After another wedding ends in death of a king (and who isn't thrilled that the most despicable Joffrey is dead), there are many questions going through my head on what is next.
From Tyrion to Joffrey in season 3: "We've had vicious kings and we've had idiot kings, but l don't know if we've ever been cursed with a vicious idiot for a king."
Who Will Be King?
- Will Joffrey's younger brother Tommen get the throne now? We saw more of him in this episode than we have in quite a while.
- If so, is Cersei Queen Regent again?
- What will Stannis do now? Is time for him to rise up again?
- Where is Gendry? Davos Seaworth sent him off on his own in a boat and we haven't heard from him since.
Who Killed the King?
- Tyrion is being blamed by Cersei, but will that hold up with the people? They all saw Joffrey forcing Tyrion to get him wine.
- Was the wine actually meant for Cersei? It was sitting in a carafe right in front of her.
- Was it the cake that killed him? He was eating cake just before sipping the wine. That seems like a more likley agent as it wasn't sitting in front of Cersei for so long.
- And how did that fool, Dontos Hollard, know enough about what was going on to warn Sansa and get her out of there?
- My ranking of the suspects ordered from most to least likely:
- Oberyn Martell – He showed up in the city seeking blood for the death of his sister's children at the hands of Tywin Lannister.
- Margaery Tyrell – Seems doubtful as the Tyrells had much to gain from this arrangement, BUT I thought it was very strange that Olenna Tyrell said to Sansa at the beginning of the wedding right in front of Joffrey, "War is war, but killing a man at a wedding — horrid." And it was Margaery who handed Joffrey the wine cup and the cake.
- Cersei Lannister – Maybe she wanted to be Queen Regent again. If Joffrey died, her younger son would be king. And she did not want to marry Lorras which is likely in peril with the collapse of the first Tyrell-Lannister wedding. And… she had grown to dislike her asshat of a son. The wine carafe was right in front of her. She could have filled her glass at any time, but did not. She was clearly upset during the reception as she was lashing out at everyone with extra venom.
- Sansa Stark – She picked up the cup the wine was drank from when it was rolling around and she took off after he dies. She asked Tyrion if they could leave just before the death. The Fool Dontos Hollard comes to get her out of there just as Joffrey is dying. My guess is that she will be a suspect.
- Dontos Hollard – The fool seemed to know what was going on. Could it be him? He doesn't seem like he'd be a ring leader for something like this. Maybe a patsy? Or did he just know something? Is he part of a larger underground movement?
- Stannis Baratheon – He did throw a leech in the fire for Joffrey, just like he did for Robb Stark and Walder Frey. Maybe Melisandre arranged the poisoning.
- Varys – Doubtful, but you never know what he's up to and he seems to have the best interest of the 7 kingdoms in mind. And Joffrey as the king wasn't optimal.
- Tyrion Lannister – He seemed bewildered when seen holding the cup. It seems very doubtful he did it, but he's the lead suspect right now to the people of Westeros. And they don't seem like a very refined group. Suspect usually equals guilty it seems.
- Jamie Lannister – He is put in charge of the King's Guard and the king ends up dead… again! I wonder if he'll go on the run with Sansa and Brienne. Plus… would he kill his own son?
What Will Happen To Tyrion?
- He gave the king the wine, at a minimum he's going to be the first suspect. And he did say, "I am off to find another way to thank the king."
- What will the King's Hand, his father Tywin, do with him? We all know he hates Tyrion, but Tyrion is useful to him. My guess is that he will start a framing/investigation into the real culprit and produce someone, one way or another.
What Will Happen to Sansa?
- She was warned by Dontos Hollard what was happening and then took off. Where will she go?
- Will she try to help Tyrion if he is the lead suspect? Was the picking up of the cup an initial gesture of her defrosting a bit to her husband?
- Will Jaime Lannister now feel like he has to fulfill his vow of keeping her safe and wisk her out of King's Landing? Will he have Brienne of Tarth to do it for him?
Miscellaneous Questions
- Will Walder Frey be the next one to fall? He's the last leech that Stannis threw in the fire. The other two are dead. It seems likely he is next. If so, Theon Greyjoy would then be Lord of the Crossing. Theon's sister, Yara, is on a mission to find him. If she does, and Walder dies, then that sad character could technically become the leader of his people.
- What is Littlefinger up to? You know he's plotting something.
- Will Cersei's wedding to Loras still happen? If I lived in the Seven Kingdoms, I'd want to avoid weddings.
- Bronn needs something to do. I'm not sure training Jaime is enough to keep him busy. Could Jaime take him on an adventure?
- Since Joffrey's gone, Ramsay is in line to be the most vicious, vile person in the show every week. Seems like he's up to it. Now he's off to hunt down Bran Stark. Can he do it?
- Will Jaime and Brienne admit they are more than just friends?
- Is a Game of Thrones wedding the new Dark Arts teacher from "Harry Potter"? You just know something is going to happen there.
- What will happen to the newly widowed queen, Marjorie Tyrell? Will she marry Joffrey's younger brother?
The Definitive Joffrey Scene: Clueless, Hated by All, Vicious
Honoring a Great Performance
The actor who played King Joffrey, Jack Gleeson, has announced he is retiring from acting. He was absolutely fantastic as one of the most despicable characters in TV history. Good luck to him in whatever he chooses to do next.