What is a great story without moments of grief? It is just a story. If there’s any living proof you want for it, it is this show (or the books).

We got the first major character death for the season – Olenna Tyrell. She had the most badass entry and probably the most badass send off! Of course, we all knew about Joffrey’s true killer. We were waiting for the Lannisters to know that. And what better way to do that, while she herself dies the same way in which she killed him?

Confusion might have cropped up in some minds : Why did Olenna kill Joffrey? Let’s rewind a little :

Both Olenna and Margery Tyrell have always been as smart and cunning as the Lannisters. They agreed to forge alliance through the marriage. Why the alliance? Lannisters wanted to pay their debts to the Iron Bank (one of the officials played by our very own Mycroft Holmes) through the Tyrell money and the High Garden in return wanted to be in the winning side of the Game.

But the Tyrells are too smart to just blindly marry their treasured Princess without knowing about the Prince. The investigation included asking Sansa about his true nature. This led to many other scheming things, major of which included greater influence of Margery on Joffrey than Cersei. When that plan started to fail,they decided to end it on their wedding day with the help of Littlefinger.

 

Two characters competed the karma circle : Ellaria’s daughter dying the way Cersei’s daughter died. And of course, Olenna being poisoned to death like Joffrey. In the season premiere we also had the Freys dying in the same hall where they slaughtered the Stark family. The makers are clearly obsessed in showing how big a bitch karma can be. Some may say it is lack of creativity which forces them to do this. I am pretty cool with it, as long as there is a reason for it to happen. Like Olenna had to reveal her secret and Cersei’s Mad Queen traits had to be shown justified the deaths of today’s episode. I hope they don’t overdo it in the future.

While everyone applauded Olenna and Diana Rigg for her masterstroke in the end, let us not forget the hell of an act Indira Verma pulled off as Ellaria Sand. Chained and tied, her helpless look as Cersei went on to kill her daughter was priceless. And for once, I actually cared for a Dornish character.

It’s easy to kill off a character. But it’s magnanimously tough to weave the impact of it. It’s the deaths that bring all the major plot twists and character motivations. Just recollect how the stories took turn after Ned Star’s beheading, the Red Wedding, the Purple Wedding, the stinky death of Tywin, and the list goes on.

This show knows how to use its character’s deaths to manipulate the audience and change the entire course the story seemed to follow! That’s what keeps us so hooked, right?

My Favourite scene and quote from the show will be posted on the facebook page soon. Stay tuned!