Saturday, May 10, 2014

The Death of Joffrey

*Note that if anyone hasn't yet seen the last couple of episodes of Game of Thrones, this will contain spoilers.*

When I finally saw the episode of Game of Thrones when 'King' Joffrey is poisoned, I was disappointed to learn that I had misinterpreted who had done the deed. I'm not disappointed at misreading anything--I'm disappointed because I think my version was way better!

Martin must have been too subtle for me, but I somehow never got it that the Queen of Thorns poisoned Joffrey, conspiring apparently with Littlefinger. In my version, I felt that Cersei was using the opportunity to rid herself of her hated brother Tyrion and had poisoned either Tyrion's wine or something that was served to him. Then Joffrey came over and ate some of Tyrion's food and drank some of his wine (at least if I am recalling things correctly). Just imagine the horror of Cersei watching as her son kills himself with the poison that she herself had put there! Delicious!

3 comments:

  1. I was always betting on the old lady doing for Joffrey - but perhaps that doesn't come across so strongly in the book as it does the series? All her conversations with Marjory had me wondering how long it would take after the wedding before she finished him off. My feeling though is that it happens too soon - why didn't she wait until after the marriage was consummated - and so cement Marjory's position as queen? Or would that have interfered with the plan to have her married to Tommen? I can't see any prior indications in the story that would have made this a problem, but maybe I missed something. (I haven't read book 3/4, just the first two). I like the idea of your version, but I should imagine either in book or on film that there would be no plausible way in which Cersei would not have taken the wine from Joffrey - somehow -if she had known it was poisoned.

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  2. I'm very upset with the show for spoiling it. I also did not recall the books ever making it explicit, and my money was on Tywin.

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  3. HA! That WOULD have been a nice twist, though I read it the way the show portrayed it--I hadn't felt fully confident of Littlefinger's role, but Lady Ollena I was sure on. Still... would have loved the irony of Cersei trying to kill Tyrion and thereby poisoning Joffrey.

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