on the open sea.

Also, Sam not wearing a face mask while debriding Jorah's infected tissue. He's got a disease spread by skin-to-skin contact, Sam, you need to put yourself in a goddamn human condom. I'm also doubtful as to how the treatment would work; papillomaviruses like what greyscale appears to be aren't cured by debridement. The warts/calcifications just grow back. And what are the chances that Jorah would even survive having what looks like a good third of his skin removed by an amateur with a scalpel?

But I guess if Jorah's going to do anything other than die in a cell, he needs to get cured somehow. And I was glad to see two out of three Sand Snakes kick the bucket. My only complaint about that was that the evil rape pirates decide "hey, let's not rape these two ladies we just pirated," but I guess that'd be pretty harsh even for this show.

Still complete shit though. I really don't understand what they are trying to do with Theon - I'm also 99% sure the writers don't either.

I disagree with it being complete shit. It's moving at a steady clip, which is an accomplishment for a plot of this size.

With Theon, I think it's pretty clear the writers are trying to show him suffering from really bad PTSD from his time with Ramsay. He's had at least one PTSD-esque breakdown last season, and they use the same cues this episode. So I imagine even Theon is pretty confused as to why he ran.

What I don't get is why the Tyrells and Sand Snakes at the start even want to go attack King's Landing. They don't need to attack King's Landing. Winter is coming, they hold Dragonstone and therefore control maritime trade into the bay, and they have the Tyrells who produce all the food on their side. They could just wait a few months and then waltz into the throne room to find the Mountain gnawing on Cersei's bones.

Also, Jon doesn't need to attend Dragonstone personally. He could send a letter, saying like "Hey, the last time a Stark went to a Targaryen's court, they got burnt alive. Maybe we can meet at the Eyrie? Oh, by the way, there's an army of dead guys coming south who can only be killed by fire or dragonglass, and you've got three dragons sitting on a mountain of dragonglass. Just sayin'. Tell Tyrion his beard makes him look taller! Jon out." *drops quill*

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

The biggest one for me was how after Theon and Yara steal his fleet, Euron scrounges up the resources to build an even BIGGER fleet, then manages to set a nighttime ambush that he wins easily. Like, I imagine it'd be possible for Euron to sneak up pretty easily because it's Ironborn ships sneaking up on other Ironborn ships, they all look the same, but how'd they know which ships to ram? Why didn't Yara have any warning? It shouldn't be that easy to hide hundreds of medieval warships out on the open sea.

This one is a wallbanger for so many reasons. For one, no fleet of that size will be able to sneak up on anything, especially not in the age of sail, when the time from being spotted on the horizon to being close enough to shout is measured in hours if not days, depending on ships relative bearing and speed. Then we get into the trouble of just how exactly two massive fleets manage to do battle in the night when both fleets are medieval sail ships, with lanterns that at best illuminate their own deck. Since both fleets have ships of similar design and it is too dark to identify flags and sails, how do you know which ship to target? How do you even begin to guide yourself onto the opposing fleet when you can't see it? How did Euron's massive ass ship get into the middle of Yara's fleet?

The entire scene was a disaster, not just from the massive contrivance of it all, but the fact that it was shot in the worst way possible short of using a handicam. Dark, shaky shots with quick cuts that just leaves the view disoriented. And Euron is basically Ramsay if Ramsay's actor had been chewing on all the scenery all the time.

Also, Sam not wearing a face mask while debriding Jorah's infected tissue. He's got a disease spread by skin-to-skin contact, Sam, you need to put yourself in a goddamn human condom. I'm also doubtful as to how the treatment would work; papillomaviruses like what greyscale appears to be aren't cured by debridement. The warts/calcifications just grow back. And what are the chances that Jorah would even survive having what looks like a good third of his skin removed by an amateur with a scalpel?

I am going to chalk this up to Greyscale being a magical disease. Also, historically the idea of face masks to protect yourself from inhaling contaminants is a pretty recent invention. The masks that plague doctors/collectors wore, weren't so much to prevent infection as it was a way to keep scented herbs close to the wearers nose, to dampen the smell of decomposing bodies.

With Theon, I think it's pretty clear the writers are trying to show him suffering from really bad PTSD from his time with Ramsay. He's had at least one PTSD-esque breakdown last season, and they use the same cues this episode. So I imagine even Theon is pretty confused as to why he ran.

