I was all ready for Game of Thrones last night. I sat down, put my feet up, was about to press play, but then I got a text from the writers of the show. They said to me “Hey Robbie, you know your favourite character that you keep trying to defend? Yeah, we’re gonna make that a lot harder tonight. Lol soz” It was an odd text. What on Earth could they possibly mean?
.....Oh. That’s what they meant.
Well, where to begin? Firstly, people have already pointed out that it’s a major change from the book. The exact same thing, only Cersei gives consent. Here, she pulls away from him, and a frustrated Jaime grabs her and does his thing, leaving them both practically sobbing. The show spent a whole season convincing everyone that Jaime was a good guy. Why on Earth are they trying to demonize him again? Why was there any need to change this scene? The same thing happened in Season One. Khal Drogo rapes Daenerys after their wedding ceremony, and yet in the book, she also gave consent. I don’t know if they’re doing this for a certain plot point or if they want to display change in characters or whatever, it’s entirely unnecessary. Jaime is not a bad person; of all the things he’s done, his relationship with Cersei has been one made of loyalty, and duty. Frowned upon, perhaps, but he didn’t care. Clearly, Jaime has a lot on his mind. The only woman he has ever loved is not only a hateful brooding queen but also his own blood, meaning he could never be public with it. On top of that, he is the father to three children (Well, was) and never got the chance to be a father to them for the same reason. He has returned after a year of imprisonment, and losing the one thing that made him feel important. What he needed was his sister’s love, the same way she needed him when he was gone. She wouldn’t allow it, so he had to take it by his force. And he now seems to hate it. He screams at her “You are a hateful woman....Why did the God’s make me love a hateful woman?” He hates how much he loves her. Now, not just because it’s shunned but because he sees who she is. But he wants it. He needs it. He sees now why she hates it too. We don’t decide who we fall in love with, but it seems these two got the short shrift. He has a desire, and what he desires, he takes, like most soldiers. For all his faults, Jaime Lannister is a good man. But instead they’ve decided to let you know that he is once again, ‘a man without honour’.
I asked last week who you thought Joffrey’s killer was, and it seems we have a new suspect. Perhaps definitely involved....Lord Petyr Baelish. Likely still hurting from the death of his beloved Catelyn, he has obtained Sansa Stark. But he was on a ship to the Eyrie. In fact, this was the same night as the wedding. News certainly does not travel THAT fast. He has to be involved. Even if he’s not the killer, he’s helped out in some way or another.
Overall another good episode, but utterly disturbing and completely aggravating. Next week, Jaime has a task for Brienne. These two are in need of some time together, so we’ll have to wait and see just what that task is.