Episode Discussion Thread #16 01/07/2016 - 31/07/2016 - Page 80

Originally posted by: AnuMoNaya

Originally posted by: Sandhya.A

👏So well explained Aunty.

True. He could have killed Helena and won Bindu's praises. But he would have lost the chance to give Helena the unkindest cut of all. If Helena sliced Justin, it was agreed upon between them and at Justin's request. But this was out of the blue and a totally selfish action. And the real punishment for Helena.

Now, the unkindest cut of all for Bindu will be Siyamak's truth. The son he dotes on as most upekshith-ed, least ambitious and his best agya kari putra, when it finally turns out that he is not his putra at all and that his kshamtha to use his vivek had evaporated wrt his wife and Bro - that would be real justice.

Originally posted by: sashashyam

Here, I am with you completely. Ashoka should have listened to Kaurwaki (I can practically hear the loud groans across the EDT!😉) , and once Helena had finished her spiel and raised the dagger, he should have leapt to Bindusara's defence and wrested the weapon from her, and either killed her on the spot or left her for the executioner. That would have been by far the shrewdest and the simplest way to handle it.

But there is something else deep inside Ashoka that makes him do what he does, and it is more psychological and emotional than pragmatic or politically astute. He hates Helena with a visceral hatred, and he wants to make her pay for at least part of the suffering she has caused him and his. Not so much physically, but in her mind and heart (or what passes as one for her). For this to happen, she has to be betrayed by the one she loved and loves the most, her precious grandson. This he achieves, for the agony in her face and eyes in that very last instant before Siamak strikes is awful to behold.

Moreover, Ashoka does not see Siamak as a threat in the throne stakes, so his becoming such a paragon of a rajabhakt in Bindusara's eyes, a consequence Ashoka should have anticipated, might not have bothered him too much. Most important of all, he does not anticipate that Siamak will seek the governorship of Takshashila. That comes as a shock, but he rallies quickly. And it will surely be easier for him to dispose of Siamak in such a far away place than it would be to do the same thing right here.

Originally posted by: shyam09

I couldn't follow that logic. Just because this lady says that she is here for revenge, Ashok should just accept her? I could see younger Ashok doing that - thinking more from his heart, trusting everyone - but not this Ashok. Kaurvaki essentially rushes Ashok into making a fast decision without considering anything. He knows nothing about Lassandra except that she is a Unani. He can't be sure if she is fibbing over her background story, nor can he be sure that she can be trusted. There are many cases where women seeking revenge cannot be trusted. Helena, Niharika, Agnishikha, Charu, Noor... and something this huge - Lassandra promising to deliver Helena - can't be decided on just the basis of 'oh she is a lady seeking revenge. Let's trust her because we got nothing better to do?' Speaking of which, Ashok was stumped when Lassandra told him what other options he had, which is odd ... what exactly was Ashok planning to do beyond just sending the spies out? If he was going to rely on them only, that's a) Not an Ashok plan and b) incredibly stupid of him.

Originally posted by: babur1527

First off, welcome back you sly old fox.

Secondly ditto on that. I just don't understand why should Ashok trust Lassandra? And needless to say the over-glorification of KVK continues. It would have made sense if, I don't know,

KVK KNEW LASSANDRA?

You hare brained CVs have gone out of your way to glorify KVK, so adding this detail wouldn't have hurt much now would it?

Lassandra needed a better back story. The most logical reason for Ashok to trust her would be if Radhagupt had actually brought Lassandra. Lassandra's father being an old acquaintance of Chanakya would have sealed the deal.