I think the problem is, as with Sansa between Season 4 and 5, that the show supposedly gave Theon's PTSD-arc closure last season with Yara's "toughen up"-therapy, just as Sansa supposedly found her own agency at the end of Season 4. Then Sansa 360'd in Season 5 and went and married Ramsay for no fucking reason and was back to being a passive victim. And now Theon's PTSD is suddenly back. It feels less like coherent plot and more like "Shit, we can do more with that arc, let's dredge it up again!".

What I don't get is why the Tyrells and Sand Snakes at the start even want to go attack King's Landing. They don't need to attack King's Landing. Winter is coming, they hold Dragonstone and therefore control maritime trade into the bay, and they have the Tyrells who produce all the food on their side. They could just wait a few months and then waltz into the throne room to find the Mountain gnawing on Cersei's bones.

Let's just agree that there's a lot of stupidity in Tyrion's war strategy. Like the fact that people dying from attacking dragons is bad supposedly. People dying from starvation in a prolonged siege is... alright? It is obvious that the whole "strategy" has more to do with the needs of the plot then any coherent in-world reason, which is a shame since Martin is a master at in-world justification even for his more outrageous plot developments.

 

[Erttheking]

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To play devil's advocate with Euron's fleet sneaking up on Yara, it's been heavily implied in the books that he has some sort of magical power on his side. I get the feeling they were hinting at that in the show, which was why there was a thunderstorm behind his fleet. Of course, this means I get to beat the old drum of "the books did it better."

And the thing about PTSD is that it NEVER goes away for good. It's always lurking there, kind of like depression, and it only takes the right circumstances to bring it back into the open. You can adjust well enough to function in day to day life, but a really bad situation (which I say Theon was more than in) can make you have another attack. I'm in the camp that, while it's clear Theon has come a long way from Reek, it's clear he's not who he used to be. He's a lot more timid and quiet, and while he can work himself up to be brave, it clearly takes a lot more effort than it used to. I think they handled it well.

And, in defense of Tyrion, a famine is a lot easier to remedy when you have the Tyrells on your side than dragons running wild and burning half of King's Landing to the ground. And that Dany really does need to press her claim on the Iron Throne, lest someone who isn't insane get a grip on Cersei or, worst case scenario, no one gets a hand on Cersei and she goes full mad king, complete with Wildfire all over King's Landing. That and, when you get down to it, when you're in a middle age war and you have a lot of vassals providing you troops, you need to end things quickly or they get fed up and leave. I imagine this being a massive problem, in particular, for the Dothraki.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

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To play devil's advocate with Euron's fleet sneaking up on Yara, it's been heavily implied in the books that he has some sort of magical power on his side. I get the feeling they were hinting at that in the show, which was why there was a thunderstorm behind his fleet. Of course, this means I get to beat the old drum of "the books did it better."

And the thing about PTSD is that it NEVER goes away for good. It's always lurking there, kind of like depression, and it only takes the right circumstances to bring it back into the open. You can adjust well enough to function in day to day life, but a really bad situation (which I say Theon was more than in) can make you have another attack. I'm in the camp that, while it's clear Theon has come a long way from Reek, it's clear he's not who he used to be. He's a lot more timid and quiet, and while he can work himself up to be brave, it clearly takes a lot more effort than it used to. I think they handled it well.

And, in defense of Tyrion, a famine is a lot easier to remedy when you have the Tyrells on your side than dragons running wild and burning half of King's Landing to the ground. And that Dany really does need to press her claim on the Iron Throne, lest someone who isn't insane get a grip on Cersei or, worst case scenario, no one gets a hand on Cersei and she goes full mad king, complete with Wildfire all over King's Landing. That and, when you get down to it, when you're in a middle age war and you have a lot of vassals providing you troops, you need to end things quickly or they get fed up and leave. I imagine this being a massive problem, in particular, for the Dothraki.

Regarding Theon's PTSD, I mean the man has lost his fuckin penis, thats a permanant reminder that his PTSD is here to stay. And who knows what Euron is capable of if he captures his brother.

