GoingMadlem

"Cersei was such a badass, she wouldn't have gone out like that!" Cersei had always acted from a position of power her entire life. She's never been an underdog. The first time she faced a scenario where her privileged position didn't matter, she became a sniveling baby.

"Dany had years of character development thrown out the window!" Dany has had a hot streak since the beginning. EVERY time she faced opposition on her quest to claim her entitlements, she was going to "kill 'em all" until her closest friends, lovers, & advisers talked her down

She had no friends left... no love. She was alone at her moment of triumph and had nobody to talk her down from revenge against the people who took everything she was entitled to.

"Jaime should have killed Cersei!" Yeah sure, his "redemption arc" involves him murdering the mother of his children. Additionally, Cersei was already rendered powerless by the time he got there so it wouldn't have been an act of redemption, it would have been spiteful revenge

The whole point of this entire series has been that the struggles of powerful people consume everyone around them. This is why Jon Snow is the hero Westeros needs. He comes from nothing. He grew up with no birthright, committed himself to public service at the wall.

Jon doesn't want power, he doesn't want a destiny, he's just a simple man committing acts of service and now he's found himself in the service of another terrible ruler.

"What about Varys, the smartest man committing treason in the open?" He knew what he was doing and that after his conversation with Tyrion his days were numbered. It was a hail Mary to save Westeros and a diversion from the letters he already spent the prior two days sending.