Killed Taking a Crap: GoT Season 4 Wrap-up
I finished watching Game of Thrones season 4 last night. My last blog was up through episode 4 (out 10). Rather than blog episode by episode I've chosen to wait until the season finale and then write about themes.
As is typical for the series, season 4 wrapped up with a number of killings. After all, that's how author George R. R. Martin writes 'em.
Two things were different about season 4's death toll, though. For one, half of those whacked were evil people who richly deserved it. Two, a few of the deaths toward the end were ironic.
The irony stems from a scene in which Petyr Baelish counsels a young lord not to let exaggerated fear of death keep him hiding in the castle. "People die in their beds and at their dinner tables," he said (paraphrased). "They even die squatting over their chamber pots." This is ironic because people actually die that way- at the dinner table and while taking a crap. [More details >>> (spoilers)]Earlier in the season King Joffrey dies of poison at the dinner table at his wedding feast - a murder that Baelish orchestrated! Then, in the season finale (S4E10) Tyrion Lannister kills his father in a confrontation while the latter is sitting in the privvy.
There were more characters deaths than these two in season 4, though these were major characters. Others killed off include Shae, Tyrion's former paramour; and Sandor Clegane, the former King's Hound. Both of these entailed some irony, too, come to think of it.
Shae's death was ironic- mostly it was sad, but it was also ironic- because Tyrion killed her with his own hands. Tyrion had loved her, and she loved him; but he (falsely) spurned her to send her away for her own safety. Shae then allied with the people who were looking to kill her, joining them in their even greater desire to kill Tyrion. Tyrion felt so betrayed by this he killed the woman he still loved more than anyone he ever had.
The Hound's death was ironic for two reasons. First, he was killed by Brienne of Tarth, a woman. He'd long boasted that there were few men who could kill him in a 1-1 fight, and certainly no women. Then, as he lay dying, he asked Arya to give him a swift death out of mercy. She might have done it as she'd vowed for months, years even, to kill him in revenge for murdering a child friend of hers. But Arya had internalized Sandor's lessons about being "too soft" and walked away, leaving him to die a certain- but slow and painful- death.
Coming back around to it, though, Tywin's death hits as the most ironic. Tywin Lannister, the man behind the Iron Throne, literally the most powerful man in all Westeros, killed while taking a crap.
As is typical for the series, season 4 wrapped up with a number of killings. After all, that's how author George R. R. Martin writes 'em.
Two things were different about season 4's death toll, though. For one, half of those whacked were evil people who richly deserved it. Two, a few of the deaths toward the end were ironic.
The irony stems from a scene in which Petyr Baelish counsels a young lord not to let exaggerated fear of death keep him hiding in the castle. "People die in their beds and at their dinner tables," he said (paraphrased). "They even die squatting over their chamber pots." This is ironic because people actually die that way- at the dinner table and while taking a crap. [More details >>> (spoilers)]Earlier in the season King Joffrey dies of poison at the dinner table at his wedding feast - a murder that Baelish orchestrated! Then, in the season finale (S4E10) Tyrion Lannister kills his father in a confrontation while the latter is sitting in the privvy.
There were more characters deaths than these two in season 4, though these were major characters. Others killed off include Shae, Tyrion's former paramour; and Sandor Clegane, the former King's Hound. Both of these entailed some irony, too, come to think of it.
Shae's death was ironic- mostly it was sad, but it was also ironic- because Tyrion killed her with his own hands. Tyrion had loved her, and she loved him; but he (falsely) spurned her to send her away for her own safety. Shae then allied with the people who were looking to kill her, joining them in their even greater desire to kill Tyrion. Tyrion felt so betrayed by this he killed the woman he still loved more than anyone he ever had.
The Hound's death was ironic for two reasons. First, he was killed by Brienne of Tarth, a woman. He'd long boasted that there were few men who could kill him in a 1-1 fight, and certainly no women. Then, as he lay dying, he asked Arya to give him a swift death out of mercy. She might have done it as she'd vowed for months, years even, to kill him in revenge for murdering a child friend of hers. But Arya had internalized Sandor's lessons about being "too soft" and walked away, leaving him to die a certain- but slow and painful- death.
Coming back around to it, though, Tywin's death hits as the most ironic. Tywin Lannister, the man behind the Iron Throne, literally the most powerful man in all Westeros, killed while taking a crap.