 

[bastardofmelbourne]

[Regarding Theon's PTSD, I mean the man has lost his fuckin penis, thats a permanant reminder that his PTSD is here to stay.

Now that you mention it, both of his recent PTSD attacks in the show have been after watching his sister making out with some ladies.

I always felt that was mean of Yara. Guy's lost his dick, do you have to keep flirting with every set of tits that wanders into your line of sight?

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Episode 2 was a lot closer to the GoT of recent seasons, which is to say it was Very Stupid. There were some individually nice moments, like Nymeria's appearance at Arya's fire (and subsequent departure)...which is likely on-book...but the rest of it varied from faintly ridiculous to overtly insulting.

Dany's meeting with half of Westerosi society in the until-recently-abandoned Dragonstone was a stark reminder of how hilariously this show treats travel and distance. The Dornish contingent continue to be abominably bad actors (although the horrendous dialogue they're given certainly isn't priming them for success). And Euron...oh my word. This Euron. He's so, so incredibly bad. Laughably, risibly bad. From his 80's emo rock appearance to his scenery chewing and cackling and high-school drama emoting. He's so far off the version of Euron in the books he stands as a unique show creation, and like virtually every unique show creation stemming from Roz the travelling prostitute to Karl "The Fookin Legend of Gin Alley" Tanner, he's unbelievably amateur hour.

There have been some bits of dialogue here and there throughout the show's run that have been off-book and still sharp, so I'm hesitant to say that every writer working on the show is incompetent, but it's actually pretty close. Good thing the budget is high. Beautiful locales, high quality actors and lavish production values are working overtime at this point to cover up Xena-level story boarding and dialogue.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

And the thing about PTSD is that it NEVER goes away for good. It's always lurking there, kind of like depression, and it only takes the right circumstances to bring it back into the open.

I've worked with my fair share of people suffering from PTSD, in fact I dare say that I'm far and away more knowledgeable about it then the average joe, due to how often I engage with it professionally. Yara's "treatment" of it was shit, as in counter-productive in real life shit, but the show showed us that it apparently worked. That's bullshit, but I can live with mental illness being portrayed badly in pop culture (because it happens all the time). The major problem for me is the way the show just rolls back story arcs it has finished so that it can re-tread them some more. Just as happened with Sansa and her agency or Melisandre and her faith, it now happened with Theon and his PTSD.

Either his trauma is long lasting and they don't finish the fucking arc or it can be solved and it was done at the end of last season by Yara abusing Reek until Theon came back. Just as with Sansa's wedding to Ramsay or Euron's magically appearing fleet the problem is that anything can happen if D&D decides it would be "good story". We can't even trust dramatic arcs or internal logic to set boundaries for what will happen, because the moment D&D needs something to be a certain way (Sansa marrying Ramsay, Euron getting a fleet, Jon becoming King, Cersei not caring for her own children, Dragonstone being empty) it will be so, even if it flies in the face of previous character development or known information about the world.

And technically, what Theon is suffering from is not as much PTSD as it is a generalized traumatization from repeated abuse. But that's just a nitpick.

 

[Erttheking]

And the thing about PTSD is that it NEVER goes away for good. It's always lurking there, kind of like depression, and it only takes the right circumstances to bring it back into the open.

I've worked with my fair share of people suffering from PTSD, in fact I dare say that I'm far and away more knowledgeable about it then the average joe, due to how often I engage with it professionally. Yara's "treatment" of it was shit, as in counter-productive in real life shit, but the show showed us that it apparently worked. That's bullshit, but I can live with mental illness being portrayed badly in pop culture (because it happens all the time). The major problem for me is the way the show just rolls back story arcs it has finished so that it can re-tread them some more. Just as happened with Sansa and her agency or Melisandre and her faith, it now happened with Theon and his PTSD.

Either his trauma is long lasting and they don't finish the fucking arc or it can be solved and it was done at the end of last season by Yara abusing Reek until Theon came back. Just as with Sansa's wedding to Ramsay or Euron's magically appearing fleet the problem is that anything can happen if D&D decides it would be "good story". We can't even trust dramatic arcs or internal logic to set boundaries for what will happen, because the moment D&D needs something to be a certain way (Sansa marrying Ramsay, Euron getting a fleet, Jon becoming King, Cersei not caring for her own children, Dragonstone being empty) it will be so, even if it flies in the face of previous character development or known information about the world.

