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canyonwalkerThis isn't so much an episode specific thing as a general observation across the first few episodes: The Lannisters are sociopaths.
In S1E1 we see that Jaime and Cersei have an incestuous, adulterous relationship. Jaime throws 10 year old Brandon from a window, intending to kill him, when the boy accidentally sees them having sex.
In S1E2 Brandon has survived— but an assassin comes for him and attempts to kill his mother, Lady Catelyn Stark, too. It's evident that one of the Lannisters sent the assassin.
Also in S1E2 young Joffrey Lannister threatens young Arya Stark's commoner friend and shoves Arya when she tries to defend him. Her pet direwolf attacks Joffrey to protect her. Joffrey runs to his mother and lies about everything that happened. Cersei believes everything he says and demands blood. Arya is spared punishment because she's of a noble family, but the wolf is put to death and the commoner boy is run down like a rabid dog.
In S1E3 we learn that the assassin may have been hired by Tyrion Lannister, acting to protect his brother from charges of attempted murder. We also learn that Jaime stood by 17 years ago when the "Mad King" brutally murdered Ned's brother and father. Later he killed the Mad King, when it was politically acceptable to do & could benefit his family. (His sister married the Mad King's challenger and became queen.)
Of the Lannisters we've met so far I think the biggest sociopath is Cersei. To me one of the clearest indicators is her attempt to sympathize with the grieving Catelyn Stark in S1E2.
Curiously, in the S1E2 extra piece that's a short director's commentary, the director highlights this scene as proof that Cersei is not all bad, because she expresses sympathy. I'm like, "No, it proves how much of a sociopath she is!!"
One of the key aspects of criminal sociopaths is that they use emotional intelligence as a weapon. For them sympathy is not a thing that leads to recognizing how they've hurt others and realizing they need to mend their ways. Sympathy is all a calculated act. They use it to manipulate people, to get their way more thoroughly.
In the scene above Cersei knows exactly who attempted the murder, and why. It was done for her benefit & her family's. And now she's creating an emotionally intense moment to deflect suspicion from herself and her family. Total sociopath move.
In S1E1 we see that Jaime and Cersei have an incestuous, adulterous relationship. Jaime throws 10 year old Brandon from a window, intending to kill him, when the boy accidentally sees them having sex.
In S1E2 Brandon has survived— but an assassin comes for him and attempts to kill his mother, Lady Catelyn Stark, too. It's evident that one of the Lannisters sent the assassin.
Also in S1E2 young Joffrey Lannister threatens young Arya Stark's commoner friend and shoves Arya when she tries to defend him. Her pet direwolf attacks Joffrey to protect her. Joffrey runs to his mother and lies about everything that happened. Cersei believes everything he says and demands blood. Arya is spared punishment because she's of a noble family, but the wolf is put to death and the commoner boy is run down like a rabid dog.
In S1E3 we learn that the assassin may have been hired by Tyrion Lannister, acting to protect his brother from charges of attempted murder. We also learn that Jaime stood by 17 years ago when the "Mad King" brutally murdered Ned's brother and father. Later he killed the Mad King, when it was politically acceptable to do & could benefit his family. (His sister married the Mad King's challenger and became queen.)
Of the Lannisters we've met so far I think the biggest sociopath is Cersei. To me one of the clearest indicators is her attempt to sympathize with the grieving Catelyn Stark in S1E2.
Curiously, in the S1E2 extra piece that's a short director's commentary, the director highlights this scene as proof that Cersei is not all bad, because she expresses sympathy. I'm like, "No, it proves how much of a sociopath she is!!"
One of the key aspects of criminal sociopaths is that they use emotional intelligence as a weapon. For them sympathy is not a thing that leads to recognizing how they've hurt others and realizing they need to mend their ways. Sympathy is all a calculated act. They use it to manipulate people, to get their way more thoroughly.
In the scene above Cersei knows exactly who attempted the murder, and why. It was done for her benefit & her family's. And now she's creating an emotionally intense moment to deflect suspicion from herself and her family. Total sociopath move.
