Fantastic points! I love the connection you make between violence and toxic masculinity here (not to spoil anyone but I think this raising really interesting questions for the way the series ends). And your point about Robert raises key questions for me about the the lines around "acceptable" violence and masculinity. For example, as you point out Renly links Robert's choice to pursue Daenerys to the erotic; in this moment, he seems critical of that link, but how critical and why critical? Is it because he feels like the indulgence in violence has gone too far? What is an acceptable amount of violence, as Loras suggests, to pursue while competing for the throne.
*ear-marking this whole discussion though for this week, especially since we really didn't get to discuss it last Wednesday!
*ear-marking this whole discussion though for this week, especially since we really didn't get to discuss it last Wednesday!