And technically, what Theon is suffering from is not as much PTSD as it is a generalized traumatization from repeated abuse. But that's just a nitpick.

I did get the feeling that I was severely out of my depth when I was talking to you in particularly about PTSD, since you work in a medical field, but since I'm stupid I'm gonna keep going.

I fully agree that Yara's treatment was crap, the Ironborn are based on Vikings, a people hardly known for their finesse in dealing with mental disorders. Though I still argue that Theon never really fully recovered from his trauma and that it shows a lot. The brash, arrogant Theon from the first two seasons is gone, and he's lost a certain amount of confidence. He's much more quiet and docile than he used to be, usually just standing by silently while Asha/Yara/whatever the fuck her name is takes charge. In the few scenes where he does take a stand, I always got the impression he was rather unsure of himself and it was taking a lot of active willpower on his part.

Now is the show repeating itself? Yeah, I won't lie, the Sansa example you picked out is a golden example of that. Mainly because putting Sansa at the Dreadfort was an utterly stupid move for Littlefinger, but Jeyne Poole wasn't in the show so the showrunners had to be stupid. But I'd argue it works in the case of Theon, if only because I still stand by it never came across him as fully recovering. At best, he's no longer Reek, but I'd say it was pretty clearly those wounds never truly healed, they just got more manageable.

Ah. Fair enough.

 

[McElroy]

Fun stuff, but I have a pressing notion to discuss. Is it just me (yes, never "just you", whatever) or has something happened between seasons which instead of making Hot Pie hotter, made him pie-er? He's certainly enjoyed a last harvest or two. edit: well now that I've made some comparisons it seems it's just his hair that's larger... carry on

 

[happyninja42]

Ok so, is it possible for someone who has been castrated to become erect? I mean, kudos to Grey Worm for finally hooking up with his girl, but I thought the whole point of castration was to remove any ability/desire for sex?

Am I missing something about the biology of sexual arousal in men? I mean, I am one, but I have my balls, so I don't really know what it's like to not have them and still be into women.

 

[bastardofmelbourne]

Ok so, is it possible for someone who has been castrated to become erect? I mean, kudos to Grey Worm for finally hooking up with his girl, but I thought the whole point of castration was to remove any ability/desire for sex?

Am I missing something about the biology of sexual arousal in men? I mean, I am one, but I have my balls, so I don't really know what it's like to not have them and still be into women.

It's actually mentioned in season 2 that they remove the entire penis (a penectomy) of the Unsullied, as well as the testicles. So Grey Worm literally has nothing down there but a big scar.

Castration removes the production of testosterone, which I understand also basically kills the libido. But Grey Worm may nevertheless have very strong feelings for Missandei, because it's possible to care about someone without wanting to fuck them. Missandei, obviously, still wants to jump his nonexistant bones, which probably explains why he was so hesitant and uncomfortable in that sex scene; they're not precisely on the same page.

Now, all of that is different to what Theon has, because if I remember correctly Theon had his dick removed but not his balls. That would be the worst possible situation, since he would retain an adult male's libido but also be burdened with the sexual anxiety of literally not having a penis. He could still find fulfilling sexual relief if he was willing to get pegged, although I'm no 100% certain what the state of Westeros' sex toy industry is.

Also: we have fucking spambots in our Game of Thrones threads now? Is there no level to which these monsters will not stoop?!

 

[happyninja42]

It's actually mentioned in season 2 that they remove the entire penis (a penectomy) of the Unsullied, as well as the testicles. So Grey Worm literally has nothing down there but a big scar.

Ah, I missed that bit.

Castration removes the production of testosterone, which I understand also basically kills the libido. But Grey Worm may nevertheless have very strong feelings for Missandei, because it's possible to care about someone without wanting to fuck them. Missandei, obviously, still wants to jump his nonexistant bones, which probably explains why he was so hesitant and uncomfortable in that sex scene; they're not precisely on the same page.

Yes I'm aware it's possible to care about someone without wanting to fuck them. Just, the way the scene was shot, it clearly looked like they were getting ready to screw, and he seemed to be you know...lining up for entry if you will. Which is where my confusion was, since it would be difficult to accomplish that, without the biological act of erection. But, I guess they can just do scissoring style humping.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Can I ask, why is Ser Davos still around with Jon and the Starks? You think after Stannis' death whatever oaths he had for him is now null and void.

