We are drawing ever nearer to the April 24 premiere of Game of Thrones Season 6, and with Sunday’s teaser showing us what it means to literally face death, it’s time to once again catch up on another great house of Westeros: House Tyrell. We’ve previously looked back on Houses Lannister, Stark, and Greyjoy, but none of these houses have the grace and beauty possessed by the House of the rose.
House Tyrell
When last we saw the members of House Tyrell, there were more thorns on the bush than rose petals. Where most great houses of Westeros pin their hopes on an eldest son, House Tyrell put all their considerable backing behind their beautiful daughter, Margaery…and for a time in Season 5, it worked. However, House Tyrell—led by the Lady Olenna—overplayed its hand, and perhaps underestimated the strength of House Lannister (specifically Cersei) after the death of Lord Tywin, and Margaery’s reign as the queen bee in the Red Keep was all too brief.
Margaery’s brother, Loras Tyrell, also helped his sister’s downfall along. In a major divergence from the Song of Ice and Fire books, Cersei used her knowledge about Loras’ sexual escapades—with Olyvar, a prostitute working for Littlefinger—to get him arrested. When Margaery lied to protect him during an inquest undertaken by the newly revived Faith Militant, she was arrested for perjury.
Also playing into Cersei Lannister’s schemes: the lord of House Tyrell, Lord Mace Tyrell, whom Cersei named Master of Ships and Master of Coin. She sent him to Braavos to try and negotiate with the Iron Bank regarding the Crown’s considerable debt. I believe it was Cersei’s plan to have Meryn Trant, whom she sent along with him, kill Mace Tyrell while in Braavos, but through a stroke of sheer luck, Arya Stark intervened and killed Trant for revenge’s sake, thus saving the lovable Lord Mace.
Finally, the only Tyrell that kept her head above the stink in King’s Landing…well, metaphorically speaking…was Lady Olenna Tyrell. The Matriarch of House Tyrell, and the only one of the bunch besides Margaery who seems to have a lick of sense, Lady Olenna prefers to do her battling with her razor-sharp tongue. Her nickname at court is the Queen of Thorns, for her quick wit and sharp words are quick to draw blood.
Lady Olenna also has no problems with verbally sparring with the biggest power players in King’s Landing, as was in evidenced in Season 5, when she traded barbs with Cersei, Littlefinger, and even the High Sparrow.
Cersei: “Ah yes, the famously tart-tongued Queen of Thorns.”
Olenna: “And the famous tart, Queen Cersei.“
Her back and forth with Lord Baelish was particularly poignant, as few in the Seven Kingdoms are capable of going toe-to-toe with Littlefinger.
Olenna: “You’ve always been rather impressed with yourself, haven’t you?”
Littlefinger: “The past is the past. The future is all that’s worth discussing. The future of House Tyrell.”
Olenna: “Don’t pretend to have any concern for my House, my grandchildren, or me. I should have known you’d return to the capital as soon as things started to go wrong.”
Littlefinger: “I promise you…”
Olenna: “I promise you, Lord Baelish, that our fates are joined. Together, we murdered a King. If my House should fall, I will have nothing to hide. And if I should meet with some ‘accident’ here at your broken little flesh-market, they’ll never even find what’s left of you.“
As you can clearly see, if House Tyrell is going to flower again, Lady Olenna will have to be the one to lead the charge.
So where does each member of House Tyrell stand at the beginning of Season 6?
- Margaery is still imprisoned, but according to filming news, it won’t last. True to form, spoilers suggest that she’ll talk and act her way out of it.
- Loras is still imprisoned…status unknown. I would guess he might choose a trial by combat.
- Mace Tyrell will be sailing home from Braavos soon, sans the murdered Meryn Trant.
- Lady Olenna stands alone in King’s Landing, but with House Tyrell’s bannermen coming to to the rescue (Randyl Tarly), she shan’t be alone for long.
House Tyrell hasn’t been mentioned much in the promotions for Game of Thrones Season 6. We’ve seen Septa Unella reading to who we are assuming is a penitent Margaery, but that’s about it. For the once proud house to once again grow strong, Loras will need to win his freedom, Mace must return and take charge of the Small Council, and Margaery must be acquitted of all charges brought against her by the Faith. Hang on folks, it’s gonna be a fun ride.
Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/02/15/game-of-thrones-season-6-the-last-time-we-saw-the-tyrells/
No comments:
Post a Comment