Like Davos could just go home at this point for all he can but he does not, now he's loyal and fights for Jon Snow and the North?

 

[bastardofmelbourne]

Can I ask, why is Ser Davos still around with Jon and the Starks? You think after Stannis' death whatever oaths he had for him is now null and void.

Like Davos could just go home at this point for all he can but he does not, now he's loyal and fights for Jon Snow and the North?

He hasn't got much of a home, if I remember correctly. His son died at the Battle of the Blackwater way back in season 2, his wife is never mentioned, and his knighthood is probably invalid now that Stannis is dead.

With Jon Snow he has a job, food, and shelter, not to mention the outside prospect that Jon might succeed. It's mutually beneficial; Jon gets Davos' advice and experience, and Davos doesn't starve in the coming winter.

Come to think of it, another thing in the first two episodes that bugged me. Sam finds out that Dragonstone is built on a mountain of volcanic obsidian, i.e. White Walker kryptonite, and immediately has to relay this vital information to Jon. But surely that's common knowledge; everyone knows that Dragonstone is built on a volcano, everyone knows that dragonglass comes out of volcanoes, and the name of the castle is freaking Dragonstone. And even if we blame medieval communication deficiencies for the poor dissemination of that knowledge - which is bizarre with all the ravens flying back and forth like feudal email - surely Stannis knew. In fact, I think he told them two seasons ago. And even if Jon didn't believe Stannis or if Stannis never adequately communicated that fact before he died, surely Davos knows. He's lived on Dragonstone for decades. He learned to read on Dragonstone. Surely one of those books would've mentioned "by the way, this castle you're in is built on top of the largest known deposit of dragonglass in the world."

Characters just don't seem to be communicating as much as they ought to be, considering that the entire surviving cast has now clumped up into two or three cliques. Which is ironic, because every character seems to know every plot development as soon as it occurs - oh, Tyrion is in Queen Daenaerys' court now, is he Cersei? - but they can't be arsed talking to the other people in the room about some very important things. Like, "Daenaerys, Ellaria Sand killed my niece, her nephew, and her brother-in-law in a coup, she's crazy and can't be trusted." Or "Hi, I'm Melisandre. There's a numberless army of corpses marching south led by liches that can only be killed by dragons. Stop dilly-dallying and get burnin'."

 

[happyninja42]

Can I ask, why is Ser Davos still around with Jon and the Starks? You think after Stannis' death whatever oaths he had for him is now null and void.

Like Davos could just go home at this point for all he can but he does not, now he's loyal and fights for Jon Snow and the North?

Because he knows there is an undead horde that will sweep across the world and kill every living thing in it's path? And that Jon and his people are the only people (currently) trying to stop them? So he feels his time is best spent helping him so that all of life in Westeros isn't consumed by the frozen dead?

Do you honestly think he'd be like "Gosh, well I think I'm going to go home, take a nap, chill out for a while, it's been a ***** of a few years. Good luck with that Undead Apocalypse threatening to kill us all thing, I'm sure you've got it under control, and don't need the help of every single living person to fend them off."? I mean, is that really how you think that guy thinks?

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Can I ask, why is Ser Davos still around with Jon and the Starks? You think after Stannis' death whatever oaths he had for him is now null and void.

Like Davos could just go home at this point for all he can but he does not, now he's loyal and fights for Jon Snow and the North?

Because he knows there is an undead horde that will sweep across the world and kill every living thing in it's path? And that Jon and his people are the only people (currently) trying to stop them? So he feels his time is best spent helping him so that all of life in Westeros isn't consumed by the frozen dead?

Do you honestly think he'd be like "Gosh, well I think I'm going to go home, take a nap, chill out for a while, it's been a ***** of a few years. Good luck with that Undead Apocalypse threatening to kill us all thing, I'm sure you've got it under control, and don't need the help of every single living person to fend them off."? I mean, is that really how you think that guy thinks?

Not so much like he is that kind of person, but mostly because he is among essentially complete strangers. He technically owes nothing to Jon and the North and yet here he is. And its apperent that he is now friends with Jon and the North since he fought and bled alongside them in the Battle of the Bastards.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Anyway it is gonna be very interesting seein Davos and Melisandre meet again in Dragonstone...

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Even though I am fairly knowledgable of this franchise. I have so many questions to a lot of things in this world.

Like I know alot of these characters but don't know there Origins.

Like how did Stannis ended up with Melisandre and how did Davos came to be under his wing as a Knight?

Are the Targaryans really supernatural humans? Why are they so connected with Dragons? And are all Targaryans really mad and crazy and evil men?

 

[Jute88]

Even though I am fairly knowledgable of this franchise. I have so many questions to a lot of things in this world.

Like I know alot of these characters but don't know there Origins.

Like how did Stannis ended up with Melisandre and how did Davos came to be under his wing as a Knight?

Don't remember where Melisandre came from, maybe her visions guided her to Westeros?

Davos was originally a smuggler. During Robert's Rebellion Tyrell forces were besieging Stannis' forces at Storm's End. Close to starvation, Davos managed to smuggle onions and fish to the castle. As a reward Stannis knighted him, gave him land allowed him to take the name of Seaworth (and a banner as well). But since this is Stannis, he also demanded to cut the first joints from from Davos' left hand because of his criminal deeds. Davos agreed to this only if Stannis himself would do the deed. And he did.

Are the Targaryans really supernatural humans? Why are they so connected with Dragons? And are all Targaryans really mad and crazy and evil men?

Targaryens came from Valyria, the Essos' equivalent of the Roman Empire. All the noble houses had dragons under their control (Targaryens were only a minor house in Valyria). After the Doom happened, all the noble houses and their dragons were destroyed, except the Targaryens.

Later, when Targaryen's came and conquered Westeros, there was a civil war during which all the Targaryen dragons were killed. After that some of them became desperate to acquiring dragon eggs in hopes of them hatching (didn't work).

Not all Targaryens are crazy. There have been many Targaryen kings and queens who ruled the realm just fine. George R.R. Martin likes to give the readers information that isn't always reliable. The story about gods flipping a coin whenever a Targaryen is born is just that, a story made by the people of Westeros to explain why some of them go mad.

 

[bastardofmelbourne]

Like how did Stannis ended up with Melisandre and how did Davos came to be under his wing as a Knight?

Melisandre showed up on Dragonstone one day and started convincing everyone that there was something to this Lord of Light bollocks. That's all there is to it. She got the ear of Stannis' wife, so he couldn't kick her out, and she just insinuated herself from there.

Davos was a smuggler who broke a years-long siege of Stannis' castle during the rebellion by sneaking in a load of onions and saving Stannis and his men from starvation. Because Stannis is Stannis, he knighted Davos for saving his life, and then cut off some of his fingers for the smuggling.

Are the Targaryans really supernatural humans?

Well, Daenaerys is evidently fireproof, so there's that.

Why are they so connected with Dragons?

They're descended from the Valyrians, rulers of a Rome-style maritime empire built on a volcanic archipelago who tamed dragons for military purposes. Old Valyria collapsed when a massive volcanic eruption [http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Doom_of_Valyria] destroyed the central archipelago and rendered it uninhabitable, and its satellite states all broke off and declared indepedence.

The Targaryens were minor Valyrian nobles who had just recently claimed an island off the coast of Westeros - much as the Romans claimed part of Britain - and who had three of the world's only surviving domesticated dragons. The head of the house, Aegon, used those dragons to conquer the seven indepedent kingdoms of Westeros and unify them, declaring himself king.

The dragons eventually died out, because three dragons is not enough for a stable breeding pool, until Daenaerys received the three fossilised dragon egss at the start of the show. It appears dragon eggs can safely hibernate for a considerable period of time until exposed to enough heat.

And are all Targaryans really mad and crazy and evil men?

It was stated that they had a taste for marrying close relatives, to keep the remaining Valyrian blood "pure." That kind of thing results in congenital deformities in real life, including mental disabilities.

Another possibility, brought up by fans of the show, is that Bran will attempt to warg into the Mad King's mind in the past at some point and inadvertently drive him insane the same way he did to Hodor; the "burn them all" that King Aerys kept repeating might actually refer to using the dragons to kill White Walkers.